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Asheville, NC Real Estate News

By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
 I read a comment on a Dena Stevens blog a couple of days ago by Michael Rossregarding his opinion that the Green Movement(my definition below)was anti-growth, anti housing, anti builder, anti developer, anti business, anti property owner's rights. Dena responded by saying  the editor of the local newspaper also shared his opinion that being Green meant opposing growth and new developments.  While I know most members of the Eco-All Stars Green Scene would not agree with this idea I believe that there may be more than a few out there in the Active Rain community and the general public who might share the same sentiments as Mr. Ross.  So I got inspired to write this blog because I have had many years to watch, experience, and mull over this issue. To start my definition of Green Movement ...
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 The Princeton Review recently released its 2008 survey of Best Value in Public Colleges with the University of North Carolina Asheville(UNCA) being rated as number three in the country out of 650 colleges and universities. Two Best Values lists are presented, one for Public Colleges and the other for private institutions. UNCA is the only North Carolina college or university to be rated on the public list. The Review praises UNC Asheville's growing national academic reputation, noting that the University "offers the quality education of a private school at a public school price." It also favorably notes the University's numerous academic options, small class size and strong focus on the liberal arts and sciences. The full article can be found here. The presence of schools like UNCA plu...
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
Finishing up our mini tour of Haywood Street, the east side of Haywood has two art galleries, The Aerial Gallery and a branch of the  Fine Arts League of Asheville although their main office is a block over on Rankin Ave.  The eclectic mix of stores, shops, and eateries also includes the Beirgarden ( wide variety of beers, many local as you may have surmised by the name), a Flower Gallery, a Soup and Sandwich eatery inside the Haywood Park Hotel , the True Blue Art Supply Store voted Best Arts Supply Store in Asheville two years running , and the store that is extremely difficult to stay away from even though I know I really should, the Chocolate Fetish  home of a variety of award winning chocolate creations including the best truffles I have ever tasted. So there you have it, a short t...
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By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
 Once you have experienced Asheville, you will understand the "Paris of the South" in the mountains of Western North Carolina ranks among the favorite second home and vacation spots. But let me give you a few quick reasons:1) The people are amazing, full of life, and great storytellers.2) The locally -grown FOOD (see link below) is delicious and good for you!3) There's FUN galore.    Find out for yourself by "hopping" on   one of our "down-home' tours.                          photo courtesy of Asheville Trolley Tours  Asheville Historic Trolley Tours - Hop on the darling trolley for an hour or so and ay narrated tour of the Asheville area.  And/or Hop on a Segway for a glide through Asheville's downtown ...a Moving Sidewalk Tours -  And/or...if you want to extend your range,  simply ho...
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
I thought I would start my tour of downtown Asheville on the street I first used when entering Downtown Asheville and that would be Haywood Street. The first thing I saw that comes into view is the Basilica of St. Lawrence a building with great architecture and a rich history.  Right across the way from St. Lawrence's is the Asheville Civic Center and the Pack Memorial Library.  Just a little way down Haywood on the same side of the street is the Malaprops Cafe/Bookstore . a favorite local poet Keith Flynn was giving a reading this afternoon out of his new book  "The Rhythm Method, Razzmatazz & Memory: How to Make Your Poetry Swing". He was actually singing and reading out of the book! Continuing down Haywood and crossing Walnut Avenue we run into the Open Door Boutique. This is an ecle...
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By Leslie Godbold, Motivation Speaker, Radio host "Positively Living"
(WZGM AM1350 Independent Asheville Radio)
America's Top 100  Places to Live in 2007 by relocateamerica.com Click here: Relocate-America'sTM 2007 Top 100 Places to Live *#1 is Asheville NC!! Click here: Asheville North Carolina Real Estate Asheville is also the location of some of the most creative marketing professionals. If you are ready to move to or ready to have a vacation home in Asheville NC area look at  Localism's of Asheville NC top  Real Estate Professionals. Leslie Godbold of Asheville Stagers is in the top 5 but she is not a Real Estate Agent but is an experienced Real Estate  Stager/Merchandiser, who uses her creativity in making Asheville's Real Estate market as HOT as the fun activities in our area.
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
The condo market in downtown Asheville right now is in high demand with 4 closings and 18 units pending in the past 4 months. Depending on the location of the building and its amenities the current price ranges from $200 - $300 a square foot . Here are some units and their prices as of April 20th. $149,000  -  582 sq. ft. 1 bedroom, 1 bath unit -  Within a Mile of Downtown$253,000 -  1190 sq. ft. 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit - Within a Mile of Downtown$320,000 -  1244 sq. ft. 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit - Within a Mile of Downtown$429,000 -  1100 sq. ft. 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit - Middle of Downtown$450,000 -  1330 sq. ft. 1 bedroom, 1 bath unit - Middle of Downtown $699,500 -  1925 sq. ft - 2bedroom, 2 bath - Middle of Downtown$1,775,000 - 2895 sq, ft. Penthouse 2 bedroom, 2 bath - Middle of Downtown
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
The single most important driving force in the Asheville, North Carolina Market today is this: How many minutes from downtown Asheville do you want to live? The answer to this question usually influences many other decisions that buyers will make about purchasing a home or land since proximity to downtown goes hand in hand with prices.What, thendraws so many to our downtown area? I know there are plenty of answers to that question so I will just list some of my reasons why I thoroughly enjoy a visit to downtown. First is the walkability of the area. There are at great streets that you can leisurely stroll shopping at unique  retail shops, cultural exhibits and galleries, a variety of fantastic restaurants and of course, the Grove Arcade.  My  favorite streets are Haywood Ave., Battery P...
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By Leslie Godbold, Motivation Speaker, Radio host "Positively Living"
(WZGM AM1350 Independent Asheville Radio)
My name is Leslie Godbold and I am the founder and owner of Asheville Stagers. We are experienced  home staging and redesign professionals. We serve Buncombe and Madison County and surrounding areas. We prepare properties, (occupied, vacant and model homes)( residential and commercial) to be placed on the market. We follow principles that give the property the edge and WOW over non prepared properties.    We offer full redesign and one day redesign for homes and offices.I am asking you for your consideration in using and referring our services. We are hired by home owners, agents, building service, builders etc. Please pass our information to others as you see fit.    Please give us a chance to show you what using us as a marketing tool, will do for your business   We give  free present...
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By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
                                                                                 It was early morning. Still early enough for the anxious homeowners  to deal with an unexpected blanket of snow on this April morning the Appraiser had scheduled his visit. The Appraiser was due  to arrive within the hour. According to the Department of Labor, Appraisers of real estate "estimate the value of real property for a variety of purposes, such as to assess property tax, to determine a sales price, or to determine the amount of a mortgage that might be granted on a property. "   Alert to the importance of this event, and that the Appraiser would be confirming the highest and best use of their property, the couple began to scurry around. The wife cleared a path from the driveway to the door and aske...
Comments 26
By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779, CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
( REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK )
When it comes to being an Eco-Star every home can shine...even an old "castle"... Simple  changes at home can add up to real benefits for your family, neighborhood and the world.  Here's an ever-expanding list of  things you can do to retrofit or GreenUP an older home  that Sharon Simms  over at the ECO-All-Stars Group  started . Steve Dalton added to it, and that's how the "seed" that Sharon planted began to "sprout".  Soon, John Cilladi, REALTOR, EcoBroker, e-PRO  told us about a  fluorescent light bulb he has had since 1994 that is still going strong after 13 years.  WOW! Is that amazing, or what?? OK y'all! I'm liking this conversation.  It's Spring! And I got to thinking "Spring Cleaning" ...and recycling. Did you know that according to the National Institutes of Health we generate...
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There was a meeting of concerned citizens of Fairview, North Carolina last Saturday, March  24th to discuss a variety of issues concerning sustainability and the fast paced development that is occurring in the community. The main issues that the group addressed were:Rising property taxes as home and land are assessed at greater and greater values as new developments are completed. Having people forced to sell their homes because of increased taxes  was a major concern.The lack of planning regarding commercial development along Charlotte Highway also known as Route 74A. Group members hope to be able to influence how development occurs along this transportation corridor, attempting to keep as much of the rural charm and character of Fairview community intact as possible. The group decided...
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
Creston is, in my opinion, one of the best conservation subdivisions in Western North Carolina. It encompasses about 1,100 acres and only has 135 homesites. It is located only about 15 minutes south of Black Mountain on a beautiful mountain.  Over half of this property has been placed in a conservation easement with Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina. A large part of Creston also borders on a Pisagh National Forest.A preview of some of the other wonderful features that Creston offers include mountain vistas from all sites, hiking trails to creeks and waterfalls, a Community Center located at the top of the mountain with breathtaking views, underground utilities and services. Sites start at $150,000 and range up to over $500,000. I visited Creston a couple of weeks ago with clients ...
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
The small town of Black Mountain is located approximately 15 miles east of Asheville in Western North Carolina. The community name is due to its location,  being nestled in the front range of the Black Mountains, which are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range.  These are the highest mountains in the Eastern United States with Mount Mitchell topping out at 6,684 feet. The population of Black Mountain is approximately 12,000 with many of the community members living close to the quaint downtown area. There are a variety of  arts and crafts galleries, antique shops, bookstores and furniture stores along with a hiking and mountain supply shop. The town also features some great restaurants including vegetarian, a natural food store, and some great coffee shops.  There is a vibrant sense of...
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
Montreat,  North Carolina is a small little community of 630 located nesteled into the mountains about 14 miles east of Asheville. This is a quiet and serene community that was originally founded as a spiritual retreat. As the towns website indicates, there is no commercial development in the town and the streets are narrow and winding actually encouraging people to leave their cars behind and spend some time walking the trails and enjoying the beautiful environment and abundant nature that encapsulates this enchanting town. This is a highly desirable community to live in and homes rarely stay on the market a long time. As of March 21, 2007 there were only three homes listed, with one already asking for backups. If you take a tour of the area it is not hard to see and feel why so many p...
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
Dr. Lucius B. Morse, one of the brothers who bought Chimney Rock park had the idea to dam up the Broad River and create a Lake Lure as a resort destination for families.  The dam was completed in September 1926, forming the lake which was named Lake Lure by Dr. Morse's wife, Elizabeth Parkenson. Lake Lure is about 26 miles southeast of Asheville. The town of Lake Lure was soon incorporated after this in 1927. The 720 acre lake is an extremely popular tourist destination. There has been a great increase in sales for both vacation homes and full time residences over the past three years.   
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
There really is a bat cave in the small community of Bat Cave located in Western North Carolina. The cave is owned by The Nature Conservancy and a private landowner and is accessible only through a field trip program that operates from June through early August. In order to protect the bats of this cave and their fragile ecosystem, the cave is not open to the general public. The main chamber is 300 feet long and approximately 85 feet high. Fissure caves are formed by rock splits, boulder movements, and other motions of the earth, while most other caves are formed by water dissolving and abrading rock. Bat Cave lies within Hickory Nut Gorge, a beautiful gorge formed by the Broad River as it cascades it way down to Lake Lure over 1200 ft in less than three miles. This small community is l...
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
  The state of North Carolina agreed to by Chimney Rock Park or approximately 24 million dollars in February. The 1000 park has been operated by  the Morse family since the early 1930's. The history of ChimneyRock is colorful  and many community members were concerned about the parks future when the family put the park up for sale last year, listing it with Sotheby's. The park has wonderful trails ranging from a easy hike to Chimney Rock Falls to strenuous paths leading up to the top of the mountain. Real estate sales in this area have been strong with this most likely continuing now that the state has decided to purchase the park.   Chimney Rock is located about 25 miles southeast of Asheville at the end of the Hickory Nut Gorge where the Broad River empties into Lake Lure.
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By Bill Westel, ECO
(Eco-Steward Realty)
  I considered a number of topics to write about for this contest but finally decided to take a look at the history of the Green/ Environmental Movement and found some interesting historical facts and figures. So here we go on a journey down the Green Memory Lane .... I found the history of the Green/Environmental really dates back around 270 years ago when 363 members of the Bishnois, caste in India gave their lives in order to prevent trees being cut to provide timber for a kings fort.   The story basically goes that when the kings men came to cut the timber, one member of the group rushed out and hugged the tree and said cut me first if you are going to cut this tree. The kings men did just that. When the community saw what happened 362 other individuals stepped up and hugged the tre...
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I went to a Sustainable Communities workshop  last week and heard some folks talk from the Western North Carolina Green Building Council . There was a lot of good information presented but the one fact that really stood out the most was this: There is a lot of improper design, construction and installation that goes on in new homes that nobody ever really addresses. Just having the building contractor and subs installing everything correctly really goes a long way toward making your house green, at least in the sense of energy efficiency. Take the heating/air conditioning, insulation, and duct systems for example. They tend to be ignored during building design and it is the installing contractor who has to decide  where to put all the ducts and how to insulate them. The basic message i...
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