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.

Search: Asheville Area Real Estate

Learn More: About Our Buyer Services

Nestled in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville, N.C., is a place where holiday magic comes alive, blending rich history with modern festive cheer. From its eclectic streets adorned with twinkling lights to the briskness of the crisp winter mountain air, Asheville has a way of making the holiday season feel both timeless and uniquely [...]

The Asheville area has long nurtured local makers, neighborhood shops and other small businesses, creating a welcoming, supportive spot for unique independent establishments to thrive. As the holiday season ramps up amid continued Hurricane Helene recovery, it’s never been a better time to choose local and bolster small businesses across [...]

At Mosaic Realty, the holiday season is a time to reflect on all the things that fill us with gratitude for our unique home. Asheville and the surrounding areas of Western North Carolina have long held an important place in many hearts, recently reinforced by the region’s resilience in the wake of Hurricane Helene. From its eclectic and [...]

Phase 2 at Craggy Park, West Asheville’s premier green community, now has 10 homes complete and 17 homes still to come. Mosaic Realty is proud to unveil the newest listing in this unique community, 13 Orrinel Way. Learn more about this brand-new Arts and Crafts, GreenBuilt/Energy Star home by JAG Construction [...]

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, when Western North Carolina was left without power, cell service or running water, downtown Asheville was forced to shut down. But as resources have returned to the region, downtown businesses, restaurants and galleries are reemerging. With Asheville-area tourism numbers not quite back to [...]

Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty, a pioneer in the Asheville real estate market’s green movement, is proud to be a part of local initiatives toward a healthier planet. To that end, Mosaic and its brokers have joined forces for a fifth year in a row with Appalachian Offsets. Appalachian Offsets offers carbon offsets to fund projects that address the damage of climate change by reducing carbon-dioxide pollution in Western North Carolina.
There is a proven link between the production of harmful greenhouse gases by humans and global warming. By now, the results of such changes to our climate are devastatingly familiar: erratic and destructive weather, severe famine, rising sea levels, crop failures and – yes – unprecedented storms and deadly flooding in areas not typically prone to such events. 

Helping to reverse climate impact

Carbon offsets – pollution equivalents that can be purchased to help pay for a renewable energy project, an energy-efficiency upgrade, or the like – are one way to help stop and eventually reverse the damage. For instance, the money from the purchase of four tons of carbon offsets would go to fund a project that either reduces carbon-dioxide production by four tons, or removes four tons of carbon dioxide from the air. Carbon offsetting is an effective, long-lasting tool that aids the environment as well as the community.

Appalachian Offsets (an initiative from the Green Built Alliance) allows Asheville residents and businesses to offset their carbon footprint while at the same time helping local schools, nonprofits and other area organizations. It’s simple to participate: First, calculate your carbon footprint, then make a (tax-deductible) donation to Appalachian Offsets to offset your footprint, at a rate of $20 per ton. The offset donation is then applied to an energy-efficiency project at an area school, non-profit or other community organization in Western N.C.

Mosaic continues support of carbon offset projects

Contributions from Mosaic’s agents over the past five years have gone to support a variety of Appalachian Offsets projects, such as water-conservation upgrades, energy-efficiency lighting retrofits, and solar-energy installations. Asheville-area projects by Appalachian Offsets include a recently completed 30 KW solar array at the United Way building in downtown Asheville;  an 8.6 KW solar array installation for the community meeting space at the St. Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church in West Asheville’s Burton Street community in 2022; and a large solar array (300 KW of solar photovoltaic panels) at Isaac Dickson Elementary School in 2021. Solar-array installations have not only reduced these organizations’ carbon footprints, but they have saved them thousands of dollars in energy costs each year.

For more information on Appalachian Offsets, and to calculate your carbon footprint, go to https://www.cutmycarbon.org/. To learn more about how Mosaic helps to build and support the Western N.C. community through green initiatives and beyond, visit https://mymosaicrealty.com/donations-volunteer-program/.

Connect with us over your real estate needs at Info@MyMosaicRealty.com or call 828.707.9556 anytime. 

Search: Asheville Area Real Estate