George Real Estate Group Radio Broadcast

Henderson County Housing Snapshot

• George Real Estate Group

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Wondering whether to wait, buy, or list now? We cut through the market noise with a grounded look at Western North Carolina real estate, sharing the numbers that matter and the choices that actually move the needle. Our conversation starts with a clear snapshot of Henderson County: around 500 active listings, an 8% rise in single-family sales over the past year, average days on market near 60, and mortgage rates settling in the low sixes. That mix shapes a steady, navigable market where buyers gain options and time, while sellers hold leverage when price and condition align.

We unpack the big three drivers—rates, inventory, and prices—and explain how each shows up locally. Expect fewer extremes: more room to negotiate, targeted price adjustments when listings miss the mark, and measured appreciation rather than spikes. We also address the human side of real estate. Moves still happen because life happens: new jobs, growing families, downsizing, multi-generational living, and the hard moments of loss or caregiving. That’s why demand remains durable even when headlines predict turbulence.

You’ll hear how national trends compare to our micro-markets, why local demand keeps prices firm, and what to do if you’re holding a 3% mortgage but living in a 0% fit. Sellers get a practical framework—price, condition, location—to win showings and offers without overreaching. Buyers learn how rate scenarios affect monthly payments, how to shop smart within budget, and when patience pays off. We also spotlight community stories through our Hometown Heroes series and share an upcoming open house in Flat Rock.

If you’re planning a move, start with your why, then build a plan around budget, timing, and the home that fits your life. Subscribe for more local insights, share this with a friend who’s debating their next step, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Ready for a one-on-one game plan? Call 828-393-0134 or visit realestatebygreg.com.

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, bringing you positive news about your local real estate market community. And welcome. It is January. Here we are. Time is flying when you have fun. The market, we're going to talk about what's going on in the local real estate market and what's happening. And in this time of year, there are still homes going on the market. There's still homes going under contract every single day. And just because it's the beginning of January, the market's not slowing down. Of course, it's not the same numbers as what happens during the spring and summer, but it's the market is still moving. I mean, currently, as of this morning, there's an active 500 active single-family homes on the market in Henderson County. We've had an 8% increase in the number of single family homes sold in Henderson County. And we'll we'll jump into that here this morning. 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. This is uh my 21st year with my broker's license and grateful to serve the community through real estate. So if you're thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate, maybe you're looking at commercial real estate, maybe you're looking at land, maybe it's your personal home, maybe you're upsizing or downsizing or right sizing. You know, the market's the market, the economy's the economy, and and we've seen, you know, even with these where interest rates are and you know the supply and demand, and and everybody's you know asking what's going to be happening, the the forecasting, and we'll and we'll talk about that too. Uh, you can find us online at realestatebygreg.com. You can stop by our office there in Flat Rock. We're on Rainbow Row. Find us on Rainbow Row there in Flat Rock. We're next to our our friends at Flat Rock Bakery, our friends at Hubba Lou, our friends at Hubba Hubba Barbecue, and then Campfire Grill, all those great local and independent businesses and restaurants, uh the wrinkled egg. You know, stop by and say hello. We'd love to get you a cup of coffee. It's we joke it's a dangerous place for an office, you know, with all those offerings there. And if and we just love to connect. We also uh follow us on on social media. We're on you know Facebook and Instagram, and you know, we'd love to connect with you there. You we also podcast our radio show. You can you can find us on your favorite podcast platform, and and we we broadcast or podcast all of our radio shows. Uh be sure to follow us and subscribe, and and of course on social media as well. I mean, just in the last seven days in Henderson County, a quick snapshot. There's been 30 new listings, there's been 49 price drops, there were 13 homes that went back on the market, and this is remarkable. 40 uh excuse me, 39 homes went under contract in the last seven days in Henderson County, and then there's been 19 homes already closed this year in just the first week, and just the first seven days. So, again, if you're if you don't think anything's happening, that's not true. The market still moves, the real estate market is still moving, and and and our inventory, like I said, is low. There's only 500 active homes on the market over the last 12 months. We're averaging some 133 homes a month selling. And so those the the market again, if you're concerned, you know, the and you gotta be careful about what you hear on the news and the you know the but here locally, right? So, I mean, across the country, there's a lot of forecasts, and uh, you know, econom you know, the economists and the you know housing experts. I mean, they're talking about what's happening nationally, but we here locally have seen an 8% increase the last 12 months versus the previous 12 months. And so a lot of people are wondering what's going to happen in 2026. You know, the biggest barrier, the biggest conversation has probably been affordability. A lot of people are, you know, there's challenges with affordability. Our average single-family home price in Henderson County over the last 12 months,$544. I mean, I know that's a lot to think about. You know, it's over a half a million dollars is the average single-family home price in Henderson County, which, you know, again, there's challenges to the that price point, especially for first-time homebuyers. First-time home buyers, the number of first-time homebuyers is at an all-time low. Also, the age, the average age of a first-time home buyer is at an all-time high. So a lot of buyers and sellers have been actually holding their breath, waiting for things to get better. And so in 2025, actually, affordability was actually the best it had been in three years. And a lot of experts are saying and agreeing that the momentum is going to keep going into the next year this year. And the there's so many things, you know, the there's a lot of analysis of the factors that shape our housing market. Uh, of course, you got the mortgage rates, you have inventory and prices. Now, before we get into those conversations, what I've experienced in my 20 plus years of real estate, we know real estate happens because life happens. And it's all the life changes or the life cycles we all go through. And it's you know, from the first-time home buyers or the new family formations, it's the families growing, it's you know, person, you know, people getting their first home, it's the families growing and they have children, and then their families are growing and they need more space. Or maybe it's a multi-generational family home where you know it's it's it's the grandparents and and living with the kids, and then you have the grandkids, and and multi-generational homes are more and more common. It could be you're going into retirement, or maybe you're you're relocating for a job. It could be, you know, the it could be some very challenging situations where you're you're caring for an elderly parent. Maybe it's the uh you know, it's the death of a loved one. It it could be again, there's beautiful positive reasons why our clients are buying and selling, and then there's the challenging reasons. And so it's all those things that go into place that you know why real estate's moving, and it does move regardless of the inventory levels, regardless of the interest rates, regardless of the home prices, there's just this baseline of real estate that happens in in across the country, and we saw that even when it's quote unquote at its worst when it was in 2011 and 2012, you know, just it's interesting though, the difference between 2010 and 11, where there was just some 4 million homes sold across the United States. And for context, you know, the quote unquote best years, you know, when you the market's moving, is you're looking at you know six plus million homes selling across the country. And now, and here we are back, by the way, you know, in back in the four million range, and and they're anticipating that you know to go up this year. But in the last couple years it's been around four million. But here locally, we've seen an eight percent increase in the number of single-family homes selling here locally in Henderson County. So, you know, again, outside of, you know, we know life happens, therefore real estate happens, but you know, the factors that are involved, and it's not always about money, you know, why people are buying or selling, but certainly is a big part of it. But you know, the mortgage rates have come down from their peak. And so by some accounts, they've dropped by almost a full percentage point over the course of the last year. And so that's even though, well, that's a big deal. And and we don't know how low they'll go. We don't know uh should you wait for them to come down more. You know, if and if they do, if we don't know if they're gonna come down more. I mean, you know, forecasts are suggesting they're gonna stay pretty much where they're at, and and with the which is not unusual. If you look at the 50-year history of mortgage rates, a six percent is pretty common over the last 50 years on average. And so they're anticipating mortgage rates to hover in the low six range through 2026. And so, and where they go, whether they go up or down, really depends on the economy, you know, the job market, you know, the and the the any changes in monetary policies with the feds, you know, with where they the federal interest rates, which a lot of people might confuse the mortgage rate, interest rates are not the same as the Fed rates. I mean, those are different, but they're they certainly are impacting uh the mortgage home mortgage rates are impacted by the Fed rate, borrowing money is impacted by the Fed rate. You know, so the the the thing them the most important thing to remember is they're already lower than where they were a year ago. And so that's wonderful. Again, if you're gonna make a move in 2026, you're having these lower rates. So these lower rates, the lower the interest rate, it impacts the affordability and it allows buyers to afford more. And so, you know, again, that's that helps people qualify for homes that previously felt were out of reach. Also, for a lot of our sellers and a lot of our clients, they've been holding on to those 3%, 4%, 5% interest rates that they they that they they were able to benefit from over the years recently. But a lot of sellers are saying, hey, I don't care how my low how low my interest rate is. This home isn't working for me. I don't care that I have a three percent rate. If you know it could again, there's these life events that happen, or it's maybe you need to to downsize, maybe you need to move, you're making the decision to get closer to a family member. Maybe you're making the decision to to um you know have a multi-generational home. Again, different reasons. Maybe you had to walk through the the journey of losing a loved one. I mean, these are just real life situations that no matter where interest rates are in your current home, you know, again, these new rates where they are, when I say new, I mean where the there's more where they're just at right now, just the reality of things, you know, rates in the sixes are the new normal. So the thing that you as a seller, even though you have these low interest rates, the thing that you have benefited from is the appreciation. The appreciation we've continued to have in Henderson County. The average single family home price over the last uh over the last 12 months, our average price is at 544, almost 545 the average price uh for uh the average single family home price. And so the amount of equity that you have and so these are just positive things. There's so many components that go into you know um into buying and selling. Again, the your equity that you have in your home, the you know, replacing it, finding the next one. So they're saying across the country in 2025 the number of homes that went for sale improved by about 15%. So as inventory rose, the buyers gained things they hadn't had in past years, more options. Time to consider the options. I mean, here locally, our average days on market was was 60 days, two months was the average. Of course, do we see homes that I mean there's just sometimes homes are just they're they're priced uh aggressively, they're they're the the location that multiple buyers have been considering and looking at, and and so is it uncommon to see multiple offers? No, we still see them, and yet on average, we're seeing homes on market 60 days is pretty normal, so it gives buyers more time to consider. You don't have to rush like you had before, it also gives buyers some negotiating leverage, and so you know, with the more with the increased inventory across the board and the the days on market increasing, so there's been more of a balance with the buyer and seller dynamic. And so this is where because of the more inventory, the increased inventory, it slowed down the prices. Now, here locally, our average single-family home price, I think in 2024 was you know, just single family homes. I'm not including condos, townhomes, or land. That ended up being, I think, in the 538 and change, and then and then you know, so we're not it's just a few, maybe the average single family home price was maybe a 1% increase. It was it was slowed down from the you know the the high uh you know percentage increases that we've that we've been seeing over the last you know five years. So when you have more inventory, and so that's where people are asking or saying, hey, when are prices gonna come down until you see the increase of inventory outpace the buyer demand? And here locally, the the inventory in the buyer demand, the buyer demand here, which I just shared earlier, we've seen an eight percent increase. Until the demand is being outpaced by the inventory, you're not gonna see prices come down. So we have about a four-month supply, you know, here locally versus you know, the the economists say um a six, actually we're we're less than a four-month. I just ran the numbers again. We we have a 3.7 month supply of homes uh based on our current sales of the last 12 months in Henderson County, based on the low inventory level. Right now there's only 500 homes on the market, but a six-month supply is considered a balanced market, and so less than six months is still by the economists, the way they gauge the housing market is still a seller's market, and that's why our prices are are holding. I mean, we didn't see a drop in the average single-family home price, and so they're also expecting um uh the this year, you know, last year I said there was a 15% increase in the number of homes for sale across the country. The inventory this this year, they're anticipating the experts are saying should grow by about 8.9% this year. So, again, sellers still have to price their homes appropriately. It's still the price matters, and then for buyers, you get more choices, you know. So, here locally, the inventory levels versus the the buyer demand, our prices have held, and so uh and no one can predict now. We can see the patterns and we can see the trajectory, but here locally, until we see the inventory dramatically increase, we're not seeing the prices go down, but you still have to price your home correctly. You know, the with the more homes for sale, there's not as much upward pressure on prices, and that's where you know you've seen we see more price adjustments. We see people uh you know reducing their prices. You still have to price your home appropriately. It's it's not the you can't say, hey, I want to price, I want to add an extra 50 or$100,000 to this home price because buyers are gonna pay it well with the with the competition, buyers and buyers are slowing, you know, the the even though there's been an increase of buyers, days on markets increasing, inventory, they're saying across the country, the experts on average across the country, I mean they're saying uh they're expecting prices across the country to rise by 1.6 percent. That's still appreciation. It's it's um, you know, the if you're seeing everything on social media, you're seeing the news saying the price are good prices are gonna crash. It's it just it's well I have heard in some other areas, and again, it's real estate is local across the country. They're saying prices will rise 1.6 percent. You know, across the country, you know, it's it's like saying the average temperature across the country is 72 degrees. Well, of course we know in different areas it's gonna be colder and different areas it's gonna be hotter. I know other markets where uh sellers have had to take a loss to sell their home. I've seen that and I've heard that from clients that have relocated here that buy here, and they if they wanted to sell their home in in other states, and again, even even in the state, from community to community, county to county, you know, and we see that here too. There's you know, you know, but across the board, we've seen appreciation here. But there are areas where some larger metropolitan areas, uh some large cities in Texas, some large cities in in Florida, some large cities in California, these and some large uh cities in Arizona, you see the inventory has outpaced the buyer demand, therefore prices have come down. So that's why it's so important to talk to your local agent, you know, to talk about what's happening locally, your your unique situation, your unique home, and see what's happening in your price range, what's happening in your neighborhood, what's happening in your location. So real estate's local. So be careful what you hear across the news and you know the the more and social media, and you know, some some markets uh might see a higher increase in price, some markets might see a lower price, but you know, it depends on your neighborhood, your local market. So, overall, though, again, they're anticipating prices to continue to rise on a national level. So that's good for the market as a whole. The realtor.com said this for home buyers and sellers, the signal, the shift signals a more balanced market where price growth steadies, rate relief offers some breathing room, and negotiating power tilts subtly towards buyers. And so, you know, for buyers, you we're not seeing the pri don't I wouldn't be if you're waiting for prices to come down, I uh we don't see that. We're also not s anticipating any sudden spikes or or price appreciation. I mean, I think it's just gonna be just fewer price fewer uh Uh surprises, more predictability, which makes it a little bit easier to plan and budget and to to anticipate. And then sellers, you still it's always about it's price, condition, and location. That has been true no matter what the market, no matter what the interest rates. Again, the good news is your equity is in a great place. You probably have more equity than you've ever had before because of the price growth, the price stability that we see with housing. But it you obviously you can't change your location. So the the only two other things that you as a seller can control is the condition and the price. And the price needs to match the condition, the the condition needs to match the price, and then of course the location is the location. And location is always important. Location, location, location. So all these things, you know, anticipate, we anticipate just a steady market. You know, there's you know, unless some you know, we can't predict any any wild you know, black swan event or even the hurricane that we experienced at the end of 2024. You know, there was a pause, but and and again, there's so many people still rebuilding and repeat people recovering, and and you know, the stories that we've been able to share here on the radio. We've had a number of our hometown heroes uh tied to the work being done with uh the hurricane Helene relief. And we do the the we do the hometown hero program every Friday morning at 8 45. We're we're here, tune in. Uh we're tomorrow morning, by the way, while we're talking about the Hometown Hero series, which we love sponsoring. It's a privilege and honor to sponsor the Hometown Hero series. We love hearing and sharing such amazing stories of men and women making a difference in our community. This is amazing. The the Henderson County Public Library Director, Trina Rushing, was recently honored as the 2025 North Carolina Public Library Director of the Year for her exceptional leadership, community focus, and integrative and innovative programs like the new mobile library launched last year. And so she's been leading the Henderson County Library system since 2020, uh 2015, actually. And tomorrow morning, we're gonna honor her as our hometown hero tomorrow morning, 845 here on WHKP. And it's amazing. Uh again, the amazing men and women in this community making a difference. Um, and so if you know somebody you'd like to nominate, certainly reach out to WHKP. You can reach out to us. Uh we we love sharing stories, we love it's it's stories that make up our lives, right? It's the in the experiences that we have and the and ultimately the difference that we can make. And that's where I love real estate because it we get to hear amazing stories from our clients. And again, it can be beautiful, celebratory reasons why people are buying and selling. And it's an honor to to sit at the table with our clients that we walk through with that. It's also it's a privilege and honor to walk through real life challenges. And and we've sat at the dining room table with tears, and you know, it's life happens. It's and and it's uh we don't take it lightly. I mean, when we're working with clients that lost a loved one, or we're working with clients that are, you know, maybe they're having a financial hardship or they lost their job or it's a divorce. I mean, these are things that happen, and and real estate's so tied into all of that. And so we help our clients navigate through those experiences and how real estate plays into those things. And like I said, it's it's both, right? It's beautiful, positive reasons why people are buying and selling, and and it's and it's challenging reasons. And so those things that those things happen. And so it's over the 20 plus years I've been doing this. It's amazing in the the stories that we get to hear. Um, in addition to that, the working with our clients through their real estate investments and opportunities, and and maybe you've inherited land, maybe you've inherited a business, maybe you've inherited commercial, maybe you've personally built your your real estate portfolio of rentals, maybe you built your real estate investments of land, maybe you've built your real estate investments. Uh so whatever the situation is, it could be rentals, it could be commercial, it could be development. We've we've worked through so many. It's a it's amazing the experiences that we've had in the in the team that we've created and built and developed and the clients we've had to work with. So if it's a personal real estate uh you know transaction, it's a your personal home, maybe it's a maybe it's an investment property, maybe it's land, maybe it's a some real estate you've inherited, or maybe you're thinking through your estate and planning ahead. We work with trust attorneys and and we work with financial advisors and tax consultants, and and it's the full picture, the holistic approach, and ultimately to provide clarity for our clients in their decisions. They can decide what's right for them. It's the market's the market. We provide clarity, we provide information, and ultimately to help our clients navigate through you know the the buying and selling process. It could be your personal home, it could be an investment property, it could be an investment, it could be commercial, it could be land. And we have amazing agents and we're growing. We we have we just hired another real estate broker uh this week, uh, and we have more in interviews. And and if you've you maybe you have your real estate license or thinking about getting your real estate license, is people say when's the you know, uh of course you hear the of course it's a great time to get into real estate when things are you're are booming, and and there's not a right or wrong time to get into the real estate industry as a career. If it's something you've been thinking about and you're curious, how do you go about it? Of course, there's challenges and in and and the reality is it's a it is uh uh income where your income is in direct proportion to your efforts and your ability to help people uh follow through on their purchases or sales, and and your income is tied to that uh happening or or not happening. And this is where you might have heard of the 80-20 rule. 80% of transactions are completed by 20% of the real estate agents. 20% of the real estate agents facilitate 80% of the business. And you might have heard of the 80-20 rule. And 80-20 is the rule maybe you'll see you might see in your own organization 80 uh 20% of your volunteers do 80% of the the work, uh, 20% of your employees do 80% of the work. Again, this 20% of your efforts accomplish 80% of your results. I mean, the 80-20 rule is something, if you think about it, with you know, again, it could be your business, it could be your your church, it could be your family. Again, the 80-20 rule, if you have a chance, uh look into it. It's a it's a it's it just puts perspectives on things. And so we're so thankful that we're we're in the top percentage of real estate agents and brokerages helping people. And uh, like I said, this has been my uh 20 plus years in the industry helping and serving our clients through real estate. And so if you're thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate or a career in real estate, again, we are we're actively hiring. Oh, back to the conversation of when's the right time to get into the real estate industry. Again, if if it's you gotta go get your license, you gotta take the class test, you gotta pass it, you gotta then take the state and national exam. You can do that, and and then and then ultimately it's serving the the community through real estate, and it's helping clients walk through real estate and and and facilitating those new contracts, the the sales, the purchases, and and at the George Real Estate Group, we have the experience, we have the systems, we have the processes, and it's proven and it's predictable. And if you've thought about a career in real estate, it's maybe maybe it's the time of year you're thinking about a job change. It's a great opportunity, and and we've helped people transition from other full-time work into full-time real estate. And if you'd like to have that conversation, we've helped people get into second careers, we've helped launch brand new young people out of college, you know, that get their real estate license. And starting starting young doing that. So, you know, whatever your situation is, again, we it's a we'd love to have the conversation. Give us a call, 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com. Uh, tune in tomorrow morning at 8 45 for our hometown hero series. And be sure to follow us on social media. We have an open house. I should have mentioned it earlier. 73 Wisdom Cove and Flat Rock Open House this weekend. You can find that on social media. We'll have that up here earlier today or later today. Have a great day, have a great week, and we'll see you tomorrow morning. Maybe the house feels a little too big these days. 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, for what matters the most. At the George Real Estate Group, we understand that real estate isn't just about the house. It's about transition, timing, and trust. We have thousands of families in Western North Carolina makes smart moves. Closer to nature, closer to family, closer to home. So when you're ready to rise, size, simplify, or start right, we'll be here. The George Real Estate Group. Local, trusted, proven. Call us today, 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com because your next chapter deserves to feel just right.

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 realestatebygreg.com.