New Price!
You’ll be had pressed to find a better value than this ten acre private farm in northwestern Buncombe County (Asheville). Situated on its pristine ten acres is a beautifully maintained three bedroom, three bath home with all the modern comforts and conveniences...
Hurricane Season
Hurricane season is now in full swing with the first tropical storm/hurricane of Barry hitting the Gulf Coast as I write. Although its not a Category 2, 3 or 4, the rains it brings along with the flood stage Mississippi is the concern. This is a reminder that we...
The SmartFlower Solar System
Is the SmartFlower Solar System for you? Recently while meeting a bridge builder, he told me of a solar system his son had installed at his homestead. Sounded intriguing. He said its a small sized system, portable, and tracks with the sun throughout the day. ...
Sold And Listed
Announcing that we recently sold and listed more properties. In the past couple of weeks, the Bluebird Farm went to contract, we closed on the Spruce Pine Getaway and listed the 102 acre homestead in Mitchell County. Its been a busy season and we’ll soon be...
DHS Report On The Power Grid
A recently released DHS report on the power grid presents a thorough review of the frailty of our power grid and a potential failure’s long term impact on this nation. Most folks totally ignore the power grid. Flip a switch, and the lights come on. Go to the...
Letter Of Reference
Its always rewarding to get a very nice letter of reference. For those of you who have met me to look at property, many of you have seen the three ring binder I carry with me that contains dozens of letters of reference. Its a nice thing to show prospective clients...
Homemade Antiseptic
Here’s a great, simple recipe for a homemade antiseptic. When we get scrapes or small cuts, we often reach immediately for the alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, but this all natural ointment does even better by attacking any infectious bacteria but also soothing...
Head To The Hills
According to a recent New York Times article written by Alyson Krueger, the cry “Head to the hills” is becoming more common as the talk of climate change continues to grow. Whether you believe the reports or not, things are changing in the world around us...
Invasive Plants
Invasive plants such as Kudzu aren’t anything new in these mountains, but one in particular is especially disturbing. As I write this post, I have a mild case of Poison Ivy. Its a real inconvenience, but not much more than that. However, have you heard of the...
Testimonials
I recently updated the website with a new page featuring several testimonials. Having a good name is extremely valuable and is something that takes time and effort to achieve, yet can be ruined in an instant. So it is important to me that folks know with whom they...
Sensible Mountain Preparedness Seminar
Our good friends at Carolina Readiness Supply in nearby Waynesville are hosting the Sensible Mountain Preparedness Seminar on July 14th from 9 AM to 6 PM. Come for the whole day or part of it. This is shaping up to be a very informative day of seminars featuring...
Solar Forced Air
Did you realize you can heat your house with solar forced air? Yes, it is true (to a certain extent). Basic physics teach us that hot air rises, and if you can capture hot air, then funnel it into your living space, you can heat up a sizable room with a very simple...
New Property Listing
This new property listing is located about 40 minutes northeast of Asheville in Yancey County on a quiet, picturesque country road lined with multi-generational farms. Yancey County is home to Burnsville and Mt. Mitchell (highest point east of the Rockies) as well as...
Silence Is Golden
When the power goes out, silence is golden. What do I mean by that? Last week due to high winds, our power went out for about seven hours. We live in a rural area with no houses in view, but farms and neighbors are nearby in our little valley. As I stepped out...
Cape Town’s Day Zero
If you’ve not yet heard of Cape Town’s Day Zero, do a google search or just read about it here in USA Today. “Day Zero” is the day government officials in Cape Town, South Africa estimate the city’s taps will run dry. Due to years of...
Getting More Affordable
The homestead of your dreams is getting more affordable. In the last few days, two of our listings have had price adjustments, making them even better values. First is the Mountaintop Retreat Near Asheville which was just reduced $100,000 to $499,900. This is a 14+...
Affordably Priced Ten Acres
These affordably priced ten acres with excellent access and features is offered with owner financing. This is a rare find. The property sits at 4,000′ elevation in a very private, small lot community behind a locked gate for security with covenants designed to...
Heritage Life Skills
It is now April, so that means two things: The Masters in Augusta, Georgia and the Heritage Life Skills Event at Carolina Readiness Supply. Each year our good friends at Carolina Readiness Supply host the Heritage Life Skills weekend event. This is a tremendous...
Closed Two In One Day
An unusual thing happened yesterday; we closed two sales in one day. In my 30 years of real estate, I don’t recall ever closing two transactions on the same day. While it was certainly rewarding for everyone involved, it was also stressful leading up to that...
Micro Hydroelectric Power
For those looking to go off-grid or just become less dependent on the power grid, micro hydroelectric power is something to consider if you have the right resource: water. We’ve all seen Hoover Dam and other large hydroelectric projects such as Fontana Dam here...
New Ken Cove Listing
This new Ken Cove listing is a wonderful and yet affordable mountain retreat or bugout property in the greater Asheville, NC area. Well off the beaten path, yet accessible via paved roads, it is totally hidden from view in a very private cove. There is a large...
Container Gardening
For those of you who don’t have an acre or more for a garden, the Garden Patch Grow Box is a must. I purchased some of these last year and was amazed at the results. It takes up very little space, is easy to maintain and produces an incredible amount of...
Asheville
Asheville is effectively the capital of western North Carolina. When people contact me about relocating to western North Carolina, they tend to have at least heard of Asheville, or more often have a good knowledge of it. Most say “We want to be within thirty...
Whistle While You Work
“Whistle while you work” is a good habit to follow when out in the woods. In my business, I do a lot of hiking on large land tracts, often by myself. Therefore, I always carry a few things with me, and one of those is a whistle. If I have an accident, a...
One of the Best
Its nice to be recognized as one of the best among one’s peers. That’s what happened just this week when survival blogger Tara Dodrill included Retreat Realty as the #2 such agency on her nationwide “Best Survival Real Estate Agencies” post on...
New Listing In Burnsville
This new listing in Burnsville has a lot going for it. With 133 acres including over ten acres of rich, flat bottom land and over 1,000′ of high volume creek frontage, it provides ample room for homesteading and prepping. Yet at the same time, it is just five...
Retreat Realty is an affiliate of Keller Williams Professionals of Asheville, NC. Each office is independently owned and operated.