Could North Carolina be the next Retirement Hot Spot?

The Herald Tribune reported today that Florida is no longer a top destination for retirees. Will North Carolina be the next best place to retire? We think so. In fact, most of the homeowners in the Cashiers/Highlands areas are originally from Florida. If you've been to our area you'll quickly notice the migration once you start talking to the locals.

Read more about why people are relocating to the North Carolina Mountains

Here's the report from the Tribune....

Thirty years ago, if someone was a retiree making a move across state lines, there was better than a one-in-four chance the move would take them into Florida. But that percentage has declined steadily.

Fishkind and Associates, a prominent Orlando economic consulting firm, regularly displays a chart that shows Florida's share of the 65-plus retirees on the move declining by about 20 percent from 2000-2010 to 2020-2030. But as the total U.S. population over 65 swells during those ensuing years, Florida still catches a good ride, says founder Hank Fishkind.

"The pool of potential people who can move goes from 8 million to 16 million, so even if our share comes down by 20 percent, which would be huge, the number of movers who move here would actually increase," he said.

But others have much different takes.
Bill Haas is a sociologist tracking boomers from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. With backing from the Institute for the Future of Retirement, he is slicing and dicing a new data set from the U.S. Census Bureau called the "American Community Survey" that is giving Haas fresh geographic inputs to work with each year.

"The numbers are taking us away from Florida," Haas said, citing steady declines in the state's retiree market share from a 1980 peak. While his full study on the mailbox economy has not yet been published, some of his key findings already have appeared on the Web. They show that Florida, while still the top receiving state for those 60-plus, "continues its downward trajectory," Haas said.

Florida hit a high of 26.3 percent of all movers 60 and older in 1980. In 2000, the number had dropped to 19.1 percent, and then to 16.6 percent in 2006, Haas' posted findings show.
The state's share of the pie got squeezed down to 13.2 percent in 2006, Haas told the Herald-Tribune last week after crunching the numbers.

The theory goes that, after a while, places that have been high-intensity migration sites for retirees, like California in the past and now Florida, lose their attractiveness, Haas said. "That theory would leave us to believe that Florida, which had 25 percent of all older migrants going to it, is becoming less and less attractive."

Emulating the mindset and accent of an interviewee, Haas intones: "'I left New York City and moved to Miami and now both of them are too busy and have too many problems.'"



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Design considerations for Log & Timber Frame Homes

Search for all Timber Frame Homes for Sale in Western North Carolina

Three must-know design considerations for Log & Timber Frame Home Building

Whether you've been waiting a couple of months or a couple of decades to build a log home, you know that size and layout are key to whether your home will live up to your dreams.

Here's what the experts say when it comes to Log Home Design 101:
Be true to your site, your budget, and your lifestyle, and you won't go wrong.
While it's only human to start amassing folders of home designs from magazines and off the internet, it's best to not fall too far in love with a particular design until you have your land.


Some communities have covenants directing the size and height of your house. And a site that's clinging to the side of a mountain with a fantastic view in one direction and a bland roadbank on the other merits a different house than, say, a flat wooded lot with an inviting stream on one side of your building site, a spectacular birch grove on another, and a wildlife trail on the third."


Things to know before you build:
If there is a dramatic view, you want to optimize it at much as possible," says Bridger Mountain Log Homes' Brian Gregoire, noting that rooms that get the most use, such as a great room, dining room, and kitchen, should be designed to take the best advantage of sweeping vistas, while rooms designed for more private functions such as sleeping and reading or watching television might have less access to the panorama outside.
Read more.



To find the perfect lot to build your Dream Mountain Vacation Home
in Western North Carolina Contact us mailto:info@carolinapg.com or call 828-226-8837

North Carolina -Number One State for Relcoation

Every year, United Van Lines generates a press release about their annual migration study. Its a fun read, but hardly scientific. The report measures inbound and outbound relocation in each state. In other words, how many of their clients are moving into or out of a particular state.

A strong mobility pattern continued in 2006 as many Americans packed up their belongings and headed to the West and Southeast parts of the country, while the Central Northeast region of the country experienced an increase in residents departing. The statistics are among the findings of United Van Line’s 30th annual “migration” study that tracks where its customers, over the last 12 months, moved from and the most popular destinations.

United classifies each state in one of three categories -- “high inbound” (55% or more of moves going into a state); “high outbound” (55% or more of moves coming out of a state); or “balanced.” Although the majority of states were in the “balanced” category last year, several showed more substantial population shifts.

MOVING IN
Known for hospitality and gracious style, the Southeast states welcomed many new residents in 2006, with North Carolina coming in as the top destination (64.0% inbound). South Carolina (60.6%) continued its 13-year inbound tradition, while Alabama (57.5%) experienced its fourth year as a high-inbound location. Although Tennessee saw less people move in this year (55.8% in 2006; 58.0% in 2005), it still captured a spot on the high-inbound list.

Outbound leaders
The midwest is struggling with weakening economic conditions from serious problems with the auto industry.
Michigan leads the pack with 66% outbound traffic.
New York is second with 59.5% outbound traffic. Upstate New York is still struggling economically and largely missed the housing boom like the New York City region did.

For more information regarding Relocation to North Carolina, Real Estate, and Lots for sale info@carolinapg.com or call toll free 888-277--2006 x2

Best Places to Build your Retirement Home, North Carolina

Retirees flocking to North Carolina Golf Communities are representative of a growing trend.

The trend of buyers moving first to Florida and then later selling and moving to South Carolina, North Carolina, or Virginia is what they call the "half-back phenomenon." They love the Florida sun, but then they realize they miss the passing of the four seasons, and in the summer they want to escape the heat. So they move half the way back to where they started -- New England, for example -- and end up in the Carolinas."

Life is full of choices. And perhaps at no time is that more evident than when shopping for a home. Buying a vacation or retirement property can be a full-time job if you're not organized. From location to home type to available ammenties and golf -- just to name a few -- the number of variables to consider can be overwhelming.

One of the most popular states for new golf home purchasers is North Carolina. It is fourth in the nation in the number of golf courses associated with real estate (170), and is the No. 4-ranked state in terms of the percentage of golf courses associated with real estate-nearly 30 percent. It offers prospective buyers three distinct geographic regions -- coastal, central/sandhills, and mountains -- and is a microcosm of some trends in the golf course real estate market.

Champion Hills is in the western mountains of North Carolina, in the town of Hendersonville. An elegant mountain community, its Tom Fazio-designed course has received many accolades. Fazio, who resides in Hendersonville, liked it so much that he made it his home club.

A search for the perfect climate has resulted in the purchasing of multiple golf course homes. Aging baby boomers are in their peak spending years. Statistics show that people buy retirement homes where they go on vacation. Boomers have traveled frequently and all over the world. The mobile society is here to stay.

For more information regarding Golf Course Communities, Retirement Communities, Real Estate, and Lots for sale info@carolinapg.com or call
888-277-2006 x2

Cashiers, NC History

The Village Green, a two acre park centrally located in the heart of Cashiers, provides walking paths and a pavilion enjoyed by all that visit. Located at the Village is the Village Play. A fantastic playground, designed by the local youngsters and built with love and pride by the area residents. The Cashiers area is blessed to have many social and cultural happenings on a seasonal and year-round basis.



Western Carolina University, located only a short drive "down the mountain", is noted for its many educational, recreational, and cultural events available to the public.



To please those educationally inclined, Clemson University is only about 36 miles in the other direction. The Albert Carlton Cashiers Community Library is a gift to Cashiers from many of its generous citizens and was completed in 1994. The library offers a variety of services including computerization, childrens programs and a community room for meetings.



Lake Glenville with its 26 miles of shoreline nestled at 3500 feet above sea level is the highest man-made lake of its' size east of the Mississippi River. Sports and recreation abound on the 1,400 acres of impounded water, and fishing is good on the lake and in the many local rivers and streams. Being surrounded by thousands of acres of US Forest Service lands, magnificent vistas and dazzling waterfalls, the mountains around Cashiers provide a perfect setting for all types of outdoor activities.



A system of well developed and maintained mountain trails exist for hikers of every ability. Rafting in the nearby Nantahala, Chatooga and Ocoee Rivers, mountain biking, kayaking and fly fishing are all popular pastimes. Many outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the close proximity to Panthertown. Often called the "Yosemite of the East", Panthertown is well known locally for its remote location, rushing streams and creeks and pure unadulterated isolation.



The township of Cashiers is located in Jackson County in the Southwestern part of North Carolina. The state is divided into distinct regions by terrain. The Piedmont is rolling and fertile, the Coastal Plain is of course flat with sand hills and the world famous Outer Banks where Wilbur and Orville Wright launched the first powered, manned flight at Kitty Hawk. Western North Carolina is known for its' mountains.



The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located about 50 miles north of Cashiers, encompasses over one half million acres and is the most visited National Park in the United States. Visitors in 2000 totaled over 10 million.



The Cashiers area is renowned for its many fine private clubs and summer home communities. Foremost among the golf communities are ones designed by Donald Ross, Arnold Palmer and George Cobb. As a national mecca for golf enthusiasts, Cashiers provides more than 40 miles of golf fairways within a 20 minute drive from the center of town. The Tom Fazio designed Wade Hampton Golf Club is the highest ranked mountain golf course in the world. For the tennis enthusiast, Cedar Creek Racquet Club and Chatooga Club provide excellent tennis facilities and other family oriented amenities. The Chatooga Club is also the site for the World Croquet Championships.


If you are considering moving to the area or just purchasing a second home, you'll want to meet with the local builders. This is an example of the interior of a home built by Koenig Builders. These types of homes are the rage here in the North Carolina Mountains. Rustic, Cabins, Chalet style homes with all the finest touches and details. Koenig Builders have become one of the most recognized and renowned builders in the Highlands - Cashiers area.



For more information regarding Real Estate, Log Home Builders in the Cashiers area and Lots for sale send an email to info@carolinapg.com or call
888-277-2006 x2

Bald Rock and The Divide at Bald Rock-Cashiers, NC

Mountain View Lot from The Divide at Bald Rock

Premium North Carolina Mountain Real Estate -

Bald Rock Equestrian Community

The Divide at Bald Rock is located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Smoky Mountains at the center of the Lake Toxaway, Cashiers and Highland resort areas in Western North Carolina just 2.5 hours north of Atlanta, Ga.

Easily accessible to The Divide mountain properties are the unique communities of Cashiers and Highlands. Both towns offer visitors a variety of dining, lodging, and shopping opportunities. Activities for outdoor enthusiasts included golfing, fly fishing, boating, whitewater rafting, swimming, water skiing, and snow skiing.

The mountain area offers an exceptional opportunity for the golf enthusiast. There are approximately 14 golf courses located in the area, most designed by world-renowned course designers. The Highlands Country Club course was designed by Donald Ross. The Cullasaja Club course was designed by Arnold Palmer; the Wade Hampton Golf Club course was designed by Tom Fazio.

The mountain area is home to an endless supply of lakes and rivers. Lake Glenville is known for being the highest man-made lake on the east coast at an elevation of 3,492 feet. Having more than a dozen species of fish, it offers plenty to challenge the skill of fishermen. It is perfect for boating, and has some of the most coveted shoreline in North Carolina.

Find out more about Lake Glenville

In front of glorious Bald Rock Mountain sits 55-acre Fairfield Lake. Experience the entire lake along its surrounding hiking trail. There is a sandy beach for sunning and swimming, two docks, a boathouse and a boat rental with good fishing. Whitewater rafting will oblige the brave of heart. With this exhilarating sport, as well as for kayaking, the Nantahala River is known to be one of the best in Blue Ridge Mountain area. For the more sedate water activist, the passive French Broad River is a wonderful alternative.

The Divide and Bald Rock-Cashiers, NC

Mountain property ownership at The Divide entitles residents to all the year-round amenities of Sapphire Valley Resort for a nominal fee. Sapphire Valley amenities include indoor/outdoor swimming pools, 18-hole championship mountain golf course, tennis center, exercise facilities, miniature golf, boat rental on 55-acre Lake Fairfield, winter skiing and much more. The Divide’s neighboring mountain community of Bald Rock shares amenities including an equestrian center with acres of lush pastureland, stables and miles of hiking, biking and riding trails which offers access to multiple waterfalls and a rare highland bog.

The Divide community features a covered pavilion for family occasions and community celebrations. This open-air, rustic facility is flanked by two fireplaces and includes a full-service kitchen.

Adjacent to The Divide lays the magnificent Panthertown Valley. Owned by the U.S. Forest Service, this remarkable 6,700-acre preserve nicknamed the “Yosemite of the East” must be experienced to be appreciated. Meandering streams and intricate waterfall systems make Panthertown Valley a haven for horseback riders, hikers, riders, and nature lovers.

For more information on Bald Rock, The Divide at Bald Rock and other Westmark Developments


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Why people are investing in North Carolina

HAVENS Highlands and Cashiers, N.C.; On the Blue Ridge, Twin Towns Draw a Younger Crowd
By DENISE KIERNAN

HIGHWAY 64 rises on the one-hour drive from Asheville, N.C., to the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As it climbs, the cool mountain air and the wide expanse of sky offer a sense of refuge for those arriving from hot, sticky cities like Atlanta and Charleston.


That sense of refuge has drawn Southerners to homes in the twin towns of Highlands and Cashiers for well over a century. But now, with more and more part-time residents staying beyond the summer and a younger, more active set of homeowners over all, it may no longer be true to say that Highlands-Cashiers is one of the best-kept second-home secrets in the nation.


Once, the towns' trademark feature was their several golf communities for retirees, said Ann McKee Austin, a local real estate agent. But now, she said, you're likelier to see ''the S.U.V. with the Labrador in the back and the kayak on top.'' Or, as Cathy Garren, another real estate agent, put it: ''It used to be retirees from Florida. Now it's working people from Atlanta.''


They come for the mild weather and for the lush forests and waterfalls set amid stunning mountain silhouettes. But despite the climate and the setting, relative distance from big cities has helped to keep real estate prices from skyrocketing; local agents say that in the last five years, prices have increased from 12 to 20 percent. ''This is not a boom or bust area, where you have windfall years and then slack years,'' Ms. Austin said. ''It's consistent and steady. We like it that way. It's not some kind of new, made-up town on the coast of Florida.''


The Scene
Highlands and Cashiers (pronounced CASH-ers) are equally affluent fraternal twins, nestled in the midst of the Nantahala National Forest. The area has been used as a summer retreat since the mid-1800's, when wealthy families from the Low Country of South Carolina began putting up summer cottages and modest Greek Revival houses there. The town of Highlands was founded in 1875 by Kansas developers who, the story goes, drew two lines on a map, one from Chicago to Savannah, the other from New York City to New Orleans, believing that the intersection would be ideal for trade.

Today, if there is a difference between the two towns, it is that Cashiers is a little bit country, Highlands a little bit country club. Highlands, fittingly, is also higher, at an elevation of 4,113 feet to Cashiers's 3,500 feet. New homes in both towns tend to be large houses located either in gated communities or on estate lots of five acres or more.

Highlands has a proper Main Street, which draws strolling day-trippers in khakis and polo shirts. But both towns offer plenty of boutique shopping and local crafts. For activities, there's a lot to do, from pampering to playing in the rugged outdoors. You can indulge in a massage at the spa of the Old Edwards Inn on Main Street in Highlands or play croquet on the lawn of the Chattooga Club in Cashiers. Or you can climb the sheer face of Whiteside Mountain, hike to the 411-foot-tall Whitewater Falls or fish on Lake Glenville.

Mike Hays, who owns an insurance agency in Sarasota, Fla., lived between the two towns for five years and is buying a new home in Cashiers. ''I like living in Cashiers and going to Highlands,'' said Mr. Hays, a 36-year-old father of two young children. ''We've got a mountain double-jog-stroller, and we take the kids hiking with us. We go out for ice cream, We play in the yard. We're at home.'' Mr. Hays's family comes back to the area in the fall for the colors and at Thanksgiving.

Sue Gail, originally from England, lives most of the year in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and found herself at Highlands Falls Country Club in 2001, after her husband, a developer, began working on projects in the area. Ms. Gail, 60, started the Highlands Film Festival, which just completed its second year. She and her husband spend several months in Highlands in the summer; she says many residents she knows are spending more and more time there. ''It's beautiful,'' she said. ''People are so wonderful up here. It's a rejuvenating getaway.''


Pros
Property taxes vary but are relatively low (an example: $1,485 a year for 6.94 acres). Views are long, summers are mild and breezy, and fall features a mind-boggling palette of colors.


There are many golf courses of distinction in the area. Bobby Jones spent several summers at the Highlands Country Club, and he still holds the course record. The Wade Hampton Club, designed by a golf course guru and area resident, Tom Fazio, was ranked 17th in the United States by Golf Digest in 2005.

Outdoor Magazine ranked Cashiers one of America's ''top dream towns'' in 2004.
If exerting yourself is not a priority, there are plenty of shops and restaurants in both towns, or you can hop into your car and go for a scenic drive.


Cons
Anything that travels to the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau takes the same twisting drive, and getting stuck behind a land-yacht can add time and nausea to your trip.
Unincorporated Cashiers is dry, though brown-bagging is permitted practically everywhere. Alcohol can be bought in Highlands, which is incorporated, but laws there are complicated (some restaurants can serve wine, but not beer). Nevertheless, many club communities have stocked bars and restaurants, and private restaurant clubs (membership fees range from a dollar a year to more than $100) have full permits.

Some of the restaurants and shops shut down during the winter, and even in summer, things close early. ''We do have some great restaurants,'' said Debi Dickson, an Atlanta resident who spends four months a year in Highlands. ''Just don't expect to eat at them at 10 p.m.''


The Real Estate Market
Expect to spend at least $700,000 to buy into one of the high-end, full-amenity gated communities. (Many of the club amenities in those communities close in the winter.) Houses at that price will probably not include a view or a fancy kitchen. At about $900,000, you can begin to have a house with everything: views, granite countertops, extensive decks, three bedrooms, an acre of land. Styles vary, but variations on Adirondack, Shingle-style and English cottage are popular.

Bargains can still be found in some of the smaller, older cottages in the woods, especially if you're willing to be 10 to 15 miles outside town. With some searching, you can perhaps find a little bungalow, a ranch or an A-frame in the $200,000-to-$400,000 range with two or three bedrooms, depending on the condition and age of the home.

It's not unusual for a house to stay on the market for six months because of the seasonal nature of home sales. Ms. Austin recently sold a three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath, 1,962-square-foot Shingle-style house on 3.47 acres in the Chattooga Club. It had another 1,069 square feet in porches and decks, views and included many antiques. It was listed at $2,295,000 and sold 35 days later for $2,245,000.

Ms. Garren recently sold a 30-year-old three-bedroom, three-bath house on .81 acres in a subdivision for $440,000. It was on the market for 64 days.

There is a good deal of new high-end development in the area, more than 3,000 acres in and around Cashiers alone. But agents suspect that the out-of-the-way location of Highlands-Cashiers, although attractive, keeps prices and development from spiraling out of control.

''We don't want the fudge factories, the T-shirt shops and water slides,'' Ms. Austin said.


LAY OF THE LAND POPULATION -- The Highlands area has about 3,000 year-round residents and about 20,000 in season. The area around Cashiers has 1,700 year-round residents and about 10,000 in season.


LOCATION -- Western North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains, roughly 80 miles southwest of Asheville.


WHO'S BUYING -- Retirees with a love of golf who park themselves there for the summer and wealthy pre-retirees from nearby Atlanta who use their homes throughout the year. Still a favorite of Southerners, but Midwesterners are starting to stop in.


GETTING THERE -- Asheville's airport is the closest at about 60 miles, roughly an hour and a half drive. The Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is a two-hour drive away in South Carolina. Atlanta is a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.

WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING -- The Old Edwards Inn and Spa (445 Main Street, 866-526-8008) on Main Street in Highlands offers Swedish massage packages, upscale shops and fine dining in Madison's Restaurant and Wine Garden. Its 30 rooms, suites and cottages start at $235.


For questions pertaining to the Cashiers/Highlands Real Estate market contact The Carolina Plateau Group info@carolinapg.com or call toll-free 888-277-2006 x2