$129,000
About this home
This is a rare opportunity to secure the last of three premium plots in the center of Asheville’s Oakley neighborhood — a walkable community steeped in local history. The land and street carry the name of their original owner, L. L. Merchant, known for constructing Asheville’s tallest Gothic Revival building, The Jackson, in 1924. Designed with two anti-erosion terraces and a newly constructed rear retaining wall, this primed parcel is ready for your architectural vision. Direct connections are in place for natural gas, electricity, cable, city recycling, hydrant access, public works, and dedicated frontage for a city-installed sidewalk, meaning you can break ground without delay. In addition to the infrastructure, the land is already alive. Mature ten-year-old fruit trees — including Asian plum, apricot, and muscadine vine — produce thousands of pieces of fruit each season, making this not just a lot, but an urban orchard. The RS8 zoning unlocks extraordinary building potential that sets this lot apart from virtually anything else on the Asheville market. At 2,100 feet elevation with unrestricted views, a primary structure can rise to a full 40 feet — tall enough for a rooftop deck to capture panoramic views of Asheville’s iconic mountain sunsets over Mount Pisgah and the Blue Ridge. Better still, modern zoning also permits a separate Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) up to 25 feet tall, allowing an 800-square-foot guest house — flexibility that dramatically amplifies the investment value. A perfect location seals the case. Just one mile from Biltmore Village, Whole Foods, and Asheville Mall, and a five-minute walk to Oakley Park’s tennis and pickleball courts, the public library, and Oakley Elementary — and only one minute from the fire and police departments — 20 Merchant Street places you in one of the city’s most convenient and community-rooted neighborhoods. Contact me today and let’s make your dream home a reality.
Property details
- MLS
- Canopy MLS
- MLS #
- CAR4309679
- Property type
- Lot
- Subdivision
- Oakley
- Status
- Active
- Days on market
- 348
- On market date
- October 9, 2025
- Stories
- N/A
- Total bathrooms
- N/A
- Garage spaces
- N/A
- Parking spaces
- N/A
- Lot size
- N/A
Location
Get directions →Nearby schools
Within 10 miles. School directory data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), accessed via the Urban Institute Education Data API. Local Score is calculated by INNOVATE Real Estate; where a state rating is shown, it comes from that state's own official school report card.
- Enrollment
- 447
- Student:teacher ratio
- 13.5:1
- District
- Buncombe County Schools
- Enrollment
- 523
- Student:teacher ratio
- 14.5:1
- District
- Buncombe County Schools
- Enrollment
- 278
- Student:teacher ratio
- 25.3:1
- District
- Buncombe County Schools
Walkability
Blended score for Asheville's center, calculated by INNOVATE Real Estate from two sources: the EPA's National Walkability Index (street network, transit, land-use mix) and Google Places amenity data (what's actually reachable on foot from this point). 60% EPA National Walkability Index + 40% nearby-amenity density (Google Places).
Market position
How this listing compares to current activity in Asheville, from live MLS data.
Mortgage calculator
Estimate only - actual rate and payment depend on your lender, credit, and loan program.
Adjust tax / insurance estimates
Similar homes you might like
Data source: Listing information provided by Canopy MLS (carolina) via Trestle/CoreLogic. Last updated September 22, 2026.
Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed; all measurements, school assignments, HOA fees, taxes, and feature lists are approximate and should be independently verified. Equal Housing Opportunity.