ASHEVILLE  EVENTS and SEASON'S GREENingsON-GOING NATURE-LOVERS' OPP- in Asheville- Down at the RiverEvery Wednesday Because The French Broad River is used so frequently for swimming and recreation it's important to identify and then eliminate sources of bacterial impairment. So, the French Broad Riverkeeper invites you to help out by sampling water in the French Broad watershed for bacterial pollution. Contact WNCA Volunteer Coordinator Cynthia Camilleri Cynthia@WNCA.org.  December 4th - Asheville's  Sierra Club' invites you to the holiday party and recognition awards at the Unitarian Congregation in Asheville. Please bring a potluck dish to share and a book to swap. All are warmly invited.Contact  judymattox@sbcglobal.net; 828-683-2176.December 6th - Blue Ridge Biofuels is having a Fac... 11/26/2013

> FOR ACTIVE RAIN COLLEAGUES- A THANK YOU I was interviewed (briefly) the other day and gave a plug for us at Active Rain. In this week of Thanksgiving—I am thankful for all of you and for our connections over the past many years! From: Boomer Authority™ Sent: Monday, November 25, 2013 7:22 AMSubject: Boomer Authority Update   Good Morning, Happy Thanksgiving week ! This week’s featured member is janeAnne Narrin.  janeAnne is a strong advocate of Post-50-People empowerment and Lifelong Homes. She is the founder of The Sage Companion Project, www.WhiteHair365.com  an  educational and social enterprise oriented toward individual empowerment for Post-50-People.  She is also the founder of a publishing "cottage" known for its public relations initiatives for Indie authors.In addition, janeA... 11/24/2013

  Looking for Land in All the Right Places- That is romancing pure possibility. And that is what  this land specialist entertains each time I go out in the mountains and valleys surrounding Asheville, NC. Finding the "right" acreage takes time--as does finding the "right" life's partner. I'm thinking of the case of one of my favorite land-buying clients who had some difficulty in doing that.  Yes…he envisioned a small farm and a green-built home and a state-of-the-art barn to match…but with enough level land for his gardens. (Guess what? It is not easy to find in the mountains around Asheville.)   We were both scratching our heads when it occurred to me to share one of my favorite passages from John Crowley’s book, Little Big. " These few lines have always seemed to shed some light on h... 11/23/2013

  Convenient West Asheville Home! This cozy property is located just North of Patton Avenue in the Evelyn Acres subdivision. This great location gives you easy access to I-40 or Downtown Asheville. With 3 beds and 2 baths you'll find room for everyone! The 2 car garage and full basement offer plenty of storage space or room for a studio/workshop. You must see this home. Call Asheville Holistic Realty at 828.210.1592 for a showing today! For more details on this property and others like it, visit: http://www.ashevillehomelistings.com/listing/mlsid/553/propertyid/551932/ 11/17/2013

This morning I woke up thinking about the Renaissance Masquerade Ball that I went to a couple of weeks ago with my friend Laurey-Faye Long (also my favorite potter ever!). The Ball was a fundraiser to build a permanent theater for Asheville's "Montford Park Players", longest running theater group performing live Shakespeare in the Park for almost 40 years.     We had a great time. Fabulous food, drink, entertainment and dancing. Unabashed, crazy dancing probably enhanced by the fact that everyone was masked. The event put me in mind of the MTV video Safety Dance by Men Without Hats. Free spirited, lively and fun...much like our evening.   The Montford Park Players in Asheville will be performing Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" in December and Leslie, Laurey-Faye and I are all set to... 11/17/2013

  Asheville Real Estate Journal I had to smile as I read a November, 2013 report from NAR entitled, “REALTORS® Report Americans Prefer to Live in Mixed-Use, Walkable Communities”-- You know, here in Asheville, we have been saying this for at least a decade…And I am excited about that! In fact, looking back over the past number of years, you would see that expressed in any number of posts I've written on walkable communities  here in Asheville. Here are interesting notes about how everyone can benefit (think of the benefit, for example for those people who desire to "age-in-place" in a lifelong home)  ) when investing  in walkable communities—as per: Asheville Walkable Neighborhoods and Smart Growth Favorite Asheville Walkable Neighborhoods (series)   Does this mean sustainable excellenc... 11/14/2013

      Are you and/or your family and friends ready to  discover how to envision and plan a LIFELONG HOME?   Here in Asheville, our team has been working to develop creative solutions for independent living -- regardless of age or physical ability as you may see in the many pages of this blog. We love the idea of small homes on shared acreages, such as the one you see here. If you are attracted to community garden…friendly neighbors, and living-independent by incorporating universal design elements, we'd love to sit down for a chat with you.  We are here to  talk with clients about small spaces, universal design, home automation and more. You have probably heard the term.*” aging-in-place”—or the “lifelong home”-- Let's have a conversation to set in motion a 3-Step ACTION PLAN for creati... 11/13/2013

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Open house to focus on weather impact strategies      Open house to focus on weather impact strategies   On Nov. 20, the public is invited to an open house to learn more about the impacts and responses to this summer’s rainfall, and to discuss what the area can expect from future weather events. The open house, presented by the City of Asheville and UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC), will take place at NEMAC’s 116 Grove Arcade location in downtown Asheville.   The summer of 2013 saw record rainfall in and around Asheville, with storms dumping nearly 12 inches of rain in July alone. That volume of rainfall in such a short period of time presented new challenges to the City of Asheville as Public Works officials responded... 11/11/2013

  This Asheville, NC home is amazing!  Just look at how well the home flows from the time you walk into the door!  The Matt & Molly Team would love to tell you more!  Give us a call or email us today! 11/07/2013

This is the true pleasure of mountain living! Whether taking in the gorgeous mountain views from your screened porch or enjoying a crisp night at your private fire pit, this house is sure to invite you to experience all that nature has to offer. Combine this natural beauty with a well appointed home that has upgrades galore including geo-thermal heating and cooling, granite counter tops and so much more, and this might just be the perfect home! Full Details http://www.mattandmollysellasheville.com/listing/mlsid/553/propertyid/551445/syndicated/1/cgltguid/59E13E68-140F-4E05-8AE3-B300B084F74E/?ts=crg Click on photo to see more photos! Listing Courtesy of The Matt & Molly Team, Keller Williams Professionals 11/07/2013

Before real estate, we had a retail business in Dillsboro, NC called Lighten Up! We saw many stray cats in Dillsboro and decided to trap, neuter and release. We bought a humane trap and in pretty short order trapped a feral female, adult male, junior male and two male kittens.    We're fortunate in western North Carolina that there is a low cost spay/neuter clinic in Asheville called Humane Alliance, less than an hour away. After a lot of hissing, scratching and attempted biting (from the cats....not us), we managed with a leather gauntlet to get the cats into individual carriers and took them to Asheville. After surgery, we kept the cats in large carriers while they recovered. Mama Cat was very wild and we could not get her to relax so we took her back to Dillsboro and released her. Sh... 11/05/2013

  Has Green REALLY Gone Mainstream? Good Question! I can tell you that here in Asheville, NC the answer is a definite YES.   Sustainable innovation:  smaller footprints, daylighting , snug building shells, Energy Star ®appliances, no/low VOC paints and adhesives, rainwater harvesting…and the going green list goes on with features that are touted as good for your health and pocketbook…and even the future of your grandkids. Is it just so much hype? Not according to home buyers in Asheville. Here, homes  showcase a distinct quality of style and common sense  stirring the imagination of REALTORS® and our clients alike.-Take, for example the graphic rendition you see here of a nearby green-built neighborhood. Eco-friendly beauties like these are preferred to traditional homes not only  here ... 11/04/2013

  No matter where you invest in LAND- it makes sense to ask the following questions. If you talk with me about LAND Asheville-Style- there are any number of other questions to ask , as well. And we will have a great time exploring those questions and the LAND in and around the mountains-- especially if you are a "boomerr" with a notion to build on a parcel such as that seen below. . By the way, if you were to ask me when is a great time to see the lay of the land in Asheville, it would be right about now.   10 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN INVESTING IN LAND 1. Has the land been surveyed?A proper survey is critical to any land purchase.  Ask for a copy of the land survey early in the process, and be sure it includes an exact identity of all lot corners and survey pin locations.  When you walk th... 10/31/2013

How to Buy a House Before Your Other House Sells In a buyer's market, the inventory of homes for sale can be astounding. Deciding on a home to buy is difficult enough, but what happens when you have one to sell beforehand? Many times, especially in a soft real estate market, a buyer may get into a situation where they find a new house before their current house sells. Acting as a buyer and a seller in separate transactions can be tricky business, especially if you need the equity from your current home to pay for the new home. Luckily there are some best practices that can help show you how to buy a house before your other house sells.  Consider a Bridge or Home Equity Loan. There are many financing options available when it comes to home buying, and bridge loans can be an easy way to f... 10/22/2013

While having tea and scones -- at EDNA'S in North Asheville -- late afternoon-- gorgeous autumn day,  with a "boomer" client, I was asked a Very Interesting Question: " WHAT exactly is 'aging-in-place'???"  "Oh," I replied,  Good Question!"  What is aging in place?AGING-IN-PLACE is a catch phrase used to describe "The ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level." It refers to a choice by those concerned  to remain in a lifelong home and independent for so long as possible.I confided that I like to use another term I concocted. " It  may feel more appealing, " I explained, " as it can be empowering."  That term is--   Aging-in- P A L A C E . "  ASHEVILLE is the perfect place to do just that!"Where to ... 10/20/2013

I've been writing a lot about sustainable excellence  -- at various ages, and  as a collaborative effort. One boomer woman (really any number of that Asheville "post-50-crowd") explained how much she  liked the idea of a caring and creative culture where home environments  can meet a positive lifestyle for Everybody.   So I'm busy these days researching,compiling and writing points of  interest for "aging-in-place" and a "HOW-TO" that focuses on lifelong homes.   So far,  the effort includes:      : HOW TO Decide in favor of a Lifelong Home    : HOW TO  Budget  for and make a Spending Plan    : HOW TO Talk & Set Priorities with Family and Friends    : HOW TO  Plan, Organize,Schedule & Implement for universal appeal. BUT FIRST- ENVISION POSSIBILITY   SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE... 10/14/2013

Like bright spaces and open floor plans? If so, this house is for YOU! Relax on the back deck or enjoy a movie or reading in the bright, open living room! Master bedroom on the main floor. Two bedrooms up stairs and another bedroom/office/entertainment room in the basement. Two car garage and more! Convenient to all things Asheville has to offer. Five minutes to downtown. Full Details http://www.mattandmollysellasheville.com/listing/mlsid/553/propertyid/548977/syndicated/1/cgltguid/E5774871-E373-4D96-A657-9FF1B7C5F041/?ts=crg Click on photo to see more photos! Listing Courtesy of The Matt & Molly Team, Keller Williams Professionals 10/10/2013

“...give yourself permission to change your world and others around you, in a positive way, with love and respect.”   ― Tasha Hoggatt I would dare say that most of us, at some point in our career, have experienced a client that gave us that not-so-great feeling.   You are working hard - making phone calls, lead generating, writing offers, etc - the phone rings, you see who is calling, and you ** want ** to let it go to voicemail.   You are out showing houses and your clients make comment after comment about "those types of people".  What do you do? The Matt & Molly Team was built on a foundation of treating people with dignity and respect.  We expect the same from our clients.  Over the years we have learned that it is ok to walk away from a potential business deal (no matter how big) i... 10/08/2013

One of the many reasons The Matt & Molly Team chooses to be a part of Keller Williams is the culture of caring.  This weekend our local office will be sponsoring a charity yard sale.  Agents and community members are donating their time and yard sale items in order to raise money for a variety of charities in the Asheville Area.   If you are near Asheville this Saturday (October 5th) come by the downtownKeller Williams office located at 86 Asheland Ave between 8am and 12pm to sell your items or buy some new-to-you ones! All proceeds go to local non-profits and the KW Agents Helping Agents fund.  We look forward to seeing you all there! 10/02/2013

The Bears of AshevilleThe other day, we asked Keith Booth of New Image Painting Service to stop by to ECOstain the deck. It was a clear day- early autumn-sunny and mild. We've been so appreciative of Keith's work - both exterior and interior- over the past ten years or so- We have learned to listen to his advice. Of course he told us NOT to step on the newly painted decking. And - of course- we didn't.    HOWEVER no one left a wet ECOstain  sign out for the Asheville Bears! So, when-  early this morning -my furry dog pal and I headed out for our walk, guess what impression we found... . Here's a photo of a footprint of one (we think) of the season's bear cubs.   She comes to play with the other cubs  on our small acreage. We respect the spaces between us.  We would never have guessed th... 10/01/2013