vinuneuro: Thanks. Windows themselves are ok I think, but the horizontal rain in high wind storms finds its way in...not good. In constant arm wrestle w/builder, Andersen reps, etc. We should have done like they do on the coast: make horizontal walls nearly as impermeable as a roof and have tiny windows w/no view.
Very hard to give a short answer to your house price question:
-by "area" do you mean our town, or western NC, etc. It's a large geography with many diff towns and areas and prices. More specifics would help: PM or email me.
Generally, great views cost a lot, and involve a tough, difficult, expensive build. Also the neighborhood/area has impact as some big houses are built in "unrestricted/no zone" areas next to some pig farm or hillbillie's front yard full of "yard art."
A rule of thumb is $175/ sq ft on the low end side and $250+/sq foot building costs, on the upper end. Land prices really vary, and 2-5 acres are gettable, but one will only "use" an 1/8th acre to build on, as most view lots are Very steep and the house, like ours, is perched on a "shelf" near top of acerage.
Asheville and flatter areas have less exp houses, in general, than the more remote, but higher and more quaint lil'surrounding towns areas. Some homes in the Highlands/Cashiers/Lake Toxaway area can get Very expensive and those areas are remote, eg 30 mins for a fooking loaf of bread.
Hope this helps, but you gotta be more specific w/questions if you want more realistic info. BR,md