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Maggie Valley Rated #2 on Charming Small Towns!
FLIPKEY by tripadvisor recently did an article titled “12 Charming Small Towns to Escape it All”. Maggie Valley, NC was number two on the list! FLIPKEY stated that Maggie Valley has trickling streams, rugged mountains, a vibrant town center and much more. High-energy mountain adventures or a relaxing stay amidst nature, this town should be on your bucket list. They mentioned hiking trails in the area, wine and dine at local restaurants and breathing the fresh mountain air as benefits. The article did not mention the Cataloochee Ski Area, the Blue Ridge Parkway, historic downtown Waynesville, or Harrah’s Casino in Cherokee as nearby attractions. You can read the article yourself, and read about the other towns in the list, at this website: https://www.flipkey.com/blog/2017/01/07/12-charming-small-towns-escape/
Having lived in this area for the majority of my life, I thoroughly agree with the article. I believe the Maggie Valley and Waynesville areas are among the very best in the state and even the nation. When you’re ready for the “mountain lifestyle”, let us know. We’ll help you find the perfect cabin for your mountain home.
State of Real Estate in our Area
As we transition from 2016 into 2017, I wanted to take a moment to look back on last year, and maybe look ahead a bit at 2017. Sales of residential homes in Haywood County increased about 8.4% in 2016 as compared to 2015. Currently there are 581 homes for sale in the county. Based on 2016 sales of 1022 homes, that represents less than a 7 month supply of homes currently on the market in the county. This is the fewest homes on the market in years. We really need new listings. If you know of anyone wanting to list their homes for sale, please let us know.
Vacant land and lots, however have not recovered as much as residential homes. Sales of vacant land and lots in Haywood County increased about 14% from 139 parcels sold in 2015 to 158 parcels sold in 2016. (These are pretty poor sales numbers.) Currently we have 1089 parcels of land for sale in the county. This represents almost a 7 year supply. That is not good. Buyers are still finding it less expensive to purchase an existing home, rather than buying a lot and building a new home. Hopefully as the inventory of existing homes declines, at some point buyers will be forced to buy vacant land and build a home because they cannot find what they want on the market. Until this happens, land prices are still depressed in this area. The good news, if you are a buyer, is you can get one heck of a bargain on vacant land currently.
By the way, the weatherman says we should get a bit of snow this Friday and Saturday. So, come on up and ski with us.
(Note: all sales figures per NC Mountain MLS.)
Cataloochee Ski Area is Blowing Snow Like Crazzzzzzy!
For all you ski and snowboard fans out there, Cataloochee Ski Area is open and blowing lots of snow. Beginning Saturday, December 17th, night skiing begins and continues each night through the end of the season, except for Christmas Eve. Cataloochee is currently operating on a base of 24 to 44 inches on 9 trails, and open to the top of the mountain. As I am writing this, in the middle of the afternoon, it is 28 degrees in “downtown” Maggie Valley, and 21.9 degrees at the ski area. Needless to say, the snow guns are going full tilt to get as much base down as possible with this great weather for snow-making.
The weather forecast for Cataloochee is a high of 33 degrees on Friday with some late night snow, changing over to a bit of rain on Saturday. Morning showers on Sunday, and cooler again Monday, with a high of 40 degrees on Monday.
So, bottom line, come on up to Maggie Valley, stay awhile, and ski or board awhile. We’ll be watching for you.
Photo Credit and thanks for the lovely night photo of Cataloochee Ski Area goes to Luke Sutton Photo.
Cataloochee Ski Area Opening and News about the Wildfires
Above is a picture from the Base Webcam at the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley. The photo is from the morning of December 1st. As you can see, they have lost some base due to the very welcome rains we had on Tuesday and Wednesday. Snowmaking temperatures are scheduled to return tonight, and the ski area hopes to reopen on Friday, December 2nd. Before the rain, the ski area was open to the top of the Rock Island Quad. Considering the extremely warm weather we’ve had this Fall, the snow magicians at Cataloochee have done a fantastic job to have the area open that far up the mountain.
Many of our customers have called about the wild fires in the area. Luckily, we have not had any fires really close to Maggie Valley or Waynesville. We have had a relatively small fire near Cherokee, and larger fires in Jackson and Macon counties to the south. There was also a very large fire near the Chimney Rock/ Lake Lure area to the east of us. The worst damage from fires has, of course, been in Tennessee. Fires fanned by 80 mile per hour winds on Tuesday evening burned from the Smoky Mountains National Park into Downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. It would seem that the area along Highway 321 North of Gatlinburg toward Cosby had the most damage. The last count I heard was over 700 homes and structures destroyed and 7 lives lost due to the horrific fires. Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors in Eastern Tennessee as they deal with this disaster.
The Super Moon has Come and Gone
This is a photo of the “Super Moon” over Lake Junaluska taken November 14th. The last time the moon was this close to earth was in 1948. The next super moon is November 25, 2034.
The weather has been extremely warm here. Most days are still in the low 60’s. The forecast is for colder temps this weekend with highs in the mid-40’s on Saturday, and around 40 degrees on Sunday. Lows this weekend will be in the mid to low 20’s. Highs next week are in the 50’s according to the weatherman. If you are a part-time resident here, it is definitely time to winterize your home. Some residents leave their heat set on 40 to 50 degrees to avoid frozen pipes, but the only sure way to prevent freeze-ups is to have your home winterized. A good plumber will open an outside faucet at one end of the house and hook an air compressor to another faucet to blow all the water out of the pipes. Also be sure to drain icemaker and dishwasher supply lines. A little RV antifreeze in toilet bowls will keep them from freezing and cracking.
I certainly hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family. If you’re coming to the mountains for Thanksgiving, stop by and see us. We will be closed on Thanksgiving day, but will be here Friday and Saturday.
Still Some Good Fall Color at Lower Elevations
A Foggy Morning in Jonathan Valley, as seen from Utah Mountain
There is still some fall color left at lower elevations. It gets to totally brown as you go to higher elevations, and mostly gone on the highest mountains. The weather has been extremely dry and warm. In my 42 years here, this is the warmest October I can remember. Highs this week are in the 70’s for most of the week, trailing off to the 60’s by this weekend. At least that’s what the weatherman says. Next week is cooler with highs mostly in the 60’s. That is very warm for the second week in November. If this trend continues, I won’t need to have a fire in the fireplace for Thanksgiving. We may have to cook the turkey on the grill and eat out on the deck!
My father, who was born in Grayson County Virginia, remembered taking a horse-drawn wagon across New River on the ice, and later taking both Model T and Model A fords across the river when it was frozen solid. I have only seen the New frozen solid once in my lifetime. I think I was about 14 years old, and there had been lots of snow that winter. In fact in High Point, NC, where I was raised, it snowed every Wednesday in March. We had 2 or 3 feet of snow on the ground through most of March, well into April. We were out of school for so long the state legislature shortened the school year so we wouldn’t have to attend class most of the summer.
Global warming? Short-term weather pattern fluctuations? You be the judge.
Come on up to the mountains, but maybe bring your Bermuda shorts.
Fall Color Report Mid-October
The above photo is from the Blue Ridge Parkway overlooking Graveyard Fields and Yellowstone Prong taken earlier this week. This is close to 5000 ft. elevation. The colors are starting to change, but even at this altitude fall color is still not at its peak. Down in Maggie Valley at about 3000 ft. elevation, the maples, birches, cherries, and a few other trees are starting to turn, but we still have a long way to go before full-color season. I think the peak season at 3000-4000 ft. elevation will be in a couple of weeks. That would make the peak here in Maggie Valley the last week in October. Hurricane Matthew gave us a little bit of much needed rain (about 1 inch at my home), but thankfully, we didn’t get much wind. The color at 5000 ft. to 6000 ft. should be peaking from this weekend until next weekend. That would be a great time to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway. Remember too, the further north you travel on the Parkway, the earlier the color season. Boone usually peaks about 7 to 10 days before we do. The National Park Service has done a great job of opening up the views on many of the Parkway overlooks. There should be many places to pull off the road and take photos, or take a blanket and a picnic to enjoy the cooler Fall air. If you’re on the Parkway, look out for those motorcycles and bicycles! Remember, the Parkway is not an interstate. Take your time and enjoy the ride.
Fall Color Update, and Local October Events
According to exploreasheville.com, Fall color has begun at 5000 ft. and above. We have had some cooler temps this week (in the 40’s the last two mornings) which should help bring out the colors. Poplar, birch, and magnolia are starting to turn at the higher elevations, with sourwood and maples following close behind. I believe we are still at least 2 to 3 weeks away from peak color here in Maggie Valley. Craggy Gardens, north of Asheville on the Parkway is showing some color with the Mountain Ashe which is loaded with red berries right now. Sometimes you will see the Mountain Ash trees with broken limbs where the black bears have climbed into the tree to consume the berries. (There was a nice-sized bear in my front yard a few weeks ago eating wild cherries that had fallen on the ground.)
For a nice road trip tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 1st) head south of Waynesville on Hwy 276 toward Brevard. In the Pisgah National Forest you will pass the Cradle of Forestry. Fall Festival Day is tomorrow. Exhibitors, craftsmen, and forestry students usually have a really nice Fall Festival. There is a small admission charge.
In Waynesville, Friday, October 7th is Art After Dark until 9 PM. Several art studios and galleries will be open that evening showcasing local arts and offering refreshments to visitors. There is usually street music also. If you haven’t been, it’s a really nice evening. Saturday, October 8th is the 33rd Annual Church Street Art & Craft Show. (Don’t be fooled by the title; it’s actually held on Main Street in Waynesville.) The following weekend, Saturday, October 15th is the Apple Harvest Festival in Waynesville. This is always a well-attended event in Downtown Waynesville.
Here in Maggie Valley, tomorrow, Saturday, October 1st is the 43rd Annual Fall Regional Shelby/ Mustang & Ford Meet. All you “Blue Oval” fans will not want to miss that. On October 15th and 16th is the Maggie Valley Arts and Crafts Show at the Festival Grounds. This show usually has lots of unique exhibitors.
Fall Color Season is Coming!
It is now the middle of September, and already a few trees are turning at the highest elevations. Peak color at our elevation here in Maggie Valley usually occurs about the third week of October. However, fall color is dependent on elevation. The peaks at 6000 feet and above will start to turn toward the end of September. The color season then meanders down the mountains to the valleys. Even Asheville, although it is only 850 feet lower in elevation than Maggie Valley, the peak color will usually occur about one week after our peak here in Maggie Valley.
WLOS-TV in Asheville quotes Beverly Collins, the new fall foliage forecaster for Western Carolina University, as saying “If our warmer-than-normal weather continues into fall, the colors will be later, more subdued and spottier.” She went on to say however that if the drier than normal weather pattern persisted, and fall weather brings cooler days and colder nights, the drier than normal pattern could produce bright fall colors. Some long-range forecasters are predicting a cold snap around the middle of October. That would be very good for producing colorful leaves.
So there you have it. The colors may be more subdued, or they may be more brilliant than normal. So the expert opinion is maybe yes, maybe no. There is only one way to be absolutely sure of the colors— come on up and see them for yourselves!
The Great Medical Facilities in WNC- Part 2
The above is a photo of the Owen Heart Center at Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC. This state-of-the-art 5 story building is actually heart-shaped. How cool is that? On my last blog post my wife was scheduled to have coronary bypass surgery on the 10th of August. I am pleased to report the surgery went well. She was in intensive care for 4 days, and in progressive care for 3 days. She has now been home for 2 weeks. I cannot say enough about the excellent care she was given while in the heart center. Her surgeon, Dr. Ely of Asheville Heart, was excellent. Her care, both in ICU and in progressive care was top-notch. I have never been so impressed with a hospital and the staff caring for Barbara. She is now in post-op care. In post-op care she goes back for blood work and visits to determine exactly what drugs, and what dosage is best for her. In 9 days she will begin heart rehabilitation at Haywood Regional Fitness and Rehab Center here in Waynesville. This program consists of 3 months of exercise and rehab specifically designed for recovering coronary bypass patients.
In my last post I reported that Owen Heart Center was in the top 100 in the country. It is actually in the top 50! We are so fortunate to have such wonderful facilities here in our beautiful mountains. Many of our clients and friends are retirees. Naturally they are concerned with health care availability in our area. I can say without a doubt that state-of-the-art health care is alive and well in Western North Carolina.
