Home prices have stopped their free fall and many markets have lower inventories of available properties.    The extended and expanded tax credit will end on April 30.    However, the major reason to buy now is the historically low mortgage rates which no way to go but up.

If you’ve been holding off making a real estate purchase, the flicker of hope that the housing market may be turning around may have you wondering if it’s finally time get off the fence and make a move.

Although home prices remain stable in the Highlands and Cashiers NC market, the threat of more foreclosures and short sales still loom on the horizon and may place some slight downward pressure on pricing.   More importantly, mortgages rates remain historically low and the tax credits that were offered to new buyers and expanded to current homeowners expire on April 30th.

Besides the loss of the tax credit, the biggest game-changer facing home buyers is a potential jump in mortgage rates.   If the Fed moves ahead with its plan to stop buying mortgage-backed securities at the end of March, the rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is expected to increase nearly a percentage point from today’s 5.18% to 6.1% by the end of 2010, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.    On a $450,000 fixed-rate mortgage, that’s an extra $261 per month.

Inventory in the Highlands and Cashiers area is stable with some foreclosure and short sale opportunities still available.   Don’t miss your chance to own your special place in the mountains of Western North Carolina before the market begins its normal cycle of increasing prices.      

For more information on foreclosures and short sales, or all properties available in the Highlands and Cashiers market, please visit our website at www.meadowsmtnrealty.com or give us a call anytime at 866-526-3558 to discuss your search for the perfect mountain home. 

There is a wonderful opportunity to build a lakefront home in Highlands NC.  This fabulous 3 acre lot is located on Lake Sequoyah, offering one of the best settings in all of the Highlands area.

This Highlands lot is ready to build on, with a driveway in place and a path cleared from the building site to the lake.  The location is perfect for a second home to get away to.  Close to town the setting is convenient yet secluded and tucked into the trees.  The lake offers a perfect spot to boat, fish or sit and relax on its edge.

If you have been considering building in the Highlands/Cashiers area this could be the location you have been looking for.  Contact Meadows Mountain Realty today to look at this lot or any other lot currently on the market.

For more information about Highlands North Carolina, and for access to the Highlands NC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558.

It is a great time to build a home in Highlands North Carolina.  Highlands NC is home to some fabulous vacation property, offering luxurious homes that many only dream about.  With new home sales at record lows home construction across the Country has co me to a screeching halt, making building supplies available at incredibly competitive prices.  In addition to more reasonable building supplies, builders themselves have had to adjust their rates.

It is an ideal time to purchase property in Highlands NC.  Mortgage rates are staying at historically low rates and property values are remaining much lower than their peak prices.  If you have been dreaming of building a home in the spectacular area of Highlands or Cashiers NC, take advantage of a prime buying and building time and consider acting today.

For more information about Highlands North Carolina, and for access to the Highlands NC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558.

This lake front home in Highlands NC is for sale

389 Deer Run in Highlands North Carolina is for sale.  With 4 bedrooms, 5 and a half bathrooms this beautiful home is located on a lot that is nearly an acre in size.  Taking advantage of its magnificent setting, this Highlands home has been built perched above the lake.

This home displays amazing attention to detail and its warm wood finishes bring the outdoors inside.  The kitchen is perfect for entertaining and the guest cottage located above the two car garage is perfect for family and friends.

This Highlands home is located in Cold Springs, a community which offers tennis, horseback riding trails and a park, all within a convenient five minute drive from downtown.

To schedule a viewing of this spectacular home, or any other home that is currently for sale in Highlands NC, contact the brokers at Meadows Mountain Realty today.

For more information about Highlands North Carolina, and for access to the Highlands NC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558.

Does it seem to you that new homes are generally bigger than older ones? If so, your observation is correct. The average new home today is nearly 500 square feet (or 25%) larger than the average house built 20 years ago, and 12% larger than those built in the late 1990s.    However, mere square footage is not the primary reason why new homes are more spacious than their predecessors.

Homes are now designed to enhance the perception of larger space and to allow a variety of functions in the common areas of the home. Open floor plans, increasingly popular across all housing types, sizes and prices, create long views through the home and afford “shared” spaces that serve multiple needs.

The perfect example of this concept is the combination kitchen-eating nook-family room. An uninterrupted view from either end makes this space appear quite large as each “area” spills easily into the next. A kitchen island extended into the eating area, for instance, may serve as the family’s everyday dining area, homework or bill-paying center, or craft counter. In turn, that area transitions seamlessly into the family room where family members and guests can relax but stay in touch with activity and conversations in the kitchen — where the cook used to be isolated!

This perceived space is made even greater by a row of windows along the long wall of the room looking into the back yard. More windows may be located on the kitchen and/or family room end-walls.   These windows extend the long interior view even further to the exterior of the house, giving the illusion of more space inside. Extensive daylight — especially from three walls — also creates a more comfortable and energy efficient living space.

The benefits of the open plan kitchen-eating nook-family room are now being extended to include other rooms on the main floor of the house. Passageways from the living room and formal dining rooms to the more informal areas of the house are uninterrupted by doors to maintain the shared usage and long sightlines that create the feeling of spaciousness.

The open plan concept is taken to its extreme in floor plans that eliminate the distinction between living room and family room to create a “great room” that is entirely open to other areas of the house. Another variant, the loft-style house (born out of urban industrial warehouse space adapted to residential use) offers an open floor plan that is completely flexible in its use — and therefore appears to be the most spacious option of all.

Other design features that enhance perceived or actual space in new homes include the use of higher ceilings — most effective in large rooms where good proportion can be maintained — and greater access to usable outdoor living areas. Patios, decks and balconies fitted with furnishings, cooking and eating areas, pools and spas, and lounge areas with flat-screen TVs and fireplaces are a more recent and popular innovation in new homes that actually boosts a home’s practical footprint.

In summary, it is clear that design trends in new homes offer greater space and lifestyle flexibility. Existing homes, even those from a decade ago, cannot match the spacious look and feel of new homes.   This trend towards open floor plans and large common spaces is especially evident in the new custom homes which are being built in Highlands and Cashiers NC.

Contributed by Zac Koenig of Koenig Homebuilders in Highlands NC.  

Are you looking for a home to buy in Highlands North Carolina?  522 Lake Sequoia Drive in Highlands NC is referred to as the “Total Package”.  This is a four bedroom home with a fabulous floor plan situated on over five acres with all the conveniences of town close by.  The attention to detail in this Highlands home is evident throughout this new home.   The kitchen is complete with top notch appliances that include two dishwashers and an industrial six burner stove.  Throughout the home the intricate stonework, wood work and finishing touches create a one of a kind retreat.

Views, privacy, convenience and location add up to create a spectacular environment.  Owning a second home in Highlands NC is an opportunity to create a lifetime of memories, and this Highlands home is a wonderful environment, offering a true respite from a hectic life.

For more information about Highlands North Carolina, and for access to the Highlands NC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558.

A second home in Cashiers allows an escape to a simpler lifestyle.  The southern Blue Ridge Mountains is an environment that promotes healthy living and an appreciation of the great outdoors.  Whether you are an avid golfer, a birder, hiker or fisherman, the Cashiers lifestyle revolves around the beauty found outside.  Spectacular views abound and exist for all to enjoy.

If there is one positive that people have taken away from the hard lessons that have been taught by the recession it is the awakening of what is important.  Family, friends and a simpler life are key to moving forward and nothing provides for simple enjoyment more than a home that allows you to get away from it all.

The Cashiers lifestyle provides a lifetime of memories, representing what everyone strives to achieve, fun, peace and togetherness.  Contact Meadows Mountain Realty today for a vacation rental or ownership in one of the finest communities that North Carolina has to offer, Cashiers.

For more information about Highlands and Cashiers North Carolina, and for access to the Highlands/Cashiers NC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558.

This beautiful home is available as a vacation rental in Highlands NC

If you are planning a vacation to the Highlands and Cashiers area of Western North Carolina contact Meadows Mountain Realty for a vacation rental.  Meadows Mountain Realty has access to some of the finest rentals available in Highlands and Cashiers.  Whether you are looking for a condominium or a large luxury home, Meadows Mountain Realty has the ideal property to suit your needs.

The Highlands and Cashiers area of Western North Carolina has a great deal to offer those seeking an idyllic vacation.  With the beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains offering hiking, fishing and incredible golfing opportunities a memorable vacation is imminent in Highlands and Cashiers.

Click here to view luxury vacation rentals at Meadows Mountain Realty.

For more information about Highlands and Cashiers North Carolina, and for access to the Highlands/Cashiers NC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558.

Today, simple respect and responsiveness seems to be more the exception than the rule … especially after the sale. How a homebuilder manages after-sale service, also called warranty service or call-backs, is a key indicator of the company’s overall professionalism and ability to meet (and ideally exceed) a homebuyer’s expectations.

The goal of the professional builder is to quickly and completely respond to and resolve issues that come up during the time a home is under warranty. As a critical part of providing great housing value and achieving customer satisfaction, professional builders encourage questions from homebuyers and respond to their concerns in a timely and respectful manner.

Typically, a builder’s warranty addresses specific issues with a home related to its structural components (such as the foundation and frame), basic electrical and other mechanical systems, and the quality of workmanship for a set time period. How a builder responds to warranty service inquiries varies depending on the policy offered and sold with the house: some are defined and managed entirely by the builder, while others are defined, at least in part, by independent agencies (such as an insurance company) and administered by the builder.

Specific warranty language and procedures benefit both the builder and the homeowner. Simply, a well-defined and properly communicated warranty service policy helps eliminate confusion about who is responsible for issues, concerns, and other call-back items that may occur in the first year or so of occupancy.

While there are specific differences among builders, a superior warranty service program includes:

Documentation. A documented process for responding to call-backs and customer service inquiries creates a “paper trail” that ensures that questions and concerns are properly communicated, managed, and resolved. A professional builder will document the details of the warranty policy and keep track of inquiries, response time, and specific types of service calls from the first call to follow-up to ensure the homeowner’s ultimate satisfaction.

Response time. Responding to a service call is more an issue of timing than time; the key is to understand which calls will be addressed immediately, and which may require or allow more time. No one likes to wonder if or when a call or email will be answered; if homeowners can depend on getting a reply from their builder within a reasonable (or better still, stated) time frame, chances are better that they’ll be satisfied with how the issue is resolved.

Collective calls. Even if a builder responds to a warranty service call within a day or so, making a visit to the house to resolve a non-emergency situation may be timed to coincide with other scheduled work at the house. This “collective call” minimizes the number of times an owner needs to be at home to make the house available to the builder’s warranty service team. Of course, emergency calls demand immediate attention, but collective calls can be a more convenient and reliable way to address a variety of concerns or maintenance issues at the same time.

Scheduled visits. Professional builders are becoming more proactive in how they address scheduled service and other routine maintenance work while a house is still under warranty. In many cases, a builder will schedule a visit and “walk through” (or tour) a new home within a month after occupancy. These visits are opportunities for homeowners to ask questions and for the builder to document or schedule service work covered by the warranty. Such visits also help builders refine their warranty service processes based on a homeowner’s feedback.

No builder follows exactly the same policies and procedures for warranty service, inquiries and incidents.  How builders refine and improve their after the sale process goes a long way toward delivering superior customer service and buyer satisfaction.

Article contributed by Zac Koenig of Koenig Homebuilders in Highlands NC.   Koenig Homebuilder is one of the preferred builders on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.   Contact Zac at 828) 787-1000 or by E-mail: info@koenighomebuilders.com.    Visit their website at www.koenighomebuilders.com.

Avid fly fishermen will not be disappointed by the waters around Highlands NC

Highlands NC and Cashiers NC are a fly fishing mecca, offering a wide variety of rivers, lakes and falls to fish.  Whether your are looking to hook a brown, rainbow or a brook trout, if you like to wade in the water and throw out your line the Highlands and Cashiers area of Western North Carolina is a beautiful and peaceful place to fish.

In the Highlands area the brook trout can be found in more isolated streams.  The rainbow trout are found more often in the upper part of the Cullasaja & Chattooga Rivers. and the brown trout are typically located in the mid to lower portions of the Cullasaja & Chattooga Rivers.  If you are visiting the area there are fishing and guide services that will help you get to know the area and what the fish are biting.  If you love to fly fish, you will not be disappointed by Highlands NC.

For more information about Highlands North Carolina, and for access to the Highlands NC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558.