Advantage West ,an economic development group  will be hosting a conference Thursday, December 6th that focuses on the recruitment and expansion of jobs and investment associated with environmental-related enterprises in the Asheville and surrounding region. Workshop topics will include investment and job-creation in: Environmental Reclamation, Green Construction, Environmental Sciences, Alternative/Renewable energy, and Environmental Conservation. There will be two workshop tracks for the conference one on Green Building and the other on Renewable Energy. Click here for a complete conference agenda.  This looks like a great conference. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend. But this is the type of forward thinking that is appearing in many places around the Asheville area. There... 12/04/2007

The key to getting your home sold in today's changing market is to ensure that your home is remembered by prospective buyers.  How can home sellers set themselves up for a quick sale? Recent studies by the annual Remodeling Cost vs Value Report 2007 show that rehabbers will get the most return on EXTERIOR upgrades.  The most cost effective remodel? #1  Upscale vinyl replacement to Hardi Plank siding (fiber cement).  Average cost: $13,000 with a return of 89%.  #2  The second largest return can be gained through deck additions. A 16' x 20' addition can run you about $9,000 with a return of 86%.  #3  Window replacement is the third largest return.  Make sure to get high quality, double-hung, insulated windows for a return of 80% on a $10,000 job.  #4  Finally, minor kitchen remodel is sti... 12/03/2007

 I recently had a couple in town, Sam and Karen who were looking for some eco-investment real estate in Asheville. Karen, however, had also seen a home she wanted to check out which was listed at 2.3 million. The home was situated on 5 acres surrounded by 75 acres already in a conservation easement. about 30 minutes from downtown Asheville. It was a truly gorgeous home, 6000 square ft, custom designed  with high quality craftsmanship, views of 7 mountain ridges from a wrap around deck and wonderful solarium. There was a fantastic gourmet kitchen, double fireplaces between the dining and living rooms, radiant floor heating, a beautiful formal living room with cathedral stain glass windows on either side of a walnut mantled fireplace. This opened to a huge library/office with built in che... 12/03/2007

Here are the trends and statiscis for for the 3rd quarter of 2007 for Buncombe County, NC. Buncombe County is made up of  Asheville, Leicester, Weaverville, Candler, Woodfin, Arden, Barnardsville, Black Mountain, and several other area locations. If you go to Realtor.com to search for listings in the Asheville area, be sure to put in Leicester and the other areas to get the complete picture of what is available in our beautiful part of the country.If you put the word just the word Asheville in a Google search you will get 11,000,000 hits! The number one site for Asheville is Asheville.com.If you put the words Buncombe County NC you will get 1,040,000 hits. The number one site is Buncombe County. org.In comparison, if you put the word ActiveRain in you will get 581,000 hits.Asheville is ... 12/03/2007

 Home price figures just released from the federal government show what many of us at EcoSteward Realty had suspected, namely that while sales volume of residential homes is down compared to last year, home prices in the Asheville area have kept appreciating.  Asheville area homes had the ninth-highest appreciation rate in the country over the past year, according to federal figures released Thursday. The rise in values comes despite a sharp drop in the number of homes sold. Single-family homes in the Asheville metropolitan statistical area - Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Madison counties - increased 9.4 percent in value over the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, according to figures from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.So while the Asheville market is seeing a slowdo... 11/30/2007

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.", These were the words of John Muir the great conservationist and explorer. Over the week-end, traveling back from my Thanksgiving Holiday i could feel myself gradually slipping back into the realty of these powerful and elevating words. I was coming back from a great time with even greater people outside of Detroit. The experience was certainly giving strong reminders of so much that I have to be thankful for. I was very happy. But, as I continued driving south down I-75 and the Appalachians began to swell around me like a crone beginning to stir in t... 11/27/2007

I was invited to give a talk a couple of weekends ago  to the Appalachian Chapter of the American Society of Dowsers . about sustainable development in the Western North Carolina mountain region. Dowsers are folks who among other things find places on land where wells can be dug to access water. There are way too many links to pick from so just Google dowsing and see what comes up. Many well drillers use dowsers to help them find sites before they start drilling. If fact the first speaker of the day was Lee Barnes, a real estate agent in Waynesville who does water dowsing.  The Appalachian Chapter was interested in letting its members know what was happening in regards to the rapid development going on in Asheville and the surrounding  mountains as well as some ways they might be able t... 11/25/2007

     For the past many years,I and my investors and clients have been  engaged in locating and acquiring  land buys with an eye to the future. In almost any season, folks from down south, and north, and west, and yes, even from Eastern North Carolina's magnificent ocean shores  head for the mountains and beautiful rural farmlands of Western North Carolina. In the summer, the fresh cool air is particularly welcoming, but I love all four of our seasons. For those who have discovered the lands I love, there's no doubt that investing in Land right now is a smart move for the future.                                                         photo taken in Madison County by JT, photographer for our Firm One of the most promising places for investing in Land is Madison County, North Carolina. Lo... 11/25/2007

 Old car and dog lovers, you may be surprised at what is in store for you today. Believe it or not, TOTALLY worthwhile, whether you are dog-lover,  old car enthusiast, or  simply are a concerned client , or  REALTOR® facing eco-friendly challenges in property design & development, you need to look into  context theory ! Case in Point:  A  project happening right here and now in Asheville  . This is a project that makes it clear just how important it is to get the "big picture" and take the steps to solve sustainable innovation challenges. Folks, here's your invitation to come along as we explore the possibilities in one very, very interesting experience. I 'll tell your right now that it is exciting to be a part of this whole "context theory" thing... .as you will discover when you che... 11/20/2007

I have a friend with a unique talent. Even she doesn't quite know how to describe what she does. Mostly I think of her as a decorator, but she has also studied Feng Shui - though neither really describe what she does or how she does it.I think the how is the most difficult to grok. If she dealt in water, she would probably be a dowser. She can transform a space, whether indoors or outdoors into something incredible. Of course, many people can do that. What sets Barclay Law of Design With Feeling apart from others is what I might call soul. It's like she is able to listen to the soul of the client and the soul of the space. She then, somehow, blends different elements together to create a space that is at once unique and familiar. By familiar, I mean the feeling tones that arise are fami... 11/14/2007

In My Opinion... Hello, from Asheville's Home Team and Keller Williams Realty, located in beautiful, downtown Asheville, North Carolina!  As a service to clients and the public in general, we have decided to provide you with an inside look at real estate today and the major issues facing sellers, buyers, and even the agents themselves.  This is our first attempt at blogging in the professional venue, so feel free to post your comments so that we may better serve your needs and interests! Today, I choose to speak about the changing market here in Asheville, NC.  According to the doom and gloom of the national news ("over 500,000 subprime mortgage borrowers could go into foreclosure...10 of the nation's largest cities seeing a 5% price drop in home values...Vacant homes up nationwide 7% s... 11/07/2007

It's "GREEN HEAVEN" here in Asheville.  I was talking with the folks at the NC Green  Builder Program, who told me that sustainable building is "IN"" . I like the idea that energy, water, and materials are used efficiently during the construction and lifetime of a structure; the health and productivity of occupants is supported; and the impact of the structure on the local and global environment is minimized... Recently I listed a property, a big tract of land, that would be perfect for green-built homes. If you were to visit here you would know what I mean. It's green heaven, all right! As an ECO certified real estate person, I find sustainable design and building especially interesting. AND so I am excited to think this land is a perfect opportunity for investors and developers to do ... 11/07/2007

                                                                                                UPDATE: After the meeting, clients decided to move forward with looking at various possibilities for this infill project.     SCENARIO:    Before deciding how to position an infill project for development and sale, as you may recall from Part I of this series, we decided that very savvy planners, on the leading edge of sustainable innovation and design would be called upon to review "the case"...planning professionals, eco-developers, architects, and so forth ... . As I mentioned in Part I of A REALTOR'S® Perspective: The Anatomy, Design & Development of an "Infill Project"  ..."Let's do a bit of ‘due diligence' before the fact, " ...   THE TEAM PROCESS: First up...David Tuch (environmental d... 11/05/2007

Scenario: He found me at Active Rain. He was looking for answers about infill projects, design and development and the new urbanism. He told me he had read my entire BLOG. I was honored. We emailed  back and forth a few times.  He called to set up a meeting to look at his mixed useproperty. He and his wife, whose life work has been with autistic kids, are ready to "un-retire"... First Meeting: We sat together in the welcoming kitchen in their home of 20 years. A restored "neo-old-Miami" (I'll have to ask Ines about that) the home has a flat roof that could be a green roof,  is situated, along with an artist's studio/workshop on about 6 acres, and has a sense of place that cannot be denied. We look at the survey. I note that one of acres could be parceled off to be developed for commerci... 11/02/2007

The Asheville Market continues its slide but prices are holding. The Asheville area had a 60% drop in total sales for the month of October over last year. While that might seem to be a scary number, the average sales price is and the average days on market has remained the same. Listing continue to be on the rise overall and pendings are still down about 60%. Yet houses do sell and in fact there are several with multiple offers. It just means that if you price the house correctly it will sell, if not buyers will look somewhere else. More analysis of October and YTD numbers later. Michaelwww.kellerwilliamsasheville.com 10/31/2007

   Asheville Area Neighborhoods:  Fairview Forest and the Asheville NC -Fairview Community         Asheville NC's  neighboring FairviewCommunity boasts a sumptuous mix of desirable homes and land. Take, for example, theprivate community of FAIRVIEW FOREST. It enjoys approximately 700-800 acres, almost a hundred homes, and nearly ten miles of roads. Such are the dreams of golfers, retired executives, and investors in second and vacation homes.  Here a diverse group ranging from young families to retirees which includes writers, artists, consultants, service providers, and administrators enjoy a sustainable, eco-friendly community. Ask me why I loveI love the Fairview NC area and Fairview Forest. I love it because homes are sited to takea dvantage of views and passive solar opportunities.... 10/28/2007

De-Mystifying the "Green-THING"Green Homes & Land, Various Verdant Variables & Gorgeous Green "Complexions"--A Mystery?Here's a solution. Take a look at the photo to your left.  It could be a quick reference point. I took it overlooking the valley that rolls out beneath my home here in Asheville, North Carolina. At first glance, you notice what appears to be a colorful array of flowers and berries, right?  But take a second look. Those aren't berries; they are buds. And do you see a "tiny" home (on your left) in the distance?  Wing across the valley with me now.  Land on the rooftop of that "not-so-tiny" 5,000 sq. ft. home. Aha! It's a whole new world. Like the scene in the photo, the "complexion" of sustainable development and green-built homes is varied and variable, depending on you... 10/23/2007

Recently, there have been several articles about mortgage money here in Asheville. Let me make it clear, there is money and it is competitive. You still can get a loan even with OK credit. A recent article indicated that you should not use a mortgage company that is part of a real estate company as the rates will not be as good as an outside lender. While that may be true in some cases, one stop shopping will make the transaction smoother and relieve many of the usual worries. Check around first and then check the inside mortgage company. Remember, they work closely with your agent and would not be there if they could not perform. They also would not be there if their rates were not competitive. You cannot always control outside mortgage lenders deadlines and requirements, but you can g... 10/22/2007

Well the best answer to the question is....it depends. Asheville has a vast price range. Homes, manufactured homes, cabins begin at $59,000 and range up to luxury homes in the millions. We currently find that the best seller's market is anything below $200,000. From that point Asheville homes become a buyer's market. The higher the asking price the more buyer's market it becomes. Certain neighborhoods are also on the border of seller/buyer market. West Asheville more of a seller's market and Fairview more of a buyer's market. Check with a Keller Williams agent as to the latest report on these numbers. Michael www.kellerwilliamsasheville.com   10/12/2007

The Asheville Real Estate market continues to slide as does all of Western North Carolina. The results of the 5 county WNC Regional Mls system of total home sales is as follows:September 2006---------------------September 2007Homes Sold 782 ---------------------- Homes Sold 537Average Days on Market 87--------- --Average Days on Market 102Median Selling Price $218,500------- --Median Selling Price $225,000Sell Price Volume 228,142,543------- --Sell Price Volume 154,915,195This shows a 32% decrease in volume from last year. Similarly there is a 31% decrease in the number of homes in the Asheville area, sold. This is an accelerated trend from earlier this summer. It could be a cold, old winter for Real Estate in Asheville, if this continues.www.kellerwilliamsasheville.comMichael 10/04/2007