IRS Info on The First Time Home Buyer and/or Existing  Owners Tax Credit:We have been having clients asking us, in particular, whether or not they qualify for the Existing Home Owners Tax Credit from their new home purchases in 2009.  We have told them of course to check with their tax professional.  But, I was curious in some cases and started searching through the Internal Revenue Service Website to see what I could find for them to take along to their tax preparers.  Here is an IRS source that I think helps to answer many questions on the tax credit and how it can be applied.In the Hendersonville area we have numerous and very nice 55 Plus Communities of manufactured housing on deeded and leased lots.  These manufactured home purchasers and sellers have asked if they could utilize th... 02/27/2010

If you are thinking about buying a home and are still on the fence, you better get moving. The Deadline for The Home Tax Credit is Drawing Near.The deadline for getting a complete and signed offer is April 30th, 2010, only eight weeks away. The deadline for closing is June 30th, 2010. I would advise getting an offer in much sooner than that.Things happen... It used to be that you could close in as little as 45 days. In some case you may still be able to do that. But we are seeing time frames stretch further and further apart these days. You really need to allow more like 90 days, as a 'just in case' scenario. That means getting an offer in about 4 weeks before the offer deadline. I would say that this is definitely THE best time to buy. Interest rates are still low, home values have dro... 02/27/2010

Cabin fever has affected almost everyone I have come in contact.  We’re tired of being limited to what activities we can due because of winter. I want to dig in the dirt, smell the flowers and sip ice tea in my favorite chair on my screened-in porch.  So I ask you to please spread spring here in the rain.  Share with me your favorite “spring thing” you’d like to do and maybe Mother Nature will give us a break. This picture is from my flower garden.  I can't wait to dig in the dirt again.   02/27/2010

Since 2004 I have tried to discover what I'd love to do most in real estate.  Would my niche be first time home buyers? Gated Communities?  I have had the privilege of helping a wide variety of buyers and sellers needs. But what would make me, well me? To my surprise I stumbled into property restoration (that's a fancy word for taking the ug out of ugly).  I'm blessed with construction knowledge from my father who hired me "under the table" at the age of 12.  My job was to clean and paint neglected properties. My father became the #1 listing agent in Tampa Florida with Better Homes and Gardens in the 80's and was a multi-million dollar producer. One of my recent listing appointments was a neglected property.  The seller needed a real estate professional that had the knowledge and resour... 02/25/2010

Hendersonville NC and Hubby With Visions and Yearning For Spring!  Yesterday was a gorgeous Carolina blue sky day with temps up to 60 degrees.  You couldn't help but think of spring, warmth, rain and NOT snow!  Many areas of North Carolina (as well as other parts of the country) have experienced an unusally severe winter -- putting it mildly.Marvin made a trip to Walmarts to pick up a few grocery items for me for dinner and while there he spotted and purchased onion sets and couldn't resist this sign of spring and we love spring onions.Today it's not sunshiny but misting and dreary,  But, its NOT snowing and the temp is above freezing!Looking into the woods the snow is gone.  But in one his planting spots it looks like planting will be delayed awhile until this hard as a rock snowpile w... 02/22/2010

Hendersonville NC and Revival of A Chipmonk!  My hubby found this little fellow in our yard and just couldn't believe he/she met his end.  So, he picked him or her up (we didn't ascertain which!) and wanted to see if we could revive it.  There was no sign of blood or injury, so, we thought we'd give it a go.Apparently the cold or something just didn't agree with this little chipmonk and it appeared to be in deep hibernation -- or worse!Since we have 2 smaller species of dogs, but unbelievably energetic creatures, we had to keep them separate during the attempt at resuscitation of our native Hendersonville chipmonk.I went and found the poor creature a shoe box to repose in while the attempt at reviving was in process.  We added some soft padding and sustenance.We wanted to give the litt... 02/21/2010

It is another Spring Day In Hendersonville NC and I am really ready for it. It is already warm outside, and today is supposed to beat yesterday in getting warm. We saw at least 50's yesterday and today should be in the 60's easily. I was sitting on my porch sorting though the bulbs and seeds i got yesterday. I stopped in at the Hendersonville Garden Store on Highway 25 North, just across from the intersection of Highway 191. They were having a sale on bulbs- half price! I had just stopped in to get some lettuce and spinich seeds. But half off of crocus, tulip and daffodil bulbs very definately caught my eye. So I couldn't resist.This was my first visit to this store, and I had been wanting to come here for a long time. So today was perfect. And I was so pleasantly surprised. They have t... 02/21/2010

    I decided to be brave and try the bird feeders again. I really miss my birds and after the bear visit last fall, had been nervous about trying it again. So I put them out this morning to see. It is a beautiful day here in the mountains. Feels easily like 50's. I pruned my cherry trees and an old peach tree. Now I am getting ready to leave in search of deeds for lettuce, spinach and radishes. I want to start my salad garden early this year. I hope you are having a great and sunny day as well. 02/20/2010

Dunroy on Rutledge has 49 properties, each about one acre, with beautifully constructed homes by Joe Crowell. Joe has the experience of building over 200 homes since 1975. Currently there are 19 completed homes. There are 57 acres of meadows, creeks and mountains,  green space preserved around these Luxury Homes. Woods and beautifully maintained lawns make this a gorgeous Mountain Community, great for walks with the dog, or to meet your neighbors. And there are plenty of long range views from various spots within the community.You can see a complete list of all of the homes currently available in Dunroy on Rutledge.There are 5 homes listed right now, ranging from $399,000 to $749,900. There are still a few lots available as well, if you prefer to build your custom homes.  See all 17 Lot... 02/18/2010

Join the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 from 8:30 to 10am at their headquarters (204 Kanuga Road) for their February Business Booster Breakfast in Hendersonville.  In an effort to help small businesses in the Western North Carolina region keep up in a down economy, the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce will be providing this "Make More Money by Staying Motivated (and how to do it in the current economy)" seminar.  This is just one in a series of min-seminars the Chamber will be hosting.  The cost is only $10.  You will be taught how to stay positive, how to keep your employees happy and more by business coach Pamela Bruner.  Please call the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce to RSVP at 828-692-1413.  Hope to see you at the Business Booster Brea... 02/18/2010

The guy in the picture is my hubby waiting for me to take this picture before we try out this new to Hendersonville establishment.  We had read in our local newspaper, Times-News, that Firehouse Subs had opened a new shop on Spartanburg Highway.  We had never heard of Firehouse Subs before but now I gather they have quite a following and in our area they have a restaurant in Asheville on Tunnel Road with plans to open more in the area.We arrived at 11 AM before the usual lunch time crowd and yet their were already folks making an appearance besides just us!  I was hoping to get there early enough to be able to converse with the personnel but business was already in full swing status and I didn't want to intrude.Marvin (hubby) is a lover of chili so he ordered chili and a meatball sub.  ... 02/16/2010

I love my kitchen window.  I have a chipmunk that comes to visit and dine from our many bird feeders.  I was surprised to see that one day the chipmunk appeared to be having a conversation with my lawn ornament.  I can just imagine all the captions that could accompany this photo.  Would you like to add your own?       02/14/2010

More Hendersonville Business's Are Saying Goodbye.  3 dry cleaning establishments are having to close their doors due to the economy which has created a lack of business.Carolina Cleaners with 2 locations has been in business over 25 years.  They were located in downtown Hendersonville and also had a shop in the Etowah Shopping Center.  The owner was hopeful she could keep the business going but the bottom fell out in the current economy and she couldn't get a loan to refinance the business through these tough times.Four Seasons Dry Cleaners and Laundromat has a sign on the door stating a February 12 closing.  Customers have until then to pick up anything at the cleaners.  All items left will be donated to charity.It's sad to see business's having to go out of business as our economy co... 02/11/2010

Hendersonville and Western NC Regional MLS January Market ReportThese numbers are provided by the 4 County Western NC Regional MLS system and representhome sales in Buncombe (Asheville Area), Haywood, Henderson (Hendersonville Area) andTransylvania (Brevard Area)  counties 2008 December ResidentialStatistics       2009 December ResidentialStatistics (Adjusted 02/10)                   Single-Family Homes Sold   319   Single-Family Homes Sold   399 Average Days on Market   157   Average Days on Market   173 Average Selling Price   $249,810   Average Selling Price   $263,798 Month End Inventory   7,722   Month End Inventory   7,477 Average List Price   $266,011   Average List Price   $286,868 % Difference Sale to List   93.9%   % Difference Sale to List   92.0%               2009 January R... 02/11/2010

Asheville NC WNC Nature Center and Red Wolf Program.  On Friday, Feruary 5 there was an article in our local paper about an expert who would be giving a talk on his efforts to keep the red wolf species from becoming extinct.I wasn't aware that our Western NC Nature Center in Asheville was participating in the program.  The WNC Nature Center is one of 40 red wolf captive breeding sites nationwide.Only approximately 100 to 120 red wolves live in the wild and call northeastern North Carolina home.  According to the article these are the world's only existing wild population of red wolves.In May 2009, Rufus and Angel, a pair of red wolves on loan to the WNC Nature Center had a pup names Mayo who will live at the nature center and be part of the captive breeding pool of red wolves.As adults... 02/10/2010

The City of Hendersonville just posted a new item of interest for all City Residences. They are partnering with the National League of Cities (NLC) to provide discount cards administered by CVS Pharmacy. Use of the card will give you an average of 20% discount off of the retail cost of the medications you need. Savings may vary between drugs and pharmacies, but if you have no medication coverage, this will help a lot. You can go to the City of Hendersonville website and read more about it. You can check the website for CVS Caremark for a list of participating pharmacies and find FAQ's about the program. You will be able to print a card for yourself right there on line. If you are not in our area but want to see if your city is participating in this program, check with this website for o... 02/08/2010

We are having one of the worst ice storms I have seen here in my 5 years as a residence of Henderson County. You can see from the Accu-Weather Report that it is not looking good. We have had every combination of weather you can imagine since thursday around 2:30 PM. It has gone from rain to sleet to snow and then to rain and back again. Moisture has come down non-stop since then, slowing sometime overnight, But it is supposed to stay like this for a while with a rapid freeze warning for the next 6 hours. Here is what I am seeing from my front door.                                                     Trees and limbs have fallen all around my home. Even though I am lucky enough to have electric so far, I am very concerned about trees coming down on my house. I can hear them falling in the... 02/06/2010

Health Reform: Henderson County, Hendersonville NC Offers a Novel Idea currently being tested and practiced as a possible alternative health care option.The new Pardee Flat Rock Family Health Center has been trying out this approach to health care which utilizes email appointments, email consultations, group visits, phone consultations, etc.Dr. Steven Crane, the Assistant Division Director of Mountain Area Helth Education Center began taking patients in November.Dr. Crane rents space at a competitive rate at the Free Client located on Case Street off Upward Road at Spartanburg Highway and they currently are accepting new patients.You don't call to make appointments but go online to do so.  They accept medicare and Medicaid patients and also have pay as you go for uninsured patients -- a... 02/04/2010

It seems that more and more businesses are going "green" nowadays.  Jongo Java is a new green coffeehouse and juice bar that recently opened up in Hendersonville, NC.  Located at 117 South Main Street in downtown Hendersonville, Jongo Java owner Jamie Tanner believes in an environmentally responsible business design.  She uses real silverware, ceramic plates and compostable cups.  Since the silverware and plates are reusable and the disposable cups can be composted down, they will not contribute to the already overburdened landfills.  Regulars are encouraged to bring in their favorite mug to leave at the shop for future visits.  There's even a special shelf for these "favorites".  Tanner also buys bread from the local Underground Bakery and shares in recyling with the Never Blue restaur... 02/04/2010

Current existing problems for downtown merchants in this lousy economy.  Things weren't quite as bad back in the Spring but without any bright spots to look ahead to for awhile landlords as well as merchants are feeling the hurt!  More and more businesses are having to leave their downtown places of business seeking cheaper rents or simply closing their business down.  Obviously this creates issues for the landlords as well.Some of the landlords are trying to work with merchants and adjust rents but other landlords have raised rents!The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce is introducing programs to assist area merchants in managing inventory and coping in the current down economy.I love and really enjoy our downtown with its ambiance, beauty and it radiates friendliness.Hope lives eter... 01/31/2010