Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty has long prided itself on being uniquely positioned to give its Asheville area clients singular service: Its intimate size and deep Western North Carolina roots pair together perfectly to create an approach that’s both knowledgeable and personalized, whether you’re buying or selling your property. It’s this [...]

The Asheville, N.C., area is home to a range of historic properties, both commercial and residential, and boasts numerous neighborhoods on the National Registry of Historic Places. Asheville’s historic homes encompass a sense of charm and character hard to replicate in newer builds. But while historic homes offer aesthetic and architectural [...]

As the crisp winter air settles in across Western North Carolina, it’s a good time for gardeners to prep their garden beds for the cold months ahead. This region of the Blue Ridge Mountains is known for its diverse climate, which varies from the higher elevations to the foothills and valleys, but the principles of winterizing your garden [...]

In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s destructive tear through Western North Carolina, hundreds of individuals and families in towns across the region saw their homes either severely damaged or destroyed, leaving them with nowhere to live. In response, the grassroots organization NC STR Alliance is offering a free service to help connect people displaced by the storm with short-term rental hosts who have available accommodations. 

Working toward safe temporary shelter

NC STR Alliance – made up of Western N.C. property managers, homeowners and community members advocating for responsible and fair short-term rental regulations – hopes that by offering this service to match displaced individuals and families with temporary housing options, many can find safe temporary shelter and a sense of community during an extremely challenging time.

“We’ve had a very good reception from willing short-term rental owners, so that’s been incredible,” says STR Alliance’s Matt Allen. So far, around 120 hosts have added their properties to the relief program, with around 30 displaced residents signing up for temporary housing. “We are still trying to get the word out to more guests, and definitely looking to make more connections,” says Allen. 

Easy process for hosts and renters

NC STR Alliance encourages STR owners, Airbnb hosts, property managers or anyone with an available home or room in Asheville or Western N.C. to participate in the emergency relief program. Here’s how it works: Hosts start by filling out a short form with contact information and availability; they are then added to the host list. In turn, a displaced individual seeking housing can simply complete a form with contact details, housing preferences and budget (FEMA vouchers don’t apply to the STR Alliance program). The information supplied by the displaced individual will then be shared with available hosts participating in the program, who can then reach out directly if they are able to accommodate the individual’s needs. Hosts are responsible for vetting inquiries and making decisions regarding accommodations.

For more information about the NC STR Alliance Hurricane Helene Relief program, or to sign up to become a potential host or renter, visit https://str-trust.com/nc-str-alliance-hurricane-helene-relief-for-displaced-residents/.

Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or a local looking to purchase real estate in Asheville or Western North Carolina, now is an optimal period to start your search. The region is still in the midst of post-Hurricane Helene recovery, translating to fewer transactions overall. Couple that with the typical winter lull in real estate activity, and you have the makings of a prime buying scenario.

Asheville and Western N.C. have long enchanted residents and visitors alike. Easy accessibility to the beautiful surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and exhilarating outdoor adventure, as well as the cultural, dining and entertainment offerings of Asheville and neighboring cities, are great reasons to set up more permanent roots in the region. Asheville has a variety of housing options: everything from smaller cottages to downtown condos to new green builds. This range makes it easy for either first-time buyers or locals to find exactly what they’re looking for.

First-time buyer? No problem

If you’ve been biding your time on a purchase, either as a local or as a first-time buyer – or perhaps both – the coming months are the perfect period to dive in. Helene’s impact on the region has stalled activity for the obvious reasons. There is higher inventory and lower overall buyer activity as the region comes out of the devastation. But recovery is under way: Power and potable water have been restored to much of the area, debris removal is ramping up, and businesses are gradually re-opening or relocating to new spaces.

Combined with the post-Helene slowdown is the typically slow season of winter. The combination of colder weather, shorter daylight hours, holiday distractions, and fewer people wanting to move during the cold months often translates to reduced buyer activity and less competition in the Asheville real estate market during the winter season. This makes it a good time to enter the market as a buyer, especially if you’re a local familiar with the area. You may already have narrowed down the neighborhoods and home styles that most appeal to your Asheville lifestyle, thus cutting out one major component of the search process.

Less stress purchasing a home in Asheville

A drop in the number of out-of-town cash buyers crowding the Asheville market, along with more price reductions and fewer multiple-offer scenarios, also makes it a good time for locals to look for a property to purchase. With a more relaxed atmosphere in which to shop – minus the heated, competitive housing market that often manifests in spring – first-time buyers can take their time to better understand the process and mull their options.

If you’re a first-time buyer or a local looking to purchase a property in Asheville or anywhere in Western N.C., please contact us at Info@MyMosaicRealty.com, or call us anytime at 828-707-9556.

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