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Community Good Friday Service Returns at Banner Elk Presbyterian Church on March 29

March 13, 2024 A Tenebrae Service will be held on Good Friday, March 29, 2024, at 6 PM at the historic Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. The community is invited to join a powerful service of readings and songs entitled “7 Last Words”. Christ’s final words will be represented through scripture, meditations and poetry paired with music by the adult choir, handbell choir, soloists, organist and cellist. “Many artists and theologians have addressed the last seven phrases Christ spoke from the cross,” says Dr. Janet Speer, writer for the service. “These words amaze us in their poignancy. Not only are they informative about the brutal crucifixion, but they expand into lessons to be applied to our lives.”

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Lees-McRae College Summer Theatre Announces Exciting New 2024 Season Featuring Audience Favorites; Tickets Go on Sale Monday, April 1

March 5, 2024 Get ready for another summer of engrossing performances, stunning set design, and inspiring stories with the latest season of Lees-McRae Summer Theatre. The 2024 season of the beloved theatre series is the official kickoff of the college’s 125-year anniversary celebration, and Lees-McRae is bringing back some crowd favorites to commemorate the milestone. This year’s season will feature an all-new variety show and a revival of the beloved local history tale “From the Mountaintop: The Edgar Tufts Story.”

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Banner Elk Presbyterian Church Invites All to Lent & Easter Services

February 5, 2024  Worship services throughout this year’s season of Lent and Easter Sunday at Banner Elk Presbyterian Church will include special community gatherings for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The season of Lent is a time of prayer and self-examination in preparation for the celebration of the resurrection of the Lord at Easter. “Lent is a time to re-connect with our faith,” says Rev. Whit Malone, Pastor. “Some people give up damaging behaviors to draw closer to God. Others add new practices including service in the community.”

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High Country Real Estate: Permit Me to Speak to You About Permits

December 28, 2023 Well, Christmas 2023 is in the books and New Year 2024 is rolling towards us at a pretty fast pace. It’s hard to believe it’s all coming around again. Once the holiday season is completely over, you may be looking for your next project; if the project you settle on happens to be finishing an unfinished basement let’s talk about the importance of permits… Many people think that finishing unfinished space in their homes by doing everything themselves and avoiding getting permits is a faster, smarter, cheaper way to get the job done. While it might be faster, it is seldom smarter, and in the long run, often ends up costing more than taking the necessary steps to pull the permits. Not to mention it is technically illegal to finish an unfinished basement (or other space) without the proper permits from the local government.  By Michelle Hammond, REALTOR

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Who are the real winners in the real estate class action lawsuits?

November 21, 2023 As the CEO of the High Country Association of Realtors® and Multiple Listing Service (MLS), representing more than 800 members and 1,100 MLS subscribers, I felt it imperative to address the current legal landscape in our industry. While there are a number of cases being litigated across the country, none of which are in North Carolina or South Carolina, the outcome of these cases will negatively impact the consumer. By Cheryl Smith, Chief Executive Officer

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Joyous Community Carol Sing Returns to Banner Elk Presbyterian Church

November 14, 2023 On Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 3 PM, join a festive sing-along of familiar Christmas carols in the sanctuary of the historic Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. The third annual Community Carol Sing is a 45-minute casual service that includes a dozen favorite songs, ranging from White Christmas to Joy to the World, that all ages will enjoy. Last year, a capacity crowd joined in enthusiastic singing.To allow the audience to rest their voices occasionally, the Lees-McRae Highlanders, church choir and soloists will sing beloved classics including O Holy Night and Jingle Bell Rock. The singing is led by the church Choral Director Nina Allbert and Pianist/Organist David Soyars. 

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Still the Same Since ’78: Banner Elk’s Woolly Worm Festival

October 11, 2023 BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lots of things have changed since 1978, but one thing remains the same: People still gather by the thousands the third weekend of October to watch woolly worms race at the Woolly Worm Festival in downtown Banner Elk. This year’s event – the 46th annual – takes place Oct. 21-22 on the field of the Historic Banner Elk School.

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High Country Real Estate: September Statistics

October 5, 2023 Welcome to October in the High Country, also known as the closest thing to heaven known to humans. It’s not just about pumpkin spice and sweater weather that accompany the dropping  temperatures. With the  leaves changing daily, every ride in sight of trees is a burst of glorious color that is different with every single trip. There is a golden quality to the light that kisses these slightly shorter days but it only lasts such a short time. By Karen Cleghorn, REALTOR

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High Country Real Estate: Adieu August

September 7, 2023 The official, astronomical end of summer isn’t until Saturday, September 23, though the meteorlogical  summer ended August 31. While the mercury is still spending a lot of its time in the upper range of the thermometer, pumpkin spice has hit the coffee shops and if you look you will notice the leaves are beginning to change. We are 2/3 of the way through 2023 and it won’t be long before the temperature is dropping and the leaves are  displaying their most glorious season of splendor. By Sandi Dascoulias, REALTOR

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High Country Real Estate: Best Upgrades to Add Value to Your Home

August 31, 2023 When most people think about “The American Dream,” homeownership is always a major component of that dream. But purchasing a home is just the first step of homeownership. Homeownership is a living investment, not a static one. It’s more than just making your mortgage payment. Well, theoretically, a homeowner could simply make their mortgage payment (along with taxes, insurance and utilities) and still maintain their investment. Theoretically.   By Breanna McKay, REALTOR

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High Country Real Estate: July Snapshot

August 24, 2023 While we look at statistics at least once a month, occasionally we like to take a look at what we call a “snapshot” of the market. Looking at three different homes in different areas in similar price ranges and compare their characteristics. By Stephen Holland, REALTOR

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July 2023 MLS Report From High Country Realtors

August 16, 2023 During July High Country Realtors® have been busy. There were 187 closed sales on residential properties for a combined worth of just over $103 million in the four county High Country Association of Realtors® area of Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, and Watauga Counties.

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Sugar Mountain Golf Classic Returns August 26-27

July 27, 2023 The Sugar Mountain Golf Club will host their annual tournament, the Sugar Mountain Golf Classic, on August 26-27. The two days of individual medal, stroke play is open to amateur men and women 18 years of age and up. Voted the #2 executive course in the USA, this public course owned and operated by the Village is one of the most popular in the High Country.

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High Country Real Estate: Lead Based Paint in Real Estate

July 6, 2023 Lead is a naturally occurring element in the earth. It’s symbol is Pb on the Periodic Table of Elements and it’s atomic number is 82. It is a soft metal, dense, yet malleable, ductile but corrosion resistant. Lead has a relatively low melting point making it an ideal metal for industrial and manufacturing uses.  By John Thomas, REALTOR

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Banner Elk Presbyterian Church Celebrates 130 Years During July

June 29, 2023 (Banner Elk) Banner Elk Presbyterian Church invites the community to help celebrate its 130th Anniversary during the month of July. With the theme of “Celebrate our Past, Cultivate our Future”, the series of events will include special worship services. Each of the five July Sundays will feature a different history focus at the 9 AM & 11 AM worship services with the themes of Believe, Heal, Care, Teach and Rejoice. The last Sunday, July 30, will be their second annual Old Time Favorites Hymn Sing.

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Farm Fresh: Organic organization cultivates community and fresh fare from the farm

June 26, 2023 Find women doing outstanding work in their field via Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, a female-led organization dedicated to fostering a sustainable and fair food scene in the High Country. To do this, the organization bolsters local producers and creates connections among the community that contribute to knowledge and excitement of eating farm-grown food—ultimately upping the local demand and desire for local fare. By Anna Beth Adcock

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Check Out Banner Elk’s Art on the Greene Summer Series

June 15, 2023 BANNER ELK, N.C. – Banner Elk’s popular Art on the Greene series continues with shows the first weekends of July, August and September. The dates are July 1-2, Aug. 5-6 and Sept. 2-3.The shows fill the area in front of the Historic Banner Elk School with fine art from local and regional artists representing a variety of media, such as ceramics, glass, metal, wood, watercolor, acrylics and oil. Between 50-75 juried artists display their work at each event.

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Real Estate in the High Country: May Real Estate

June 8, 2023 Was May 2023 a good month for real estate in the High Country? May-be! According to the High Country Association of REALTORS, there were 183 residential sales in May of 2023. The lowest listing price was $68,000, the lowest sales price was $55,000. The highest listing price was $3,2000,000, the lowest sales price was $3,100,000. The average listing price was $576,286 and the average sales price was $559,489. The median listing price was $450,000 and the median sales price was also $450,000. By Kaitlin Crawford, REALTOR

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April 2023 MLS REPORT from High Country Association of Realtors

May 11, 2023 Quoting Ed Gianos, Founder of Domus Analytics, he says concerning statistics across the country: “In short: it’s still a market that’s changing rapidly and can’t decide what direction it’s going. Inventory is increasing until it’s not. Prices are falling until they don’t. DOM is increasing until it isn’t. The increasing mortgage rate environment seemed to put a damper on things over the winter, but rates wiggled, prices are still increasing in some markets, and sales and closings are still happening. A good listing priced fairly will still sell. As we head into the traditionally busy summer selling season, it will be interesting to watch where the market moves.” 

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High Country Real Estate XII: The Power of Flowers

May 10, 2023 We’ve all heard the old adage, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” But we’ve also been told “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” In a recent article from RIS Media entitled: Mulch Matters! How Curb Appeal Can Spark (or Sink) A Sale REALTOR® Alex Chingas relayed the following: “We recently had an appointment with a home stager to come look at a house that we would be listing,” he says. “The stager remarked to the client right at the front door that ‘Before I even come inside, I have to tell you that you have the wrong color mulch.’ She said that red mulch was a hindrance, and, while she happened to like it personally, that sellers don’t get big money with that color.”  By Becky Morgan, Realtor

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High Country Real Estate: Article XI

May 4, 2023 If the old saying about April showers bringing May flowers is true, May should be one blossom after another this year! With April done and dusted, let’s talk about the real estate numbers… There were 139 residential sales in the High Country in April with a volume of $74,714,772. List prices ranged from $59,950 to $3,750,000 with an average list price of $560,126 and median list price of $424,500. By Karen Cleghorn, Realtor

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Banner Elk Fire Department Gets Rescue Equipment Thanks to Community Fundraiser

May 4, 2023 Banner Elk, NC – After months of planning and fabrication, Banner Elk Fire Rescue received the new mountain rescue equipment that was funded by the community fundraiser at Banner Elk Presbyterian Church in August 2022. During the three performances of the musical “Always Nina”, the audiences donated more than $8,000. The much-needed tools for the volunteer firefighters include a rescue basket and an extensive twin tension rope system kit.

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2023 Lees- McRae Summer Theatre Season Celebrates the History, Culture and Stories of NC

May 3, 2023 BANNER ELK, N.C.─ The 2023 season of Lees-McRae Summer Theatre is right around the corner and tickets for this season are available online now. The in-person box office will be open Wednesday, June 14−Saturday, July 29 and will be reachable by phone at 828.898.8709. This year every Summer Theatre production will celebrate the history, diversity, and natural beauty of North Carolina. Kicking off the celebration of this wonderful state will be the “Red, White, and Blue Ridge Variety Show.” With productions at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 30 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 2, the variety show, directed by Janet Barton Speer, will be fun for the whole family.

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High Country Real Estate: Article VIII – First Quarter 2023 Statistics

April 13, 2023 Last time, Real Estate in the High Country looked at the sales numbers for the first quarter of 2023. This time, as promised, we’re going to be looking at more than just pricing statistics for the same time period. All data is courtesy of the High Country Association of REALTORS and the High Country Multiple Listing Service.  By Bill Aceto

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