Dirt. | Everything Real Estate in the NC High Country http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog the unofficial real estate guide for the north carolina high country Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:35:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 en Empire State Building Stolen! http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/empire-state-building-stolen/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/empire-state-building-stolen/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:34:32 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=250 Daily News reporter William Sherman in front of the Empire State Building.BY WILLIAM SHERMAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Daily News reporter William Sherman in front of the Empire State Building.

In one of the biggest heists in American history, the Daily News “stole” the $2 billion Empire State Building.

And it wasn’t that hard.

The News swiped the 102-story Art Deco skyscraper by drawing up a batch of bogus documents, making a fake notary stamp and filing paperwork with the city to transfer the deed to the property.

Some of the information was laughable: Original “King Kong” star Fay Wray is listed as a witness and the notary shared a name with bank robber Willie Sutton.

The massive ripoff illustrates a gaping loophole in the city’s system for recording deeds, mortgages and other transactions.

The loophole: The system - run by the office of the city register - doesn’t require clerks to verify the information.

Click here for more from the Daily News

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/empire-state-building-stolen/feed/ The Small House Movement http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/the-small-house-movement/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/the-small-house-movement/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:30:56 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=248 by Tara Darby
Is the “bigger is better” mentality fading in terms of real estate? Are the days of McMansions coming to an end? Well, it seems for some homeowners it is. There’s a new movement out there that’s creating quite a buzz among environmentalist and folks seeking a simpler life. It’s called the Small House Movement and it might just be the next small thing.

These homes bring a whole new meaning to up close and personal since most are less than 1000 square feet, some are even less than 100 square feet.

Click here to read more from Realty Times

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/the-small-house-movement/feed/ Boone’s Proposed Water Intake Environmental Assessment Finds Special Concern Mussels http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone%e2%80%99s-proposed-water-intake-environmental-assessment-finds-special-concern-mussels/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone%e2%80%99s-proposed-water-intake-environmental-assessment-finds-special-concern-mussels/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:21:30 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=246 Story by Kathleen McFadden

Earlier this month, Boone voters overwhelmingly approved a $25 million bond referendum for a new water intake facility on the South Fork of the New River in the Brownwood area near Todd. Town staff has now turned the focus to an environmental assessment currently underway.

According to Town Manager Greg Young, engineering firm WK Dickson mailed a “scoping” letter to the 18 agencies and departments who will review the assessment, including U.S. Fish & Wildlife, in mid-October. The document outlines the scope of the project—hence the term “scoping” letter—and provides a number of specific project parameters. Read More from High Country Press »

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone%e2%80%99s-proposed-water-intake-environmental-assessment-finds-special-concern-mussels/feed/ The Road to Four http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/watauga/the-road-to-four/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/watauga/the-road-to-four/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:20:10 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=244 Here we go again! The ASU Mountaineers start their fourth playoff journey this weekend. Tickets ARE available and the weather forecast couldn’t be better. Just as in this photo from last year’s first playoff game, the Mountaineer cheerleaders will do their best to rouse the crowd to a fever pitch, and if you’ve steered clear of Kidd Brewer this season because of crowds, this weekend promises to be a bit less crowded, but no less exciting. Say goodbye to the folks, pack as many Thanksgiving leftovers as possible into your car and get back to Boone this Saturday—you’ve got a football game to watch. No. 2-seeded ASU will host the South Carolina State Bulldogs at 12:00 p.m. Saturday in a first-round playoff game at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Read More »

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/watauga/the-road-to-four/feed/ Come Ski and get a tree! http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/come-ski-and-get-a-tree/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/come-ski-and-get-a-tree/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:48:06 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=240 Families travel from across the state and the Southeast to get their hands on the High Country’s hottest commodity of the holiday season—the Fraser fir. Luckily, High Country residents don’t have to travel far to take part in this favorite pasttime. Look for Choose & Cut Christmas tree farm signs on the highways or pick up a brochure at local businesses. Tree Story by Anna Oakes
With literally thousands to choose from, you and your family can find the perfect Christmas tree this year. Families from across the state and Southeast travel hundreds of miles to our mountains for their tannenbaums, but High Country residents enjoy the privilege of living right in the center of North Carolina’s Choose and Cut Capital.

If you’ve never experienced the joy of selecting your own real Christmas tree, make this the year you start a new tradition. Chopping down your own tree is an excuse to spend a little time with your family, roommates or friends, a reason to bundle up and feel the cool air sweep against your cheeks, and a chance to set foot on something other than asphalt and concrete. Plus, you’ll meet hardworking farmers and put money into the local economy at a time when it’s sorely needed.
Click here to read more

Skiing is a wonderful way to enjoy the beautiful mountians of North Carolina.Ski story by Sam Calhoun
Not once, but twice before Thanksgiving the High Country has woken up to a blanket of fresh snow on the ground, including this week when Sugar Mountain Resort took the cue from Old Man Winter and opened for the season on Monday, November 17. For all the people who are in denial about the start of winter, there’s no weather report left to dispute—it’s cold, it has been snowing, and if the opening of all four of the High Country’s ski slopes tells us anything, winter is definitely here.
Click here to read more

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/come-ski-and-get-a-tree/feed/ Boone Council Deliberates Zoning Requests Thursday http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone-council-deliberates-zoning-requests-thursday/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone-council-deliberates-zoning-requests-thursday/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:40:09 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=238 If its rezoning request is approved, Appalachian plans to convert the rock building on the corner of Depot and Rivers streets into a state-of-the-art broadcasting complex and significantly upgrade the building façade. What this rendering doesn’t show is the planned three-story addition to the rear of the building. Story by Kathleen McFadden
Two rezoning cases were on the agenda for Boone’s Quarterly Public Hearing on November 13. ASU requested a change in the zoning of the rock building on the corner of Rivers and Depot streets from B-1, Central Business District, to U-1, University District. Boone Five, LLC requested rezoning a tract on Highway 105 from a split B-3, General Business, and R-1, Single-Family Residential, to CDB-3, Conditional District General Business.

Click here for the complete story

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone-council-deliberates-zoning-requests-thursday/feed/ The Star of a Real Estate Reality Show Takes a Housing Hit http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/the-star-of-a-real-estate-reality-show-takes-a-housing-hit/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/the-star-of-a-real-estate-reality-show-takes-a-housing-hit/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:50:29 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=237 http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/cnbc/20081114/videolthumb.5dd6c7eb6d1d8e36d187335694d7c155.jpg?x=213&y=160&xc=1&yc=1&wc=399&hc=300&q=100&sig=.1HeaKTtJv0AJuBUgZ5s5Q--

By Ronald Grover Ronald Grover
To the 1 million viewers of Bravo’s reality show Flipping Out, Jeff Lewis is the acerbic, demanding, and sometimes petulant face of real estate speculation. In the program’s first two seasons (already in reruns), Lewis turned a hefty profit buying and updating homes to sell in Los Angeles’ toniest neighborhoods. At the start of the year he sold a 1,900-square-foot house to Lost star Dominic Monaghan for $1.6 million.

But as the cameras stopped shooting seven months ago, the housing market went from slowed to stalled, leaving the 38-year-old speculator, as he says, “paralyzed.” Lewis has been mired for months in a dispute over the boundaries of a $2.5 million property. A deal to buy a house fell apart when Countrywide Financial (CFC.) foreclosed on the seller. Until recently, Lewis lived in a 700-square-foot home, tight quarters for an entourage that includes two cats, three dogs, and, during working hours, a housekeeper and two assistants. “These are not great times, and people are suffering,” says Lewis, a self-professed “working millionaire” who has flipped more than 40 homes.

Click here to read more

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/the-star-of-a-real-estate-reality-show-takes-a-housing-hit/feed/ ASU seeks Boone’s OK for journalism complex http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/asu-seeks-boone%e2%80%99s-ok-for-journalism-complex/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/asu-seeks-boone%e2%80%99s-ok-for-journalism-complex/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:49:04 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=236 By Frank Ruggiero
Appalachian State University is hoping to hit the airwaves with a new broadcasting center, though it will need a green light from the Boone Town Council.

University officials appeared before the council and Boone Area Planning Commission Thursday, Nov. 13, at the town’s quarterly public hearing, requesting a zoning change for property in the central business district.

The university requested to change the zoning classification of the former Alliance Bible Fellowship building, located at the corner of Depot and Rivers streets, from B-1 (central business) to U-1 (university) to establish the George G. Beasley Broadcasting Complex.

Click here to read more

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/asu-seeks-boone%e2%80%99s-ok-for-journalism-complex/feed/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/235/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/235/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:15:53 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=235

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/235/feed/ Local home construction down 25% http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/local-home-construction-down-25/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/local-home-construction-down-25/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:19:12 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=233 By Scott Nicholson
George Gilleland is president of the High Country Home Builders Association and owner of The Hardwood Company in Boone, selling wood products and other building materials. He said while the construction market has cooled a little, it’s still far from doom and gloom.

“I think we’re doing better than the national average,” Gilleland said. “People are still buying high-end second homes. Our average home prices are still up there.”

Click here to read the Watauga Democrat article.

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/local-home-construction-down-25/feed/ Tough times for farmers in the high country http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/tough-times-for-farmers-in-the-high-country/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/tough-times-for-farmers-in-the-high-country/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:13:21 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=232 http://www.aaec.vt.edu/biotechimpact/images/tobacco/tobacco4.jpgWritten by John Boyle
The lingering drought in much of North Carolina has resulted in the U.S. Department of Agriculture declaring 59 counties, including nearly all of Western North Carolina, disaster areas.
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That means local farmers who can prove significant crop losses may be eligible for low-interest loans or other payments. This is the second year in a row that drought has severely impacted crops, with corn and eastern tobacco crops taking the worst hits this year.

If you think the drought is no longer an issue, just ask a local farmer.

Click here to read the article from the Asheville Citizen Times

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/tough-times-for-farmers-in-the-high-country/feed/ Proposed Globe Scenic Area http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/proposed-globe-scenic-area/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/proposed-globe-scenic-area/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:44:17 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=231 Story by Kathleen McFadden
Researchers at Colorado State University released an economic study this week stating that the creation of the proposed Grandfather National Scenic Area (GNSA) would attract an estimated 1.5 million visitors a year, result in the creation of 724 new jobs and generate an additional $38.4 million in annual revenue for Avery, Caldwell and Watauga counties.

The proposed scenic area would encompass 25,500 acres of the 510,119-acre Pisgah National Forest along the Blue Ridge Parkway from Grandfather Mountain to Blowing Rock and would apply scenic protections only to public lands currently managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

Click here for the article from High Country Press

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/proposed-globe-scenic-area/feed/ Oops, not quite grandpa http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/oops-not-quite-grandpa/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/oops-not-quite-grandpa/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:41:36 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=230 Grandfather Mountain President Crae Morton made the decision to confirm the height of the mountain when the elevation on a plaque on the steps to the Swinging Bridge did not match modern GPS readings.Grandfather Mountain President Crae Morton announced this week that based on a recent survey by Doug Suttles of Suttles Surveying in Marion, N.C., Grandfather Mountain will list the elevation of its summit as 5,946 feet.

This number is 18 feet lower than the elevation of 5,964 feet that Grandfather Mountain has been using in its promotional materials since opening as a scenic travel attraction in 1952. The higher number originally came from North Carolina Geologic and Economic Survey Bulletin No. 27 entitled “Altitudes in North Carolina” published in 1917.

Click here for the article in High Country Press

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/oops-not-quite-grandpa/feed/ A Bold Vision for Boone http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/a-bold-vision-for-boone/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/a-bold-vision-for-boone/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:23:34 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=229 Story by Kathleen McFadden
“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”

So cautioned Craig Lewis of the Lawrence Group at the closing presentation of the Boone 2030 planning charrette last week.

What Lewis meant is that the collective vision of what Boone can become won’t be accomplished in one fell swoop or even in the next several years. The vision is a long-term one, looking ahead two decades from right now, and the only way to reach it is in incremental steps.

Another conceptual plan showing the variety of development possibilities in Boone is this multistory residential development situated on the corner of Water and Howard streets downtown. Those incremental steps are the “good” that Lewis referred to, with the “perfect” being the ideal vision.

Click here for the complete article from High Country Press

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/a-bold-vision-for-boone/feed/ Great new venue http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone%e2%80%99s-dragonfly-theater/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone%e2%80%99s-dragonfly-theater/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:18:06 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=227 Story by David Brewer
Sheri Baker, owner of Dragonfly Theater & Pub, quit her job 2.5 years ago to focus her work and attention on Boone’s new movie theater and pub. The Dragonfly Theater and Pub is absolutely the only venue in the High Country that has, in four months, hosted major motion pictures, independent movies, live concerts, church meetings, fundraisers, multimedia events, political debate viewing parties, Monday Night Football and a beer tasting. To say that the Dragonfly is versatile would be a bit of an understatement.

Click here to read the story from High Country Press

Click here to visit the Dragonfly website

ps. EDITOR- I recently held my sons 5th birthday party at Dragonfly and it was great!  They let us bring in our DVD and served all the children lunch and popcorn.  Best of all, the cost was very reasonable.

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone%e2%80%99s-dragonfly-theater/feed/ the dirt. http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/the-dirt/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/the-dirt/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:09:03 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=226 We feel a great deal of gratitude for the way our site has been embraced.  Please forgive the recent lapse in coverage.  We look forward to making good on our promise to be your best source for real estate news in the North Carolina mountains.  Stay tuned for much more news on the dirt.blog.

We want to hear from you!
Please send us an email with anything you would like to see or read about on the dirt.blog, your ideas are an incredible contribution.

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/the-dirt/feed/ Weekly Deeds transfers http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/deed-transfers/dirtdeed-transfers/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/deed-transfers/dirtdeed-transfers/#comments Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:20:34 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/deed-transfers/dirtdeed-transfers/ Click here to see all deed transfers filed this weekdeed.jpg

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/deed-transfers/dirtdeed-transfers/feed/ $25 Million for water upgrades http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/25-million-for-water-upgrades/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/25-million-for-water-upgrades/#comments Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:26:55 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=225 The Boone Town Council will meet at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 24, to vote on a resolution authorizing the town’s finance director to apply to the Local Government Commission for approval of a $25 million issue of general obligation bonds.

Click here to read the article from the High Country Press

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/25-million-for-water-upgrades/feed/ Town to appeal Templeton case http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/town-to-appeal-templeton-case/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/town-to-appeal-templeton-case/#comments Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:24:42 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=224 The town of Boone will begin an appeal process this week on the Superior Court’s decision in favor of local developer Phil Templeton.

On July 3, Superior Court Judge Ronald K. Payne reversed a decision made by the Boone Board of Adjustment (BOA) denying a special use permit for the construction of a medical clinic on State Farm Road.

Click here to read more.

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/town-to-appeal-templeton-case/feed/ Boone OKs $20 million budget http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/boone-oks-20-million-budget/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/boone-oks-20-million-budget/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:43:44 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=223 In a summarized breakdown, the budget sees $12,326,994 devoted to the general fund, $163,500 to the emergency telephone system, $18,000 to narcotics enforcement, $623,210 to water and sewer, $1,068,500 to health insurance, $112,234 to the municipal service district, and $544,064 to the rural fire district.

Here’s the article from Frank Ruggiero

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/boone-oks-20-million-budget/feed/ Extra fees for well permits http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/extra-fees-for-well-permits/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/extra-fees-for-well-permits/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:40:53 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=222 The new-well permit fee will increase from $225 to $300 on Tuesday, July 1. The fee includes the cost of inspections, fieldwork and a water sample.

Here’s the article from the High Country Press

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/extra-fees-for-well-permits/feed/ Fish for free, July 4th http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/fish-for-free-july-4th/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/fish-for-free-july-4th/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:38:19 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=221 Along with watching fireworks and grilling out, everyone in North Carolina can celebrate Independence Day by casting a line in their favorite fishing hole - no license needed!

Here’s more from GoBlueRidge

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/fish-for-free-july-4th/feed/ New name for Realtors Association http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/new-name-for-realtors-association/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/new-name-for-realtors-association/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:34:55 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=220 The new proposed name for AWAR is the High Country Association of Realtors or “HI-CAR”. The Board of Directors also proposed a new tagline for the association that says, “All Real Estate is Local and So Are We”.

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/new-name-for-realtors-association/feed/ Help for Tweetsie http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/help-for-tweetsie/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/help-for-tweetsie/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:33:23 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=219 The Watauga County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed the movement to help buy the land on which Tweetsie operates during a public hearing held on Monday evening.

Here’s the article from Go Blue Ridge

UPDATE: Opinions divided

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/help-for-tweetsie/feed/ County passes $60M budget http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/county-passes-60m-budget/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/county-passes-60m-budget/#comments Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:16:31 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=217 Watauga County’s property tax rate will remain the same in the next fiscal year, though the overall county budget will increase 4.6 percent.

The Watauga County Board of Commissioners adopted a balanced $60.1 million budget Monday morning, with a $44.6 million General Fund budget for county operations.

Click here for the article in the Watauga Democrat

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/county-passes-60m-budget/feed/ New rules of home buying http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/buying/new-rules-of-home-buying/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/buying/new-rules-of-home-buying/#comments Thu, 29 May 2008 17:38:33 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=216 There’s no telling how long the current housing situation will drag on. Here’s what you need to know before you start shopping in a rocky market.

Click here for the article from CNN Money

and here are some rules for sellers

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/buying/new-rules-of-home-buying/feed/ Regulators approve rules on disclosing home-sale bonuses http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/regulators-approve-rules-on-disclosing-home-sale-bonuses/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/regulators-approve-rules-on-disclosing-home-sale-bonuses/#comments Thu, 29 May 2008 17:32:15 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=215 N.C. regulators voted today to approve a new rule that will require real estate agents to provide a written disclosure of bonuses they might receive from sellers before a buyer makes an offer to purchase a home.

The rule, which will help homebuyers know if their agent has an extra financial interest in showing them a home, is scheduled to take effect Oct. 1.

Click here for the article in the Charlotte Observer

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/regulators-approve-rules-on-disclosing-home-sale-bonuses/feed/ Boone council accessorizes housing policy http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/boone-council-accessorizes-housing-policy/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/boone-council-accessorizes-housing-policy/#comments Tue, 27 May 2008 15:01:31 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=214 The Boone Town Council was essentially forced to change its policy on accessory housing, which was originally adopted in hope of providing more affordable housing options for the community.

Here’s the article from the Watauga Democrat

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/zoning-politics/boone-council-accessorizes-housing-policy/feed/ Six Secrets of Internet Home Buying http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/buying/six-secrets-of-internet-home-buying-2/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/buying/six-secrets-of-internet-home-buying-2/#comments Tue, 20 May 2008 13:49:03 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=213 With the worst housing slump in a generation slashing home prices across the country, the dynamics of the market have shifted squarely in favor of buyers.

Click here for more

]]> http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/buying/six-secrets-of-internet-home-buying-2/feed/ Boone Creek restoration project begins http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone-creek-restoration-project-begins/ http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/NC/Real-Estate/general/boone-creek-restoration-project-begins/#comments Mon, 19 May 2008 18:39:28 +0000 EDITOR http://highcountrydirt.com/dirt.blog/?p=212 Work has begun to restore and enhance a 150-foot section of Boone Creek that runs between Howard and Rivers streets in Boone. The affected portion of the creek runs from near the back of Café Portofino to the future location of the university’s Beasley Broadcasting Complex at the corner of Depot Street.

Click here for the article from ASU

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