Special offer

Asheville, NC Real Estate News

By Althea Mathews
(Appalachian Realty Associates)
Real estate broker Lee Pantas recently released the third edition of his best selling guidebook entitled The Ultimate Guide to Asheville & The Western North Carolina Mountains. The book comprehensively covers area attractions, lodging, restaurants, outdoor recreation, schools, shopping, and relocation information for the entire Western North Carolina region.To obtain your copy or read about daily Western North Carolina events, visit http://www.ashevilleguidebook.com/.
Comments 0
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
Our real estate practice thrives not only because we are in the hugely desirable location, Asheville, North Carolina, but because we offer extensive service to our clients. That service extends out to the community.Back in 2006...we decided to open a portion of our building as a community meeting and learning place.Our lively group of real estate professionals began talking about the benefits of an educational forum, and this has turned out to be an exciting new direction at The ECO-STEWARD Firm here in Asheville. In 2007, we have utilized our new facility,the totally renovated 1923 Craftsman brick bungalow,(seen in the photo I took to the right)  as more than a place to meet clients. We have invited guest speakers, artists, and culinary pros to share ideas, creations and good-eats with...
Comments 3
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
Markets stats say that a trend toward sustainable housing , the so-called "Green Market" is assured. Possibly this has a connection to "a common good”, and/or possibly we are looking at dollar opportunity in the form of a growth industry similar to  the computer industry 20 years ago. That industry produced more jobs, more income, a healthy economy. If I were to predict the direction of 2007 and beyond, I would be looking  in the areas of environmentally conscious endeavor.So, I'm looking out my lace-curtained windowrealizing it is not always easy to predict the "true colors" of the future,and thinking this could be mighty interesting. How will this play out in terms of Western North Carolina and Asheville's real estate market….Looking down the road, I know I have to be informed about E...
Comments 0
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
Although I am a Land Specialist in the Asheville and Greater Asheville, N.C. area — (I focus on conservation developments/Preserves such as Creston Preserve and the ECO Horse-Friendly Walnut Creek Preserve as well as other “ECO conscious” investment real estate)— at least once a quarter I amble on over to take a peek at what’s happening in residential sales in our area here in Western North Carolina. I don my (green) glasses and wander through the stats and then start a dialogue that is usually VERY interesting!Here's the scoop from my research: Residential Sales in the Asheville and Greater Asheville Area – First Three Quarters+ 2006North Carolina continues to see a rise in-the amount of homes sold in 2006. Sale prices continue to climb and the averagenumber of days a house is on the m...
Comments 3
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
Have you ever wondered what the secret of longevity in the practice of real estate IS? I have. I have spent many long hours pondering how to make my career prosper (and me , too) and have come to the conclusion that there are uncommon advantages in capturing unique the market niche, especially in my home town of Asheville, N.C.First of all…a question…how do YOU pronounce “niche”?...Is it “neeesh”..or “nitch”..Last week I distinctly heard Candace Bergen pronounce it “neeeeesh” on Boston Legal…Oh well, it matters not how we pronounce it, really.. because the point is, finding a niche that works for you as a professional real estate person is , I think one of the most important aspects of success in this business. …Whether a property is commercial, residential or, my favorite, LAND/ acreag...
Comments 7
By Althea Mathews
(Appalachian Realty Associates)
The Asheville Home Builders Association and Asheville Citizen-Times present the 2006 Parade of Homes Saturday and Sunday, October 14-15 and 21-22.The four-day event allows participants to view 48 custom-built and built-to-sell homes from area builders. New designs, styles, green building techniques, and energy efficient features will be showcased.A guide with the features, floorplans, builder profiles, and directions to each home is available in today’s Citizen-Times. Each home is open from 1-5 pm.
Comments 0
By Althea Mathews
(Appalachian Realty Associates)
The Mountain Living Log & Timber Frame Home Show comes to the Asheville Civic Center today from 12-7 pm. The show will continue Saturday, 10 AM-7 PM, and Sunday, 10 AM-5 PM.The show, produced by Western Carolina Productions, Inc., will showcase log and timber frame designs. Manufacturer’s representatives and builders as well as several other related exhibitors will be present.Five free seminars are offered all weekend, including Demand Control of Your Electric Bills, Elements of a Successful Log Home Experience, Landscaping for the Future, Decorating Your Unique Home, and The Whole House Concept of Timber Frame Building.A one day pass is $12. A 3 day pass is $24. For more information, call (828) 628-9626. or visit http://www.logshow.com/.To find the perfect setting for your log home, vi...
Comments 0
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
OK! What Are These 1031 Exchanges...REALLY!??  Some Say "Pure Possibility!"We all may be familiar with the standard definition...."The 1031 Like Kind Exchange is a transaction that involves property held for productive use in a trade or business or for investment (except inventory and stocks and bonds) for property of the same type."These little tax-deferral treasures have various monikers:"1031s", "Like Kind Exchanges",  "Starker Exchanges", "Deferred Exchanges", "Land Swaps", "Trades". OH! and the 1031s can include real property, fleets of equipment such as airliners, trucks, buses, and so forth.Maybe that's why I have  met a few people who just worry and wonder about this tax deferred possibility. I decided I had better get educated on the subject...I am no expert, but along the way ...
Comments 3
By Althea Mathews
(Appalachian Realty Associates)
Yahoo! Real Estate recently published an article discussing whether a national real estate bubble exists. The article concluded that the bubble is " a myth" and "a matter of perception".  Of particular interest: Asheville was listed as a hot "secondary market" and a promising market for investors. Despite recent increase in inventory and the winding down of the warm tourist season, the Asheville real estate market remains strong.
Comments 0
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
                                                                                          Real Estate Relationships. I think they are an art form! Do you?Clients who are attracted to sustainable, value-added properties generally have “done their home work” and expect a certain level of attention and mutual interest. Maybe that's why, at our Firm (as seen in the photo here) we tend to start out by sitting around the table to talk about those mutual interests . . Successful real  estate relationships often not only revolve around locating and securing properties and/or marketing “them, but in recognizing that each relationship is as unique as each person is…Over the years, we have come up with a formula that seems to work at least in Asheville's eco-friendly market. This involves three  i...
Comments 2
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
The Greater Asheville and Hendersonville areas of Western North Carolina have seen an influx of people investing in real property, both land and second home investments, in recent years.  As you can imagine farmland is disappearing at a rapid rate as the land opens to new development.  Land-of-Sky Regional Council Fosters desirable social, economic, cultural and ecological conditions in the Greater Asheville  and sustainable development. Where “working the land” used to mean laboring to harvest corn, tobacco, hogs, cattle, sheep, and native plants, “working the land”  now calls to mind bulldozers, cranes, and construction crews erecting residential properties.Still farming, noted for its impact on the history, economy, and culture of our region, is alive and breathing  in the hills and ...
Comments 1
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
Remodeling is nothing new. Back in  the mid-1700s Queen Maria of Portugal was into it...on a grand scale.This portrait, courtesy of Wikipedia , seems to reveal a woman ready to make changes in her home... And indeed, Queen Maria began making sweeping changes in one of her castles  built in the 1600s.  This was to be the royal family's "Country House" and a summer residence.  The palace would be her escape from the burdens of her work and a place where she could relax and enjoy life. It didn't happen overnight, but after many years, her place in the country, AKA "Second/Vacation Home" underwent a remarkable transformation. But all this time, Maria had left the details to the experts, and did not visit the remodel.                                One day, as the story goes, the Queen could...
Comments 2
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
  Time must be the most convenient invention of the human mind – sometimes it's even a tool for getting to staff  meetings when everyone else does.On Tuesday, when we get together, I ask our eco-friendly Buyers' Brokers to bring clip boards and use forms we have created mostly so that we can get through our staff  meetings in a "timely" manner.  We have so much to talk about these days what with the "Green Revolution" and the surge in green building in the Asheville area. Don't laugh, but we even have a “designated” clock watcher and set the timer to keep us moving forward and on track as  each of us to share our business-at-hand. For a group of talkative colleagues, it works. But there is more...  I have been thinking about time and the Buyers' Broker, and how important time management...
Comments 2
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
          It's one of those perfect, clear nights in Asheville. Not a cloud in the sky. From my ridgetop, facing north, a million stars above call my name. Here in the venerable mountains, almost as old as time itself, tonight I am thinking that it actually  is easy to connect with something much larger than myself. We all know that as you relax, your heart just opens wide, and that magic connection simply happens.. But, tonight that knowing is very present, and a certain embracing serenity is in the air. Maybe that’s why Asheville ranks as the “Happiest City in the USA”.           A gentle soul once told me, “…..there’s a pathway to contentment here. It is like the rainbows over the ridges. It's an uncommon force. When you see it you can measure it by your heartbeat ... an all-at-once ...
Comments 1
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
Because I am in Asheville,North Carolina and so many people want to be here, a particular interest to me in my real estate practice is providing good information to my relocating clients.From time to time, families new to the area, tell me they really miss the sense of belonging and family ties they had in their previous neighborhoods. For example, high school kids let me know that it’s not easy to feel uprooted  and to  leave their pals in another city. Parents agree. They want to deal with concerns about “the culture” at a new school before they relocate here. In response to these, and a myriad of clients’ concerns, over the years we have gathered a ten-foot stack of resource materials having to do with RELO INFO and “making happy connections”. Here in Asheville, voted the “Happiest C...
Comments 10
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
 I have a steady real estate practice. For some reason, I keep attracting dog lovers. Maybe that’s because I am a dog lover myself. I hop in the car with families and their poodles, beagles, hounds and mutts. I take dog biscuits with me to  my listing appointments. I carry dog goodies in my glove box.   I have met a hundred or more dogs along the way. This is the story of just one. Her name is Isabella.  Isabella is an exceptional Golden Retriever, but not in the way you might expect. By some measures, Isabella is a mess. She had a real tough start in life. Weaned at Kennel One, shipped to Kennel Two, and then, as luck would have it, sent to Kennel Three, she was showing the affects—she was old beyond her years. The owner of Kennel Two had expected Isabella to finish her championships ...
Comments 16
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
 Connor came home from school the other day talking about “smart growth.” Barb, his Mom, a new client of ours thought he was talking about how fast he was growing. Maybe her contribution to his "smart growth" should be to buy his shoes a size too big. But Connor straightened her out right away. Connor explained that ”Smart Growth”  is a term that Asheville and other communities are using to articulate their goal for a relatively compact  pattern of development that accommodates a diversity of people, housing types and jobs. "It works well for everybody, and makes efficient use of public investments," he informed her. Connor said he'd be volunteering to help out on a couple of community projects, and invited her to come along. One of the projects involves walkable and bikable neighborhoo...
Comments 4
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
"Green" Sustainable Real Estate is energy efficient. ! And saving energy and $$$ is exciting.  Things HAPPEN when people start getting together and talking. And the the talk here in the Greater Asheville area, where "THINGS" already are happening, is about making wise choices in terms of sustainability.  Here in Asheville, it is safe to say that we are on a roll for sustainable inoovation. Asheville, N.C.'s creative citizenry has set its heart on finding ways around the "energy crisis" and the global warming predicament. They are taking a leadership role in "unearthing" new ways that will benefit our ecology and our economy.  EXAMPLE: FUEL EFFICIENCY & BIO DIESEL FUEL  Take, for example, one community owned business, Blue Ridge BioFuels. This business has a two-fold objective:1) Educate...
Comments 5
Explore Asheville, NC