Isaac Allen, REALTOR, Brevard, NC area Specialist.

Here is the trend in a nutshell as reported by the WNC MLS of which I am a menber.

• Homes proced at $200,000 - $249,999 represent the largest sector of the housing market at 18.82%
• 186 Of these homes have sold this year, 67 in March 2008.
• 356 homes sold in March compared to 580 last year, a decrease of 39%
• Current homes sold year to date in Western North Carolina is 979, compared to 1,491 last year at the end of March. That equals a decrease of only 34%.

The trend would indicate that April will be a good month fo buyers an sellers in Brevard, North Carolina and surrounding areas.

The stats are in for March. This March the residential sales for the Western North Carolina region are down a full 30%. This is a broad area and it is not totally representative of every area, but a large generalization.

To really understand what is happening locally in Brevard, Etowah, Mills River, and Pisgah Forest, you have to dig a little deeper into the numbers. In the next few days the April 2008 stats will be in and at that time I believe we will have a better picture of our area's property movements.

Stay tuned for more information right here on Isaac's Real Estate Blog and watch for Property videos coming to You Tube soon.

Isaac Allen www.Honest-Answers.net works with Exit Mountian Realty in Brevard, North Carolina.

So Brevard had a great turnout for the ETJ meeting. That is great for the citizens to participate with such passion.
For the record, I do not live in the affected area. Also for the record, ETJ stands for extra territorial jurisdiction. It is an area outside the city limits that the city wants and will impose city rule upon, and taxed, but may or may not provide all city services at first.

I know that growing pains are tough. I agree with disgruntled county residents that if they wanted to be governed by Brevard city zoning or pay city taxes, they would have gladly bought property in the city...BUT THEY DIDN'T...THEY BOUGHT IN THE COUNTY!

Tune in on May 5th for the second installment of this series...better yet, go to the meeting, let your voice be heard, participate. MAKE A DIFFERENCE...

So I understand that there is a slowdown of 19.3% in the housing sales market this March vs. last March. I believe it. Last March 2007 there were signs that there would be a slowdown, by June it was totally evident in my area of Western North Carolina.

This past March also saw a 7.7% price drops over the same period in 2007, no surprise there. I suspect that the tighter lending policies had something to do with that. Foreclosures and investor properties played into that also.

Here in Brevard and Hendersonville we have been a little slow to see major price drops, but the next three months well tell us much about how the rest of 2008 will play out.

As for my sellers, they are pricing their homes and land competitively and relying on great marketing to get the job done.

Here in Western North Carolina home values are slowly edgeing down. The reason I see for the decline here in Brevard is more inventory. The days on the market time has increased from 90 days a year ago to almost six months. Other areas like Etowah and HEndersonville in Henderson County have seen more of the same. Home buyers have more choices than ever.

The buyers I am working with are thrilled with the selection. If you like to save money as an investor, first, or second home buyer, you can get the deals of a lifetime. Here in Brevard we enjoy small-town living with a diverse culture and lots of outdoor activities. Our area will always be in demand, I am glad of that. I am reminded on beautiful day like today that Brevard and North Carolina are like 'heaven on earth'. For those of you who have visited or live in this area, you know what I mean. For the rest of you, take some time off and come visit, see the sights, invest in real estate, see what the fuss is all about.