It appears that the slow down in housing sales are crossing over to land sales in the Asheville and surrounding counties. Also, as expected for this time of year, we are seeing an increase in inventory exceeding the number of units sold. We are at record high levels of inventory for homes and vacant land lots and acreage on the market. In our region (most of Western NC) there are currently 9,583 farms and vacant land parcels for sale. In the last year there were 2,094 units sold. At that rate there is a 4.58 year supply of units available. In Buncombe County there are 2,297 farms and vacant land parcels for sale. In the last year there were 603 units sold. That converts to a 3.81 year supply on units available. None of these figures include the many new subdivisions that are coming on t... 05/21/2008

 Green-Dreaming? I was reading a newsletter from one of our city commissioners here in Asheville today. She seems to be "dreaming green" and her fans say she is a "light in the community" ... From what I know, she challenges Asheville's citizens to apply some creative "human energy"  to look at the city's trajectory. She suggests that we work together to build positive futures. Depending on a variety of lifestyles and choices, solutions to how a city thrives may differ.  (Photo of eco consultant and his dog taken at eco community, Hickory Nut Forest near Asheville. )   So, from the perspective of real estate professionals and our clients, tonight I am wondering (like the fellow in the photo here who's imagining how the future conservation neighborhood he's exploring will unfold) how th... 05/15/2008

Despite the news from the rest of the nation, Real Living Connect has news that Asheville real estate is performing better than you might think!  In Buncombe County 2008 1st quarter market activity is down an average of 26% from the same period last year, but the good news is that most of the other indicators prove that much of Asheville's real estate market is still healthy.  According to the WNC Regional MLS, in the first quarter of 2008 homes sold for an average of 96% of list price, which is consistent with area averages over the past decade.  This is an important indicator in that we have not seen the fire sale price free fall that some markets are experiencing, with sales occurring only when buyers make low ball offers and sellers accept values far below market.  In addition to th... 05/15/2008

If you are fairly new to being a Realtor® or even if you have been around a while, one sure way to learn about the quality and skills of your fellow Realtors® is to sell some of your own property and be present during the showings. This story will tell you the case in point. Since most Realtors® are more comfortable showing homes located in subdivisions or closer to the cities in their areas, listings with homes on acreage or vacant land listings often present special skills that are not practiced everyday. Those skills may require an understanding of environmental concerns, well and septic needs and governmental regulations, knowing how to really read a survey, and being aware that the countryside has many more free thinkers and folks very likely to have their own ideas about zoning an... 05/11/2008

Buncombe County is the home of Asheville, NC. Buncombe County and the surrounding areas of Asheville, Leicester, Black Mountain, Biltmore Forest, and Arden like the rest of the country, has been experiencing many changes in the real estate market, some good and some, not so good. The Asheville area was once believed to be immune from the negative real estate trends that the rest of the country was experiencing.    Perhaps that would be true if the rest of the country hadn't suffered such deep slow-downs and upset markets.   The Asheville area has continued to see a dramatic slow-down of Sold homes, and returning increase in inventory, and a noticeable drop in "pending" listings. The two numbers that seem to tell the continuing story of the Asheville market appear to be the small percen... 05/11/2008

As I threaded my way over the rocky path to one of the many waterfalls at the eco development our Firm is representing, I wondered... how did these amazing folks (see the developers in photo I took to your left)  come up with a sustainable design?  How can one create a conservation development in such a way that genuinely honors the land and protects the environment? Always curious, I set out on a Q&A session by the waterfall. I wanted to know about the whole process involved in creating a sustainable design. Q. "How did you make this happen?" A. "We simply used the thoughtful stewardship principles that reflect our vision, and we used them in the planning of this entire eco-community!" Q. "What are the steps in that process?"  A. "Before any plans were made, we got together with a tea... 05/10/2008

Buncombe County, NC Real Estate Market Statistics - April 2007 and 2008Our Active Residential Listings have increased 30% from this same time last year. The Average Asking Price has increased 7% and Median Asking Price has increased almost 6%.The real problem we face is the Sold numbers and the Sold prices are down. As you can see by the chart below, we have been down on our numbers all of the last 12 months.The number sold in April 2008 is down 6% and the Average Sold Price is down 2%. Also the Days on Market are at their highest levels in over 5 years.Post your listings and market reports at the Group: http://activerain.com/groups/CityStateListingsReports 05/08/2008

                                                                                                         You may have guessed by now that  besides being a REALTOR® here in Asheville, NC, . . .I'm also an old schoolteacher. So when I got this request to help out a neighborhood elementary school, (see graphic to the left) it set me off on a journey to find out more about living roofs or green roofs  and what I/we as REALTORS ®and you might do to help out. . .. First....a definition: According to Living Roof Systems, a  living roof building is above ground, "with increased opportunity for omni-directional natural daylighting, ventilation, views, and access. "  Now on to 5 important points about the green or living roof system:  "It affords none of the, primarily psychological perceptions o... 05/08/2008

Buncombe County includes the cities or areas  of Asheville, Weaverville, Leicester, Black Mountain, Arden, Skyland, Candler, and Biltmore Forest.Vacant land sales can be an indicator of the health of the real estate market overall. Land sales in 2008 have slowed to about 50% of sales in 2007, 135 parcels have been Sold in 2008 with an Average Sold Price of $185,245, an increase from March prices.A breakdown of those sales, year to date, looks like this:1 acre or under - 60 parcels sold with an Average Sold Price of $103,356.1 to 2.99 acres - 41 parcels sold with an Average Sold Price of $166,774.3 to 4.99 acres - 13 parcels sold with an Average Sold Price of $134,750.5 to 9.99 acres - 5 parcels sold with an Average Sold Price of $370,000..10 to 20 acres - 6 parcels were sold with an Ave... 05/07/2008

With all the news about foreclosures, difficult loan situations and home prices going down in the major cities in large states around the country, a citizen in the popular Asheville area must want to know, how does all that is happening around the country affect us locally? After all, all real estate markets are local. Even though the number of homes sold in Buncombe County has decreased dramatically over the last 2 years, the average asking/list price for homes here has risen to record highs.In 2005, there were 3,892 homes sold in Buncombe County. 2006 sales increased to 4,101, but the number of homes sold in 2007 dropped to 3,427. So far, in 2008, there have been only 830 homes sold, putting us on schedule for at, or around 3,000 sales for the year, if we continue at the current pace.... 05/06/2008

 Asheville traditional neighborhood developments are a growing force in the Asheville real estate market.  No surprise there, with so many people moving to the mountains of North Carolina from out of state, developers are taking advantage of every opportunity to receive them.  A substantially large portion of the new arrivals are people moving up from Florida.  The Florida market was more or less the hometown for the concept of New Urbanism, largely put forward by Seaside and than followed by such communities as Rosemary Beach and Celebration.  What are some of the things these traditional neighborhood developments have in common?  Well for one the share a history of massive rates of appreciation, and secondly they share national recognition as groundbreaking concepts, resort communitie... 05/05/2008

RIPARIAN AREAS in An  Eco-community--a real eye-opener! This week I've been reading the Forestry Report RIFF on a Forestry Report-SOILS : Asheville Eco-Community (series) as part of the research we do before listing an Asheville area eco-development. It's been quite an eye-opener.  For me, it reiterated how important it is for real estate professionals to know more about environmentally-sensitive properties. Today, I'm giving serious thought to environmental factors in terms of riparian areas. I understand that we will  need to be able to point out where the riparian areas areif any building sites are in a flood plainhow close to these areas builders can construct homes Here is a photo of a waterfall on the adjacent conservation land.Having spent hours walking the land with the percepti... 05/04/2008

  Asheville vacation rentals are now a powerful and growing force in the Asheville, NC real estate market.  Why is this?  The answer seems fairly simple and yet is made up of a few different factors.For one thing the tourism and vacation industry has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last several years.  People now come to Asheville to vacation from all over the world.  They call the city and its surrounding mountains, shangri-la, the Paris of the South, and the happiest city in the nation.  Naturally the Asheville vacation rental business is doing just fine amidst such heavy praise.  The appeal is also multi-faceted.  Some people come for the culture and the history filling their vacation itinerary with tours of the Biltmore house, the Grove Park Inn, and the countless summer f... 04/28/2008

Wild Turkeys Couldn't Keep Me Away from Beaver Lake and the Sanctuary. We walk  around Beaver Lake almost every week, visit our neighbors. We continue  to be amazed with the light-flashing waters. The surrounding mountains border the Beaver Lake as if to entice a canvas from some modern-day French Impressionist . The acres of open space where kids play, the families finding  picnic spots, and just beyond, the canoes awaiting turns to glide by all participate in this colorful scene.    A sense of "all's right" in the world seems to be in the air. If you are a birder,  you will love the Beaver Lake Sanctuary where you can spot LOONS, GREBES, CORMORANTS, HERONS, SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS. HUMMINGBIRDS and WOODPECKERS...just to name a few.  There's one species that you might not find there...... 04/27/2008

I wonder how many of us will hear this story this year?Last summer, I sold a piece of my property to some very nice folks from Minnesota for them to build their retirement home in the mountains of North Carolina. A custom Deltec home (octagonal sided or round house)was what they decided upon. They went back home to make their plans, get their home there ready to sell and line up contractors to price their project here.In April of this year, they came for a visit to meet with some of the builders and contractors and to refresh their decision to move here.I just received this letter, which unfortunately may be a sign of the times ahead for some of us."Our recent visit had mixed results; we confirmed that the area was as beautiful as we remembered (actually more so) and we are anxious to l... 04/25/2008

Welcome all visitors to my Asheville Real Estate blog! 04/21/2008

I'm sort of a "common sense" kind of person.. I like waterfalls, (photo taken at eco-community near Asheville) the first snow fall, sitting around the fire with my friends, and delicious organically-grown tomatoes...IOW... balance in my life. Possibly, as a young schoolteacher in Michigan, way back when,  I acquired common sense from my fourth-graders.  Today, at our eco-savvy real estate brokerage   in the "City of Bliss", Asheville, NC , "common sense" is about making a positive difference in our neighborhood and in the world in terms of land use  and planning , healthy living environments, and camaraderie....summed up as eco-community on many levels- the seemingly small efforts you and I make toward sustainable practices  and eco-innovation-whether that be installing an energy effici... 04/19/2008

It's days like this that remind me of the glory of the Lord and all the beauty that He has given us. Don't get so BUSY with life that you can't ENJOY LIFE! Have you been to the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina when the Festival of Flowers  is in all  its glory? If you haven't, it is well worth the trip here. People say that flowers make you happy and believe me when you see thousands of tulips and spring flowers in full bloom, you will be happy. The home has acres of flowers everywhere on the estate! Whether you are listening to the storyteller in the Library Terrace, or the music in the garden..... playing the lawn games or visiting the winery, you and your family are in for a treat! Visit http://www.biltmore.com/ and make plans to visit the largest estate in our country.Aft... 04/16/2008

Well, Easter came early and so did the buyers. The daffodils are blooming and a rush of savey buyers have hit the market. The number of contracts written in the month of march doubled February and almost reach the levels of last year at this time. Asheville buyers have many choices as there is still almost 20 months of inventory. The cream of the crop are selling at realistic prices and in many cases there are multiple offers on those properties priced to sell. Sellers have figured out if you want to sell your house need curb appeal inside and out. A coat of paint, some mulch and de-clutter will attract buyers. While there is still a lot of investors and first time home buyers out there, the regular buyer in back in the market. The new buyers are not from the traditional Florida source ... 04/15/2008

Buncombe County includes the cities or areas  of Asheville, Weaverville, Leicester, Black Mountain, Arden, Skyland, Candler, and Biltmore Forest.Vacant land sales can be an indicator of the health of the real estate market overall. So far, in 2008, land sales have slowed to about 50% of sales in 2007, but prices are holding steady.Vacant Land Sales Year To Date 98 parcels have been Sold in 2008 with an Average Sold Price of $163,913.A breakdown of those sales looks like this:43 parcels were under 1 acre with an Average Sold Price of $100,116.34 parcels were between 1 to 2.99 acres with an Average Sold Price of $167,719.8 parcels were between 3 to 4.99 acres with an Average Sold Price of $115,333.5 parcels were between 5 to 9.99 acres with an Average Sold Price of $376,667.3 parcels were... 04/15/2008