WNC overdevelopment (Asheville, Boone, Waynesville: houses, buyers, construction)

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Originally Posted by alex1228

Where is this picture taken and what development is it.

thanks

Not sure if this is the picture you were referring to, but its Chocolate Drop Mountain in Columbus, Polk County.

Google Maps



They've sold all but the steepest lots. Even the ones right next to the highway. So sad.

[southernlady5464]

If not in Polk County, right across the state line in Landrum, S.C.

If it goes in Landrum, it will still remain the only county in NC without one, LOL. Liz

[cooperwx]

Just autrocius, Cowboy. How anyone could defend that, I have no idea.

I need to get some pictures as High Carolina goes in. The work has started...

[SaveMtns]

Read my post--at the end of the thread "Asheville the good. the bad. and the ugly"

LEARN FROM FLORIDA!!!

[AbbyDabby]

does anyone know where the development in madison are?quote=chickenista;466794]Wow. I can't believe this post has gone unanswered. So, here's my two cents. In my 38 years, WNC has undergone massive change, but only recently has the development actually begun. The highway systems have gone in, ie "future 26" and the expansion of 19/23/74 heading west. I remember the only way to get anywhere was windy two lanes. and following them, the developments and support system shopping. Forever until now, the only living was done in the valleys and coves because all of the water and fertile soil ran down from the mountain tops. Now that people do not rely on what they can grow for sustenance, the mountain tops are subject to building. No native would ever live up top. Freeze and/or starve to death.
Madison County, where it is now snowing! is becoming completely overrun. They are planning communities larger than any of the towns. I'm talking almost a thousand homes in one development. Almost a thousand!! And there are others of three hundred plus. And in no way are they planning for this growth, no roadwork or widenings, no new fire stations or schools. It's crazy. I'm leaving. We can no longer afford it here.
And the western part of the state has the highways in, they are just waiting for interest from the shopping centers before growth explodes there. Not many people want to drive an hour for a Starbuck's or a Lowe's.
My heart is just broken that an entire way of life is disappearing, but I drive on the roads and shop in the shops because the old stores are gone and it's quicker to take the highway.
They even paved Byrd Rd. that leads into my family land in Swain. When I was a child it was dirt, and well used dirt at that. It had turned to fine powder that slid through your fingers like silk and shone with micah sparkles in the summer sun and smelled soft and sweet in the rain. If I had known they were gonna pave over that beautiful color I would have scooped it up in a jar to show my son. Crying now, gotta go.[/quote]

[vq1]

Minor point, but for the case of accuracy, I know of many NC counties without Wal-Mart stores: None that I know of in the western NC areas of Avery,Clay, Madison (we do not even have a McDonalds here), or Graham. Additionally, I am sure there are many other counties, especially towards the coastal area.

The major point is that many residents of these less affluent counties leave their county to shop at the "Big Box" stores in other counties. Following basic economics, that money has left their county both in the form of money spent (think of jobs) and sales taxes received (think of services) by the "Big Box" county. As the local farmers and merchants have found out - the masses of people buy with their pocketbooks.

[jmackay54]

That's why my wife and I gave up our Madison County home search a few weeks ago. Development frenzy! But where will you go Abby? Where can we avoid that? JM

[Pmr]

Where are you moving to?

[galena]

After I retired from teaching in Miami-Dade County, I moved to Edgewater, FL, a town of about 18k in 1998 about 20 miles south of Daytona. Miami had been ruined by the influx of immigrants from the Northeast and South/Central America & the Caribbean. I'm not necessarily talking about the people but about one housing development after another.
Edgewater offered peace, quiet, small town atmosphere. Someone spread the word about the New Smyrna Beach / Edgewater / Port Orange area. Now, we're also being invaded by northerners and midwesterners and other south Floridians. Top that off with the outrageous property taxes that our local governments charge us and incompetent state government, and many of us are leaving. I never thought I would leave FL, but I really can't tolerate it any longer.
Back in 1992, I bought a small house in Watauga County, NC, for $49.5k. It was in a gated community but one that required you to get approval to cut trees. Deer and turkey wandered the community because they couldn't be shot. I wish I had stayed there. It was 13 miles from Boone, but 13 miles on a curvy, two-lane mountain road that tended to make me car sick.
I bought another house in another county. I won't mention which one because it still has small towns and communities and atmosphere--in spite of a Super Wal-Mart and a new Lowe's. Houses are being built in the county, but I'm hoping it will stay small town. The only 4-lane roads are in the 2 major towns; every other road is 2-lane and winding and up & down. There's a small restaurant in the county seat where people stop by tables and say hi to their friends on the way to their tables. I love it, and I hope no developers discover it.
The problem is that a lot of people who want to get away from the college students in Boone are moving into the county. Also, other Floridians have begun to discover it. I used to tell my still working friends how great Edgewater, FL, was. I'm not telling anyone about this one because I don't want to be run out of another town.

[Lynne Vogel]

What you should know

In September 2004 the western counties of North Carolina were in a state of emergency...the President issued 2 federal disaster declarations and provided $72 million in aid.

Since last month marked the third anniversary of the rain induced landslide disasters, it is time to look at what measures the state has taken to forewarn the public of the dangers of investing in Western North Carolina's high risk real estate.

In February 2005 the North Carolina General Assembly recognized that landslides posed a serious but unidentified threat. They authorized funds ($1.3 million) for a multi-county "Is it Safe to Build Here" landslide mapping program. To date this study has provided only one series of landslide maps. When the Macon County landslide maps were completed in October 2006 Governor Mike Easley said, "These maps will show which areas are prone to landslides and that will help developers, county officials, and residents decide where to safely build homes, roads, and other structures."

The public has made substantial investments in Western North Carolina mountain property and at no time have their interests been protected by disclosure of the landslide mapping program, or disclosure of the fact that there is no insurance to protect against landslide property damage. It should be noted that the Macon County color coded landslide maps show hundreds of homes located in red zones, areas deemed high risk.

Over the past several months the state has acted to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive business practices.

Governor Easley signed a bill in late August restricting the ability of the mortgage industry to prey on unwary borrowers. The Governor said during the legislative signing, "I should have watched this closer; all of us should have on the state level. We should have looked at our laws closer and made some changes."

The Office of the Attorney General intervened this summer to stop the unfair real estate practices of a Spruce Pine developer. Attorney General Roy Cooper stated in his Village of Penland complaint that "These developers squandered more than a $100 million in financing leaving consumers stuck with property that isn't worth what they owe on it."

The 15 county catastrophic slope failures of 2004 should have been a wake up call for public hazard disclosure. Instead the landslide mapping program provided an expansive window of opportunity and an excuse for the real estate industry to sell unidentified," What we don't know, we don't have to disclose," hazardous land.

Perhaps those responsible for public safety and disclosure of material facts should review the 1998 North Carolina Department of Emergency Management report which found that all 21 western counties were at severe risk for the dangers of landslides.