A recent readers' choice survey in Conde Nast Traveler rated Asheville one of the friendliest towns in the United States. The survey asked readers to rate US cities on a number of qualities including "friendliest", and Asheville placed fourth in the survey.

Won't you be our Asheville neighbor?

Asheville visitors who participated in the survey not only ranked the cities but also provided comments as to their choices. Glancing over their observations, it is very difficult to disagree with their statements.  One reader observed the city has "hidden treasures around every corner." Another credited the high scoring with Asheville's great combination of "free thinkers and Southern hospitality." The magazine itself points to our remarkable local art scene and local microbreweries as another compelling reason to visit the city.

With our own experiences in the River Arts District and our research for our blogs on microbreweries in the area, we have to say we agree. The magazine goes on to talk about our "great locally sourced food and friendly people".  And while the survey respondents were Asheville visitors, the greatest attraction seems to be the city residents. According to Conde Nast, "above all, it's the "conscientious locals" who truly make this "welcoming" metropolis a "fun, quirky place to visit."

To that, we at Greybeard Realty say, "hear, hear!" We couldn't agree more that Asheville locals are what make this place so special. For those of us who already live in this area, give yourselves a pat on the back for making Asheville such a friendly place to be.  And for those of you who are considering Asheville as an option for relocation, what are you waiting for? Come on! Won't you be our neighbors?

Ah, summer. Temperatures rise and so do home sales in the seasonal Asheville real estate market. That's why it is imperative that you consider equivalent months and year to date statistics when studying the area trends. Even a quick glance at the most recently released MLS numbers, however, indicates some very strong signs for 2013.

If you've enjoyed your western NC vacation, perhaps it's time to consider taking that next step and purchasing your own piece of tranquility. Greybeard Realty has a new listing for a furnished, ready to move in mountain retreat. With its high-end furnishings and impeccable attention to detail, this mountain home is unmatched in its quality.

Keep the home fires burning in this buncombe County home for sale.

Located on 1.2 acres in Fairview, this 4-bedroom, 3 bath home has 3 gas fireplaces and a gourmet eat-in kitchen. Constructed in 2005, the home has wood floors throughout, a large master suite, and a bonus room with office or bedroom potential. As spectacular as the inside of the house is, the outside offers its own perks. From the porch, new homeowners will be rewarded with gorgeous long-range, year-round views. For more views of this home, click on 39 Falcon Crest on Greybeard's website.

To get an idea of what's happening in the Buncombe County real estate market, look at Greybeard's real estate market statistics. The market has shown steady growth over the last year and indicates a strengthening of the housing market. It's a great time to buy into an incredible place to live. Browse through Greybeard Realty's residential listings and find your piece of paradise.

Black Mountain Camp Available

Greybeard Realty agent Scott Russell and Asheville professional photographer Gary Leive had their names in a Wall Street Journal story about camps for sale across the United States. Russell, the agent listing the Black Mountain camp property, mentions the tremendous potential for the property, and Leive gets credit for the photos that appear with the story.

The property, featured in a Greybeard blog earlier this year, was built in 2002 as a faith-based retreat but could easily be converted into a primary residence. Built on 83 acres, the main building with numerous cabins occupies only a small portion of the land. Because of that, the property has plenty of room for further development.

For more information about the featured campground, please see 66 Great Aspen Way. If you've always wanted to move to the Asheville area and start your own business, this may be just the property you've been looking for. And if you have something a little different in mind for your next career, check out Greybeard Realty's commercial real estate listings and see what else catches your eye.

In yet another sign of a recovering residential real estate market, residential building permits for Buncombe County are up 21.1% for year to date. The statistics, compiled by The Market Edge, indicate a continuation of the upward trend that began last year for the Asheville [...]

Finding a large land parcel for sale in a gated mountain community near Asheville is unusual. Finding a large land parcel in a gorgeous mountain setting with cascading streams on the property is priceless. Greybeard's listing, Tract 7 Winding Poplar, has limitless potential uses as well, from private estate to residential development.

Laurel Ridge land tract includes streams.

This Black Mountain property, located within Laurel Ridge, provides easy access and has numerous flat sites for easy home construction. And with its convenient location to downtown Black Mountain and Asheville, owners of this prime property will have access to all the local amenities with ease as well.

Within the 67 acres are large boulders and streams that give the property a natural mountain setting. Elevation ranges from 2500-3500 feet with varying terrain. Combine the untouched nature of the land with the easy accessibility to the property, and this land tract really does present a rare opportunity for the right buyer.

To appreciate this property, you really need to take a walk through it and see the incredible potential within the natural beauty. Greybeard agent, Scott Russell, would welcome a chance to show you this natural gem. Contact Greybeard Realty now to see this remarkable land tract for yourself.

Fourth of July is the time for fireworks and parades, so in keeping with that tradition, Greybeard Realty has scheduled a Montreat Parade of Homes. This open house of homes for sale, on Sunday June 30^th from 2-4 pm, provides interested buyers with a chance to see 11 specially selected homes all on the same day.

Lake Susan is a Montreat Focal Point

To find out what makes Montreat so special, visit our recent blog on Montreat that captures the essence this small, historic community.  For people who've grown up visiting Montreat on a regular basis, there's no other place that offers the same sense of community and sense of belonging as Montreat. And the homes listed for the open house provide buyers with a wide selection to choose from. In fact, this open house tour will take you from Mississippi to Virginia to Texas, road and avenues, that is.

To begin the open house tour, you can stop by at any of the houses or come by the Greybeard Realty office located at 204 East State St. in Black Mountain to get a copy of our flier and head out to the tour. Each home will have someone available to answer questions and direct you to the next home that best suits what you're looking for. Greybeard Realty hopes you'll take advantage of this special parade and come see what homes for sale in Montreat we offer. Come join enjoy our Parade of Homes.

It may seem as if the biggest decision was whether to put your home on the market to sell it.  In fact some of your more difficult decisions may come as you prepare your home to sell.  What do you need to have on hand in your home and what can you put in storage until your present home sells? Realtors agree that overcoming clutter is one of the biggest obstacles to selling a home.

Reduce and remove before relocating.

Greybeard has a whole page on how to prepare to sell your home which you can check out the seller's tips page here. Perhaps the most challenging for many people is de-cluttering your home. Everyone seems to understand that a home should be clean and well kept. Successfully preparing your home goes beyond sweeping the floor, however. You really need to pare down and remove most personal items so that potential buyers can imagine themselves in the home.  That's really hard to do if the house if full of personal photos, including the ones in magnet frames on the refrigerator door.

And while you're in the kitchen, be sure to remove everything from the counter tops.  Put the small appliances out of sight and be sure to take any old, unusable food out of the cupboards.  Even if you've found the kitchen storage space to be limited, you need to create the appearance that there's more than enough room for the new owner's canned goods! And please don't just put the toaster into the coat closet.  Potential owners open closet doors.  Closets should be neat and organized, again giving the appearance that there is room for everything in the home. Are there clothes out of season or out of favor in the closets? Box them up, label them, and put them into storage. Just think, it's one less thing you'll have to do once the home sells and you're ready for moving day.

If it all seems overwhelming, choose one room at a time and really be thorough with that room.  Consider removing furniture and putting it into storage as well.  Do you need his and her recliners right now? Having less furniture in a room makes it look larger. While you're taking the other boxes to storage, take some of your furniture as well. Box up the knick-knacks that are meaningful to your family but clutter for new home buyers. And think about the fact that whatever you pack up, you will have to unpack at the new house.  Can you part with some of the items and perhaps donate them somewhere?

With the tracking we do, we know that the real estate numbers are improving in the Asheville market, you need an edge to sell your home more quickly. When preparing your home to sell, just remember that less is better, especially when it comes to furniture, personal items and photos, and items on the kitchen counter. And again, doesn't it make sense to downsize on some possessions now and reduce what you have to pay the movers to transport? All of your hard work prior to showing your home will make your own transition to a new place that much easier. So go out and get those boxes. And don't forget the sharpie markers to label the boxes.

Greybeard Realty often tells potential buyers in Black Mountain and other local communities to spend some time in the towns they're considering purchasing real estate in, perhaps attend an event. Tomorrow's Rockin' Around the Square Concert in Black Mountain, June 1, is one of those community gatherings that will capture the essence of this small mountain town.

Greybeard Realtor Rocks!

Playing at the free concert will be the local band, The Hackbirds. This free event, from 2-4 pm on the site of the future Black Mountain Town Square, will have food and drink; all you'll need to bring is a chair or blanket to sit back and enjoy the music. The planned Town Square will be a community gathering spot that will include public parking, a market area, and open space.

We at Greybeard are particularly excited about the concert as The Hackbirds include Adam Johnson, one of Greybeard Realty's Realtors. A resident of the Black Mountain area for more than 10 years, Adam epitomizes what makes Greybeard Realtors and Rentals agents so knowledgeable. Adam attended Montreat College and is passionate about fly fishing in the area. It's hard to find anyone in the area more familiar with the vast outdoor activities available in the NC mountains.

So if you are looking at the Black Mountain area as a possible new home location, or if you just enjoy some fantastic music on a beautiful afternoon, come on over to the future site of Black Mountain Town Square. And if you're too far away to join us to hear the Hackbirds, we are sorry to hear that.  Don't forget you can check out the Greybeard Black Mountain Webcam anytime to see what you're missing in town.

Imagine a log cabin, four acres of beautiful land including pasture, two creeks and a pond all within easy access of Asheville. Now view the listing on our website for MLS #53995 and see that image in your mind become [...]