Sona Merlin has seen a lot during her 21 years in Asheville real estate. But one house in the Peach Knob Meadows neighborhood near Town Mountain Road stands out above the rest due to a bathroom. Why? It included a miniature shower built for a dog. “They used nicer tile than my home shower has!” […]
“So development will continue unabated in the county regardless of what the city does, but we have a say in how development will be regulated within the city limits.”
Countless existing structures of every shape and size remain vacant throughout the city, many in decrepit condition after years with no occupants. According to the National Association of Realtors’ Q3 2021 Commercial Real Estate Metro Market Report, 26% of Asheville’s currently available commercial space is vacant, including industrial, multifamily, retail and office properties.
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 budget of $469,000. That disparity between outside and local buyers was greater than in either Charlotte or Raleigh.
Despite high unemployment and ongoing uncertainties related to the pandemic, Asheville’s real estate market is booming. Local agents and lenders say a majority of their new clients are leaving densely populated cities as they seek lower housing costs and greater insulation from COVID-19.
Passenger numbers increased by 18.6 percent compared to 2017, assisted by new nonstop routes to destinations such as Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa, Fla. A recent economic impact study found that the airport contributes nearly $1.5 billion per year to the local economy.
Area Realtors and architects are paying close attention to the effects of climate change on the built environment — and gaining new skills to help clients consider climate-related issues as they make real estate decisions. The Asheville chapter of the American Institute of Architects is hosting a conference, titled “Where Building Science Meets Climate Science,” at The Collider on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 2-3.
Pack Square lies at the center of Asheville’s sense of itself as a city, but recent attention to the area — and the monuments to Confederate figures located there — has highlighted a curious anomaly of history and law: No one can say for sure who owns the piece of land where the Vance Monument sits.
In May of 1917, the country was at war with Germany. Meanwhile in Asheville there were some great deals on clothing, sleeping porch shades and real estate.
“Deplorably, the writer supporting short-term rentals is ignorant about what the untold value of a good neighbor is, the immeasurable effect a close neighborhood has on one’s quality of life, and how short-term rentals contribute to anxiety, malaise and most likely to lowering home values in the area.”
“Perhaps it could be delayed and neglected for what some might claim to be sound reasons, but ultimately assets, infrastructure and development have to keep pace with growth.”
Amid growing local interest in tiny homes, the Villagers shop in West Asheville will host a community discussion, film screening and small house display on Monday, Aug. 25.
The blogosphere is abuzz these days with romantic visions of picturesque miniature dwellings. And a growing number of local advocates say the “tiny home movement” could help achieve a wealth of positive outcomes, from environmental efficiencies to enhanced affordability. Amid the swelling interest, however, many hurdles remain.
As a development company plans to build a new subdivision in Riceville, the neighbors worry their rural community is changing for the worse. With the real estate market bouncing back, what does the resurrgence of development mean for the region?
Wolf Ridge Ski Resort is now under new management and big changes are in the works.
A South Florida gynecologist and his business partner have purchased two iconic downtown Asheville buildings — The Windsor Hotel and the S&W Building
(photos by Bill Rhodes)
On Sunday afternoon, Asheville’s Patton Property Group held an Open House at 1 Norwood Park Avenue to promote its new Homes for Heroes program, which gives a 25 percent discount off the real estate commission to teachers, firefighters, public safety officers, health care workers, and military personnel looking to buy or sell a home in […]
The Asheville Board of Realtors recently spent $2.1 million to buy a building on Montford Avenue for new offices. The purchase has rankled some members of the organization, who say they had no idea the board had such deep reserves and shouldn’t be spending that much money in a down real estate market.
When Kimberly Evans first tried her hand at real estate in 1985, it was in Texas, where, she says, “We had more foreclosures than new sales and mortgage rates were 18 percent.” President for a year: Kimberly Evans takes the helm as the Asheville Board of Realtors’ 2009 president, with the motto, “Adapt and prosper.” […]
From time to time, local officials announce a significant corporate relocation or expansion that translates into an infusion of well-paying jobs hereabouts. And if all goes as hoped, the next such announcement could be a real attention-getter. Catbird seat: Realserv CEO Shannon Van Etten says Asheville is well-positioned to land a major real-estate agent service […]
