When you own a Highlands vacation property it is important to recognize the value of a property manager or property management company.  The idea behind property management is to keep an eye on properties so that any issues that may arise can be dealt with.  This is extremely helpful for second home owners in the Highlands area.

A property manager can do as little as expedite a walk-through of your property once weekly or as much as oversee renovations or handle short term rentals.  A weekly walk-through should include a visual check of the mechanical room, verification of the temperature in the home, insuring that windows and doors are secured, checking for visible water damage, confirming that the alarm system is activated and a general check of the home so that it appears to be in order.

Additional services provided by a property manager or management company could include:

• Airport shuttles
• Auto detailing
• Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
• Catering Arrangements
• Restaurant Reservations
• Dry Cleaning Pick Up & Delivery
• Stocking Firewood and Supplies
• General Maintenance & Repairs
• Household Supplies & Grocery Stocking
• Holiday Services
• Hot Tub & Pool Maintenance
• Housekeeping
• Interior House Plant Care
• Landscape & Irrigation Maintenance
• Package Shipping & Receiving
• Snow Plowing & Snow Removal
• Trash Removal
• Window Washing

Owning Highlands real estate is an investment and having someone to keep an eye on your home.  Property management can help avoid burst pipes, broken windows, leaky roofs, plumbing issues and a whole slew of other unwanted problems.  Contact us today for recommendations of experienced Property Managers in our area, as well as to have access to all Highlands and Cashiers real estate that is currently listed for sale.

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.

The 2011 American Cancer Society Relay for Life for Highlands NC will be held on Friday, August 19th at the Highlands Rec Park.

The Relay celebrates those who are fighting or have survived cancer and remembers those who have lost the battle against this devastating disease.

Relay got its start in 1985 when a Tacoma, WA surgeon ran and walked around a track to raise awareness and money for the American Cancer Society. From that one man’s passion, Relay has grown to become the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Now, more than 3.5 million people in over 5000 communities in the US, and additional communities in more than 20 countries worldwide, walk for the cause.

Because cancer never sleeps, the overnight events are up to 24 hours in length. Teams camp out and offer food or fun activities for participants and supporters throughout the night. At the event, teams are asked to have at least one member on the track at all times.

Teams are forming now for this year’s walk. So bring your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family and join us on August 19th for this life-changing event. The only requirement is a $10.00 fee, per person, upon registration.

Contributed by Colleen Fogle, who is a broker with Meadows Mountain Realty and a cancer survivor.

In May of last year, Meadows Mountain Realty decided to get involved with the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life which took place in Highlands in August. We formed a Relay Team and started raising money through our flamingo flocking and a Bark For Life. We had no idea at the time, how close to home our participation would take us. We all tend to take our good health for granted. But on June 29th, Colleen found out that she had Infiltrated Ductile Carcinoma Breast Cancer. The tumor was 6cm in size; in Stage 3 and very aggressive.    The Relay for Life is not only a great event for a great cause, it provided Colleen the love and support of other survivors.

She went through extensive chemotherapy and surgery last year and is now feeling great and back to work full time.     If you would like information on properties in the Highlands NC area, please contact Colleen at colleen@meadowsmtnrealty.com or call Colleen at 828-526-1717.    Colleen is also the Rental Manager at Meadows Mountain Realty and can help you plan your perfect Highlands NC vacation.  

Anyone buying Highlands real estate should know that there are tax benefits of owning a second home.  Whether you rent your second home or decide to keep it all for your own use, if you spend at least 14 days (or 10% of the time that you rent it) a year in the home it counts as a residence .  If you follow these rules then you can write off the mortgage interest for your Highlands vacation property.  If you rent your home out for 200 days a year then you need to use your home for at least 20 days or the IRS will consider it a rental property and your mortgage interest will not be deductible.

Likewise, if you rent your Highlands home for more than two weeks a year then the income that you make from it will need to be reported.  If you rent your home for less than two weeks you get to keep the income you received without reporting it to the IRS.

When you rent your Highlands home for more than two weeks a year you get to claim the following deductions: mortgage interest, upkeep and maintenance expenses, utilities, depreciation, insurance, and other miscellaneous expenses.  One thing to keep in mind is that you cannot take a loss if your revenue is less than your expenses.

Contact us today to learn more about buying a vacation home in Highlands NC.  We have access to all homes that are currently listed for sale and have the experience and knowledge that you need to find a property that best suits your needs.

Click here to read an article from Smart Money regarding the tax benefits of owning a second home.

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 or email us today at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.

It’s a great time to buy a vacation rental property in Highlands NC.  While real estate may bump along the bottom for a while, all signs point to a looming recovery, which means now is a great time to take advantage of affordable Highlands real estate.  Low mortgage rates, high inventories and declining home values have combined to create an ideal buyers market.  There may not be a better time to buy a Highlands property.

The benefit of owning vacation property in Highlands is that it has the opportunity to help pay for itself through short-term rental.  Renting vacation property ensures that homeowners can enjoy the vacation property when it suits their schedule, and enjoy the opportunity to generate income from the home when it is not being used.  Contact us today to have access to a variety of Highlands real estate opportunities!

Click here to read a recent article from Realty Times regarding why now is a great time to buy a vacation rental.

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 or email us today at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.

Buying a vacation home in Highlands NC can be a wise investment.  Taking advantage of today’s low mortgage rates, high inventories of properties on the market and lower home values combine to create an ideal buyers market in Highlands and around the country but the added bonus of a vacation property also creates an opportunity to create some income from renting it out to travelers.

While renting a vacation property in Highlands may not cash-flow off the bat, it can help offset a mortgage which is always helpful.  Vacation property has long been thought of as a good investment, buying at the bottom or near the bottom of the market only adds to its yield as an investment in the long run.

Highlands real estate makes an ideal vacation property due to its sought-after nature.  Highlands has something for everyone to enjoy and renting here is easy during high tourism season.  Contact us today to learn more about real estate opportunities here in the Highlands and Cashiers area of North Carolina.

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 or email us today at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.

Fall is a great time to golf in Highlands NC.  With schools back in session and many vacationers back at work, tee times are available and the area is more beautiful than ever.  Highlands is home to some of the best golf in the Country with golf courses designed by many of the top golf course designers in the world, including  Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio,  George Cobb and Donald Ross.   Most of the mountain courses offer fabulous views and with fall leaf sesaon here, there couldn’t be a better time to take a golf vacation in Highlands North Carolina!

If you are heading our way and are looking for a luxury vacation rental in Highlands, we have a great selection of some of the finest properties available to rent.  Highlands NC is a great place to golf and a great place to call home.  Please contact us today to learn more about Highlands real estate that will put you near the lifestyle you have been looking for.

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 or email us today at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.

If you have a vacation home that you had hoped to retire to some day but have since changed your mind, don’t jump to sell it…consider renting it out instead.

For many, it seemed like a great idea to buy that vacation home or condo 20 years ago.   The plan was to vacation in the mountains as often as possible, then some day sell your primary residence and retire  to Highlands or Cashiers.   But lifestyle changes or financial situations might now be causing you to consider selling it instead.

However, as a member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I have seen many clients successfully rent their retirement home instead of selling it.  Author Christine Karpinski, director of Owner Community for HomeAway.com (HomeAway.com), offers some good reasons to consider renting your second home:

1. Circumstances have changed. Maybe grandchildren have arrived on the scene and you can’t bear the thought of moving hundreds of miles away from them. Or your parents are in poor health and need you nearby.

2. You’ve suddenly realized there’s no place like home and you’ve simply changed your mind. You’ve decided you like being near your friends and you don’t want to leave your current community.   Renting your second home out during the time you are not staying there makes it financially feasible to keep both homes.

3. You’ve decided to “retire” from retirement.   Nowadays, it’s not unusual for people to test-drive retirement and find that it’s just not for them.   Work can provide many rich rewards—structure, social interaction, mental stimulation, a sense of purpose, and so forth—that people keenly miss when they retire. And, let’s be honest—sometimes people simply can’t afford to retire.

4. Your fixed income hasn’t kept up with your lifestyle.  Even when you’re happy to give up the daily grind of your job, losing the paycheck that comes with it can be pretty painful.  Factor in inflation, rising taxes, and unexpected “new” expenses, and you may find that what seemed like a manageable cost of living five years ago doesn’t seem that way anymore.  Your second home, even if it’s paid for, may start looking like a liability due to property taxes, homeowner’s association dues, and maintenance costs. Not if you rent it out, says Karpinski. Then it becomes a source of new income.

So don’t give up and seek to unload your Highlands or Cashiers second home just yet!    There are still many ways to make this investment pay off. For more information on renting or buying a second, potential retirement home, please send an email to info@meadowsmtnrealty.com or give us a call at 828-526-1717.    We have a great rental department with a rental website at www.renthighlandsnc.com.

Highalnds NC offers some amazing hiking, complete with spectacular views

Hiking is a great way to enjoy Highlands North Carolina.  Highlands North Carolina is a resort community with a great deal to offer its residents and visi tors alike.  Located in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, this western North Carolina area has an environment that is meant to be enjoyed.  Among the activities afforded by the great outdoors in Highlands NC are golf, fishing, mountain biking and hiking.

The hiking in the Highlands area encompasses all ability levels as well as length and time commitments.  Whether you are looking for a leisurely stroll through the woods or an extreme and steep climb, the mountains around Highlands have it all.  The one thing that all of the trails have in common are their breathtaking views.

Click here for a list of hikes and their descriptions.

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

The concept of a “media room,” as a space specifically devoted to home theater and audio systems, is more popular than ever. New home designers and builders, responding to the demand of their buyers, have incorporated media rooms into the floor plans of many new homes, all along the price spectrum. Such rooms are designed for comfortable television and movie viewing and are acoustically separated from the rest of the house.

Yes, the media room has also become the game room, again driven by homebuyer demand and a host of new (mostly electronic) toys. Builders are educating their buyers about the lifestyle advantages of including such a project and the value it adds to their property.

Consider some of the special features that a true Game Room encompasses, all of which are easily accommodated in a new construction project:

• Acoustics. Sound transmission in or out of a game room can be disruptive. Builders incorporate products that block or deaden sound through the walls, floors, and ceilings. Special membranes and laminated drywall and plywood panels meet the need without adding a lot of extra cost, rendering the Game Room almost a separate acoustical zone within the house.

• Light and shading. Everyone enjoys natural light … except when there’s a movie playing. Windows are a prime consideration that maintain flexible use of the room when the house is sold. The home’s exterior appearance must be considered, as well. To create the optimal movie-watching experience, builders turn to motorized screens and draperies that smoothly draw across the windows. Controlled by remote devices or wall-mounted panels, such screens retract into the wall when not in use or disappear into a subtle housing to retain the room’s overall aesthetic design.

• Multiple displays. One screen may not be enough in the modern Game Room. Though builders usually leave the purchase of consumer electronics up to the homebuyers after the house is finished, high-tech game rooms must be designed and wired to accommodate several displays and multiple signals. These may include satellite, wireless and wired Internet, cable, personal computers, and (don’t forget!) electricity.

• Seating, storage, and snacks. Like its media room predecessor, the new Game Room is a gathering place for family and guests, often engaged in multiple activities at the same time. Space for several zones of comfortable seating is very popular, as is built-in cabinet storage for all of the game players, audio and video equipment, and other components. Small kitchen setups, complete with sink, under-counter appliances, and counter work space, provide family and guests with additional convenience in this self-contained haven.

Media rooms are among the new wave of distinct, specialized areas within today’s new homes. The “Game Room” reflects the development of high-tech consumer electronics and the consumers’ desire to maximize enjoyment of these new toys.

This article was contributed by Zac Koenig of Koenig Homebuilders in Highlands.

For years, Southern families have found the perfect mountain resort escape for summer or fall in the Highlands NC region.  If you and your family are planning on escaping this fall season, take a look at some great places to stay to enjoy mountain resort getaways.

Highlands Inn is elegant and historic as the centerpiece of Main Street and is open from April through November.

Inn at Half-Mile Farm is located on a 14 acre lot and is a 1870s farmhouse that has been refurbished to represent the best of both the modern world and charming days gone by.

Old Edwards Inn and Spa is also notable as a redone historic inn and relaxing, fresh new spa.     The Old Edwards Inn offers a variety of accommodations from historic rooms in the old inn to luxurious spa suites.

Learn more about vacation rentals in Highlands NC here, or click here for recommended dining while you enjoy Western NC mountain living.

And think of Meadows Mountain Realty for vacation rentals, exclusive mountain living, and custom built homes in Highlands and Cashiers NC.