NEIGHBORS: Home of the unique art of cheese making

March 13, 2012 By Rob

The High Country is home to the state’s only cheese making facility, Ashe County Cheese. Famous for its grand tastes, it recently made news with its new bovine decor.

Our State Magazine recently spent some time in the factory, detailing just how the goodness is made.

Ashe County Cheese FactoryIn addition to being known for breath-taking mountain scenery and as the location of a thriving Christmas Tree industry, West Jefferson is home to North Carolina’s only cheese factory. The Ashe County Cheese Company makes up to 50,000 lbs of cheese a week. The factory is just around the corner from Main Street, and we’re invited to see how all that delicious cheese is made!

Fun fact – Color is added to the cheese simply due to demand. People want it, so they get it!

Ashe County Cheese Factory is just one of the many great neighbors in the High Country of North Carolina. You can Live the Dream in that squeaky clean neighborhood, thanks to more than 130 opportunities to call West Jefferson, NC home.

Filed Under: Neighbors

Things to do on a weekend – Enjoy a stunning sunset

March 11, 2012 By Rob

A mild-for-March weekend means a preview for Spring. That translates to getting out and enjoying the outdoors without worry of coat or gloves. But when night comes the chill returns, though you may be warmed by a stunning sunset of colors. Here’s how Boone ended a recent day.

Imagine this being your daily sky show. You can have it! There are more than 200 opportunities to Live the Dream in the Boone area of North Carolina.

Boone sky at sunset

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: boone nc real estate, scenery, sunset

High Country challenge – Is it cold enough to make snow

March 7, 2012 By Rob

Ice on the Mile High Swinging BridgeIt can get cold in the mountains. And the higher you go, the more frigid it can be. Throw in some wind, and you can indeed get a deep chill in your bones.

There aren’t any High Country peaks taller than Grandfather Mountain, which extends 5,946 feet into the atmosphere. From its top you have magnificent views. But when it’s cold, it gets intensely cold. So cold that, one day, some intrepid employees of the state landmark decided to try an experiment – is it cold enough to make snow?

They chose January 3 of this year to give it a try. It was 2 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds above 65 miles per hour. All they needed was a pot of boiling water, and a run outside.

There was the promise to repeat the experiment, but alas, the winter has since been kinder to the mercury. According to the mile-high weather station atop Grandfather Mountain, there were 10 days last month when the temperature stayed above freezing. The average low was a mild 27 degrees, thanks in great part just two days below zero (-2 on the 12th and 13th).

Grandfather Mountain is just one the of the many local treasures here, and another reason to Live the Dream in the High Country of North Carolina.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: boone nc real estate, invest in boone nc real estate, invest in north carolina real estate, real estate investments in boone

Live the Dream STAT: Buying with cash at a high

March 6, 2012 By Rob

North Carolian skiing  
41% – Percentage of High Country properties sold in 2011 that were purchased with cash. That mark was just 34% in 2009.

Cash in real estate is becoming increasingly popular, and that may be a good sign. According to the Campbell Surveys and Inside Mortgage Finance, 34 percent of home sales in January were paid with cash. The reasons are two-fold, according to some experts.

The advantage of coming with cash to a real estate transaction is that cash buyers don’t have to worry about qualifying for the more stringent underwriting standards by lenders that have kept so many other buyers out of the market recently. They also have less concern about appraisals derailing a deal, another common problem plaguing many real estate markets.

There are some concerns though. Cash buyers, thanks to bargaining power, may be driving prices down. But in the long run they may aid the market, according to an NPR report.

“These cash buyers are mopping up inventory, and that’s probably the most important thing that can happen right now,” (Richard Green, a professor at the University of Southern California’s Lusk Center for Real Estate) says. “You’re not going to see a recovery in prices until inventories return to more normal levels.”

And, Green says, inventories are starting to stabilize.

That makes this a great time to buy! Explore the opportunities to Live the Dream in the High Country of North Carolina.

Filed Under: Stats, Why Buy Now Tagged With: boone nc real estate, invest in real estate, Why Buy Now

One of America’s Prettiest Winter Towns located in High Country

March 5, 2012 By Rob

The village where the snow falls up is also one in which people fall in love, especially when it’s cold and snowy. That’s according to Travel and Leisure magazine, which recently declared Blowing Rock to be one of America’s Prettiest Winter Towns. It made the list cause of its natural beauty, wonderful food, and outdoor amenities.

Blowing Rock snow sceneThe Blue Ridge Parkway passes by this century-old mountain town, whose Main Street has shops for antiques, crafts, even dulcimers. Streams trickling through quiet forests banked with snow inspire exploring and reflection. After a day out, tuck into ham biscuits at Knight’s on Main or go for more sophisticated southern fare like smoked North Carolina trout and sweet potato soup.

Winter Fun: Nearby ski areas—Appalachian Ski Mountain, Ski Beech, and Sugar Mountain—provide downhill action. And every year in late January, Winterfest takes over. During the Polar Plunge, costumed locals and visitors take an icy stride off a boat dock into frigid Chetola Lake.

Famous as a honeymoon destination, Blowing Rock is also a wonderful place to live. There are more than 200 opportunities to Live the Dream in this picturesque mountain setting.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: America's Prettiest Winter Towns, blowing rock, good food, magazine, mountains, real estate, skiing, snow, travel and leisure

Things to do on a weekend – Enjoy a college baseball game

March 3, 2012 By Rob

Last weekend, the Appalachian State baseball team shocked the college baseball world, beating then No. 7 LSU two times in a three game series, including a 11-1 win in the rubber match. The Tigers had been considered a strong national title contender. The Mountaineers had been picked in preseason as a middle-of-the-conference team. The trip to Baton Rouge proved otherwise, and sparked excitement that this could be a special team.

Appalachain State baseball stadiumThe recent success and the series win at LSU owe mostly to pitching, and Pollard’s pitching background (he pitched at Davidson in the mid-1990s) makes it the program’s foundation. The Mountaineers have ranked fifth, third, second and fourth in the Southern Conference in ERA the last four seasons, with team ERAs declining from 6.14 to 4.42 in that span.

In the preseason, Pollard told BA, “(This) should be deepest pitching staff we have had in my eight years at Appalachian. We return three weekend starting pitchers and two of (the) three top arms out of bullpen. We should also be very strong defensively.”

The Mountaineers open their home schedule this weekend against Rider. They play in beautiful Smith Stadium, which has an outfield surrounded by a wooded area and a scenic view from the stands. Games have a great atmosphere, a luxury many communities lack. Dare to Live the Dream in a land of high-quality college baseball!

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: appalachian state, appalachian state baseball, boone nc real estate, thing to do in boone area, things to do in high country of north carolina

Our great outdoors – Epic photos from Boone and Bass Lake, Parkway sunrise

February 29, 2012 By Rob

A recent collection of photos linked on the HCAR Twitter stream, @HighCountry_NC.

Grandfather Mountain snowWhite out – Porch view of recent snow, with Grandfather Mountain in the background. (right)

Lifted up – Looking down on a Sugar Mountain slope.

Slow glowing – Epic night shot of Bass Lake, outside Blowing Rock, NC.

Still life – Winter scene from Seven Devils near Boone, NC.

Golden Blue – Sunrise off Blue Ridge Parkway, near West Jefferson.

Get over it – Great view from a Blue Ridge Parkway overlook near Boone.

Front snow seat – Scene from a recent High Country snow.

Pretty in pink – Sunset in Lansing, in Ashe County, NC.

Sun runs – A bright day at Appalachian Ski Mountain.

Gentle snow tall – Winter scene at Beech Mountain.

Light frosting – Mountain tops on a cold morning in Ashe County.

Chills – Epic mountain view from outside Boone, NC.

Filed Under: Our Great Outdoors, Photos Tagged With: Appalachian Ski Mountain, avery county, bass lake, Blue Ridge Parkway, boone, grandfather mountain, high country, lansing, mountains, north carolina, photos, real estate, west jefferson

The reward of a stunning mountain view

February 28, 2012 By Rob

Three Top MountainAmong the many great hiking trails in the High Country is one which goes to the summit of Three Top Mountain in Ashe County. The highest of the three peaks has an elevation of 4,865 feet, though a few other ridges in the mountain range go above 5,000. Part of an ever expanding state park, Three Top Mountain is popular with hikers and hunters. One recent hiker had her camera ready for the dramatic conclusion of her walk, for when she finally clears the top. Her efforts are rewarded with a view of just how gorgeous the High Country can be, even on a windy winter day. “Oh wow!”

Three Top Mountain is located west of West Jefferson, where there are more than 130 opportunities to Live the Dream in the High Country of North Carolina.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: ashe county, boone nc area real estate, hiking, lifestyle, mountain view, outdoors, scenery, three top mountain

Why Buy Now: More positive signs in the real estate market

February 26, 2012 By Rob

Real Estate market viewThe High Country real estate market recorded modest growth in 2011. Among the positive trends was the number of listings sold hitting a two-year high.

According to the High Country Association of Realtors, there were 1,014 real estate listings sold last year. That included eight consecutive months of increased sales, from February to September. That was a big turnaround from 2010, when real estate sales were 938 (a six-year low), and just short of 2009, when 1,033 listings were sold.

2012 has also started with growth. There were 68 listings sold in January, up from 46 in December.

The local numbers appear to mirror two recent national trends.

  • Housing starts rose 1.5 percent in January 2011, the highest level in three years. According to the Commerce Department, “The main reason for the January increase was due to a 14.4 percent rise in groundbreaking on rental properties or buildings with five units or more. … Building permits in January, a future gauge to construction, ticked up 0.7 percent.”
  • Existing home sales also increased in January. According to the National Association of Realtors, “Sales of previously occupied homes increased 4.3 percent from a downwardly revised 4.38 million in December to 4.57 million in January. That’s the fastest pace since May 2010 (4.89 million) and 0.7 percent higher than the mark one year ago.”

Now’s a great time to Live the Dream in the High Country of North Carolina. There are more than 3,000 listings now active in the area.

Filed Under: Why Buy Now Tagged With: boone nc real estate, real estate market, real estate statistics, real estate stats, Why Buy Now

Things to do on a weekend – Celebrate the 80s downhill

February 25, 2012 By Rob

This weekend Beech Mountain turns into a culture club with a new sensation – adding some hot pink to its cold white slopes. It’s a Retro 80′s weekend at one of the High Country’s three ski resorts. Leg warmers. Big hair. Loud colors. Smooth operators are free to lose control for three days of the best of times while they beat it up and down the slopes. Sweet dreams are made of this.

Beech Mountain 80s weekendThe ski resort is also sponsoring a Rail Jam freestyle competition at 4:30 p.m. Saturday featuring a DJ playing retro tunes.

“We encourage folks to dig out their 80s ski garb and head up the mountain for an enjoyable ski weekend,” said Calder Smoot of Beech Mountain Tourism Development Authority. “The final weekend of February typically provides great skiing conditions, as well as smaller crowds because it’s just after the President’s Day holiday.”

Businesses throughout town are rolling out retro-themed deals.

Ski season continues for a few more weeks, as long as the temps remain cold enough to make snow. That translates to plenty of opportunities to make a run or two or a dozen before spring weather takes over. An eventful reason to consider Living the Dream in the High Country of North Carolina.

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: 80s weekend, beech mountain, boone nc real estate, skiing, things to do in boone nc, things to do in high country of north carolina, things to do near boone north carolina, winter
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