George Real Estate Group Radio Broadcast

From Interest Rates to Inner Purpose: How Henderson County Real Estate and Your Life Story Align

• George Real Estate Group

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Markets are moving, but the bigger question is: what meaning will you choose? We dig into Henderson County’s latest housing trends—rising sales volume, steady prices, and an expanding inventory that gives buyers more choice while stretching time on market for sellers. Then we zoom out and connect decisions to direction, using a clear framework from Donald Miller’s Hero on a Mission to help you step out of drift and into a story you actually want to live.

We start with a crisp read on the data: roughly 1,600 homes sold over the last 12 months, an average price near $535K, and a five‑month supply that signals a balanced, healthier market. Year‑to‑date sales are up, pointing to renewed buyer confidence and a likely 2025 that edges past 2024 in total transactions. Pricing has flattened after a multi‑year climb, which is less a fall than a reset toward normal. For sellers, that means pricing to compete and preparing homes that appraise cleanly; for buyers, it’s a chance to negotiate credits, explore rate buydowns, and find the right fit without the frenzy.

From there, we talk about choices that outlast market cycles. You’ll hear how the four roles—victim, villain, hero, guide—show up in everyday life and real estate, and how writing your own eulogy can focus the next step you take. If “present for family” is a value, a move closer to care may be the smart play. If “wise steward” guides your decisions, 1031 exchanges and Delaware Statutory Trusts might realign a portfolio for passive income and estate goals. We also highlight community resilience after Helene and the stories of neighbors who turned hardship into service, a reminder that meaning grows when we help others win.

Looking to buy, sell, invest, or simply plan well? Let’s align the math with your mission so the next chapter fits who you’re becoming. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review with one question you want answered on the next show.

SPEAKER_01:

Hello, friends. Thank you so much for being here. This is the George Real Estate Group podcast, which is a production of our live weekly radio shows hosted on multiple radio stations here in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The George Real Estate Group serves Western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina, and it is a privilege to share positive news about our local real estate market and community. Thanks so much for subscribing. And of course, if you have any real estate questions or if we can help you in any way, be sure to reach out. Visit us at George Real Estate Group Radio.com for more information. Good morning and welcome to the George Real Estate Group live radio broadcast here on WHKP every Thursday morning sharing you positive news about the real estate market. Grateful to be here with you. We already got the phones ringing off the hook. That's a great, already a great start to a show. And if you're tuning in for the first time ever, the George Real Estate Group, we're located in Flat Rock, right next to the Flat Rock Bakery, Hubba Hubba Barbecue, Campfire Grill. Our friends at Hubaloo, they're actually celebrating their one-year anniversary. They're actually giving away free coffee from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. with an order, celebrating their one-year anniversary. It used to be honey and salt. And also our friends at the Wrinkled Egg. We have an incredible group of local businesses, independent uh businesses and restaurants and and wonderful people serving the community. We have people coming in from all over. It is seemed to be a bit of a destination. If you're a Henderson County uh local, stop by, say hello, we'll get you a cup of coffee. But we've been there uh for a number of years. Uh this is actually my 20th year of my broker's license, and the market we've experienced is is always evolving and it's changing. And that's why at the radio show we try to educate our listeners and share about what's going on in the market, what's going on in the economy, what's going on with interest rates, and and just provide some perspective. I I don't know if you've heard this. We get to decide what things mean. I mean, things happen, uh, and again, the interest rates are what they are, the housing market is what it is, the inventory levels, the this could be, I mean, it could even be your own business, the you know, the economy. We get to decide what things mean. We get to decide how we're going to respond to them. We get to decide uh the meaning of things in perspective, and we'll jump into that conversation a little later. But you know, the market here, just to give you a snapshot of what's going on in the market over the last 12 months in Henderson County, almost 1,600 home sales. That the market keeps moving. We've actually had more homes sell in the current 12 months than the previous 12 months. I mean, you know, we're averaging some uh you know, almost 130 single-family homes a month selling. Actually, excuse me, that's 132 single-family homes a month selling. There's only some 670 active homes in the market. Our average price is at 535. And uh, I will break it down as to what it that's looked like over the last uh over the last uh you know five years and look at some trends. Uh the market just keeps moving. We're very grateful. We we we're helping people every single day with the buying and selling process. Just to give you a snapshot in the last seven days in Henderson County. There's been 44 new listings, there's been 66 price decreases. There's been 37 37 homes go under contract and 42 homes closed. Uh, you know, this is a healthy market. We still have low inventory. We have about a five-month supply. Uh, we have more inventory than we did. Uh that number's been increasing, the inventory levels, which is great. It gives buyers more options. It is causing days on market to be longer for our sellers, which is again, it it puts again, let's put things in the context. I remember vividly in 2010 and 2011 when or even again, even through 12 and 13. I mean, average days on the market was six months. That's not that wasn't an uncommon 180 days, and then started going down. I mean, we we you've had an increase, and again, we we've had like a 30 or 40 percent increase, but you might say, wow, that's a lot, but it's really just now we're looking at 60 days on average uh being on the market for a home before it it sells. And so so many um, you know, pieces of the puzzle and information to consider. But we know real estate happens around life. It could be a really positive reason why you're buying or selling, it could be a challenging reason. No matter what it is, we're here. We'd love to walk through it with you and and and provide clarity and provide information and guidance so you can decide what's right for you. We'll talk a little bit more uh here shortly about just providing guidance and what that looks like and being a guide for someone, and and maybe you've been a guide for others and other aspects, and and we continue to be a guide for our clients. Uh, if again, if you're tuning in for the first time ever, the George Real Estate Group, we're located in Flat Rock. We serve all of Western North Carolina. We also have agents that live and serve in the upstate of South Carolina. We have great agents in both states and that live in both states. And so we have the ability and expertise to help you in both states, uh, primarily Western North Carolina and uh, like I said, Spartanburg and Greenville counties. So if you're thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate or even a career, career in real estate, we'd love to have the conversation. You can find us online at realestatebygreg.com. You can also stop by our office there in Flat Rock 2720 Greenville Highway. We also podcast all of our radio shows. You can find that on your favorite podcast platform. And you can follow us on social media, Facebook and Instagram. So we're here every Thursday morning, right after the 10 o'clock news, and we're here every Friday morning. We sponsor the Hometown Hero Series. And tomorrow morning at 8 45 with the Amish Group Great Needs Ministry, who came here to Henderson County after the storm, and they've been building tiny homes for people whose homes were destroyed. These completely volunteer workers came here, were housed, and they did their work in a former Apple packing house and event center donated by Michael Brown and his family. Michael will be with us Friday morning and tell us about the amazing story and how all these things together, all these things came together, and people are living in these homes today through the great work of the Amish group, Great Needs Ministry. Again, it's amazing. We continue to hear and share amazing stories of Helene, you know, and and our thoughts and prayers. There's still so many people recovering and living through the recovery out in Batcave and Chimney Rock and Girton and Middle Fork. Uh, and this this is still in a lot of this is still Henderson County. You might find it hard to believe. There are areas in Henderson County that are still ground zero and it's gonna be years of recovery. And so our thoughts and prayers and support, and we want to keep telling the stories you know of Helene. We've we've continued to hear amazing stories uh of what's uh how things again all of us remember, and then you know, different you know, ways people navigated through it and and and had to had to figure things out, and and we'll talk more about that. Um in the last 12 months, we're averaging 132 single family homes a month, selling the average prices at 535. Here's a snapshot. Really, over the last really over the last five years, if you look at these trends, I mean really the it was the because of the 2020 and 2021 surge, the the the the activity and the sales, there was a 20 to 40 percent rise um from 20 to 2021, and then into 2022, and then of course 2023, 2024, and in regards to the the number sales, there was a plateau, things normalized post-pandemic, you know, the interest rates were going up. So we've actually had year to date through the end of September in Henderson County, a six percent increase in the number of single-family homes sold, which does reveal again a renewed activity, buyer confidence, but year to date, we've had a six percent increase in from 2024 through the end of September through where we are right now. You know, the the the typical surge, and again, this is just data. The the March through May is our is our strongest months. Really, May is the primary peak. Also, the summer plateau, June to August, remains strong. Uh it's slightly lower than the spring highs, but and then predictable. You know, November to January. Our 2025 early year numbers actually showed better than usual activity, but we were coming off of Helene. The thing is, uh we can say, and it feels in the numbers report, the market really stabilized since 2023 after the pandemic boom and the rate adjustments. You know, 2025 is showing a modest recovery, and likely, you know, that's they're reflecting the bent, you know, the pent-up buyer demand and some rate relief. And so we're if the current trend continues, you know, we could see 2025 actually surpassing the number of homes sold in 2024 by seven to nine percent, making really the first full-year increase since 2021. Also, prices. You know, the the thing about prices, the price really stabilized um and and peaked. I mean, prices peaked really in 2024. This might be a shocking number to hear. Prices actually have risen 54% since 2022. Even with the slight dip I've shared, we our prices have come down a little bit. We've had a uh 2% drop uh in the average single-family home price, year-to-date. Uh, like I shared, uh, the 12-month rolling 12 is at 535. Our year-to-date average price is at 530, but only a 2% drop compared to the 2024 uh numbers. And so again, it's it's a course, there's some rate sensitivity. Buyers are shifting to lower price points. You know, the the thing is though, we are overall though, we're anticipating the number of home sales. They're projecting the number of home sales to be up some seven to eight percent year over year. The price is probably gonna remain flat. I mean, you know, the thing the theme is this things are normalizing, not declining. As the buyers are re-entering, as rates stabilize, sellers are adjusting expectations. Again, all of these things combined, your unique home, your unique situation. We take a very specific approach, and if we can help you in any way, we'd love to provide clarity, provide information, and you can decide what's right for you. You get to decide what the market means for you. You get to decide what your situation means. You know, is it you know, is it a bad thing that you are moving closer to family? Is it a bad thing that you're having to downsize? Is it a bad thing that you're having to sell? I mean, like, and no one has to do anything. You get to decide if this is something you want to do. But these are conversations that we're having with our clients every single day. There's specific home, their specific, you know, situation. Um, and and we we love having these conversations. Um I love uh I'm gonna share about a book I've been reading and I have read, and and I'll I'll lead into it, but you know every great story has a hero, you know, someone who faces challenges, overcomes adversity, and finds meaning in the process. But have you ever stopped to ask, you know, what story am I living? You know, are you the hero? Are you the guide? Or if you're honest, are you stuck playing the victim or the villain in your own narrative? And that's the meaning, and that's the that's the question Donald Miller poses in his powerful book, one of my favorite books, Hero on a Mission, A Path to Meaningful Life. And so I thought in our part of our radio program this morning, unpack the book, not just as an idea, but as really a roadmap uh for creating a life that actually feels meaningful. Uh, Donald Miller's the same guy who wrote Building a Story Brand. It's one of the most practical books ever written on communicating communication and marketing, you know, but on hero on a mission, he turns that lens inward and he takes the same storytelling structure that makes a movie compelling the hero, the villain, the guide, the mission, and says your life works the same way. Are you the main character? You you should be. You are the main character. And the question is, what kind of life and what kind of story are you living? You know, I heard recently said if if your movie, if your excuse me, if your life was a movie and and everybody was watching it, you know, the you you go to these movies and the the audience is screaming, no, don't do that, or or go do this, or you know, like it's so obvious to the audience watching, right? Again, what kind of story are you living? But Miller says there's four main characters we all play at different points in life. You know, you have the victim. It's the the one who feels powerless. You know, everything happens to them. Life is unfair. People disappoint them and they stay stuck. You know, the villain, the one who tries to control others or takes out their pain by causing more of it. You know, villains might get results for a while, but they destroy relationships and themselves in the process. You have the hero, the one who takes responsibility. You know, the hero doesn't always know what they're doing, you know, but they can move forward anyways. They take action, they grow, you know, and and finally, you know, finally the the guide. You know, this the guide is the one who helps others on their missions, usually because they've already walked through their own fire. And so the the secret is the Miller says we're all meant to move from hero to guide, and you're you're you live a meaningful story, and then you use what you've learned to help others in theirs. You know, the the four main characters, you know, some of the the movies that are most easily identified. You think of Lord of the Rings or or Star Wars? It's uh it's easy to identify the the victim, the villain, the hero, the guide in those, in those stories. So, you know, let's pause for a second and bring this home. Think about the story you're living right now. You know, if it were a movie, what kind of scene are you in? Are you climbing the mountain? Are you hiding in the cave? Are you standing still waiting for someone else to fix it? You know, Miller says the way to find meaning isn't by waiting for purpose to fall into your lap. It's by taking responsibility for the story you're writing. One of the most boldest one of the boldest exercises in this book that Donald Miller suggests is something that might surprise most people. Donald Miller invites you to write your own eulogy. I know that might sound morbid, but the point isn't about death. It's about clarity. He says, if you write the story you want told about your life, what you stood for, how you showed up, who you loved, how you made a difference, it gives you a compass for living today. And if someone stood up at your funeral and said, She was courageous, he was generous, they made people feel seen, well, that becomes your mission right now. And that's the kind of thinking that transforms drifting into direction. So after you write the eulogy, Miller gives you a way to turn it into a roadmap. I mean, he calls it the life plan. He breaks it down into one-year, five-year, ten-year visions. And here's the beauty: you don't need to have every detail figured out. You know, heroes don't start with certainty, but they start with movement. They take the first step. You know, I've heard it says we tend we tend to overestimate what we can do in one year, and we tend to underestimate what we can do in three years. You know, but what does my life look like a year from now if I take small daily actions? You know, who am I becoming in five years? You know, what will my story what what story will my 10-year future self thank me for writing? And he calls it living on a mission instead of autopilot. And that's something we can all relate to. Because it's easy to get stuck in the day-to-day grind and forget what forget we're actually writing a story worth living, just floating, versus deciding and taking action and living the life and living the story you want to live. One of my favorite lines that Miller writes is meaning in life isn't something you discover, it's something you create. And that hit me because for so many of us, especially after challenges, especially after loss or change, we start to wonder if there's still more for us to do. And the book reminds us you're not done yet. You you actually can rewrite your story at any time. And meaning doesn't come from ease, you know, it comes from stepping into challenge, facing something bigger than yourself, and growing because of it. And he he actually gives some practical steps that you can do every day. You know, review your story every morning. You know, he actually, you know, what's what look at your daily planner that that reminds you of um your mission. It reminds you of your purpose, you know, and your goals. You know, and then once you're reminded of that, again, you're reviewing your story every morning, then take small, meaningful actions. You know, heroes move even when they don't feel about it. You think about again the Lord of the Rings and Frodo, and he didn't know where he was going, and and yet he he and it by the way, it was pretty scary too. He but he kept moving forward. Heroes move even when they don't feel like it. You know, and then practice gratitude because gratitude turns survival into abundance. It all it also turns scarcity into abundance. And he says if you do that consistently, your life begins to feel like a story that matters, not because everything's perfect, but because you know where you're going. And what I love most about here on the mission is it doesn't tell you to find yourself, it tells you to create yourself. It's not about having an easy life, it's about living a meaningful one. And so meaning comes from responsibility, relationships, and the pursuit of something bigger than comfort. So if you're listening today and you feel a little lost, maybe you're in a hard chapter. You've had setbacks, disappointments, or you've just been floating on autopilot. And so here's the reminder today you're still the author. You can choose to stop being the victim of your story and start being the hero right now. Write your eulogy. Imagine and picture your future. Start small, but start moving. As Donald Miller puts it, the story of your life is a gift you give to the world. So, you know, what kind of story are you going to write? And I was, again, wanting to take some time this morning to share some of these thoughts about the book Hero on a Mission. So the challenge this week, you know, be the hero of your own mission and help someone else become the hero of theirs. Victims heal into heroes. Heroes grow into guides, and then it's really the villains are the victims that never healed. And so the book, absolutely recommend it. Donald Miller, hero on a mission. You get to decide what your story is. And a lot of us you might find yourself in life just drifting. Have you noticed or caught yourself driving and you and you end up at home or you end up at your office and you don't remember getting there? Your brain was unconsciously driving. You got there safely, but if that's that's how easy it is to drift into life. And so defining what you want, facing your challenges, and and again, creating the story and living the story that you want. So think about what you want your future to look like. There's some these exercises I mentioned are so helpful to clarify what really matters. And again, it it doesn't mean life is easy, but it can be meaningful. And sometimes things are painful that you have to walk through, but they are necessary. And so in in the struggle, you grow and you change, and you become more of who you want to be. And again, this is the growth of uh a victim that heals into a hero, and then the hero that that grows into a guide. You know, I love these conversations. We we're talking, you know, the thing is about real estate, we are it's a privilege to sit down and meet people where they're at. And real estate's usually one of the biggest financial transactions you'll do in your lifetime, but it it is very rarely the house that we end up talking about. Of course, do we talk about the house? Do we talk about the the the details and the and the square footage and the pricing and all those things? But that's it's usually the house is not the catalyst for the conversation. Again, it can be a really again, people deciding what they want their lives to look like. And sometimes they're in control. I mean, you're always in control, but maybe you're facing a circumstance that you didn't choose. It happened. Maybe it was a divorce you didn't want, maybe it was a loss of a loved one, unexpected loss of your spouse. And again, you can't it's you didn't choose those things to happen, but you get to the choose, you get to choose what you do after. You get to choose how you respond to those challenges. Maybe you lost your job, and again, maybe you're in a financial hardship. These are things that happen, and then you get to choose what to do with it and how you move through it, and we get to decide what things mean. And sometimes life gives us a chance to reset. There's gifts in the changes, there's gifts in the challenges, there's gifts in the pain, and something maybe you never would have chosen for yourself, but here you find yourself, and again, you get to decide how to move forward, you get to decide what the rest of your life looks like and how you move forward. And again, it's a it life's beautiful. It's also it's we're not going to sugarcoat it. Life is hard too. And in the difference you can make along the way, making a difference in people's lives, like the stories we get to hear every Friday morning at the 845 Hometown Heroes series that the George Real State group sponsors, it's amazing. We get to hear how people have shown up in other people's lives, and it's so fascinating to me. Usually the people that have lost the most or suffered the most, they're the ones that are showing up the most. And I think it's because they have a perspective, they understand what it's like to lose things, they understand what it's like to walk through challenges, they understand it. So they they've decided in their own experiences that they're not going to let someone else walk through that alone and they're showing up. And we get to hear amazing stories every Friday morning at 8 45 at the Hometown Hero Series. We get to hear amazing stories every time we sit down with our clients, and it's such a privilege and honor for our clients that when we get to hear they tell us their stories, they tell us how they maybe they were third generation Henderson County natives, and we're helping them with their real estate here now. Maybe it's someone that's lived 20 different states and they've decided to live here in Hendersonville and they're living their life. There's so many reasons. Maybe it's a uh you know, a younger uh adult child moving here to take care of their aging parents, or it's you know, there's so many reasons why people move and they decide to move, and and then of course, I I I'm not afraid to say I am biased about where we live, and and we live in one of the most spectacular places in the world, and I and I'm very grateful I've had a chance and continue to uh explore the world uh through travel, but the place where we live, through the amazing people and the community that we have and the collaboration and people showing up for each other, and we saw that through Helene. And again, where we live is amazing. So, again, there's so many nuances and facets in real estate that we we get to hear people's stories, but you know, if again, encourage you to check out the book Here on a Mission by Donald Miller. And of course, of course, if you're have any questions about real estate, whether it's buying, selling, or investing in real estate, uh, and also maybe you have family real estate that you know you want to think of a better way for your investments. It could be raw land, it could be commercial real estate. Maybe you've already fully depreciated it and you're curious: is there a better way? Is there a better uh tax strategy? Is there a better investment strategy? We are working with some of the most incredible and brightest minds, helping our clients with uh real estate investments through 1031 exchanges and DSTs and and helping our clients think through their estate planning. I mean, it's not just we're not just helping clients with their their personal home, which of course that's we've I've helped we've helped over 1,600 families with their real estate needs, and we help people think critically about their other real estate questions and planning and investments. And so if we can help you with any of that, give us a call, 828-393-0134. 828-3930134. We're here every Thursday morning, right after the 10 o'clock hour. We're here every Friday morning at 845 sponsoring the Hometown Hero Series. But we it's an honor and privilege to be here every Thursday morning. It's an honor and privilege to uh serve the community through real estate. Uh we podcast all of our radio shows. If you want to connect with us on social media or Instagram, have a great day. Have a great week. And of course, if you have people to nominate for Hometown Hero Series, you can do that too. We'll see you tomorrow morning. The stairs, a little steeper, the pace of life, a little too fast. But what if your next move wasn't about letting go? It was about making space for peace. For freedom, what matters the most? We understand the real thing. It's about transition, timing and trust. We'll see the family, and what's the line of making smart closer to nature, close to the family, closer to when you're ready to write something simplified, smart fry? We'll be here. Find us on one and roll state by writing.com because you're next chapter.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the George Real Estate Group Podcast. Tune in next time for more industry news, updates, and real estate tips. You can reach Greg, the George Real Estate Group, at 828-393-0134 or at real estatebygreg.com.