Versant is One of Only 47 Audubon Gold Signature Sanctuary Program Members in the World

Versant's streamside greenway trail

Asheville, NC – July 23, 2008. . . Versant, the new high elevation, European-themed community overlooking downtown Asheville, has committed to membership in the internationally recognized Audubon Gold Signature Sanctuary Program. Versant is one of only 47 members in the Gold program worldwide.

The Audubon Gold Signature Sanctuary Program is the highest level program Audubon International offers to new planning and development projects seeking certification of environmental stewardship and long-term natural resource management.

“Versant wanted to be able to develop their property correctly, and they wanted certification that they had been responsible to the environment,” says Beth Bailey, a partner with Oldham Planning & Design, which is serving as Versant’s land planner. Bailey says the two streams on Versant’s property feed into the French Broad River, and ensuring the preservation of the streams’ water quality as well as maintaining the wildlife habitat around them were important goals for developer Robert Richey.

Versant has taken extensive steps to properly protect the landscape from environmental impacts, one of which is creating a 42-acre, streamside greenway that will provide a stream buffer, wildlife habitat, and walking trails. The developer is also implementing innovative strategies for erosion and sediment control, including use of a Filter Sock around storm water catch basins. A tube of net fabric filled with mulch, the sock draws silt out of run-off before it can reach water sources.

Versant has also endeavored to build roadways along previously cut logging roads to minimize the need for additional clearing and grading. The developer has been stabilizing slopes immediately after grading and using a mulch binder to hold grass seed and make it germinate faster.

In addition, the community has strict guidelines for clearing on building sites, will be implementing the use of drip irrigation systems with rain gauges for common areas, and provides homeowners with guidelines for planting drought resistant native flora in their yards.

“Audubon International wants us to conserve natural resources,” Bailey explains. “By participating in the Gold Signature Sanctuary Program, Versant is making a substantial commitment to environmental stewardship of its property and surrounding properties.”

After Versant’s road systems and public areas are complete and its natural resource management plan fully in place, the community will undergo review by an Audubon International representative to ensure it has met all of its environmental commitments and has a plan in place for continuing those commitments for the future.

“Our owners are naturally people who love these mountains and want to be part of preserving their beauty for future generations,” says Versant Developer Robert Richey. “By becoming a Gold Signature Sanctuary member, we’re making a long-term promise to our owners to protect their real estate investment by protecting the natural environment that makes this such a beautiful and valuable place to live.”

Versant is a 400-acre community on the north edge of Asheville, overlooking the downtown skyline as well as the famed Grove Park Inn. The community offers single-family homesites as well as a variety of multi-family homes at elevations up to 3,000 feet. Versant is one of only 47 members worldwide of Audubon International’s Gold Signature Sanctuary Program.

For more information on sales at Versant, call 1-866-482-1924. For media inquiries on Versant, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.

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Homestead Preserve Promotes Recycling and Reuse of Construction Materials to Encourage Green Building Practices

Hot Springs, Virginia – July 22, 2008. . . In recognition of the fact that most construction site waste ends up in landfills, Homestead Preserve recently began instituting construction waste management plans as part of its builders’ participation in the EarthCraft Virginia program. The waste management plans have been designed to ensure that builders work hard to reuse leftover materials and recycle as much on site waste as feasible.

“Our efforts to reuse and recycle are part of Homestead Preserve’s long-term commitment to the environment,” says the community’s Co-General Manager and President of the Virginia Hot Springs Building Company Don Killoren. “We spent years planning how to both conserve and develop this property to ensure proper stewardship of the natural landscape for years to come, but the building process needs to be part of that stewardship as well.”

Currently, Homestead Preserve has two homes participating in the EarthCraft Virginia program, and the builders of both those homes have gone to great lengths to minimize landfill waste. They have used leftover lumber for blocking, transferred it to other building sites where it can be used, and donated it to the vocational woodworking program at Bath County High School. Builders have also reused leftover drywall by grinding it on site and mixing it with the backfill for use during final grading of the home site.

“At a conventional construction site, most scrap lumber and waste material is thrown away and ends up in landfills,” says Virginia Hot Springs Building Company construction supervisor Paul Dressler. “We have found ways to cut waste going to the landfill by as much as 75 percent.”

Homestead Preserve’s first EarthCraft Virginia certified home was completed in June. The second green certified home is scheduled for completion later this year. EarthCraft Virginia is a formal green building certification program designed to promote the construction of homes that use less energy, make use of sustainable building materials, and provide a healthy living environment for residents.

Homestead Preserve developers and Celebration Associates partners Charles Adams and Don Killoren were instrumental in the design and development of Celebration, Florida, near Orlando, which was hailed as the “Most Advanced Community in the Country from 1996-1998” by The Guinness Book of World Records. Celebration Associates has for the past ten years been a partner in developing the community of Baxter Village in South Carolina, and is also a partner leading the residential development projects at Bundoran Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Mt. Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire. Crosland, Inc. of Charlotte, NC is a financial partner in Homestead Preserve, Bundoran Farm and Mount Washington Resort. Crosland’s President and CEO Todd Mansfield was also directly involved in the development and success of Celebration, Florida. Crosland, Inc. is one of the Southeast’s leading and most diversified real estate companies.

For more information on Homestead Preserve sales, call 877-224-9477. To schedule media interviews with Homestead Preserve builders or EarthCraft homeowners, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.

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The Club Without the Course: Buyers Flock to Natural Amenities in the High Country

Atkins River Farm Conservancy at Echota

Boone, North Carolina – July 17, 2008. . . While the conventional vision of a second home often includes a view of the golf course, sales in the North Carolina High Country, where golf is rarely part of the amenity package, prove that more and more homeowners are seeking the club without the course. According to statistics from the National Association of Realtors®, more than 30 percent of vacation homeowners want to be close to the mountains or other natural scenery. Only about 20 percent consider a golf course an important amenity.

“With second and third home ownership becoming more common among increasingly affluent baby boomers, the breadth of amenities they want is expanding,” says Will Sears, Vice President of Sales and Development at Echota, the most successful second home community in the High Country. “The most important amenity to our buyers is the natural setting and access to hiking and walking trails,” Sears adds. “Everybody wants a view, and we definitely have that here at Echota with the profile of Grandfather Mountain framing our backyard.”

Despite lagging real estate sales elsewhere in the country, Echota has closed more than 50 real estate transactions in 2008, in keeping with its record last year of 107 closed sales. “The market is still hot in the High Country,” Sears says, “but then we’ve always been a place of consistent real estate growth. Buyers like that kind of security.”

Buyers also like the fact that they’re not paying for an 18-hole golf course they will never use. Instead, the typical Echota owner enjoys hiking on the resort community’s 25-acre riverside conservancy or along its linked roads and trails. In addition, Echota and Echota on the Ridge feature two clubhouses, each with swimming pools, fitness centers, and massage studios. The community also has on-site trout fishing ponds and close access to outdoor recreation on the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Pisgah National Forest.

Echota is located about two hours from Charlotte and three hours from Raleigh-Durham. Echota Developer Mark Harrill is President of Foscoe Realty and Development. He is the leading developer of second home resort communities in the North Carolina High Country. He has been developing mountain property in the area for more than two decades and has demonstrated a commitment to blending architecture into the landscape. Echota properties range in cost from the $300,000s to $700,000.

For information on Echota sales, call 866-283-9420. For media inquiries, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.

Homestead Preserve Completes First Certified Green Home

Homestead Preserve Completes First Certified Green Home

First EarthCraft Virginia Home at Homestead Preserve

Hot Springs, Virginia – June 23, 2008. . The first green home has been completed at Homestead Preserve through the EarthCraft Virginia program. Situated in the Sheep Meadow neighborhood adjacent to The Homestead, the community’s first EarthCraft House, a Highlands Arts and Crafts cottage, was constructed by Andrew Watkins Custom Homebuilding of Millboro, Virginia.

EarthCraft Virginia is a formal green building certification program designed to promote the construction of homes that use less energy, make use of sustainable building materials, and provide a healthy living environment for residents. Homestead Preserve is the first community in the Alleghany Highlands to certify a home under the EarthCraft program. All EarthCraft builders must be trained and certified, and all EarthCraft homes must undergo a formal evaluation and blower door test by a third party in order to receive EarthCraft designation.

Homestead Preserve expects its second EarthCraft certified home to be complete by fall.

“We decided to become part of the EarthCraft Virginia program because its green building tenets complemented our long-term commitment to the landscape of the Alleghany Highlands,” says Don Killoren, Co-General Manager of Homestead Preserve and President of the Virginia Hot Springs Building Company, which is working on the community’s second EarthCraft home. “Most of our owners are already environmentally committed individuals,” Killoren explains. “That’s why they chose to buy at our conservation community in the first place. We wanted to provide them the additional opportunity to not only live in a community committed to landscape stewardship but also committed to building in ways that decrease our environmental footprint.”

Many Homestead Preserve homes feature green construction components, including geothermal heating and cooling systems, use of Forest Stewardship Council certified lumber, strict construction site building material recycling and reuse guidelines, and Energy Star certified appliances.

Homestead Preserve developers and Celebration Associates partners Charles Adams and Don Killoren were instrumental in the design and development of Celebration, Florida, near Orlando, which was hailed as the “Most Advanced Community in the Country from 1996-1998” by The Guinness Book of World Records. Celebration Associates has for the past ten years been a partner in developing the community of Baxter Village in South Carolina, and is also a partner leading the residential development projects at Bundoran Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Mt. Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire. Crosland, Inc. of Charlotte, NC is a financial partner in Homestead Preserve, Bundoran Farm and Mount Washington Resort. Crosland’s President and CEO Todd Mansfield was also directly involved in the development and success of Celebration, Florida. Crosland, Inc. is one of the Southeast’s leading and most diversified real estate companies.

For more information on Homestead Preserve sales, call 877-224-9477. To schedule media interviews with Homestead Preserve builders or EarthCraft homeowners, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.

First Single-Family Home Under Construction at Versant Asheville

First Single-Family Home Under Construction at Versant Asheville

First Single-Family Home Under Construction at Versant

Asheville, NC – July 8, 2008. . . The first single-family home is currently under construction at Versant, the new luxury European style community north of Asheville. The 3,650-sq. ft. home is situated at just under 3,000 feet in elevation, offering Versant’s signature views of the surrounding Blue Ridge skyline.

“The construction of our first single-family home is a milestone event here at Versant,” says Developer Robert Richey. “We’ve spent the last two years and more than $10 million developing infrastructure for Phase I, and we’re excited to see all that hard work coming to fruition.” Richey says the first home will be completed by late fall, and its owners from the nearby community of Candler will be moving in soon thereafter.

Two weeks ago, Versant released its first townhomes for sale.

Shamburger Design Studio of Hendersonville designed the mountain villa style home, and the contractor is Morgan Keefe, one of Asheville’s finest luxury custom home builders.

Versant is a 400-acre community on the north edge of Asheville, overlooking the downtown skyline as well as the famed Grove Park Inn. The community offers single-family homesites as well as a variety of multi-family homes at elevations up to 3,000 feet. Versant is one of only 38 members worldwide of Audubon International’s Gold Signature Sanctuary Program.

For more information on sales at Versant, call 1-866-482-1924. For media inquiries on Versant or renderings of the townhomes, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.

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Garland Lake Defies Real Estate Slowdown

Waterfront home sites at Garland Lake near Warsaw, Virginia

Garland Lake Defies Real Estate Slowdown: 34 Lots Under Contract in One Day at Northern Neck Lakefront Community

Warsaw, Virginia – June 30, 2008. . . Last week the developers of Garland Lake put 34 home sites under contract in less than 24 hours at their June 21 sales launch event. Garland Lake developer Dean Sinatra expects the final sales results will generate close to $4.3 million in revenue from the community’s grand opening.

Garland Lake is a lakefront community on Virginia’s Northern Neck located about an hour east of Fredericksburg. Situated on 300 wooded acres, the community has 84 home sites, nearly half of which are situated on the lake, and all offer lake access. The average home site is about three acres in size, and lots sold last week for $40,000 to $200,000, showing that affordable second home properties are still selling even in an otherwise down market.

“Our sales success last weekend shows that real estate market news isn’t all bad,” notes Sinatra. “We’re offering a unique product for this market—lakefront and lake access lots in a pristine and peaceful setting with easy access to the D.C. and Richmond metro areas—at a very affordable price. Urban second homeowners can get here in two hours and be in a completely different setting.”

Sinatra says the successful sales are also a boost to the Northern Neck economy. “The impact will continue to be felt once these owners start building,” he adds. “They can select their own builders, and that will also be a boost to the local area trades.”

Garland Lake Estates, LLC, is a partnership company of Trebor Investments of Greenville, North Carolina, and Enterprise Partners of Charleston, South Carolina. The developers specialize in second home and waterfront communities. Garland Lake is a pristine 65-acre private watershed lake on Virginia’s Northern Neck two hours southeast of Washington, D.C. The low density community features 84 home sites, ranging in size from one to 13 acres, and also offers log cabin packages. For more information, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.

The Top 10 Questions You Should Ask When Buying 2nd Home Real Estate

Newly completed swimming pool at Echota on the Ridge near Boone, North Carolina

The Top 10 Questions You Should Ask When Buying Second Home Real Estate in the Current Market

Boone, North Carolina – July 1, 2008. . .While a lot of buyers may be shying away from purchasing vacation homes with the real estate market nationwide in a state of slowdown, now could be the best time to buy, according to North Carolina developer Mark Harrill. Harrill is considered the most successful resort residential community developer in the North Carolina High Country and has already seen 47 closed sales at his popular community of Echota this year.

If you’re looking to buy a second home but aren’t sure if now is a good time or how to evaluate whether or not your property will retain and grow its value in the future, here’s what Harrill says you should be asking yourself or your real estate agent:

1. Is this a good location for me and my family? Buyers should choose the area in which they want to purchase a home before they choose the home. Make sure your second home is relatively easy to access from your primary home so that you’ll make regular use of it. Also, make certain your second home provides access to the amenities you desire, such as outdoor activities, cultural offerings, shopping, and dining.
2. Does this community fit my lifestyle and interests? Once you’ve settled on an area where you’d like to buy your second home, make sure you choose a community that provides you access to like-minded people. For example, if you like the resort lifestyle, choose a development that offers resort amenities. And be careful you’re not paying for amenities you’re not going to use anyway. If you’re not a golfer, don’t buy a home at a golf community. That golf course is showing up in the price of your home.
3. Are the infrastructure and amenities in place for me to start enjoying my second home right away? In the current market, some developers have to sell a certain number of homes, condos, or lots to be able to fund the amenities they are promising you. Make sure you ask what that number is and how amenities will get paid for if the developer doesn’t meet his or her sales goals. Your best bet is to look into communities where the amenities are already paid for, if not already in place.
4. Is my second home a good investment? Or will I lose money on it by buying in a down market? Now is the best time to buy if you can afford to do so. It’s a buyer’s market. That being said, be careful where you buy. Make sure you purchase your second home in an area where real estate prices have been climbing consistently over the years. Don’t buy in a place that has seen a lot of boom and bust fluctuations. If you purchase a second home now in a place with a steady, reliable real estate market, your home will grow its value in the years to come.
5. Will the style of home I’m choosing work for my lifestyle? If you don’t want to spend your weekends away from home mowing grass and staining decks or finding someone else to do it for you, choose a low-maintenance option like a townhome or condominium that you can lock and leave. Make sure your developer has a property management component in place that will handle upkeep of your home’s exterior and grounds.
6. Does the home’s floor plan suit my needs and the needs of family and friends who will share my second home with me? If you’re planning on using your vacation home for a long time and maybe even making it a retirement residence one day, carefully consider the floor plan. For example, make sure your master suite is on the ground floor. Make sure you have guest rooms available for kids, grandkids, and friends if you like to entertain.
7. Could this home generate additional income for my family in the years to come? You can often help offset the costs of buying a second home by renting it out on weekends you’re not using it. A lot of developers have property management arms that make it easy and headache-free to rent your property when you’re not using it and generate some extra income.
8. What is the developer’s background, specifically in the area where I am looking to buy? Developers are drawn to resort areas, which means some of them come to mountain and resort regions from other areas of the country lacking experience in how to build communities in places that are new to them. It’s important that the developer understands the area in which he or she is looking to build. In the mountains, for example, developers have to meet the challenges and requirements of often steep topography and cross slopes to ensure the integrity of the finished product—your home. Make sure your developer is experienced in the area where you are buying and understands the local landscape, building codes, and zoning laws.
9. Does my home suit the landscape on which it is located? You really don’t want to buy a colonial style mansion on top of a mountain. Consider how your home fits into the surrounding landscape. Is it designed to blend into the topography? Is its architectural style in keeping with its environment?
10. Should I invest in green building features in my second home? Green building techniques can save you money in the long-term, particularly if you buy or build a home with a super-efficient heating and cooling system and proper insulation. But there are even easier ways to cut down on energy costs in a second home. Multi-family units, for example, share walls and roofs and help insulate one another. If you want low-maintenance, energy savings, and a worry-free second home, a townhome or condo might be the best choice.

Echota Developer Mark Harrill is President of Foscoe Realty and Development. He is the leading developer of second home resort communities in the North Carolina High Country. He has been developing mountain property in the area for more than two decades and has demonstrated a commitment to blending architecture into the landscape. Echota properties range in cost from the $300,000s to $700,000.

For information on Echota sales, call 866-283-9420. For media inquiries, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.

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High End Buyers Are Still Buying

Highlands Arts and Crafts at Homestead Preserve in Hot Springs, Virginia

Buyers With “Quiet Green” Are Still Buying and Building at Luxury Second-Home Developments in the Mountains

Hot Springs, Virginia – June 30, 2008. . . Despite lagging real estate sales and residential development across the nation, the wealthiest Americans remain undeterred by the economic downturn, and many consider now the time to invest in real estate. Don Killoren, Co-General Manger of Homestead Preserve, a high profile resort residential community adjacent to The Homestead resort in Hot Springs Virginia, says the community’s vacation home construction remains strong this summer.

“We have a lot of owners I like to refer to as having quiet money with a focus on green building,’” Killoren says. “They have money to spend, though they’re not flamboyant about it. They’re not requiring financing to build their second and third homes; and they’re not concerned about the current market. For them, real estate is still an excellent investment because they know property values are going to climb again in the long-term.”

Homestead Preserve’s Director of Sales and Marketing Ian McIlvaine agrees: “People who can afford to buy now are buying now. It’s a buyer’s market, particularly for high-end properties.” Nowhere is this more true than in the southern mountains, where many second homeowners have sought refuge from the market uncertainties, rising insurance costs, and concerns about severe weather associated with southern coastal areas.

According to the Annual Survey of Affluence and Wealth in America, released this spring by American Express Publishing Corporation and the Harrison Group, wealthy Americans consider now the best time to be investing in real estate when prices are down. In fact, 40% of those earning $500,000 or more a year in discretionary income indicated they were in the market to buy real property this year. That means many second home developers serving wealthy clientele, particularly those in more secure and price-steady markets like the southern mountains, aren’t taking the hit that many primary residence real estate agents and developers are.

Homestead Preserve developers and Celebration Associates partners Charles Adams and Don Killoren were instrumental in the design and development of Celebration, Florida, near Orlando, which was hailed as the “Most Advanced Community in the Country from 1996-1998” by The Guinness Book of World Records. Celebration Associates has for the past ten years been a partner in developing the community of Baxter Village in South Carolina, and is also a partner leading the residential development projects at Bundoran Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Mt. Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire. Crosland, Inc. of Charlotte, NC is a financial partner in Homestead Preserve, Bundoran Farm and Mount Washington Resort. Crosland’s President and CEO Todd Mansfield was also directly involved in the development and success of Celebration, Florida. Crosland, Inc. is one of the Southeast’s leading and most diversified real estate companies.

For more information on Homestead Preserve sales, call 877-224-9477. To schedule media interviews, call Deborah Huso at (540) 474-5147, or e-mail drhuso@writewellmedia.com.