The Lay of the Land.
Valley floors offer easy access and comparably mild winters. Snows are common in winter but rarely add up enough to stop the flow of traffic at most elevations. At higher elevations, heavy snowfalls do occur but are often light snow or rain in the valleys. A four-wheel drive is a necessity if you plan to live at the higher elevations to assure access. On the flip side, mountain summers rarely require air conditioning above 4000’. Roughly half the homes above 4000’ do not even have AC installed because it is not needed. Summer temperatures top out in the low 80s but in the lower elevations may reach the 90s.

If you are planning on living mountainside you will want to consider the exposure. The northern exposures are cooler in the summer and colder in the winter, being the last to lose its snow cover. Some of the paved roads with a northern exposure can be the hardest to drive on after snows .

The Ups and Downs.
The lower elevation has its advantages; easy access, city water and sewer available, quick access to gas, food and entertainment. The summer months can be a little crowded on the primary roads. Hotels and rental homes are usually full and the seasonal population is enjoying the cool of the mountain summer. Up at the higher altitudes you can escape the crowds and enjoy the spectacular views that the Smokies have to offer. Often at higher elevations utilities are not available. Drilling a well and installing a septic system will solve this problem. Deep mountain wells and springs can provide water that rivals the best bottled water.

Room With a View.
If the property you seek must also serve as rental home, a view of the surrounding mountains will provide significant interest. Views offer visitors what they have come to the mountains for; a great view of the Smokies.

If your plans are to buy land and build you will want to consider all of the above. Research deed restrictions, road maintenance agreements (if private roads), easements for utilities, access and views. Owning the trees in your view or the ground they grow on may make the difference if a house on the side of the mountain will have a view or not. Some homes have view easement problems but due to change of seasons may have a view half the year when the leaves fall.

The winter also offers a great chance to buy property. The same leaves that block the view in the summer allow buyers to see the lay of the land and the possibilities that trimming a few trees might offer a house site.

If mountainside living is not your style, the outlying valleys offer rolling hills. The fertile hollers are perfect for a small horse farm or small homestead.

Searching for a home already built?
There is a wide range of homes from which to choose from. Whether you are searching from condos to cabins, brick to log, new to old, most building styles are represented in the smokies. Here the land also comes into play.

Do you want neighbors or not?
Often on a mountainside, a multiple acre lot may only have one suitable spot for building so knowing the boundaries of the land is critical especially if you value your privacy. A one acre lot may have more privacy than a 15 acre estate depending on where your lot lines are in relation to the building site.

The age of a home is critical, especially in the weather extremes. A home built 20 to 30 years ago may have been built very well but only been lightly insulated as a summer home, while some old log structures from 75-100 years ago offer insulation factors better than todays building codes require.

New construction is very closely inspected by the county building departments and conform to uniform building codes. Also note that new construction above 3800' in North Carolina have strict high wind codes to adhere to similar to hurricane prone areas.

Restrictions are also a consideration. Subdivisions can have numerous restrictions, some of which you may agree with, others you might not. Restrictions are generally in place to protect the property values and lifestyle that the developer thought best for the development. Often property owners associations take the place of the developer as the property sells out. These associations and what they govern can vary as much as the restrictions themselves. Some areas of the county are also unrestricted, and allow you to build as you see fit (within the building code, of course).

Also designed to protect the future homeowner is a home inspection by a licensed home inspector. An inspector can tell you what type of repairs may be necessary that may not be obvious to the average home buyer. The inspection report may just as well compliment the structure and assure you of a good choice.

To understand the role of the real estate agent in North Carolina please read
The North Carolina Real Estate Commission's Working with Real Estate Agents