Video showing before and after of rehab in Montford Historic District

If Houses could talk . . .

I love to research the history of homes . . . who lived there and what did they do, what was going on at the time the home was built. Each clue brings the story alive that we like to tell in some way to prospective buyers. Here is a great blog about being a "house detective". If you'd like to find the story about your home but don't have the time, let us know and we can help!

If This House Could Talk

Air Quality Tips: WNC Regional Air Quality Agency

As we head into the fall, here are some good tips about indoor air quality from Ashley Featherstone of The WNC Regional Air Quality Agency

In regards to maintenance and testing indoor air quality, EPA and CDC recommend having a licensed HVAC contractor perform an annual inspection and tune up (if needed) on heating and cooling systems. The beginning of the heating season is the perfect time to get this done. They also recommend that everyone with combustion appliances (oil, gas, propane, etc.) have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector.

Click here to read more about CO.

Click here (or right click to download) more information about combustion appliances in the home.

With the exception of radon testing, EPA does not recommend mold testing or general indoor air testing because there are no standards for mold and most other pollutants that are applicable in the residential setting. Mold is allergenic and some molds are potentially toxic. If you can see it and/or smell it you may have a problem and it can usually be addressed without the added expense of testing. Finding the moisture problem and correcting it are the first steps, followed by proper clean up.

More information from the EPA's website on mold.

Click on Minnesota or Connecticut for info on indoor air and testing on their state websites.

Good additional information about indoor air in the home can be found on the EPA site.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or need more
information,

Ashley

Ashley Featherstone
Engineering Supervisor
WNC Regional Air Quality Agency
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: 828.250.6778
Fax: 828.255.5226
www.wncairquality.org
All correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

Carl Sandburg's Connemara

"A man must find time for himself. Time is what we spend our lives with. If we are not careful we find others spending it for us. It is necessary now and then for a man to go away by himself and experience loneliness. To sit on a rock in the forest and to ask of himself "Who am I? and Where have I been? and Where am I going? If one is not careful, one allows diversions to take up one's time. The stuff of Life" - Carl Sandburg

Historic Connemara in Flat Rock is a great place to go back in time visiting the home, take a hike on the beautiful grounds, and learn about a great American writer's life.

Spirit of Asheville

This is a great video about Asheville, the happiest city in the country:

Current Real Estate trends for Asheville, NC

The real estate market has sure been challenging over the last two to three years.  The environment remains a solid buyers market, and some recent numbers for the Asheville area show some real signs of improvement in the economy.

Click for link to larger image

For median and lower priced homes, especially during the last six months, there has been a definite new trend in the available supply of homes on the market, though the size of the supply still firmly favors buyers.

Click for link to larger image

For higher priced homes, the numbers show a similar trend, though the number of homes available for sale remains much higher than the rate of home sales. Especially for the highest priced properties, the market remains a challenge, and this can be a real opportunity for a prudent home buyer.

Home Energy Efficiency Program Presentation

Wednesday June 22, 12:00pm All Welcome

Neighbor Saves presents: Team Based Energy Saving

WHERE: AB Tech Main Campus Simpson lecture hall
WHEN: Wednesday June 22nd 12:00pm-1:00pm
COST: FREE

Open to the public!    All welcome.

There will be a short presentation at 12:00 PM
followed by Q&A

Neighbor Saves is an innovative program aimed at empowering participants to Save Energy, Save Money, Improve Comfort and Build Community in a team based fun environment (not just neighbors!) Participants get trained by and complete work on each others' homes with an experienced supervisor.

100% Financing for projects is available through Self-Help Credit Union for qualifying participants.

The following is a list of potential retrofits to be undertaken through Neighbor Saves: Air sealing in the attic and under the floor, attic insulation, duct sealing and insulating, caulking and weatherstripping around doors and windows, water heater wrap, hot water pipe wrap, programmable thermostat installation, showerhead and faucet aerator change-outs, light bulb change-outs, fireplace pillow installations, Carbon monoxide detector installations.

Come learn how you can be part of the solution today.

Find out more at: www.neighborsaves.org

Directions:

http://www1.abtech.edu/content/campus-police-and-security/directions-campus

Campus map:

http://www1.abtech.edu/content/a-b-tech-locations/asheville-campus

COST: Free

For more information, please contact: Jacob Sadler, Residential Outreach Coordinator
Western North Carolina Green Building Council
828-254-1995

info@wncgbc.org

www.wncgbc.org

Matt Siegel, Director
Western North Carolina Green Building Council

828-254-1995

matt@wncgbc.org

www.wncgbc.org

Smoky Mountain Log Cabin Rental

One of our past clients has recently completed a beautiful rehab of this cozy cabin that is being offered for vacation rental and has already gotten raving reviews from her guests! 

Mountain Cabin North Carolina (Click for link to the site)

Check it out and make a reservation!

Waterside Cottage . . . on the banks of beautiful Trout Lake

Why Western North Carolina?

Montford Historic District, Asheville, North Carolina | Best Old House Neighborhoods 2011: The South | Photos | Home & Real Estate | This Old House

Montford Historic District, Asheville, North Carolina Best Old House Neighborhoods 2011: The South Photos Home & Real Estate This Old House

Historic Charles Joyner house video

Renovation, Repair and Painting Certification

There is a lot of controversy over the new lead-safe work practices and certification required by contractors that disturb lead-based paint in homes built before 1978.  Recently I became RRP certified and wanted to share a little information about the new law:

Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.
To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning April 22, 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
EPA requires that firms performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools be certified by EPA and that they use certified renovators who are trained by EPA-approved training providers to follow lead-safe work practices. Individuals can become certified renovators by taking an eight-hour training course from an EPA-approved training provider.
Lead-safe remodeling is the law if you are a contractor and smart if you have kids.  Since I have kids and work a lot with buyers and sellers of historic homes, I recently took the 8 hour course and became certified.

Lead poisoning remains a major environmental-health concern, and though it is commonly associated with youth, high levels of lead exposure are linked to serious adult health conditions, such as high blood pressure and dementia.

Locally, the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program works to promote lead-safe environments in Buncombe and Henderson counties by providing the community with educational resources, identification of lead hazards in the home and training for professionals. “Although we don’t see many children who are lead-poisoned, low levels of lead, once thought safe, have been shown to be harmful,” says Program Coordinator Linda Block. If you are pregnant, or have children or grandchildren under the age of 7, call for a free lead inspection of your pre-1978 home. There are upcoming workshops on lead-safe work practices for remodelers, renovators and painters.


See the following links for details:


Local RRP Training info

Details of EPA requirements 

Then and now pictures show progress

stripping wallpaper and foundation work can lead to an overwhelming desire to stick with the desk job

 

What Have I Gotten Myself Into

I was always very cordial to the elderly lady that lived across the street from us in the small 1920's bungalow, but one day a few years ago as I was taking out the trash she approached me on the sidewalk and accused me of trying to steal her house. This accusation was a shock because the thought had never entered my mind and I have absolutely no similarities to Donald Trump that would make her suspect that.

Fast forward to 6 months ago an auction sign went up in front of that house. That day I was in a rush to get my 4 year old to school and then to work and I was still a little drowsy from helping take care of our 6 month old during the night. The sign obviously caught my interest and I knew that it was a matter of time before something would happen to the dilapidated bungalow after the elderly owner moved to assisted living, but no way I'd have time to consider it and I'm no Donald Trump.

Fast forward to a few months ago and I'm the highest bidder for a house that needs LOTS of work and immediately I'm second-guessing why I would try to tackle something that I don't have the time or money to accomplish.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago and after pulling all the equity out of our house the bank will allow, I've gone up the chain of command at our local bank and somehow persuaded them to do an in-house loan on a major fixer-upper in a down market. Now I'm starting to feel like Donald Trump, but not really. I've worked in a lot of dirty old houses but that was before I had a wife and 2 kids. We close on the house and my beautiful wife says she trusts me, and no way she's setting foot in that filthy house.

Fast forward to now and, after several weeks of wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into, the first payment came due and I finally got motivated to start cleaning out the mess. In this post are only the before pictures for shock value. I'll be posting updates as I go along . . .

Mortgage Rates Still Low

Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level on record for the sixth time in seven weeks.

The average rate for 30-year fixed loans this week was 4.49 percent, down from 4.54 percent last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. That's the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking rates in 1971.

The average rate on the 15-year fixed loan dropped to 3.95 percent, the lowest on record. Other rates dropped: 5-year-adjustable, 3.63 percent, from 3.76; 1-year ARM, 3.55 percent, from 3.64.

The last time home loan rates were lower was during the 1950s, when most mortgages lasted 20 or 25 years.

Low rates have sparked some activity in the weak housing market, but not a massive boom in refinancing.

-AP

Asheville, NC continues its reign as top BeerCity USA 2010

Asheville, NC continues its reign as top BeerCity USA 2010

Posted using ShareThis

Update on Buncombe County Housing Market - May 2010

Existing home sales jumped a surprising 68% in Buncombe County last month, apparently fueled by tax credits and more optimism about the economy, but prices were still relatively weak. The number of existing homes sold in Buncombe has risen substantially every month but one since September, prompting hope the fall in the area's housing market has finally stopped. The pending expiration of federal tax credits for home buyers accounted for a good portion of the sales increase in April.

Even with the rise in sales, buyers still have more power than usual when it comes to settling on a sales price. The number of homes available for sale is still much higher than the level regarded as equilibrium. The median home sale price — the point at which half are higher, half lower — dropped from $208,000 in April 2009 to $186,000 in April 2010, a 10.6% decline. There were 237 existing home sales in Buncombe County in April, up from 141 in April 2009 and 203 in March 2010.

Those who do buy now will be able to buy more house and have more choices than they would have a year ago — good news for buyers, but a headache for sellers. Sellers are being forced to adjust their prices downward if they want to sell. There are still far more homes on the market than it can currently absorb, according to N.C. Mountains MLS data. Industry experts generally consider a market in equilibrium if a six months' supply of homes is available for sale.

Staying Power: The Joys and Challenges of Historic Homes

Real estate professionals like to offer as many kinds of properties to prospective customers as there are different personalities of buyers. And few real estate properties have more personality than a historic home.

By the standards of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, any structure at least 50 years old may qualify for historic-landmark status. This is determined by a home or other building’s demonstration of particularly significant architectural features or now-rare styles, or its role in important past activities or events.

To be sure, such homes present many challenges. The older the house, the more likely certain toxins will be present that aren’t in newer homes (such as asbestos and lead paint); these will have to be dealt with. And restoring the historic character to a possibly-neglected house can be a costly and time-consuming effort.

But there’s much to be said for the personal satisfaction of remaking a house by your own effort, and restoring an example of America’s past that can help keep us mindful and proud of our heritage. Also, where there are historic homes there are likely to be whole historic neighborhoods, which preserve and offer to the homebuyer just the kind of old-fashioned community qualities that today’s home-seekers are craving and today’s developers are trying to re-create.

If your home is on or considered eligible for local, state or national registers of historic places, various rules will be in effect for building materials, renovations, and uses of the structure which most fit the historical period in which it was built. Although these requirements can be an inconvenience, many states offer tax and other incentives for owning and rehabilitating historic homes found to meet historic-preservation officials’ criteria. And owners of homes on government registers of historic places still have broad latitude in selling, altering and using their property.

Before buying such a home, you’ll want to check into several factors to determine whether the investment you’re making in history is the right one for you: What laws apply to local historic buildings and districts, how much restoration does the house require, and what contractors are available who are knowledgeable about handling historic homes are a few of the major questions you’ll want answered before making a commitment.

Proper preparation and the right professional expert can help ensure that your historic home will give you nothing but happiness to look back on.

Having grown up in an 1890's Victorian home that was in a state of repair my entire childhood, the lead paint may have dulled my senses a little but I've continued to gain experience through my own renovations and through assisting others. I love history and the discoveries that can be made when researching a property. These discoveries, I believe, can add value to your property. We now offer the services of a "house historian" who can efficiently find the story that your property has to tell.

So whether you're considering selling or buying an historic property, or if you'd just like to have us research the history of your property, you've come to the right place. We can provide testimonials, references and look forward to discussing the possibilities.

Great News in the Real Estate Market

We want to share with you some great news about the Buncombe County real estate market. The number of home sold in January 2010 was up 19% over the number of homes sold just a year ago in January 2009. There was also a 12% increase in the dollar volume of homes sold in Buncombe County. We feel that many consumers are taking advantage of the historically low mortgage rates as well as the Home Buyers Tax Credit.

Follow are a few links of updated information about the Asheville area real estate market for February 2010.

Active Listings in WNC—February 2010
Closed Listings in WNC—February 2010
Percentage Sold in WNC—February 2010
Sales Trend Report in WNC—February 2010
5 Year Sales History Report—February 2010


If you have questions or need more information on the above, please visit our website at www.CarolinaHistoricHomes.com or call 828-230-4054.