Western North Carolina Real Estate

Tour de Falls of DuPont Forest for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is just over a week away. If you're not sure what to do to show your mom, grandmother or wife how amazing you think she is, show her the beauty of Western North Carolina by taking her on a Tour de Falls of DuPont Forest for Mother's Day. Throughout the entire weekend (May 12th & 13th), 12 mile long tours of Bridal Veil Falls, High Falls, Lake Julia and Triple Falls will be available via shuttle bus every half hour beginning at 9am and continuing through 2:30pm.

For a small donation of $12 for adults (ages 18+) and $6 for kids (ages 6-17), you can embark on a tour of some of the most breathtaking natural sights in all of Western North Carolina. Just park your car near the High Falls parking area (1300 Staton Rd, Cedar Mountain). Follow the Tour de Falls signs for your shuttle pick up. You are allowed to take as much time as you like. Typically, the tour will take approximately three hours to complete. Volunteers will be aboard every shuttle as well as at every stop to give historical information as well as fun facts about each area you visit. There will be no food for sale on the tour, so please feel free to bring a nice picnic lunch, water and/or snacks from home. Both High Falls and Triple Falls will be nice places to have covered areas with tables for your Mother's Day brunch. While the lodge at Lake Julia does provide some light refreshments, it is the last stop of the tour.

Donations are accepted in cash or check form. But leave the credit cards at home, since there is no way to process them on the shuttle. None of the buses are handicap-accessible (sorry) and pets will not be allowed access to the bus. Show the beautiful mom in your life that you think she's just as amazing as the natural beauty found in Western North Carolina by taking her on a Tour de Falls of DuPont Forest for Mother's Day.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Western North Carolina real estate blog here: http://rich-cooke.com/2012/05/03/tour-de-falls-of-dupont-forest-for-mothers-day/.

Earth Stewardship Day in Hendersonville

The Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO) will be holding its annual Earth Stewardship Day in Hendersonville on Saturday, April 28, 2012. ECO held past Earth Stewardship Days at the Blue Ridge Community College. However, this year, they are doing something a little different. Instead of hosting one family and eco-friendly event, they have decided to be a bit more ambitious by holding several different ecologically minded projects around the City of Hendersonville throughout the day.

The ECO believes that the community that works together, thrives together. Some of the projects for Earth Stewardship Day in Hendersonville include:

7th Ave Community Organic Garden - building orchards and community gardens
Boylston Creek - planting grass and pollinator patches along the buffer
Fletcher Park - removing weeds and invasive plant species
Girl Scout Hut - building orchards and community gardens
Holmes Education Forest - trail maintenance
Jackson Park - building orchards and community gardens
Lewis Creek (Edneyville) - removing a beaver dam
Sullivan Park - stream bank restoration

ECO has partnered with several local organizations to make these projects happen. The public is welcome to join in. Work on all projects will take place from 9am to 1:30pm. Afterwards, all Hendersonville area participants are welcome to attend the celebratory picnic being held at the Blue Ridge Community College. Enjoy musical accompaniment while chowing down on a picnic feast. If the day gets rained out, Earth Stewardship Day in Hendersonville will be postponed until the following Saturday (May 5, 2012). If you are interested in participating, please call ECO at 828-692-0385 or visit their website.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Western North Carolina real estate blog here: http://rich-cooke.com/2012/04/19/earth-stewardship-day-in-hendersonville/.

Henderson County's Giant Yard Sale

Spring is in the air. It's time to open the windows, let the sunshine in and get to work on your spring cleaning. Do you have extra stuff just laying around your Hendersonville home that you have no use for? How about selling it at one of the biggest yard sales in the county? On Saturday, May 12, 2012, the Henderson County Department of Social Services will be holding its annual yard sale fundraiser event. From 8am to 12pm, the parking lot of the Henderson County Health Department Building (located at 1200 Spartanburg Hwy, Hendersonville) will play host to the Henderson County Giant Yard Sale and Car Seat Check. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Henderson County Foster Parent Association.

If you are interested in bringing your "stuff" to the Henderson County Giant Yard Sale, all you will need to do is make a minimum $10 donation (more would be greatly appreciated, but everything helps) and bring your own table. You will be responsible for set up and tear down of your own area. For more information, call 828-694-6252 or email families4kids@hendersoncountydss.org. Because April showers sometimes spill over into May, the yard sale will be postponed to the following weekend (May 19, 2012) if the heavens decide to part and dump rain on the morning of May 12th.

The Henderson County Foster Parent Association is a local non-profit organization whose main goal is to help strengthen the foster child/family bond through education, communication, support, advocacy and public awareness. They also provide a communication network that allows foster families to find community resources to help them with their particular needs, including medical care and developmental resources. In addition to raising funds for the special training required to educate foster parents on the role they play in their foster child's life, they help promote the benefits of foster parenting to the general public.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Western North Carolina real estate blog here: http://rich-cooke.com/2012/04/12/henderson-countys-giant-yard-sale/.

Asheville Easter Egg Hunt

This Sunday, April 8th, is Easter Sunday. But the Easter Bunny will be visiting the Hendersonville area early. From 12pm to 2pm on Saturday, April 7, 2012, the Henderson County Parks and Recreation Department will be sponsoring the Asheville Easter Egg Hunt at Jackson Park. In addition to the regular, colored Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny has hidden special prize eggs, candies and grand prize eggs for each age group. There will be plenty of music, food, inflatable fun for the kiddies and, of course, the big man himself...the Easter Bunny. And it's all free to the public.

The egg hunts will be divided up by ages. Egg hunting times are as follows:

12:30pm: Walkers to 2 years old
12:45pm: 3-4 year olds
1:00pm: 5-6 year olds
1:15pm: 7-8 year olds
1:30pm: 9-10 year olds
1:45pm: Special populations

Bring the family to Jackson Park this Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 12pm to 2pm for the Asheville Easter Egg Hunt. It won't cost you a thing for your children to have a great time hunting for Easter treasures while visiting with the Easter Bunny. Henderson County residents know how to have fun any time of the year.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Hendersonville real estate blog here: http://rich-cooke.com/2012/04/05/asheville-easter-egg-hunt/.

Debt Forgiveness and Its Impact on You

If you sold your Hendersonville home via a short sale, you are probably aware of the term "debt forgiveness". This is when a lender "forgives" a portion of what you owe on your home so you can sell it for less. While the lender may "forgive" this debt, Uncle Sam does not. In terms of taxes, any amount you would have owed but the bank decided not to collect on may be considered taxable income. Since taxes are due soon (this year's deadline is Tuesday, April 17, 2012), I thought it would be important to discuss debt forgiveness and its impact on you, the taxpayer.

As I said before, in general, forgiven debt is considered taxable income by the government. In essence, you were given a certain amount of money when you signed your loan to begin with. So, when the bank decides to forgive a portion of the debt, it is like they gave you a credit. This is considered income and must, therefore, be taxed. However, until the end of this year (December 31, 2012), a homeowner doesn't have to pay taxes on the forgiven mortgage debt as long as the debt was from a principal residence and the amount forgiven didn't exceed the original loan amount plus improvements.

This law also applies to foreclosures as well as a loan modification that includes a reduction in your Hendersonville home's principal balance. The loan modification provision only applies if you are currently using the home in question as your permanent residence. The non-taxable mortgage debt relief also only applies to the original loan amount. It does not typically apply to second mortgages or home equity lines of credit that are not used for improvements on your home.

When a portion of a mortgage debt is forgiven, the bank will send out a 1099 to both the Hendersonville homeowner and the IRS that shows the amount forgiven. You must then file a Form 982 to explain what the debt was forgiven for and why you shouldn't have to pay taxes on it. Whatever is taxable should then be filed on your 1040. Talk to your tax adviser/preparer about this. They should be able to answer any questions you have.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Hendersonville real estate blog here: http://rich-cooke.com/2012/03/22/debt-forgiveness-and-its-impact-on-you/.

Volunteers Wanted for Hendersonville Board of Adjustment

The Hendersonville City Council needs a citizen volunteer for its Hendersonville Board of Adjustment. The City believes that the best way to make living in the community better for everyone is to have its residents be an integral part of its daily operations. Volunteering for one of its boards and commissions is probably the best way you can do this. As part of the Hendersonville Board of Adjustment, some of your duties will involve:

Listening to and deciding on appeals from administrative officials regarding enforcement of the Zoning or Subdivision Ordinances as well as reviewing orders, requirements, decisions and determinations brought to the Board by an administrative official.
Listening to and deciding on Zoning Ordinance variance requests.
Interpreting the Official Zoning map and passing along any questions regarding disputes of lot lines or district boundaries to Zoning Ordinance administrators.
Reviewing and issuing conditional use permits in regards to Zoning Ordinance rules and regulations.
Entering (at a reasonable time) and examining private property to survey said property as it pertains to the official duties of the Board.
Making requests for public hearings by the Board on any matter under the Board's jurisdiction when needed.

Members of the Hendersonville Board of Adjustment meet at the Operations Center (305 Williams Street) at 1:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month to discuss matters brought before the Board. Currently, the Board has one vacant alternate position available for a a Hendersonville resident. If you're interested in applying for the position, please fill out an application and hand it in to the Hendersonville City Hall.

Being a volunteer on a city board or commission enables you to help create a better living environment for the community. Follow your passion and find a board that fits, whether it be the Hendersonville Board of Adjustment or another city commission. The City always welcomes input from its residents to make living in Hendersonville even that much better.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Originally published on my Western North Carolina real estate blog here: http://rich-cooke.com/2012/03/08/volunteers-wanted-for-hendersonville-board-of-adjustment/.