A rock-bottom price just isn’t enough for buyers these days - it’s a starting point. If the furnace is out of date, they’ll demand a new one. Cracked driveways have to be repaved, and dirty carpeting torn out and replaced. All at the seller’s expense. Buyers are in the driver’s seat and they know it. They’re using that leverage to pry more concessions out of desperate sellers than they ever dreamed of during the bubble.

“‘Now it’s my turn,’ is the attitude,” said Mike Byrd, a real estate agent with SLO Home Store in San Luis Obispo, Calif. “Some buyers are really putting the screws on.” In New England, buyers are demanding that sellers pay to fill up a home’s heating oil tank. In California, sellers are forking over closing costs. Nearly everywhere, buyers are insisting that sellers purchase a home service contract providing a one year warranty on all of a home’s appliances. (more…)

$5,850,000

MLS Number: 50913

City: Valle Crucis, NC
Stories: 2
Bedrooms: 4 Baths: 4.5
Area: Boone-Blowing Rock, NC
Year Built: 1990
Plus Five fully furnished 1,400 sq. ft. Rental Cottages. Each built in 1996 on approx. 1/2 acre sites. Current cottage average annual rental income $150,000.

39.4 acres with 360 degree view of Blue Ridge Mountains.

5,200 sq. ft. main house built in 1990 on 1.24 acres.

No restrictions and no zoning offer many other options:

* Family compound
* Corporate retreat
* Religous retreat
* Horse farm / Dude ranch
* Recording studio
* Cottages can be sold separately
* Land can be further subdivided if desired

Contact Elizabeth Carter, 336.973.5594 or Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247 or email eacarter@charter.net

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search for : Valle Crucis, NC, Blowing Rock, NC, Blue Ridge Mountains

Four national associations of real estate appraisers have asked Congress for major regulatory reforms in the wake of an Associated Press investigation that identified key failings within the existing system.

Led by the Chicago-based Appraisal Institute, the groups said Wednesday they want the Congress to approve more money so that state appraisal boards can boost enforcement efforts. They also called on lawmakers to increase the oversight authority of the federal agency charged with monitoring the appraisal industry. (more…)

WEST JEFFERSON NC MOUNTAIN PROPERTY

87.5 +/- Acres Available For Residential Subdivision Mountain Development, 7 miles from West Jefferson, NC

Paved Road and Bridge Built To State Specifications.

Average of $23,000 per acre.

This Property Should Retail For Approximately $50,000 to $60,000 per acre.

ALL PROPERTY HAS LONG RANGE MOUNTAIN VIEWS

Contact Greg Stikeleather, Broker, 704.880.5247

or

email Greg at grstike@charter.net

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It’s rare to refurbish or add space and recoup the expense from a sale in the short term and even more unlikely now that it’s anyone’s guess when prices will recover, says Gary Smith, Pomona College professor and co-author of “Houseonomics: Why Owning A Home is Still a Great Investment.”

He says spend only when “it’s easier to remodel than sell and buy another house.” Owners who like their neighborhood and know that they won’t find a better house at their price point are ideal remodel candidates, he says.

Tinley Park appraiser T.J. McCarthy agrees, adding that “a very few improvements may give you full value right away” such as installing central air if your house is the only one in the neighborhood without it. (more…)

Vacation property, an investment for retirement or a permanent residence, this Lake James waterfront home may be your dream property.

The beautiful water front home is located in a private community with spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has a double deck boat dock, an enclosed boat garage and a private ramp to launch your own watercraft. The home was built originally in 1972 and totally renovated in 2002. A four car detached garage was built in 2002.

There is a total of 264 ft. of water front. Beautiful three tier sea walls accent this elegant home. Hard wood and tile floors, modern appliances and vaulted ceilings are only a few of the amenities that capture you with this home.

Private dock permit.

List Price: $1,800,000
Flexibility: Willing to finance
Acreage: .75 acres
Type: Waterfront

Floors: 2
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
Sq. Footage: 3700
Garage Size: 4.0
Year Built: 1972, totally renovated in 2002
School District: Nebo

Suitable Use: Residential

Topography: Rolling
Road Frontage: Private Road
Location: Lake James, Burke County, NC

Amenities: Waterfront, Fireplace, Central AC, Alarm, Wood Floors, Gas Range, Patio, Wheelchair Accessible, Nature/Bike Paths, Boating, Controlled Access, Spa/Jacuzzi

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search for : Lake James waterfront home, Blue Ridge Mountains, Lake James, Burke County, NC