The Retreat at Rosman

4277 Pickens Highway, Transylvania County, NC

"Where the French Broad River is born — waterfalls, springs, and 25 acres of mountain sanctuary."

$300K

Asking (614 DOM)

25 ac

Waterfalls + Springs

12-16

Guest Capacity

$950K

Phased Budget

The Property

MLS #4141540 — Listed by Dan Hodges, Mountain Real Estate Rocks

Asking Price

$300,000

Acreage

25 acres

Water

Waterfalls + River Source + Springs

Days on Market

614 — strong leverage

Brevard

20 min

AVL Airport

50 min

Road Frontage

450+ ft Hwy 178

Neighbors

2 gated communities

What Makes This Special

The Middle Fork of the French Broad River starts here from mountain springs
Multiple waterfalls on property — marketing writes itself
Multiple natural springs — Transylvania Co gets 80-120+ in rain/yr
Two hilltops with long-range mountain views
Borders Indian Camp Mountain (gated) and Line Runner Ridge (gated)
Priced "well below tax value" per listing — was $400K, now $300K
Brevard: artsy, progressive, LGBTQ+-friendly — 20 min away

Key Risks to Verify

Well drilling in mountain rock: $10-28K range (the #1 budget variable)
Road + grading on mountain terrain: need contractor eyeball
Electric extension from Hwy 178: get Duke Energy quote early
Septic on rocky/steep soil: perc test needed before offer
No existing structures — full build from scratch
Confirm zoning allows multi-unit + agritourism use

View Listing on CB Advantage → Search Transylvania County

Sleeping Plan

Centralize plumbing in one bathhouse, keep sleeping units simple and cheap. More guests, less money, faster build.

Cabins + Bathhouse Model

1 owner's tiny house (full kit)$65K

4 sleeping cabins @ $12K$48K

1 bathhouse/kitchen (beefed up)$75K

1 shared septic system$15K

Electric to 5 structures$18K

Total accommodation~$221K

Max guest capacity12-16 people

Retreat-viable (12 guests)Month 9-10 (Phase 2)

Owner's Tiny House

TypePrefab THOW or on-foundation

Size28-32ft / 350-450 sqft

FeaturesFull kitchen, bathroom, bedroom

Own septic hookupYes — private bathroom

Est. cost$55-75K (turnkey)

PurposeYour home base on the property

Sleeping Cabins (x4-6)

TypeInsulated shell, no plumbing

Size12x16ft (~192 sqft each)

FeaturesQueen bed or 2 bunks, electric heat, lighting, small porch

PlumbingNone — guests use bathhouse

Est. cost each$8-15K (shell + finish)

Sleeps2-4 per cabin

Build time2-4 weeks each

Central Bathhouse + Kitchen

Size800-1000 sqft

Bathrooms3 private shower rooms + 2 toilets

KitchenFull communal kitchen for retreat meals

Gathering spaceIndoor + covered outdoor porch

LaundryWasher/dryer for linens

Est. cost$65-85K (pole barn construction)

Septic1 shared system handles all guests

Why This Model Works

For Your Budget

Plumbing is the expensive part — centralize it in one building
1 septic system instead of 3 saves $20-30K
Simple cabins are $12K vs $55K for a full tiny house
Scale up by just adding more $12K cabins as revenue grows
Phase 2 sleeping cabins can be built by local carpenters in weeks

For Your Guests

This IS the retreat model — camps, monasteries, glamping ops all do this
Walking 50ft to a shared bathhouse is part of the experience
"Disconnect and simplify" is the brand — no TV, no mini-fridge
Communal kitchen creates connection (the whole point of retreats)
Private sleeping = quiet. Shared spaces = community. Best of both.
Upgrade path: add "premium" full-bathroom cabins later as revenue grows

Phased Budget

$950K ceiling, phased over 2-3 years. Cabin model keeps costs down and doubles capacity.

Phase Overview (Mid Estimates)

Phase 1 — Months 0-6

$395K

Land + site prep + utilities + owner's tiny house. You move in.

Phase 2 — Months 6-12

$175K

4 sleeping cabins + bathhouse/kitchen. Retreat capacity: 12-16 guests. Revenue starts.

Phase 3 — Year 2

$115K

Farm + animals + 2 more cabins + contingency buffer.

Phase 4 — Year 3+

$50K

Trails, sauna, solar, premium cabins. Revenue-funded.

$0 $685K all-in (Phases 1-3) | $265K remaining $950K

$685K

Land: $275K

Site + Utilities: $136K

Owner's Tiny House: $65K

4 Sleeping Cabins: $48K

Bathhouse/Kitchen: $75K

Farm + Animals: $30K

Permits + Pro: $18K

Contingency: $45K

Phase 1 Detail ($395K)

Land (negotiated cash)$260K

Closing + survey + perc$13K

Tree clearing + grading$25K

Access road (gravel)$28K

Electric (Duke + on-site)$21K

Well + pump + spring dev$27K

Septic #1 (owner's unit)$12K

Internet (Starlink)$2K

Owner's tiny house (turnkey)$65K

Owner's deck + hookup$7K

Phase 2 Detail ($175K)

4 sleeping cabins (shell + finish)$48K

Cabin decks (x4)$8K

Cabin electric hookups (x4)$8K

Bathhouse/kitchen structure$50K

Kitchen buildout$12K

3 showers + 2 toilets + laundry$10K

Septic #2 (shared, all guests)$15K

Covered outdoor area + fire pit$6K

Permits + insurance$8K

Parking expansion$5K

Phase 3 Detail ($115K)

2 more sleeping cabins$24K

Chicken coop + flock (25 hens)$3.5K

Goat shelter + fencing + 4 does$6.5K

Bee hives (2-4) + supplies$1.7K

Garden beds + irrigation + fence$9K

Fruit trees + berries$2K

Feed shed + compost + pasture$5K

Guardian dog + year 1 feed/vet$4K

Signage + branding$3K

Contingency buffer$45K

Farm & Animal Plan

Phase 3 (Year 2). Startup ~$30K mid estimate. Pays for itself by Year 3. But the real value is what it does to your nightly rate.

Chickens (25 Heritage Hens)

Coop + run$3,000

Flock (point-of-lay)$375

Annual cost$1,100/yr

Egg revenue$3-6K/yr

Guest valueMorning egg gathering

Goats (4-6 Nigerian Dwarfs)

Shelter + fencing$5,500

Does (4-6)$1,200

Annual cost$2,200/yr

Revenue$1-3K/yr (milk/soap)

Guest valueBaby goats + goat yoga

Bees, Garden & Orchard

2-4 hives + gear$1,700

16 raised beds + irrigation$6,500

Fruit trees + berries$1,600

Deer fencing$2,500

Total annual revenue$3-10K/yr

Farm Bottom Line

Total startup~$30K

Annual operating$4-5K/yr

Annual revenue$7-19K/yr

Net income$3-15K/yr

Real value: guests pay $200+/night to pet baby goats and gather eggs vs $135 for a bare cabin.

Can This Make Money?

With the cabin model, you're retreat-viable in Year 1. That changes everything.

Year 1 (Months 10-12+)

4 cabins + bathhouse. Capacity: 12-16 guests.

Nightly rate (per cabin)$135/night

Occupancy (4 cabins)~45%

Nightly rental revenue$89K/yr

Weekend retreats (8/yr)$48K/yr

Operating expenses-$55K/yr

Net Income~$82K/yr

Year 2 (+ Farm + 2 Cabins)

6 cabins + farm. Premium pricing. Capacity: 16-20.

Nightly rate (farm premium)$185/night

Occupancy (6 cabins)~50%

Nightly rental revenue$203K/yr

Retreats (12/yr)$72K/yr

Farm income$10K/yr

Operating expenses-$95K/yr

Net Income~$190K/yr

The Math That Matters

Total investment (Phases 1-3)$685K

Year 1 net income~$82K

Year 2 net income~$190K

Break-even~3 years

Land appreciation (5%/yr)$13K+/yr

Conservative estimates. Retreat weekends assume $500/head x 12 guests. Nightly rentals benchmarked against Brevard/Asheville Airbnb data ($135-185/night, 45-55% occupancy).

Seasonality in WNC

Spring (Mar-May)
55-65% occ. Peak waterfall flow. Garden planting retreats.

Summer (Jun-Aug)
70-80% occ. Farm in full production. Family programs.

Fall (Sep-Nov) — PEAK
75-85% occ. Foliage is MASSIVE. Highest rates. October = #1 month.

Winter (Dec-Feb)
25-40% occ. Digital detox. NYE events. Mid-term rentals.

Action Plan