Money Moves: Out-of-towners drive housing price surge
Volume
27
/ Issue 51
Cover Design Credit:
Scott SouthwickCover Photography Credit:
Brent Brown
Outside interest has super-charged Asheville’s already-hot real estate market, with the average home budget for a buyer moving to the area 31% higher than the average local budget. Area agents suggest the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and greater acceptance of remote working all play a role in bringing more people to Western North Carolina.
arts
Filmmaker transplants discuss working in Asheville
Lenny Lenox and Tabitha and Mason McDonald have found success in a local film industry that still has plenty of room to grow.Arts Council forms new Arts Coalition
Ten local arts leaders comprise the inaugural Arts Coalition leadership team. Also, Folkmoot returns to in-person events, plus more area arts news!food
New dining options in neighboring towns bring a variety of flavors
In surrounding towns, new restaurants offer locals a good excuse to take a daytrip this summer.Asheville chefs share memories and recipes for global grilling
Editor’s note: Recipes for items featured can be found at the end of this article. Now that the Fourth of July is behind us but several more months of outdoor…What’s new in food: Pranom Pop-Up at Bottle Riot
Chef Dream Kasestatad returns to Bottle Riot. Plus: Punk Rock Hot Dogs returns to the Masonic Temple, Melting Pot Social opens and more local food news.news
Biz Briefs: Blue Ridge Pride debuts LGBTQ+ business alliance
Blue Ridge Pride, a nonprofit supporting the LGBTQ community in Western North Carolina, launched an online business directory for LGBTQ-owned and inclusive businesses called the Blue Ridge Pride Business Alliance…Q&A with Kareen Boncales, director of entrepreneurship at Mountain BizWorks
Many people who volunteer with the Peace Corps consider it a life-defining experience. Kareen Boncales is one of them. She served in Cameroon from 2009-11 in small enterprise development, teaching…Out-of-town interest drives local real estate market
According to Redfin, a nationwide real estate brokerage, the average real estate budget for an outsider moving to Asheville was $615,500 as of April, 31% higher than the average local…Birthing pains
A recent Tuesday afternoon at the Western North Carolina Birth Center was unusually quiet. The birthing rooms were empty. No laboring mothers paced the halls; no infants wailed. The staff…Critical race theory debate comes to Buncombe
Critical race theory, a set of ideas about the ways race influences society, drew 13 commenters at a June 3 meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Education. Officials at…Buncombe sets $300 cap on homeowner grants
Residents who have owned their primary residence for at least five years and make no more than 80% of the area median income — $60,100 for a family of four…opinion
Letter: Thrilled that Mission Hospital nurses won raises
"I was thrilled to see that nurses at Mission Hospital were finally given a raise and disheartened at the same time to see they had to bargain for 'guaranteed' breaks."Letter: Tourism dollars should help with infrastructure
"Tourism dollars should be helping with the infrastructure of the city. To continue to put the burden on taxpayers living here is unfair and unsustainable."Letter: Spend occupancy taxes on healing tourism’s impacts
"The tourism fund could be used to provide paying jobs for locals to be out in the parks and forests making sure visitors practice “leave no trace”; park only where…I accuse: Channeling Emile Zola in today’s Asheville
"I am certain the French author would take no offense at a less talented voice borrowing his 'J’Acuse' model. What better way to challenge a home community that is similarly…Letter: Council should deny rezoning for Charlotte Street development
"City Council, we demand that you comply with the Unified Development Ordinance and deny the Killians’ request for a conditional zoning permit."Letter: Business owners, nonprofit leaders support alternatives to policing
"From housing shortages to drug overdoses, Asheville’s crises stem from deep dysfunctions and injustices. For too long, our city has overinvested in punishment and underinvested in equity — reliance on…Letter: Support citizen safety efforts first
"Should not the county/city focus on supporting citizen safety efforts before looking at marketing programs targeted at tourism?"Sharing is not caring