Let's Talk About the Asheville Area

Square Footage Prices in the Asheville Area

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:45:28 -0800

People ask me why homes are so expensive in the Asheville area compared to the rest of North Carolina. Of course I tell them it's because it is the BEST place to live and value costs!! But seriously, there are several reasons. We don't have big builders who put up a 1000 homes a year or even 500. A builder buying 1000 toilets gets a better price than one buying 50.

Our lots take more preparation. We live in the mountains. we build on hills. Sometimes there is rock to consider. Public sewer and water doesn't extend throughout the county so you may have the additional expense of a 400' well instead of 200'. The septic system might run into rock!

Several builders have told me that materials are even higher here than in Charlotte or Raleigh. Below is a comparison of Square Footage prices in several areas.

Median List Price / sq. ft.

More North Carolina Home Values

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO,SFR
CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles
http://www.ashevillehome.com
Eunice@AshevilleHome.com
828-230-4894

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Winter really hits Asheville

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:25:21 -0800

It is really nice to have a little bit of "warm" weather - that is - above freezing. Our winter has definitely not been the usual. We have had the longest cold spell on record. For 4 weeks we had only 3 or 4 days that went above freezing in the day time. We would normally expect a lot of days during this time period in the 40's and 50's. You never know what to expect with our weather. We did get to enjoy the beauty of a rare, big snow - anywhere from 10 inches to 20 inches in the Asheville area. Snow amounts can vary tremendously in just a short distance in this area. Here are some of our pictures.

wonderland.

Asheville Area Real Estate

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:02:19 -0700

Things are looking up in Asheville. Showings are increasing, houses are selling and the inventory is slightly down. Our hardest hit was from last June through February this year. Now we are seeing very encouraging signs. It won't go quite to normal this year, I don't think, but it is on its way back up and I hope next year will be back to normal. Now is a great time to buy while prices are still a little soft and sellers still nervous.

Hendersonville, Noth Carolina

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:26:35 -0700

It's time to look at the communities and towns in Henderson County, NC. Hendersonville is the county seat and the main town in Henderson County. Hendersonville is a unique combination of slowpaced, tourist town and vibrant, growing town. Newly built communities populated with younger people vie for space with active

retirees. Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot and Staples on the edge of town contrast with antique shops, dress shops, restaurants and gift shops on a walkable Main Street. Hendersonville is 22 miles south of Asheville and accessed by I-26. It is the home of Blue Ridge Technical College and numerous beautiful Bed and Breakfasts. http://www.historichendersonville.com is a wonderful resource of everything that is available in Hendersonville. Check it out. You will want to come and visit. Henderson County has a population of 102,142 and Hendersonville 12,751.

Edneyville is a small town about 7 or 8 miles from I-26 east of Hendersonville. Known
primarily for the many apple orchards in the area. Apple packing houses and fruit stands
line the highway. On Labor Day week end all of Henderson county celebrates with an
Apple Festival downtown. The area is primarily rural. Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Park
are within a 30 minute Drive.

West of Hendersonville on Hwy 64 is an area know as Horseshoe which boasts its own
post office and a few businesses but is primarily rural. About 10 miles from Hendersonville is Etowah.
In Etowah life revolves around Golf. There is a golf course is the center of the town and there is a gated
golf community, a few businesses and restaurants and not much else but beautiful countryside.

A little north of Etowah and Horseshoe is Mills River - the latest incorporated town. It is primarily rural with a few small businesses. Mills River is perhaps the flatest area in the whole county.

South of Hendersonville is East Flat Rock and Flat Rock where Carl Sandburg's home Connemara is located. Nearby is the Flat Rock Theatre ( http://flatrockplayhouse.org ) which produces excellent plays. There are several golf communities also.

Laurel Park is an incorporated town adjacent to Hendersonville. It is primarily residential on a mountain with a small business area also. It is south and west of Hendersonville.

Eunice Pearson, ABR,CRS,GRI.ePRO
828-684-2640 Office
828-230-4894 Cell "I Care About You"
Eunice@AshevilleHome.com
http://www.AshevilleHome.com

Western North Carolina

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:39:30 -0800

This is a continuation of information on the towns of Western North Carolina and their location. I will continue with Henderson County in the next installment. I want to give you an update on real estate in our area.

January saw more showings and more under contracts in our office. I heard the same thing from several other agents in different offices. It won't show up in the statistics probably until March, and we can't guarantee it will be sustained, but it is looking encouraging. Interest rates are great and we have mortgage companies with money. Your interest rate is pegged to your credit score. The highest scores are getting interest rates in the low 4's

At this point we don't know what will happen with the Stimulus Bill, but if it is signed as now proposed, it will be a nice tax saving if you have the money to buy a new home. Personal residences only. No investment properties.

The high dollar properties are still struggling. 80% of the homes selling for the last few months are under $300,000.

Enough of the money stuff! Everybody needs a little fun and there are lots of places to have fun in Asheville. Here are a few suggestions. Definitely not a complete list.

Great Music Venues:

The Grey Eagle The Orange Peel

The Asheville Symphony The Asheville Bravo Concerts

WNC Jazz Society The Diana Wortham Theatre

Great Theatre:

The Asheville Community Theatre The Flat Rock Playhouse

The North Carolina State Stage The Brevard Little Theatre

Summer Theatre:

Montford Park Players Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre

If you want to get outside there are many place to bike, hike, kayak, fish, golf, raft, rock climb or mine for gems. Go to the the NC Arboretum to walk, enjoy flowers, see their Bonsai Garden or take a class. There are many parks for walking, picnicking, playing soccer or dog walking. Or check out hiking in the whole Smokey Mountain Park, just a short drive away.

Have Fun!

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS.ePRO,GRI

828-230-4894 Cell Phone

eunice@ashevillehome.com

www.ashevillehome.com

800-968-3989 Office Toll Free

Asheville Area/Madison County

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:33:36 -0800

Madison County is north of Asheville and Buncombe County. It is very rural with lots of mountains, streams and valleys. The French Broad River flows through it along with many tributaries. There are only 3 towns with just 3 zip codes in Madison County

Marshall is the county seat. In town there is the courthouse, a few shops and restaurants and the river. The French Broad River runs through the middle of town and occasionally floods. On the other side of

Main Street it goes straight up a mountain. Beyond the river are mountains and coves with small farms. It is about a 20 minute drive to Asheville from Main St.

Downtown Marshall

Mars Hill is a college town. The college was established in 1856 and it is the focal point of the town. There is at least one big, nice Bed and Breakfast.

A regular of repertoire of plays are performed in the Owen Theatre

The third town is Hot Springs. There really are hot springs there and you can pay to go and relax there. Years ago it was a major resort with a huge wooden hotel. A couple of fires and a bypass by the Interstate slowed business to a crawl. It is close enough to the Appalachian Trail to make it a stop for long distance hikers. The French Broad River runs through Hot Springs also.

The terrain around Hot Springs is mountainous. And the Falls are beautiful.

Web sites with more information on Madison County

Madison County Information

More Madison County Information

Visit Madison County

Henderson County Next

                            Eunice Pearson, ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO
                            2123 Hendersonville Rd
                            Arden, NC 28704
                            828-230-4894
                            eunice@ashevillehome.com
                            www.ashevillehome.com

Where to find it in Buncombe/Asheville

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:52:29 -0800

Ever hear the expression "That's a lot of bunk?" It seems that in 1820 there had been a long and difficult debate in Congress about the Missouri Compromise. Finally the vote was called, but Congressman Felix Walker, whose district included Buncombe County, stood and stated that he had to speak for his constituents - he needed to speak for Buncombe - whereupon he proceeded to ramble on while the others waited impatiently. Later one Congressman said to another, "That wasn't for Buncombe that was Buncombe." It was soon shortened to "bunkum" and then to "bunk" meaning meaningless words.

This is just a glimpse of what you can find in Buncombe County and where you will find the various towns. It has a population of approximately 221,776 in 656 sq. miles for a density of 333.6 per sq. mile.

First of all is Asheville, which is the country seat, is located south central in the county. Its demographics are a mecca of mixture. You will find every culture, religion and lifestyle. The land is varied from mountains and valleys, coves and wide open fields. The French Broad River flows through much of Asheville and the county fed by several smaller rivers and streams. The Appalachian Trail is nearby, you can hike the Mountains to the Sea Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway slices through the county.

Real estate in Asheville includes both historic homes, large and small and new construction of all sizes. We have downtown condos in new buildings or converted in old buildings as well as new developments in the suburbs. Our real estate tends to be some of the most expensive in North Carolina.

A highly regarded hospital is just south of downtown. Memorial Mission's Heart Tower is in the top 100 cardiology hospitals in the nation. There is a VA hospital on the east side. Excellent specialists of all types practice in Asheville.

Points of interest include the University of North Carolina in Asheville just north of downtown, Grove Park Inn, also north, Asheville Buncombe Community College, centrally located, and the Biltmore Estate south of downtown. There are numerous boutique stores with arts, crafts, clothing etc. The Grove Arcade is a unique area with shops. Just East of Asheville on I-40 is The Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center. North Asheville has Beaver Lake which has a bird sanctuary and walking trail.

Just north of Asheville is Woodfin. It is incorporated but doesn't have a real business area. It has some highway business along Hwy 25 and commercial along the river. It is an area of mostly smaller older homes with a few new construction areas.

Weaverville is a small town about 10 miles north of Asheville on I-26. It has a charming historic main street business section and on the main route in from I-26 are banks, grocery stores, restaurants and a nearly completed WalMart and Home Depot.

It has a charming little park with small lake with fountain and picnic area. But don't feed the ducks and geese - it's against the law. They were making too big a mess!

East of Asheville on Hwy 70 is Swannanoa. Mostly rural, Swannanoa has some highway business. Warren Wilson College is a small private college with a "green" focus. Students work as part of the curriculum and come from many parts of the world. There is an Outward Bound School located at Warren Wilson College.

About 15 miles east of Asheville on I-40 is Black Mountain which is well known for its small antique stores and many small restaurants and shops. It also has a couple of small lakes with walking trails, picnic areas, and playgrounds. Blue Ridge Conference Center is here.

Montreat College is another small private college and is located in Black Mountain. The home of Billy Graham is adjacent and he is much respected in this area

Ridgecrest is adjacent to Black Mountain and is primarily Ridgecrest Conference Center. There are numerous conference centers in Western North Carolina

Southeast of Asheville on Hwy. 74 is Fairview. Primarily rural with valleys and mountains, businesses are rapidly growing in the area and a small town area now exists. A variety of real estate is available.

Arden is south of Asheville but so closely tied together that only the mailman knows where one ends and the other begins. There are businesses all the way from Asheville to Arden and there is a new WalMart and a new strip shopping center on Airport Rd. It is hard to know if it is in Arden or Fletcher. Fletcher is in Henderson county but almost indistinguishable from Arden since some of it drizzles over into Buncombe county. This is one of the largest areas in the county for new construction and it is easily accessed by I-26 or leisurely by Hwy 25. Lake Julian is a lake used to cool a power plant and has a large picnic area, paddle-boats and sailing.

Candler is on the West at the junction of I-40, I-240 and I-26, formerly known as "malfunction junction". But now we have a nearly completed junction that actually works. Candler is suburban and rural with a second campus of Asheville Buncombe Community College. Biltmore Lake shares the same zip code and surrounds Enka Lake. Candler is most famous for the fact that I live in Candler!

Last, but not least is Leicester. There are more ways to pronounce that word than there are letters in it. We'll teach you how when you get here. Mostly rural with a few new developments. It is northwest of Asheville on Hwy 63 which is 4 lane for the first 5 miles or so.

I nearly forgot Alexander. Shoulder to shoulder with Leicester and very similar - another one of those that it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Alexander is between the French Broad River and Leicester. Don't worry, it doesn't flood - it is much higher up.

Asheville, Woodfin, Black Mountain, and Weaverville are the only incorporated towns. And then there are the towns that don't exist - Enka and Oteen. These are post offices and separate zip codes but you will never have that address if you have mail delivery at home. Only if you have a box at the post office. However you will often hear them referred to as towns. As such, Enka is west in the Candler area and Oteen is east on the edge of Asheville. The VA hospital is located there.

That is a quick rundown of the towns in Buncombe county and their relationship to Asheville. I hope that will help you decide where you want to live. Call me and I will help you find the right house. http://www.ashevillehome.com

Here are a few additional links of interest.

Explore Asheville Downtown Asheville

Restaurants in Asheville Bed and Breakfasts

The Laurels of Asheville More Bed and Breakfasts

Next up Madison County

                                      Eunice Pearson, ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO
                                      828-230-4894
                                      www.ashevillehome.com
                                      eunice@ashevillehome.com

Where are all those towns in Western North Carolina?

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:45:20 -0800

If you are interested in real estate in Western North Carolina, and if you don't live here, you probably want to know "How far is Black Mountain?""Where is Woodfin - it isn't on the map". The MLS I belong to is the North Carolina Mountains MLS and covers 5 counties with stray listings from several other counties. It can be confusing to know where the listing is located in reference to Asheville or Hendersonville.

Here are the 5 counties covered and the "major" towns in each county.

Buncombe County

Asheville, Weaverville, Black Mountain, Arden, Candler, Fairview

Henderson County

Hendersonville, Fletcher, Flat Rock, Etowah

Madison County

Marshall, Mars Hill. Hot Springs

Haywood County

Canton, Waynesville, Junaluska, Maggie Valley

Transylvania County

Brevard, Pisgah Forest, Rosman, Conestee Falls It's Cold in Western North CarolinaToday!

My next 5 posts will give you details on the locations of towns and areas and a few of the highlights of each place.

Eunice Pearson
CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles
www.ashevillehome.com
828-230-4894

Local Restaurants

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:59:47 -0800

Asheville is blessed with many local restaurants in case you are tired of the chains. They have delightful names such as the Flying Frog Cafe, Tupelo Honey, Mamacitas, Laughing Seed and Bouchon. Every type of cuisine is available with a warm welcome in most places to vegetarians. Check out these and many more at this Independent Restuarant website. Of course there are many chain restuarants available too. You will never lack for good food in Asheville

Eunice Pearson
CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles
www.ashevillehome.com

Welcome to the Asheville Area

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO (CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:59:01 -0800

Welcome to the Asheville Area which includes Hendersonville and numerous small, nearby towns. People often ask me, Where is Fairview? What is the Asheville community like? Is everybody in Hendersonville retired? This blog is designed to acquaint you with the many communities in this area and to answer some of those questions.

If you have questions, please post them and I will find an answer for you. If you live in this area and have suggestions and comments, please post them.

Asheville is an old/new city with a traditional/modern, green/tourist mecca of mixture. In the center of the city old buildings have been renovated for condos and boutique type stores. New buildings have been built for the same purposes. Adjacent to downtown are traditional homes from small to grand. The grand old Grove Park Inn is just north of downtown and surrounded by many of these traditional homes.

Downtown the classic Courthouse and impressive City building are fronted by a park which at this time is in a state of perpetual renovation. Downtown is famous for its local restaurants, local brews, and music venues. If you want to get better acquainted with the city you can take one of two trolley tour lines or go for the excitement of LeZoom bus!

I'll be back with more information on the Asheville area. More about Asheville.

Eunice Pearson ABR,CRS,GRI,ePRO
CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles
828-230-4894
www.ashevillehome.com