The Web has put the real estate ad industry in constant flux in recent years, according to a Borrell Associates report, there are no signs of things settling any time soon. In fact, online real estate ad spending is expected to grow from $2 billion this year to $3 billion by 2010, rising from a 17.7 percent share of all real estate ad spending to 32.1.
Not only are new Websites and search tools having an impact, advertisers are also shifting dollars within the print space. There is a lot of room for online spending. While 77 percent of real estate buyers use the Internet for home searches, only 15 percent of agents surveyed put their money there.
We are lucky in western North Carolina to have a new advertising site that is done the way we investors like to see our real estate marketed, it's Asheville Area Property, brought to you by the same gurus of People to Spaces.
Now this website has been around for a long time, but only recently received a facelift with potential for advertising. It comes up high on search engines and it looks great. Once people get on the site, it's "sticky" and they stick around. I recommend that you visit the site, click "join us" and get in early at a great "early bird" rate before the online real estate goes up on this one. It will. It may prove to be the best of its kind on the Web.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Can Tiger Woods Help Sell Property at the Cliffs? You tell me.
Can Woods help sell property at the new Cliffs site?
Mark Barrett • MBarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com
• published November 9, 2008 12:15 am
The question people at developer Cliffs Communities and in the local real estate industry are considering now is whether Woods can sell property.
So far, the answer appears to be yes, although only time will tell how much and for what prices given the weakened state of the national economy and local real estate market.
About 50 lots in the first phase of luxury community The Cliffs at High Carolina had been sold as of Saturday for a total of more than $40 million, Cliffs President and CEO Jim Anthony said.
“We're past our expectations,” Anthony said
More than 1,000 people rode in an army of luxury SUVs Saturday to the property, roughly 3,000 acres straddling a high ridge separating Swannanoa and Fairview, for the unveiling of Woods' design for a golf course on the Fairview side of the ridge. The Cliffs has been showing buyers property for several weeks but only officially released the first lots, which are located near the course, for sale Saturday.
Some of the first buyers said the fact that High Carolina will contain the first golf course Woods is designing in the United States was a big factor in their decision.
The big name
Richmond, Va., resident Chris Moore said he is buying because of “the combination of a beautiful area, a mountain retreat and the small added incentive of the first Tiger Woods golf course. That's ‘small' in quotation marks.”
Heidi Stewart of Vero Beach, Fla., said she and her husband, Chuck, take Woods' involvement as a guarantee of quality.
“I knew he would do it right and our investment would be safe, and, it is absolutely gorgeous property,” she said.
High Carolina will be the eighth community that South Carolina-based Cliffs Communities has developed in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. High Carolina lots range from about $500,000 to more than $3 million. Cliffs officials have said that High Carolina could eventually contain 1,000 to 1,200 homes.
The golf course is scheduled to open in 2011. Amenities like a wellness center and inn will be built in the next couple of years, Anthony said, but lots will be sold in phases over several years.
The local real estate market has cooled dramatically over the past couple of years — the number of existing homes sold in Buncombe County in September was barely more than half what it was in September 2006 — and the upper end of the market has been particularly hard hit.
There are currently 237 homes on the market in Buncombe County priced from $1 million to $6 million, according to figures compiled by Mark Morris of Professional Appraisal Services in Asheville. But only 36 of those kinds of properties sold in a 12-month period that ended Friday.
“It's going to be a very interesting situation up there,” Ann Skoglund, a local Realtor who specializes in high-end homes, said of High Carolina last week.
“The question is with our biggest feeder market, Florida, on its knees in the real estate area, will those people be willing to invest in our area,” she said. “They have been brought to a new reality, and that is that real estate does not always go up.”
Taking the plunge
Skoglund said high-end buyers recently have been more interested in living closer to the middle of Asheville and that established neighborhoods like Grove Park, Biltmore Forest and Beaver Lake are selling better than lots or homes in more rural parts of Buncombe County like High Carolina.
“I am as curious as probably you and the readers are” to see how sales go over time, Skoglund told a reporter.
Stewart said she and her husband are “a little bit cautious” because of upheaval in the stock and real estate markets, but, “You have to be brave.”
“It's a long-term decision from a value standpoint,” said Moore, the Richmond resident.
People in the industry say buyers from outside the immediate area make up the vast majority of buyers in Cliffs developments, including The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Avery's Creek. Cliffs Communities advertises nationally in publications like The Wall Street Journal.
Skoglund said the progress of High Carolina will affect what happens with other real estate in the Asheville area.
“As a Realtor … I would like to see them succeed because I think it's good for our market. All of us are likely to benefit” by the increased profile High Carolina gives the area and the prospective buyers it will bring to town. Some have come to the area to see The Cliffs of Walnut Cove and end up buying another property in the area, she said.
Tough market
Anthony said people seeking cooler climates and the property's beauty, his company's reputation and record and Woods' involvement will all drive sales.
“There's no better property. There'll never be another first Tiger Woods golf course” in the U.S., he said.
Woods, whose playing success has made him one of the most recognizable figures in sports, is also designing courses in Dubai and Mexico.
The Cliffs has not changed its pricing because of the economic downturn, although it did give buyers a break on memberships, Anthony said.
He said potential buyers can visit other Cliffs projects in the area for reassurance that his company will do a quality development. Area Realtor Rowena Patton said the company has “this massive base of satisfied buyers” in its other developments that may also look to buy at High Carolina.
Membership in one Cliffs communities allows buyers to use amenities in the others and members of other communities made up the vast majority of those attending Saturday. One, The Cliffs at Glassy resident JoAnne Noakes, said she had no plans to buy but simply “wanted to see the latest and greatest.”
The Cliffs generally sells lots only and other companies actually build the homes. That makes a purchase easier for buyers, especially in the current economy, giving them “a little bit of breathing room” between buying the land and then paying to build a house on it, Patton said.
Cliffs associates were working out sales with buyers moments after Anthony and Woods spoke to the crowd.
“It's a tough market we're in, but Tiger Woods' name is going to appeal to people,” Morris said.
Mark Barrett • MBarrett@CITIZEN-TIMES.com
• published November 9, 2008 12:15 am
The question people at developer Cliffs Communities and in the local real estate industry are considering now is whether Woods can sell property.
So far, the answer appears to be yes, although only time will tell how much and for what prices given the weakened state of the national economy and local real estate market.
About 50 lots in the first phase of luxury community The Cliffs at High Carolina had been sold as of Saturday for a total of more than $40 million, Cliffs President and CEO Jim Anthony said.
“We're past our expectations,” Anthony said
More than 1,000 people rode in an army of luxury SUVs Saturday to the property, roughly 3,000 acres straddling a high ridge separating Swannanoa and Fairview, for the unveiling of Woods' design for a golf course on the Fairview side of the ridge. The Cliffs has been showing buyers property for several weeks but only officially released the first lots, which are located near the course, for sale Saturday.
Some of the first buyers said the fact that High Carolina will contain the first golf course Woods is designing in the United States was a big factor in their decision.
The big name
Richmond, Va., resident Chris Moore said he is buying because of “the combination of a beautiful area, a mountain retreat and the small added incentive of the first Tiger Woods golf course. That's ‘small' in quotation marks.”
Heidi Stewart of Vero Beach, Fla., said she and her husband, Chuck, take Woods' involvement as a guarantee of quality.
“I knew he would do it right and our investment would be safe, and, it is absolutely gorgeous property,” she said.
High Carolina will be the eighth community that South Carolina-based Cliffs Communities has developed in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. High Carolina lots range from about $500,000 to more than $3 million. Cliffs officials have said that High Carolina could eventually contain 1,000 to 1,200 homes.
The golf course is scheduled to open in 2011. Amenities like a wellness center and inn will be built in the next couple of years, Anthony said, but lots will be sold in phases over several years.
The local real estate market has cooled dramatically over the past couple of years — the number of existing homes sold in Buncombe County in September was barely more than half what it was in September 2006 — and the upper end of the market has been particularly hard hit.
There are currently 237 homes on the market in Buncombe County priced from $1 million to $6 million, according to figures compiled by Mark Morris of Professional Appraisal Services in Asheville. But only 36 of those kinds of properties sold in a 12-month period that ended Friday.
“It's going to be a very interesting situation up there,” Ann Skoglund, a local Realtor who specializes in high-end homes, said of High Carolina last week.
“The question is with our biggest feeder market, Florida, on its knees in the real estate area, will those people be willing to invest in our area,” she said. “They have been brought to a new reality, and that is that real estate does not always go up.”
Taking the plunge
Skoglund said high-end buyers recently have been more interested in living closer to the middle of Asheville and that established neighborhoods like Grove Park, Biltmore Forest and Beaver Lake are selling better than lots or homes in more rural parts of Buncombe County like High Carolina.
“I am as curious as probably you and the readers are” to see how sales go over time, Skoglund told a reporter.
Stewart said she and her husband are “a little bit cautious” because of upheaval in the stock and real estate markets, but, “You have to be brave.”
“It's a long-term decision from a value standpoint,” said Moore, the Richmond resident.
People in the industry say buyers from outside the immediate area make up the vast majority of buyers in Cliffs developments, including The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Avery's Creek. Cliffs Communities advertises nationally in publications like The Wall Street Journal.
Skoglund said the progress of High Carolina will affect what happens with other real estate in the Asheville area.
“As a Realtor … I would like to see them succeed because I think it's good for our market. All of us are likely to benefit” by the increased profile High Carolina gives the area and the prospective buyers it will bring to town. Some have come to the area to see The Cliffs of Walnut Cove and end up buying another property in the area, she said.
Tough market
Anthony said people seeking cooler climates and the property's beauty, his company's reputation and record and Woods' involvement will all drive sales.
“There's no better property. There'll never be another first Tiger Woods golf course” in the U.S., he said.
Woods, whose playing success has made him one of the most recognizable figures in sports, is also designing courses in Dubai and Mexico.
The Cliffs has not changed its pricing because of the economic downturn, although it did give buyers a break on memberships, Anthony said.
He said potential buyers can visit other Cliffs projects in the area for reassurance that his company will do a quality development. Area Realtor Rowena Patton said the company has “this massive base of satisfied buyers” in its other developments that may also look to buy at High Carolina.
Membership in one Cliffs communities allows buyers to use amenities in the others and members of other communities made up the vast majority of those attending Saturday. One, The Cliffs at Glassy resident JoAnne Noakes, said she had no plans to buy but simply “wanted to see the latest and greatest.”
The Cliffs generally sells lots only and other companies actually build the homes. That makes a purchase easier for buyers, especially in the current economy, giving them “a little bit of breathing room” between buying the land and then paying to build a house on it, Patton said.
Cliffs associates were working out sales with buyers moments after Anthony and Woods spoke to the crowd.
“It's a tough market we're in, but Tiger Woods' name is going to appeal to people,” Morris said.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Hot Springs is H-O-T
I love the small town of Hot Springs and I told these friends of mine they had better hook me up with a free weekend after promoting their vacation rental so heavy on this blog of mine. Seriously folks, the vacation rental quality in small rural communities is so hit and miss. If you aren't careful you could wind up staying out back in Granny's trailer with Cousin Sis sharing a toilet. But this place. Man do they know how to do it right. Check them out at http://www.hotspringsnchouse.com.
First you got high speed broadband Internet. Check. Pet-friendly and I can bring Buddy and a lady friend when I come. Top rate. The floors are mostly hard wood, the place is huge and private with a gorgeous deck with views. Brand new kitchen. Did I say "EAT IN?" Large bedrooms.
Only downside is no TV, but who needs it when you have Buddy, a lady, corn whisky and no traffic and lots of oxygen??? Not Al Fesperman.
I hope my pals do well in this venture. Since the real estate ain't moving like it was, I think this is a viable alternative if you want to keep property with sentimental value.
Al and Buddy
Monday, June 30, 2008
Keswick Hills, For the Discriminating Buyer
If you want to buy a lot in the hottest area around Asheville, with the best schools, with a protected investment, eco-friendly, second-to-none builders (when you're ready), then Keswick Hills is the property for you. Keswick Hills just launched its fantastic new website that is full of visuals that will make all other properties seem second-rate.
So you don't feel like spending your whole retirement in regret that you didn't seize this opportunity in hopping South Asheville? Then give Keswick Hills a call today.
Keswick Hills is located in an old-growth open-understory hardwood forest on the South slope of Merrill Mountain. Keswick Hills offers seventy homesites to the discriminating buyer, offering homesites from 1 to 2.5 acres with elevations from 2,300 to 2,600 feet. The landscape is rich with beautiful flora and fauna including large lush old growth trees, budding irises, native rhododendron, azaleas, and other wild flowers. Breathtaking views, serene ponds, and clear streams complement the quiet forested setting.
Keswick Hills is an exceptional place to call home with something special to offer families, professionals, and retirees looking to live in a tranquil pristine location without sacrificing the amenities of town. Furthermore, it’s a community that cares about the environment and embraces green living in harmony with nature.
Keswick Hills
239 South Plains Drive
Asheville, North Carolina 28803
Email: living@keswickhills.com
Phone: (828) 687-3511
Tell them Al Fesperman sent you.
So you don't feel like spending your whole retirement in regret that you didn't seize this opportunity in hopping South Asheville? Then give Keswick Hills a call today.
Keswick Hills is located in an old-growth open-understory hardwood forest on the South slope of Merrill Mountain. Keswick Hills offers seventy homesites to the discriminating buyer, offering homesites from 1 to 2.5 acres with elevations from 2,300 to 2,600 feet. The landscape is rich with beautiful flora and fauna including large lush old growth trees, budding irises, native rhododendron, azaleas, and other wild flowers. Breathtaking views, serene ponds, and clear streams complement the quiet forested setting.
Keswick Hills is an exceptional place to call home with something special to offer families, professionals, and retirees looking to live in a tranquil pristine location without sacrificing the amenities of town. Furthermore, it’s a community that cares about the environment and embraces green living in harmony with nature.
Keswick Hills
239 South Plains Drive
Asheville, North Carolina 28803
Email: living@keswickhills.com
Phone: (828) 687-3511
Tell them Al Fesperman sent you.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Scenic View Terrace in Asheville, NC is a BEST BUY
I have this client who is looking for a place in Asheville, NC. He's a writer and does pretty well. He is looking to spend between $210,000 - $250,000. Has anyone looked at what's available in Asheville in that price range? Not much. And people looking to invest in a second home don't want to spend half a million to do it. So I got in touch with some builder friends of mine and they told me about this project in Asheville. Really amazing at what they are offering and I know they are going to do well. The project is called Scenic View Terrace and is nothing short of amazing. Scenic View Terrace, LLC was formed of several Western NC developers and businessmen to develop a residential multi-family development into properties with long range mountain views, spacious living, and at an incredible value. They worked together to accomplish these objectives and did so through the Scenic View Terrace development. The development offers some fo the most magnificent views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in all of western NC. The layout of the floor plan utilizes every square foot while capturing views of the mountains through the picture window. Living in this community would create a relaxing yet lively lifestyle through the private pool, clubhouse, and tennis facility. The price per square foot can't be matched anywhere. You really have to see it to believe it.
My client loved all of the floor plans, especially the three level with a garage. It sports 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, a den, and amazing views. For the same price he could have bought that "fixer upper" in transitional West Asheville, he bought in Scenic View Terrace and is delighted. The beautiful views help him with his writing, and the low maintenance living frees up his time to do what he loves and does best-- writing. Now I am no Bill Shakespeare, but I could go on and on about this development.
It is located about four miles from Patton Avenue; which puts you close enough to downtown and the cultural center of the City and far enough away to feel the safety and privacy you deserve. Visit their Website today and set up a tour before they all sell out. A site plan is included in this blog post. They are NOT over developing the land, so get your unit before they are gone. When they resale, the price will definitely go up. This is the best value I have seen in Asheville, NC in the last decade.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Asheville is Best Place to Invest says Andrew Stratton
One of the best places in the United States to invest your future is in Asheville North Carolina real estate. If you are looking to relocate, or to purchase a vacation home, you should consider the greater Asheville and Hendersonville areas of North Carolina.
While most of the rest of the country is seeing sharp declines in home values, the same cannot be said for the Western portion of North Carolina. The Asheville North Carolina real estate market remains steady. The average home price currently is in the mid-$200,000 range and real estate is readily available, both above and below the average price. Whether you are looking for a smaller starter home or large estate, Western North Carolina has the right property to fit anyone's needs.
The Blue Ridge Mountain Region of North Carolina is one of the most active tourist areas in the U.S. today, and it has been for the past century. The area has some of the most amazing natural views imaginable, as well as a thriving tourist and cottage business industry.
Asheville is known for its mild temperatures in both winter and summer. While the area sees four distinctive seasons each year, they are all fairly mild. In the spring you can enjoy the abundance of wildflowers in the area. In the summer you can enjoy the National Parks of the area for camping, fishing and hiking. In the winter you can ski in the nearby mountains. And in the fall there is nothing to match the amazing views of the tree leaves turning red, orange, and yellow.
There are four popular man-made lakes in the greater Asheville and Hendersonville areas. They are: Biltmore Lake, Lake Glenville, Lake Lure and Lake Toxaway. Each lake offers water-front real estate if you are interested in living lakeside. The lakes are stocked with fish and have some great areas to picnic and spend the lazy days of summer.
The Asheville and Hendersonville, NC, areas are known for their rich heritage and historic attractions. Some of the best places to visit in the area are the Biltmore Estate, The Folk Arts Center, The Mineral & Lapidary Museum of Henderson County, the historic Flat Rock Playhouse, and the North Carolina Arboretum.
Throughout the year,neighboring Historic Hendersonville hosts the North Carolina Apple Festival, an antique show, art shows, car shows, and various parades throughout the year. Hendersonville shows off its traditional southern hometown charm through these special events. The friendly local residents are always welcoming to other locals and visitors alike.
The Blue Ridge Mountains have something unique to offer for everyone. If you are looking to purchase real estate in the area, it is very important that you find knowledgeable Hendersonville real estate agents who are local to the Asheville and Hendersonville areas.
By working with an experienced local real estate agent they can show you some of the best places to live based on your personal requirements. Living in the Blue Ridge Mountain region is like living no where else in the United States.
The best place to invest your future in is Asheville North Carolina real estate. It will make your property search so much easier to work with the experienced Hendersonville real estate agents at Preferred Real Estate Center. The Preferred Real Estate Center has the local knowledge to guide you through the house hunt.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton
While most of the rest of the country is seeing sharp declines in home values, the same cannot be said for the Western portion of North Carolina. The Asheville North Carolina real estate market remains steady. The average home price currently is in the mid-$200,000 range and real estate is readily available, both above and below the average price. Whether you are looking for a smaller starter home or large estate, Western North Carolina has the right property to fit anyone's needs.
The Blue Ridge Mountain Region of North Carolina is one of the most active tourist areas in the U.S. today, and it has been for the past century. The area has some of the most amazing natural views imaginable, as well as a thriving tourist and cottage business industry.
Asheville is known for its mild temperatures in both winter and summer. While the area sees four distinctive seasons each year, they are all fairly mild. In the spring you can enjoy the abundance of wildflowers in the area. In the summer you can enjoy the National Parks of the area for camping, fishing and hiking. In the winter you can ski in the nearby mountains. And in the fall there is nothing to match the amazing views of the tree leaves turning red, orange, and yellow.
There are four popular man-made lakes in the greater Asheville and Hendersonville areas. They are: Biltmore Lake, Lake Glenville, Lake Lure and Lake Toxaway. Each lake offers water-front real estate if you are interested in living lakeside. The lakes are stocked with fish and have some great areas to picnic and spend the lazy days of summer.
The Asheville and Hendersonville, NC, areas are known for their rich heritage and historic attractions. Some of the best places to visit in the area are the Biltmore Estate, The Folk Arts Center, The Mineral & Lapidary Museum of Henderson County, the historic Flat Rock Playhouse, and the North Carolina Arboretum.
Throughout the year,neighboring Historic Hendersonville hosts the North Carolina Apple Festival, an antique show, art shows, car shows, and various parades throughout the year. Hendersonville shows off its traditional southern hometown charm through these special events. The friendly local residents are always welcoming to other locals and visitors alike.
The Blue Ridge Mountains have something unique to offer for everyone. If you are looking to purchase real estate in the area, it is very important that you find knowledgeable Hendersonville real estate agents who are local to the Asheville and Hendersonville areas.
By working with an experienced local real estate agent they can show you some of the best places to live based on your personal requirements. Living in the Blue Ridge Mountain region is like living no where else in the United States.
The best place to invest your future in is Asheville North Carolina real estate. It will make your property search so much easier to work with the experienced Hendersonville real estate agents at Preferred Real Estate Center. The Preferred Real Estate Center has the local knowledge to guide you through the house hunt.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton
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