If you love history and architecture, this may be the event for you!  Take a driving tour of historic Hendersonville homes on Saturday, May 20, 2012.  This self-driving tour is brought to you by the Hendersonville Historic Preservation Committee.  For just $20, you can tour eight private Hendersonville homes that were designed by noted Hendersonville architect Erle G Stillwell in the 1920s and ’30s.

Erle G Stillwell lived and worked in Hendersonville and Henderson County during the early part of the 1900s. The Depression made a large impact on his design style.  In addition to private Henderson County homes, he designed several cinemas, schools and other civic buildings throughout the state.  In the 1940s, Stillwell helped found the Asheville architectural firm of Six Associates.  Their defense contracts after World War II helped them become one of North Carolina’s most successful architectural firms, helping the local Henderson County economy.  They continue their business success under the name of Callaway Johnson Moore & West today.

You can purchase tickets for your tour of historic Hendersonville homes at the Heritage Museum located in the historic Hendersonville Courthouse, at FountainHead Books (408 N Main St) or at Hendersonville City Hall before May 20th.  You can also purchase your tickets on the day of the tour at Landmark Apartments (203 6th Ave W), a recently renovated building also designed by Erle Stilwell.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

For a small donation of $12 for adults (ages 18+) and $6 for kids (ages 6-17), you can embark on a tour of some of the most breathtaking natural sights in all of Western North Carolina.  Just park your car near the High Falls parking area (1300 Staton Rd, Cedar Mountain).  Follow the Tour de Falls signs for your shuttle pick up.  You are allowed to take as much time as you like.  Typically, the tour will take approximately three hours to complete.  Volunteers will be aboard every shuttle as well as at every stop to give historical information as well as fun facts about each area you visit.  There will be no food for sale on the tour, so please feel free to bring a nice picnic lunch, water and/or snacks from home.  Both High Falls and Triple Falls will be nice places to have covered areas with tables for your Mother’s Day brunch.  While the lodge at Lake Julia does provide some light refreshments, it is the last stop of the tour.

Donations are accepted in cash or check form.  But leave the credit cards at home, since there is no way to process them on the shuttle.  None of the buses are handicap-accessible (sorry) and pets will not be allowed access to the bus.  Show the beautiful mom in your life that you think she’s just as amazing as the natural beauty found in Western North Carolina by taking her on a Tour de Falls of DuPont Forest for Mother’s Day.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

The ECO believes that the community that works together, thrives together.  Some of the projects for Earth Stewardship Day in Hendersonville include:

• 7th Ave Community Organic Garden – building orchards and community gardens
• Boylston Creek – planting grass and pollinator patches along the buffer
• Fletcher Park – removing weeds and invasive plant species
• Girl Scout Hut – building orchards and community gardens
• Holmes Education Forest – trail maintenance
• Jackson Park – building orchards and community gardens
• Lewis Creek (Edneyville) – removing a beaver dam
• Sullivan Park – stream bank restoration

ECO has partnered with several local organizations to make these projects happen.  The public is welcome to join in.  Work on all projects will take place from 9am to 1:30pm.  Afterwards, all Hendersonville area participants are welcome to attend the celebratory picnic being held at the Blue Ridge Community College.  Enjoy musical accompaniment while chowing down on a picnic feast.  If the day gets rained out, Earth Stewardship Day in Hendersonville will be postponed until the following Saturday (May 5, 2012). If you are interested in participating, please call ECO at 828-692-0385 or visit their website.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

If you are interested in bringing your “stuff” to the Henderson County Giant Yard Sale, all you will need to do is make a minimum $10 donation (more would be greatly appreciated, but everything helps) and bring your own table.  You will be responsible for set up and tear down of your own area.  For more information, call 828-694-6252 or email families4kids@hendersoncountydss.org.  Because April showers sometimes spill over into May, the yard sale will be postponed to the following weekend (May 19, 2012) if the heavens decide to part and dump rain on the morning of May 12th.

The Henderson County Foster Parent Association is a local non-profit organization whose main goal is to help strengthen the foster child/family bond through education, communication, support, advocacy and public awareness. They also provide a communication network that allows foster families to find community resources to help them with their particular needs, including medical care and developmental resources.  In addition to raising funds for the special training required to educate foster parents on the role they play in their foster child’s life, they help promote the benefits of foster parenting to the general public.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

The egg hunts will be divided up by ages.  Egg hunting times are as follows:

12:30pm: Walkers to 2 years old
12:45pm: 3-4 year olds
1:00pm: 5-6 year olds
1:15pm: 7-8 year olds
1:30pm: 9-10 year olds
1:45pm: Special populations

Bring the family to Jackson Park this Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 12pm to 2pm for the Asheville Easter Egg Hunt.  It won’t cost you a thing for your children to have a great time hunting for Easter treasures while visiting with the Easter Bunny.  Henderson County residents know how to have fun any time of the year.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

As I said before, in general, forgiven debt is considered taxable income by the government.  In essence, you were given a certain amount of money when you signed your loan to begin with.  So, when the bank decides to forgive a portion of the debt, it is like they gave you a credit.  This is considered income and must, therefore, be taxed.  However, until the end of this year (December 31, 2012), a homeowner doesn’t have to pay taxes on the forgiven mortgage debt as long as the debt was from a principal residence and the amount forgiven didn’t exceed the original loan amount plus improvements.

This law also applies to foreclosures as well as a loan modification that includes a reduction in your Hendersonville home‘s principal balance. The loan modification provision only applies if you are currently using the home in question as your permanent residence.  The non-taxable mortgage debt relief also only applies to the original loan amount.  It does not typically apply to second mortgages or home equity lines of credit that are not used for improvements on your home.

When a portion of a mortgage debt is forgiven, the bank will send out a 1099 to both the Hendersonville homeowner and the IRS that shows the amount forgiven.  You must then file a Form 982 to explain what the debt was forgiven for and why you shouldn’t have to pay taxes on it.  Whatever is taxable should then be filed on your 1040.  Talk to your tax adviser/preparer about this.  They should be able to answer any questions you have.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

• Listening to and deciding on appeals from administrative officials regarding enforcement of the Zoning or Subdivision Ordinances as well as reviewing orders, requirements, decisions and determinations brought to the Board by an administrative official.
• Listening to and deciding on Zoning Ordinance variance requests.
• Interpreting the Official Zoning map and passing along any questions regarding disputes of lot lines or district boundaries to Zoning Ordinance administrators.
• Reviewing and issuing conditional use permits in regards to Zoning Ordinance rules and regulations.
• Entering (at a reasonable time) and examining private property to survey said property as it pertains to the official duties of the Board.
• Making requests for public hearings by the Board on any matter under the Board’s jurisdiction when needed.

Members of the Hendersonville Board of Adjustment meet at the Operations Center (305 Williams Street) at 1:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month to discuss matters brought before the Board.  Currently, the Board has one vacant alternate position available for a a Hendersonville resident.  If you’re interested in applying for the position, please fill out an application and hand it in to the Hendersonville City Hall.

Being a volunteer on a city board or commission enables you to help create a better living environment for the community.  Follow your passion and find a board that fits, whether it be the Hendersonville Board of Adjustment or another city commission.  The City always welcomes input from its residents to make living in Hendersonville even that much better.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Kitchens

The heart of the home has always been the kitchen.  Hendersonville home buyers still love their kitchens.  It can easily make or break a sale.  Opening up a smaller kitchen, adding more shelving and storage, incorporating a pantry and/or adding an island are all ways to make your kitchen area more useful while you are living in it and more attractive to buyers when it comes time to sell it.

Outdoor Living Spaces

Studies have shown that, even during cold wintery weather, buyers still want an outdoor living space.  It is a natural extension of your Hendersonville home’s usable area.  Adding a deck (one of the best returns on investment, by the way), constructing a built-in barbecue and creating an entertainment area, complete with wiring for stereo and/or TV, are some options you may want to consider when creating your ideal outdoor space.

Smart Home

In today’s high tech society, we tend to be more and more dependent on electronic gadgets to get through our daily lives.  Upgrading your Hendersonville home’s wiring to accommodate this can be very appealing to future buyers as well as make your life a little easier.  This is especially true if you have an older home.  Upgrade your electrical panel so that it can handle a heavier workload.  Since more and more Americans are working from home, make sure your home is capable of utilizing internet service easily from any room.

Elderly Accommodations

As our population ages, our home needs change.  One trend that home builders have found recently is the request to have more elderly-friendly homes built.  Having at least one bedroom and full bathroom (with at least a shower) on the ground level is a popular floor plan nowadays.  Wider doors make it easier to maneuver a wheelchair.  Eliminating steps outside your Hendersonville home make entering less arduous for older folks.

If you’ve decided to sit tight in your Hendersonville home for a little bit but need to make adjustments to fit your lifestyle, keep these top remodeling projects that buyers love in mind before you begin construction.  Even if you aren’t selling your home today, you may eventually want/need to.  Wouldn’t it be better to have invested your money in something that makes it more attractive to buyers in the future?

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

On March 10, 2012 and March 16, 2012, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department and the Hendersonville Police Department will be offering motorcyclists an education in cycle safety, rules of the road and techniques to improve your skills on your bike.  Whether your “hog” is a heavy duty Harley Davidson or a sweet little moped that helps you tool around town, you’re sure to learn something at the class.  The Sheriff’s Department will be conducting the March 10th class while the Hendersonville Police Department will conduct the March 16th class.

Included in your free training will be:

• Motorcycle Control - accelerating, braking and clutch as well as how to make your ride smoother.
• Hazard Management – recognizing, avoiding and reacting to hazards you may encounter.
• Cornering – assessing the angle of a curve and how to approach and complete in a safe manner.
• Overtaking
• Roadcraft – using your mirrors and turn signals effectively as well as your attitude on the road.

In the morning, Hendersonville drivers will be inside the classroom going over basic information.  Then, students will be paired up with instructors when they head out for a short ride around a special course to assess their skills and see what they’ve learned.  After lunch, students will head back into the classroom for feedback from their instructors.  Drivers will then be paired up again with their instructors to drive around a larger course (approximately 75 minutes).  All students will then head back into the classroom to again receive feedback on their ride from their instructors as well as answer any final questions.

While the class is absolutely free, you will be required to have the following before you will be allowed to participate:

• Legal Motorcycle Endorsement
• Motorcycle Registration
• Motorcycle Insurance
• Proper DOT-Approved Helmet
• Proper Footwear (rises above the ankle for protection)
• Long Sleeve Shirt and Pants (no shorts or T-shirts allowed)
• Full Fingered Gloves
• Eye Protection

If you’re interested in attending one of the free motorcycle safety classes in Hendersonville next month, please contact Lt. Mike Vesely either via phone at 828-697-3025 or via email at mvesely@cityofhendersonville.org.  Again, these classes are absolutely free.  What better way to learn about motorcycle safety than from a Henderson County police officer?  They know what they’re talking about!

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist

Typically, owners of completely electrical vehicles (such as the Nissan Leaf and Smart ED) or hybrids (such as the Chevy Volt, Ford Escape Hybrid or Toyta Prius Hybrid) charge their vehicles at home because charging stations are hard to come by.  The installation of the two new electric vehicle charging stations at the Dogwood Parking lot in downtown Hendersonville extends the areas these electric vehicles can travel by eliminating the worry of not having enough of a charge to get back home.  It is the City of Hendersonville’s goal to bring clean fuel alternatives to areas where its citizens work, dine, shop, learn and play.

These electric vehicle charging stations in downtown Hendersonville are only one step in a larger plan to create an entire public charging station network in the Asheville area.  The LSCVC’s Electric Vehicle Committee is working with other communities in the area to determine which locations would benefit the most from charging station installation.  In addition to downtown Hendersonville, there are currently electric vehicle charging stations available in downtown Asheville, Black Mountain, Haywood Community College (in Clyde) and Montreat as well as the office of the Land of Sky Regional Council in Asheville.  Plug-in electrical vehicle (PEV) owners can benefit from Duke Energy’s incentive program for installing a charging station in their homes.

Bringing electric vehicle charging stations to Hendersonville NC is yet another step in bringing the city into the modern era while maintaining the natural beauty of the Western North Carolina lifestyle.  If you’re interested in buying a Hendersonville home, please contact me now.  I can help you find the Western North Carolina home of your dreams today.

Rich Cooke, your Western North Carolina real estate specialist