In 2018, with our townhome lease up in Jupiter, Florida and with my marketing consulting business just a few months old, Ashley and I decided that we were going to move ourselves, our two daughters, and Daisy, our yellow lab, up to the mountains of Western North Carolina. People moving from Florida to North Carolina isn’t unusual, in fact since we’ve moved here we’ve met tons of Floridians from all over the state but to us, this was a special place.
My experience with Hendersonville dated back to when I was a kid; I went to Camp Mishemokwa for several years, my great Uncle and Aunt had a home here, and my parents used to bring me up to Maggie Valley in the Summer where we would make day trips to Hendersonville and Brevard. This is a magical place for a kid from Florida and one that would be engrained in my heart and mind moving forward.
In 2007, Ashley and I rented a romantic 1-bedroom cabin in Black Mountain and unbeknownst to her, I planned on proposing. We met in 2001 in Tallahassee, Florida where both of us were enrolled at school. I knew the moment I met her that this was going to be something special and I wanted to share all of the special things in my life with her. She said ‘Yes’ on our balcony overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains at sunset after dinner at the Black Mountain Bistro. The things she called me when I surprised her by dropping down on one knee….those aren’t exactly appropriate to share! We had big plans, but none of which involved moving here at the time.
We spent the next afternoon driving into Hendersonville, had dinner at Never Blue, and as we were leaving we noticed everyone gathering near the old courthouse. Walking over to the square, we noticed people in lawn chairs, the streets had been closed down, kids were running around, and everyone was awaiting the Christmas tree lighting. We stood there amongst the crowd, holding hands, having no idea whatsoever that a decade later we would be here with our own children watching the same ceremony. In a moment of coincidental foreshadowing, Ashley even leaned over and said to me “I’d really like to live here some day.”
Since we entered the workforce in our early 20’s, we’ve always been involved in the same profession. Ashley began her career in real estate working for Stewart Title in Florida, one of the largest title insurance companies in the the country. She excelled at being able to process deals for closing, becoming an expert at what rules and regulations must be abided by in order for a home to close. I’ve always been in marketing and in the boating industry. Being from Florida originally, boating and fishing are in my blood and something that I’ll always love. Ashley and I spent countless nights fishing dock lights for snook and many afternoons anchored up at a sandbar with our Boston Whaler 150 Montauk. I’ve been the marketing director for both the largest boat dealership in the world and the largest yacht brokerage. This experience over two decades of marketing boats and yachts from $200,000 to $20 million allowed me to start my own consulting firm for dealers and manufacturers. In December of 2017, I went out on my own leaving behind the safety net of a steady salary and health insurance, with a wife, and two young daughters.
It wasn’t long after this happened that the horrendous Parkland School shooting happened in South Florida. Combined with similar news reports coming out of our local schools of violence and gangs, and now with my ability to work from home no matter the location, we threw out the idea of moving to the mountains. We had a definite earning for a safer, slower pace of life, one that every mother and father dream about for their children to experience. I distinctly remember Ashley saying “Heck yeah” when I asked her if Hendersonville would be a possibility. We were a family in transition looking to put down roots. A few short weeks later, we were approved for a mortgage loan and on our way up to Western North Carolina to look at potential houses. As we made our way across town, the excitement really started to become tangible that this amazing city, where everyone we met was so incredibly friendly, would become home. Our daughter Hannah was enamored with the creeks and the woods and we already knew our Daisy girl was going to love going hiking with us. It just so happened that we found the perfect home on the side of a mountain with a small creek in the back and plenty of woods to explore. Our dream had come to fruition.
Making this move with two young kids and a business to run was no easy feat. We knew no one here in Hendersonville, Ashley had to find employment, the kids had to start new schools, and we now had a new home to settle. We always talk about this first year of our lives in the mountains as being magical. Hendersonville is known as the “City Of Four Seasons” and we were about to experience the transition of winter to spring here. First came the Daffodils and cherry tree blossoms. Soon the leaves started to bud on all of the different variety of trees found here. This transition of life beginning anew was undoubtedly a metaphor for our own situation, as we opened our eyes to the wonders of the area as we began to explore our new city.
We spent the next several months hiking, tubing, climbing, swimming, and eating our way throughout both Henderson and Transylvania counties. From the DuPont Forest, to the Pisgah Forest, to the Blue Ridge Parkway, there are a seemingly endless number of trails, creeks, and rocks to jump off which becomes a giant outdoor playground for kids and adults alike.
Nothing will compare to that first year we moved to Hendersonville. It’s been almost 6 years now and we are still finding new swimming holes and places we haven’t explored. We enjoy going out to some of the great local restaurants and breweries, which it seems like new ones are moving in all the time. Our kids are in school here, we belong to a local church, we’ve made friends, we sponsor sports teams, and volunteer. Even after more than 5 years of living here, we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. We have truly put down roots that will last a lifetime. People ask us all the time if we miss living in Florida and of course, there are some things (like being able to find a good seafood restaurant here), but overall we couldn’t imagine not raising our family in Hendersonville. We really enjoy the sense of community that’s here as evident on holidays, like the 4th of July when everyone comes to Main Street to watch the fireworks or one of the fun Friday evening classic car shows.
Ashley now belongs to the most successful real estate firm in Western North Carolina – Allen Tate. Allen Tate used to be called Beverly-Hanks, but was recently purchased. As someone that works with yacht brokers on a daily basis, the support that Ashley receives from this company to help you sell your home, or find a new one, is phenomenal.
So who is HendoLife? We are a husband and wife team, one in sales and one in marketing, that work together with the support of a powerful real estate organization to help you find your dream home in Hendersonville, Brevard, Flat Rock, or surrounding areas. We know what it’s like to make a move from another state and can advise you on what to expect. If you’re looking to sell your home, we have a unique combination of sales and marketing that no other agent in this area has to offer you. And most of all, we really do personally care about your experience. We will answer text messages at night after hours. We’ll spend the extra time with you that you need in order to be comfortable and successful. Nothing is more important than purchasing or selling your home when it comes to the stability of your life and we truly understand that.
Our story isn’t much different than any other transplants that have moved to Hendersonville, everyone has a reason they left where they were, as well as why these chose this area to live. You have many, many choices when it comes to who you hire to be your real estate agent. What we hope to offer you is a higher level of attention, a more personal touch of customer service, a combined, unique expertise that isn’t found anywhere else, and an overall experience that leaves you confident and satisfied with your decisions. We take it very personally and hope that you will give us the opportunity to earn your business. We hope that everyone that chooses to move here will experience the same love and joy for this mountain town that we have come to know.
If you decide that you would like to learn more about buying a house for sale in Hendersonville, N.C., or have one you wish to sell, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (828) 423-1401 or by email at HendoLifeNC@Gmail.com.
WRITTEN BY: Rob Bowman
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rob Bowman of Bowman Marketing has 20 years of experience in advertising luxury items in the boating and yachting industry. He’s been an expert in the marine industry space in search engine optimization, content creation, social media, and overall marketing strategies. He has a client list that includes United Yacht Sales, SI Yachts, Seattle Yachts, Fleming Yachts, Absolute Yachts, and others. Rob now also manages the marketing for HendoLife and all of Ashley’s real estate clientele. Find out more about Rob Bowman professionally on his LinkedIn page.