Maps from the Buncombe County Tax Assessor’s office reveal how property values shifted — sometimes drastically — after the recent property revaluation. Almost every neighborhood within the city of Asheville saw values rise, while the housing market crash hit most areas of the county hard, with some areas even losing half their property value.
The map of Asheville’s neighborhoods shows that most saw increases, only Kenilworth had a decline (two percent), and North Asheville’s values stayed flat. Increases were particularly high in the core of downtown (a 15 percent rise), Kimberly (23 percent rise) Haw Creek (12 percent), and in Azalea (42 percent). West Asheville too saw a significant increase in its property value.
See a large version of the city of Asheville property value map here.
The county, meanwhile, showed major effects from the bursting of the housing bubble. The Ivy and East Buncombe areas lost over half their value, and many others saw double digit declines. Only Black Mountain, Reynolds, and Starnes Cove showed gains in property value.
See a large version of the Buncombe County property value map here.
The maps show a shift to growth within city limits, and a relative decline in suburban and rural areas. The decline in property values poses a major challenge for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in particular, as it grapples with lessened property tax revenue.
Those maps are deficient. There’s no reason why the Assessor’s office can’t provide a more detailed depiction of changes in property valuations. County leaders should insist on it.
BTW, this story is another reminder of the vast and growing extent to which non-Asheville residents and businesses of Buncombe County are dependent on the City’s economic engine. Of course, Tim Moffitt and Nathan Ramsey hate that, but it does not change the fact that the County is utterly dependent on the City for its welfare. Hurt the City, and the County suffers. Moffitt and Ramsey are hurting us all every single day.
Since property values in most of Asheville
have increased according to this article, the amount of revenue the City receives from Asheville property owners will increase. This will occur despite the fact that the City Council has decided not to increase property taxes at this time.
More subsidies from the citizens of Asheville to Buncombe County residents. Let Asheville keep its water and the sales tax it generates!
Yet the city is contending that their property values are going down, exacerbating the budget problems caused by recent state actions. Something doesn’t add up.
Yet the city is contending that their property values are going down, exacerbating the budget problems caused by recent state actions. Something doesn’t add up.