Winter-best time to buy!

I 've been saying that everyone enjoys the budding trees in spring and the warm months in summer but winter is the best time to look at Real Estate. Below was written by a company that we partner with to expose our Mountian, Lake and Golf community . I believe it hits on all the positive reasons why now is the best time to buy Mountain Real Estate.

Shelly Fisher-Property Specialist

Lake Burton Club

www.lakeburtonclub.com

Looking for Second Home Property in the Winter

December 1st 2010

by Michael Posey

One of the common misconceptions that folks have who may be looking for a second home/vacation home/retirement home in the mountains is that the spring and autumn seasons are the best times to look for properties. Though it is certainly true that mountain properties may be the most beautiful to view at those times, the truth is that the winter months offer the very best opportunity to ascertain the most important characterisitcs of a mountain home site. November 15th to March 15th, the seasonal span when deciduous trees remain predominately defoliated, is the best time to really assess properties for what matters most, topography and views. Topography, both within the home site itself and the topography immediately adjacent to and surrounding it, affects so many aspects of the design of the desired home on a given home site including: 1) foundation type, 2)orientation of the home, 3) privacy, 4) driveway access, 5) tree removal, 6) exposure to sunlight, 7) retention walls, 8) drain field and well locations. That said, it is fair to say that the topographic characteristics of the home site will dictate many of the final design elements of the home. Here's why:

1. Foundation type: slab-on-grade? shallow crawl space? deep crawl space? partial basement? full basement? pedestal foundation? Unless you want to bear the cost of inordinate earthwork expenses, you'll let the existing topography define the most appropriate foundation. Oftentimes, the winter months will allow you to locate the perfect portion of the topography of a given lot to place the home in order to have the desired foundation type.

2. Orientation of the home: You probably picked this lot, in part, because of its view, perhaps its long range, layered view of a wide arc of Blue Ridge mountian peaks and Smoky Mountain ranges. You need to decide what are the most important rooms to orient towards these views and where should the majority of the exterior deck space be to take full advantage of the views. Give these primary view spaces considerable weight in the design of the home. Again, the optimal views from the home site are the easiest to observe in the wintertime.

3. Privacy: If you are buying within a community of master planned, platted home sites, chances are, you will have some neighbors within view. A summertime tour will give you a great indication of the privacy you might enjoy during that time of the year but the winter months will reveal the other extreme, that is, any lack of privacy you may have between fall and spring. The topography of the lot can have a significant impact on that privacy. Rising (or falling) elevations, ridgelines, rock outcroppings and tree densities (even without leaves) can all do wonders to ensure the privacy that most buyers covet in their dream homes.

4. Driveway access: Do you want the driveway to access the house from above? Probably, because that's where the entry foyer is as well as the secondary entrance thru the mudroom to the kitchen. But that's the longest route and the slope is pretty steep above the house; and there are some great grantite outcroppings along that path that you don't want to disturb. Do you want the driveway to be below the house potentially between you and your view? Probably not, but maybe that's the least expensive place to put it and the slope is gentler there. You see the difficulties and the competing goals here? Topography has a great impact on final design because it has everything to do with the flow in and out of the home. You can best understand that topography when you can clearly see it, in the winter.

5. Tree Removal: I don't know anyone who truly wants to remove a beautiful, old-growth hardwood. Many home site buyers will agonize over tree removal decisions that are prompted by the location of the home, the location of the driveway, the location of the septic field and the desire for views. All of these decisions - dilemmas as to optimal locations on the one hand vs the removal of valuable native habitat on the other - can all be addressed through proper understanding of the topography and how to balance the competing interests. That analysis is best acomplished from mid-November to mid-March.

6. Exposure to sunlight: Do you want a garden in the backyard? Do you want to sit on your back porch and view the Sunset each night? Do you want to get a tan on the back porch during the summer months? Do you want to the sun to warm the house in the wintertime? All such questions, when considering the design of your home, are partially dictated by the topography of the home site and the topography of the surrounding land.

7. Retention Walls: Some of the most aesthetically pleasing site "hardscaping" that one can do in the mountains is to create retention walls using boulders and heavy rock, particularly if they can be found in abundance right on the property. Such walls serve the dual purpose of retaining earth that would otherwise erode over time as well as creating a very attractive site element that if done correctly, can appear almost as though it occurred naturally. The topography of the land which is in close proximity to the home and/or the driveway will dictate whether a boulder wall might be necessary to retain the immediatley adjacent earth.

In summary, if you have an interest in acquiring a home site in the North Georgia Mountains , I strongly recommend that you visit those potential communities in which you have an interest during the winter months. If you are from the "flat-lands" - Florida, Texas, the coast, the midwest, etc. - you are starting off at a distinct disadvantage by not having the experience and familiarity with the topography here to know how it can impact virtually every aspect of the design of your dream home. Be smart, ask lots of questions and if you can, try to meet on the home site of your choice with the developer, architect, builder and site contractor prior to making a final decision.

To learn more about retirement, vacation and second home properties in Western North Carolina call one of our community advisors at Private Mountain Communities at 888-517-3322.

Private Mountain Communities offers a real estate advisory service and cost free buyers resource center that showcases Georgia and West Carolina communities and real estate offerings. You can visit us at our Discovery Showroom, the regions most comprehensive preview center located in the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville NC or log onto our website and search for properties that are a match for you using our online Community Finder Lifestyle Survey