Despite the doom and gloom the media portrays regarding today’s real estate market, several unique opportunities exist for home buyers, in particular, luxury home buyers.

While home prices across the country have dropped or stabilized to varying degrees, luxury home prices have been slashed, in many cases, as the market for such high-end properties has dwindled in challenging economic times.  This presents a great opportunity, for those who have the financial resources, to purchase a luxury home that might have been completely out of their range six years ago.

Purchasing a luxury property, however, is unlike a standard home purchase. I advise all my luxury-home clients to consider the following before embarking on their search:

1. Weigh the finances carefully.
Even if you’re ready to pay cash for your luxury home, you still want to ensure you’re getting the best possible value and potential return on investment from your home purchase. Make sure you truly have the financial wherewithal to remain in the home as long as you’d like. Consider the stability and growth potential of your future income before moving forward.

2. Have your documentation in order.
Many luxury home buyers derive their net worth from a variety of sources and investments. Given the high-end purchase price of a luxury home, along with today’s unstable economic climate, prequalification is often necessary when it comes to luxury purchases.

3.Investigate alternative search methods.
The best luxury property deals might not be found through traditional real estate search engines but rather through word of mouth. Make sure you’re working with a professional real estate agent who is well connected and networked in the communities your are considering

4. Seeing is believing.
Expansive square footage, sprawling property, and a bevy of incredible views often make luxury homes difficult to completely capture in photos, videos or virtual tours. A visit in person is an absolute must to make sure you’re not missing any potential details and, conversely, to make sure the property lives up to its image.

5.Consider the future.
Your luxury home investment needs to be carefully considered for the future, in particular your expectations in terms of your return on investment. Most luxury home buyers are buying a lifestyle and don’t intend on flipping their home anytime soon. Given the volatility that still exists in today’s market, make sure you’re not headed into your luxury purchase with unrealistic thoughts of financial gain but rather to enjoy a spectacular home for many years to come.

We would be happy to share more insights and strategies for buying a luxury home.   Please feel free to email us for further information.     There are many opportunities in the Highlands NC and Cashiers NC real estate markets right now.     Prices are as low as we have seen in years, mortgage rates are still historically low and sellers are motivated.     Call any of our brokers at 828-526-1717.

Sitting regally atop a small knoll overlooking the seventeenth fairway of the course which was first played by legendary golfer, Bobby Jones, the 4th Cottage combines the charms of yesteryear with the comforts of today.

Family and friends eagerly gather on the large front porch to enjoy the gentle breezes that stir the uppermost branches of decade old trees.   You are deep into your favorite book, but it is hard not to break away for a glance at the graceful swans that swim in Club Lake just a few hundred yards below.  Throughout the spring, summer and fall, the meticulously manicured grounds are ablaze with color. The combination of native and cultivated plants dresses the landscape in eye catching splendor.  The gently rolling lawn reminds you of homes found in your favorite movie.

From its first days in 1928 until today each owner has sacredly guarded the homes integrity. Wainscot paneling of pre-blight chestnut warm the walls of the Great Room with its massive stone fireplace and beamed cathedral ceiling. Built-in library book cases installed when famed author-psychiatrist, Corbett Thigpen, best known for The Three Faces of Eve, owned the home from 1955 to 1980, provide the perfect repository for your cherished books, photos and family memorabilia.    In 1999 the current undertook to renovate the cottage with the help of local architect Dennis DeWolf.    Paying careful attention to preserve the integrity of the original cottage, they set out to update the home with all of the features that families expect in a twenty-first century home.

Visitors to the home following the renovation marvel at the finished product.  A large stone fireplace on the expanded porch closely resembles the original one that anchors the Great Room.  Even the most finicky chef would feel at home in the updated kitchen.  The master suite with its his and her baths provides the perfect escape for a busy couple to rest and recuperate from a day filled with all the activities that Highlands has to offer.  Adjacent to the bedroom is a room which is an idyllic spot for a small office or library, or dressing room.  Use your imagination to personalize this space to your specific needs.  Throughout the house your eye is drawn to carefully thought out design details that you seldom find in homes built today.

When family and friends come for a visit, they will enjoy their own privacy in one of two guest cottages.   In addition, there is a workout studio and a two car garage.      

The 4th Cottage might just be the perfect mountain home.     For more information, contact Michelle Muraco at Meadows Mountain Realty at 828.526.1717 or by email at michelle@meadowsmtnrealty.com.

Each year about this time, the ladies of the Mountain Garden Club and their helpers gather a fabulous inventory of native plants to be sold to area residents for their gardens.   These plants are grown locally so they are acclimated to our local climate and with just a little watering and care should flourish.  

The sale starts at 9 am on Saturday May 29th at eh Ball Field in Highland on Highway 64 (The Cashiers Road), about three blocks from Main Street Highlands.    There will be a huge variety of hostas, perennials, shrubs, herbs, flowering bushes and more.    Heirloom tomatoes will be a very popular plant again this year and will be limited in the number of plants available.    The number of plants and the variety of species continues to expand each year.

Garden Club members will be on hand to advise buyers about planting and caring for the plants they buy.  The will also be able to tell purchasers about likes and dislikes for various plants, plus where they should be planted for best growth.

The proceeds from the sale fund the club’s many community projects, esp[ecially scholarships for students pusuing a degree in the field of horticulture, landscape design, forestry management, or golf course management.    The funds also support the wonderful butterfly garden at the Highlands School and the gardens at the Fidelia Eckerd Living Center.

Shoppers should come early for the best selection.  The Club will provide wheelbarrows and wagons and helpers to load up your plants.   This is a great opportunity to have beautiful landscaping or a lush garden this summer.    Remember it is cash only to buy,  no credit cards.     

For more information on the plant sale, please call any of the brokers at Meadows Mountain Realty at 828.526.1717 or email us at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.      We are here to help you with all of your real estate needs.

Formerly known as The Sunledge when it was the summer home of its previous owners, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Goodyear, Jr of Albany Georgia, this now 60-year-old cottage has been enjoyed by Dr. and Mrs. Ferrell Harper and their family of Blakely, and St Simon’s Island, GA for many years.   A magazine article describing this historic house was published in the Fall 1987 issue of Veranda.

Midway between Cashiers and Highlands, this property is easily accessed from Highway 64 and basks in the sunshine.  From its wide lichen-accented stone patio the long range mountain views are just lovely. With nearly five serene acres, The Harper’s appreciation for nature is quite evident. This property is populated with beautiful hardwoods, and they have encouraged wild flowers native to the Highlands Cashiers Plateau, with at least eight different fern species, large trilliums, mosses, hybrid hostas, and a deep, clear, stream-fed pond.

The pond is crying out for some rainbow trout, and the water splashing over its stone dam is quite musical.  The area adjacent to it could make a distinctive, additional home site as well.

Across the road is a rather grand house belonging to the Flowers family  (www.flowersfoods.com), which sits on the former location of a Vanderbilt hunting lodge.   Steeped in history, this area can provide today’s active homeowner easy access to town, and country privacy that would be difficult to duplicate.

For more information on this special property, please visit our website or contact John Bynum at 828.200.0144 or Bill Peavey at 828.399-1553.   Or inquire by email at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.

My daughter Tricia and her husband Bryan have been entertaining friends from New York City all this week at their home in Highlands Falls Country Club.    Their friends, Joe and Liz, were awed by the beauty of our area, especially now while most of our trees are budding out with fresh light green growth,  the hostas are full and lush, cinnamon ferns are still uncurling and the Carolina blue sky is beyond compare.    Unfortunately they left to go back north yesterday and today we saw our first bear of summer standing the in a driveway on Upper Divide regally reaching up for a blossom from a low hanging tree.    He was magnificent.    

Bryan commented how he wished that Joe and Liz had seen a bear during their visit, as he was sure the only bears they had ever seen were in the Bronx Zoo.    Having lived here for 25 years, seeing a bear is fairly common, but I never cease to be awed by them.   This time of year, they are hunting for food.  Bird feeders and pet food left outside make for an easy meal.   We try to be careful with garbage cans also, as they have been known to carry them off in search of a few scraps.   I have long sworn that they have a stash of expensive bird feeders and trash cans in the woods and are amused when we have to buy new.     The bears in our area are herbivores and fairly harmless although when in the company of cubs, a mother bear will defend her family.   

What a blessing to live in a place where beauty is all around us and where folks are sensitive to the creatures with whom we share our land.    For more information on The Highlands Plateau, please contact any of the brokers at Meadows Mountain Realty.   We are your Highlands and Cashiers experts.    Give us a call today at 828.526.1717 or by email at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.  

Just what everyone is looking for – a log home on a great lot with a mountain view.   Imagine all the good times you can have with your family relaxing on the covered front porch of this well built log home taking in the mountain view while your children or grandchildren play in the beautiful level front yard.   The property backs up to an eighty acre estate tract.  

The greatroom features vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors and a wood stove.   The open kitchen has custom cabinets and granite countertops.   The master is on the main with a deluxe bath.   Upstairs are two sleeping lofts which are perfect for kids.    In addition, there is a one bedroom/one bath guest house with a complete kitchen and gas fireplace in the cozy living room.   

The detached one car garage features an extra room for plenty of storage or a workshop.     This property is well located in close proximity to several country clubs including Old Edwards Club, MountainTop Golf and Lake Club and Trillium Links and Lake Club.    It is also just a quick drive to Lake Glenville, Highlands or Cashiers.

For more information on this property or other properties in the Highlands, Cashiers, Lake Glenville or Sapphire area, please give Meadows Mountain Realty a call at 828-526-1717 or email us at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com.    Visit our website for a complete list of properties.

Even though we had a minor blast of cold air this week dipping our overnight temperatures close to freezing, we are officially a couple of weeks into spring.   Just as you did when you left Highlands or Cashiers for the season, you’ll want to welcome the spring season with a bit of property maintenance and some minor adjustments (and repairs, if necessary).   Happily, the transition from the cold months to the warmer ones tends to be far more simple than getting ready for winter.

1. Throw open the windows.  If you have an older home with storm windows, which have been shut tightly during the winter months, welcome the sunshine by throwing them open. When the storm windows go up, the screens should go on—make sure that screens are installed properly and are in good repair. While you’re working on the windows, check for rotting along the window sills and make any necessary repairs.

2. Check air conditioning units.    Although the need for air conditioning is not as important on The Highlands Plateau as it is in the flatlands, we still occasionally like to crank it up, even if it just to dry out the house after a good  thunder storm. Take care of preparation work now by making sure all air conditioning systems are serviced and ready to go so that you’re ready for it. One item to check that often gets overlooked, but can cause the Ac to not work as well as it should is the outside condensing unit being out of level. Easy to check with a level and easy to adjust.

3. Do some spring time servicing.    Sunny weather is great for performing structural property checks and assessing any damage that may have occurred over the winter—this is especially important in the wake of winters such as this past one, which was particularly wet and snowy. Check for (and mend) damaged roofing and any structural rotting or wear and tear that may have occurred.

4. Replace batteries.    The recommendation is to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon dioxide detectors twice a year, usually when the time change occurs. But now that those dates are somewhat unbalanced, just add this to your spring schedule as you open your mountain home.

5. It’s time for spring cleaning!    Spring is the perfect time to spruce things up. Clean your gutters (this should be done twice annually), the exterior (siding, etc.) of your property, all windows, and all mats and carpets that had sand and salt stomped deeply into them over the course of the winter. Additionally, you may want to take some time to spruce up your landscaping.

Even though it may seem as though you made seasonal updates just yesterday, remember: There’s a lot of room for damage to occur in the winter months. Not only will your property look great by the time you’ve finished spring maintenance, but it’s the perfect time to catch those little problems that occurred over winter before they turn into big problems down the line.

For more information on Highlands NC or Cashiers NC real estate, please email us at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com or give us a call at 828-526-1717.   The brokers at Meadows Mountain Realty are the experts when it comes to buying or selling on The Highlands Plateau.   

The last of the paperwork has been filed away and the keys are in your hand.   Congratulations on joining the ranks of homeowners who’ve taken advantage of the great home-buying opportunities in today’s market!

But closing on your home is just one step toward reaching your long-term financial goals.     There are several steps new homeowners should take in order to ensure financial stability and protect their new investment.   For example, here are five smart financial strategies from author Joe Tyson:

1. Don’t splurge. While it’s tempting to decorate every room in your new home as soon as possible, be careful about spending too much on furnishings and home improvements. Budget out over the course of the year or several years, to chip away at your home. Plus, when you’re a homeowner, expenses will always crop up, so sock away some cash for the proverbial rainy day.
2. Rebuild emergency savings. If you’ve dipped into reserve funds to buy a home, put back that buffer as soon as possible to protect against unexpected events. This should be your priority ahead of aesthetic changes to your home.
3. Automate your mortgage payments. Late payments can cost you. Consider automatic checking account deductions to pay your mortgage. This is the number-one best way to ensure you are never late and to protect your credit score.
4. Keep good records. Even in today’s tech-centric world, receipts and all related documents will be necessary for your tax returns.
5. Appeal tax assessments. If your home’s value drops, you could be eligible for reduced property taxes. Keep in touch with your real estate agent to stay abreast of how property values are faring in your neighborhood. If your home’s value is less than what it was appraised for at the time of purchase, appeal directly to the county assessor at little, if any, cost.

These are just some of the steps you can take to make sure you start homeownership on the right financial foot.  Feel free to contact any of the brokers at Meadows Mountain Realty for more financial tips.     There has never been a better time to find your special place in Highlands NC or Cashiers NC.   Inventories of available homes are up and many Sellers are willing to give you the best possible price.  Call us today at 828-526-1717 or email us at info@meadowsmtnrealty.com  for a list of properties that meet your needs.

If you are a pet owner and want to put a smile on your face, visit the Woof Gang  Bakery  in downtown Cashiers.    Perhaps you’ve seen the ads on TV featuring smiling dogs…well, the products offered by the Martin Family will put smiles on your dogs’ faces too!

This coming Thursday, April 7 from 4 pm to 6pm,  Dan and Janet Martin  along with their children will be hosting an open house with wine and treats for human guests and exotic treats baked in-house for their pets.      Having vacationed in Cashiers for more than 15 years, their love of the area and the community led to their decision to make Cashiers their home.   The Martin family, including daughter Joy and son Jonathan, has always been involved in community service and they are committed to supporting the Cashiers Highlands Humane Society.  When Jonathan is not in school, you will most likely see him working with Janet at Woof Gang Bakery  making this a true family business.

This Dog Treat Bakery and Pet Boutique Franchise opened one year ago.  Catering to the Highlands Area’s Health-conscious Pet Owners and Pampered Pups, they are open year ’round and provide a continuing source of pleasure to their customers.    Founded in Orlando, Florida about four years ago, Woof Gang Bakery, the franchise, has been growing rapidly, nationwide. This store is located in the heart of Cashiers at 11 Pillar Drive, up behind the Tommy’s Restaurant building off Hwy 107 South.   Their phone, appropriately, is 828-743-WOOF (9663).

We visited the store last Friday and amidst the fragrance of sheets of dog cookies fresh from the oven,  learned that Janet had just returned from the Global Pet Show in Orlando where she  previewed new pet care products and ideas which she could introduce to the Highlands-Cashiers market.

 The furry and four-legged member of their family is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Brady (after Tom Brady the football player). Brady brought tremendous comfort and healing to the Martin family after the loss of their eldest son Jacob. “We have seen first-hand that these incredible creatures bring so much joy to people,” said Janet.

The Martin family’s enthusiasm is evident the minute you walk in their door. Their bright, vibrant array of pet products for cats and dogs, and caring customer service to Cashiers and Highlands residents and visitors is immediately evident.      “Our approach is very simple  greet everyone with a warm smile and hello, and provide for their pets’ needs and wants,” added Janet.  “We wanted to give back to a community that has so warmly wrapped our family in their arms. We love the people here and the simplicity of life they embrace.  Our guiding principle is care, share and always do what is right!”

Woof Gang Bakery Cashiers specializes in healthy, natural pet foods and treats, including hypoallergenic, wheat-free and grain-free selections, plus food, treats and supplements specially formulated for hip and joint issues.  The store offers a variety of fun, fuzzy, floatable and tough toys, as well as fashionable accessories, collars and leads, and a wide range of pet grooming products.    Special order requests are welcome and delivery service to local homes, resorts and businesses is available.

To put a smile on your pet’s face or for more information please call them at  828-743-WOOF (9663) or visit Woofgang’s online at  http://www.woofgangbakery.com/locations/cashiers.asp.      This post has been provided by Bill Peavey with Meadows Mountain Realty.    Bill can help you with Highlands NC and Cashiers NC real estate, or provide he can also provide information on all that is offered on The Highlands Plateau.   Call Bill at 828-526-1717 or visit us online at www.meadowsmtnrealty.com. 

Located in prestigious Bald Rock is where you’ll find this wonderful  4 bedroom, 3 and a half bath home with a 1 bedroom, 1 bath guest cottage.   You’ll have plenty of privacy on 4.92 acres which is very suitable for a pasture and barn.   In addition, there is also a small creek running through the property.   This home features soaring ceilings, two fireplaces, and decks galore to enjoy the long range mountain views.

Dubbed a “civilized wilderness” with over 1000 acres at Bald Rock and its sister community, The Divide at Bald Rock.   The lifestyle here emphasizes the wilderness aspect of the mountains by offering those amenities appreciated by true nature lovers  including an equestrian center, hiking, biking and riding trails, a community pavilion, plus access to the 6300 acre Pantertown Preserve.   

If that’s not enough, owners also have access to all the amenities available at the Sapphire Valley Resort which includes snow skiing and snow tubing in the winter, fishing and canoeing on Fairfield Lake, golf at Sapphire National Golf Club plus supervised children’s activities.

Call John Bynum at Meadows Mountain Realty at 828-526-1717 today for a private showing of this property or any real estate in the Cashiers or Sapphire area.    John is an expert when it comes to finding the best property to meet your needs and wants on The Highlands Plateau.   For the best in service and expert knowledge on market conditions, call the best Highlands/Cashiers/Sapphire real estate agents today.