Asheville Real Estate Voice

Asheville Fall colors and Halloween

2009-10-29T13:51:59Z

This is our beloved Dakota. He was always willing to do silly things that made us happy and was the best darned dog a person could have. Dakota passed away last December and our hearts are still heavy from the loss, but whenever I come across this photo I feel compelled to share it with everyone at Halloween.

Are Asheville homes in jeopardy over toxic drywall?

2009-10-17T15:51:14Z

The latest environmental concern for homeowners appears to be Chinese drywall installed in the US between 2004 and 2007. During these years, gulf coast states experienced significant property damage from tropical storms, with damage to Florida being particularly severe. This created a shortage of sheetrock or drywall, and material was imported to meet consumer demand. Some imported Chinese drywall emits a foul odor, causes plumbing to corrode and may be a health risk. While Chinese drywall was sold in North Carolina, the quantities were very small. As you will read below, 96% of all distribution took place in six states.

Click this link for the latest news about Chinese-made drywall.

Southcliff wins the Gold!

2009-10-16T22:18:21Z

Congratulations to Longmeadow Homes and Beverly-Grant whose 2009

Parade of Homes

entries each won a gold award!

The Parade of Homes is an annual showcase of newly constructed homes and complete remodels presented by the Asheville Home Builders Association. Southcliff’s entries included a single family residence and one of our Townhome Lodges-both entries received gold recognition from local area realtors judging this year’s Parade.

The Parade of Homes continues through this weekend (Saturday and Sunday 12:00pm – 5:00pm). Stop by and see for yourself what makes the homes at Southcliff award winning!

For more information visit www.AshevilleHBA.com

45 Slide Rock Way, Edgens Cove
By Longmeadow Homes, $550,000

A perfect design for today’s casual lifestyle and with room to grow into an unfinished bonus room, the Edgens Cove Cottage packs a lot of living into a smaller footprint. This home’s open floor plan promotes family-centric living but also caters to everyone’s occasional need for privacy-with an upper-floor family room for the kids and a master-suite sitting area for you.

Edgen’s Cove Cottage was built by Longmeadow Homes, a builder of custom homes and lot/home packages, including many of the homes in Southcliff. The partners of this family-owned business have been building homes for over 20 years and offer the hands-on custom touch that makes each of their homes unique. Visit http://longmeadowbuilders.com/ for more information.

19 Hawk’s Branch Circle, Townhome Lodge
by Beverly Grant, $870,982

The Hawk’s Branch Townhome Lodges are Southcliff’s mountain-style lock-and-go lifestyle homes. Noted architect, Armin Wessel, and Beverly-Grant, Inc. joined forces to create these unique spaces where every imaginable amenity has been included to bring comfort to you and your guests.

This home’s finishes include Cypress tongue-and-groove vaulted ceilings, gourmet kitchens with DCS appliances, home theaters featuring 110″ inch high-definition projection televisions and extensive audio systems, custom closets, covered decks with Trex decking, two-car garages on the main level, and much more. Yes, it is alot to include in any home, but with “seamless living” as the main focus, they created a space that is both hard working and effortless. Southcliff is proud of these lock-and-go units-allowing you to spend as much time away as needed, with the peace of mind of returning to a safe and secure home. Visit http://beverly-grant.com/for more information.

Southcliff – Nature at your doorstep?

2009-10-15T17:18:00Z

If you’re dreaming of mountainside living I want to tell you about one of my favorite developments – Southcliff. Located just across the Asheville/Fairview town line, it’s only 7 miles to downtown Asheville and just 3 miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Southcliff is simply a beautiful neighborhood, kept very wooded with tons of Mountain Laurel, you really do feel a sense of being as close to Nature as you can be in a housing community. The Developers have done a wonderful job creating this mountain atmosphere. There are two featured builders: Biltmore Farms Homes and LongMeadow Homes. Their styles range from French Country, Craftsman to Farmhouse. Sizes range from 1,800 to 3,300 square feet and are priced in the high $300’s to $400’s.

It was planned from the beginning to be an active lifestyle/family oriented neighborhood with a Family Camp, six miles of hiking trails and five park areas featuring fire rings, grills, and picnic seating. There’s an open-air pavillion where you can host cookouts and get togethers, a children’s playground in a natural setting. It’s GREAT! All this plus a 24 hour, manned gatehouse at the entrance.

If you can’t visit in person, here is a Southcliff video to show you what it’s all about. If this looks like the lifestyle you’re looking for, contact me and I’ll send you out a complete packet of information!

6 things to know about loans in Asheville

2009-10-12T17:45:14Z

See this little guy on the fence? I bring him out when I’m going to talk about procrastination or “fence sitting” if you will . . . If you’re still not sure if now is the time to buy, these next 6 items may help you sort it out.

1. Did you know that mortgage rates are the lowest that they have been since the early 1960’s?

2. Did you know that an uptick of as little as one percent impacts the purchaser’s ability to borrow by twenty percent?

3. Did you know that low interest rate loans requiring a zero to five percent down payment are available to homebuyers through FHA, VA, USDA or conventional?

4. Did you know that a qualified buyer can purchase a $200K home with 3.5% down, finance closing costs and have a thousand MORE dollars in the bank when using the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit?

5. Did you know that your Beverly-Hanks Mortgage loan originator will help your customer tailor a loan today?

6. Did you know that the only person who can take that first step in owning your own home is YOU? Call a professional (like me) and get started!!

Are you in the market for an Asheville Townhome?

2009-10-08T22:27:54Z

Last week I had the opportunity to visit several townhome developments in every corner of Asheville. My client was here for three days from Sante Fe in a quest for a more “green” life, and I’m not necessarily talking about the type of home construction that has an Energy Star label on it. She wants to be surrounded by trees, green mountains and breathing fresh air.

We visited new construction and resales within the price range of up to $350,000. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 car garage and a minimum of 1,800 square feet. If that criteria fits you, then I know all about it! One of the best floorplans we encountered in new construction was at The Village at Windstone. The Stoneridge, a one level floorplan, the layout and materials were outstanding! As you walk in the front door and a little beyond the foyer, you are facing a double sided fireplace that you can see through to the outside! Beautiful!! This one wins a blue ribbon for most livable and best use of square footage for a 1 level townhome. I’m including this virtual tour to show the detail and quality this builder offers, but it is not the Stoneridge floorplan.

Coming a close second was Hamburg Crossing in Weaverville. Although not new construction, this small community of stone-faced townhomes is as charming as they come. Check out this virtual tour and see what $285,000 can buy. Weaverville is a wonderful little bedroom community of Asheville, only 10 minutes to downtown Asheville and no city taxes!! Are there townhomes you’d like to know about? Ask away . . .

Festivals Calendar for Asheville

2009-10-03T02:24:23Z

Looking for things to do, places to go in Asheville? Here are a few goings on you just might enjoy!

Scarecrow Festival -

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Oct 3, Lake Julian. Handmade scarecrow competition. 828-250-4265

Octoberfest -

Celebration by Asheville Downtown Association, 1-5 p.m., Oct 10, Wall Street. $25 at www.ashevilledowntown.org

Hard Lox -

Jewish food festival, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Oct 18, Battery Park Avenue, next to the Grove Arcade, Food, music, dancing, children’s activities.

Why Short sales are really “long sales”

2009-10-02T00:51:48Z

I read a very good article in the Steve Harney Quick Report about short sales today. Any buyer or realtor here in Asheville, N.C. that have been involved with a short sale will always tell you that it’s anything but short. You have to come to the table with the lion’s share of patience. This small article summed up how the process has been doing, and gives us a peek at the change coming down the road.

“For the last few years the joke has been that ’short sales’ should be relabeled ‘long sales’ because of the difficulty in getting them closed. However, things just may be changing. Completed short sales in the first half of 2009 were up 208% over the first half of 2008.

It seems the banks are no longer happy with the alternatives they have been using in place of the short sale – either loan modification or foreclosure. A new study says that over 50% of successful modifications end up in default anyway within six months. The banks are also seeing that bringing a home through the foreclosure process nets them only a fraction of the price a short sale would.

Look for the administration, in the next few weeks, to announce a ’streamlined’ short sale process that should make selling a short sale quicker and easier. We believe the banks will look favorably on the new process and that will lead to tremendous opportunities in 2010.”

HGTV called- A Realtor’s Dream

2009-09-30T23:04:26Z

Do you have any idea how many years I’ve been watching HGTV? I’ve watched it all: Divine Design (my favorite), House Hunters, My First Place, Designed to Sell, House Hunters International, Property Virgins, Renovation Realities and whatever subject matter they put on that channel, I watch it! Not only am I always fascinated that I end up learning something, it has become one of my preferred stress relievers.

Everytime I watch Divine Design and they’re surprising someone, I secretly wish my husband would apply to Divine Design for me, I can envision Candice Olson showing up at my front door with her big smile, arms outstreatched with a big “Surprise”. Sure, I’m like everyone else, I’ve got a basement that needs a makeover, and a living room too! But it wouldn’t be the same if I verbalized this deep desire to hubby, I want him to figure it out!

Ok, so the other week I was visiting one of my favorite new construction communities, Creekside Village, and I got a call on my cell phone. At first I thought it was a marketing call, when I barely caught the letters HGTV mentioned. “Did you say HGTV?” I said to my caller, “Yes, we are starting a new series called “Uprooted” and wanted to see if you would be interested in participating?” It was almost as if someone just told me I had won the lottery. I looked over to my fellow Realtor Cindy and mouthed “HGTV”, her mouth dropped open, mine was already dropped! Yes, yes I’m interested, are you kidding I’m an HGTV junkie. I actually said this to him. He laughed a little, he probably gets this reaction all the time. He explained the criteria of the type of client they want me to have, I told him I thought I had just the right client and would be back in touch.

I was beside myself in utter joy! I didn’t come down from that high for about a week. I contacted my client and she too was tickled pink. I came to find out that she’s a actress and this would be right up her alley. HGTV actually has the participants fill out an application, and they audition them! No deadheads for HGTV!

My client was auditioned and passed! So, we are now waiting to see when the show will be using us. How did they find me? My blogsite, so I guess it pays to blog! Has anyone out there reading this ever have the opportunity to be on HGTV? Candice, Design Angel of all designers, I hope you’re reading this . . . !

Are all the price points selling in Asheville?

2009-09-29T23:31:58Z

Is your price range up or down?

There is much discussion about how the real estate market is in the middle of its turnaround based on sales increasing on a year-over-year basis. Though the fact that housing is again moving is fabulous news, let’s not lose sight of which homes are selling.

Here is a closer look at different price ranges and how they are faring in the current ‘boom’:

0-100,000
100,000 – 250,000
250,000 -5 00,000
500,000 – 750,000
750,000 – 1,000,000
1,000,000 – 2,000,000
2,000,000+

sales up 38.8%

sales up 8.7%
sales down 6.2%
sales down 8.9%
sales down 10.6%
sales down 23.3%
sales down 32.4