Winterizing is taking precautions to prevent cold weather related disasters. This winter of 2011-2012 has been most unusual. Although we saw temperatures in Highlands dip to 7 degrees in early December and some snow, January turned out to be the most mild in recent memory. 

Cold winter temperatures can play havoc with household plumbing, particularly in seasonal homes, and in year round homes when the residents leave for a vacation. Traditionally we counter this by turning off the water “at the street,” or well pump.  Then we open all the faucets, drain the toilets, dishwasher, washing machine, refrigerator. Employ RV/marine antifreeze in the traps. The next level of defense is to drain the main lines.  Insulating pipes in crawlspaces, sealing air infiltration gaps in foundation walls, keeping heat on at a low level such as 52 degrees. Ask yourself what will freeze should there be high winds or an ice storm and downed power lines?  If you feel awkward about accomplishing these protective measures yourself, consider hiring a professional property manager or plumber to take care of this for you. 

Even for year round homes it makes sense to be aware of these steps in case of that power loss. Stock your pantry with candles, flashlight batteries, drinking water, pet food and non-perishable food. Getting snowed in, even without a power loss, seems less romantic with every passing hour. 

If you are thinking about using an auxiliary kerosene heater, or gasoline generator, remember to provide fresh air for ventilation, and a Carbon monoxide detector to monitor your success.

For more information on winter home care, please contact Bill Peavey at Meadows Mountain Realty at 828.526.1717 or contact Bill by email at billp@meadowsmtnrealty.com.    

Jane was not looking forward to going through her parents’ belongings to get their house ready to sell.  Their health had been failing for some time and they finally agreed to move to a retirement community.  Now that they were both comfortably moved into their new apartment, it was up to Jane to get rid of the things they no longer needed.

Her parents had lived in the same house for more than 50 years, so Jane expected to find things that should have been tossed out years ago. But she was amazed to discover 50 years of tax returns and bank statements carefully stored in boxes in the attic.  Her parents had saved all their financial records!

Many people are confused about what records they need to keep and for how long.  They hold onto tax returns, bank records, brokerage statements and other financial information simply because they don’t know if they’ll need it again.  Like Jane’s parents, the documents get packed in boxes that eventually take over valuable living or storage space.

Financial planner Rick Rodgers, author of The New Three-Legged Stool: A Tax Efficient Approach To Retirement Planning (www.TheNewThreeLeggedStool.com), says tax time is a great time to get organized.

“Most people are going through their records to get ready to file their return,” he says. “This is the time to get smart about what you need to keep and then set up a system to store it efficiently going forward.”

Rodgers suggests these five steps to help you effectively organize your finances for 2012 and beyond:

1. Out with the old – Discard the records you no longer need: Tax returns older than seven years; bank records and credit card statements that are not related to the tax returns you’re keeping; brokerage statements that aren’t related to purchases of current holdings. Be sure to shred all your old documents before throwing them out.

2. Go digital – Convert the documents you plan to save into digital images that are stored on your hard drive. Invest in a good scanner and scan as you go through your paperwork, shredding and tossing the hard copies as you go. On your computer, file by tax year, so your 2011 folder will contain your tax return for 2011 and all pertinent bank records and receipts. Organize the previous six years the same way. Next year you can delete the oldest folder when you add the 2012 folder.

3. Save a forest – All of the financial institutions you deal with would prefer to send your statements electronically. Stop receiving paper statements. Instead, download your statements electronically and store them in your new filing system. Most banks and credit card companies keep at least a year’s worth of statements available. You need to download these files only once a year to complete the year’s file.

4. Save backups in case of emergency – Make backup copies of your files on a CD. Choose a CD-R (recordable) as opposed to a CD-RW (rewriteable), because CD-R cannot accidentally be overwritten. Depending on your computer operating system, you may be able to continue adding data to a CD-R each year, until the CD is full. However, some operating systems won’t allow that, so you’ll need a new CD for each year.

5. Go paperless – Your new electronic filing system can be expanded to include all your financial records, from car maintenance receipts to pay stubs. Wills and insurance policies can also be scanned and stored but, of course, keep the originals of those in a safe deposit box or fireproof safe.

Gone are the days of saving your financial documents in box and shoving it into the attic.  Technology advances have made organizing your personal finances easier with minimal cost.  Make 2012 the year you get organized by moving your finances into a 21st century filing system.     For more information, visit www.rodgersspeaks.com.

For more information about Highlands and Cashiers North Carolina, and for access to the HighlandsNC/CashiersNC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 828-526-1717 or email us today at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.   

There is still a lot going on in Cashiers NC. This past weekend offered one of the highlights of the season, the annual Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival, a festive event celebrating fall and the beauty that it brings to our unique area. While the Leaf Festival has come and gone, there is plenty of fun around the corner in Cashiers.

This coming weekend there will be an antique show, a craft show, a writer’s retreat, and a walk/run for breast cancer. So, whether you are in the mood to stretch your legs or sharpen your pencil, you will be able to fulfill your passions this weekend in Cashiers North Carolina.

The Antique Show will take place from Friday, October 14th through Sunday, October 16th, at the High Hampton Inn in Cashiers. The show starts at 9 a.m. each day, showcasing collectors’ antiques from around the country and abroad. Contact the Cashiers Historical Society at 828-743-7710 for more information.

The Pour le Pink 5-K Walk/Run for Breast Health will start at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, October 15th. This fundraiser is open to all ages and abilities and will take place at the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, click here for more information.

The Stillmont Writer’s Retreat will take place from Saturday, October 15th , through Monday, October 17th, from 9:00-3:00 in Cashiers. Published writers will be on hand while participants write each day. Click here for more information.
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The Sapphire Valley Craft Show is a great opportunity to shop early for unique and heartfelt holiday gifts. The show takes place on Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16, from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. at the Sapphire Valley Resort.

This coming weekend offers a lot to do in Cashiers. Contact us today to learn more about living in Cashiers and discover the fantastic real estate opportunities that exist here. Most people who visit Cashiers fall in love with our beautiful area. Let us know if you would like to own your second home here and we will help locate the Cashiers real estate that best suits your needs.

For more information about Highlands and Cashiers North Carolina, and for access to the HighlandsNC/CashiersNC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558 or email us today at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.

Most people will never venture to the local building department; much less submit themselves (and their blueprints) to the bureaucratic process of obtaining a building permit, scheduling periodic inspections and complying with building codes.

That, of course, is a builder’s job… and one that construction professionals take pride in making efficient and hassle-free for their clients. To be sure, working through the red tape takes experience, savvy and patience. Those who know the drill are able to navigate the approvals and inspection process with confidence.

Consider the potential mine field of regulatory issues that most contractors must map out and manage to ensure their projects are in full governmental compliance.

Plan Check. Before a set of blueprints or house plans can be used to build or remodel a house, the building department must review them to make sure the drawings comply with applicable building codes. The plan checker looks at structural design, weight loads, plumbing, heating, and electrical layouts and specifications, and other details in the plans. If everything is in order, the drawings are approved for construction.

Prior to plan check, however, an experienced and professional builder will review the drawings and make any adjustments to speed the process. Before submitting the plans, he or she may contact trade contractors or building materials suppliers for their input, as well. Such refinements and attention to detail help avoid “red-lining,” causing a return of the plans unapproved and marked by the plan checker (in red pen) for necessary changes … thus delaying the building process.

Permitting. A building permit — a required document in most municipalities for almost any construction project — is the document that a building inspector will review and refer to when he or she visits the building site as the project progresses toward completion. The building department will only issue a permit for an approved set of blueprints or plans, and the inspector will rely on the permit and plans on the job site to compare what’s drawn (and approved) to what’s actually being built. It is imperative, then, to submit a complete and comprehensive set of plans for approval and permitting … and then follow those plans to the letter to avoid confusion, questions and potentially costly compliance issues that can stop the job cold until they are resolved.

Inspections. Inspections at key points of a project’s construction are necessary to make sure the approved plans are being built as drawn. Professional builders and remodelers have a talent for managing their own work crews, trade contractors and suppliers. They seek to keep the project on schedule. A tight schedule, in turn, reliably and accurately pinpoints those key milestones so that an inspector can be called with plenty of time to schedule his or her visit and, once on site, make a thorough review of the progress and approve it to continue.

Other red tape. Increasingly, builders are required to submit reports regarding the environmental impact, energy use, zoning or land-use variances, and other regulatory compliance issues. Professional contractors are familiar with what’s current in this respect, and can shepherd clients and their projects through the red tape to make sure their vision for their home becomes a reality.

This post was contributed by Zac Koenig of Koenig Homebuilders in Highlands NC.   

Dinner in the Dahlias takes place Tuesday, September 13th in Cashiers NC.  Taking place at the Hampton High Inn in Cashiers this dinner is truly one not to be missed.  High Hampton Inn is the dahlia capital of Cashiers NC, and offers a dining experience that is unparalleled as well.  The dinner will start with a reception at 5:30, with dinner beginning at 6:30, the cost is $52 per person.

Perhaps one of the greatest assets of Cashiers North Carolina is its beautiful setting, and summer brings some of the most stunning flowers around.  Dinner in the Dahlias capitalizes in these one-of-a-kind flowers that provide and exceptional setting for an equally exceptional culinary experience.  Imagine dining in a spectacular mountain setting, this is truly an night to enjoy.  Call (828) 743-6500 to see if there is space left for you.

Cashiers is a fabulous mountain community offering a variety of culinary experiences throughout the year.  Contact us today to learn more about Cashiers real estate opportunities and we will help you get to know Cashiers the way it is meant to be experienced.

For more information about Highlands and Cashiers North Carolina, and for access to the HighlandsNC/CashiersNC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558 or email us today at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.

Everyone has the opportunity to help make wishes turn into reality in Cashiers NC this weekend.  The 7th Annual Sapphire Valley Music & Car Festival will take place on Saturday, August 6th, from 10 a.m. through 7 p.m.  The event features a car show, a silent auction, live music, food and beverages, children’s activities, and is fun for all ages.  There will also be a raffle, the grand prize being a Mazda Miata convertible.  This wonderful annual event shows off the best of what the Cashiers community has to offer, raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  

The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 and was formed to grant wishes to children with life threatening illnesses.  This Annual Sapphire Valley Music & Car Festival in Cashiers helps raise money to grant wishes to children in Central and Western North Carolina.  This year promises to be the biggest and best out of the past seven years, with a fabulous music lineup, fabulous cars on display, and an extensive silent auction.  If you will be in the area on Saturday come over to the Sapphire Valley walking track in Cashiers North Carolina and help make a child’s wish come true.

The communities of Highlands and Cashiers have so much to offer and so many opportunities to become involved.  If you have been looking for a change of lifestyle this might just be your place.  Contact me, Judy Michaud, today to learn more about Cashiers real estate opportunities.

Click here to learn more about the Annual Sapphire Valley Music & Car Festival.

For more information about Highlands and Cashiers North Carolina, and for access to the HighlandsNC/CashiersNC MLS, contact Meadows Mountain Realty today, 866-526-3558 or email us today at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.

Get ready to kick up your heels at the Cashiers Mountain Music Festival!  This year’s event will be held on Saturday, July 2^nd and Sunday, July 3^rd in the Village Green Gazebo and will feature musical acts by a variety of talented artists including Balsam Range and Doc Watson.   

In addition to the top-notch performances, you can enjoy delicious food and beverages, a car show, a kids’ zone, an arts and crafts show, plus a vendor area for local merchants.  The Cashiers Mountain Music Festival offers fun for the whole family to enjoy!

One of the other wonderful things about this great event is that the Cashier Mountain Music Festival is the chief fundraiser for the Cashiers Preservation Foundation.  This non-profit foundation was started in April of 2009 with the Help of the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce.  With its mission to work towards enhancing and encouraging the continued success of the local schools and area non-profits, money raised by the Cashiers Preservation Foundation goes directly to those organizations.

 The Cashiers Mountain Music Festival is currently seeking sponsors for the event.  There are sponsorship levels ranging from $100 to $15,000 which all come a number of privileges.  Additionally, the festival is also looking for local vendors who would like to sell their wares at the event.  Booth sizes are 10’ x 10’ and are available for $100.  If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or a vendor, please visit the festival website at http://www.cashiersnorthcarolina.com/cmmf/index.htm.

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased on the festival website.  Ticket prices are $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the show.  Children 12 and under are admitted free.    

For further information about this exciting event, please visit the Cashiers Mountain Music Festival website at http://www.cashiersnorthcarolina.com/cmmf/index.htm, or call the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce at 828-743-5191.

Over six years ago, the churches in the Cashiers community came together to combine their outreach efforts to provide food to those in need in the area.   The Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry is the result of that collaborative effort.  The organization is run totally by volunteers and is made possible by the generous donations from individuals, churches and community service organizations. 

The Pantry spokesperson, Carole Stork says “We average over 2,000 family visits annually, distributing approximately two and a half tons on food per month.”    She goes on “The people we serve are a mixture of local residents and Latino immigrants who are out of work primarily in the winter months, plus a number of senior citizens.”  

On July 2nd, the group will host their Annual Big Ol’ Mountain Country Breakfast to benefit the Pantry.    The proceeds from this popular event will support efforts to feed the hungry throughout the year.   Join them from 7am until 11am at the Cashiers Community Center on Highway 64 (the Highlands Road).   The breakfast organizers are looking for another big turnout this year serving generous portions of food prepared with care and time-tested recipes.

If you cannot attend the breakfast, but would like to donate to the Pantry, send your contribution to Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry, P.O. Box 865, Cashiers NC 28717.

1. Get help from a short sale expert

Not all real estate agents today have worked with properties that are offered as a short sale. An agent experienced in short sales can identify which homes are being offered as short sales, help you determine a fair purchase price, and advise you on what to include in your offer to make the lender view it favorably. Ask agents how many buyers they’ve represented in short sales and, of those, how many successfully closed the transaction.

2. Build a team

Ask agents to recommend real estate attorneys knowledgeable in short sales. Your attorney can do a title search to identify all the liens attached to any property that peaks your interest. You must understand that because each lien holder must consent to a short sale, a property with multiple liens, like first and second mortgages, mechanic’s and condominium liens, or homeowners association liens, will be harder to purchase. Although you will have to pay for the title search up front, but it can also help weed out less desirable properties requiring multiple approvals.

3. Know the home’s fair market value

By agreeing to a short sale, lenders are consenting to take a loss on the loan they made to the sellers to purchase the home. The goal of the lender is to keep those losses as low as possible. If your offer is substantially less than the home’s fair market value, it may be rejected. Your agent can help you identify the price that’s good for you. The lender will determine whether approval is in its best interest.

4. Expect delays

There are two stages to a short sale. First, the sellers must consent to your purchase offer. Once you have come to an agreement with the seller, then they must submit it to their lender, along with documentation to convince the lender to agree to the sale. The lender approval process can sometimes take weeks or months, even longer if the lender counteroffers. Expect bigger delays if several lienholders are involved; each can make a counteroffer or reject your offer.

5. Firm up your financing

Lenders will weigh your ability to close the transaction. If you have a pre-approval letter from your lender for a mortgage, have a large downpayment, and can close at any time, they’ll consider your offer stronger than that of a buyer whose financing is less secure.

6. Avoid contingencies

If you must sell your current home before you can close on the short-sale property, or you need to close by a firm deadline, your offer may present too many moving parts for a lender to approve it. Also, consider ordering an inspection so you’re fully informed about the home. Keep in mind that lenders are unlikely to approve an offer seeking repairs or credits for such work. You’ll probably have to purchase the home “as is,” which means in its present condition.

The brokers at Meadows Mountain Realty have the knowledge and experience to help you with a short sale.   Give us a call today at 828.526.1717 or send an email to info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.     For a list of short sale and foreclosure properties in Highlands, Cashiers, Sapphire and Glenville North Carolina, visit our website.    

This article includes general information about tax laws and consequences, but isn’t intended to be relied upon by readers as tax or legal advice applicable to particular transactions or circumstances. Consult a tax professional for such advice.

Ferns are beautiful, lacy, green, delicate, natural… pick your adjective.     Many are native to our Highlands Cashiers Plateau and can provide a great natural addition to your landscape. They are said to impart a calm grace, yet they are tough, durable and adaptable.

I became fascinated with ferns after moving to North Carolina from California in 1998, and must confess that I was not aware of them until I moved here.

The Hay-scented Fern figures prominently as the Meadows Mountain Realty logo, both in its pale green summer colors and its golden tan fall tones. An “invasive” species, this one is easy to grow, but can take over your garden, and I am having some difficulty removing my excess plants. it spreads by underground root rhizomes or runners. This fern grows in “drifts” which appropriately describes the pattern. It can be used to hold soil on sunny slopes, but you must be  conscious of its growth habit.

This list presents the ferns I have liberated from the wild and transplanted successfully in my gardens.

If you wish to start growing ferns, but prefer not to capture them in the wild, they are available in most of our local nurseries.

There you will find many kinds of ferns, not all of which will survive our winters. If you want perennial ferns, it is important to ask the nursery personnel which ones will survive here. Remember that ferns have been on this planet for over 240 million years, and are found in all hemispheres, but they can be very selective about the environments they choose to accept.

For instance, my favorite is the Southern Maidenhair, but it has to be replaced each year.

The Autumn Fern, from Asia, is very hardy here, as is the Japanese Painted Fern. Both are notable for their unusual colors. the Autumn Fern is a reddish brown when it unfolds in the Spring, and the painted fern is an unusual bluish-gray color.

If you wish to explore the enchanted world of ferns, just Google Ferns. The images that come up on the Connecticut Botanical Society website  http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/ferns/index.html   are particularly useful, and The Brooklyn Botanic Garden paperback  Ferns..Wild Things Make a Comeback in the Garden   is a good practical handbook.

For more information on ferns in the mountains or real estate in the mountains of western North Carolina, give Bill Peavey a call at 828.526.1717 or email Bill at billp@meadowsmtnrealty.com.