Riverwind, Hendersonville, NC

About Riverwind

Riverwind is in Hendersonville, in the Asheville & Western Mountains region of North Carolina. Developer: Oakwood Land Development Corporation (original developer); now self-governed by the Riverwind Homeowners Association. Status: Open. Age-restricted (55+ community; occupancy rules are set in its recorded governing documents).

Riverwind's association describes it as a 55+ adult planned community near the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, at an elevation of approximately 2,100 feet, with 243 private homes and over 400 residents on 74 acres. The association's address is 30 Riverwind Drive, Hendersonville, NC 28739, but the community's own pages place it in Etowah, on US 64 West between Hendersonville and Brevard, so confirm which jurisdiction and school or utility districts apply to a specific lot before contract.

The association's history page says investors known as Tri-Winds, Inc. bought the land around 1990 and Riverwind was born in August 1990, with the first homes arriving in early 1991. Oakwood Land Development Corporation purchased the property in early 1993. The clubhouse, pool and hot tub came in 1994, a homeowners association was organized in September 1999, and in October 2001 Oakwood Homes Corporation turned the property over to the Riverwind Homeowners Association. The community is now completely built out, so purchases are resales rather than new construction; the real estate page says homes become available at all times of the year, that residents normally list through the multiple listing services, and that some sell quickly.

The home page describes underground utilities, charming lanes and cul-de-sacs, and unobstructed mountain views, and frames Riverwind as an affordable country-living option. Its FAQ says each owner owns the lot and pays property taxes to Henderson County, and that city water comes from the Hendersonville water department, with Duke Energy supplying electricity, Enbridge Gas supplying natural gas at many homes, and Optimum or AT&T available for television, phone and internet.

After Hurricane Helene in September 2024, the association's emergency page says residents were without electricity, landline and cell service and internet for four days and were isolated by road flooding and downed trees, even though the community is about 15 miles from Hendersonville and Brevard. The board has since approved an emergency operations plan, block captain guidelines and resident emergency manuals. Anyone weighing a mountain home should ask about the road, utility and communications experience of the specific street. The Hendersonville place guide covers county-level hazard and recovery pages.

Age restrictions at Riverwind

The association's Governance page states: "RIVERWIND is a community for people aged 55 and older." The June 2024 Restrictive Covenants define residency this way: "as this is a community designed to respond to the needs and desires of persons age fifty-five (55) and older, and in keeping with Federal and State Statutes, it is our goal to maintain a community of residents consisting of persons age fifty-five (55) and older." The association's Age Requirements for Residents sheet says: "It is Riverwind's intent through its Policies, Procedures, Covenants, Rules & Regulations and all related actions to maintain 100% occupancy by persons age 55 and older," says the community is in compliance with the Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995, and requires new residents to attest at a welcome visit that at least one occupant is 55 or older, with documentation such as a driver's license, birth certificate or passport. The Rules page also lists an Under Age Residency Application form, so ask the board how exceptions are handled and read the full covenants before relying on any household arrangement.

Housing types at Riverwind

• Single-family detached homes, including site-built homes, on owned lots

Pricing at Riverwind

The association's real estate page, which carries owner and agent listings, showed three homes: a one-floor three-bedroom, two-bath home with a two-car garage listed by the owner at roughly $389 thousand; a 1,478-square-foot home built in 1999 listed at $286,000; and a 1,886-square-foot three-bedroom, two-bath home at 308 Riverwind Drive offered at $259,900 with a $5,000 flooring credit. These are asking prices on the association's page at the time of review, not sales prices or a market average. Check current listings and Henderson County sales records for comparable sales.

HOA and fees at Riverwind

The association's FAQ states that each dwelling is currently assessed $115 a month, due on the first of the month and late after the tenth; the Rules and Regulations set a $20 late fee. The assessment covers sewer charge, weekly garbage pickup, bi-weekly recycling, upkeep of the common ground, clubhouse complex, pool and spa maintenance, streetlights and roadways. The covenants allow the board to levy special assessments and make the monthly assessment a lien on the lot and a personal obligation of the owner.

The FAQ says a reserve study was completed in 2022 and that the board's long-range financial planning committee uses it to plan. Fees change by board action, so confirm the current assessment and ask for the latest budget, reserve study and bylaws before closing. The association publishes its covenants, bylaws, rules and a combined searchable document on its Governance page.

Rules that affect daily life include a goal of full owner occupancy, with leasing discouraged and limited to rare board-approved cases for at least one year; two household pets; and no fences of any type on property lines. The FAQ says electric golf carts may be used on community streets. The association says property taxes are paid to Henderson County: the North Carolina Department of Revenue's 2025-26 county rate sheet lists Henderson County at $0.4310 per $100 of value, last revalued in 2023 with the next scheduled revaluation in 2027. See the NC retirement taxes guide for state rules.

Amenities at Riverwind

• Main Clubhouse with seating and tables for over 60 people and a fully equipped kitchen
• Small Clubhouse with meeting rooms for groups of under 20 and under 10, and a resident library open 24 hours
• Outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, opened around Memorial Day with a winter cover
• Community game room with pool table, game table and dart board, open to residents and guests over 18, with horseshoe pits outside
• Graded RV, trailer and boat parking area
• Monthly social calendar run by the association's social committee
• Underground utilities and golf carts permitted on streets

Healthcare near Riverwind

The community's home page says nearby Hendersonville has two hospitals, and its Governance page lists Mountain Aging Partners at (828) 692-4203 among helpful numbers. The emergency page puts Hendersonville and Brevard about 15 miles away, a distance that can lengthen when roads are flooded or closed after a storm. Test the drive to your preferred hospital and specialists at the hours you would travel, and see the healthcare access guide.

Airport access from Riverwind

The community's home page says Asheville Regional Airport is 25 minutes away on NC 280 and that Interstates 26 and 40 pass close by. Asheville's airport publishes its airline and flight information at flyavl.com; time the drive yourself, including weekend and winter conditions.

Why Riverwind is included

A 74-acre, built-out planned community of 243 homes whose recorded covenants and Housing for Older Persons Act policy state a goal of 100 percent occupancy by persons 55 and older, with a clubhouse, pool and social calendar run by the homeowners association.

Alternatives to Riverwind

• KenmureA 1,400-acre gated country-club community in Flat Rock with a Joe Lee 18-hole course in a restored antebellum mansion setting, indoor and outdoor pools, six tennis courts, pickleball and bocce, and a property owners association with its own architectural review committee.

Guides relevant to Riverwind

• 55-Plus Community vs. Conventional Neighborhood in the Carolinas
• North Carolina Retirement Taxes: Income, Property, Sales and Estate