ActiveRain is about a lot of things, business, real estate expertise and strategies but most importantly…good friendships between people who may otherwise never, ever have met. The bonds are real and the confidences are sincere.
Cyndi Daves and her husband Bill from Murphy, North Carolina are included in that special circle of 
friendships. Cyndi was one of the very first “supporters” I had in ActiveRain and I think I might have been one of hers at the same time. We could tell from each other’s writing that we had a lot in common. We got to meet in person at the John C. Campbell Folk School’s annual Fall Festival held in Brasstown, NC. She was just as warm and friendly in person as I had imagined she would be.
Cyndi and Bill just surpassed their 200,000 point milestone and are working their way up the North Carolina leader board with me so that eventually…who knows, Western North Carolina might just dominate (even though it’s not a competition ;-} ) the board!
Congratulations to Cyndi and Bill…if you haven’t read Cyndi’s posts or seen her great photography then you are missing something special.
The historic Town of Dillsboro really is a “walkabout” district. Even though it is only about 3 blocks large, it still is home to more than 40 specialty shops and restaurants. Up on the hill lies the Riverwood Shops and The Well House restaurant. Among the shops in Riverwood is the beautiful Oaks Gallery and Riverwood Pottery.
Oaks Gallery hosts the works of scores of local artisans and is surrounded by a good number of flower gardens. Just outside of Oaks Gallery is a gazebo with a flowering vine of some sort growing on it. This was the first time I ever noticed the off season flower on it.
I don’t know exactly what it is but doesn’t it remind you of flowing Beethoven hair?
It should always be exciting to look for a new home and one thing we’ve learned over the years is that a tremendous amount of stress can be eliminated from the whole process by talking to a lender first and finding out what the buyer is qualified for.
We’re very lucky here in the mountains of Western North Carolina to have
several highly qualified and caring lenders to service our area. Today, it seemed like a good idea to create a list of some of our favorite lenders, those that we have a good working relationship with and those that our clients have benefited from their expertise.
Our favorite lenders take the time to educate our clients about not only just the current interest rate but also help them get familiar with best loan package designed to fit their particular needs…whether they are first time home buyers, vacation or second home buyers, Veterans, investors or vacant land buyers.
We like to provide the names and contact information for several lenders because everyone has a different “style” to them. We suggest buyers call a couple of them and find out who they have the best rapport with. It is so simple…just call them up, let them know you are getting ready to purchase a home and would like to know how much you qualify for. They'll take it from there!
Karen Cioce-Cagle, Champion Credit Union - 828-400-1482, kcioce-cagle@championcu.com
Brenda Patterson, United Community, Bryson City - 828-488-1168, brenda_patterson@ucbi.com
Gene Mundt, Chicago Bancorp, Chicago, 815-277-4036, gene@chicagobancorp.com
Jason Chambers, Old Town Bank, Waynesville - 828-713-5478, jchambers@oldtownbanking.com
Latisha Perkins, SunTrust Mortgage, Waynesville, 828-452-7941, latisha.perkins@suntrust.com
Lisha Shular, Macon Bank, Sylva, 828-586-1000, lshular@maconbank.com
State Employee Credit Union, Sylva, 828-586-8921, sylva@ncsecu.org
Leah Tove, Envoy Mortgage, Weaverville, 828-299-2085, ltove@envoymortgage.com
Buyers need to take care of this task first for their own peace of mind and then we really can get on to the excitement of looking for a new home by getting this stress behind us…the rest of the stress relief is up to us by finding you just what you are looking for.
Dillsboro has been a beehive of activity lately. The merchants have begun the preparations for the Annual Easter Hat Parade to be held on Easter Saturday and there will be a party and reception for the new chancellor of Western Carolina University on March 26th. The March 26th reception will also be a launch party for the new Town of Dillsboro app. I’m not even going to pretend I understand everything about an app, but WCU students are doing the creating and somehow once someone accesses this app it eventually leads them to all of the businesses (including MoonDancer Realty) in Dillsboro. Should be interesting…historic Town of Dillsboro meets cutting edge technology.
Pre-spring is an interesting season in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Merchants in the Town of Dillsboro start opening their doors on a more regular basis and are beginning to receive their spring merchandise in. Dead weeds and flower beds are being cleaned out to plant new weeds and flowers.
What are weeds anyway? Sometimes they are simply flowers growing where you didn’t intend them to be! They can be as intriguing as the planned for gardens. When the Office Manager and I take our daily afternoon stroll it is always an adventure to see what’s bloomed overnight. Luckily the Office Manager is as interested in exploring the roadside as I am so I’m rarely rushed and have time to focus in on the tiniest of buds.
This little ladybug obliged me by posing on one of the posies so I could show some perspective for the size of the bloom.
I like to keep my eyes open on the side of the road…there’s usually a lot going on...especially in Dillsboro.
Frady Cove is one of my favorite NEIGHborhoods in Jackson County. It’s a great location with a rural feel but only 5 minutes to town and 10 minutes to Western Carolina University. We have clients who are considering making an offer on a new home in the Frady Cove neighborhood and because they had to return home to Chicago, I met with the builders on the property to tie up a few loose ends.
For years I’ve enjoyed seeing the farm on the corner of Frady Cove Road and Blake Branch Road photographing the two horses and the mule. They always look healthy and happy. With the weather in the mid 60s on Thursday and the freshly mown hay, these guys were feeling pretty content.
When I got done with the builders I returned to the field and pulled off the road. I thoroughly enjoyed an in depth conversation with the mule. He traveled from the other side of the field to talk about current events. Well, I guess I did most of the talking but he’s a really good listener.
It would be great if the buyers and the sellers come to terms on this house because the buyers and their little granddaughter would completely enjoy living in the Frady Cove NEIGHborhood with these friendly critters.
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Full service real estate agency with special emphasis on buyer and seller advocacy plus real estate negotiations. Combining friendliness and professionalism in an inviting atmosphere!
I love working in real estate! Its a privilege to advocate for our clients, whether they are buyers or sellers. There is never a boring day. Every single day teaches me something new about this profession and about human nature.
My background has always been in sales & customer service. After moving to NC from FL, I co-owned a camping/backpacking store called Venture Out for 13 years in Waynesville, Dillsboro and Sylva, NC. Then, I co-owned a furnishings/home decor & accessories store in Dillsboro called Lighten Up! Both owners managed the staff, marketing, sales, purchasing, displays & stocking...it was exhausting but fulfilling.
When small retail took a hit and became less lucrative. I answered a classified ad to work as an admin for a real estate company. After months of watching agents perform & collect commissions...I knew I could do it. I went to real estate school & continued to work in a part time capacity until I got my license. I was licensed in 2004 & the rest is history.
Switching companies was scary at first, but our clients have been so supportive. Realtors need to have enough confidence in themselves to move until they find the right fit. With that in mind, a partner & I opened our own company. Its called MoonDancer Realty and the environment is a good balance of business & friendliness. I am now Broker in Charge & looking forward to the future!
We've siezed opportunities to go beyond the typical Continuing Ed classes and both partners have earned their ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative) & GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute) certifications. Not only do I want my clients confident in my workmanship, This industry constantly shifts. I need to feel the same way about myself and my understanding about this industry. Educational opportunities and day to day experience help me ach
ieve that.
Real Estate Can Be the Cornerstone to Anyone's Wealth!
We specialize in Buyer Representation and Counseling. We work WITH the buyer to make the whole process as seamless as possible. We maintain the best list of service providers in the area - there is never a question of our clients not being able to engage the best home inspectors, attorneys, surveyors, etc. We make sure that our buyers are well educated and comfortable with their purchase.
We also specialize in Seller Representation and Counseling. We provide accurate market statistics when assisting sellers in the pricing of their property. Our sellers are given top-notch attention, no matter what the market value of their property is.
To stay at the top of our game, we take advantage of real estate educational opportunities whenever they are available. Both MoonDancer Realty agents are Accredited Buyer's Representatives and Graduates of Realtor Institute.
As a first time home buyer, I was both very eager and very anxious to find the perfect home for myself. After getting some pointers from my family, I went out with several different real estate agents to find a great buyer's agent. However, it was with Mona and Leslie that I found my match! They had integrity that many of the agents I'd been out with before lacked, as well as being knowledgeable about what to look for (or not) in a home. Where they really shined, though, was with dealing with the people who were selling my dream house. Mona and Leslie are very precise people, and they didn't let any paperwork slip by them for my contract. The seller's realtor, however, was a less than outstanding agent. Mona and Leslie fought to make sure that the seller's agent upheld every part of the contract and dealt with some very confusing and inappropriate phone calls on my behalf but they didn't let that stop them! They made sure everything was taken care of with the contract. I believe that any other agent would have given up the battle for this house. Mona and Leslie made it happen! In the end, I wound up with the house of my dreams thanks to their efforts on my behalf!
Heather Sink
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Hello Mona
Well I wanted to let you and Leslie know that we have had an amazing few months working with you. It is so rare that you are able to connect with someone these days. The amount of work that the two of you did, previewing homes, and driving us around on Saturday's, Sunday's and whenever we asked.
Also, the closing went very smooth. I think I mentioned that my father worked in real estate for about 10 years, but more part time. He advised me to look out for many of the same pitfalls that you advised, which helped build our trust in you and Leslie. We hope to have more friends move to the region so we can refer them to you as well. It is such a wonderful spot, and we hope to share it, but not with too many people.
We should have a full house of furniture by Monday or Tuesday, and are so thankful for all the hard work you both put in to find us this wonderful home.
Thanks again and can't wait to see you soon
dave nelson
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We moved to NC in May from OH, and our realtors were Mona Gersky and Leslie Rojohn You have excellent representatives for your agency. Mona spent so much time with us and between her and Leslie , they out shined themselves as realtors. We sold a home in OH and we felt we had a good realtor there, but she didn't hold a candle to how informed and helpful these two were. The hours given us and never the slightest sign of impatience was shown. All the final steps in the sale we're taken care of in a VERY complete and professional manner with only our best interest at stake. We had lived in our home that we sold since 1973, so of course nothing was the same involving the buying of a home, plus doing it out of state was twice as challenging. They covered so many things that we hadn't even thought of. They are very much at the top of the game. We will always go to Mona and Leslie for any of our future housing needs. Keep up the good work. Ron and Mary Gornek Bryson City NC
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"After thoughtful consideration, and with the expert advise of Mona and
Leslie, we decided to put our house on the market. Mona and Leslie offered
not only a highly professional approach as our selected real estate agents,
they were very personable and helped make a stressful experience, truly
rewarding. Mona and Leslie took the lead to sell our house quickly and
with a decent profit."
Martin DeWitt and Sharon Sanders
Candler, NC
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I have sold one house and bought another with Mona and Leslie. They were great to work with. I never felt that my interests were being compromised or that my concerns were unheard. However, it should be pointed out that SiSi is really the brains of the outfit. Tony Hickey Sylva,NC
Dear readers...please note that SiSi is our darling dog Sienna who accompanies us to the office.
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Mona & Leslie, We just wanted to Thank You for all your hard work on helping us purchase the Woodfin lot. We think that you two did a terrific job and handled everything perfectly. We were having a tough time in finding some property when we called on you and you acted fast on trying to find us some property to suit our needs. In the future we will call on you again if we are looking for some more property and we will also suggest using you to our friends and family. Thanks again, Donna & Ron Sylva, NC
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Mona and Leslie took a lot of time really getting to know me and my family, what we liked and wanted, and spent whatever time was necessary viewing properties with us to really get a feel for what made us excited - We were first-time home buyers, and did not always know exactly what we were looking for, and Mona and Leslie were very thorough in working through options and ideas with us. They really took the time to know us as people and as a family -
Thanks,
Calllee & Hunt Boulware
Sylva, NC
"Mona and Leslie at Moondancer Realty are a treasure and true joy to work with."
2005 was a life changing period for both me and my future bride. In 2006 our moms were infected with the match-making bug and decided to get their recently-single kids together. Having grown up together, Andi and I hit it off right away and were soon engaged. We married in 2008 and made a transitional home in Cullowhee, NC. Our plan was to wait on purchasing a home in the mountains until my previous home in Durham sold, who could have predicted what the market did?! In the meantime we asked Mona and Leslie about listings in the area just to get a feel what was out there, but we explained that we were in no way in a position to purchase a home at this time, we only wanted some information.
On New Year's Eve 2011, Andi and I made a resolution that we were going to take advantage of the buyers-market by purchasing our dream home. We contacted Mona and Leslie at Moondancer Realty and adventure was afoot. Mona and Leslie worked tirelessly for us. We discussed what we were looking for in a home, they took this information and produced an exhaustive list of properties they felt met our criteria. We looked through many, many listings. We refined our lists, then set out over a period of several consecutive weekends looking at countless homes. During this process and our weekend excursions we became good friends. Together... we found our dream home in the most beautiful area imaginable with all of our criteria met or exceeded. We closed on our new home two weeks ago; Mona and Leslie were with us every step of the way. This was the most pleasant home buying experience my wife and I have ever had. We highly recommend Moondancer Realty.
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> There are many great things to be said of Mona and Leslie, anyone who knows or works with them can attest to that. One of the key factors in our decision to retain them as our realtors was their true respect of us as their clients. When we stated that we were not in a position to buy and that we would let them know when we were, they respected that. They didn't constantly hound us with calls or emails or texts. We would get the occasional "Hey we're having an open house if you're interested" or "Just checking in to say hi". Their respect of our time and our wishes was what truly won us over in choosing them as our realtors.
Mark and Andi McNair
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