Strategic House HuntingBy Pat "Tree" SpauldingThinking about a move? That's so exciting! There are so many things to think about when you are considering a move - whether it's to another house in the same area or a new home somewhere else. Having a Realtor you like makes the challenge of finding a new house so much easier and more pleasant. Before you choose a Realtor, be sure to read the brochure Working with Real Estate Agents. I hope I'll have the opportunity to review this brochure with you. You can find a copy of it on my Web site under Seller or Buyer Resources.Do you already have a certain house in mind? That's great! Perhaps that is your motivation for the move. If you don't have a house in mind, maybe you at least have a specific area where you'd like to live. That narrows the ... 02/28/2007

I sat myself down one day and considered all the various kinds of careers and jobs I had to choose from. If I didn't have to work to pay the bills, I would have plenty to keep me busy. I enjoy art projects, photography, writing, various outdoor activities, but that just isn't how it works. So, I considered what my personal gifts, talents, skills, experience, interests, and values were and what kind of work might suit me. I've always loved looking for property. I considered real estate before I decided to finish college. But then I got a BS degree in environmental design. That combined my interests in both art/design and the environment. Not long after that, however, I chose to get graduate education in linguistics and anthropology. I spent 16 years living and working in Papua New Guinea... 02/28/2007

 The parade commenced. The cry went out.  It was heard in the neighborhood, It was heard on downtown streets. You could even see it plastered on local bulletin boards.  I am a REALTOR®. Housing as an investment is part of the decision-making process for my clients. But something new and colorful was on the horizon. .  "Green   homes and land for sale, GREEN  HOMES and LAND For Sale!" I should have been the first person to notice. After all, I am aware that families want to know that the money they invest, possibly the most significant  investment of a lifetime, is going to have a solid ROI. Possibly even more than that they want to know that they will have a healthy living environment . And investors in real property ?  They want to know that the risks they take are likely to pay off! W... 02/28/2007

janeAnne's article Real Estate Development, a Perspective where she talks about   "development, improvement, progress " from a whole different vantage point" got me thinking.  It's obvious that there are many of us who realize the relevancy of the information about good stewardship of the land. http://www.hat.bc.ca/stewardship.htmThe land provides us with our food as well as our shelter. There are many conversations happening and it is imperative that each of us speaks up when necessary. The saying "Think globally, act locally"  coined by David Brower, founder of Friends of the Earth, back in the late 1960s seems to me to be  especially relevant with the unprecedented surge in building across our country, perhaps driven by the Baby Boomers as an article in the October, 2006 Washington T... 02/27/2007

 The Lakeview Park Neighborhood ~ Asheville, N.C. ~A Community Embracing a Sustainable Future. Beaver Lake and Asheville's walkable Lakeview Park Neighborhood.     Not more than five minutes from downtown Asheville, Beaver Lake shines like a diamond in the morning sun. (see photo)  Though private, the lake has been a popular public spot since its creation in the early 1920s. Beaver Lake was created by damming Beaver Creek and flooding what had been known as Baird Bottoms. In 1922, J.D. Murphy and Fred Sale began buying land along Beaver Creek for an exclusive housing development to be known as Lakeview Park. Centered around Beaver Lake,Asheville NC's Lakeview Park walkable neighborhood followed a plan made by city planner Dr. John Nolen. Source: The State of Buncombe    Almost 90 years ... 02/26/2007

An investor recently had me looking over a gorgeous 84 acre piece property on the French Broad River with views of both the river and mountains in the background. The whole thing has already received permission for a 65 unit subdivision with sellers ready and eager to make a deal. One BIG problem though, the property is across the road from the county landfill. ( Don't even ask why the county chose to site this within spitting distance of the river!) So now I have to find out just how bad is this going to be. My first impression of the landfill is pretty good because the entrance looks like a park. But of course I have to dig a little deeper than this (pun intended).So I call the Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency andtalk with a wonderful lady named Ashley who is more th... 02/23/2007

Scenario: A Buyer's Broker looks at the dollar difference in a mortgage between a  $90,000 investment property, a doublewide, and a stick-built   $135,000 property.  Although the appearance of the properties is similar, (see photos)  she notes differences including an Energy Star Rating on the more expensive property.  The investor/client plans to keep the property for about five(5) years. Neighborhood appreciation rate over that period of time is of serious interest. The difference in mortgage payments between these two properties would be  around $300/month.       STICK-BUILT Discovery: How much and how fast could the properties of interest appreciate ?  Will this offset the difference? Which property could be a wise investment?Having explained to her clients that she is not a financi... 02/21/2007

A GREEN TEAM of Environmental Designers in Asheville   One company in our network of Green Professionals in Asheville area is a company called Equinox Environmental Consultation and Design. The people at Equinox really are a dedicated group of professionals that are capable of handling a wide variety of developments from small residential conservation easement subdivisions in urban areas to 1000+ acre multi-family developments. They have a diverse team of skilled people including the president of Equinox Andy Brown, an Environmental Land Planner and the vice president David Tuch, a Landscape and Environmental designer. The rest of the team is rounded out with a Field Biologist, a Botanist, an Environmental Scientist, and a Land Planner/Landscape designer. Now this is what I call a Green... 02/14/2007

Montford Neighborhood  (Asheville) North Carolina Real Estate Market Stats and Report, January,2007In general, North Carolina continues to see a rise in the number of homes sold in 2006. Sale prices continue to climb and the average number of days a house is on the market has decreased. All of these indicators show that the real estate market in  Western North Carolina is strong."                                 (page 6, Real Estate Weekly -October, 2006)            In the small Montford Neighborhood of Asheville a total of 41 homeslisted  by January 1, 2006 closed by December 31, 2006.  (In the Greater Asheville Area,  2820 homeswere sold from Jan. 1 through December 20, 2006.)  Selling prices in the Montford Neighborhood ranged from $172,500. to $1,200,00.  Currently...as of February ... 02/08/2007

Asheville, North Carolina Real Estate Market, December, 2006 thru January, 2007Residential Sales Trends/ Existing Homes  Asheville, N.C. Asheville Board of REALTORS ® December, 2006 Real Estate Market Stats Buncombe County (Asheville area), North CarolinaResidential Properties on the Market: 2078                     Residential Properties Pending: 702Priced Over $1M: 117Priced Under $50K :   7Farms & Land on the Market in Combined Buncombe, Madison, Yancey Counties :  2107  Asheville, North Carolina Buncombe CountyPending: 242Priced Over $1M: 161Priced Under $50K : 2989Our market is moving toward: Lower operating costs- Lower utility bills for heating and cooling Increased comfort- Improved indoor air quality Creating lasting value- Third party review Building with health in mind- Lower... 01/30/2007

The Montford Neighborhood ~ Asheville, N.C. ~A Community Embracing a Sustainable Future.      MONTFORD:  Where one picture tells the story.   The MONTFORD NEIGBORHOOD in Asheville, North Carolina: Historic and Happening! Here is a neighborhood of about 300 acres that expresses a rich diversity of architectural styles,   most constructed between 1890 and 1920. Montford, like its residents, is a place of complex overall character.. .Romance and history are in the air, so expect to " feel"  the artistic influences. Even residents of other neighborhoods in and around Asheville find themselves drawn to Montford. Maybe you will see them strolling down a tree-lined boulevard. Maybe you will notice how often they stop  to gaze at  the majestic homes that grace the streets There are wondrous arc... 01/27/2007

Great Neighborhoods. Asheville, NC Real Estate InformationThe Neighborhood.      Sure-fire remedy for the "cookie cutter"  blues, the tedium of  crowded highways, long commutes, and weight-gain..   .. Neighborhoods with "...attractive housing designs and lots of interesting innovation in the use of land and space," can cure distress, according to one source.  My colleague, Sharon Simms  suggests, "Talk to the neighbors, walk around the area. Ask questions. There are lots of wonderful places to live...."   Yes indeed asserts Dan Burden  the  Director of Walkable Communities, Inc. And not just neighborhoods, but bikable, walkable communities.  "In my visits to over 1,000 communities," says  Burden, "  working with nearly 40,000 community leaders and concerned citizens, I have found a univ... 01/27/2007

UPDATE: March, 2009 PLEASE KNOW  that all of us at the Eco-Steward Real Estate Firm are Eco Certified® Real Estate  Consultants, and specialize in land carefully and thoughtfully reviewed for eco-friendly development. Also, please know that we consider steep slopes and landslides a potential hazard ( I have personal experience with the result of  flat-lander inexperience in my own neighborhood and decry it)...and that we DO recommend that our clients contact Professionals and bring in a State licensed geotechnical engineer, if necessary ... to look at potential hazards ...   HERE IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY just this month in fact, we have been having quite a brouhahain terms of Steep Slope development...and landslides ...Fingers have been pointed at Developers, Sellers and at REALTORS® . .. THI... 01/06/2007

It is empowering to be part of the growing trend toward green-built homes here in Asheville, NC.  (see photo of green-built home) It is exciting to participate in sustainable practices "meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."  My clients tell me they really want to play a part in helping to preserve the natural beauty here in the Greater Asheville, N.C. Area. To take good care of your bioregion, the place in which you live and work, is something I believe that everyone wants to do. Through eco-wise choice making, we easily can do this. But where to start? How about starting at home? In the very recent past, people may not have realized that investing in green built homes is a major way that they can do it, ... 01/06/2007

 "Baby boomers" who, like their grandkids, are all bundled up for cold weather up north, are seeking the warmer climes and investment potential in the Greater Asheville Area. They  tell me they are ready to let their wealth "flower" in years to come. Interestingly, the demand for 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges has also "bloomed". More and more of my clients want to know whether they can qualify their vacation homes and secondary residences for an Exchange. Although I have done many successful 1031 Exchange transactions, and have taken advanced training in this subject area, I am NOT an expert on the intricacies of the tax code.  So, I like to refer my clients to those who are experts for details about the mechanics of the 1031 Exchange, especially in terms of Vacation Homes. (In order to c... 01/04/2007

Heads-Up Investors there's a new trend in an old place.  A collaborative process for identifying and prioritizing brownfields for assessment for future use is about to get underway all across the USA.. Could this effort signal a trend in the real estate investment market? From where we stand, it looks that way. In fact, this effort can mean value-added opps for real estate professionals and investors alike. Take, for example, a pilot project scheduled to take place in the Greater Asheville, North Carolina Area It will include a region-wide inventory of brownfields. Here in the Asheville area, we expect Phase I   and Phase II environmental assessments of properties in the French Broad Riverfront area in Asheville, Phase I and Phase II assessments of the ice facility and the former tanner... 01/02/2007

Where can you find gourmet vegetarian dishes served by candlelight, and a smorgasbord of goodies for the culturally-inspired?  Why in Asheville, North Carolina, of course. Embraced by mountains, fed by rivers, and admired by all who come to visit, this could be the opportunity of which real estate investors dream. Asheville  is both welcoming and exciting, both growing and with stable roots. This is not only an investment opportunity, but a home place with the compelling combinationof city amenities and village charm. (see photo)Sounds great, but what  do you do around here? Here are just a few chooices.1. Take Day Trips! Explore the  mountains and rivers to the north, to the little town such as Marshall or Mars Hill .2. Or just stay right in Asheville and take the Urban Trail  "an art ... 01/02/2007

I'm sending this along in appreciation and celebration of Sharon Simms' NEW GROUP, Building Architecture and Dings. I approached the subject of this article back around Thanksgiving. Like Ines' article, it didn't get much notice at the time, but I loved writing it anyway.. I was feeling appreciative and sentimental. Thanksgiving does it to me every year. History does it to me. Imagine how amazing it is for me to live in a city (Asheville, N.C.) -- known not only for historic charm, but for  architectural diversity...Romanesque Revival,Victorian, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Georgian, Classical Revival, Art Deco, Craftsman, Bungalow...Cabins and Castles.               Here is one such castle, the Biltmore House at the Biltmore Estate   "House" in this case may be a misnomer as you can see with this p... 12/24/2006

On November 14th I wrote about an exciting scenario:   RURAL LAND SALE           Cash Deal with Contingencies. 35+ AC in beautiful (see photo) Madison County, North Carolina, about 30 minutes north of Asheville , NC. I expressed concern that the parties to the transaction wanted/neededto close in 60 days, max.  and that due diligence to remove contingencies on rural acreage was likely to take up to and  beyond 120 days. Challenge: Close in 60 Days.... Clock Ticking.. now at 40+ daysCheck These Items off the 2DO List ,in this Anatomy of a Rural Land Sale :The appraisal. Not a problem...we refer three appraisers. One of them allows as how he might be able to squeeze us in and  get out on the land before the Winter Solstice. If he can do it, this property will appraise. 360 degree views, e... 12/22/2006

Are you relocating to the Greater Asheville area ? Coming in or going out you will find yourself immersed in GREEN!. (see photo above for a smile) Look at the statistics that follow. . . The GREEN trends these statistics clearly indicate could be of value to you.In general, North Carolina continues to see a rise in the amount of homes sold in 2006. Sale prices continue to climb and the average number of days a house is on the market has decreased. All of these indicators show that the real estate market in  Western North Carolina is strong."                                   (page 6, Real Estate Weekly -October, 2006)            In the City of Asheville alone, (pop about 75,000)  a total of 1450 homes listed  by January 1, 2006 closed by December 20th.  In the Greater Asheville Area,  2... 12/21/2006