George Real Estate Group Radio Broadcast

Homes Are Selling, Even In December, And Here’s What The Data Shows

• George Real Estate Group

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The headlines say “wait,” but our local numbers point to a different truth: homes in Henderson County are still moving, prices are holding near recent highs, and buyers and sellers both have smart plays to make in December. We dig into fresh data—average monthly sales up from 122 to 134, a four and a half month supply that still favors sellers, and longer days on market that create space for thoughtful negotiations. Then we translate those stats into decisions you can use right now, whether you’re buying your first place, right‑sizing for a new season, or optimizing an investment property.

We talk candidly about fear versus facts. While many people expect a recession, fewer economists agree, and that gap can freeze good plans. Our approach is simple: confirm job stability, set a clear budget, choose payments you can live with, and let your life—not the news cycle—set the timeline. If you can qualify today, you can own the home that fits your needs and refinance later if rates improve. We also share practical holiday strategies, from flexible occupancy so you can celebrate before closing to negotiating concessions like rate buydowns or closing costs when the match is right.

Along the way, we explore how story shapes value, drawing a surprising lesson from van Gogh: context turns decisions into meaning. Your next move is a chapter in your story—family changes, new opportunities, a desire for more freedom—not a reaction to headlines. We coordinate with lenders, tax strategists, and attorneys to protect your wealth, plan for taxes, and align your real estate with your goals in Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.

If you’re weighing a move, let’s review your specifics and map a plan that fits your life. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who’s on the fence, and leave a review with your top question about timing your next step.

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 the queue every Monday morning. Can you believe it's December 1st? Wow, time flies when you're having fun and finishing up the year with the last month. And hope you had and trust you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. And you know, Christmas is around the corner. And here we are in December. And guess what? The real estate market is continuing to move. We'll dive into what's happening with the local real estate market and what's going on and give you some perspective. I mean, it's I'm sure, and it certainly was around our Thanksgiving table. Everybody's asking about the real estate market. I'm sure I wouldn't be surprised if it came up at your Thanksgiving table. What's going on? You know, there's uh you know, people are curious about what's happening in their neighborhoods. Homes are staying on the market longer, and you know, you hear, you know, just you hear things, right? You see the news. You know, what's going on? What's actually going on in the real estate market? We're gonna dive into some of those conversations here. But before we do that, the George Real Estate Group's located in Flat Rock. We're located right next to the Flat Rock Bakery, Hubba Hubba Barbecue, the new Hubba Loo. It's celebrated recently its year anniversary, and then Campfire Grow. All those great local and independent restaurants and businesses. The George Real Estate Group is local and independent as well. We've had the privilege of helping uh some 1,600 families throughout the years, uh, and again, grateful to serve the community through real estate. This is my 20th year with my North Carolina broker's license. And if you're just curious about the real estate market, maybe you're curious about a career in real estate. We have those conversations all the time and glad to have the conversation. If you're curious about what to do with maybe some uh land that you own or land that you or real estate that you've inherited or you know, anything, it's not just we're not just helping our clients with the buying and selling of their personal home, which we certainly do every single day. We've had, I think we had just last week, uh, you know, the short week of Thanksgiving, I think we had four or five closings, and so grateful. I mean, you might think that the market's slowing down this time of year, but it's not. The market is still moving, and we'll dive into some of those things. Uh like I said, we serve all of West North Carolina and the upstate as well. We can help you with your personal home, we can help you with your investment property, we can help you with a second home we have, or we can help you. Maybe it's an investment property that you have. Maybe you have something that's fully depreciated. You're trying to think tax strategically on it. You know, again, taxes, you know, we're coming up to the end of the year. There's a lot of decisions people are making. So find us online at realestatebygreg.com. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com. Follow us on social media, Facebook and Instagram. We also podcast all of our radio shows. You can find us on find us on your favorite podcast platform. And again, just glad to connect. We have incredible staff, incredible agents, we have incredible clients. Uh, it was uh it's always fun. Every year, right before Thanksgiving, we do our annual client appreciation pie day giveaway, and that was so much fun. Our clients coming in and uh giving away hundreds of uh apple and pumpkin pies just as a thank you to our clients and just grateful, small token of our appreciation. But you might think that nothing's happening uh you know this time of year, but that's not true. Uh we continue to see demand, we continue to see the market moving. I mean, just in the last 12 months in Henderson County, there's been some sixteen hundred homes closed, single family. I mean, and I'm not even not even including uh condos or townhomes or land. I mean, just using the single-family homes as a as a litmus or as a barometer. I mean, just in the last 12 months, we've been averaging 134, 134 single-family homes a month selling. We've had an increase compared to the previous 12 months. That's almost uh 12 more homes a month. In the previous 12 months, we're averaging only 122 homes a month selling in Henderson County, single family. So significant increase there. Uh, I think that's some 8 or 9% increase in the number of single family homes sold in the current 12 months versus the previous 12 months. That is significant to acknowledge. The other fascinating thing is the average single family home price in the current 12 months versus the the previous 12 months is not that far off. The average, as of this morning, the average single family home price is at 540 and change the previous 12-month price was 548. So again, the market is holding. Uh, days on the market are increasing, you know, taking a little bit longer uh for home homes to sell. We also have low inventory still. There's there's only 612 active single-family homes on the market as of this morning. So it's the competition, there's not much competition compared. Again, that number fluctuates. We have, you know, really, again, if you look at the the number of homes available versus the number of homes selling, I mean, we have about a four and a half month supply in Henderson County. The economists say a six-month supply is considered a balanced market. Less than six months is a seller's market, more than six months is a buyer's market. So, I mean, the the numbers tell a story. And in and your unique home, your unique situation. We look at your situation and your home in the on into the lens of what's going on in the market, in your specific location, your your neighborhood, your price point, and we are selling homes. Homes are still selling. Uh, we are selling, and we're we're seeing, we're so grateful for the opportunity to serve our clients through real estate. We're able to provide clarity in what's going on. And again, the news, gotta be careful. Uh, again, the news can tell a story, but this, our particular community, our particular neighborhoods, our particular area where we live in. I mean, and again, the there's the thing that you'll see though, of course, home buyers are watching what's going on in the economy. They're you know, they're they're seeing the price of groceries, the price of gas, and and buying a home is one of the largest purchases people will ever make in their lifetime. And and because, you know, again, when the news is telling a story about, oh, we're going into recession or the media is talking about, you know, you know, be careful and and don't do anything. Again, the fear can paralyze anybody from making a decision. And so a lot of would-be buyers are now second-guessing their plans. In a latest uh survey by Lindingtree, almost two in three Americans said they think a recession is coming, and 74% of respondents say that it's having an impact on their financial decisions. But here's the good news the experts aren't nearly as concerned. You know, most Americans expect a recession, but the experts don't. You know, according to an October report from Wall Street Journal Journal, only one in three experts surveyed saying we may be headed for recession sometime in the next 12 months. It's only one in three versus two in three Americans think a recession is coming. So if the expert economists aren't super worried, should you be? I mean, we're not in a recession right now, and there's no guarantee we're heading into one. And so, of course, uncertainty, you know, is what we're facing. And so the best way to handle that is by leaning into the facts not to fear. And so you can make sure when you're making the decision, you have the information. The information can guide your decision, you know, not our emotions. And again, you know, certainly buying a house if is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make. Here what it Warren Buffett says this you know, be fearful when everyone is greedy, and be greedy when everyone is fearful. It's counterintuitive. And so, right now, again, a lot of people are are fearful. The thing is, watch the here's the thing the the overall economy. We've always said, regardless of the interest rates, regardless of the economy, regardless of whatever's happening politically, you know, buying and selling a house is what's about what's going on in your life. And buying when it's right for you, you're not buying the market, you're not buying the interest rate, you're not buying, you know, you buy when it's right for you as a client, as a as a as a as a homeowner, as a home buyer. Same thing about selling. You know, timing your move around real life, not the news cycle, is actually what matters. You know, it's about your maybe it's your job stability uh that's what matters. It's about, you know, do you feel confident in your income? Are you comfortable managing the mortgage payments? I mean, if you can qualify for a home right now with today's interest rates, just imagine, again, being able to refinance when interest rates are, you know, their interest rates are always, you know, there's a there's always fluctuations in interest rates. And so here's the thing you know, if your job is secure and you've built a cushion of savings, experts say you don't necessarily need to delay waiting. Again, when you have a budget and you stick to it, obviously you're not gonna, you don't want to overextend. Making sure your mortgage payments are affordable and making sure your savings can cover surprises. And again, owning a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you make. And we see that buyers are still living their lives, their families are growing, people are getting new jobs, maybe you're moving into retirement. So these things going on in your life, maybe it's your personal or your lifestyle needs, you know, these considerations can can outweigh the short-term economic uncertainties. Of course, right now, with the market being a little bit softer, buyers have have more options. Uh, you know, there's a few more homes available. You know, buyers right now have a little bit more leverage than previously when you were having to come in above asking price with multiple offers. Can do we still see multiple offers happening here? Uh occasionally, certainly when homes are priced uh to sell, we're still seeing that. Also, you know, again, as a buyer, you know, being strategic about your your payments and the mortgage rates, and then finding out what you can afford and where you're comfortable at, you know, again, the prices in finding a home that meets those criteria. And then another consideration, a lot of clients you know, can can buy without selling. Some clients you know that already own a home, you know, might decide to sell first and then reduce that financial pressure. And and again, again, your specific situation, your unique uh you know, circumstances and home and situation, again, we come alongside you to help provide clarity and information and and numbers so you can decide. And so, you know, again, having a trusted team around you. And this is true whether you're you're buying and selling your personal home. Uh, it's also true when you're you know planning with your planning for your estate and your retirement. You know, we work with incredible uh tax strategists, we work with incredible attorneys, we work with financial advisors, we have a team uh ensemble together to help our clients, you know, again, whether it's their their personal home or their investment property. Again, it's so fascinating. Again, when we put all the cards on the table and provide information for our clients, it's making a big difference. So here's the thing, too. We and we're headed into the holidays. I mean, a lot of people are thinking nothing's selling or or nothing or no one's buying. I mean, that's that's far from the truth. We've we've actually seen just as much activity from our team in in December and January. We've actually some cases had some of our best months. You you hear all the time people are taking time off during the holidays, but we're just as busy now as we are year-round. But you know, a lot of buyers want to get in before uh the new year, and we can help you do that. We have some sellers that say, hey, we want to maybe we want to stay in our home before you know still through through Christmas. You can do that. I mean, you can again, we can we can put together a plan that's specific for you and specific for you know what works with your life and what's going on with you. So the holidays, you know, we are still working, the market is still moving. Again, maybe you want to have that peace of mind going into the holidays, you know, knowing that you have your home under contract and you can say, hey, we're we're gonna be able to close right after the new year. I mean, you can do this. So here's here's the thing. Again, with the news, with the media, you know, even though and and it's and it is feeding the fear, you know, a lot of Americans think a recession's coming, but most experts don't. So again, you don't necessarily have to put your move on, your moving plans on hold. You know, again, if your finances are solid, your job is stable, and again, you have a real need to move. Again, life happens, therefore real estate happens. It's not about the interest rates, it's not about the economy. Again, your life is happening and therefore real estate's happening. And so, you know, we are happy to provide clarity, provide information so you can decide what's ultimately right for you in the buying and selling process. And again, maybe it's your investment properties. Maybe you're thinking about, hey, am I getting uh the best cash on cash return for my real estate investments? We we have those conversations. And again, in concert with your financial advisor, in concert with your tax strategists, in concert with your attorneys, we work with everyone to ultimately provide clarity for clients. I know there's a lot of information there, and we've covered a lot already in this first segment of the show. We have so much more to cover in the second segment. You're listening to the George Real Estate Group live radio broadcast here in theCUBE. We're here every Monday morning right after the 9 o'clock news. We podcast all of our radio shows. You can be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Uh we have more open houses uh coming up this year. You can see that on our social media. Uh, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. You can stop by our office. We're located in Flat Rock on Rainbow Row. Like I said earlier, we serve all of Western North Carolina and the upstate South Carolina. So, however, we can help you, we're passionate and enthusiastic about helping our clients navigate through how real estate impacts their lives, whether it's your personal home, whether it's your investment properties, whether it's planning ahead with your estate, however, we can help you. Stay tuned in. Stay tuned in right after this break. We'll be right back. Good morning and welcome back. You're listening to the George Real Estate Group live radio broadcast here in the queue every Monday morning. Things are great. Just grateful to be here with you and just having fun. Uh, we love uh sharing with you about what's going on in the real estate market and just having a conversation about life. We love meeting with our clients and hearing their stories. Um, and stories, everybody's got a story, right? Everybody's got uh, you know, it's fascinating to hear uh where people have moved from, or maybe again, we have we love hearing stories of people that have been here you know for generations. Again, it's it's fascinating when you can hear parts of stories, and again, maybe you one of my favorite quotes is uh don't compare your insides to someone someone else's outsides. You might see someone's, you know, maybe their success or or not, but you might see someone where they're at now. But maybe the the path that they got to get there or how they arrived or the price that they paid to accomplish what they've accomplished and to get what they've had. Again, a lot of people uh you know see what someone has, but they aren't necessarily willing to pay the price of what someone did to get there. I I heard the story recently, um, and this is and maybe you've already maybe maybe you've heard this story, but I recently was hearing the story behind of of Vincent Van Gogh. Okay, and talk topical whiplash here, right? So, you know, everybody is heard of Vincent Van Gogh now. You you might and I've even seen in person the the starry night. Maybe you can picture the the sunflowers. Um maybe you again this is so fascinating to me. Everybody in the world today knows about Vincent Van Gogh. But here's the part of the story most people don't know. There was one person quiet, overlooked, never famous, without whom Vincent Van Gogh might have disappeared disappeared into history completely, and this was his sister-in-law. So when Vincent Van Gogh died in 1890, he was 37 years old, and he believed deep in his bones that his life work had failed. He had actually only sold one painting. One he was sick, he was broke, he was discouraged, he wrote that his art might never matter. And six months later, his younger brother Theo, the only person who believed in him, also died. And what was left, you know, was was now became the responsibility of Theo's young widow, um, a 28-year-old woman named J Johanna van Gogner with a baby on her hip and with a apartment filled with paintings no one wanted. And and you may or may not realize this, but but it was really Theo, uh Vincent Van Gogh's uh brother that that actually financially you know supported him. So here we go. She inherited hundreds of paintings, thousands of sketches, and almost 900 letters between Vincent and Theo. These are these letters were filled with doubt, the longing, the insight, the hope. And the art world, you know, at the time saw Vincent as unstable, untrained, and unimportant. Johanna could have sold the paintings cheaply, she could have locked them away, she could have moved on, but she made a decision that would change history. She decided she would protect Vincent's work until the world was ready to see it. She also did something no one expected. She didn't just show the paintings, she told the story. You know, she actually published his letters, and it was the letters that changed everything. It wasn't just this, it wasn't that the the world, it wasn't the world you know, thinking Vincent was just crazy. He was actually he was brilliant, he was thoughtful, he was deeply intentional, he wrote about color like a poet, and suffering like a philosopher, and then hoped like a man who refused to let go of the light. So without those letters, the paintings would have been would have just been beautiful, but but with the letters, they actually became human. And so the story that that you can the again the story behind the paintings is what is significant. You might think the sunflowers were were just beautiful, and and they're not just the decorate, you know, it's not just a beautiful uh painting of a decorative still life. It was actually painted during this season of hope and grief. And so he actually prepared the flowers for his friend, Paul, who he imagined sharing this life with, collaborating and companionship, belonging, but the flowers were meant to welcome him. It was a season of uh it was a gesture of warmth, of admiration, of hope. But his friend didn't stay. And so the friendship collapsed. Vincent spiraled, the season ended up in deep the emotional pain. And so what we might see, again, when someone sees the the painting of sunflowers, it was actually born from longing and loss, and there was this attempt to hold on to light while something meaningful was slipping away. So without the letters, we might not never have known that. So the letters tell the story. And so the thing is again about when you see success, when you see where people have come from and and what they where they're at, again, it's it's the story what's behind the story, right? Uh also the starry night, right? Pro perhaps his most famous work. And it actually wasn't painted in freedom, it was actually painted while Vincent was confined in a mental hospital. You know, the the view of the sky came from his window. He wasn't painting a peaceful night. He was painting from inside depression, anxiety, mental illness, you know, the swirling stars, the restless movement, the you know, the the it wasn't a fantasy of beauty. It was this man you know reaching for meaning while imprisoned in his own mind. So again, without the letters, it's easy to to miss that entirely. So again, perspective and the story, the store the stories matter. Your story matters. And so Johanna realized, again, without the story, the paintings actually didn't mean anything. This the letters changed everything, and so it's just fascinating. Uh, Vincent Van Gogh, he helped define modern art. Again, his paintings hang in some of the greatest the greatest museums in the world, they sell for tens of millions of dollars. You know, it never it none of it happened overnight. And it actually happened because one woman refused to let his life be misremembered. So greatness doesn't always recognize itself, and sometimes the world doesn't see your value until someone else believes in it first. You know, Vincent painted beauty in the middle of pain. Johanna carried the beauty forward. It's again, it's again when you look at things, what's what's the story behind it? The starry night, you know, it's it's again the sister-in-law who refused to give up. It was the brother who believed in him. And so, again, the the power of you know telling your story, you know, it's in the context. Context is actually context is everything, uh, and it's the context, you know, creates character. And so now we all get to enjoy uh the the paintings, but the context of them and and your own story, how it can inspire others, again, it's it's it's powerful. So don't be afraid to tell your story. And and actually that goes to being vulnerable. Uh, I love Benet Brown and her if you've not seen her TED talk on vulnerability, highly recommended. Actually, highly recommend her books. Uh, she wrote a book uh called Daring Greatly. Uh again, it's the the vulnerability of your story. And even though I mean he took he was brave enough to write about his his story and his feelings and all the emotions he was experiencing. And then again, being his and if it wasn't for Johanna that that told and shared the story, again, you never know. And again, so many people live uh their lives quietly, and and again, no one might ever hear your story, but you know, it's the power of telling your story and and again what happened with Vincent Van Gogh. I love that story. Again, recently came across it, and it was it's a it's amazing uh to think again now the again where those paintings are and how they inspire so many people. And again, your story can inspire so many others. Time flies when you're having fun, and again, we I here's the thing. Your your own home is is like a painting, and and where you you have your family, you have your home. Home is what you make it, it's not tied to a particular uh place. And so again, and we have these conversations uh so many every almost every day where the season maybe is past with your current home, but you're gonna make a home in the next place. Again, you might be upsizing or downsizing, and it's and it's and it's the thing that we love to do, help walk alongside our clients. We love hearing their stories. People are creating new stories, they're creating the new chapter in their lives, and it might be again, you might not it might not be wanting to buy or sell. Maybe, again, maybe it's a season of life where, okay, because of what's going on, I need to sell my home or I want to sell my home. Again, because of whatever is going on, again, those the the we take it, um it's a it again, it's a very it's an honor to help our clients navigate through when they're walking through life. And again, regardless of the interest rates, regardless of the economy, regardless of you know the housing market, and that's where it's a it's a privilege truly to walk alongside with our clients as they're navigating through what their home means to them and what their again, what their next chapter is. And so we're here to help you find the place to tell your next stories, to share your next memories. Again, we're grateful to serve our community through real estate. Thank you so much for being here this morning. Again, grateful to share the story. And again, if we can help you in any way, we'd love to hear your story. You can call us directly at 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com. Be sure to podcast, find our podcast on your favorite podcast platform, follow us on Facebook and social media. Have a wonderful day, have a wonderful week, and we'll see you next Monday. You've built a lifetime of strength, wisdom, and independence. And here's the best part: you still have it. Every decision, every step, every next chapter is yours to choose. Selling your home isn't about letting go, it's about opening the door to more freedom, more time for what you love, more energy for the people and passions that matter most. At the George Real Estate Group, we believe independence isn't behind you. It's right here, right now. Our team goes beyond buying and selling. We're here to help you protect your wealth, preserve your legacy, and make sure Uncle Sam doesn't become your biggest benefactor. We'll guide you every step of the way towards your next chapter, your next opportunity, and your freedom on your terms. Call us at 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com.

SPEAKER_00:

The George Real Estate Group has the experience of selling over 1,200 properties and serving over 1,200 families with their real estate needs in Henderson County and throughout Western North Carolina. The George Real Estate Group is located in Flat Rock, North Carolina, near Hendersonville in Henderson County. You can find them online at realestatebygreg.com. 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 Monday mornings at 905 on WTZQ FM 95.3 and 1600 AM, or stream online at WTZQ.com.