George Real Estate Group Radio Broadcast

Honoring Our Apple Growers and Real Estate Experts

• George Real Estate Group

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Ever wondered what makes Henderson County's real estate market so resilient, even in the face of changing interest rates and political climates? Tune in to this special episode celebrating 10 years of The George Real Estate Group's broadcast on WHKP, where we unpack the secrets behind our local market's year-round strength. We also pay homage to the dedicated apple growers who contribute a whopping $30 million to our economy, cementing their status as our Hometown Heroes. Learn firsthand about the region's ideal conditions for apple production and how these local heroes sustain both our economy and heritage.

Join us as we celebrate the recent 78th North Carolina Apple Festival and share insights from key figures like the Stepp family and Grand Marshals Wanda and Roy Williams. Discover the evolution of our apple industry from wholesale to a vibrant mix of retail and tourism, including popular U-Pick orchards and cherished local recipes. Plus, don't miss our exciting open house event showcasing a diverse range of homes in Henderson County and Weaverville. Whether you're curious about the dynamic apple farming landscape or looking to explore real estate opportunities, this episode offers something for everyone.

Speaker 1:

The George Real Estate Group radio broadcast is celebrating 10 years on WHKP. The George Real Estate Group is celebrating 10 years on the radio, live every Thursday morning at 10.05 on WHKP 107.7 FM and AM 1450 and streaming online at WHkpcom. Each Friday morning at 845,. The George Real Estate Group presents the Hometown Hero Award to someone in our community who goes above and beyond to make our hometown a better place to live. Here's this week's Hometown Hero Show. It's 845 and it's Friday morning and that is always time to celebrate our George Real Estate Group Hometown Hero and get to visit with my good friend Noah. George Noah, how in the world are you Good?

Speaker 2:

morning and I'm doing wonderful, fantastic, it's Friday morning.

Speaker 1:

Even though it's Friday the 13th, are you?

Speaker 2:

I'm not superstitious.

Speaker 1:

My birthday is on the 13th and once in a while it falls on Friday, the 13th, and I always have that's a special birthday to me that is a special birthday. Well, how's things in the real estate?

Speaker 2:

world. Well, the market is still sustaining great activity. I mean we're seeing, you know, in Henderson County alone, 123 single family homes a month selling, and that's not including condos or townhomes or land. That's you know, and then, by the way, all our surrounding counties. I mean there's healthy activity happening both on the buying and selling side, regardless of the interest rates, regardless of the upcoming election, regardless of the stock market. I mean real estate in our area is very healthy. It's a great balance between supply and demand and in fact we're continuing to see appreciation.

Speaker 1:

Well, to testify to the fact that it's busy, you told me before we went on the air that you have like six open houses and we'll get into each one of those individually here in a minute, but it's busy. Oh, we are.

Speaker 2:

I mean year-round here homes are selling. It's a perception that you know, oh, nothing sells in the winter, or I mean it's, you know, year round and certainly there's an ebb and flow. I mean the month of August, some 180 single family homes sold. And that's again when I talk about the average. That's a 12 month average, but the month of August was 180 single family homes that closed.

Speaker 2:

Like you said, not counting condos, land et cetera, but the month of August was 180 single-family homes that closed, like you said, not counting condos, land et cetera, or townhomes, or even there's builders out there that are privately building homes and some of those never even hit the market. But I mean buyers are buying the raw land and they're developing it, they're contracting with the builders.

Speaker 1:

I mean the growth here is significant managing that growth uh is uh is one of the tasks of our founding uh, our town leaders and county leaders, and they're working on that now and that sort of brings me around to the uh topic today and our subject today for the Hometown Hero. We kind of collectively got together and said let's honor the apple growers because they are in the process of bringing in their $30 million annual crop to the market right here in Henderson County and all of the producers, all of those 90 growers, are saying this is an excellent year for apple production and growth. This is a great crop of apples.

Speaker 2:

Well, in the apple industry is, I mean Henderson County. It has been part of the long heritage of the agricultural community here in Henderson County. But the apple growers in Henderson County, the economic impact you said the $30 million economic impact is significant. I mean it's the apple capital of North Carolina.

Speaker 1:

I mean it's the apple capital of North Carolina and that is like the seventh largest apple-producing county in the country. Is that?

Speaker 2:

I've heard that. And also, apparently, Henderson County is responsible for producing around 85% of the apples grown in the entire state.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

But it's our area's climate the cool mountain air, the high elevation, the fertile state. Okay, but it's our area's climate the cool mountain air, the high elevation, the fertile soil.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

It's really the perfect conditions for growing a variety of apples.

Speaker 1:

It is. It's the plateau here in the mountains and about, like we said, 90 different growers recognize that and produce this $30 million crop. There's also the ancillary industries that are associated with apple farming and those like packing and distributing. There are like 16 different packers and distributors here in Henderson County who process these apples here in Henderson County who process these apples and there's over 1,500 apple farm workers and they bring in over 3 million bushels of apples a year. 3 million bushels of apples.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's amazing, you know, I think I heard in our region there's some 150 apple growers. I mean, again, we're talking specifically about Henderson County, but across the region there's some 150 in some 5,000 acres of apple orchards across the region. I don't have the number specifically for Henderson County, but you know the industry, you know has grown here and it started out, you know, hundreds of years ago here, really, the, the agricultural industry. But you know, with the change from, uh, you know, and then with the technology changes, the, the, the farming techniques. You know the growers here, you know taking different approaches. But you know, going from, you know, originally it was a lot of wholesalers, I mean it was, you know, the industry to now, where it's, it's shifted into, you know, more touristic, uh, you know tourism, um, you know the, the industry, it's still, there's still both, it's still wholesale, uh, but also the, the, um, the retail side of it as well.

Speaker 1:

The retail side of it is, and I think, as a consumer, that's where it should go. It is fun to visit these apple farms and these orchards and these pick-your-owns and most of the apple growers here always put out the best foot forward. You're going to find everything in the world, from apple cider to apple pies and all kinds of fun things for the kids to do when you take them to the orchards. Yeah, it's amazing.

Speaker 2:

And a few weeks ago we had the Stepp family on the radio a few Thursdays ago and getting to hear about their incredible farm Again one of many here in the community and you can actually go back to our podcast and listen to that interview with Danielle. It was amazing to hear their history and their story. And then again the U-Pick your own apples and all the activities and all the food. I actually literally in my car this morning as I was headed out the door, I had a bag of Honeycrisp apples and I threw a Honeycrisp apple in my car this morning.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to have that this morning, absolutely. It's such a convenient and healthy snack. It's such a convenient and healthy snack and I'm always amazed if you get near one of these old-time apple farmers around here and you happen to get invited to sit down at the table of one of these ladies who's been cooking apples in every kind and every form and every fashion in the world for a whole generation. Honey, she's going to make you some applesauce and some apple pie. That will just knock your socks off. These ladies know how to treat an apple.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, there's so many different ways you can slice it, you can cook it, you can enjoy it. Yeah, absolutely. It's again our apple industry and our apple growers. We wanted to take time this morning to honor them as the collective hometown heroes, as this week's hometown hero.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. And a little side salute going out to all of the folks who put on an amazing, successful Apple Festival to celebrate that apple crop. It was a great success. Another Apple Festival.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, tremendous success, the completion of the 78th North Carolina Apple Festival this past Labor Day weekend and we had so much fun here on the radio doing all the different interviews with so many different, whether it was the volunteer coordinators, the president of the Apple Festival, Josh English, and Paula Roberts was so gracious to coordinate everybody Through the month of August. It was a lot of fun.

Speaker 2:

All the interviews we had and different volunteer coordinators, the vendors, the committee, and then it was a really special time you and I had the privilege of interviewing Wanda and Roy Williams, the Grand Marshals of the Apple Festival Parade. They were so gracious to come on the radio with us. Again, all these are on the podcast if you want to go back and check them out.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, and I think our town fell in love with Wanda and Roy Williams. They were just greeted on Main Street in the parade with a lot of love.

Speaker 2:

It was amazing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, well, again, we salute the apple farmers of Henderson County on another successful year, and I hope we're right back here next year doing the same thing, celebrating another apple crop those open houses that you told me about earlier, let's talk.

Speaker 2:

Well, we're so excited and we're excited to share with our listeners about this six-home open house extravaganza this Sunday 2 to 4. And we have a wide variety of homes available, stunning homes, and we're a modest group of 20-plus agents at the Georgia Real Estate Group but six of our agents are hosting these six different homes that we have available in all different price ranges, and most of them are in Henderson County and majority of them are in Hendersonville. But we also have one of the homes is in Weaverville. Okay, wonderful 1937 bungalow on 22 Alabama. At 22 Alabama Avenue. It's a four bedroom, two bath home over 2,100 square feet, built in 1937. It's incredible condition. You can walk to downtown Weaverville and that home's only $695 up in Weaverville. That home's one of the homes that's going to be on the market, but everything else is in Henderson County.

Speaker 1:

And tell us about some of those listings, Noel. What are their?

Speaker 2:

Well, we have again a wide variety. Another one that we're so excited about is up in Laurel Park, 124 Sky Village Lane. This home has been under the same ownership, I think some 30 years. So the fact that it's now available on the market you know they bought it some 30 years ago and have enjoyed it so much and over the 30 years, the improvements, the updates that they did on it. It's a 1956 home, you know classic, you know mid, was it mid-century modern?

Speaker 2:

I mean it's a wonderful one-level home, almost 2,000 square feet, beautiful. They put on a beautiful glassed-in side room. I'm not saying it correctly, but this beautiful glassed-in sunroom.

Speaker 1:

That's the word I was looking for.

Speaker 2:

It's stunning and the home's one level. That home's on the. It's a four bedroom, three bath, 599, almost 2000 square feet, and views up in Laurel Park, 1956 home, 124 Sky Village Lane. Another one we have is in the very desirable neighborhood Hunter's Crossing in Hendersonville, 26 Chariot Court, and that one is for $515. And that just had a nice price reduction to $515. That's a three-bedroom, three-bath, 2,300 square foot home, three quarters of an acre. 1984 home, 26 Chariot Court. That's in Hendersonville. And then we have a very unique property, also on the open house extravaganza 2622 Greenville Highway, originally built in 1830, the main portion of the house and then added on in 1920s. It was at one point the. It was the at one point the post office of flat rock. Really it was a general store. Even carl sandberg came and spent time there. He even mailed off his manuscripts from that, that, that old post office. 2622 greenville highway uh, we're calling it built in 1920s but the original portion was 1830s and it still has original hardwood floors.

Speaker 1:

Wow, so that's right there in the heart of Flat Rock.

Speaker 2:

Right in the heart of Flat Rock and that's for $465,000. Beautiful property. And then 60 Kenross Drive in Flat Rock, which is also in the heart of Flat Rock, in Bon Clarkin Five bedrooms, four baths for $450,000. And then 23 Leafwood Lane in Zirconia for $439,000, four bedrooms, three baths. We have incredible inventory. These all have just come on the market in the last couple weeks and we're excited about this open house. Our agents, julia, ari, amy, victoria, another Amy and Jay they're so excited to be hosting these houses this Sunday 2 to 4. And you can find all the information on our website, realestatebygregcom. You can also go to our Facebook page, george Real Estate Group Facebook page. We're going to have all the details up there here shortly this morning.

Speaker 1:

You can probably see some pictures of these homes. Well, that's right. The pictures.

Speaker 2:

you can see the addresses, how to get there, the descriptions, all the pictures. We have incredible professional photography of all these homes we're so excited to have again. We are so busy, we're so grateful for the activity and we have an incredible group of agents, our staff, our team, and we're really enthusiastic about helping out our team.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for joining us for the George Real Estate Group Hometown Hero Series. We'll be back with you next Friday morning. Fall is just around the corner and it's the perfect time to fall in love with your new home, the George Real Estate Group.

Speaker 2:

We're here helping our clients find their perfect home. We're also helping our clients sell. It's a great time to sell and with this new season comes new opportunities.

Speaker 1:

You guys are seeing a lot of activity in the real estate market. Continued right.

Speaker 2:

The market is as strong as ever. The activity, the buyer activity. Buyers are buying, interest rates are falling, prices keep going up. The environment is wonderful to sell your home and to find the next perfect home. Remember the.

Speaker 1:

George Real Estate Group podcast series available wherever you get your podcast, and you guys are in Flat Rock, north Carolina.

Speaker 2:

We serve all of Western North Carolina. We serve upstate South Carolina as well. Give us a call at 828-393-0134.

Speaker 1:

The George Real Estate Group is located in Flat Rock, north Carolina, near Hendersonville in Henderson County. You can find them online at realestatebygregcom. The George Real Estate Group can be reached at 828-393-0134 or stop by their office at 2720 greenville highway, flat rock, north carolina. Tune in live each week on thursdays at 10 0 5 am on whkp 107.7 fm and 14 50 am, or stream online at whkpcom or download these podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. The George Real Estate Group brings you the WHKP Hometown Hero Series every Friday morning at 845.