Anyone that has been exploring the tiny house community scene in the last few years has surely stumbled across the Village of Wildflowers in western North Carolina. It has been one of, if not the preeminent community for small and tiny houses in the nation and with the open house sales event May 5 – 6, 2018, it continues to shape the modern tiny house movement.
In 2012 real estate visionary W.W. Gilman purchased a 25-acre site just 30 miles south of Asheville with the goal of redeveloping it with the park model concept in mind. The idea caught on quickly and soon after the Village of Wildflowers was introduced as a series of cottage neighborhoods, offering affordable housing for all income levels in a space and energy-efficient manner. Mr. Gilman is best known as a visionary though and was always secretly searching for a strong leader to perfect the property and grow the plan, extending the vision for alternative housing choices across the United States. Enter Mike McCann.
As a seasoned real estate investor and entrepreneur, Mike McCann has a long, successful history in community development. When Mr. McCann discovered The Village of Wildflowers he was already following the modern tiny house movement closely and conceptualizing an alternative to the traditional private community offering. He envisioned shrinking the model down to a resource responsible application, providing homes ranging in size from 200 to 700 square feet.
In 2017 Simple Life Partners purchased The Village of Wildflowers property and together with Mr. Gilman, began to build a new kind of housing alternative, in a new kind of community, starting with a new moniker: Simple Life – The Village at Flat Rock, NC!
Under new ownership, The Village at Flat Rock, NC approached Henderson County officials to update the existing codes and zoning to allow for tiny homes on wheels, lifestyle amenities, and outdoor living spaces. Shortly thereafter home builders Blue Ridge Log Cabins, Clayton Homes, and Cornerstone Tiny Homes were brought on as suppliers. “With the change in ownership and identity we were determined to raise the standards of manufacturing,” said McCann. All the tiny homes in The Village at Flat Rock, NC are built to nationally recognized building codes and come standard with beautiful exteriors, upscale finishes, and increased insulation.
Lastly, the new ownership turned its attention to amenities and grounds upgrades. Landscape architect Joel Osgood was commissioned to build common green spaces and a private, landscaped, gated entrance. The section of Dunn Creek that runs through the property will be preserved, fortified, and beautified and several active lifestyle attractions are under construction including a swimming pool, pickleball court, bocce ball court, dog park, clubhouse, fitness center, and yoga room.
“We want to encourage residents to step outdoors and experience a connection with the community,” said McCann, “The Village at Flat Rock, NC is designed to allow homeowners a living experience that extends beyond the walls of their own home.”
Flat Rock’s new pocket community looks so welcoming, it’s hard to believe it’s still fairly new. With just over 100 tiny homes settled between tasteful landscaping, winding walkways, and stream-fed water features, residents can walk their dogs, enjoy common spaces, and maintain well-manicured gardens.
For those interested in seeing this resort-style tiny house destination in person, The Village at Flat Rock, NC is hosting an open house sales event May 5 – 6, 2018. Special promotions for the event are now underway. Place a deposit and sign a lease on or before May 6 to receive a beautiful outdoor furniture package and an upgraded private landscaping selection; a retail value of $8,000. Homesites at The Village at Flat Rock, NC are limited though and those wanting to discover the simple life are encouraged to visit during this open house weekend.
The event is free and open to the public, however, reservations are encouraged. Several tiny homes will be open for tours and a shuttle will provide a guided look into the community’s grounds and amenities.
For more information about The Village at Flat Rock, NC or to make a reservation for the May 5 – 6 event, contact The Village at Flat Rock, NC at 828.707.0969 or email info@simple-life.com.
This was the idea who time had come, since they are so many tiny house enthusiasts across country who would want to live with the minimum and contribute to the environment through energy efficient living. Its nice that a visionary brought them all together and created a perfect ecosystem for such enthusiasts.
I have been to this park. While it is nice, I really can’t imagine buying a tiny house or building one, and then having to pay $600 or more per month to park it there. I personally want to get away from “rent.” If I’m going to buy a tiny home, I will buy the land to put it on and pay it off very soon.
My micro-house is going to be finished today only to find out from the zoning board that I have now less than 30 days to get it off of my property because my business is also my residence (another big house). I am putting it for sale tonight. The price very low due to rush. $28,000. I can send pics if you are truly interested. Thank you.
I don’t like this at all. This is yet another commercial development targeting people who are attempting to live tiny. I’ll bet the prices to live in this Flatrock community are prohibitive to all except those who have big incomes (retirement or otherwise.) Wildflowers captured the spirit of the Tiny House Movement, but this is just another corporate take-over with the same old corporate results with its clubhouse, swimming pool, and eight thousand dollars worth of outdoor furniture; what a mess! Frankly, I hate it. But this is what corporates do; find something wonderful, take it over, and destroy everything that was good about it. They did this with the Town of Woodstock in upstate New York, it went from being homey and quirky to being cold, commercial, and only for the well heeled. I say death to all corporations; they suck!