Brevard North Carolina Real Estate Blog

Mention western North Carolina or the Blue Ridge mountains and most people think of hiking, white water rafting, kayaking, or even fly fishing in the famed French Broad River. These outdoor activities are just some of the reasons why this area is so popular, though. Brevard, North Carolina is also home to a rich and active arts community that is part of the year round lifestyle here.

There are 11 art galleries in Brevard and five are right along Main Street in downtown. The galleries are open year round, but on the fourth Friday of the month from April through December, they stay open late to welcome visitors during Gallery Walk. On those nights you can stroll down Main Street and discover the works of local artists, world renowned artists, as well as some of our area's emerging talent. While you're at it, you'll also want to catch the "Scenic 276 Arts Corridor" and the different galleries and studios that dot this mountain road. (Hwy. 276 is the main road leading into Brevard from the South Carolina border.)

One of the highlights of Brevard's arts community is a public arts project that resulted in the creation of five murals and 14 award-winning sculptures that you'll find throughout downtown...many of which have been made even more special because of forethought of the artists. Look closely at the Bobcat created by Steve Fox and you'll see "Hi kids" inscribed on the side. It was a message he placed there for the many children he knew would be drawn to "pet" his life size creation. Sculptures of an Elk and one of a Red Wolf were placed in front of the court house. The two creatures are now considered extinct and it was the artists' way of "reintroducing" them.

Late in 2007 the Transylvania Community Arts Council, along with the NC Tourism office, brought together many individuals involved in the arts here to form a new entity whose purpose was to promote all of the arts in our County. The result was the Transylvania Arts Promotion ("TAP"). It is composed of individual artists, musicians, writers, performers, and representatives from the Transylvania Community Arts Council, Brevard Music Center, The Porter Center for the Performing Arts, Brevard Little Theatre, Heart of Brevard, Brevard Chamber of Commerce, Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority, arts organizations, arts businesses, and venues that host the arts.

Just this week, the group launched a web site dedicated solely to the arts in the Brevard area. At the Arts of Brevard site you'll find a complete listing of galleries, studios, performance schedules, brochures that you can download about the various art tours, and everything else that is art related in our community.

So the next time you visit Brevard, take time to hang up your hiking boots and take in the arts!

When I first moved to western North Carolina it was August and I had just left steamy, hot, overcrowded Florida. I had always loved North Carolina and was over the moon about finally living here. But when I discovered the bounty of local summer vegetables and how easy it was to get fresh ripe South Carolina peaches, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

A short drive east of the Brevard area you'll find yourself in apple country. More apples are grown in eastern Henderson County, around Hendersonville, NC than anywhere else in the state. You'll enjoy that crop this fall. But the summer crops, the ones that are in season now, are a real highlight. The other day I stopped at my favorite road side market and picked up yellow squash, zuchinni, white corn,and cucumbers that had just been picked from local fields that morning. And the tomatoes....oh my gosh...the tomatoes are like big red juicy bits of heaven. They will make you wonder what restaurants have been passing off as tomatoes in your salad.

But this is also peach season in South Carolina and since we're only an hour or so north of the NC/SC border, we get what I consider the best peaches on the planet. We're now into freestone season so after I got my veggies, I picked up a basket full of peaches that had also just arrived that morning.

I love peaches as they are or cut up with some vanilla ice cream. But one of my husband's favorite things is peach crisp. I admit to not being a baker so as much as I love good cobbler, I stick with crisps. My mother made the best cobbler so maybe I'll just cling to that memory. So, if you are pie crust challenged like I am, give this a whirl. I have some baking in my oven right now which I'll be taking to a friend's house tonight. The aroma is.....(((wuuunddderrrrful)))

PEACH CRISP

Caveat: Like most of my cooking, I don't measure but this is pretty close. Feel free to adjust to your own tastes. This should make enough for 4-6 people.

About 3lbs +/- of good peaches. Slice them into sections (maybe about 1/2" or so) into a large bowl. This should be enough for a 6x9 pan. But,  if you have a specific baking pan you want to use, adjust the amount of peaches accordingly. Just remember you'll need to reserve about an inch at the top for the topping.

Combine:
About 3/4 cup of sugar
About 1 tsp cinnamon

Toss peaches with this mixture. Adjust sugar and cinnamon to your personal taste and how sweet the peaches are.

Then toss with about 1/4 cup flour. The sugar makes the peaches juicy and the flour will help it thicken as it cooks. The result at this stage should be slightly syrupy.

Fill the baking dish with the peaches, and press down slightly so the peaches are nice and cozy. Top with crisp mixture and bake at 375 for about an hour or until the crisp is slightly brown and the peaches are bubbly. NOTE: Put your baking dish on a cookie sheet or aluminum foil. It will probably bubble over on the edges. To die for with fresh whipped cream or ice cream...or both!

Crisp Toppping

Approx. 1 cup of flour
Approx. 1 cup of old fashion oats - not instant oatmeal!
Approx. 1 cup of sugar (sometimes I'll use half white and half brown
About 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (If you have apple pie spice in your spice drawer, this works great, too)
1 stick of cold butter cut into small pieces

Using two knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you get a nice, course texture. Spread evenly on top of the peaches. Tap the dish on the counter to settle the topping.

When asked to define the ultimate mountain home, most people will say it should have a view of the mountains. Others look for a beautiful wooded setting with waterfalls and rivers. And still others look for a way to indulge their favorite past time of playing golf. This home in Sapphire Lakes North Carolina is all that and so much more.

This beautiful 3 bedroom, 3 bath home is located on the 3rd tee box, across the street from the Horsepasture River, with a tremendous year round view of Hogback mountain right out the back door. It has been totally remodeled inside and out so all you have to do is enjoy the mountain lifestyle that surrounds you. Located in the country club community of Burlingame at Sapphire Lakes  in the Blue Ridge mountains of western North Carolina, you're only 30 minutes from downtown Brevard and 15 minutes from the Cashiers-Highlands area.

Highlights and Features:

• Totally remodeled kitchen 
• Spa inspired master bath  
• Large guest room with private bath
• Wood burning fireplace  
• Hardwood floors  
• Golf cart garage
• Expansive back deck overlooking the
  golf and mountain view
• Attractively priced at $579,900

If you are considering a vacation home or year round living in the cool
mountains of North Carolina, you owe it to yourself to see this home at

108 Riverview Court, Sapphire, North Carolina.

If you're looking for an affordable home in the Brevard, North Carolina area, you've found it at 21 Cherry Ridge Rd in the Knob Creek community. This is a great home, well maintained, in a quiet wooded area that's only minutes from downtown. This could be perfect for first time home buyers. And if you're sizing down or looking for a vacation home in the mountains, this home has the features you're looking for. Priced to sell at only $229,900!

Highlights

• 3 Bedroooms
• 2 Baths
• Open floor plan
• Wood burning fireplace
• Brand new deck overlooking the creek
• Additional hobby/office space
• Oversized 2 car garage
• Add'l heated workshop space

For more information about this home or other homes for sale in Brevard, North Carolina contact the Clay Team.

Carol Clay 828-551-6290 • Robert Clay 828-551-6291

There's an interesting article on Inman News this morning about how many photos to use in a listing or a virtual tour. Research on one side of the debate believes that the more photos there are...the better. In the other corner is some research that says our brains can only absorb but so much information in a given amount of time and anything beyond that could result in diminishing returns.

I make it a point to get the very best photos and as many of them as I can use. With our bigger listings we usually hire a local professional photographer who has carved out a very nice niche for himself by specializing in residential photography. Because of his experience and equipment his photos make a huge difference in how a property is presented. One look through our MLS and you can easily pick out a home that he has photographed. Clients love it...I love it.

One of my biggest peeves is when agents pay little or no attention when they photograph a house themselves. It isn't rocket science and even a moderately priced digital camera will do the trick. What it does take is a little attention to detail. In my opinion, if an agent hasn't bothered to properly photograph a home it is a huge disservice to their seller. And if I haven't personally seen the property, it makes it hard to convince a buyer to give it a chance.

But back to the question at hand....

The question posed in the Inman article has to do with the number of photos, though. Our MLS lets you post 12. When we use a single property website we can double that. Realtor.com's showcase listings also lets you use more photos.

On some quirky level of my brain, this reminds me of dating. Is it possible that too much information too soon is as bad as not enough information??

If you are thinking about moving to Brevard, North Carolina...congratulations! You've made a great choice. Between the 4 incredible seasons and the way of life here in the mountains, it's a great place to live. Brevard is the kind of place where you can walk down Main Street and people smile and say "Hello...how you doing today?" And the thing is....they want to know. It's just a friendly, congenial place to live. Of course, being surrounded by the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains and over 150 square miles of National Forest land doesn't hurt.

I'd like to introduce you to this particular home. It's located only minutes from Brevard and it's ready for you. Nothing to do but move in.

5 Crestview, Brevard, North Carolina

• This home is over 2,047 square feet on .78 acres. The easy to maintain perennial landscaping is especially spectacular in the spring and summer months.
• One of the terrific features of this home is the master suite on the main floor. It features a spacious master bedroom and bath as well as your own private retreat.
• Upstairs you'll find two bedrooms, a loft, and a second full bath making this a great family home.
• The kitchen has been updated with stainless appliances and solid surface counters.

If you'd like more information about this exceptional home in the mountains of North Carolina,

please contact the Keller Williams Clay Team today!

Carol Clay 828-551-6290 • Robert Clay 828-551-6291

Transylvania County in western North Carolina encompasses a number of small towns including Brevard, Pisgah Forest, Sapphire, and Rosman to name a few. It is also home to popular communities like Connestee Falls and Glen Cannon. It's located about an hour north of Greenville, SC, 45 minutes southwest of Asheville, and 30 minutes east of the Cashiers-Highlands area.

The residential market numbers are in for the month of June. Here's where things stand.

Last month, the average selling price in Transylvania Country dropped about $20,000 from May to an average of $253,031. (It is important to note that Transylvania County includes an extremely wide range of home prices which greatly affect average selling prices.)

The number of residential homes that sold in June was up slightly from May with the marjority in the
$100,000-$300,000
price range.

The average days on market remained stable at 170 days.

For more information about the real estate market in Transylvania County, contact the Keller Williams Clay Team.

Carol Clay 828-551-6290 • Robert Clay 828-551-6291.

Transylvania County, in western North Carolina, is aptly named "Land of Waterfalls" because of the 250+ waterfalls that dot the 379 square miles of the county. Nearly one-third of the area is national forest land, making this an ideal location for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Transylvania County is made up of a number of small towns including Brevard and is about a 45 minute drive southwest of Asheville and about 30 minutes east of the popular Cashiers-Highlands area.

One of the most popular waterfall destinations is Dupont State Forest where you will find three spectacular waterfalls -  High Falls, Triple Falls, and Hooker Falls. The hiking trails that get you there vary from easy to moderate so they suit just about anyone. And during the popular fly fishing season, you'll likely see fisherman along the way as the attempt to entice a trout or two.

Another very popular waterfall hike is to Graveyard Fields. This is a 3.2 mile hike that reaches an elevation of 5320 ft. It begins at one of the scenic overlooks along the Blue Ridge Park way and loops through a flat valley with two spurs that will take you to some of the best photo opps around.

One of the more difficult waterfall hikes is Panthertown Valley. This is a more difficult 8-10 mile hike that starts at Cold Mountain trailhead but rewards you with 5 waterfalls.

Discover all the things to do and places to go in the Brevard area...Discover your life in the mountains!

You're one step closer to the mountain home or land you've been looking for! The Clay Team is a Keller Williams top producing team in Brevard, North Carolina and your one-stop source for real estate information including homes for sales, acreage, developments, condos, investment properties, and relocation information. Serving the western North Carolina communities of Brevard, Hendersonville, Pisgah Forest, Connestee Falls, Glen Cannon, Burlingame at Sapphire Lakes, and surrounding communities.

These are just a few featured properties. To search the western North Carolina mountain MLS, visit the Clay Team online at www.brevardncproperty.com

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