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When Jamie Petersen moved to North Carolina final fall, she wanted contemporary air and a contemporary begin.
Ms. Petersen had confronted a string of hardships whereas dwelling in Brandon, Fla., a suburb of Tampa. In 2012, her brother died from issues of cystic fibrosis. A number of years later, her son Wolfgang, now 10, was efficiently handled for a cancerous tumor.
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Then, on Labor Day weekend in 2023, Ms. Petersen was sitting in a automotive within the car parking zone of a bar when an assailant fired a number of photographs by means of the passenger-side window and fled, leaving her with 5 bullet wounds. “I virtually misplaced my left arm and needed to learn to stroll once more,” she mentioned. (A suspect was arrested in January 2024, however official prices have been by no means filed as a result of lack of proof.)
As she recuperated, she determined it was “time to get out of Florida.”
“I wasn’t proud of my job, the colleges weren’t nice, the climate was too scorching,” she mentioned.
She didn’t love her home in Brandon, both — a three-bedroom, two-bath ranch behind a shopping mall in a flat, congested neighborhood.
After ending a relationship final summer time, Ms. Petersen, 47, seemed for job openings by means of HCA Healthcare, the hospital system she works for as a radiology technician. She utilized for a place in Brevard, N.C., about 45 minutes outdoors of Asheville, in a smaller hospital that might accommodate her post-injury limitations. The job additionally got here with a increase.
She and Wolfgang visited in August and rapidly fell for the world’s majestic mountains and laid-back Appalachian vibe.
“We liked the fantastic thing about it,” Ms. Petersen mentioned. “Additionally the climate. It was noticeably cooler right here, and there have been a lot much less folks.”
The pair moved as much as North Carolina in December, staying in an Airbnb whereas exploring the housing market. Typically they toured listings with Caroline Ericksen, a Coldwell Banker Benefit dealer Ms. Petersen discovered on-line. Different instances, they merely drove round trying out exteriors.
“It was enjoyable, really,” she mentioned. “We’d pack up snacks, and you may get a really feel for a spot for those who just like the look of the surface or the neighborhood.”
Her home in Florida bought in March, giving her sufficient for a roughly 20 % down fee on a $400,000 house.
Ms. Petersen needed an up to date house with not less than two bedrooms, a porch, a pleasant view and a few privateness. Ideally, it might be inside half-hour of her job in Brevard, and close to an excellent faculty. She additionally needed some out of doors area the place Wolfgang might run round and discover.
And, coming from Florida, central air-conditioning was a should. “I’d die with out it,” Ms. Petersen mentioned.
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