A LOT depends on your intended lifestyle and budget.
Look in western NC for BEAUTIFUL country and low prices. West of Asheville (the place would drive you nuts as a conservative to live there.) Look along Highway 74 from Waynesville west towards Tennessee, and down towards Franklin <— presumes you prefer the smokey mountain type of experience. You can get mountainside, creek-side, pastureland and ‘suburbia’. You make the call. And LOW costs.
Otherwise look in the far eastern sections as mentioned.
well north of Charlotte city, but still in the burbs is nice.
Black Mountain (a real place) east of Asheville is the town where One Second After was set. THAT is a beautiful area.
Visit Asheville, but don’t live there.
We have a place near Fish hawk mountain between Franklin and Highlands.
“Fish hawk mountain”
Wasn’t that the area that had a bona-fide landslide sometime back?