Category Archives: Macon County

Historic Trail in the Highlands, NC Area to Receive $500,000 Worth of Improvements


Western North Carolina
is well known for celebrating and preserving its natural beauty.

And that reputation was solidified recently when Dry Fall Trails in Macon County  received $446,000 to stabilize and reconstruct the entire walking path.

While $208,000 came from the Federal Highways fund, about $258,000 came from matching agency funds.

Continue reading to learn more about this new development in Western North Carolina, and how it will improve the quality of life in the area. Continue reading

Highlands NC Real Estate Market Update for October

Happy Halloween everyone from your friend on the Highlands NC real estate market!

Whether you’re helping the kids carve the pumpkins or simply enjoying a quiet night in while you hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, I hope you find yourself surrounded by family and friends tonight!

Today I’d like to continue my watchdog series on the various Western North Carolina real estate markets by telling you about the latest status of the Highlands real estate market.

This information – which includes average list prices, sold prices, and more – will prove invaluable as you navigate the Highlands NC real estate market.

Continue reading to learn more!

Highlands NC Properties for Sale

Here’s an overview of the Highlands NC real estate market, based on the most recent data from the real estate website Trulia.

  • There are currently 840 resale and new homes on the Highlands NC real estate market, including 2 homes in the pre-foreclosure, auction or bank-owned stages.
  • Between July and September, the median sales price for a Highlands NC home for sale was $425,000.
  • Compared with the same period last year, the median sales price for a Highaldns, NC home for sale has increased by 9 percent, or about $35,000.
  • During the week ending on Sept. 28, the average listing price for a Highlands NC home for sale was $812,360.
  • When compared to the prior week, the average listing price for a Highlands NC home for sale has increased by 1.3 percent, or about $10,500.

Highlands NC Real Estate Experts

I hope you find the above Highlands NC real estate market information helpful as you navigate the Highlands, NC real estate market.

If you’d like to talk with an expert Highlands NC REALTOR about what the recent data means and how it affects you as a Highlands home buyer, then contact me, Dorothy Swearingen, today.

As your Highlands real estate expert, I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have as well as provide you with such helpful Highlands home buying tools as:

Until next time,

Dorothy

 

Cashiers NC Real Estate Market Update for October

I can’t believe it’s already the end of October! It seems like just yesterday that I was seeing people set out Fourth of July decorations in the stores and now it seems like all the stores are focusing on Christmas before Halloween has even arrived!

If you’re an interested Cashiers home buyer navigating the Cashiers area real estate market, I’m sure that your year has flown by faster than most.  After all, it can be a rather time-consuming feat searching for your dream Cashiers NC home for sale in the price range you want.

Before you continue your search on the market, I recommend you take just a few minutes to check out the recent statistics on the Cashiers NC real estate market.  This information will prove invaluable to you as it will give you a realistic overview of market conditions.

Continue reading to learn more!

Cashiers, NC Homes for Sale

Here’s an overview of the current state of the Cashiers NC real estate market, based on data from the real estate website Trulia:

  • There are currently 598 resale and new homes on the Highlands, NC real estate market.
  • During the week ending on Sept. 28, the average listing price for Cashiers NC homes for sale was  $1,023,702
  • When compared to the previous week, the average listing price for a Cashiers NC home for sale increased by 0.3 percent, or $3,128.
  • For the week ending on Sept. 28, the average list price for a 2-bedroom Cashiers home for sale was $344,000.
  • The average list price for a 3-bedroom Cashiers home for sale was $764,000.
  • During that same week, the average list price for a 4-bedroom Cashiers home for sale was $1.35 million.

Cashiers, NC Real Estate

If you’d like help navigating the Cashiers NC real estate market, I’ll be happy to assist you with your Cashiers home buying needs.

As your Cashiers NC real estate expert, I’ll interpret the recent Cashiers NC real estate market data and tell you how it affects you as a Cashiers area home buyer.

Contact me, Dorothy Swearingen, today and I’ll also  be happy to tell you about the current state of other area real estate markets, including:

Until next time,

Dorothy

Property Values Addressed on HIghlands, NC Area Real Estate Market

I recently read an interesting article in the Smoky Mountain News about property valuations in Western North Carolina.

Evidently, Macon County officials may decide to postpone their property valuations from 2013 to 2015.

Macon County  includes the communities of Flats, Franklin, Highlands, Smithbridge, and Sugarfork.

Continue reading to learn more about why officials are considering delaying the revaluation – and how it may affect Highlands area home sellers.

Highlands, NC Homes for Sale

According to the recent article, the proposed delay in revaluations is in response to the sluggish housing economy.

According to Macon County’s tax assessor, not enough properties have been sold to new owners to create meaningful property value levels.

What’s more, inaccurate property revaluations may result in a lot of property value appeals from residents, which could be costly to the county.

It’s the county’s hope that if they wait to complete the county-wide revaluation, more Macon County properties will change hands between buyers and sellers, creating for a more accurate reading property values county-wide.

Macon County’s proposed response to the sluggish economy is a stark contrast to Jackson County’s.

Jackson County includes the communities of Cashiers, Scotts Creek and Webster.

Jackson County is still planning to move forward with its property revaluations in 2013, even though the county has a similar housing market as Macon County.

The last time Jackson County and Macon County did their property revaluations was in 2008 and 2007 respectively.

According to state law, every county must complete a property revaluation at least every 8 years.

Your Highlands, NC Area Real Estate Experts

In Macon County, commissioners are expecting that property values on more expensive homes and undeveloped land will decrease while property values on the homes in the $150,000 range will increase.

The proposed delay on property revaluations may actually be good news for those Highlands area home sellers who own high-end homes.

After all, property valuations is a good point of reference for many Highlands area home buyers trying to decide how much they’re willing to pay for a home.

Thus, if property values on higher-end homes are expected to decrease after the next property valuation, it behooves Highlands area home sellers to sell their home before that revaluation happens.

Thus, if you’re a Highlands area home seller, contact me, Dorothy Swearingen, today.

As your Highlands area real estate expert, I’ll work hard to sell your home in as little time as possible for the best price possible.

I’ll also provide you with a number of helpful Highlands area home selling tools to help you navigate the market.  These include:

Until next time,

Dorothy

 

Highlands, NC Real Estate Market Update

Founded in 1875, Highlands, NC is a beautiful Western North Carolina town in Macon County.  

Highlands, NC offers its residents the best of both worlds – easy access to natural wonders like the Appalachian mountains as well as to such major metropolitan cities as Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, NC.

If you’re thinking about investing in Highlands, NC real estate, I recommend you continue reading to learn more about the current state of the Highlands, NC real estate market.

Highlands, NC Homes

Here’s some data that Trulia.com and Realtor.com recently released about the Highlands, NC real estate market:

  • There are currently 904 resale and new homes on the Highlands, NC real estate market.
  •  The average listing price for a Highlands NC home for sale  was $822,306 for the week ending on August 3, which was the same as the week before.
  • The average price per square foot for a Highlands NC  home for the week ending on August 3 was $572, which was an increase of 8.7 percent when compared to the same period last year.
  • The median sales price for a Highlands NC homes between October 10 and December 10 was $425,000.
  •  Compared with  the same period in 2009, the median home sales price increased by 9 percent – or about $35,000

Thinking About Entering the Highlands NC Real Estate Market?

Then contact me, Dorothy Swearingen, today!

As an experienced Highlands, NC REALTOR, I’ll work hard to provide you with the most up-to-date information on the Highlands real estate market.

This information will prove invaluable as you navigate the Highlands NC real estate market and ultimately will save you both time and money.

To get the Highlands, NC home buying process started today, please feel free to check out some of my helpful N.C. Mountains real estate resources, including:

Until next time,

Dorothy

Lawmakers Addressing Future of Community Colleges in Highlands, NC Area in Western North Carolina

Recently, a joint state legislative committee recommended merging the leadership of community colleges in the state that have fewer than 3,000 fulltime students.

But local and state officials in Western North Carolina have recently taken a stand against this measure, saying that it would hurt the education system in the area.

Continue reading to learn more about this developing story in the Highlands, NC area – and how it might affect Highlands NC area residents.

Continue reading

State Decided to Cut Landslide Hazard Map-Making in Highlands, NC Region

State lawmakers recently decided to cut the state’s landslide mapping unit, which was created to assess which mountain slopes are most likely to create a landslide.

The Smoky Mountain News reported that five state geologists who were working on the maps were laid off this week.

The state’s decision will save about $355,000 a year.

Continue reading to learn more about what this means for Highlands, NC area home owners and buyers.

Living in the Highlands, NC Area

Since the landslide mapping unit began working on the landslide hazard maps in 2005,  they have completed studying four counties:

The team was in the process of studying Jackson County’s mountain slopes when the state cut their funding.
The state’s landslide mapping unit has faced controversy since the beginning because many critics felt that mapping the landslide hazard zones would make it harder to sell property in those zones.

Critics of the mapping unit also questioned whether the unit’s conclusions were accurate.

But others thought that the landslide unit was a great public safety initiative – providing mountain residents with vital information about at-risk areas.

Since landslides typically follow predictable paths, proponents also said that the landslide maps wouldn’t hurt property values, but rather help people figure out on which side of a lot to build their home.

In fact, experts say that mapping where old landslides happen is the best way to predict where future slides will take place.

The geologists working on the landslide project relied heavily on old landslide sites to predict whether a slop was at a low, medium or high risk for a future landslide.

Macon County officials hope to use the findings by incorporating them into a new steep slope ordinance.  A handful of other Western North Carolina counties – including Jackson and Haywood – already have such an ordinance.

To view Macon County’s landslide map, visit www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/Landslide_Info/MaconCounty.html.

A partial map for Jackson is expected to be posted soon to wfs.enr.state.nc.us/fist/.

Highlands, NC Area Real Estate

What do you think of state lawmakers’ decision to cut funding to the landslide hazard map-making unit? Let me know!

And if you’re thinking about entering the Highlands, NC real estate market as a Highlands area home buyer or home seller, then contact me, Dorothy Swearingen.

As a Highlands, NC REALTOR, I strive to keep up-to-date on the news that affects Highlands area home buyers and Highlands area home sellers so I can help them make educated decisions on the Highlands area real estate market.

Until next time,

Dorothy

 

A Good Idea for Hendersonville and Why Highlands NC Area is an Amazing Place to Call Home

The city of Hendersonville is thinking about converting an old rail line into a multi-purpose  trail that can be used by bicyclists, walkers, joggers and even equestrians, according to a recent article.

The 18-mile Norfolk Southern Ecusta rail, which travels from Hendersonville to Brevard, was built in 1894.  At one point, the line ran all the way from Hendersonville to Lake Toxaway.

Over the years, however, the rail has become obsolete and is currently inactive.  While portions of the line in the Brevard area have already been converted into a multi-use trail, the Hendersonville side remains unused.

The city is using a grant from the Federal Highway Administration to pay for the majority of the study, which costs about $65,000.

The final report is expected to be released in January 2012.

Living in the Highlands NC Area

This new development in Hendersonville is a fantastic thing for all who live in the North Carolina mountains.

It also highlights the general philosophy in this area that celebrates outdoor recreation.

Here in the Highlands, N.C. area, residents constantly have an array of recreational amenities from which to choose, including:

Have a family member that doesn’t necessarily enjoy being outside too much but does enjoy the mountain environment? No worries! There are plenty of indoor recreational attractions that the N.C. Mountains offer as well!

Relocating to the Highlands, NC Area

If you’re considering moving to the North Carolina mountains, then contact me, Dorothy Swearingen!

When you call, I’ll tell you about all of our unique mountain communities, including:

As your N.C. Mountain Life expert, I’ll also provide you with a number of invaluable N.C. home buyer resources, such as:

Until next time,

Dorothy

 

 

Update on Property Values in Highlands, NC and Neighboring Counties

Several Western North Carolina counties will be facing home revaluations in the next couple of years.

According to state statute, counties must reappraise their properties  every eight years at least. This is to ensure that home values are aligned with true market values and that there’s not runaway inflation or deflation.

Counties determine property values by looking at the property’s most recent selling price and the selling prices of surrounding properties.

Highlands, NC Area Real Estate Values

An increase in Highlands area home values can seem like a positive or negative thing, depending on whether you’re a Highlands, NC area real estate home seller or home buyer.

Here’s an update on property values in several Western North Carolina counties, including Macon, Jackson and Haywood counties.

  • Macon County – which includes Highlands – postponed its revaluation until 2013.
  • Jackson County – which includes Cashiers – postponed its revaluation until 2015
  • Rutherford County – which includes Chimney Rock -postponed its  revaluations until 2012.
  • In Haywood County – which includes the communities of Waynesville, Canton and Clyde – home values have held steady since the 2006 revaluation, according to the 2011 revaluation.
  • Haywood County saw new construction  increase by 13 percent.
  • Overall property value in Haywood county increased from $5.9 billion in 2006 to $6.7 billion.
  • Buncombe County postponed its revaluation, which it must complete by 2014.
  • Henderson County saw property values drop by 10 percent during its 2011 revaluation.
  • Property values in Asheville, NC have increased by about 7 percent on average since 2006.

Investing in Highlands, NC Real Estate

The Highlands area real estate market is a constantly evolving frontier.  That’s why you need an experienced Highland,s NC area REALTOR who understands the finer points on the housing market.

As your North Carolina mountain real estate expert, I have years of experiencing working in several Highlands, NC area real estate markets, including:

Contact me, Dorothy Swearingen, today to learn more about how I can help you and your family better navigate the Highlands area real estate market!

Until next time,

Dorothy