When Jamie Petersen moved to North Carolina last fall, she needed fresh air and a new start.
Mrs. Petersen had confronted with a series of hardships during life in Brandon, Fla., A suburb of Tampa. In 2012 her brother died of complications of cystic fibrosis. A few years later, her son Wolfgang, now 10, was successfully treated for a cancer -like tumor.
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Then Mrs. Petersen was on Labor Day weekend in 2023 in a car in the parking lot of a bar when an attacker fired and fled different shots through the passenger on the passenger side, leaving five bullet wounds behind. “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 for lack of evidence.)
As she recovered, she decided it was “time to get out of Florida.”
“I was not happy with my work, the schools were not great, the weather was too hot,” she said.
She also did not like her house in Brandon-a farm with three bedrooms and two bathrooms behind a shopping center in a flat, busy neighborhood.
After ending a relationship last summer, Mrs. Petersen, 47, searched for vacancies via HCA Healthcare, the hospital system for which she works as a radiology technician. She applied for a position in Brevard, NC, about 45 minutes outside of Asheville, in a smaller hospital that could accommodate its limitations after the injury. The job also came with a wage increase.
She and Wolfgang visited in August and quickly fell for the majestic mountains of the area and relaxed Appalachian atmosphere.
“We loved the beauty,” said Mrs. Petersen. “The weather too. It was noticeably cooler here, and there were far fewer people.”
The couple moved to North Carolina in December and stayed in an Airbnb while exploring the housing market. Sometimes they toured lists with Caroline Ericksen, a Coldwell Banker Advantage broker Mrs. Petersen who was found online. Other times they just drove around to check out exteriors.
“It was actually fun,” she said. “We would pack snacks and you can get an idea of a place if you like the appearance from outside or the neighborhood.”
Her house in Florida was sold in March and gave her enough for a deposit of around 20 percent on a house of $ 400,000.
Mrs. Petersen wanted a updated house with at least two bedrooms, a veranda, a beautiful view and some privacy. Ideally, it would be in Brevard within 30 minutes of her work and near a good school. She also wanted some outdoor space where Wolfgang could run and explore.
And, from Florida, central air conditioning was a must. “I would die without,” said Mrs. Petersen.
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