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It’s about to get a lot harder to rent a place if you’re visiting the Asheville area. At least if you’re not renting a traditional hotel room. Short-term rentals, made popular by websites such as Airbnb and VRBO.com, are when homeowners lease their houses for a brief period, such as one night, a week or even a month. But now, the profitable but scattered short-term rental industry is facing increased scrutiny from Asheville and nearby towns. Fines and new rules are being written and passed. In one case, homeowners violating rules could be fined up to $500 a night. Supporters of the new rules say they want to stop out-of-state property owners from buying up homes and jacking up already high housing costs. “There is an incredible amount of demand for short-term rentals in Asheville,” said Vice Mayor Marc Hunt. Proponents of the booming business, meanwhile, say many who rent out homes are locals who depend on the income in an area lacking good-paying jobs. Traditional hotels are easy to spot. Then there are bed-and-breakfasts, where guests stay in a house, renting rooms like in a hotel but often sharing common spaces, such as living rooms, and also eating meals together provided by the owner. Both of those lodging types are regulated by health and safety rules and often pay special taxes, such as Buncombe County’s 4-cent occupancy tax, on top of the standard 7-cent sales tax. Short-term rentals are commonly defined as entire homes or dwelling units, such as condominiums or basement apartments rented for brief periods of time. In some places, such as Asheville, the time period is less than 30 days. In other places, it’s anything less than 90 days. At least one short-term rental listing company, Airbnb, has started paying Buncombe’s occupancy tax. Homestays are different. They are when a person rents out a room or part of a home while the main resident stays there. Asheville, Biltmore Forest and Woodfin are all in the process of making rule changes to homestays and short-term rentals. Stay tuned for an ever increasing demand and surly to warrant more regulation.
The North Carolina Apple Festival is held annually over Labor Day Weekend in Hendersonville, North Carolina. It has been Western North Carolina’s Premier Family Festival for over 60 years. From September 2-September 5, 2016 you can enjoy 4 days of fun including one of the most well known Street Fairs in the Carolinas with freshly picked apples, arts & crafts, festival food, and free entertainment at the Historic Courthouse on Hendersonville’s Historic Main Street. We live on the East side of town amongst the apple orchards and cattle farms, to us, it’s God’s Country. There are dozens of restaurants, stores, gift shops and so much more to experience in Hendersonville during the Apple Festival but, here is the one item you cannot miss. The Circle L Farm will set up a small cooking station on Main St. typically right across the street from the old court house. The Laughter’s will put out the best fried apple pies you have ever tasted. Find the ice cream guy and go a la mode. There is so much to do and so much food and shopping and other fair activities but, don’t miss the fried pies. Also, head east on 64 towards Lake Lure, there are several Apple Houses to experience. Most have baked goods now, a few years ago they did not. Try the bread at Grandads’s or the donuts. Or an Apple slushy at Coston’s. It never ends. The fall in the mountains is incredible, the harvest and the Apple Festival make it the best place to live.
According to USA Today, “Retirees want relatively low cost of living and housing, a favorable tax situation, a low crime rate, an active downtown, great medical facilities and, more than ever, a range of activities that can keep them fit and healthy,” says Annette Fuller, managing editor of Where to Retire magazine. “Big cities still attract, such as Austin and Santa Fe, but the little guys – such as Mountain Home, Ark.; Natchez, Miss.; and Port Townsend, Wash. – have many relocated retirees who proudly boast of their new home and delight in finding an off-the-beaten-path location.” USA Today ranked Hendersonville, N.C. #1. Most people know Asheville, N.C., in the Western Mountains of the state. But, according to Terri King, CEO of Coldwell Banker King in Asheville, people are discovering the outlying areas. Twenty-five minutes south of Asheville is Hendersonville (pop. 13,000) which has many of the qualities sought by Baby Boomers, King says. She calls the city a “remarkably friendly yet sophisticated social experience.” Among the attributes, a 72-piece orchestra. It is also home to the official state theater, the Flat Rock Playhouse. And it’s 25 miles from Mission Hospital, which was ranked in the top 15 health care systems in 2013 by Thomson Reuters. “It has easy walking, waterfalls and a national forest,” King says. “And you are two to three hours from cities like Atlanta and Charlotte”. “It’s very conducive to a retired individual,” she says. “For Baby Boomers, it has a mild, four-season climate. People retirement age are done with the extremes in life.” Steve Wike, 64, publisher of BlueRidgeTravelGuide.com, and his wife, Mickie, moved to Hendersonville in 2010. “There is everything imaginable to do here,” he says. “I wouldn’t trade it. I love it here.” “There are over 200 waterfalls in Western North Carolina,” Wike says, and you can hike to almost all of them.” And, of course, there’s golf. The golf is amazing, once you have played a Mountain Course, playing in Florida has lost its allure.
“Property management is the art of effectively managing an asset for an investor”. The two most important things that investors are looking for in a property management firm are someone to take over the responsibilities that consume so much of their time, and the ability to deliver quality tenants. We are uniquely qualified to provide both of those, as well as many additional services, so that our clients receive the maximum return on their investment.” Those services begin with a property visit and consultation. We ensure that the property is in compliance with rental regulations and establish competitive rates. Our comprehensive marketing services include home preparation and photography, and extensive web, print, and television advertising. We act as a liaison between landlord and tenant, beginning with an online application process, thoroughly screening for credit, criminal, rent history, and the ability to pay. All potential tenants are presented to the property owners. We take care of lease preparation, negotiations, and renewals. CBK Rentals uses the latest in property-management software with user-friendly online portals for tenants and owners. This gives tenants a convenient way to make online rent payments and contact us regarding maintenance issues. Owners receive direct payments, a monthly statement, and an annual income statement. CBK property management is available throughout Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, Haywood and Polk Counties, and owners can meet with Greg at any of our CBK offices or at the Property. Property management is a service we’ve identified as one that would benefit our clients, but we didn’t want to offer it until we were sure we could do it right. That’s why we’re so excited to welcome Greg Christner as the head of our new property management company. A former Marine and 18-year real estate veteran who managed over 400 homes in his most recent position, Greg has the discipline and experience to provide the one-stop service our clients need. Greg grew up in Dallas, attended Texas A & M University, and started his real estate career under Broker-in-charge Budge Huskey, who is now Coldwell Banker’s CEO. Greg comes to us via Orlando, Florida, where he owned investment property himself, giving him insight into the Owner’s point of view. He and his wife enjoyed vacations in Western North Carolina and relocated here almost 10 years ago with the dream of raising their boys in a small town. “I’m excited to be back with Coldwell Banker, and have the opportunity to offer this new service to our CBK clients,” he said.
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