Western nc is very expensive. retiring there requires a boatload of money. also, Asheville is now overrun by hippies and the Uber left.
This website might be of use. You can see and start discussions on a particular state.
IF..ya got twitter give
@SenFrankNiceley a shout..he’s just over yonder
IN TN
The Murphy/Andrews area has the amenities of civilization but reside in the Smokies. Murphy is ten miles from Tennessee and ten miles from Blue Ridge GA. My wife is from Murphy so I am more familiar with that area. Many new comers are retirees.
Be sure to look at Black Mountain, not far from Asheville. Lovely community in the mountains so no worries about flooding.
You could do worse -
North Carolina is rated the 19th freest state:
http://www.freedominthe50states.org/
Relatives there love Asheville and Hendersonville - winters not too bad, fall is gorgeous in the nearby Blue Ridge mts.
Bear in mind that ongoing cultural enrichment of HUNDREDS of migrant Muslim Syrian and Somali refugees may color your experience as a time goes by. (Locals are p1ssed about how many are being placed there).
Viva ‘l difference!
Boone is another N.C. city to explore and Blowing Rock, N.C. (artists community, or was years ago).
I lived in Granite Falls (in the middle of Morganton/Hickory/Lenoir triangle) pretty cheap. Mom lives near Rutherfordton (reminds her of Mayberry, RFD), reasonable place and prices. Her brother lived in a cabin in Tennessee, just north of Boone, NC. Boone is a funky little college town, but expensive.
You'd have to make a trip there and do some serious house hunting for a few weeks anyway, to get a feel for the range.
If you are a Yankee (I am), just remember that the Civil War isn't over, and a good part of that southern hospitality is a put on. Good people, on the whole, but they will be suspicious of you and like anyplace, many will take advantage of you if they can. "The law" from cops and child welfare to judges is an inbred, dirty system, but tolerates outsider lawyers to play serious with them.
Lake Lure is a lovely area SE of Asheville.....so are areas west of Asheville...Brevard, Pisgah, Barnardsville, Weaverville, Sapphire. Many small farmer/land owners willing to sell acreage at very reasonable rates. My suggestion would be to choose an area that you are interested in and subscribe to the local newspaper....it gives you a great idea of what the day-to-day living is like and also of real estate opportunities in the area......we moved from Western suburbs of Chicago to WNC 10 years ago and would not even DREAM of going back.....
I lived in NC a long time, and the mountain area is very pretty.
But, as mentioned, Asheville has gone hippy-dippy. If you like new england liberals, you will fit right in.
A little further up toward Grandfather Mountain, it gets rather rural. I do remember one or two winters where the public schools were closed for more than 4 weeks due to ice and snow. Not a blizzard, just a little more ice every few days. Not a good retirement area, IMHO.
Getting down toward the north side/NW side/ of Winston Salem still feels hilly, and you have healthcare, shopping, and services you would find in a large metro area, but more of a small town feel.
I still have my NC lifetime hunting license, and really need to get back there before long.
I have spent a lot of time in Western Carolina near Asheville.
I think if I were you, I would simple stay in your cabin. I don’t think any place in that area is so far from civilization to keep you from driving to the hospital etc. in a relatively short time.
If it really bothers you get a heavy duty 4wd, powerful generator and large tank.
I thought about retiring there too but my income was just too low to afford it. If I had to do it again I might have moved to a location such as Old Fort or Marion which are very near the mountanis but have reasonable cost of living
My advice would be to have a look at upstate SC instead. It’s an easy drive to all the attractions of Western NC, a similar climate, and you don’t have to be with all the crazy taxes, prices, and annoying hippies.
Try looking around Waynesville.
Asheville ultra lib and huge collection of butches but offers a lot
Western NC is a big swath
Cashiers and Highlands in the sw corner are pricey but southern
Grandfather and Banner Elk and Linville ridge area in the nw used to be south Florida heavily Jewish summer retreat but it’s changed of late and more Carolina folks
Year round there is rough in winter up high....above 3500 feet it’s snowy and quite cold for that latitude
We had a mountaintop home at Hound Ears at 4900 ft and it snowed a lot.....Grandfather mt at about 6000 feet gets really cold sub zero weather ...neg 32 is the record at the weather station at 5300 foot and windy windy
The rural parts of western NC are in places very sparse
You could try Cocke county Tn and have Asheville as go to base for stuff 30-40 miles away
It’s beautiful
There is a town on old 25 between Newport TN and Asheville NC called Hot Springs NC
BEAUTIFUL AREA
Del Rio TN right across the state line and Mars Hill which is ok is between there and Asheville
Good luck
Asheville is liberal & expensive - South toward Highland is very nice but pricey. Still there are out of they way places that can’t cost too much. Maggie Valley might be nice.
Look around West Jefferson, NC...It’s close to Boone and the amenities...It has conveniences and is not a “tourist town”...
One thing you will hear about NC is “Murphy to Manteo”.
It refers to the width of the state. It is all you can do to drive from the western most spot to the eastern most spot in one day. And if you consider Ocracoke as the eastern most spot, you have to take a boat for the last 2 miles!
I have a lot of family in Yadkin County and the land is not too expensive there as compared to Asheville. It however is not mountainous but rolling. I have close family in Morganton about(15-20 miles) from Lenoir.It is a fine community and has everything you need. Hickory not far away has a large and excellent hospital and Morganton has a fine hospital.10 miles from Morganton you have excellent mountains and trout fishing. heheh My standard for NC mountains.
I saw near South Mountain 10 acres on a paved road for about 5000 per acre. Not cheap but the NC mountains are now filled with Floridians.Marion is a nice town with a Walmart and a small hospital and a great Bbq place that is cheap. Wilkes County is another area and you can check. it had some amazing companies that started there such as Lowes and Holly Farms. It is also the home of Moonshine and Nascar and the legendary driver Jr. Johnson. Also the legendary character Tom Dula (aka Tom Dooley)was from Wilkes County..
I love those mountains What am I doing by not living in the NC mountains ???
Oops forgot. Check out Brevard south of Asheville. Good town and close to Greenville as well as Asheville. It also has The Davidson River a top level trout habitat.
Best wishes my friend...
Check out Marietta, SC. It’s near Jones Gap and very pretty. Not too far from Asheville and Greenville giving you the best of both worlds.