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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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Packed House for Information Session on Burying Downtown Utility Lines in Blowing Rock

May 2, 2023 .More than 100 concerned citizens attended a community meeting Monday night at the American Legion in Blowing Rock for a question and answer session regarding the burying of downtown underground power and communication lines. Blowing Rock town manager Shane Fox started the meeting with a brief overview of the project and how the project came about. “Fifty or sixty years ago this conversation came up,” Fox said. “And then, periodically, this topic would come up every few years,” he added. By Kris Testori

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High Country Realty: The Economy and The Housing Market in the High Country

April 27, 2023 Walking the aisles of the grocery store, or filling the gas tank of your car, it might be hard to believe, but the numbers are in, and  inflation is the lowest it’s been in 2 years. Last week, for the fifth straight week mortgage rates dipped. For those in the market to purchase a home, this is good news.  By Todd Rice

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Alair Homes Announces Environmental Stewardship Commitment with Watauga Riverkeeper; Kicks Off with Planting Native Trees in Floodplains

April 25, 2023 Alair Homes announced a five-year environmental stewardship commitment with the Watauga Riverkeeper Thursday. To celebrate the launch, teams from both organizations worked together, planting native trees and live stakes in the wetlands on The Middle Fork Greenway. The Greenway, a multi-use recreational trail, is being developed to connect Blowing Rock to Boone.   “We have a unique opportunity to use our collective voices to influence others to create a cleaner, more sustainable environment,” said Whitney Brown of Alair Homes Carolinas. “This positive environmental impact, while seemingly small in scale, would be the first step to fostering better habits and, in turn, influencing others to live better. Change starts with us, as individuals, working together with local partners like the Watauga Riverkeeper.”

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Casting Bread and Winston Salem Urban League Recruiting Seniors 55+ for Employment Opportunity

April 25, 2023 BLOWING ROCK, N.C. – April 25, 2023 – Casting Bread and the Winston Salem Urban League have a longstanding partnership that provides employment opportunities for senior citizens in Watauga County. If you are 55 or older, seeking employment, and would enjoy working for an organization that helps some of your neighbors in need, the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) may be for you.

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Casting Bread and Blue Cross Blue Shield Launch Pop-up Food Pantry

April 24, 2023 BLOWING ROCK, N.C. – April 24, 2023 – On April 20, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina hosted a pop-up pantry at its new Boone office with food provided by Casting Bread. The two organizations will continue to partner for this initiative monthly through August for anyone who is in need. The new Blue Cross Blue Shield location is at 2640 NC Highway 105, Suite 101, in the bottom-left side of the Graystone Eye building. The office was completed less than a month ago and the grand opening will be held later this week. 

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High Country Realty: The Economy and The Housing Market in the High Country

April 20, 2023 Walking the aisles of the grocery store, or filling the gas tank of your car, it might be hard to believe, but the numbers are in, and  inflation is the lowest it’s been in 2 years. Last week, for the fifth straight week mortgage rates dipped. For those in the market to purchase a home, this is good news. It’s also pretty good news for homeowners looking to sell their current homes.  By Todd Rice

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Alexander County Hires New County Manager 

April 18, 2023 In February of this year, the Alexander County Board of Commissioners embarked on an extensive hiring process to select the best candidate to serve as the next county manager. Hiring a county manager is one of the most important decisions that a board makes. It impacts the effectiveness of the board and the services to the residents and businesses of the county. The Alexander County Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce that Shane Fox will serve as the next county manager. The Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Mr. Fox as the county manager at their meeting on April 17, 2023, and he is slated to begin in the position on June 7, 2023.

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New Park Place Florist Owner Planting Fresh Roots in Blowing Rock; Looking Forward to a Busy Wedding and Prom Season

April 18, 2023 Park Place Florist, at 133 Morris Street, Suite 3, in downtown Blowing Rock, is taking on a new life, with a new owner. Holly Newsome bought Park Place Florist from long-time Blowing Rock business owner Carol Aldridge in December. “I am thrilled to be here in Blowing Rock. I love this area more than any other place on earth,” Newsome said. By Kris Testori

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Blowing Rock’s Colley, Tuxbury lower their legal PRs in Rotterdam Marathon

April 17, 2023 Rotterdam, Netherlands — Even in elite distance running where the competing athletes are highly trained, different race patterns evolve. In the NN Rotterdam Marathon on April 16, two Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance team members used different approaches to recording new (legal) personal bests for the 26.2 miles distance. By David Rogers

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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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High Country Real Estate: First Quarter 2023 Real Estate in the High Country

April 4, 2023 It’s hard to believe, but the first quarter of 2023 is already in the history books. Despite the rise in interest rates and general concern over the economy, real estate closings in the High Country from January to March were still fairly healthy, with a total volume of $274,145,344 reported to the High Country Association of REALTORSⓇ. By Tracy Simms

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En Plein Air: Artists take it outside in the High Country

April 4, 2023 Most people see a color as “brownish orange,” but Kim Abernethy sees it as “transparent earth red.” It is the shade she uses as the first layer — or underpainting — in many of her landscape oil paintings. “I paint a lot of greens in my landscapes, and the earth red really makes them pop,” Abernethy explained. Abernethy, an accomplished artist in the area, is a member of High Country Plein Air Painters, a group that meets weekly during early spring through late fall, to paint “en plein air” — or “in the open air.” They gather on Wednesday mornings at area landmarks such as Daniel Boone Gardens, Moses Cone Memorial Park, Bass Lake or other scenic spots. By Jan Todd

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What a whopper! Mundy lands 24 incher for 2023 Blowing Rock Trout Derby

April 3, 2023 BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — The newest attraction at Tweetsie Railroad may well be the nearby Middle Fork South Fork of the New River — because that is where Dalton Mundy reeled in a whopper: a 24-inch Brown trout. And this is not a whopper that got away tale because young Mr. Mundy registered the fish at Blowing Rock Trout Derby headquarters on April 1. He was a double winner for the 43rd annual Trout Derby event: [1] largest fish caught in the boys “harvest” division and [2] the largest by species (Brown), earning a custom made Trout Derby trophy, a bunch of fishing gear, and $100 cash. By David Rogers

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Daily Thread’s Grand Opening at Shoppes on the Parkway

March 31, 2023 The Daily Thread ethos is best defined by three core pillars: Fashion. Brands. Value. The strategy? To channel our company’s unrivaled manufacturing and distribution resources directly to consumers for the ultimate in style and value. Our commitment has paid off and we are proud to have been named one of the fastest growing retail chains in the United States. The future is looking bright at The Daily Thread and 2023 is set to be our most exciting year to date as we continue making waves in the retail space by opening several new stores in the U.S. in 2023.

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Outdoor Adventure Seekers Have a New Place to Shop and Sip

March 28, 2023 The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce celebrated the official opening of Speckled Trout Outfitters with a ribbon cutting Friday afternoon. More than 150 people attended the event. “I think this is probably one of the largest crowds we’ve ever had at a ribbon cutting,” said Cathy Barker, Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce’s membership engagement director. The outdoor shop and tap room are located at 916 Main Street, next door to the Speckled Trout Restaurant and Bottle Shop.   By Kris Testori

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 Blowing Rock Chamber kicks off the 2023 Business After Hours series

March 23, 2023 The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce hosted its first Business After Hours of the year Tuesday evening at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum.
Held once a month, Business After Hours provides networking opportunities for its members, gives business owners a chance to meet one another, and offers opportunities for conversations related to local businesses and the community.

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High Country Real Estate: PANTONE® recently announced their pick for 2023’s color of the year

March 22, 2023 Viva Magenta is very vibrant. Very. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with vibrant colors. Nothing at all. And if you have been waiting your whole life for the color of the year to be in the magenta family so you could paint your entire house magenta and be 100% on point for the year…WOOHOO! Congrats! It’s finally happened! But what happens when PANTONE® announces 2024’s color of the year? Trust me, it’s not going to be Viva Magenta again. It’s just not.  By Bill Aceto

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43rd Blowing Rock Trout Derby on Saturday, April 1

March 20, 2023 The 43rd Blowing Rock Trout Derby is happening on Saturday, April 1. This year there are two ways to participate; the Classic Tournament and the Catch and Release Tournament.  Participants do not have to pre-register and there are no entry fees. The Classic Tournament begins at sunrise on April 1, 2023, and ends at 4:00 PM. Trout caught in any public Watauga County body of water on April 1 can be entered for measuring. Catches should be taken to the Official Derby Headquarters by 4:00 PM for measuring. Derby headquarters are located in the Blowing Rock Clubhouse, at 108 Lakeside Drive.  By Kris Testori

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High Country Real Estate 

March 16, 2023 Spring springs next week and the clocks sprang forward this past Sunday. Did you change the battery or batteries in your smoke detector or smoke detectors? If not, stop reading, go grab a ladder and some batteries and change them. You back? OK. Good. A lot of real estate columns and blogs will give you tips and tricks and advice on the best improvements to make to your home to “add value” to your investment. Likely, this column will too, eventually. By Bill Aceto

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