Brevard North Carolina Real Estate Blog

This past week we had our annual Thanksgiving pot luck at the office and one of our agents brought this salad. It was a huge hit so he sent the recipe around for everyone to share.

Thanks Pete!

6 cups Raw broccoli, chopped into small pieces, with shredded stems if you like
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 sweet onion, diced
1 cup grated cheddar
1 T sugar
1 1/2 T vinegar
2/3 pound of bacon, cooked well and chopped to small pieces

Stir it all together and let sit in the fridge overnight. Optionally, use some diced red cabbage to give it some color, and currants or raisins are a nice addition if you have them.

Photo Source: Flickr.com

What a face! Today's featured dog was rescued by a Good Samaritan and taken to the vet already. Has had all vaccines, heartworm negative and started to heartworm preventative, flea free and de-wormed. Is housetrained. About 7 months old. Very sweet, friendly, docile. About 40 pounds. Only needs to be neutered which can be done prior to rescue. Looks like beagle/hound/basset mix or any combination thereof..:) Can assist with transport.

Remember, even if you cannot adopt, you can help by reposting this blog and forwarding the information to everyone in your contact lists. The more people who know, the better our chances of finding homes for these wonderful dogs and cats.

For more information, contact Carol Clay at carolclay@kw.com.

My name is Charlie!
Charlie is a boxer/lab mix, approximately 8 months old. Right now he's about 35 pounds of pure love and affection.  He's neutered and up to date on his shots. We're working on learning how to walk on leash, but he is very good at sitting, and playing with his squeaky ball. He loves attention and being with people.

But what he really wants for Christmas is his own family.

Charlie is just one of many dogs in the Brevard, NC area who have been rescued as strays and deserve to be adopted into a warm loving home they can call their own. Even if you don't live in the Brevard, NC area you can help Charlie by sharing his story with as many people as possible by re-posting this blog, forwarding it to friends and family, or letting one of your local rescue groups know that he is available. Transportation out of state is possible!

If you are interested in giving Charlie a home, or if you'd like more information,

please contact me at carolclay@kw.com,

or at 828-551-6290.

Thank you in advance!

Carol

Last week, as I was about to cross a street in downtown Brevard, NC I spotted a small dog crossing from the opposite direction....right in front of a semi truck. Luckily the driver also spotted the dog and avoided hitting him. The little brindle dog, with long lanky legs and paws that he hadn’t quite grown into, came over and sat at my feet. Being a dog lover, I couldn't walk way. He seemed so lost. I tried all day to find who he belonged to but eventually took him home with me for the night. The next day after a concerted effort by a number of people we were able to locate the owners. It turns out, the family had adopted him the previous Saturday from our local shelter for their daughter’s birthday. Monday he had be slated to be euthanized. We met the owners the next night and there was a tearful reunion. His name was Lincoln and he was one of the lucky ones.

Too many dogs and cats in this area aren't so lucky. So I am joining forces with a number of incredible volunteers who have, for years, dedicated their time and their resources to rescue animals from our high kill animal shelter here in Transylvania County. Animals who are picked up by our County Animals Services, are taken to the "shelter" where they have seven days to live. Often without proper food, heat in the winter, bedding, or medical care.  This wonderful group of volunteers do what they can to save as many dogs and cats as they can by pulling them from the shelter, and often driving them to rescue to groups in other states. Last month, seven dogs were rescued and delivered to a group in Minneapolis. Yesterday, one was taken to a rescue organization in Georgia. But it's never enough.

I am hoping to help by using the power of social networking to reach out and introduce more and more people to these wonderful four legged friends that need our help. You may not be able to adopt one of these animals, but you can help by forwarding this information to any rescue groups in your area, reposting my blogs, and telling anyone you know that there is a wonderful dog or cat in desperate need of a warm, loving family.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Dan and Desi. Both were pulled from Transylvania County Shelter in Brevard, NC. They have all their shots, have been wormed, flea meds done, are heartworm negative, and have been neutered. They are ready for adoption.
 
Dan is the younger one in picture with fencing. He is housebroken and gets along with other dogs and children. We don’t know about cats.  He is still growing into his long legs and weighs about 35 pounds now. His current Foster parent reports that he will make a great new addition to a family.
 
Desi gets along with other dogs, cats, and children. He is housebroken and crate trained. He is probably 1 1/2 to 2 years old and weighs 40 pounds. His current Foster parent reports that he has adapted well to living in the house and is already learning basic commands and the doggie door routine. Really handsome fellow.
 
WE NEED TO FIND A RESCUE GROUP OR HOMES FOR THEM SO FOSTER HOMES CAN CONTINUE TO HELP WITH ANIMALS BEING PULLED FROM OUR HIGH KILL SHELTER. PLEASE HELP.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Carol Clay@kw.com
Evelyn Bridges at ebridges@citcom.net
Connie McNab at conniemcnab@yahoo.com

Land sales in Transylvania County continued to struggle during October.  The last several months have actually faired as good or better than last year, but overall the number of sales is still very flat. In October there were 9 land sales that closed compared to 11 in September, and 13 in August. Of those 9 that closed, 7 were under $100,000, 2 were $100K-$200K and one was in $400K-$500K range. The average list price for the month was $94,530 and the average selling price was $85,015 or roughly 90% of the list price.

All this being said, although the buying "season" for homes is typically strong through October and November, the fall and winter months are the best time of year if you are considering making a land purchase. The leaves are down and the summer haze is long past, making it much easier to see the views and the lay of the land. Plus, since there are over 1,000 land listings currently on the market, it is a buyer's market in every sense.

For more information about land for sale in Brevard area, contact the Clay Team at 828-551-6290, 828-551-6291 or visit us online at BrevardNCProperty.com.

For the third consecutive month, there was an increase in residential home sales in the Brevard, NC market. While the increases have been small, sales the last three months have kept pace, or surpassed sales during the same time last year. Overall, the market has not rebounded from they hey day of 2006, but this recent "buying season" shows signs of stabilizing.

In October there were 30 residential home sales. The majority of those sales were in the $100K to $200K price range, but there were sales in all price ranges including the $500K an higher price point.  The average listing price during October was $319,916 and the average selling price was $294,963, or roughly 92% of list.

For more information about homes for sale in Brevard, NC and surrounding communities, call the Clay Team at 828-551-6291, 828-551-6290, or visit us online at BrevardNCProperty.com.

The last two weeks, I have had the strange feeling that some sellers think it's still 2006.  We've been really busy lately so just in case, I double checked my calendar and sure enough, I was right. 2009 is winding down and 2010 is just around the corner.

In some respects, I can't blame sellers for wishing it was 2006. Three years ago, things were cranking! Business was good, prices were strong, and there were lots of transactions. But things have obviously changed. It took a while for the decline in real estate to hit the mountains of NC but by 2008, one by one, buyers started falling by the wayside, the number of transactions began to free fall, and frankly, life as we know it in the real estate business changed dramatically.

So why is it that so many sellers still think it's 2006? Have they not noticed that financing is harder to get and that there is a glut of inventory for sale? If they know those things, I'm really struggling to understand why a seller would cling to a 2006 pricing strategy.

This week one of our buyers made a cash offer (yes....CASH) on a high-end home that has been on the market for nearly three years. It's a nice enough home, but not without issues. When the home hit the market three years ago, it had a big shiny price tag. But it didn't sell. It has languished on the market since then and has been reduced a couple of times, but still isn't where it needs to be. So when we wrote up our buyer's offer, we knew it was a little low, but certainly enough to "get on the dance floor" so we could start the negotiating process. I was confident that we could find a happy place in the middle and in 45 days, we'd be sitting around the closing table. Less than 30 minutes after submitting our offer to the listing agent, we got a return phone call. There was no counter offer...just a flat NO. HUH? This offer wasn't out of line for the market and certainly warranted at least a conversation. If I was a seller who had been trying to sell for three years, and I got an offer of any kind, I do believe I would have at least returned with some kind of counter offer.

Frankly, I'm left with the nagging feeling that either the listing agent has done a disservice by not providing the seller with up to date market information...or the seller, with their rosy 2006 glasses, really don't want to sell. Either scenario is not good and everyone's time was wasted.

I'm afraid there are still too many sellers like this one who see their home through the same eyes as when they bought it...eyes that seem closed to what the market is now. Truth is, sometimes we go to listing appointments knowing that we may not get the listing because we can't tell the seller what they want to hear and that what they want for their house just isn't realistic in today's market.

In the meantime, our buyer has moved on to another property and "Mr. and Mrs. three-years-on-the-market" lost the chance to possibly sell their home. What a shame.

There's just nothing quite like having a place on the lake....Somewhere you can go to get away from the hurried hassles of everyday life. A place where you wake up to the sounds of nature, grab a cup of coffee, and take a short walk down to your private boat dock where you take in the splendor of the morning light glistening on the water, the mountains framing the background, and you think....ahhhh, this is good!

This home in Toxaway Point is located in beautiful western North Carolina on the shores of the famed Lake Toxaway and it's waiting for you. At Toxaway Point, you can relax and enjoy your time in the mountains knowing that everything has been taken care of. Your yard will be cared for, the tennis courts are swept, and the heated lakeside pool is there whenever you are ready for dip after a day on the lake.

Toxaway Point is centrally located about 20 minutes from Brevard, NC and Cashiers, NC. It's close to restaurants, hiking, waterfalls, and rivers for some of the best fly fishing in the southeast. But it's also the kind of place where you can sit on your porch swing and catch up on your reading if you choose. Cozy and convenient,  this home being sold furnished with few exceptions.

For more information on this great lake house for sale in Lake Toxaway, give us a call at 828-551-6290 or visit us online at BrevardNCProperty.com.

Which is the better deal for a buyer? A $10,000 price reduction or a full price purchase with a lower interest rate?  At first glance, a lot of buyers would jump at the price reduction. But that's not always the best choice if you are buying a home that you plan to live in for awhile.

Consider this home for sale in Brevard, North Carolina.  In this scenario, a buyer could pay full price for the home and still save nearly $45,000 more than if they bought it after a $10,000 price reduction. It's possible with a simple seller credit at closing that reduces the buyer's loan rate. In the case of this home at 5 Crestview Drive, Brevard NC, a buyer would save $123.84 a month on their mortgage payment or $44,582 over the course of a typical 30-year loan.

For information about this or other properties for sale in the Brevard NC area, contact the Clay Team today! Or, visit us online at BrevardNCProperty.com.