Asheville, North Carolina stands on its own merit. A Babymoon Vacation Review.

I'd been hearing about the allure and rumblings of Asheville, North Carolina since perhaps as far back as 2015. I had a previous Austin, Texas real estate customer who owned a large number of Central Austin Real Estate properties and often during business conversation and while in person at the coffee shop in Clarskville West Austin would tell me, "George Vance, Austin doesn't make sense any more. It's too expensive, nothing cash flows, anymore." Thus this same Austin Silent Market customer and friend harped the horn towards the glory of Asheville, North Carolina. He said, "the Asheville weather is an eternal spring, it feels and lives like Austin, Texas during it's peak 1990's-2000 golden yet not-fully discovered decade and era." Most recently he informed me, he sold all of his Austin, Texas Real estate and converted it to Asheville, North Carolina Real Estate.

Next, my true blood ATX cousin decided to move to Asheville with his newly-wed easy going happy wife. They bought their first home and property here in Western North Carolina. They gave us an excellent and extensive tour of the NYC Central Park-esque, Biltmore Vanderbilt estate. Thanks fellow family.

I needed to see this place!

So now, post 5 full consecutive days of Asheville, North Carolina, here is my first hand experience and review...

I get it. Asheville, North Carolina stands on it's own. Yes, the summer weather has been exceptionally cool and superbly livable. Temperatures were in the 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit range, in July. I haven't sweat once. Asheville is hilly and mountainous, with just enough flat terrain to be pleasantly navigable. Asheville, has the South Slope, Montford, Downtown, West Asheville and the eclectic-awe of the River Arts District.

Since I'm a real estate broker; here are some town, city, comparable (comps) for Asheville.

Denver; Asheville is mountainous with cooler temperatures, yet much shorter in elevation and population size. It is so green here, anything grows and the towering trees and forestry engulfs the surroundings. A gardener's paradise.

Austin, Texas; there is a hippie vibe to it. The residential neighborhoods all have the architectural character of Hyde Park, Clarksville, and Travis Heights. Asheville has a slower pace, less nightlife and a welcoming aura to it. It is visually popular with tourists. A chocolate shop retail worker said the "festival in town started at 7 am on a Saturday for Group Yoga." Asheville's got a youthful feel to it as there is a UNC-Ashville collegiate campus, but it's not just a college town. This growing small city's citizenry is mainly aged with twenty's somethings and grown up adults.

Brooklyn; Asheville, specifically West Asheville has a hipster ambiance to it. Plenty of young people, lots of permanent obvious tattoos, hidden trendy restaurants with non binary hosts and chefs. A tasty and delicious HOLE donut shop where the donuts are made to order, there is a flare of funnel cake to them, and the workers merrily dance to the music of the store.

Portland, Oregon. My wife said Asheville, North Carolina reminded her of Portland Oregon, because of the friendly neighborhoods, super green environment, plants, trees, and architecture on the homes.

I did some basic sales and leasing research on realtor.com and found that entry level singe family homes in Asheville can be bought in the $300K-900K Range. Strangely there were very few to almost no homes for sale listing over 1 million in asking price. The rental prices were a bit more modern with a single family basic 2/1 home rental asking $1,900 and up to $5,000 per month for a very large and pristine home rental. The cheapest/nicest entry level well located apartments appeared to be asking around $1,250 a month.

Lastly I must mention the quality of the Local Beer Breweries in Asheville, North Carolina. There are a ton, and they are all wonderful! For example, Burial, Wicked Weed, Asheville, Sierra Nevada, the Funkatorium, Green Man. Asheville, North Carolina is the Napa Valley of breweries.

Here are my trip photos....

Here are photos from the GROVE PARK INN, a Historical, yet still current alive and functioning Mountain Resort in Asheville, North Carolina.

Photos from the BILTMORE Estate, A Private yet Public Estate. It's like a Museum, meets a Mega Park, Meets a Nursey, Meet's Americans History all in 1 name; the Biltmore.