Yesterday was a good snail mail day. The announcement arrived for the 2014-2015 Mainstage Season at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. Ticket subscriptions are reasonable, just $50 for all six events and really, how can you beat that?       We are fortunate here in Jackson County, NC and the surrounding areas of the mountains of Western North Carolina to have such a vigorous School of Stage and Screen. Some of the faculty directors have roots in Broadway, television and movies. Talent is not an issue. In the 25 or so years that I've seen live performances by WCU students, I can honestly say there is only one that I didn't like and it wouldn't have mattered if Laurence Olivier and Robert Downey, Jr. were the actors...Waiting for Gudot is a snore (in my ahem humble opinion ;-D)... 08/12/2014

Week of 5/31/14 through 6/6/14 Real Estate Market Analysis for North Jackson and Swain Counties NC   Buyer Treasure Trove   North Jackson and Swain real estate markets still remain a treasure trove of opportunities for buyers.  Residential property sells are at their highest levels since 2008 and homes are selling.  There still remains an adequate supply of homes for sale giving buyers choice and negotiation power.   Sellers Entering the Market   The last week shows sellers entering the market to take advantage of the up-surge in home sales.    In the last week 21 homes were brought onto the market.  New listing prices range from $35,000 to $865,000.  With this range there remains purchasing opportunities to meet the needs of a broad range of financial situations. There were 6 residenti... 06/11/2014

Week of 5/24/14 through 5/30/14 Real Estate Market Analysis for North Jackson and Swain Counties NC Buyer Treasure Trove North Jackson and Swain real estate markets still remain a treasure trove of opportunities for buyers.  Residential property sells are at their highest levels since 2008 and homes are selling.  There still remains an adequate supply of homes for sale giving buyers choice and negotiation power. Sellers Entering the Market The last week shows sellers entering the market to take advantage of the up-surge in home sales.  In the last week 29 homes were brought onto the market.  New listing prices range from $65,000 to $1,435,000.  With this range there remains purchasing opportunities to meet the needs of a broad range of financial situations. There were 6 residential home... 06/09/2014

    La di dah, la di dah...tremendously rainy outside this morning and I thought I'd dash off a blogpost before getting ready for my 10:15 appointment with new buyers. Hah! Not a wise move on my part! Just as I got into the first paragraph of witty wordsmithing...the power went out for a fraction of a second but long enough for me to get my priorities straight. I know better...take care of business first. So, while documents and aerial surveys are printing, I'm multi-tasking and taking care of the blogpost at the same time. BTW, not my favorite way to work. When I am acting as a Buyer's Agent, I like to provide the new buyers with as much information in the beginning as possible. Then when I see what they will utilize or not, I can custom fit them for just the right amount of paperwork.... 12/13/2013

  Usually dolls do not grab my interest, in fact most of them wig me out with the glassy eyes. At least that was the case until I saw the dolls that Sharon Blaine of Greenville, SC creates. These dolls have personality! She brought the dolls to the Hard Candy Christmas Art and Craft Show at the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC this past weekend.   Sharon has an incredible knack with color and design. Every outfit, hairstyle and make-up was completely unique. She told me that she can't pass by a fabric store without stopping and I can imagine like most artists that there is a corner in her brain constantly creating her next doll. When I visited Sharon's Corner Gallery on facebook, I was entranced by the full sized dolls she's given form to.   We were lucky to... 12/01/2013

  Mad Batter Cafe and Bakery has been on the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee, NC since 1998. Jeanette Evans, the owner, has provided a groovy, warm and inviting atmosphere with eclectic furnishings, good music and a tantalizing menu from the beginning. For those of us who think breakfast is the best meal of the day, The Mad Batter offers their breakfast menu all day.     Jeanette Evans uses the freshest ingredients for her meals, including produce from her own garden. There are daily fresh soups, all kinds of sandwiches and wraps, pizzas, salads and don't forget the pastries baked right on the premises. The lure of gourmet coffees attract a steady stream of customers - students, staff, faculty and local people meet there on a daily basis to enjoy not only the restaurant ... 09/21/2013

4-plex For Sale at 130 Remington Dr. Cullowhee NC by Allen Lomax Just listed for sale 4 plex at 130 Remington Drive Cullowhee North Carolina. This bank owned handyman investor special is listed at the unbelievable price of $69,990. Once revived the complex will make an excellent rental for students. Location Location, location, location! You can’t beat this location’s potential as a rental complex with Western Carolina University less than a mile away. It is an easy walk or bike ride to the campus along the beautiful Tuckaseege River. The Asking Price is Right for the Work Required to Rehabilitate There is a lot of work to be done to make this the attractive place that it can be. The asking price reflects the additional investment that will be needed to make this place whole once again.... 08/13/2013

Farm and Horse Properties For Sale in Western North Carolina. You’ll find an ample supply of farm and horse properties for sale in Western North Carolina as the beautiful hills of Appalachia’s Smoky Mountains have been farmed for centuries. Long before Europeans discovered that there was more to the planet than Europe, Africa, and Asia the ancient ancestors of the Cherokee People were farming these hills. The three sisters garden gets it name from the traditional native practice of corn, beans, and squash as companion plantings. The Squash keeps the weeds down and the corn stalks provide poles for the climbing beans.As the Scotch-Irish discovered these majestic mountains in the early 1700s and began settling here, they brought with them the traditional farming practices of Europe. They ... 08/07/2013

Homes For Sale in Forest Hills Village of Cullowhee Jackson County NC The ideal of small town America is brought to present-day reality in these attractive homes for sale in Forest Hills Village, Jackson County, NC. Forest Hills Village is, in essence, a college town neighborhood that sits adjacent to Western Carolina University. Many of its residents were or are faculty or staff members of the University. Though small, the population stands at about 366, it isn’t a traditional “small town America” by any means but it is quintessentially American. It was not until 1997 that Forest Hills Village became an incorporated village. The Village gets it name from the once elegant 2000 acre David Davies estate. Davies set his 1855 Victorian mansion, which he dubbed “Forest Hill” on the top of a... 07/27/2013

I just came across a very useful website for property managers.  Those of you who are veterans probably already know about the site but it is new to me.  The site, www.letstalkpm.com is a blog site similar to Active Rain but is exclusive to property managers and landlords. There are five main discuss categories.  Running a Property Management Company, Marketing and Advertising, Landlord Tips, General Q&A, Technology for Property Management. Most of the blog post are coming from property managers who are in the field so you get a grass roots perspective on the issues.  The comments to the blogs are also insightful.  Some of the blogs and blog comments are coming from vendors pitching their own products but even these are fairly informative. There is good information for landlords as well... 07/19/2013

How To Improve My Horse Property For Sale SEO Rating In Cullowhee NC? Do I have time to take six hours out of my day to learn How To Improve My Horse Property For Sale SEO Rating In Cullowhee NC? NO! I expect most of us look at our to-do-list and panic at the thought of taking six hours to sit in another workshop but yesterday, with much trepidation, I did just that. It Is Costly It cost me in several ways. The weeds in my garden are still there. The grass, with all the rain we’ve been having, probably grew another 3 inches during the day. My Move To Amend to-do-list is still sitting there. I postponed a BPO for a new client until today. Most costly of all, I missed my horseback ride for the third day in a row. Important Matters Take Time These are all import activities that matter to m... 07/18/2013

Homes For Sale in University Heights - Cullowhee NC In one of the finer neighborhoods close to Western Carolina University, you’ll find 1970s Refinement in Homes For Sale in University Heights - Cullowhee NC. University Heights, in its own “neck of the woods”, is easy to miss if you don’t know what you are looking for. The neighborhood, though only minutes from the campus of WCU, creates its own little world of charm at the end of a minor but well maintained road. I didn’t even know of the neighborhood until I had lived here for several years and it was less than five minutes from my home, which is adjacent to the WCU campus. It truly is a community unto itself while being easily connected to the outside world when you, as a resident, want to make the connection. The short drive to the ... 07/16/2013

Rental Property Managers Welcome New Tenants in Cullowhee NC Today, we as rental property Managers, welcome new tenants in Cullowhee North Carolina by sending out our new tenant welcome letters for the leases that begin the first of the month. Most of these tenants signed their leases at least four months ago. We like working with tenants who plan that far ahead. When we have tenants who plan that far ahead we’re pretty confident we have the kind of tenant that we’re looking for. We can count on tenants who can plan ahead to be responsible individuals who will take care of the property and who will pay their rent on time. Leasing months ahead also tells us that the property is a property that attracts the responsible tenants we are looking for. We really like it when we can welcome new ... 07/15/2013

Invest Locally in Jackson Co NC with IRA & 401K Retirement Funds You can sustainably and securely Invest Locally in Jackson Co NC with IRA & 401K Retirement Funds to earn high returns. Making private investments through deeds of trust secured by real estate is a widely accepted use of IRA’s, 401-K’s and other Retirement Plans. If you are like most people you are not aware of this excellent opportunity. As in most things in our current financial system, the interests of the Too Big To Fail (TBTF) financial institutions dominate the market place. Interests of the TBTF are not those of Private Investors The interests of the TBTF, or as some refer to them Too Big To Jail, are not local but transnational. Their transnational interests are more often than not at odds with local sustainable in... 07/12/2013

After the Horse Property Purchase in Western NC there is the Transport I know a number of people who have horses who have no means of transport for the horses.  That is not a good idea.  In the first place, with no means of transporting, your riding activities are confined to your local neighborhood.  These days, in most cases, that is pretty restrictive. Aside from the pleasure though, is the safety and wellbeing of the horse.  As I recently experienced first hand, emergencies requiring transport manifest quickly.  Access to transport can mean the difference between the life or death of your horse. Hawk Trailer is the Best My 2002 Hawk trailer, which I purchased second hand in 2005, has come in handy, not just for transporting horses but for hauling hay and moving furniture.  It also p... 07/08/2013

 “To flourish consciously is to share the blessing to empower others abundantly.”  The Philosophical Equine To flourish is to share.  No one, despite much current rhetoric is an island. To flourish, the blessing must be consciously shared.  And, the means to sharing is through the empowerment of others to empower them to flourish.   Flourishing and Empowerment are collaborative forces.  They are connection forces.  We flourish to become empowered and we pass on the blessing when the true essence of out true nature is allowed to develop unhampered and unrestrained. Often the wealthy and the rulers that have power, flourish only on the outside and suffer inside.  Though they have granted power they do not flourish consciously or empower abundantly. Others who flourish are extremely empowe... 07/05/2013

Forget about work!  If you love photography and who doesn't you'll love this new delightful photo editor.  Well new to me that is.  William Johnson in his post, “Photo Editing – How to Straighten a Distorted Perspective” recommended Smart Photo Editor.  I did the free trial and then purchased the software last night and havn't done a lick of work since!  The scope of possibilities is amazing.  With all the possibilities and all the fabulous sites to see and images to photograph in the Somky Mountains of Jackson County in Western North Carolina, I may never get back to work.   As I mentioned, they offer a free trial.  You can do everything with the free trial that you can do with the purchased version – except – save your work.  A big deal if you want to use what you produced.  Neverthel... 07/04/2013

In Property Management,Which is Better, the Carrot or the Stick? At our property management firm in Jackson County North Carolina we go on the theory that the choice of the carrot is much more satisfying for everyone. Beyond our standard services we offer our property owners a unique program designed to attract and keep the best residents and to reduce vacancy periods.  We call this, The Leading Landlord Program and provide it as an option to all our property owners.  We market the program as a payoff in long term reduced property owner costs. We do discount the advertising fees for property owners enrolled in the Leading Landlord Program but these are not their only savings.  The major savings come to the landlord indirectly through improved resident satisfaction, future resident refer... 07/01/2013

Closings Are Up! Life is a Bowl of Cherries? If Closings are Up and Life is a Bowl of Cherries, Why do I fear that we are headed for the pits? Wall Street Got Bailed-Out.  Main Street Got Sold-Out There are several reasons.  For one, Main Street still has a long ways to go to reclaim the losses of 2008.  Wall Street is doing fine but only because they got bailed-out while Main Street got sold-out.  High Unemployment Unemployment is still too high.  We can only guess as to what the real unemployment figures are as the unemployment rate that the Bureau of Labor reports reflects only those claiming unemployment insurance.  Some unemployed didn’t qualify for the insurance in the first place and many more remain unemployed after the expiration of benefits.  Neither counts as unemployed but i... 06/30/2013

Learning Acceptance for Who and What We Are From a Horse   I went for a short horseback ride yesterday – the first time in about two years.  I’ve been preparing to get back in the saddle for the last six months by hiking several times a week and joining in a yoga class at least twice a week.  The difference in health and wellbeing has been dramatic. I’ve also been preparing for this “first” ride by doing groundwork with the horses.  I had a ride planned with Mack for the day following the onset of the colic that took his life.  It would have been a lovely ride.  He never let me down.  He had so much heart and such a willing spirit.  Whichever gate I put him in, be it walk, trot, or canter he’d hold that gate steady as could be without a lick of complaint until instructed to do otherwise... 06/29/2013