Hot Springs, NC

There is challenge enough keeping up with the house you live in, but what about the house you or your family might have grown up in? Sometimes when I travel the roads of Western North Carolina and I see something like this “House on the Hill” on US 209 on the way to Hot Springs, I have to wonder about the story behind it. Don’t you wonder if maybe someone inherited the property and didn’t have the funds to either fix it up or tear it down? Or maybe it wasn't in their heart to tear it down. From a distance, it doesn't appear dangerous and maybe they've at least stabilized it from further decay.

This beautiful homestead was someone’s pride and joy. I can just imagine the sense of accomplishment the owners felt whenever they approached the house or entertained visitors. It seems to be a large step above some of the other farmhouses in the area. This one has quite the flair of style about it.

Since I’ll never know the history behind the “House on the Hill”, guess I’ll just have fun imagining it.

Well, like a lot of ActiveRainers I was up too late last night searching for a replacement to Picnik. So far, none compare to the ease of use nor features. It wouldn’t surprise me though if an enterprising group of techies decide to fill the void that will be left when the ants finish demolishing the Picnik site. In the meantime, I'll make good use of the site while I still can.

The major things that are missing from the other sites (if any of the masters of the sites are reading this) are the photo license stickers and the incredible array of frames. Lots of the other sites also seem to need to be downloaded to the computer. If I’m going to download to the computer, I’d just as soon purchase software from a known and reputable company.

On a happier note…the very cool Victorian house in Hot Springs, NC with the awesome Spring Creek running along its shores…finally closed last week. The buyer seems delighted and has already exposed the brick chimney in the kitchen and discovered the original wood floors beneath the really ugly terracotta tile. I can’t wait until he and his wife get located here so I can see them more often and watch the progress on rebirthing this home.

While I still can, I created a small collage of a few of the Spring Creek photos I took last month. I’ll enjoy all the features of Picnik for as long as I can and continue to search for its replacement.

We may not like it but we always need to be prepared to expect the unexpected. In real estate we should know that the unexpected can crop up at any point in a relationship or transaction and the only thing that makes sense is to dust off quickly, glean whatever lessons can be learned, improve your performance and move on to take care of the other folks you've been juggling at the same time. 

A bad investment for your client is also bad for you. If you're lucky that the endeavor was sincere but unexpected components cropped up, all you and your client can do is put a higher value on those components and avoid them the next time.

Oh yeah, and...Realtor, tighten your belt.

Ian Anderson, leader of Jethro Tull was always an “expect the unexpected” performer. Peel back the layers of many of the musicians of the 60s and 70s and it shouldn’t be any surprise how extraordinary their talent was nor the breadth of their abilities.

Let’s make this a good week.

Not So Speechless Sundae - Some More Thoughts from Hot Springs, NC

It’s a very small world sometimes. I had dinner with a friend who bought her house through us last year. One of her guests lives in Charlotte but travels frequently in Western North Carolina. The topic of Hot Springs, NC came up and turns out he was very familiar with the Victorian house we recently put under contract. - friends of his had tried to purchase the house at one time! This body of water that I've been so fascinated with the last week, Spring Creek, seems to be a real connection point with so many people.

I have never seen a river that I could not love. Moving water…has a fascinating vitality. It has power and grace and associations. It has a thousand colors and a thousand shapes, yet it follows laws so definite that the tiniest streamlet is an exact replica of a great river." - Roderick Haig-Brown

We let a river shower its banks with a spirit that invades the people living there, and we protect that river, knowing that without its blessings the people have no source of soul. - Thomas Moore

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong. - Lao-Tzu (600 B.C.)