Bullet Points for April 30 Numbers for Waynesville. Compared to April 2008 (last year), the number of homes sold in April 2009 is lower by 64%. Our inventory of homes decreased 3% compared to April 2008, sales, as noted above,  have decreased. The average listing price is 36% lower than April 2008 statistics. The average selling price is 37% lower than April 2008. Most expensive home sold in April in 2009: $316,000; least expensive: $25,500.                                                 (Please click chart for larger version.) Source: MLS. Data deemed reliable but, not guaranteed. *** See the Haywood County Market Report Archives. See the Waynesville Market Report Archives. See my Photos of the Day. Original posted on Bucking the Real Estate Trend. 05/10/2009

Click here to see homes and property available in Laurel Ridge. Laurel Ridge Golf and Country Club, and their gated log home community, The Smoky Mountain Retreat (named “One of the Top Ten Best Log Home Communities in North America” in 2005 by Log Home Living Magazine), present a unique mountain lifestyle in the spectacular Great Smoky Mountains. Conveniently situated on the edge of the historic town of Waynesville, North Carolina, breathtaking views, altitudes between 3,000 and 4,500 feet, and wilderness surroundings enhance and surround the  unique homes in this 1,000 acre Haywood County community. The Smoky Mountain Retreat, known for 30-mile long-range views and for preservation of  the natural beauty of the land, is an exquisite gated community enhanced by gently sloped and paved ... 04/26/2009

Click here to see homes and lots available in Campbell Mountain Estates. Campbell Mountain Estates is nestled in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, close to the heart of both Waynesville and Maggie Valley, the Cataloochee Ski Area, Ghost Town in the Sky, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Should the lifestyle, allure and intrigue of four distinct seasons, constantly changing landscapes, views revealing the mountains and mountainside homes during the winter, and tree-filled views during the spring and summer, then Campbell Mountain Estates could be just what you are looking for. Campbell Mountain Estates is a gated community featuring public water, septic evaluations approved for each lot, community street lighting, newly-paved streets, long-range mountain views... 04/25/2009

It's April 15th and I don't know about you, but I need a laugh - - so before you check out HotPads.com, you might enjoy some of the domain names 'featured' in this blog:  10 Most Painfully Funny Company URLs For instance, poor old Pen Island's URL is: www.penisland.net So just be careful when you are setting up your new domains (do you think they did that on purpose?)   ©Susie Blackmon Photos Photo taken at Boyd Mountain Log Cabins and Tree Farm HotPads.com is a map-based real estate search engine, listing homes for sale, apartments, foreclosures, rentals. Just sayin...... Dear Airstream, this is my dream. Love, Susie Blackmon - Take Your Home Office On The Road.   Putting Twitter's World to Use from the New York Times. Just as Difficult as It Seems - More great Social Media insight fro... 04/15/2009

  Waynesville's 'The Swag' Receives International Accolades from National Geographic Traveler. Easter Events in Waynesville, Maggie Valley and Lake Junaluska. Easter Colors Painting the Maggie Valley Club Party. Tips for Selling Your House in Spring. Residential Market Report for Waynesville as of 03/31/09. Residential Market Report for Maggie Valley as of 03/31/09. See my Photos of the Day. See my photos on Flickr. Search the MLS. Broker/(REALTOR®) 04/11/2009

©Susie Blackmon Photos It snowed here all day today but the pictures in this post were taken yesterday (April 6) at Lake Junaluska.  If you plan to put your house on the market now or very soon, here’s a list of things to do on the outside to impress potential buyers. Well-kempt bushes, lawns, gardens, etc. will decorate the outside of your house and encourage people to want to see the inside! Create a ’scenic feature’ such as a water garden, a birdhouse or feeder area, or a nice sitting area. Trim and ‘groom’ all of your plants and flower beds, and replace any dead plants. Fill your flower beds and planters with lots of good, fresh mulch. Repair and/or repaint any flower bed framing or containers. Keep any hoses coiled up neatly. Green up (fertilize) and trim your grass. This can also... 04/07/2009

One of the homes we visited last week on our weekly caravan to view new listings was located on a large, beautiful, rolling lot, resplendent with beautiful trees and within walking distance of downtown Main Street in Waynesville. Spring cleaning around the property resulted in a pile of big, beautiful, fresh-cut logs which could make for a sturdy log home, or some good log wrangling. Photos taken in Waynesville NC on 03/25/09. ©Susie Blackmon Photos See my Photos of the Day. See my photos on Flickr. Search the MLS. Original posted on Bucking the Real Estate Trend. 03/27/2009

Nicos Cafe is located on Dellwood Road (828-926-6289) between Waynesville and Maggie Valley. Nicos brings the unique cuisine of Tampa’s Ybor City to the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. You will find plenty of easy parking and a very convenient location and DELICIOUS, ‘can’t get enough of it’ FRESH food at Nicos. Porn for Foodies: Mojo - Cuban-style marinated, roasted pork sandwich (best seller) (My favorite!) Mojo Wrap - Mojo pork, black beans & rice rolled into a tomato basil wrap Gassparilla - Roast beef smothered in grilled onions, cheddar, sun-dried tomatoes on pressed ciabatta bread Greek Salad - An award-winning Greek salad, hiding homemade potato salad Homemade Soup - all made from scratch (different every day) Desserts - To die for cookies, cakes, flan (different... 03/18/2009

Yesterday I visited a farm full of miniature horses in Waynesville and was pleasantly reminded that there is much more to real estate than selling it! Land decorated with bales of hay, tractors, fencing, mini-hot walkers, manure piles, fat and sassy little mini horses running around, and of course a Cowboy or eight, is heaven on earth for me. Located on Mauney Cove Road, maybe 60 seconds from Granny’s Chicken Palace, the miniature horse farm is growing  … and so is the herd count. A new crop of babies will be dropping very soon. CUTE OVERLOAD! As soon as the brochure for the farm is ready (they are adding carriage rides, etc.), I’ll post a copy here on my blog. ©Susie Blackmon Photos Click here to see more of the Mini Horse Photos. Search the MLS. Broker/(REALTOR®) Original posted on Bu... 03/12/2009

These beautiful geese were grazing and sunning at a home on Lake Junaluska yesterday as the last of Monday’s beautiful snow was melting.  These colts at Boyd Mountain were happy to have some fresh hay to enjoy after a roll in the nice, cool dirt. I imagine these furry colts are hoping the warm weather coming up will help them slip their winter coats. ©Susie Blackmon Photos See my Photos of the Day. Search the MLS. Broker/(REALTOR®) 03/06/2009

Yesterday (March 3rd) I drove out to take a few photographs at one of my most favorite spots in Haywood County, Boyd Mountain Log Cabins and Tree Farm. The beautiful cabin in the photos is their newest furnished, authentic log cabin which is the perfect place to stay when you come to the mountains of Western North Carolina! Visit their website to see all of the cabins. Beautiful entrance to Boyd Mountain Log Cabins and Tree Farm. More about Boyd Mountain Log Cabins and Tree Farm: Nothing Better for the Soul of a Cowgirl … More Rustic Log Cabins at Boyd Mountain … Here’s what will be flowering at Boyd’s soon … Boyd Mountain Website (Reserve Your Cabin for an Idyllic Visit) Broker/(REALTOR®) 03/04/2009

It's a strange irony that one of the most beautiful areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also one of the least visited. Although it's a bit out of the way, The Cataloochee Valley rewards visitors with excellent vistas, historic buildings, and abundant wildlife. Located entirely in the state of North Carolina, settlers came to this place in the early 19th Century for its seclusion and fertile bottom lands. Many lived their entire lives without ever crossing the divide for a glimpse of the outside world. Since the inception of the Park in the late 1930's, much of the area was left to return to its natural state.  Only a limited number of historic structures remain, including two churches and a few houses and cabins. It takes several days to explore the entire valley so you ... 02/28/2009

Waynesville, NC residential real estate sales for January closed out at 21 sales for the month, taking an average of 163 days to sell. As of today's date (02/08/09) the inventory of homes on the market in Waynesville has increased to 445 (up from 431 on 01/31). Inventory/absorption rate as of January 31st reflects 20.52 months’ worth of homes on the market in Waynesville. *** Haywood County, NC Active Residential Listings as of 02/08/09 Haywood County Homes for Sale - Active - 1,017 Properties Found Maggie Valley Homes for Sale - Active - 268 Properties Found Waynesville Homes for Sale - Active - 445 Properties Found Clyde Homes for Sale - Active - 131 Properties Found Canton Homes for Sale - Active - 148 Properties Found *** See the Haywood County Market Report Archives. See the Maggie... 02/08/2009

One of my favorite places is the Little Cataloochee Baptist Church in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's located on a serene ridge, and features the church, erected in 1889 and the churchyard, which is the final resting place of many former residents of the area. To get there, you'll have to exert a little effort. It takes some tricky driving along miles of narrow gravel roads to get to the almost invisible trailhead, and from there it is a two mile hike along a broad, maintained trail to the church! The Great Smoky Mountains National park differs from other National Parks which were created on land already owned by the government. People lived, worked, had babies, farmed, went to church, and died in the Smokies. The park was established by purchasing or condemning property a... 02/03/2009

Photo from the early ’80’s of me on my Pleasure mare, Sailor Que’s Queen Working on my new horse website, Horsealicious, led to a search for some of my old horse, and horse show, photos from the 70’s and 80’s. This picture is one of my favorites. It was great showing and raising Quarter horses, and if I won the lottery, I’d be in cutting horses. Haywood County has beautiful land and views for horse people, and mild seasons for the horses. I toured Riding High Ranch recently, and it is a beautiful equestrian property with a covered arena, beautiful barn, 37 acres, and beautiful views, to name a few of its great features. Read more about it, and see photos here. ***** Interesting Unrelated Reading ***** Can Facebook Revive the Real Estate Market? Housing Statistics Being Buoyed by So-Call... 01/29/2009

There were ducks unlimited yesterday afternoon at Lake Junaluska. They were swimming in the water AND standing or sleeping on the ice of the partially frozen lake. This is an unusual sight here in Haywood County! THANK YOU Brent for calling me about the photo opportunity!! Why don’t their little webbed feet get cold standing on the ice? ©Susie Blackmon Photos Related articles: Ducks and Geese Unlimited at Lake Junaluska Chasing the Fall Light at Lake Junaluska See my other Photos of the Day. Search the Haywood County, NC MLS. Broker/(REALTOR®)                                   Original posted at Bucking the Real Estate Trend. 01/24/2009

One of the Canadian Geese at Lake Junaluska Yesterday (01/23) Residential Real Estate Snapshot for January. Not much has changed since my last report on the 21st. Residential sales for the month in Haywood County total 23 as of today’s date, with an average listing price of $264,735, an average selling price of $236,457, and taking an average of 167 days to sell. Highest and lowest priced homes sold so far in January are $582,000 and $42,000, respectively. Pending sales have not increased - - they remain at 14 - - as of today’s date reflect an average listing price of $173,793, and a median listing price of $130,800. Average days on market for the pending transactions is 157. Highest and lowest priced pending sales so far are listed at $474,900 and $59,900. Haywood County, NC Active Res... 01/24/2009

Whether you are in real estate as an investor, a seller, a buyer, or a dreaded realtor, you are probably wondering “What was I thinking?” or “Woe is me… I have been fattened up for the slaughter.” “Moooo! I’ve gotten a big spanking.” This too shall pass! Me? I’m working on my real estate website, working with clients and responding to client inquiries, actively participating in many aspects of on-line social media, taking Broker-in-Charge classes, attending seminars, setting up my new horse website, Horsealicious, and photographing more equestrian properties here in Maggie Valley, as well as in Haywood and Bumcombe County. While prices may change and credit cards may be maxed out, Haywood County will always be beautiful, whether you want to live on a horse farm or a cattle ranch with a ... 01/22/2009

December closed out at 13 residential sales for the month in Waynesville, NC, taking an average of 217 days to sell. The highest priced home in Waynesville that sold in December sold for $1,600,000, and the lowest priced home sold for $71,000. The Inventory/absorption rate is 35.8 months’ worth of homes on the market in Waynesville at December's rate of sales and active inventory. Source: MLS. Data deemed reliable but, not guaranteed. Keep an eye on the numbers! See the Haywood County, NC Archive of Market Report. See my Waynesville, NC Archive of Market Reports. See my Photos of the Day. Search the Haywood County, NC MLS. Follow me on Facebook too! Broker/(REALTOR®) PHONE:  828-550-3767 BUCKING the REAL ESTATE TREND COLDWELL BANKER Kasey & Assoc. Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Canton, Cly... 01/03/2009

Bulldog Bonnie Williams and I enjoyed the company of an Alexandria, VA client last night in beautiful Downtown Waynesville, North Carolina, not to mention the sights and sounds of merchants, horse carriages, and Santa. Stores and window displays were sparkling and bright, and the children were everywhere, both naughty and nice. Enjoy some of the Christmas photos I took last night! Get your Christmas tree at Boyd’s from December 14th through the 21st. They have some beautiful, fresh wreaths for you too. Click here to see the dates, times, prices and pictures. Search the MLS. Broker/(REALTOR®) SUSIE BLACKMON (Broker/(REALTOR®) PHONE:  828-550-3767 BUCKING the REAL ESTATE TREND (Blogging website) COLDWELL BANKER Kasey & Assoc. Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Canton, Clyde, North Carolina  28786 12/14/2008