hi everybody we are moving to asheville nc we need to no the low down on jobs land weather etc. the good and the bad thankyou for any info you may have pat.

-- patrick hemsley (phemsley@superiorinter.net), August 22, 2001

Answers

hey,

I live right across the mountain from Ashville in Tenn. and it's a neat place. It's in what they call the isothermal belt so the temp. is pretty mild year round. Not too hot, not too cold, not much rain or snow. North Carolina has high taxes and the building departments are a little anal from what I've heard but it's a pretty place. It's kind of a boom town lately with everybody moving up from Florida and other points so employment should be good. We have a campground on the Nolichucky river about an hour away and get a lot of folks from Asheville come to Kayak and stay here. personally I think the Tenn. side of the mountain is little better because of taxes and some other things but there are advantages over there too. You'll probably like it. Good luck.

-- Carter (chucky@usit.net), August 22, 2001.

About 10 years ago I purchased a copy of the book "Places Rated" which rates metropolitan areas for quality of living. Asheville, NC was rated the #1 spot in the country for retirement living. The criteria used for evaluation included cost of living, cost of housing, weather, recreation, libraries, access to healthcare and job availability, to name a few.

-- Dwight (summit1762@aol.com), August 22, 2001.

Pat, We live in Mebane, NC, about central part of the state and it is beautiful! It has been pretty hot this year and humid, but I don't remember it being this bad last year. Jobs seem to be plentiful, don't know about the Ashville area, but NC seems to be a booming State and they say it will be for the next 10 years or so. Guess it might depend on what kind of work you are looking for. Anyway, good luck on your move...I do believe you will like it here...Welcome to NC !! Have a safe trip.

-- Brenda in NC (CherokeeMaiden2@aol.com), August 22, 2001.

Hi Pat, we used to live across the mountains in Sevier Co., Tenn. and at one time my husband was offered a job in Cherokee. We drove over the mountains to scope out the area. Asheville is beautiful, But land is also pretty expensive. It's called the Paris of the South and with good reason. It has a large art culture, a huge farmers market, good restaurants and alot happening. Go down the road a little and come to Waynesville. A beautiful mountain town. Land is still high, but a little more reasonable. Down the road a little farther is Sylva. A small college town, and the land was somewhat cheaper. Go on down and you come to Bryson City. My favorite. A real small town, that is surrounded by The Smokies, Cherokee Forest and another one I can't for the life of me recall. Land was pretty scarce there because of all the National Parks. Bryson City is not too far from Cherokee. From the real estate guides we picked up, most of the property was higher than where we were in Tennessee. Don't know much about the job markets, but everything seemed to be going good in those towns. It's a beautiful area of the country. If you move there, be sure to take a drive over the Smokies to Gatlinburg one day. The views in the Park are breathtaking. I miss the mountains every day. Good luck in your job search and move!

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), August 22, 2001.

Hello Patrick, When Melitza and I were searching for a place to homestead, we travelled to Western North Carolina as a possible site. Well, we were quite honestly very disappointed. Not by the beauty of it but, of the tourism, cost of living, price of land and general attitude of the locals. We scratched it off as a "possiblility" in a very short time. Understand, that as a "native North Carolinian" from Chapel Hill, NC, that it may seem ironic that I was not want to settle in the state. But, due to the population boom in my home town I was force to see refuge somewhere else. That in itself is a good reason not to try to homestead in the state. Pretty soon, all the beautiful things that have been enjoyed by North Carolinians will attract other populance and it will be as crowded as Walt Disney World on a summer day! Incidently, we search all three sections of North Carolina, (the mountains, the piedmont, and the coast) with little satisfaction. Other areas we searched were Eastern Colorado, Southeastern Colorado, North Central Arkansas, and South Central Missouri, (Ozarks). After veiwing all the particulars of each area we decided to settle in South Central Missouri in Ozark County. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), August 22, 2001.

Hi,

Well, my question to you is, "why are you moving to Ashevelle?"

I lived in Asheville from 1975 - 1981. It was home as soon as I got there and I've been trying to get back ever since. You might say that I am just a little jealous.

People there are quite different in many ways. I have traveled extensively throughout most of the U.S. and it is fair to say that almost anywhere you go you will find strange people if you look for them. Tarheels are true Southerners, and that is a very good thing.

You will find almost anything you look for, need or have an interest in. It is truly a small town with the conveniences of a large city.

Atlanta is just a hop away. The mountains offer unlimited resources for recreation, and the beach is not really a long drive either.

Write me if you have specific questions, and I'll be glad to answer as well as I can. I still keep in close contact w/ my friends there. I visit as often as I can and still hope to return, soon... jac

-- jac (cajunjac01@hotmail.com), August 23, 2001.

Patrick

My first question is Where are you moving from?

What type of job skills do you have?

Asheville is a big city atmosphere. It has the usual crime and often a touristy feel about it. On the other hand it has mountains a huge farmers market and one of the best places around to buy a tractor.

Land up that way has became very high. Unless you know someone and can cut a deal.

Is there a specific reason that you chose Asheville?

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), August 23, 2001.

Hi Patrick,

The only bad thing I've heard about Ashville is it's air quality which apparently is getting pretty bad. They're doing some extensive studies in that area at the moment. Hospitals are seeing a noticable increase in admissions of patients with breathing problems especially just after a hot humid day with high ozone levels. It's making some people very sick. In fact most of the state has high ozone problems. I don't have asthma or allergies but even I feel short of breath just walking up from our goat pens. It's not that steep but you'd think I'd been out running or something. If you do suffer from anything of that nature you're going to feel it I think.

Actually as I write this I'm listening to our old dog's labored breathing. The vet took x-rays last week and told us her lungs are very bad "probably due to the ozone". We were just discussing having her put to sleep a few minutes ago. She's a 12 year old black lab. I think she would have lasted a lot longer if we hadn't been stuck in this neck of the woods.

My opinion of NC...nice to visit but I don't want to live here any longer than the army says we have to!

Pauline, south east NC

-- Pauline (tworoosters_farm@altavista.com), August 23, 2001.

Like Carter, we live on the Tennessee side of the Appalachians. I have visited Asheville and it seems like a pretty nice place. It is a college town and a lot of entertainment seems to be geared to that younger set. For homesteading, I am totally happy with East Tennessee. Less zoning restrictions, cheaper land prices, and good people. Good luck in your move.

-- Mary in East TN (barnwood@preferred.com), August 23, 2001.

We looked to move to Asheville 6 yrs ago and decided against it. The cost of land was outrageous, taxes were high, developement was happening everywhere and folks were retiring there from Florida. We had school age children and found out the next county over, where there was affordable land, had lost their accredidation. We were not impressed at all. In the town of Ashville there seemed to be alot of New Age weirdos and "alternative lifestyle" types, if you know what I mean. Definately not my idea of a moral, family type atmosphere.

-- Patricia Ramsey (woolspin@aol.com), August 24, 2001.