If you are looking for an international cultural event within a short distance from your Asheville cabin, consider taking in the 26^th annual Folkmoot USA International Festival taking place in various Western North Carolina counties from July 22^nd to August 1. One of only two international folk festivals in the US, Folkmoot USA, centered in Waynesville, NC features more than 300 traditional dancers and musicians from 10 to 12 countries each year.  This year’s festival has 21 ticketed performances as well as 34 private and charitable performances some held as close as Asheville.  Of course, the first step is choosing the right Asheville cabin.  Greybeard Realty can help you make the right decision.  Choosing the right festival event is up to you.

Obama Visits Area

President Obama (POTUS) and first lady Michelle Obama, completed an Asheville vacation weekend that featured a Blue Ridge Mountain hike and golfing, as well as sampling various local restaurants and visiting with Reverend Billy Graham.  Their vacation included lots of scheduling and logistics to ensure that everything went smoothly.

Do you think the Obamas planned their own recreational activities during their weekend in Asheville? Did they choose the best site for their Blue Ridge Parkway hike?  Did they make the calls to the restaurants for reservations? Was the President on the phone checking for the best tee times?  You can be sure that they had someone take care of that for them.  Now, from your Asheville rental cabin you can enjoy the same level of planning on your behalf.

When you rent your Asheville cabin from Greybeard Realty, you can also utilize the guest services division and have them plan and organize your entire vacation, just like the Obamas did.  Think of it as having a vacation’s worth of Presidential treatment.    Greybeard has packages that include golfing at multiple golf courses, including the course Obama played during his Asheville vacation.  We can also arrange for your romantic getaway weekend or an Asheville outdoor adventure package.

If you would prefer several activities, consider taking advantage of one of our a la carte services like a spa day or a horseback riding adventure.  The President had most every move during his vacation photographed by the local press.  While we can’t arrange that type of coverage for you, we can schedule a photography session with a very talented local photographer to record your vacation memories.

The first step in the process is to choose the best Asheville area rental cabin to meet your particular needs.  If you need help with that, we can offer suggestions including best views, dog friendly or most secluded.  Once you have settled on your rental, let us handle the rest of the planning, to make your next Asheville vacation comparable to a Presidential retreat.

For people choosing an Asheville cabin to get away from it all we have added a new rental to our listings, one that offers the desired ambiance and the basic amenities.  This Montreat home really recalls the simpler days and offers renters a chance to escape from the hubbub of today’s technology.  Absent are the wi-fi and the big screen TV.  Available is the peace and serenity that comes with simple mountain living.

Beautiful Day at Lake Susan

Built in the 1920s and completely renovated in 2009, the Lancaster House boasts period charm with high ceilings, tall windows and vintage bead board.  With a new second floor and all new kitchen appliances, renters can experience a fresh, updated home that still has the mountain character they want. 

 Just a 10 minute walk from Lake Susan, this charming home sleeps 14.  In this home, you can quiet the everyday buzz of electronics and really enjoy the solitude of Montreat.   Contact us and we can give you more details on this and other rental homes from our extensive listings.

When the President of the United States comes to Asheville, does he rent an Asheville cabin?  Not exactly.  With his secret service entourage, Obama needs very large accommodations.  The White House announced last week that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will visit Asheville this weekend, April 23^rd to 25^th, and they plan to stay at the historic Grove Park Inn.  Accompanying him on this pleasure trip in addition to his wife will be his children, Malia and Sasha, as well as his mother in law.

Obama Family Headed to Asheville

Historic Grove Park Inn opened in 1913, built from granite boulders from Sunset Mountain.  The inn lobby, The Grand Hall, features two 14 foot wide fireplaces.  The Grove Park has hosted ten presidents, including Obama who stayed there when he last visited Asheville in October 2008, just prior to the November election.

The Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau notes that Asheville spends about $2.5 million annually to promote tourism in Asheville.  They say that the publicity generated by a presidential visit like this one is priceless.  A White House press release indicated that this is a vacation trip, with no scheduled public appearances.  The Grove Park Inn issued a statement on Facebook indicating that the resort will be operating in a heightened state of security for the weekend with all persons and vehicles subject to search.

On his last visit to Asheville, Obama made a lunch stop at 12 Bones Smokehouse.  If you are hoping for a glimpse of the first family, you might consider dropping in at some of the more popular spots in town.  Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe comes to mind.  On second thought, if you have rented your own Asheville cabin from Greybeard Realty for the weekend, you might just want to hunker down, avoid the crowds and enjoy the peaceful mountain views.  

When renters contact us, they often come with their list of criteria, and often that list includes a mountain view.  We recently added two mountain homes to our rental listings that meet that need, each with a different perspective.

NC Mountain Views

Cooper Cottage represents old Montreat.  This charming, rustic home has a wonderful view of Big Piney Mountain, yet it is within walking distance of the Montreat Conference Center. This home sleeps 11.

Linton’s Mountain Top, perched high on a ridge overlooking Black Mountain, has views from all sides.  This 4,800 sq. ft. home features six bedrooms and five baths, making it an ideal home for large gatherings.  Just a five minute drive from Black Mountain, this wonderful home sleeps 18, and linens are provided.

For other homes with a mountain perspective, please contact us for more information.

If you consider rocking on the front porch as the quintessential mountain experience, then we have two new rental homes that will interest you. Both homes, located in Montreat, have porches and rockers,  and can fulfill your dream of biding time relaxing in the fresh mountain air.

Porch Rockin'

Log Cabins features an authentic log cabin and bunk house right in Montreat. The 100 year old main cabin has the porch and rockers. The smaller cabin has an efficiency kitchen. The two cabins combined sleep 13.

Ransford’s Roost, an updated colonial, offers plentiful natural lighting through its skylight and features a large stone fireplace. Its large front porch has rockers and a porch swing. There is also a stone patio with a picnic table and grill. This rental sleeps 14. For more information on these cabins or to hear about other rentals where you can rock and relax, please contact Greybeard.

Like other Asheville cabin owners, I have mixed feelings when I see that Asheville has made another top ten list.  While I am reassured by these lists that I have indeed chosen to live in one of the best places on Earth, I fear that more and more people will discover what those of us who live here already know.   The Asheville area is a very special place.

Andie MacDowell, Asheville Neighbor

The most recent top ten listing comes from Barron’s, the weekly business publication, and highlights the top ten places for second homes in the U.S. The article cites one real estate expert as noting that in addition to a good R&R site, investors are now on the prowl for solid investments as well.  The article points out that the decline in prices of luxury homes, in these second home markets, seems to have bottomed out.

Asheville came in at #9 on the list, trailing Maui, Kiawah Island, SC, and The Hamptons which finished 1,2,3 respectively.   Barron used as its criteria “gorgeous homes, spectacular views, world-class fishing and skiing, fine dining and great shopping.”  It also cautions that the rankings are somewhat subjective as are house styles, and that a return on investment in buying one of these homes may take a while. For Asheville, they list the median luxury home at $700,000, representing a 38% decline from peak pricing.   As a bonus, the article also notes the most famous movie star who could be your potential neighbor.  In the instance of Asheville, it is actress Andie MacDowell.  If you are a Barron’s subscriber, you can read the full article.  If you want to look for your own luxury home in a top ten setting, please contact Greybeard Realty.

Chip Craig, Greybeard Realty founder, studies the Black Mountain market regularly.  In a recent Asheville-Citizens Times article, he notes that the return of positive numbers in the local market is not surprising to him.  “It was growing a lot before this downturn,” he said. “We were one of the last areas to feel it, so it makes sense we’d be one of the first areas to improve,” said Craig. 

Black Mountain Views

In addition, Buncumbe County continues to show positive signs of real estate growth.  Another piece in the Citizens Times attributes the growth to new buyers and price shifts.  Be sure to read the particulars of this article  for more insight into the steadily improving market.

From the previously mentioned articles, it appears the numbers indicate that the local real estate market is headed toward more steady growth. As other areas of the country improve, and more people can sell their existing homes in those areas, expect to see even more people coming to Black Mountain to enjoy what the area has to offer.

What if you want it all?  Can you find an Asheville cabin minutes from the city with an incredible mountain view and all of the modern amenities plus some extras?  Yes, if you check into Cedar View, one of our most recent additions to the Greybeard Realty rental homes.

This cedar planked home, located on a secluded cul-de-sac, features remarkable views from its two level decks.  Just up Town Mountain Road, a mere ten minutes from downtown Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway, this recently renovated house has a screened-in porch and a six-seat hot tub.  Walk through the beautifully landscaped gardens, play pool, surf the net, or bathe in the claw-foot tub.

Greybeard Realty experienced a 14 % increase in home sales volume for 2009.  That figure in itself is impressive, but when it is compared with area sales volume overall it becomes even more dramatic.

Home sales volume declined 17% in Buncombe County in 2009.  In Black Mountain, home sales volume fell 8% for the same period.

Greybeard Realty, Black Mountain, NC

For Greybeard founder Chip Craig, his company’s increase in sales volume directly links with his company’s focus on advanced technology and expertise.  He notes that nationally 87% of home buyers use the internet while searching for new homes.  In the last year, he has noticed a strong increase in web visits to the Greybeard website with 65% of his company’s web traffic coming from outside of North Carolina.

“Our web traffic is up 85% for 2009,” he says.  “In terms of page views, we are up 137% which means visitors are exploring more of our site.  We have done quite a bit of search engine optimization to ensure that our site appears at the top of Google and Bing (two heavily used search sites).”

Greybeard utilizes the internet to market itself through paid website banners and has increased this exposure in the last year while other companies have had to reduce advertising expenditures. Read the rest of this entry »