LAND BUYS with an eye to the future has been on the mind of our clients... especially the 1031 Like-Kind Exchange folks.  Even though the hunt for “the perfect acreage” moves forward 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 seems to be a little more intense in the summer.  Possibly, that’s because the fresh cool air is particularly welcoming.   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. But WHERE?  One of the most promising places for investing in Land is Madison County, North Carolina.   Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of ... 07/02/2017

Horses Love to Roll in the Mud Horse Property for Sale, Mud, Mud, & More Mud, is probably not the best headline for your horse property listing.  Horses have a love-hate relationship with mud.  They relish in a good mud roll, caking their coats with the thick goop.  On the other hand, standing in or walking in mud is something that horses generally try to avoid and for good reasons.  Muddy conditions expose horses’ hooves and legs to bacterial infection, which in turn causes them to expend additional energy and utilize more feed and water.    Horse People Hate Mud Though horses have a love-hate relationship with mud, their people have a clear disdain.  Because of shorter days and inclement weather, riding time is reduced around my place in the winter. Winter is not the most enjoyable ti... 06/18/2014

Amazing home with farm and mountain views. Two drives and only 3 steps up to the main level! This home boasts beautiful floors, wrap around deck and tons of storage. Unfinished basement is heated AND cooled! Enjoy a fire pit in the side yard or relax on the covered deck. Either way, this home is a winner! Full Details http://www.mattandmollysellasheville.com/listing/mlsid/553/propertyid/546199/syndicated/1/cgltguid/B33A6744-C00C-4269-B272-BCE4DB8004E4/?ts=crg Click on photo to see more photos! Listing Courtesy of Matt Tavener, Keller Williams Professionals 08/29/2013

The epitome of luxury mtn living, this gorgeous home boasts more than just elegant cabin living. With its year round views and rippling creeks, the added bonus of having gorgeous privacy makes this a dream come true! Watch a family of deer wander by your door as you cozy up to the wood stove in winter or enjoy the vast summer nighttime sky and gaze at stars from one of your many outdoor decks or patios! All this within 30 minutes of DT A-Ville Full Details http://www.mattandmollysellasheville.com/listing/mlsid/553/propertyid/533549/syndicated/1/cgltguid/6A3BCB11-5DB7-415D-8EBE-8C97A73B9A04/?ts=crg Listing Courtesy of The Matt & Molly Team, Keller Williams Professionals 03/15/2013

  Mars Hill, NC (23  minutes from Asheville) is a place to celebrate-both LAND for sale –Mars Hill hosts Holiday Market-Starting November 17  10am until 3 pm  Marshall’s  Holiday Market opens at  Fiddlestix (lower level- Here’s what you can find: cool weather vegetables, meat, eggs, goat milk and cheese, local honey and molasses, fresh baked goods and homemade candies, jams, salsa, herb blends and vinegars. Oh yes- don’t forget fresh roasted coffee. MEET a few of the vendors~ Angel Ridge Farm - produce is grown without use of petrochemical-derived fertilizers or pesticides. Angel Ridge raises pygmy and pygora goats, and offers handspun yarns and other fiber products throughout the year.  www.angelridgefarm.com Bee Tree Farm and Vineyard -  pestos and Italian tomato sauces, preserves, co... 11/10/2012

There is challenge enough keeping up with the house you live in, but what about the house you or your family might have grown up in? Sometimes when I travel the roads of Western North Carolina and I see something like this “House on the Hill” on US 209 on the way to Hot Springs, I have to wonder about the story behind it. Don’t you wonder if maybe someone inherited the property and didn’t have the funds to either fix it up or tear it down? Or maybe it wasn't in their heart to tear it down.  From a distance, it doesn't appear dangerous and maybe they've at least stabilized it from further decay. This beautiful homestead was someone’s pride and joy. I can just imagine the sense of accomplishment the owners felt whenever they approached the house or entertained visitors. It seems to be a ... 02/28/2012

My house is getting listed on the MLS. I can stage my house but should I  written by Leslie Godbold of Asheville Stagers and Redesign Of course you can stage your own house! But should you? Or would the wise choice be to get input from an experienced staging professional. A consultation with an experienced local stager will bring the knowledge and skills, acquired from analyzing many local properties in the current market. My clients have often commented on the peice of mind our services provided while the home owners staged their house! I have personally analzed and gave recommendations to hundreds of home owners. I can attest to the wonderful result possible when talented home owners stage with input  from a professional home stager!  One aspect to keep in mind... (Photo courtesy of m... 02/08/2012

Here’s the kind of neighborhood we CAN talk about! This was taken on the shores of the Spring Creek in Hot Springs, NC. These little neighborhoods exist as part of our eco-system and when you take the time to really look at them are quite beautiful. There were several clusters adhered to the fallen timber all along the creek. The environment there must be just perfect.     01/28/2012

  Well, like a lot of ActiveRainers I was up too late last night searching for a replacement to Picnik. So far, none compare to the ease of use nor features. It wouldn’t surprise me though if an enterprising group of techies decide to fill the void that will be left when the ants finish demolishing the Picnik site.  In the meantime, I'll make good use of the site while I still can. The major things that are missing from the other sites (if any of the masters of the sites are reading this) are the photo license stickers and the incredible array of frames. Lots of the other sites also seem to need to be downloaded to the computer. If I’m going to download to the computer, I’d just as soon purchase software from a known and reputable company. On a happier note…the very cool Victorian hous... 01/22/2012

Home on the Land- Asheville Real Estate Journal - Land & Sustainability SeriesThe Asheville homes on the land series included the  idea of  sustainability—preserving  farmlands and mountain landscapes— creating a way of life that could include orchards and vegetable gardens  and possibly even working to restore the American Chestnut Tree. I included a  farm tour slideshow  of land and barns I photographed . I included lots of photos of beautiful, beautiful acreages. But just now it occurred to me that you might like to take a closer look at farms and farms/lands you actually can visit whether you already live in the Asheville area, or are relocating here.   So, courtesy of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project,  here is a link that will take you to over 200 farms you can visit... 01/14/2012

We may not like it but we always need to be prepared to expect the unexpected. In real estate we should know that the unexpected can crop up at any point in a relationship or transaction and the only thing that makes sense is to dust off quickly, glean whatever lessons can be learned, improve your performance and move on to take care of the other folks you've been juggling at the same time.  A bad investment for your client is also bad for you. If you're lucky that the endeavor was sincere but unexpected components cropped up, all you and your client can do is put a higher value on those components and avoid them the next time. Oh yeah, and...Realtor, tighten your belt. Ian Anderson, leader of Jethro Tull was always an “expect the unexpected” performer. Peel back the layers of many of ... 01/08/2012

Not So Speechless Sundae - Some More Thoughts from Hot Springs, NC   It’s a very small world sometimes. I had dinner with a friend who bought her house through us last year. One of her guests lives in Charlotte but travels frequently in Western North Carolina. The topic of Hot Springs, NC came up and turns out he was very familiar with the Victorian house we recently put under contract. - friends of his had tried to purchase the house at one time!  This body of water that I've been so fascinated with the last week, Spring Creek, seems to be a real connection point with so many people. 　 I have never seen a river that I could not love. Moving water…has a fascinating vitality. It has power and grace and associations. It has a thousand colors and a thousand shapes, yet it follows laws so ... 01/08/2012

If you are a Realtor, your whole day is often spent in review. When I was out on the banks of Spring Creek in Hot Springs, NC the other day it was a great opportunity to review a lot of things in my head. There are so many things to put in perspective and look at both close up and from a distance. We are involved in the buyers’ side of a transaction right now and that’s where my head was.   With buyers we start out looking close up during the first substantive dialog with the people we will be working so closely with. Not only do we need to make sure the chemistry is there to sustain what might be a long term relationship, we need to be sure the buyers are as sincere as we are. The first real clue to their level of commitment happens during the Agency Disclosure review, in our case “Wo... 01/07/2012

What do Realtors do during home inspections? It varies. We’re lucky that our Preferred Service Referral list contains only the best providers and yesterday (shhhh don’t tell anyone), the buyers had selected one of my very favorite home inspectors. We had a houseful at the Hot Springs, NC property yesterday… two buyers, pest inspector, two chimney sweeps, me and the home inspector. The house is way cool, turn of last century Victorian on 4.6 acres right smack dab on Spring Creek. It’s a big house so the inspections took longer than usual but everything was going along very smoothly - until… Mrs. Buyer and I were upstairs near the attic stairs talking about the incredible vintage fireplaces in each room. The inspector in an alarmingly hushed voice called down from the attic and said, “Mo... 01/06/2012

One thing really positive about working in Real Estate is the traveling in local areas that you might never have had the opportunity to explore before. The people we’re working with now have set their sights and hearts on a very cool property in Hot Springs, NC. I’ve lived here for more than 25 years and pass the exit sign on Hwy 74 all the time. “Hot Springs”. Doesn’t the name make you want to explore it? Good thing these folks came into our lives, otherwise I might still have thought of Hot Springs as a name on a green and white sign. The terrain that accompanies 209 from Waynesville to Hot Springs varies every few miles from countryside urban to farmland and pastures to rugged and wild untamed mountainous beauty. There are a couple of “towns” along the way with intriguing names like... 01/04/2012

Interestingly enough, one former client shared a video with us today that had an uncanny resemblance to our activities today for another set of clients. Here's my tale of two clients. We are frenetically working on behalf of our clients to get all I’s dotted and T’s crossed during an all too swiftly fleeting 10 day Due Diligence period for a Fannie Mae purchase. Keeping in touch with the clients who are in two different parts of the world, lining up home inspectors, pest inspectors, chimney inspectors, closing attorneys AND trying to extract the information we need from the listing agent has been like juggling cats. Thank goodness for the magic of the internet to keep us connected. In the middle of the day, we heard the ding from the computer that signaled a new email had just arrived.... 01/03/2012

It takes some practice to not watch where you are walking, but if you get the hang of it you’ll probably see things you might have otherwise missed! Hot Springs, NC is a place I’ve wanted to check out ever since I moved here but have never made the time. Today, I drove out there to meet a client who has made an offer on a property there. While wandering the grounds I looked up to see the coolest weather vane on the top of the barn. If you’ve been following my blog over the last couple of weeks, you’ll understand why I was so taken with the whimsy of this particular weather vane. There’s just something about a black cat and if I’d been watching where I was walking, I’d have missed this one.   Happy New Year everyone! 01/01/2012

A Place That Takes Your Hand Asheville Real Estate Journal   The retired firefighter was less than precise when telling me the features of the acreage he envisioned as we embarked on the first leg of the journey to find it.... . We were on the hunt for the signature farmland he described as..."nice, fresh air, and with a view" and " in the mountains not too far from Asheville NC." That he told me, and asked, " How will I  know it when I see it?"   So I shared a line from John Crowley’s book, Little Big . It speaks of bravery, a trait for which he is known. It paints ( in lyrical prose I have taken the liberty of typing as verse)  a cameo of the Homeplace one "feels" ...one, that, when you reach it, simply takes your hand ...  “…on brave luminous morningswalking expectant and watchful,wa... 09/13/2011

Asheville Real Estate Journal  An eco-minded client once asked me, "Why would I choose to buy acreage?" Good question! "Land  has intrinsic value," I answered. A lengthy discussion of the financial benefits of the environmentally-sensitive land purchase, and the delights of eco-friendly land planning and use followed. Even though I love the land, my response was not biased.  Land is synonymous with natural, social, and economic capital. In terms of the law of supply and demand, think of it, there is only so muchland. Land in our bioregion is appreciating rapidly. And whether it is a large rural tract, or a single acre or two in town you fancy,prime acreages in the Asheville  area, more and more are becoming difficult to locate, especially when land use is a primary consideration.  Let's... 06/21/2011

Asheville Real Estate JournalBIG Acreages and Farmland - A "Safe" Investment? As a large acreage real estate brokers here in the Asheville , NC area, we are keen observers of the Land Market across the USA.  Recently we had a discussion about Lots and Land . We hypothesized that Land Buyers (in this case large acreages) might find attractive the idea of special lending program(s)...possibly in concert with conservation organizations... possibly as sustainable agriculture grants ... Possibly a lease to buy program with a Farm Stewardship organization... .  Taking that discussion one step further-  in terms of a "safe" investment-  how does the  large acreage and/or farmland real estate market look as compared to Lots in developments (where in a number of cases once very expensive lots ha... 06/11/2011