Asheville Real Estate Voice by Sandy Sibley

Asheville High makes Newsweek list of top schools

2009-06-10T16:03:30Z

Two Buncombe County schools made Newsweek’s list of the nation’s top 1,500 high schools.

Asheville High came in at No. 773 and Roberson High ranked 1,134. The magazine compiled its rankings by using the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge tests taken by all students at the school in 2008 divided by the number of graduating seniors.

No other Western North Carolina schools made the list, which included 50 high schools statewide. Asheville High earned a spot on the list in 2008, 2006 and 2005. Roberson has been on the list for the past two years.

Asheville Citizen-Times, June 10, 2009

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Why you should consider an urban loft in Asheville.

2009-06-08T23:37:47Z

Sited on a hill five blocks from downtown proper, Skyloft Asheville puts you steps fom what Wallpaper magazine crowned the #1 Urban Haven in the World.” Here the scene walks the line between edgy and elegant, with a single city block housing everything from five-star eateries and high-end galleries to arthouse films and experimental dance performances.

Overlooking one of the most electrifying metropolitan areas in the Southeast is an exciting new concept in urban living. Skyloft Asheville is at once modern and practical, with sleek lines, natural finishes and renewable resources. Inside and out, these condominiums were engineered with the most innovative, eco-friendly processes. As a result, Skyloft Asheville will hold the prestigious North Carolina HealthyBuilt Homes certification.

The condominiums at Skyloft Asheville range in size from one to three bedrooms and from 850 to more than 1,900 square feet. Details include:

Open floor plans with oversized windows

Durable bamboo and cork flooring

Handcrafted concrete countertops

Energy Star appliances and cherry cabinets

European lighting and plumbing fixtures

Private balconies and decks

Elevator access to a private garage.

The community has the feeling of a small village, with courtyards landscaped with native trees and flowers and sidewalks winding down the hill into Downtown. Skyloft Asheville was crafted with the innovative modular construction method embraced by contemporary design magazine Dwell. By building each condominium in a state-of-the-art, controlled evironment, weather damage is eliminated, construction time is reduced, and material cost and waste are minimized.

As a North Carolina HealthyBuilt Homes development, Skyloft Asheville meets or exceeds an extensive list of standards that focus on being both environmentally-friendly and budge-conscious.

Take a look at the view!! I took all of these photo’s myself from unit 302, Skyloft really does have LOCATION, LOCATION! I think it’s a great place and I’ll be holding Open Houses here several times this month. Want more info? Very economically priced, prices range from mid $200,000’s to mid $500,000s. Email or call me and I’ll get a packet out ASAP!

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Pending home sales up for three months in a row!

2009-06-07T19:13:50Z

Do you want to know what’s going on in the housing market? Here is a great conversation about the status of home sales as of June 2, 2009 from Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist with the National Association of Realtors. He goes into great detail on a number of subjects that can affect you as a seller or buyer. CLICK HERE for the video.

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5 Easy Upgrades Buyers love

2009-06-04T19:44:01Z

You know you need to do something to spif up your home before putting it on the market, but low on cash? Here are five retrofits that most homeowners can do themselves that can make a huge impact on selling your home quicker.

TILE A BACKSPLASH - Use a bright color or a metallic with a stainless steel or bronzelike effect.

ADD UNDERCOUNTER LIGHTING - Improve safety and ambience.

PAINT THE UPPER KITCHEN CABINETS - Choose a different color for a custom look. You’ll see this a lot in newer homes.

ADD DOORS WITH GLASS PANELS TO SOME CABINETS - Or create open shelves to display a few lovely dishes.

CHANGE THE HARDWARE - For a fresh and updated look, install new knobs and pulls, or reface the cabinet doors. I recently found cabinet hardware on Overstock.com for only $3.00 each that I paid $8.00 for only one year ago!

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How Seller’s can benefit from Job Loss Protection!

2009-06-02T16:39:07Z

In today’s economic environment, a lot of buyers are concerned that if they take the “big step” and buy the home of their dreams, something might happen to their jobs. Whether it be a cut in hours or the worst scenario - a job loss, you just never know what’s going to happen these days. Well, someone has been thinking about this and figured out what could be done about it.

Enter The Rainy Day Foundation Homeowner Education and Loan Protection service (HELP). They include a Mortgage Protection Program that protects homeowners if they experience a loss of their employment. The unemployment coverage included in the Rainy Day Foundation’s HELP service assists in keeping homeowners current on their mortgage payments each month so homeowners can minimize their financial stress while they are looking for a job. This coverage is underwritten with an A-Excellent by A.M. Best ranking.

OVERVIEW:

* The Mortgage Protection Program will provide up to six months of mortgage payments if the borrower (or co-borrower) becomes involuntarily unemployed.

* This program provides mortgage payment coverage for the first 24 months of the loan.

* Up to six months of Mortgage Payments

* Coverage up to $1800 per month.

* Easy enrollment process

* Employed full-time (min. of 30 hours per week)

* Vesting period is 60 days.

As a Realtor, I’m so excited that this type of coverage is being offered, so much so, that I made sure to get certified in being able to offer this program to my sellers. A Seller can offer this program as an incentive, just like offering a home warranty, to any buyer considering their home. This may be just the edge needed for many buyers who want to buy, but are thinking about “what ifs”. For the full details, Program Benefits and Eligibility requirements, click here.

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Why Homeownership still pays

2009-05-29T14:24:23Z

It would be an understatement for me to say many Americans have taken a hit to their home equity over the past two or three years, and some may wonder if owning a home is really the smartest financial decision. GOOD NEWS!-a recent analysis of Federal Reserve data by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows the answer is YES!

In comparison with renters, homeowners have much greater household wealth. Owner’s wealth exceeds that of renters by a factor of 50-to-1: a median of $205,200 versus a median of $4,200. The main wealth difference between the two is home equity, of course. Even for households who’ve owned their home only since 2003, home equity gains are the rule rather than the exception.

In all 150 markets tracked by NAR, including hard-hit markets, households who’ve owned their home for 10, 15 and 20 years have uniformly enjoyed strong equity gains depsite the recent downturn.

The data in this graph clearly shows that homeownership remains the biggest store of wealth for the typical household, even when markets are buffeted by some admittedly very rocky years.

And let’s not forget the incentive the government is giving 1st time home buyers, and $8,000 tax credit that does not have to be repaid if you live in the home at least three years, and you can now use it for a downpayment! BUT! You must purchase a home by December 1, 2009 to take advantage of this.

If you’re weighing all your options and considering buying this year, I hope the data here will settle any fears if homeownership still makes any sense.

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6 things to do this Memorial Day weekend

2009-05-21T17:05:54Z

It’s a nice long weekend, the weather is good and we’re all looking for something new or different to do in the Asheville area. Here’s a list of various activities that should appeal to almost everyone. But first, Veterans Ceremonies will take place for Asheville-Buncombe County at 1 p.m. Monday at the Memorial Stadium.

1. The Blue Ridge Parkway hosts a Wildflower Day starting 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Parkway Visitor Center, and features music, dance, a hike and more.

2. The Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site hosts the Sandburg Folk Music Festival, 10 a.m. -3 p.m. Monday.

3. The Memorial Day Powwow in Cherokee takes place 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds.

4. Asheville Community Band plays a free patriotic concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

5. The Big South Conference baseball tournament takes place at McCormick Field, with preliminary games at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, and the championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: $5-$12.

6. The White Squirrel Festival takes place in downtown Brevard on Saturday and Sunday.

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Outdoor dining in Asheville?

2009-05-20T14:40:52Z

Asheville isn’t called the “Paris of the South” for nothin’. One highlight of our spring, summer and fall seasons are the abundance of restaraunts with outside dining, specifically in the downtown area. People-watching at it’s best, and delicious meals at it’s finest! You get that “European” feel sitting outside with the occasional poochie sitting with their owners. People absolutely love it and if a restaurant can put a table outside, that’s where people want to be.

So, here is a partial list of places (clickable links) to go in downtown Asheville with outdoor dining:

Asheville Pizza and Brewing - Pizza, sandwiches, local brew. 77 Coxe Ave.

Bistro 1896 - Creative American. 7 W. Pack Square.

Flying Frog Cafe - American and Indian. Battery Park Ave at Haywood St.

Heiwa Shokudo - Japanese Food, sushi. 87 N. Lexington.

Jack of the Wood - Upscale pub. 95 Patton Ave.

Laughing Seed Cafe - Vegetarian. 40 Wall St.

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers - 50 Broadway.

The New French Bar Courtyard Cafe - Tapas, Sandwiches, salads. 12 Biltmore Ave.

Tupelo Honey Cafe - Southern food. 12 College St.

Thirsty Monk - Appetizers, sandwiches. 92 Patton Ave.

Wasabi - Japanese, sushi. 19 Broadway St.

Zambra - Tapas. 85 W. Walnut St.

The Green Sage Coffeehouse & Cafe - Breakfast, sandwiches. 5 Broadway St.

ENJOY!!!

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Why you’ll like Asheville if you’re a vegetarian.

2009-05-19T14:02:56Z

Did you know that Asheville leads the nation as a vegetarian city? Asheville was named the No. 1 Best Vegetarian-friendly Small City in the United States by GoVeg.com a few years ago, based on its abundance of meat-free restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and markets. Asheville is known as a health center, there are a lot of people concerned about the environment, a big arts community, and Asheville’s reputation as a vegetarian haven is the city’s restaurant scene.

Downtown Asheville has two vegetarian restaurants of note, Rosetta’s Kitchen . Rosetta Star, who opened Rosetta’s Kitchen in 2002, said it makes sense that Asheville is known as a vegetarian-friendly town. “One of the things that makes Asheville what it is, is sort of that questioning of the norm,” she said. “Asheville questions norms all over the place as a community, so it makes sense that food is one place that people would do that.” Opening in the basement of the YMCA in 1991, the Laughing Seed Cafe owner Joe Eckert says many of the restaurant’s patrons are not necessarily vegetarians but are interested in eating healthier as well as local and organic.

For the full story from the Asheville Citizen-Times, click here.

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Where O Where has Sandy been!

2009-05-19T00:46:00Z

Wow, it has been much too long since my last blog - My apologies! The reason? Blame it on two weeks of real estate continuing education. The information we learn is invaluable, but putting me in a classroom for 8 hours straight is like being in a straightjacket!! My saving grace was the comfortable wing-back chairs the school had available. Thank you Cumbie Institute!! So, now expect me to be back to normal blogging . . .

Here’s some fantastic news: The Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced this week that home buyers will be allowed to use the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit for down payments on purchases financed by FHA loans. FHA will allow approved lenders, nonprofits, and government agencies to advance the funds in the form of bridge loans that buyers would use for down payments. Buyers would repay the loans after they received their tax refunds. The FHA will release more details on the program soon.

So, with a great tax credit being offered by the government, you’re not sitting on the fence not sure to buy yet, are you? Don’t let your chance slip away!! Prices have tumbled, interest rates are at an all time low, and now you have money to put down on your first home. Win, Win, Win.

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