Archive for August, 2009
Oktoberfest coming to downtown Asheville
August 27th, 2009 categories: Festivals
Bavaria is coming to downtown this fall, with the debut of a new Oktoberfest celebration on Wall Street.
The Old World festival is set for 1-5 p.m. October 10. Tickets, priced at $25, go on sale Monday at www.ashevilledowntown.org. Wall street is the perfect fit for an Oktoberfest with its cobblestone pavement and European vibe. Five area breweries are taking part in the party: Asheville Brewing, Green Man (Jack of the Wood), Pisgah, Highland and French Broad Brewing. Brewers can bring up to four taps t the event.
Admission will include a souvenir glass, to be presented to festival-goers at the end of the event. “The city will not allow us to have glass on the street,” Adrian Vassalo said of the Asheville Downtown Association. Beer will be served in the same type of compostable cups use at Downtown After 5.
Performing will be the Stratton Mountain Boys German band from Vermont and Asheville rock group The Goodies. A limited amount of food will be sold at the festival. Wall Street restaurants will also be open for the day. See you there . . .
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What’s the humidity like in Asheville?
August 14th, 2009 categories: Interesting Tidbits
The other day I received an email from a woman who is considering moving here to the Asheville area and had some questions about the weather here. So, while blow drying my hair this morning, I just knew there were plenty of women who would appreciate this input, it may not matter to a man, but it sure matter’s to us!
She is moving from New Mexico, which is very warm & low humidity and was told Asheville winters were like Chicago winters! Bitingly cold, the kind of cold that gets in your bones. Naturally, this is the middle south and no way could our winters be like Chicago. How could anyone start the rumor that North Carolina was on par with Chicago winters, it boggled my mind? I definitely would not have moved here! I explained that it can get cold here, but in general it’s a very mild winter with no more than a half dozen snow days, and most of those melt the next day.
Her next question was about the humidity. The best way I could explain our humidity levels was to bring my hair into play. I explained that although my hair is naturally curly, I prefer to wear it straight. During the years I lived in Florida, a good hair day only happened in dead of winter. Here, I can manage a good hair day just about all year long. I received an email response from her that she now understood what humidity level she would encounter here, the hair was a good barometer to go by! So there you go ladies, living in the Blue Ridge Mountains – Wonderful! Having a good hair day – Priceless!
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Short Sales and Foreclosures, Buyer beware.
August 13th, 2009 categories: Buyers
Many economists now say that the worst of the housing recession is over, though foreclosures are expected to rise over the next year . . . Click here for the whole story.
If you’re seriously thinking about putting a bid on that short sale or foreclosure, read this first!
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10 Ways to make sure your house Sells!
August 12th, 2009 categories: Sellers
There are, of course, many factors which influence a sale. Look upon the following as a checklist of items which will bring you closer to a sale. Every item on which you are unwilling or unable to make a concession moves you further away from a sale. Just remember whose side you are on!
1. Price the property between WHOLESALE and RETAIL. Buyers are savvy and are looking for the best deal, and they know how to find it!
2. Be willing to consider offers based on VA/FHA terms. Government terms give many buyers a head start on the ability to afford a home.
3. Allow the property to be shown with or without an appointment! That’s a nuisance, but not as bad as being on the market for 6 months!
4. Please be gone whenever a prospective buyer, accompanied by a Realtor, wants to see the house–and STAY gone until they’re gone! Buyers need to “try it on for size”, but they can’t do that as long as you are there.
5. Eliminate any barrier to a free flow of traffic in the property. Such items as bulky or extra furniture, house plants that stick into traffic ways, toys or clothes not put away, or beds not made, etc., slow down traffic and make rooms look smaller and darker.
6. Watchdogs that provide so much security that no one can see the property without a death wish are a problem.
7. Your Realtor is on your side and won’t get paid until YOU GET RESULTS. Advice from a professional is useless unless you take it!
8. Look at the front of your house. Size it up objectively and critically (that’s asking a LOT of any homeowner!). Ask yourself this question: If a buyer pulled up in front, would the appearance pull them inside?
9. Make any and all recommended improvements with an eye toward neutral marketing. (Be aware of unusual colors or styles which might clash with a prospective buyer’s taste.)
10. Be willing to consider ANY offer at anytime. Remember, you are the final judge of what’s accepted and what’s not!
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Is the Housing Market at the Bottom?
August 5th, 2009 categories: Buyers, Market Updates
This week’s housing market data was generally positive. June New Home Sales jumped 11%, the third straight month of increases. Inventories of unsold new homes fell to an 8.8 month supply from a 10.2 month supply in May. The May Case-Shiller index of home prices in 20 Metropolitan areas rose 0.5% from April, following 34 straight months of declines. While the results vaired greatly in different parts of the country, the increase in average prices provided support for the analysts who believe that the housing market has bottomed.
Copyright @2009 MBSQuoteline
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