tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-387510332009-12-07T21:32:16.425-05:00Asheville Mountain Real Estate BlogAsheville, NC real estate for sale. Information for buyers, sellers and mountain homeowners, without pressure. Rich content for those who are far away about what it is like to live here through the generous use of media.
And some nostalgia with our, "Baby Boomers' Fun Stuff", Thanks for stopping by.Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.comBlogger345125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-76159629674427354012009-09-03T11:13:00.002-04:002009-09-04T10:41:07.701-04:00Labor Day in the MountainsIt is labor Day weekend, the unofficial end of summer, a time for BBQ's, the outdoors, and travel. Greater Asheville has no shortage of events tinged with inimitable local flavor.Driving to Asheville?The NCDOT now has a feed on all road construction projects, apparently updated frequently. Readers may click here to get a report by region.Things To Do*The Lexington Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-68385737259940271322009-09-01T15:27:00.001-04:002009-09-01T15:33:02.877-04:00Asheville: More Best Of DesignationsWe have written any number of times about the various "Best Of" lists that greater Asheville has graced. Today we look at some more recent honoraria.Top Ten Trout TownsFrom Ashvegas, we learn of yet another outdoor oriented nomination, this time from Forbes Magazine. Trout fishing is quite prevalent here in Madison County, just north of Asheville. In fact, Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-22282547865574616352009-08-17T12:21:00.003-04:002009-08-17T12:39:02.331-04:00Monday: Media DayAs the guy at the feed store said this morning, the day is "gray and groggy". So, let's just engage in a little local roundup and start the week in an upbeat way.Asheville in The Wa PoThe Washington Post had an article about Asheville this past weekend. Entilted, "Asheville, NC Has a Song in its Heart", the focus was not so much on local music as it turns out.The overview did Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-72938125291352299952009-08-12T16:48:00.004-04:002009-08-13T10:37:59.979-04:00Uniquely AshevilleAn occasional installment of ours covering what makes our fair city the hip and eclectic place that it is.Friday, August 14Arts 2 People, and The Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival brings us the First Annual Freaks of Asheville Calendar with a photo exhibit at at Pack Place downtown.Ashvegas has the details for this event which is designed to "capture the power and Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-10328490349254318522009-08-07T12:10:00.000-04:002009-08-07T12:13:31.401-04:00Baby Boomers: August 7, 1955Coming into the weekend with a significant day in baby boomer history, the birth of the transistor radio in 1955.Our streets, beaches and backyards would never be the same after rock and roll went mobile. The sound was glorious mono, with those earphones, as opposed to headphones.To commemorate and entertain, here are The Everly Brothers, performing the # 3 song of Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-74151355955517823782009-07-31T10:55:00.005-04:002009-07-31T11:25:53.913-04:00Of Beer, Budgets, and the WeekendTime for another local post, some news bits and stuff for the weekend.Best Beer City, SquaredBack in May we noted Asheville's designation as the Best Beer City in America.July has brought another accolade in that vein, this time Best Craft Beer City, by way of Imbibe Magazine. Be sure if you are in town to check out and support Asheville's local breweries.In OtherBlack Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-82019740653177722632009-07-30T11:40:00.004-04:002009-07-30T14:34:36.568-04:00New Home Sales: June 2009New home sales were reported earlier this week. Both of the following statements are true.New home sales in June, 2009 were at their highest level since November 2008, but it was also the second lowest June since 1963, when record keeping began. Barry Riholtz notes that the worst June on record was 1982 and offers the following:Then, 34,000 new homes were sold. There Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-63730959168153729692009-07-28T14:31:00.003-04:002009-07-30T10:32:09.871-04:00Existing Home Sales: June, 2009Released late last week, let's examine how the market fared with respect to sales of existing homes. In few words, less bad than it was.Existing home sales increased 3.6 % in June, 2009 vs the prior month, as well they should if anything resembling a normal seasonal pattern is in place. This segment of the market however remains 0.2% less than one year ago, which Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-55996723368851162802009-07-24T11:01:00.000-04:002009-07-24T11:06:16.237-04:00Bele Chere: 2009It's the last weekend in July, and Bele Chere, the largest street festival in the Southeast returns to Asheville.Essential Resources*Official Site*The Citizen Times outlines the three decade evolution, and changes for 2009.*Overview from The Citizen Times, complete with video and recent articles.*Mountain Express Bele Chere Guide: Music is on the main page, right sidebar for otherBlack Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-20073721879923617852009-07-23T11:15:00.001-04:002009-07-24T09:38:41.128-04:00Baby Boomers: Peter and GordonIt's been a long while since we took a break from real estate and posted a Baby Boomers feature.It was last weekend, that we learned about the sudden passing of Gordon Waller, one half of the 60's duo Peter and Gordon.P and G were the first British band after The Beatles to garner a US # 1 hit, a distinction in itself. They had quite a decent run between 1964 and Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-77745859718752083302009-07-22T12:52:00.003-04:002009-07-22T13:19:19.473-04:00Housing Starts, June, 2009The Census Department released its monthly series on housing construction late last week. Let's go behind the headlines and see what happened.Calculated Risk notes that new permits, starts and completions were down 56%, 46%, and 27% respectively from one year ago.Paper Economy examines the all important single family segment where we see permits, starts and completions Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-53998075385183075922009-07-15T13:15:00.001-04:002009-07-15T13:22:45.580-04:00Asheville Metro Economy OutlookLast evening was the 10th Annual Asheville Metro Economic Outlook. We were unable to attend, and to our disappointment, there is scant reporting online.The Economic Development Coalition For Asheville & Buncombe County has its economic snapshot up for May, 2009 at any rate.Since that page does not appear to get archived, we will recap the numbers here vs. May, Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-56647448251802120552009-07-14T12:10:00.003-04:002009-07-14T13:02:24.744-04:00Tuesday NumbersWe're keeping a close eye on economic news lately, spurred by the notion that things are down, but not by as much. Not that this should be a basis for calling a bottom.But still, the news bears watching for any turnarounds, and then, like any good commodities trader, to look for confirmation in the next month as new numbers get released.Economic News of The Day: June, 2009 Retail Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-82827596519908331622009-07-13T16:08:00.000-04:002009-07-13T16:13:52.794-04:00Monday: Things We ReadJust a collection of items from online publications, no deep analysis.Department of Odd JuxtapositionsThe Wall Street Journal reports on declining divorce rates, apparently caused by the recession.A May survey by the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, a national organization for financial professionals who work on divorce cases, found that the recession was delaying Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-1913775910839825372009-07-10T11:40:00.014-04:002009-07-10T16:07:26.367-04:00Travel & Tourism in a Resort MarketToday we look at travel and tourism for its particular importance to greater Asheville real estate.The BasicsLike many resort, retirement, or vacation areas, our real estate market, especially in the adjacent counties, is traditionally fueled by buyers from outside of the region.Today's visitors are tomorrow's buyers. Real estate and tourism are thus linked. Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-74346040851796192122009-07-09T12:18:00.001-04:002009-07-09T12:23:27.505-04:00Asheville EventsLet's get away from statistics and trends for a while. Here's a quick roundup of some events of note for the coming days.Opening Friday July 10From The Asheville Travel Blog: Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours. Let's explain.One of the peculiarities of weather in a mountainous region such as ours is that certain areas get a lot of rain. In fact, some portions of Western NC are Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-71907761694434903032009-07-08T14:30:00.003-04:002009-07-09T16:38:00.305-04:00Real Estate Statistics: May, 2009The May, 2009 numbers were reported over the last portion of June. We covered them individually at the time, but round them up here in one place each month. A little late this time around, but nevertheless.The Quick SummaryNew homes remain a very troubled sector. Existing homes, if not exactly showing signs of recovery, are at least less bad. A whole slew of Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-16303425716366293712009-07-03T10:40:00.004-04:002009-07-03T12:52:57.855-04:00July 4th WeekendYep, the peak of summer is upon us.Here is quick round up of things to do on the holiday weekend if you plan to be in the area. The weather looks to be pleasant, in the low 80's as this is written.Friday July 3Check out the Pritchard Park Drum Cirlce from 6PM until 9:45PM, for a taste of something uniquely Asheville. For those unfamiliar, check out this 47 second video to get a Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-49006087981333729792009-07-02T11:48:00.027-04:002009-07-03T14:38:53.224-04:00What They Mean By Faint Praise?Here is a little quote, it seemed funny at the time, on home prices from yesterday's Charlotte Observer, (emphasis added):All 20 urban markets measured by the index remain in negative territory, but April was the third consecutive month that the index's overall decline didn't set a record.This notion has popped up often in recent media, ranging from commentary on Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-51502406456017504382009-07-01T11:15:00.005-04:002009-07-03T14:43:34.155-04:00Pending Home Sales: May, 2009The PHSI, (Pending Home Sales Index), for May rose 0.1% from April, and stands 6.7% higher than one year ago.The ContextPHSI, as the name implies, represents contracts signed not sales that have closed yet. Historically, (probably pre-2006), the index was a reasonable predictor of future sales. The subsequent distortions in the market have made it notably less Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-31946489909691797582009-06-30T09:52:00.012-04:002009-06-30T11:52:26.994-04:00Spotlight AshevilleIn some ways it is the age of lists, but still, Asheville makes more "top tens" than we can count.Recent designations range from best outdoor towns, to best places to retire, best arts destinations, the ultimate best places to live, and so on, ad infinitum. And now...From The Asheville Travel Blog: We are now a Top Ten Dog Friendly Resort Region.From Good Morning America Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-27535425599181616652009-06-26T12:07:00.004-04:002009-06-30T10:25:50.636-04:00Home Warranties: Newly PopularSome observers have noted that the home warranty industry is experiencing a rise in revenue, but what are these things?A home warranty is different than its more familiar cousin, the builder's warranty which is associated with new home sales. The home warranty is an instrument applied to the sale of existing, or pre owned homes.Home warranties are designed to cover Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-71996460370181499912009-06-25T12:43:00.009-04:002009-07-01T15:52:11.898-04:00New Home Sales: May 200932,000 new homes were sold in May of 2009. This is 35% less than a year ago, and 75% less than the peak in 2005.Sales were 11% less than the previous record low for May, (1982), and now represent the lowest number of new homes sold since record keeping began in 1963.Inventories remain high at 10.2 months of supply, something more like 6 months of supply is seen as normal.Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-83851917220405324072009-06-24T13:59:00.004-04:002009-07-02T09:51:26.442-04:00Existing Home Sales, May 2009Reported yesterday with headlines such as, May Existing Home Sales Continue Rising Trend, or similar ones at Yahoo News, as a sign of stabilization.The headlines compare May with April, 2009. A number of articles noted it was the third consecutive month of increases. One has to dig a little to see that existing home sales were around 3.6% less than 2008, and that Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38751033.post-30686119066135822442009-06-23T12:33:00.001-04:002009-06-23T12:54:37.495-04:00Asheville White Water Rafting: 2009 EditionSummertime is upon us, and before the year is out more than 400,000 people will take a white water rafting trip somewhere in greater Asheville, one of the best white water towns in America.The NC Drought Monitor looks better than it has in more than 30 months, so the exceedingly low water which plagued the industry moves to the sidelines for the Black Bear Realtyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00991944332320237194info@blackbearre.com0