BIG Acreages and Farmland~  Create Your Legacy Asheville Real Estate Journal, August, 2015 As a large LANDS and acreage real estate brokers here in the Asheville , NC area, we are keen observers of the Land Market across the USA.- especially when it comes to land for conservation. We hypothesized that Land Buyers -of large acreages might  find attractive the idea of working 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, and is this the time to create your land legacy?  LAND, LARGE ACREAGES and Farmland Values Increasing Farmland val... 08/17/2015

Asheville Newsy NewsI am a dog lover:: Big ones, little ones.  Papillons. Great Danes. Goldens. Poodles. Beagles and Terriers, Hounds and Mutts like this one.  I take dog biscuits with me in my pocket, just in case. I carry dog goodies in my glove box. I do this in part in gratitude for lessons learned, and about to be learned. I support  Brother Wolf No-Kill Shelter Events Recently I noticed that, unlike the dog in the photo, human-folk tend to hold on to our "issues" with a firm grasp. Is it that we think that we cannot choose otherwise? Or maybe that we think we should try to be better than who we are? I wonder. (Still working on that.)  In the meantime, I’ve learned a lot from my own dog-friends.  DOGS “get” that life happens right now.  Why is that?  Possibly it is because they don... 07/25/2015

Duke Energy is proposing to build a new substation in Campobello, SC and run 140' high towering transmission lines that are as much as 1,000 feet apart through Buncombe County, Henderson County, and Polk County.You can access an interactive map to see where your property may be in relation to the planned routes at Duke Energy Foothills Project. There is a measuring tool that you can see how far the lines are from your property. You can also visit Duke Energy Western Carolinas Modernization Project for more information and access to online comments and forums to give comments and feedback. Possibly it is a good idea to learn more about this plan and to attend the public information meetings scheduled this week. Currently, there are several alternate routes being proposed and it doesn't m... 07/19/2015

Asheville Newsy-News :YOU and smart living spaces- IMAGINE a " green"-  an energy efficient , high performance home that gives you "staying power"- or temporary quarters as you build  on beautiful Asheville area acreage. Maybe something like the "greenbuilt" home you see below that we visited and photographed not long ago...(?) OR...  "greenbuilt" home in Asheville, N.C. How would that look to you? A lock ‘n leave a structure on land you are preserving in the mountains outside of Asheville,  as per this post I wrote back in 2008 ?   Have you ever thought of the possibiliy of turning a cargo container into a dwelling place ? Priced at about $60,000 cargo container homes might offer interesting solutions for land buyers .... YOu could, maybe, customize options - create a gorgeous chef's ,... 06/28/2015

    1031 Like Kind Exchange, An Asheville Downtown Condo and be a True Investment Find if and when you know a) what to look for and b) how to make it happen. That can take a special kind of “I.Q.” Here’s the scoop: The FEA and The Special QI  The real estate market in Asheville, N.C. is heating up- FAST! Investors in properties in the Asheville area, like the condo our clients are excited about in downtown Asheville is a prime example of this. (Watercolor is from a local artist.) Life is good in downtown Asheville where that "European: feeling is at your doorstep. Many people  like the 1031 Like-Kind Exchange option. It can work well for investors interested in creative retirement –( Post50 “boomers”) – if they utilize the professional services of a Qualified Intermediary ( QI ).  Here’... 06/14/2015

Beautiful days. Perfect weather. And a great time for land and investment buyers to be out and about in search of interesting acreages for 1031 like-kind exchange possibilities- or for mountain homes, family farms and legacies. That's why we have been scouting and offer (below) a quick sampling  of really sweet acreages (over 10 acre parcels) within a short drive (30 minutes or less)of Asheville. Take a peek at this chart. Dream Possible. Email me for details. Let me know what you think.... 05/27/2015

 Asheville Creative News: training artists on how to be public artists- RiverLink -a free seminar for artists interested in contracting with the City of Asheville A FREE SEMINAR on training artists on how to be public artists, increase and encourage response to the Asheville's  future calls for artists on future public projects is happening this week. This free training will highlight an actual call for artist process, general overview of public contracting basics, resources and how to connect.  You can join RiverLink and Brenda Mills tomorrow -- May 14 -- to find out how artists can become contractors for the city. RiverLink is pleased to offer these special two-hour interactive free information sessions at RiverLink's Warehouse Studios, 170 Lyman Street from 10 a.m. to 12. Brenda Mill... 05/12/2015

Asheville Real Estate Journal Coggins Farm Land Development and Plans “ Irreplaceable natural treasure, worthy of protection and deep stewardship.”  An opinion piece by Ian Booth appeared in The Asheville-Citizens Times and caught my eye. As a land broker at-heart concerned about worthy conservancy of historical lands, I noted that Will Hamilton of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, reported that only two percent of the landmass in western North Carolina is farmland. Booth wrote: “The proposed ‘new standard’ is actually a throwback to the old model of sprawl and habitat loss. As pointed out by noted economic development leader Becky Anderson in her presentation at last spring’s Four Futures for Mountain Farmland symposium at Warren Wilson College, a pristine historic famil... 05/04/2015

Asheville Real Estate JournalSMALL SPACES LARGE VIEWSCAPES  You may find the these graphics illustrating "small spaces"   of interest, especially if you are investing in LAND in our beautiful mountains AND are looking to simplify your life and living space. If the graphics appeal to you, could you see yourself living here over the long term? Is this a home for “aging in place”?  Take a  look at the interior and then ask yourself Is this a home for “aging in place”? SMALL SPACES LARGE VIEWSCAPES Possibly consider investing in LAND...on which to place such an abode. If you desire looking a  panoramic from north-northwest, west, south to east-southeast,  privacy, convenience and  southern exposure  a paved interior road and underground electric to top of the viewshed, you might (depending ... 04/29/2015

  ASHEVILLE Real Estate Journal Well, it’s “official”... within a couple years, the iconic 17-floor BB&T Building will be called the Vandre Nouveau Tower as Asheville's BB&T Building (downtown Asheville) repurposes itself as an "unique," "upper-upscale" hotel and condominium complex with 150 rooms.Will this change the skyline  of downtown Asheville?Asheville Downtown Skyline Reportedly, several architects are working on the exterior and interior of the building's final design. In a meeting at the Asheville Citizen-Times,  it certainly was reported that this hotel will be “unlike any other in Asheville." And there will be condos available with those indcredible mountain views we so appreciate. “No prices for the 35 condominiums have been set, but company executives say they have already ... 04/29/2015

Asheville has made news on WLOS-TV and the news report was based on my research of the market for over 20 years. This was the article and the video:   BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. -- Buncombe County has hit a record high for the average asking price for a home with an average of $536,000. The figure comes from Don Davies who runs real estate analysis firm Real Search. Davies said the figure tops that of every city in North Carolina including Charlotte and Raleigh."The town is crazy as far as real estate," Elise Okrend said, an artist, who moved to Asheville with her husband two years ago."We're looking for something in the $350,000 area," Okrend said. "If you don't put a bid on it within an hour it's gone." Okrend said she feels housing prices are a bit out of whack in Asheville when compared ... 04/21/2015

 aging-in-place (aka P A L A C E )  in Asheville Style Asheville Real Estate Journal  If YOU have been thinking about “quality of life” now that we are no longer spring chicks, here's some interesting information. It's our sustainability checklist. You may find it a helpful conversation -starter regardless of how old you are, but it could be an essential for  consideration by "boomers" older adults and intergenerational stakeholders who love the idea of "aging in P A L A C E ".   Daryl Rantis Architect -Example of Aging in P A L A C E  What follows is NOT a complete list, by any means- but it IS an invitation to join the conversation.....(especially if you or someone you know would be more comfortable as you turn 50,60,70,80+)... However, if you are wondering about the intersection of a... 04/20/2015

  Aging in Place: IS  this  “stay-put” choice a solution for you and your children?   Here in Asheville, a top retirement town, quality of life remains center stage. And one consideration pro sustainable excellence involves a decision-  whether to “downsize” possibly sell your home and rent, or opt for a phased-in assisted living choice. Money management may play a considerable role in your decision-making process. A cost analysis can be helpful. (See The Sage Companion Project’s Cost Analysis HERE )   Looking to the Future- LAND   Planned Money Management and Aging-in-Place : 6 Healthy Conversation Starters 1. Profit you may earn if you decide to sell. 2.Cost comparison-  costs higher, lower or the  just about the same. (Be sure to account for security deposits, association fees and ot... 04/01/2015

Asheville Real Estate Journal TODAY: 4 Ways to Take Advantage of ASHEVILLE Real Estate Insights (2) Out exploring: Use your own insight as part of buying, selling or investing in real estate— structuring the subtleties into real property transactions   A. Understand the topography, the geology, and the aesthetic. B. Ask good questions. Could the land under development be a conservation development?  What do the experts say?  C. Utilize your heart and our resources: Equinox Environmental for Baseline Documentation, Green-Friendly Development, Farmland Preservation, Greenways Planning , Native Plantings, Park Planning , Phase 1 Assessments, Private Lands, Sustainable Landscapes, Watershed Assessments, and  Wetlands Delineation. D. Ask local experts. They know the trends in the real estat... 03/30/2015

Asheville Real Estate Journal: 1031 TODAY: Take Advantage of ASHEVILLE Real Estate Insights (1)   Big Advantages for Asheville buyers, sellers and 1031 investors    can shown up for you when you do this: Combine your insights  with the (perhaps more)  obvious categorizing, comparing, and measuring involved in the very practical art of buying and selling property. Creating a home on the Land and the securing the Land itself  in the slopes of  Asheville’s beautiful  mountains is an art form.      "Feeling the Land"   It's all about feeling the land. It reminds  me of that moment when, as the early fog clears to reveal gorgeous mountain slopes, (see photo taken on a wintry morning)  you ask yourself this question: “What does my "instinct" tell me about this property?”  What would happen i... 03/24/2015

Are You Ready to See Your Asheville, N.C. LAND? (Part 1)Asheville Real Estate Journal   As “boomers” settle in to living long and well in Asheville and across the land,  active involvement in wellness points to the benefits of "go green" attitude. A PBS special recently underscored that idea: Dr. Christiane Northrup  advises to keep moving not just through time, but through space.  As a land broker, moving through time and space here in the Greater Asheville area, I couldn’t agree more. And if your dream is to make that happen, you've come to the "right" place.     Are You Ready to See Your Home on the Asheville N.C. LAND?   So the question becomes... Are Y O U ready to invest time and energy into finding your space on the land? If so, you can find and take good care of awesome acreage... 03/11/2015

 Asheville Real Estate Journal: Renewable Energy If you have been considering the pros and cons of “aging in place” –thinking about rehabs and remodelers, you have powerful possibilities when it comes to energizing your home and getting around it with comfort.  You can do so much these days just by the way you site your  home on the land to take advantage of solar gain, and save energy costs. Inside, you can add skylights, retrofit windows to increase R-Value and enjoy the sunlight. You can pull together  a stylish, comfortable, and beautiful "palace" that is also non-toxic and environmentally friendly.   Here in Asheville, you  really  can get into Solar Power. (See Part 2 for details) Out at the Environmental Learning Center at Warren Wilson College, just 15 minutes from downtown  As... 02/21/2015

Asheville Real Estate Journal: Renewable Energy : Renewable Energy Asheville Style (2)   As noted in Part (1), when considering the pros and cons of “aging in place” you have powerful possibilities when it comes to energizing your home and getting around it with comfort.  Customer groups are looking to " lift some of the technical and financial restrictions on distributed generation in North Carolina,” according to utilities reporter, Julia Pyper. This includes “ re-authorizing PACE loans, improving customer access to their energy usage data and lifting the ban on third-party sales arrangements.” There's light dawning on Asheville's beautiful horizon.   sunrise Asheville horizon     There’s good news on the employment front in North Carolina’s cleantech industry as well.  According to ... 02/19/2015

Asheville Real Estate Journal: Post 50 and Beyond the Narrow   I hopped over to The Sage Companion Project the other day. It’s an effort to reach out to a certain demographic you might recognize as most interesting if you follow trends in the real estate market- and work with Post 50 People. I noted that  Jan Goldfield, a Sage Companion contributor,  had a few choice words for those instructing others to,   “ Accept things like they are. Don't make waves. Don't draw attention to yourself. Hush. The teacher/minister/clerk/doctor/dentist wants you to be quiet and not interrupt. Don't ask questions.”    Post 50 People-Real Estate Trends and Choices I had to smile - for most REAL ESTATE business people I know may regard such advice as null and void- at least when it comes to buying, selling... 02/18/2015

As a long-time real estate professional, for me, the following quotation is a reminder to be creative when looking at "green steps" for Post 50 People. Looking to the future does not require "disengagement" I am thinking, but instead, planning ahead for a home that works across the generations...."aging in a P A L A C E"... as opposed to some less attractive alternative. That certainly makes sense here in Asheville...or wherever you may live. " Life’s second half should be a positive and joyful experience…an adventure in personal growth and fulfillment rather than a time of disengagement and loss as many currently perceive it to be," wrote The Sage Companion Project contributor, Dick Ambrosius. His perspective is a bright step above the old grey road. It inspired this digital art- mixe... 02/16/2015