Archive for the 'Black Mountain' Category

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.

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.

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.

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. (more…)

Last month I cited my father’s advice in saying “if you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything.”  This month, I would like to point to the wisdom of Albert Einstein when I say, when considering the annual numbers for homes sales for Black Mountain, just remember, “It’s all relative.”

A quick glance down the column of percent change for the annual home sale statistics for Black Mountain homes in 2009 (provided by MLS) would seem to indicate a slow market.  The largest positive percent change is in (more…)

From an early age, my father taught me that if you can’t say something nice then don’t say anything.  This is my first article in a while.  In the last 12 months there hasn’t been much nice to say about the Black Mountain real estate market.  Statistics from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) indicate that the real estate market in our area may be ready to move forward. (more…)

Building a green home in Asheville just got easier. The North Carolina State Energy Office, the NC Solar Center, the NC Home Builders Association and other professional building organizations joined forces to create the North Carolina HealthyBuilt Homes Program.

A statewide voluntary certification program, HealthyBuilt Homes offers a recognized green certification, technical assistance, field consultation, and other services that enable small and medium sized home builders to increase their green building expertise. These builders become more efficient and build better green homes and eco-conscious Asheville home buyers win! Help the environment, help the local economy and live in a beautiful home in Asheville.

Here are some Healthy Built homes in Asheville and the area:

33 WORDSWORTH ROAD Black Mountain

37 Shady Park Lane Asheville

There are also many homes in Asheville with recent green technology updates. This one is particularly notable: 250 North Griffing Boulevard Asheville

While Black Mountain may have been one of the last markets hit by the economic downturn, we believe it is one of the first markets to begin recovering.  While sales in Black Mountain and Buncombe County are down from the previous year by an average of 30%, statistics from the Western North Carolina Regional MLS show that we have may have reached the bottom and are beginning to rebound.

For the first time since March 2008, home sales (# of units) in Black Mountain have exceeded the sales from the same month in the previous year, and currently, 22 homes are under contract. And while the average cost of homes significantly dropped from last year, we are finally seeing an upswing — the median price of homes in Black Mountain has increased by 2% year-to-date.

The good news continues for August.  In August 2008, there were 3 homes sold in Black Mountain.  As of the date of this posting (August 29, 2009), there have been 7 closed sales this month.

Greybeard Realty has become the leader in high-end home sales in Black Mountain and Montreat.  Having sold 50% of all homes in the $400,000 and above market since August 2008, Greybeard’s success testifies to our experience, knowledge, and, most importantly, to the trust of buyers and sellers alike.

“We have increased marketing expenditures by 30% in a down economy, resulting in our website has seeing nearly double the traffic from the previous year, and our vacation rental reservations have increased dramatically over the last several months,” noted Chip Craig, owner of Greybeard Realty.

According to sales figures from the Asheville Board of Realtors, Greybeard is ranked #1 for total market share in Black Mountain and #11 for the entire Board.  Says Craig, “We are thrilled to be competing so well with larger firms.  We have 9 full-time agents, while the firms ranked ahead of us in terms of market share have dozens, if not hundreds.”

Just a few of the Luxury Homes sold by Greybeard Realty

Greybeard Realty of Black Mountain announces the opening of Greybeard Realty Commercial, with offices at 706 N Highway 9 in Black Mountain.  Jane Shockey, a Black Mountain native with more than 20 years of commercial brokerage experience in Western North Carolina, has joined Greybeard to oversee the operations of this newest area for the real estate company.

For Chip Craig, president and founder of the 10-year-old company, the move into the commercial property business is a natural progression for Greybeard. (more…)