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Vol VI Issue 34
May 3, 2011
Previous Issues
Retirees Enjoy Spectacular
Scenery, Mountain Mystique, an Arts Culture and Abundant Recreation
in Cozy Black Mountain, North Carolina
Cost of Living: Meets the National Average
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The cozy town of
Black Mountain (population 8,000) was founded in 1893 in
an area that the Cherokee and Catawba Indians had long
called "Grey Eagle." It is nestled
in the Swannanoa Valley in the
shadow of the "Seven Sisters" range in western
North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains and is a hidden
delight, just 15 miles from
Asheville (a retirement favorite in its own
right). It attracts a varied citizenry, from big
city escapees and vacation home owners to musicians and
retirees (48% of the population is age 45 or better),
not to mention a few tourists, and it boasts an
eclectic, artsy feeling. This lively cultural
ambiance is due in part to the fact that Black Mountain
was once the site of Black Mountain College, a
Depression-era liberal arts college with Albert Einstein
on its board of directors. Students traveled from
around the region to study architecture, painting and
design under visionaries of the day, including
Buckminster Fuller. The
college closed in 1957, but its influence is still
evident today.
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Black Mountain's cost of living meets the national average, and
the median home price is $185,000.
Historic wood frame homes, bungalows, Craftsman-style dwellings,
brick ranch-style homes, bi-levels and lakeview properties are all
for sale. The median price will fetch an average
sized house with two bedroom and perhaps some acreage.
Most homes sit on wooded land, and many are tucked into the
hillsides around town. There are also some spectacular
mountain chalet-type residences. A number of planned
neighborhoods, including exclusive The Village of Cheshire, have
million dollar homes. Gated Catawba Falls is a new community
offering mountain lots from around $100,000 (these were selling
for $150,000 two years ago). There are some condos and
town homes sprinkled here and there; these are generally priced
from the mid-$200,000s and up. There are also a few
apartments available; rent for a one bedroom averages $800 or so a
month.
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Black Mountain property tax, when combined with the county tax, is assessed
at roughly $.76 per $100 in valuation, and homes are assessed
at 100% of appraised value. The annual
taxes on a $185,000 home are approximately $1,405. For anyone 65 or
better and/or permanently disabled and whose annual income is less than
$25,600, the greater of $25,000 or 50% of the appraised value of the home is
excluded from the assessment. There is
also a circuit breaker property tax deferment program under which taxes for
each year are limited to a percentage of the qualifying owner's income.
For those 65 years of age or permanently disabled and whose income does not
exceed $25,600, the owner's taxes are limited to 4% of the owner's income.
Social Security is exempt
from state taxes, and at least $4,000 in federal, state and local
pensions (depending on dates and length of service), as well as up to $2,000
for qualified private pensions, including IRAs, is also exempt.
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Black Mountain has a certain mountain mystique,
and while it is a little touristy, it is not overly
commercialized. Instead, it is quaint and laid-back, and its
small downtown has fun shops, bookstores, cafes and restaurants
(dining options are quite varied, from Mediterranean and Thai to
German and barbeque). Because many artists and
craftsmen call Black Mountain home, a pottery, jewelry or quilting
gallery or studio is around nearly every corner. For
artistically inclined retirees, the Black Mountain Center for the
Arts offers classes and hosts art contests, storytellers and dance
ensembles. Black Mountain is also near
several Christian retreats, including Ridgecrest and Montreat.
Bed and breakfasts, from intimate inns to massive
mansions, are scattered about area, and one in particular, the Red
Rocker Inn, with its country cottage decor, comes highly
recommended by The New York Times. Black
Mountain borders Pisgah National Forest so vacationers come to
revel in the endless outdoor recreation opportunities, including
rock climbing, river rafting, camping, bicycling and miles of
trails for hiking. This area is also known for its
world-class fly fishing with 4,000 miles of trout and small bass
waters nearby. Three 18-hole golf courses, set against
forested hills, keep golfers happy, and lovely Lake Tomahawk,
offering a pedestrian-friendly environment, is at the heart of
town and is a great place to spend a day picnicking while watching
wildlife of all shapes and sizes.
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This is an interactive map.
Click on the arrows in the upper left hand
corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and
click on the +/- signs (more than once if necessary) to zoom
in and out.
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Numerous festivals are held throughout the year, including the Sourwood
Festival, the L.E.A.F. Festival, the Black Mountain Art and Craft Show and Art
in Bloom. And it is nice to report that crime in Black Mountain is
practically non-existent.
Black Mountain is located along I-40, and when residents need the amenities
(shopping, restaurants, movie theaters, etc.) of a larger metropolis,
Asheville (population 75,000) is just 15 miles west. Attractions such as
the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Biltmore Estate, Lake Lure and Chimney Rock State
Park are all close at hand.
Numerous doctors' offices are located here, but there is no hospital.
There are six large medical centers within 25 miles, but the closest is
Memorial Mission Hospital (MMH) in Asheville. Licensed for 675 beds, it
is a teaching hospital and a Level II Adult Trauma Center. It has won
numerous awards for clinical and safety excellence and offers a number of
services designed just for seniors, including Lifeline, a 24-hour home
monitoring service, and Golden Care, a program that has a number of health education programs.
Asheville has a regional airport, but the nearest
international airport is in Charlotte, North Carolina, 115 miles away.
The Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Department manages the Lakeview
Senior Center, and it has a good selection of programs for those age
60+. Lunches are provided Monday through Friday (transportation
to and from the center is available), and a variety of classes are offered, as
are monthly van trips to popular local attractions. SHIP (Senior Health
Insurance Program) meets every Thursday and helps seniors with Medicare and
Medicaid questions and claim filing. The Center sponsors the annual
Senior Games, and local organizations often contact the Center if they have
volunteer positions that need filling.
For
retirees seeking intellectual stimulation, Montreat College, a small,
Christian, liberal arts college with 1,135 students offers the Montreat
College Center for Adult Lifelong Learning (McCALL), an education program with
classes in history, art, music, financial management and more.
Three terms, each with six courses, are presented each year.
Black Mountain's weather is similar to other areas of the southeastern U.S.
but with slightly cooler temperatures thanks to the elevation (2,400 feet).
The average July high is 84 degrees, and the average low is 64 degrees.
The average January high is 46 degrees; the average low is 27 degrees, and
snow happens. Autumns are simply splendid. The
area receives 3 to 5 inches of precipitation per month, but on the comfort
index, a combination of temperature and humidity, Black Mountain is above the
national average. The sun shines 213 days of the year.
The air quality is below the national average, but the water quality is above
the national average. The nearest nuclear reactor is near Seneca,
South Carolina, 65 miles away.
Retirement in Black Mountain has some drawbacks. Even though
Asheville is close by, the nearest big city is Charlotte, North Carolina (1.7
million people), 115 miles to the southeast, so Black Mountain might be a
little too isolated for some people. Many home lots are
hilly. Smog from nearby coal plants
is what causes the sometimes poor air quality. The town is growing, by
about 8% in the last decade, and residents, not always happy that word is
spreading about their town, worry about losing their small town quality of
life.
Despite the drawbacks, Black Mountain's artistic mountain funkiness
continues to enchant nearly everyone. The scenery is magnificent.
The food is good. The senior services are strong. The residents
are easy going. Crime is but a concept. What more could
one want in a retirement spot?
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