High elevation location within 10 drive of Sarasota?

Good afternoon all! I reside in Sarasota FL and love it - been here nearly 25 years. However, we're seeking someplace nice "up-high" within a ~10-hr drive of home to buy some acreage (with a home or one we can build a small one). At least 200+ acres and it must be a safe area for our kids to play outside (and where I can drive the fun cars without getting the side-eye!)

Any suggestions? I've heard Ashville and surrounding "mountains," but know nothing about this coast's nice areas to live where there is elevation beyond the 0-183' we have nearby here! I've been to the BMW schools in SC and driven the roads to Biltmore and that was fun, but otherwise have zero reference.

Thanks all and if I should move this to that region's forum, I will. But, I know a lot of Floridians end up in similar distances from here, so figured I'd ask here first.

Thanks!

 

I've been looking for the same thing as well.

What are your "must haves"? I'm looking for something very rural with little to no development close by. There will be a lot within your drive range. I started a post over in the TN forum section awhile back that has some good info. I also was just in Blue Ridge, GA and it was gorgeous. If you want mountains you are going to have to look into TN, GA, or NC.

 

I think the 10hr drive will limit you’re choices a bit, but north Ga, and eastern NC, and western Tennessee are going to be your spots. Few hours more and you can be in Ky, and upper NC

 

I highly recommend Hendersonville, NC area. Cute town, great roads and ~10.5 hrs from Sarasota. Easy day trips from there to numerous mountain and coastal areas.
PM me if you would like more details.

 

Pull up a map (real ones work better). Find where Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina come together to form a rough triangle. Go north and you'll find the first hills/mountains you can get to. During my Tallahassee days we used to boogie to Tifton then to Macon then to Athens then to Whitewater Falls in NC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Whitewater_Falls

Back in the day, we'd smoke a joint and sit at the head of the falls. I'm guessing you can't do that anymore.

 

My folks live in Blue Ridge, GA. It ticks all your boxes. Be prepared to pay up, their neighborhood went from $400,000 to $900,000+ since the pandemic.

 

Blue Ridge, GA is really nice, and not too far from AMP for some track fun. But from there it is hike to the coast.
Nice thing about Hendersonville area is access to mountains, coast, horse country of Tryon area, shopping in either Asheville or Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, and 25 min to Asheville airport and 90 min to Charlotte airport as well as Lake Norman area.
Prices are indeed up from a couple years ago though.

 

Thanks! Checking out land there now on Zillow.

 

We rented an Air b&b in Hendersonville a few years ago in January. Very quaint area, woodsy and small town feel. It's also a very short drive to Asheville and all the surrounding areas. Maggie Valley would also be a similar feel.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

Yep. Apparently our cabin just north of there went from being about a $400k property to something like $650-750k. Yikes!

 

Once they put in a Starbucks you know it’s all over.

Whoever let them put that Hampton Inn there should be run out of town. What an out of place eye sore.