For those of you who have never visited the majestic mountains of the Blue Ridge, specifically the mountain resort town of Highlands, NC -You have been deprived! Just a little over two hours from mid town Atlanta this unique town is somewhat like going back to another era where drivers are polite and residents and visitors all seem to wear smiles on their face. (For the past two weeks, we have been smiling even more as the August 2007 heat brought record triple digit temperatures to the lowlands while we at 4100' elevation have not yet broken 89 degrees. For an area in which our average summer temperature is 76 degrees it did seem to us a bit warm.) Our picture perfect town's Main Street, a fun shopping area of high end retail shops, boutiques, antique shops and art galleries surrounded by 130 year old inns and churches and more than a dozen chef owned fine dining restaurants, five with the prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence spotlighting on Highlands wonderful reputation as a culinary paradise.
Highlands cool temperatures and progressive hospitality lured the plantation owners of coastal SC and GA as far back as the 1880's. The season then began Memorial Day and ended Labor Day weekend. The invention of the automobile and the building of roads further facilitated Highlands population and popularity as a second home community. Beginning in the late 1990's more and more second home owners gave up their primary homes to become year round residents of the Highlands Plateau. Out of the 20,000 plus seasonal population, the area boasts a year round population of slightly over 3000.
Highlands has always been perceived to some degree as being expensive. Although Highlands attracts many captains of industry, political figures and writers/artists, it is a special place for all who enjoy the beauty of wildflowers and spring floral cover of our forests floor; who appreciate Summer's cool, invigorating temperatures to enjoy hiking, golf, and boating and those who appreciate the awesome beauty of the fall hues of orange, yellow, and red flame painting the forests, hills and valleys. Mother Natures artistic talent at her finest! The winter season allows us incredible views, a great time to buy real estate ande perhaps enjoy a occasional snow. Did I forget about the birds? We are also a summer home to a variety of rare and beautiful species.
2007 appears to have all of the ingredients for a banner real estate year for the Highlands Plateau! It is definitely a Buyers Market with an extremely diversified inventory of homes that should suit just about everybody's taste and financial picture. Home prices are realistic and enticing, a change that you will definitely notice if you have been contemplating purchase for a few years. In addition to the million $ plus homes there is also a large selection of desirable homes as well as fixer-uppers in the $250,000-$400,000 market, and, for those who are looking for reasonably priced cozy weekend get-aways, both mountain view or riverside, they are also available.
If in-town condo living is appealing you will find about 60 new units planned to be completed in the next year. There are also several new in-town neighborhoods that are reaching sales phases.
For those new who are new to Highlands and just beginning their real estate pursuit, Signature Properties Priority Club, the only such service in Highlands, will greatly assist in making your second home search more productive and organized. Just call me at 866 526-4218 and I will be happy to learn about your home requirements and will immediately begin sending you daily homes to review. In addition, I will assist you with hotel and restaurant reservations, tee times, theatre tickets or anything that will assist you in making your Highlands visit very enjoyable. For more information on Highlands please go to Signature Properties website at www.sigpropnc.com or visit my personal website at http://highlandsncliving.com where you can learn more about Highlands and complete a home needs survey request for information.
I hope to make your acquaintance.
Cordially,
Nancy Plate'
Realtor, Signature Properties
Highlands, NC 28741
866 526-4218
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