Monday, January 11, 2010

Buy in the Winter!!


I just posted this on my blog viewashevillehomes.blogspot.com, and I thought that it was really worth passing on. Many people ask me if it is beneficial to try to buy in the winter or should they just wait until the Spring.

Well check out the numbers and let them answer your question. The average list to sell ratio for homes in Buncombe County is 96%. So you should expect that a home listed for $200,000 will sell at or very near $192,000. (Yes, this number held true even for 2009) However in January we are looking at a list to sell ratio of 92%, that's an additional 4% savings, or to put it in real money numbers, an extra $8,000. So that is a very good reason to try to buy during the winter.

By the way, the average dollar difference between list and sell price so far this January - $22,000.


Jason Ingle is the Managing Broker for The Buyer's Agent of Asheville, the area's largest Exclusive Buyer Broker, representing home buyers in the Asheville area since 2000.

Jason Ingle

(828) 242-7616 Direct



Sunday, January 10, 2010

Lake Louise in Weaverville North Carolina

Here is a video preview of Lake Louise in Weaverville NC, just a few miles North of Asheville.



Not everyone wants to live in the center of downtown Asheville. Some want a little West, East, South, and even North. Lake Louise in Weaverville is about 10 minutes North of downtown AVL. It is a very nice small town and community that many opt for. See More: Asheville Videos

AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog -
Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

Friday, January 8, 2010

2009 Real Estate Year in Review



As a native of Asheville I think I have a somewhat unique view of the real estate market here. I've seen areas of town that were once considered to be less than desirable become the new hot sections to be in. This year I have watched the real estate market here spit and sputter along and I've been watching keenly because I can't have a conversation with anyone before they ask me what I think the market is going to do. The short answer is - "I have no idea." It's the honest answer too. However, by looking at the sales patterns of years past I can make some educated guesses.
from 2000-2005 this market averaged about 200-250 homes sold per month. Beginning in 2006 and through the 2007 market it jumped to over 300, sometimes reaching as high as 400 homes sold. For the past 18 months we have been limping along at 130-170 homes sold per month.
In December that number was 154, and I think January will be lower (140-145). However, you also want to look at the number of new homes coming on to the market. that number has fallen considerably and as it falls more there will inevitably be a return to a healthier market. (For a better look at this go to my blog and access the "Ten Year Graph" to look at the sales and inventory numbers for the past ten years. Then you will begin to appreciate the work that is ahead).

This past year is one that has been hard to gauge but I do believe that 2010 will be a stronger year. However, look for the market to return to 2002-2003 levels and stabilize. The gold rush is over for a while.

Check out the research:
November Market Report
December Market Report
Jason Ingle

Jason is the managing broker for The Buyer's Agent of Asheville and the author of the viewashevillehomes blog. You can reach Jason at (828)242-7616 or jason@ashevillehomebuyer.com if you have questions about the real estate market in Asheville, NC




AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog -
Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

Social Media for your Asheville business

G Social Media has been working with clients in and around Asheville for a few years. Gary Charles helps businesses establish their online interaction and social media presence. It started years ago when a group of Internet enthusiasts were experimenting with SEO, email marketing, and website development. The end result: Connections were made, prospects were gained, and deals were sealed. This was awhile back.. before most companies even had a website. From then on, G Social Media worked as a ghost marketer for a few Asheville businesses that wanted to take the leap of faith online.

Today Gary Charles of G Social Media works with many businesses in Asheville North Carolina, several in other US States, and some on an International level. Making connections online and meeting people where they are in today's world is what "G" loves to do. Using social media platforms that Google supplies, working Facebook, and staying on Twitter are just a few of the things he teaches his clients. There are plenty of social media outlets and businesses need to know which ones are going to increase their reach. After that, implementation and maintenance is put into place according to their schedule.

Social Media for your business is not just something that you quickly add into your mix of online hobbies. Just because signing up for Twitter is "free," it does not mean you will ever be successful without direction. You can look at several businesses in the Asheville area and see that "doing it yourself" is simply not the way to go. One of the barriers that G Social Media sees is that traditional marketers falsely assure their existing clients into believing that they "have the social media covered." The other hinderance is that the traditional media sometimes keeps their clients/advertisers blind to the sm potential because they see social media as competitive & fear losing their ad dollars. Sometimes it is simply because they are not even sm aware themselves. The solution is this: Businesses actually need to embrace social media and then use their platforms to help their advertisers and/or clients. Don't ignore it or hide it from your network. Gary empowers and trains individuals, business owners and marketing departments to be a successful team using social media.

Just like most other things, social media can be easy and profitable once the proper training is in place. G Social Media's mission is to help businesses gain Fans, Friends, and Followers. The individual companies then work their magic and convert these contacts into sales.

You can find more social media information on: www.GSocialMedia.com

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Asheville Comedy - Sinbad Coming to Asheville GPI

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - It's a weekend of a thousand laughs as John Boy & Billy host two nights of laugh out loud comedy during the 22nd Annual Comedy Classic on March 12, 13 and 14 at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa.   Don't miss the chance to see headline act Sinbad take the stage at 8 p.m. on Saturday March 13, as well as other fantastic comedians throughout the weekend. Package holders will enjoy a weekend full of unparalleled laughter, including two nights of side-splitting comedy shows, a comedy clinic, a cooking demonstration, live music throughout the resort and much more. 

Stand-up comedian, actor and movie star Sinbad will headline the popular Comedy Classic weekend. Sinbad has grown from appearing in comedy clubs to hosting his own HBO specials, appearing in several television series, and starring in the family-friendly films Houseguest, First Kid, and Jingle All the Way. Sinbad will be joined by popular syndicated radio hosts John Boy and Billy, as well as other comedians and musicians for a weekend of non-stop fun. 

For more information on Comedy Classic 2010, please contact The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa at 800.438.0050 or 828.252.2711; visit www.groveparkinn.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ewgrove and Facebook at www.facebook.com/groveparkinn

Monday, January 4, 2010

Yikes...Brrrrr.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUEDA WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PMTHIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT EST TUESDAY NIGHT. A WIND CHILL ADVISORYABOVE 3500 FEET HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED. THIS WIND CHILL ADVISORYABOVE 3500 FEET IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON ESTTUESDAY. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY ABOVE 3500 FEET REMAINS IN EFFECTUNTIL NOON EST TODAY.TEMPERATURES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE AND NEAR THETOPS OF MOUNTAINS AND RIDGES THIS MORNING WILL COMBINE WITH NORTHWESTWINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH TO PRODUCE WIND CHILL VALUES OF MINUS 5 TOMINUS 15. WIND CHILL VALUES ARE FORECAST TO RISE ABOVE MINUS 5 BYNOON.SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING ANDREMAIN INTO TUESDAY EVENING. TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS MAY RANGE FROM 1TO 2 INCHES FROM ROBBINSVILLE TO SYLVA TO WEAVERVILLE. HIGHERELEVATIONS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE TENNESSEE LINE MAY SEE AROUND 3INCHES OF SNOW. THE SNOW WILL EASILY STICK TO COLD UNTREATED ROADSAND WILL CAUSE THEM TO BE VERY SLIPPERY. IN ADDITION...WIND CHILLVALUES OF MINUS 5 TO MINUS 10 WILL OCCUR AGAIN TONIGHT NEAR THEBLUE RIDGE AND NEAR THE TOPS OF MOUNTAINS AND RIDGES AND WILLREMAIN LOW THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDSWILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT INFROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS...MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT ANDGLOVES.A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOWWILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOWCOVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILEDRIVING.
AccuWeather.com
Blogged with the Flock Browser

Friday, January 1, 2010

The Snow Came down in Asheville recently



The night before the snow began to fall in Asheville North Carolina, we were up to about 4 in the morning working on several things online. We were pretty sure that the snow forecast was not going to happen. Then... just a few hours later, we wake up to the snow coming down pretty good. Asheville has not had a snowstorm like this since 1993. Even T-Shirts were made that proclaimed "I survived the Blizzard of '93." With thousands of people without power, I heard that Ed the wood man was out in Weaverville actually guarding his giant stacks of wood because folks were stealing pieces to make a fire, get some heat, and even cook some food. We talked to a neighbor that said "we are from Florida and never planned on anything like this." While some were struggling to keep their family warm and fed; others were enjoying Asheville's winter wonderland by sledding and building snowmen.

What was your recent experience in the Asheville snowstorm? Please leave your comments below...

AskAsheville - Asheville Twitter - Asheville Blog -
Asheville Videos - Asheville Social Media

 
AskAsheville.com | AskAsheville Youtube | Follow AskAsheville on Twitter |