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Retirees, and others, in Asheville appreciate the reasonably priced cost-of-living and real estate.   The average home price is $205,000, and housing options range from single family homes in older neighborhoods to newer subdivisions to condos, town homes and manufactured homes.   Small (600-700 square feet), stand-alone homes can be found for $55,000, but these need fairly extensive repairs.   Nicer, two to three bedroom, single-family homes in established, leafy neighborhoods start in the mid to high $100,000s, although inventory becomes more extensive in the mid-$200,000 range.   Converted, attractive but small (700 square feet with one bedroom and one bath) condos (Canterbury Heights) are currently selling for $69,000.  

Asheville has a number of downtown luxury condos with prices starting in the mid to high-$200,000s (the Hiawassee, Sawyer Motors and Kress Building) and rising considerably higher, as well as 12 to 15 more very nice condo and town home communities sprinkled along the outskirts of town, some tucked in the surrounding hillsides.  These tend to start in the low-$200,000s and top out in the $400,000s, although more expensive properties are certainly available.  The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is a luxurious, gated golf community with custom condos and single family homes starting at $1 million.

A significant number of manufactured and mobile home parks (we counted 32) are here, but only a few (including Scenic Mobile Home Park and Dogwood Knolls) are specifically targeted to those 55 and above.  Homes (500 to 900 square feet) on leased land in these communities start at $12,000 and range up to $79,000 (1,750 square feet).

Apartments for rent seem to be fairly plentiful, although there are more available in the summer than in the fall because of the student population.  On average, one bedroom apartments start at around $600 per month, and two bedroom units start at $750 per month.

The Affordable Housing Coalition of Asheville also helps those who are unable to afford local housing by "teaching low to moderate income families and individuals how to buy a house through nonprofit housing providers and local financial institutions."  They can be reached at 828-259-9216.

Property taxes for city residents are paid at a rate of $1.15 per $100 assessed value; for county residents, the rate is $0.73 per $100 assessed value.  All homes are assessed at 100% of value.  Taxes on a $200,000 home in the city would be $2,300 annually.  For seniors 65 and above with less than $18,000 annual income, there is a $20,000 homestead exemption.  North Carolina is about average when it comes to levying taxes and ranks 23rd when compared to all 50 states.

Often called "Paris of the South" because it is perched above the majestic French Broad River, this mountain city (elevation 2,200 feet) has received many accolades as a great place to live.  It has a growing and diverse economy and  a workforce that is 80% white collar.  It is a place that prides itself on being a haven of divergent and eclectic views and organic bakeries, co-ops, tail-gate markets and politically active cafes dot the town.  Spared unsightly urban renewal projects in the 1950s and 1960s (the city was still recovering from the Great Depression and had massive debt), downtown museums and galleries are today housed in wonderfully restored Queen Anne, Art Deco and Romanesque buildings from the early 20th-century.

Asheville, North Carolina, Continued.....

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