Progressive Thinkers in Sylva, North Carolina - 04/27/11 08:22 AM
 
 
Our local newspaper, The Sylva Herald, printed an article last week that proves we have progressive thinkers in Sylva, North Carolina. This was a good article with great photos.
 
Nick Breedlove's article covering the 100 Man March on April 16th in Sylva was a welcome sight.  Congratulations to Keith Delancey and his associates for spearheading this effort.  I know it was a long time in the making and it shows that some men are as concerned with domestic abuse and violence against women as women are. 

 
The march reminded me of a Take Back The Night … (6 comments)

Rest In Peace, Phoebe Snow, From A Fan in Sylva, North Carolina - 04/26/11 09:59 PM
Rest in Peace, Phoebe Snow from Sylva, NC  
Phoebe Snow has always been one of my all time favorite performers, from the first moment I heard her distinctive voice.  She was an amazing musician.  
I can remember seeing her in concert in Tampa at the Jai Lai Fronton. Incredible. Encore after encore.  She played everything from ballads to blues to down and dirty rock n roll.  The night was magic and I remember it like it was yesterday...yet, it was more than 30 years ago.  
A few days ago I was tooling around on YouTube listening to some … (7 comments)

Move In Ready~3 KeeKee Run, Whittier, North Carolina 28789 - 04/26/11 08:47 AM
The Laurel Hills neighborhood is located just minutes outside of Dillsboro, NC.  Easy access with paved roads throughout neighborhood.
This home  has lots of living space and storage room.  Three bedrooms and two baths on main level PLUS an open staircase leads to a huge finished basement with large bonus room (could easily become fourth bedroom or rec room) and there is a third full bathroom downstairs.
Most of these trees are hardwoods and house a healthy bird population, there's a perfect back deck for people who love to watch birds.
 
 

 
 
This covered front porch is so welcoming … (8 comments)

Do You Have a Business Card On You? - 04/25/11 10:02 PM
A week or so ago, Paul Castain, vice president of Jedi Mastery at Castain Training Systems posted an intriguing discussion about business cards on LinkedIn.
Paul is the founder of the group, Sales Playbook on LinkedIn.  I've followed his discussions, subscribed to his newsletters and visit his website, www.yoursalesplaybook,com regularly.
He is a master at social media and networking and extremely generous with his knowledge.
This is what he posted:
"Do you think business cards are a thing of the past or a critical component in your personal branding efforts?
I meet people who have business cards that range from … (12 comments)

Maggie Needs Your Help- Brevard NC Animal Rescue - 04/25/11 08:52 AM

Little Maggie is less than an hour away from Jackson County.  I'm reaching out to my good friend Keith Delancey to forward this post on to his amazing contact list of dog and cat lovers.
Please read the blog below.
To those who receive this, many hands dipping lightly into many wallets will make a big difference.  I've seen you do it before.  Thanking you in advance.
Via Carol Clay, Broker/REALTOR Brevard NC Real Estate Specialist (Keller Williams Realty, Brevard, NC):
MEET MAGGIE

Maggie is a very sweet, blue pit who has lived her life with a congenital defect that left … (3 comments)

Colorful and Full of Smiles ~~Easter Hat Parade in Dillsboro North Carolina - 04/24/11 07:52 PM
Yesterday was sunny and our little Town of Dillsboro was full of cheerful attendees for the 23rd Annual Easter Hat Parade.
 
This festival is popular with visitors and locals, people of all ages attend with their babies, their grandparents, their dogs and ferrets? Yes, ferrets...keep looking at the photos, there were three ferrets in attendance!
 
This lovely lady is a resident of Dillsboro and greeted me with this beautiful smile on her way to the parade grounds.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Just outside of The Kitchen Shop, the Salon and Treehouse Pottery on Front Street, … (7 comments)

Is Your To Do List Under Control? - 04/22/11 09:21 AM

Are you in control of your "to do" list or does it control you?
Realtor, thy nickname is Flexible or Multi-Task or Back Up & Punt (whatever that means)...you get the drift though. For me, the to do list is something I constantly aspire to complete.  It always seems to have way more to get done than seems possible in one day...and it is NEVER unaltered before the day is over.
Shortly after joining ActiveRain, one commenter read my profile and noticed that we've chosen to set our company, MoonDancer Realty, up as a Team based company.  For us, … (11 comments)

How Many Agents Will Pause in the Rain For a Minute? - 04/21/11 08:13 AM
Doesn't it feel like the moment we step out of bed, we hit the ground running?  I know I feel that way pretty often.
If I wasn't busy enough, I decided to explore participation in ActiveRain!  Funny thing though, its like a dual time investment. What the heck does she mean?  Anyone else out there who has gone through the rigors of additional certification like ABR, GRI, CRS...any of them...stress that you MUST leave time for yourself.  I've heard time and time again that one good way to avoid "business slumps" is to dust off past hobbies or interests, revive those … (8 comments)

The Seller Said "No B.S."...How Refreshing! - 04/20/11 11:23 PM

 
Why can't more sellers be like this?
We received a referral from an acquaintance yesterday.  Before looking at the house, we decided to meet at the office to get a feel for the seller's motivation and to just have an opportunity to get to know the seller a little. We would drive out to the house after talking a little.
Sometimes it seems that if the first meeting is at the house, everything becomes all about the house and not so much about the seller.  It can be a good way to get an indication of the give and … (14 comments)

First Jack in Jackson County, North Carolina - 04/20/11 07:38 AM

 
This infant Jack in the Pulpit just popped up along the driveway at
my home in Balsam, NC. The first time I'd ever heard of this
wildflower was in a line of wildflower themed t-shirts we used to
carry in our camping and backpacking shop, Venture Out. Once I
became familiar with this very cool shaped flower, I'd see it quite
often when out hiking or camping in the Pisgah or Nantahala
 National Forests or The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.





This other baby Jack in the Pulpit is growing up
with a lush … (2 comments)

A Highly Satisfying Open House in Sylva, North Carolina - 04/19/11 10:40 PM
     
The Tomatoes, Green Onions, Feta,                 Pour Hot Penne into Tomato Mixture
Olive Oil, Parsley and Dill
 
   
Toss to Coat                                               A Pretty Presentation!
 
      We placed 5 signs to show the way!
 
  Its A Beautiful House in East Fork Acres
Our Open House at 1064 Middle Ridge Road in Sylva, NC was a success.  In spite of the distance from town, we had a good turnout of local brokers and some members of the public.  The weather was beautiful so we were able to just open the windows and the doors to the attached screened in … (6 comments)

Are Realtors Worth Their Commission? - 04/19/11 07:20 AM
I thought this post originally written by Karen Bernetti was brilliant.  I'm glad that Donna Foerster had re-blogged it.  In fact re-blogging seems to be the only way to really showcase some blogs.  The reason I appreciate Karen's blog is the respectful, sort of awestruck way she presented the material.  I'd like to add another skillset to her list which occured to me while going through my open house checklist.
While [most] agents are not caterers - they sure know a lot about preparing attractive, tasty dishes for a multitude of people.
The checklist for something as deceptively simple sounding like … (6 comments)

Open House Tuesday April 19 from 11:30 to 1:30 ~~1064 Middle Ridge Road, Sylva, NC - 04/18/11 07:31 AM
Savannah area of Sylva - PRIVATE & PEACEFUL - handsome mountain home on beautiful tree shaded 2.25+/- acre lot. Conveniently located between Franklin and Dillsboro, about 20 minutes from downtown Sylva, NC.
Those who love to cook will enjoy the large, bright modern kitchen which opens into the living area. Huge master suite with walk in closet and attached full bath on main floor. Master bath features both a garden tub and separate shower.  While there is a total of 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, the second floor bedroom could be easily converted into two bedrooms with a common bath and spacious … (11 comments)

Dillsboro, NC 23rd Annual Easter Hat Parade on Saturday April 23, 2011 - 04/17/11 07:27 PM
EASTER HAT PARADE Easter Saturday, 2 pmApril 23, 2011 - Hat Making Workshop starts at 10 AM, Easter Egg Hunt 10:30 AM
Calling all ladies, gentlemen, children and dogs. Grab your hat and join in the fun during Dillsboro's delightfully unpretentious annual Easter Hat Parade! Come at 10 am to make a hat - or bring your own. Registration starts at 11 am. Parade starts from Dillsboro Town Hall at 2:00 pm.
 

Often billed as the least pretentious parade ever, the 23rd Annual Dillsboro Easter Hat Parade is happening next Saturday, April 23, 2011.  For merchants in the historic … (8 comments)

What's In A Name? How Do We Define Ourselves? - 04/16/11 10:27 AM

This subject has dominated my thoughts lately. We recently decided we could better serve our clients and ourselves professionally with our own firm. Once we made the decision to open our own brokerage, we spent a tremendous amount of mental energy on naming the company.
Should we go with physical location, identify ourselves with our area? Include town names like Sylva, Cullowhee or Dillsboro? How about Jackson County? Maybe attach a location covering a larger area, like Western North Carolina, Great Smoky, Blue Ridge, or Appalachian Mountains? These names were frustrating us by the confinement they represented and the name … (4 comments)

Wanted...Must Be Old and In Need of Love in Western North Carolina - 04/15/11 08:12 AM
Calling for Cooperation!!!  A couple of weeks ago, I'd written about this before, but now I have more specifics.
Our Buyer has a soft spot for old (prior to 1960) houses that have been neglected or abandoned.  Her passion is renovating and repurposing these architectural senior citizens. When we were looking at some of these houses last week, she expressed relief that there aren't telethons or infomercials for old houses like there are for hungry children or abused animals - although she is sensitive to those populations also.
So, please help me locate THE house for this buyer. Her criteria is … (2 comments)

Update on "If We Can't Call It a Family Home...What Can We Call It?" - 04/14/11 10:00 PM

Here's a follow up to last night's blog about appropriate terms to use when marketing homes. I got some great comments back from AR members, but it seemed that we all share some concern over what we can or can't say when describing our listings.
Turns out we CAN call it a Family Home!!!
Well, a call to legal counsel at the North Carolina Association of Realtors helped clarify whether or not we could advertise our big 5BR/3.5BA house as ideal for families or growing families. Turns out we can market properties that way. He directed us to the North … (5 comments)

If We Can't Call It A Family Home...What Can We Say? - 04/13/11 11:45 PM
Does anyone else get stymied and frustrated by which terms are acceptable when describing houses?
I get that we shouldn't advertise that a house is within walking distance of a Catholic Church or a Pagan Temple. 
I even can accept that you can't advertise a house as being in close proximity to some sort of throw back "exclusive" yet disturbingly discriminatory country club.
I don't question that describing a neighborhood as being populated by an older population with an intolerance towards children is a bad thing.
What I am confused by though, is just what is appropriate language to describe a 5 … (12 comments)

Huge Home for Sale - 49 Stardance Ridge, Near Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC - 04/13/11 10:27 PM
Located within minutes of Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College is this huge 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath home with a full finished basement. Tons of living space plus storage galore. Home is situated on a beautiful rolling 2.18+/-acre lot.

 
Enjoy paved access all the way.  The master bedroom/bath and an additional bedroom is on main floor. Three additional bedrooms plus full bath on second floor.  The laundry room is centrally located on the first floor with a laundry chute coming from upstairs! There are hardwood floors through the majority of the house. Large country kitchen opens to deck and grilling … (7 comments)

Bewildered by Blog Bounty - 04/12/11 10:44 PM
Wow - I've been dabbling in ActiveRain now for about 3 months and am astounded by the breadth and wealth of information and compassion offered up by all of you bloggers.
This is almost overwhelming choosing from the different Groups and different Blogs.  Please, please, please give my your various guidelines in making your selections.  How in the world do you even review all these groups before making a choice?
After writing your blog, how do you determine which groups to include the blog in?
Just as I think I've figured out my routine and the blogs I'm attached to, my … (13 comments)

Tick Tick Tick in Western North Carolina - 04/11/11 09:58 PM
Well, it's over! Winter is officially gone.
No more rubbing of hands or stomping of feet to keep the circulation of blood going. 
No more running the car to keep the heater going while showing the bone chilling frigid houses.
No more cursing of sellers refusing to move the thermostat above 42 degrees.
Nope. Spring and summer brings their own unique challenges to comfortably showing property. Now, real estate agents gingerly nudge open the doors to outbuildings so as to avoid heart stopping surprises of black widows, squirrels, mice, snakes, crepey and drapey and ropey thick sticky nasty clingy icky cobwebs, … (4 comments)

Where to Take Out the Trash Comments - 04/11/11 07:11 AM
 

When I settled down early this morning to check on ActiveRain and see who blogged what and also to see if anyone found my blogs comment-worthy, I found three notifications. One from Pat Haddad about a specific property I'm seeking for someone and two other comments on my blog about personal notes.
Maybe I'm still green and maybe this wears off (but I doubt it), I really love seeing ActiveRain notifications about new comments. Pat didn't disappoint me, she always leaves good thoughtful comments, but the other two look like spam or junk mail.
Does this happen often? And … (13 comments)

Buyer With Specific Tastes in Western North Carolina - 04/10/11 08:20 AM
 
We signed new clients yesterday and are really looking forward to working with them. Ms Buyer has been "searching" on her own for a couple of years for a certain type of property and is now ready to engage an agent to look in earnest. She was referred to us by friends.
So.....if anyone in Western North Carolina, from Weaverville to Robbinsville, can search their inventory and see if you have this type of property, I'd love an opportunity to show it. I'm curious to see if the ActiveRain Community will see this post and respond back. I've had great … (5 comments)

Contemplating Personal Notes and Class Acts - 04/09/11 11:32 PM
People love personal notes. I always try to keep up with our local newspapers, THE SYLVA HERALD and THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS to stay informed about things happening in the lives of friends and clients. Its a pleasure to drop a note card or a personalized e-card to someone who's achieved an award or their child may have received recognition for something.  Sometimes its the only way to find out someone may have lost someone important in their lives and you have a chance to reach out to let them know you care.
I love to receive personal notes too. I … (16 comments)

We Like Questions About Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreements - 04/08/11 11:09 PM

We like to be questioned about Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreements. It means we got the buyer's attention when reviewing the Working With Real Estate Agents brochure. It also means the buyer recognizes that if we take this kind of time to be absolutely sure the buyer understands their rights as a real estate consumer, we will take the time necessary to act as their advocate throughout the entire process of purchasing real estate.
We had an appointment today with a new prospective buyer we'd been communicating with by phone & email for a week. Our habit is to always email … (8 comments)

Little Black Book in Sylva, North Carolina - 04/06/11 07:45 AM
I got a call last night from a friend and client. Turns out that the house we have listed for him is having gutter troubles. He didn't know who to call and said he was sure I had a "Little Black Book" for just those issues. He had a name in one minute and five minutes later, I had another call from the referral saying thanks.
Which am I more excited about - that yes, I definitely do have a Little Black Book...or that this client had confidence that I would have such a thing?
For seven years, I've carefully cultivated … (15 comments)

Remember the Sleep Survey? - 04/04/11 08:38 AM

Remember the LinkedIn poll asking how much sleep do the respondents get?  Well, the results are in and most of us can feel pretty normal...6-7 hours keeps many of us functioning well.
Take a look, I hope the link works.
http://linkd.in/g7c49w
 Let me know what you think.  I have a closing today, glad I got a good night's sleep.
 
 
 
… (6 comments)

Just a Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Taxes Go Down in Balsam, NC - 04/03/11 07:55 AM

OH NO!!!!  IT'S THE DREADED "FINISH UP THE FREAKING TAX GATHERING STUFF" DAY.
So, did I jump out of bed and run to the table to sort receipts? Did I locate my checkbook register, calculator, legal tablet, several sharpened #2 pencils, mileage record, 2009 return, hi-lighter and trash can for the "sob sob sob" (can be interpreted as the crying sound or the son of ...) receipts I CAN'T use?
NOPE!
I looked for my camera, made coffee, grabbed my special coffee mug, got my reward apple fritter and took a picture for the ActiveRain blog!
Actually, several spoonfuls of … (7 comments)

There's Got To Be A Morning After - 04/01/11 08:21 AM
The morning after a good closing is always a little weird.  You've rushed and scheduled and coordinated and worried and phoned and emailed and...well, you get it.  I've never given birth, but it seems to be a good analogy.  Even though other showings, other deals, other contacts may be happening simultaneously, I still wake up the morning after at sort of loose ends.
Am I alone in this????? This is definitely NOT postpartum depression, just more like a drifty hazy foggy feeling.
One thing is certain, can't be floating like this for too long.  My business partner just asked "What's on … (3 comments)

 
Mona%20800%20squared Ambassador_large

Mona Gersky, GRI,ABR~MoonDancer Realty~ Western NC Mountains

Sylva, NC

More about me…

Buyer & Seller Representation

Address: Sylva,Bryson City,Cullowhee,Balsam, Webster,Whittier,Waynesville, Dillsboro, NC, 28725

Office Phone: (828) 631-0077

Cell Phone: (828) 508-1107

Email Me

What job could possibly be better than bringing people together by sharing our common interests and learning new ones? Here's my opportunity to introduce conversations and photos of the area I feel so passionate about...the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. This is one way to give you some background about me and our MoonDancer Realty company to help you make an informed decision about hiring us as your next REALTOR. I hope you enjoy the content as much I enjoy sharing it. I'm looking forward to reading your comments and hope to meet you soon.


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