Jamie Petersen with her son Wolfgang in North Carolina, where she recently bought a house for the two of them. Her budget was around $400,000, with a roughly 20 percent down payment. Will Crooks for The New York Times

When Jamie Petersen moved to North Carolina last fall, she needed fresh air and a fresh start.

Ms. Petersen had faced a string of hardships while living in Brandon, Fla., a suburb of Tampa. In 2012, her brother died from complications of cystic fibrosis. A few years later, her son Wolfgang, now 10, was successfully treated for a cancerous tumor.

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Then, on Labor Day weekend in 2023, Ms. Petersen was sitting in a car in the parking lot of a bar when an assailant fired several shots through the passenger-side window and fled, leaving her with five bullet wounds. “I almost lost my left arm and had to learn how to walk again,” she said. (A suspect was arrested in January 2024, but official charges were never filed due to lack of evidence.)

As she recuperated, she decided it was “time to get out of Florida.”

“I wasn’t happy with my job, the schools weren’t great, the weather was too hot,” she said.

She didn’t love her house in Brandon, either — a three-bedroom, two-bath ranch behind a shopping center in a flat, congested neighborhood.

After ending a relationship last summer, Ms. Petersen, 47, looked for job openings through HCA Healthcare, the hospital system she works for as a radiology technician. She applied for a position in Brevard, N.C., about 45 minutes outside of Asheville, in a smaller hospital that could accommodate her post-injury limitations. The job also came with a raise.

She and Wolfgang visited in August and quickly fell for the area’s majestic mountains and laid-back Appalachian vibe.

“We loved the beauty of it,” Ms. Petersen said. “Also the weather. It was noticeably cooler here, and there were much less people.”

The pair moved up to North Carolina in December, staying in an Airbnb while exploring the housing market. Sometimes they toured listings with Caroline Ericksen, a Coldwell Banker Advantage broker Ms. Petersen found online. Other times, they simply drove around checking out exteriors.

“It was fun, actually,” she said. “We’d pack up snacks, and you can get a feel for a place if you like the look of the outside or the neighborhood.”

Her house in Florida sold in March, giving her enough for a roughly 20 percent down payment on a $400,000 home.

Ms. Petersen wanted an updated home with at least two bedrooms, a porch, a nice view and some privacy. Ideally, it would be within 30 minutes of her job in Brevard, and near a good school. She also wanted some outdoor space where Wolfgang could run around and explore.

And, coming from Florida, central air-conditioning was a must. “I’d die without it,” Ms. Petersen said.

Among her options:

No. 1

Mountain Views in Horse Shoe

Will Crooks for The New York Times

This two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,936-square-foot home from 2000 sat on nearly half an acre in Horse Shoe, N.C., about 20 minutes from Ms. Petersen’s job in Brevard. A steep concrete driveway led up to the house, which was on a quiet cul-de-sac at the foot of a wooded hill. Mountain views from both the front and back porches could be expanded with some tree removals. The main level had an open dining area with a small kitchen, a separate living room, the primary bedroom suite and second bedroom, and both bathrooms. The finished lower level had a large recreation room with a gas fireplace and an attached two-car garage. The asking price was $340,000, with annual taxes of around $1,760.

Landon Key Realty

No. 2

Lakefront in Hendersonville

Will Crooks for The New York Times

This two-bedroom, two-bath, lakefront home from 1997 was on a third of an acre in Hendersonville, the city south of Asheville with about 15,000 residents. At 1,152 square feet, it was the smallest house she saw, though it was fully renovated, with a wood-burning fireplace in the open-plan living area, a breakfast bar in the kitchen, an attached two-car garage and a new HVAC system. A second-floor balcony ran the length of the house and overlooked the grassy backyard and the small lake. It was about 10 minutes from downtown Hendersonville and 25 minutes from Brevard. The asking price was $399,000, with annual taxes of around $1,420 and a $500 annual HOA fee.

BluAxis Realty

No. 3

New Build in Pisgah Forest

Will Crooks for The New York Times

This three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,580-square-foot house was brand new and laid out on one level. The open floor plan included a gleaming kitchen with an island, a coffee nook and a pantry behind a sliding barn door, and a living area that was large but didn’t get great light. The en suite primary bedroom had a walk-in closet and was on the other side of the house from the other two bedrooms, all of which were carpeted. The front porch overlooked the sloped front yard. The 0.8-acre lot, mostly wooded, was only 10 minutes from downtown Brevard and the Pisgah National Forest, popular for its hiking trails and waterfalls. The asking price was $425,000, with annual taxes of around $1,950.

BluAxis Realty

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