Please copy and paste into your browser if you need to; unfortunately, my link button isn’t working correctly.  But it’s worth the effort…..

And these links are worthwhile as well.

Old Edwards Inn:  http://www.oldedwardsinn.com/pressrelease/1101-old-edwards-inn-and-spa-voted-4-hotel-in-the-united-states-in-the-2012-tripadvisor 

Highlands as a top Second Home Community: http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052748704073104577215602511342834.html?mod=BOL_hpp_mag

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Though we didn’t have much of winter, just a few days ago, we had lows int he 20s with a few flurries.  But today, if all goes well, I might hit the pool for the first time this spring.  We’re almost there.

And we’re almost there as far real estate goes too.  Though I’m not sure where “there” is.  To state the patently obvious, we’re a heck of a long way from where we were in the boom times.  But we seem to be in a different–and we can argue, better–place than we were the last couple of years too.  People are back up, looking, putting in offers, and actually managing to buy some property.  Still slow.  Still fits and starts.  Still a buyer’s market with sellers who can afford not to sell, who say “heck no, I’m not taking that.”  But some who say “ready to move on: let’s make it happen.”

The idea, of course, is to “buy low.”  Are we at the lowest point?  I’m certainly not going to claim to be the 20/20 expert.  Some people say we’re there.  Some still see the uncertainities of the wide, wide world and the insanity of an election year and see more hard times to come.  But even so, most everyone agrees that we’re in the trough.  Maybe still going down, maybe at the bottom, maybe already heading the other way.

I see clients who 2-3 years ago had been so whacked in the 401K and other investments, who, then, just walked away, now returning and getting what they’re looking for.  An exciting time, and hopefully a summer to come which will bring a lot more excitement.

We’re getting there.

I’ve been on a couple of winter trips the last month or so, taking advantage of the slower time up here before we hit full stride. Since I’ve last posted, Highlands has had some really good press. For one, Old Edwards Inn and Spa received attention as the fourth best small hotel in the country. A nice honor, to say the least. http://www.oldedwardsinn.com/pressrelease/1101-old-edwards-inn-and-spa-voted-4-hotel-in-the-united-states-in-the-2012-tripadvisor

But even more noteworthy is the news from Barron’s that Highlands is number 14 in the country as the best place to own a second home. As you check out this article, note the fantastic, famous towns included. In fact, I just returned from two of the towns higher on the list, Aspen and Jackson Hole. That’s pretty good company! And proof for what most of us know: this truly is a unique spot in the Southeast.

http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052748704073104577215602511342834.html?mod=BOL_hpp_mag

They always say that an election year is tough for real estate. I’m not sure about this year; it’s been so tough for so long, prices are down, cash is making nearly nothing anywhere else. People are here, even early in our season, looking and making offers. Buying.

Highlands is 10-15 degrees cooler than spots just down the mountain. That fact will NEVER change. The restaurant and arts community is well established. The shops are gearing up for the new season. Just a few minutes drive in any direction lie fantastic views and hiking trails and fishing streams.

It’s time. And lots of you know it. It’s time to get up here for a visit, look around, find your place in one the the nation’s premiere communities.

Welcome………

But….

Pretty much every day, I check the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website to keep up with what’s going on down there. And, in a strange mood, I’ll read the obituaries.

Just read a gut-wrenching account of a young boy who died of cancer on his ninth birthday. Sad: a totally inappropriate description and explanantion of my reaction as I read such a tragic story.

But this part of the story warrants attention. Quoting from the AJC obit: “And if the family took a trip to its cabin in Cashiers, N. C., he was in his element. ‘It was his favorite place in the world,’ his mother said. ‘He just loved nature and the outdoors.’”

When I meet with people looking for a place in the mountains, I’m not thinking of someone else buying something they don’t need. I’m not thinking of someone just trying to get a place so they can brag to the Jones about their mountain house.

I’m thinking of people just like this family. People who live busy lives who relish the opportunity to return to something in their soul which nourishes thier lives, which gives them reason and motivation to keep living as meaningfully as they can.

Not long ago I ran into the people who bought the first place I sold when I started in the business up here. “Smartest thing we’ve ever done,” she said. “Thanks so much for helping us find this place. We just love it up here.”

A sense of place. To relax, to rejeuvinate. Whether you’re 9 or 90.

God bless that little boy. And may his family’s return to the Cashiers cabin always remind them of the best of his energy and passion.

A few nights ago, the wind howled, the snow swirled, and we probably didn’t hit 15 the next day. We have 57 predicted as a high in a couple of days. I love the cold, but I must admit it’s nice to be able to put on some running shorts and head out for a pleasant trail run–something I’ve not been able to do very often the last couple of winters. Respite is nice.

January, 2012, already. Goodness. Amazing how the fall just happens. And then Thanksgiving and a few short weeks later Christmas. My clients and I have had a difficult time finding a spot on our schedules. So much good stuff going on.

But now things supposedly return to normal–and winters are always a great time to look around up here. I’m looking forward to the slow pace of the season, but I’m also thankful to have some good people to hop in the car with and see what we can find that will work perfectly for them and their families.

If you’d like to check things out, let me know.

“My God, do you realize the year’s half over?”

It ain’t July any more. And the year’s not half over: it’s pretty much history. Wow…. Did that fly by!

I hope 2011 was a good year for you: and that 2012 will be that much better.

As I’ve said so many times in these entries over the years, Highlands is a unique spot in the world….certainly the Southeast. Old Edwards Inn has brought a number of first timers to Highlands, people who even if they live fairly closeby (Charlotte, Charleston, Atlanta, Savannah, etc.), they simply did not know that much about us. I hear over and over again comments such as “My Gosh: I had no clue it was so nice up here.” And as the summertime visitors say: “You mean Atlanta is only two hours away” on a blue-sky 82-degree day when it’s 97 down the mountain.

But we’re not immune to the issues which have affected the rest of the world. Real estate prices have come down; sales are slow; buyer’s are picky; and some sellers are ready to deal. Opportunities exist, and now may indeed be the best time in a couple of generations to stake your claim to Highlands.

If you want to be here for a few weekends a year, all summer, or all year: now is the time to look. And winter is an even better time because the leaves are gone and we can really see what’s out there to see. Let me know how I can help.

I love this time of year.

I had a conversation with a client a few days ago–talking about how portfolio values can drop like a rock.

The conventional perspective is that most potential buyers, even those who realize that cash isn’t making them much of a thing in a cd these days, are psychologically swayed by the volatility of the stock market: since it’s possible to lose so much in seemingly an instant, then it’s better to just sit tight and hold on.

Not too long ago, I needed a new vehicle. (Clients would walk about of my office, look at my old one, and say “I’ll drive.”) I spent lots more money than I had intended, more than I probably should have. And just a day or so later, the market had one of those crash days and I’m gritting my teeth, cursing under my breath.

But then I got to thinking. I’m so glad I have the car. Had I let the market conditions deter me from making the purchase, I’d still be driving the old one, having my clients laugh at me. Now, I have what I want, what I need, and what more can I say….

So perhaps the general wisdom of sitting tight doesn’t make so much sense after all. If the market is just going to wipe that money from your account, isn’t it better to have something rather than nothing? Something that you can use and enjoy. Something that can nurture your soul–as mountain properties so often do. Something that can serve as a meeting place for family and friends. And, if all historical trends hold in place, something that one day will indeed be looked upon as a good financial investment as well.

So, what are you waiting for?

To every thing, there is a season–and a time to every purpose under heaven.
Turn, Turn, Turn.

A couple of weeks ago, I stood on the back deck of a client’s new home. Astonishingly, colors already speckling the side of Scaly Mountain. And as I sit in my office now, I see yellow and a bit of orange. And the door is open with a cool breeze. At home a couple of nights ago, I closed the windows and turned on a space heater so the cats would get off of me, allowing me to turn over without upsetting too much of the night peace.

As I started to head out for dinner a couple of nights ago, I returned to the closet to replace the light jacket with a heavier sweater. And no regrets.

I love this time of year…. Time moves on. The earth turns a bit on its axis. A time to every purpose under heaven.

My response, politely thought if not actually stated?  “Get in your car.  Drive down the hill just 20 or so minutes.  Get out.  See what hot really is.  Get back in your car.  Come back to Highlands.  And quit complaining…..” 

Seriously.  I left Highlands last Monday with 75 showing on my car thermometer.  By the time I got to Walhalla, it was over 90 and 96 by Seneca.

One of my listings has been withdrawn.  Why?  They came up from a Southern city where it had been over 95 for well over a month straight.  The day they arrived, we had a high of maybe 65.  They looked at each other, said, in essence, “why in the heck are we selling?” and promptly told me to take it off the market. 

I don’t blame ‘em a bit.

So…. I’ll re-use the title phrase.

Get in your car and drive up here.  Get to Walhalla or Dillard or Franklin, check the outside temp, enjoy the drive up, and watch it drop. 

Check out the links I have on here, get a room at Old Edwards or one of the other great spots up here, make reservations at Lakeside or another amazingly good restaurant, and come to love Highlands as the rest of us do.

And remember:  no complaints……..

But the reality is this:  I’ve been really, really busy lately.  Three contracts working, one that fell apart which we may be able to salvage, and will write another in a week or so.  If I’m the leading economic indicator, then good things are on the horizon.

At times, things have been getting a bit frazzled around here.  Fair enough.  I’ll take it.  As slow as things have been for so long, it’s about time that a few deals converge. 

So, no complaining, no kicking of horses. 

Just gratitude.  And hopes that for both buyers and sellers, this will be a year of good fortune. 

And part of that good fortune for us at Harry Norman in Highlands is the fact that we are now a Christie’s affiliate.  Already, we’re seeing the benefit of having such an enormous network of resources.  For instance, regardless of how much time or how much money I could spend on my own trying to market a property such as the Hutchinson House, I could never match what Christie’s can do RIGHT NOW.  That’s exciting.

Over the last couple of years, largely because of The Old Edwards Inn, people who never before have heard of Highlands are now visiting on a regular basis and hopefully, as they gain more confidence in the markets, will decide to make this a part-time (or permanent) home.  The Christie’s affiliation will do even more to let people all over the world know that we are, no doubt, one of the most unique spots in America.

The oldtimers up here say “Don’t plant ’til Mother’s Day.”  This year, that was almost too soon.  A couple of cool mornings last week threatened to nip the herbs and tomatos I’ve planted in my backyard, but they’ve survived pretty well. 

This morning, I received an e-mail from Charleston, complaining that on May 23 at 10 in the morning, it was already 90 degrees down there. 

We’re supposed to hit low 80s….and usually the generic forecasts for Highlands get it wrong.  We’ll probably be in the upper 70s.  As those who’ve read my previous blogs know, I don’t have AC in my house.  Thus far, I’ve just cracked a couple of windows.

But spring seems to be kicking in with real estate activity as well.  Winter has always been slow up here–and always will be. With the across-the-board down real estate market we’ve seen for a long time, it’s nice to see some possibility of a real spring.  No doubt, it’s still a buyer’s market:  no one will deny that.  But unlike many places, Highlands has held up pretty well.  A few people have found the half-off deals, but quite frankly, I fear that some of them will regret their purchases down the road.  What’s the old phrase? Everything that glitters is not gold. 

There’s another old phrase worth recalling:  you get what you pay for. 

And some buyers now are getting great properties for really good prices–just not at the drastic reductions they would expect in other markets.

For instance, I know of one situation where a buyer came up last year, found what he wanted, and put in an offer far below any possibility of getting it.  A week later, it went under contract for about 30% more than he had offered.  This year, he came back, found something else he really liked, adjusted his offer, and now has a great chance of getting what he wants. 

It’s fun to see people in town, looking around, finding what they want.  I hope this season works out well for everyone, and I hope you get a chance to come visit–whether you’re a frequet visitor to the area or discovering us for the first time.  I’d love to meet you.