Memorial Day Reminds Us Why Home Matters

Memorial Day can blur into a long weekend until you stop and remember what it’s really for: honoring the men and women who served and did not come home. We take a few minutes to slow down, speak a name, and tell a story that’s close to our community in Flat Rock and Henderson County: PFC James Fleet McClamrock. His life, faith, and sacrifice remind us that freedom is never free and that gratitude is meant to be specific, not abstract.

From that place of remembrance, we connect the conversation to real life in Western North Carolina, because life transitions are what drive real estate decisions. Buying and selling isn’t just about bedrooms and square footage. It’s about families growing, downsizing, moving closer to grandkids, starting over, or finally making the move you’ve been postponing. Community matters too, from local small businesses to the summer camp culture that brings generations back to the mountains.

We also dig into one of the most important housing tools available to veterans and eligible service members: the VA home loan. We talk through the biggest myths we hear, why VA loans are not “second-class” financing, and how benefits like no down payment and no private mortgage insurance can change affordability. We share practical next steps like asking about eligibility, requesting a Certificate of Eligibility, and working with lenders and agents who truly understand VA requirements and timelines.

If you know a veteran, serve yourself, or just want a clearer view of the Hendersonville-area housing market, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more locals find the show.

Transcript

Why Real Estate Is About People

SPEAKER_02 0:00

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 broadcasts here on the queue every Monday morning. Thanks so much for tuning in on this Memorial Day weekend and Memorial Day today, uh May 25th, and we're grateful to be here. 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 and the upstate. If you're thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate or a career in real estate, we'd love to have the conversation. We love what we do. I I was thinking about this the other day. It's not about the houses. I I had this thought. It's not about the coffee when you go to the coffee shop. It's not about the houses. Again, it's it's connections, it's helping, it's relationships, it's it's these conversations that happen uh through life. And again, we are grateful for the conversations we have every single day, whether it's um in the context of you thinking of buying or selling, or even a career in real estate, or uh the conversations about uh you know living here or life. And again, life happens, therefore real estate happens. It could be a really positive reason why you're buying or selling, it could be a challenging reason. You know, there's all different scenarios. You know, we know again, the market's the market, the economy's the economy. Gas prices are the gas prices, grocery store prices are what they are. But life is continuing to move on, and we continue to have conversations every single day with people that are a good, it could be downsizing, upsizing, right sizing. It could be the family buying their very first home for the first time, it could be the grandparents that are uh you know moving closer to the grandkids. It could be moving into a retirement community. I mean, life is happening, and again, it's a privilege and honor to serve our community through real estate, and we love and we're so enthusiastic, and it's it's a truly an honor to help our clients navigate through that. So if we can help you in any way, give us a call, 828-393-0134, 828-3930134. It's truly a privilege and an honor to have these conversations uh every single day. Find us online at realestate by greg.com. Uh be so kind to follow us on our podcast. We podcast all of our radio shows. We you can find us on your favorite podcast platform, whether it's Apple, Amazon, Alexa, Spotify, or you know, wherever you listen to podcasts, you can go to our website, even George Realestate Group Radio.com. Uh also our website where you can search all of the listings for sale across uh from Charlotte all the way to West North Carolina to upstate as well, realestate by Greg.com, real estate by Greg.com. Follow us on social media. We have uh new listings uh almost now you can't say every day, but we have new listing listings frequently, and we also share about our uh you know, homes going under contract, share about our open houses, and and be sure to follow us on on social media. I I'm just thankful to be here today, and again, good morning.

Memorial Day Is For The Fallen

SPEAKER_02 3:40

And today, you know, it being Memorial Day, I did want to pause, you know, from the noise of the long weekend, the you know, the the even though it was raining, I mean maybe you tried to get a cookout in. We had the garden jubilee, which still showed up uh even with all the rain, which we need the rain so bad, but you know, traditionally you think of the long weekend and Memorial Day weekend, the cookouts, the lake, uh, and it's that start of the summer feeling, and and let's remember what this day is truly about. You know, Memorial Day is not simply about those who serve. That that's Veterans Day. You know, Memorial Day is about those who served and did not come home.

Jamie McClamrock’s Story Of Service

SPEAKER_02 4:19

And I've shared about my friend before, but I wanted to remember again, uh young man from right here, grew up here in Flat Rock, uh, private first class James Fleet McClamrock, known by many as Jamie, and I knew him. Uh his family uh was here in Flat Rock, and growing up, uh, he was uh you know a few years uh younger than me, but you know, he was born in 1987. He's from Huntsville, formerly of the Statesville and Troutman area, and graduated from South Iredale High School. And he was you know a husband, a son, a brother, and a friend, and a man of deep Christian faith. And before he joined the army, Jamie worked as a TSA security screener in the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and there, day after day, he saw the soldiers coming and going. And according to his family, something stirred in him, and his mother, Susan, said he believed God was calling him to go, and she said he wanted to be on the front line and he wanted to make a difference. And that sentence alone says so much. He did not simply want comfort, he did not simply want safety, he wanted purpose and he wanted to serve, and he wanted to make a difference. Jamie joined the United States Army and served with the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Striker Advis and Assist Brigade, the 25th Infantry Division. But at the time the U.S. combat operations uh in Iraq had officially ended, but American troops were still there serving Iraq, uh Iraqi security forces, providing security and assisting in the ongoing mission. But on September 7th, 2010, Jamie's unit was preparing to leave for a training mission when one of the Iraqi trainees opened fire and Jamie was killed, and another American soldier, Staff Sergeant Philip Jenkins, was also killed. Nine others were wounded. But my friend Jamie was twenty two years old. Uh 22, old enough to serve his country, old enough to marry the love of his life, old enough to carry responsibility with courage, but still so young. And his wife Shanna, she she um had had he um his wife Shanna Shanna had said uh he had prayed about joining the military, and he told her he felt like it was what God wanted him to do, and so she said, Who was I to stop that? And that kind of sentence, you know, carries love, heartbreak, and faith all at the same time. And so his family's faith is woven all through his story, and his father, Mark McClamrock, served as a pastor uh at Concord uh Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and this is where I actually met the family, Mark and Susan and their children, including Jamie, uh when he was a pastor here at a Flat Rock uh Church, Pinecrest Church here in Flat Rock, uh the ARP Church. But, you know, so again, just uh just uh it's it's a lot to fathom. And so a young man, 22 years old, you know, um gave his life. And so today, you know, is Memorial Day, and so it's not abstract, it's not distant, and it's not just history from a textbook. It it was it is a young man from North Carolina, his wife's uh name was Shanna, his parents' name Mark and Susan, he's has brothers and sisters, you know, it's a church family, it's a high school, it's a community, it's an empty chair at the table, and so you know it's a name that deserves to be spoken. So today we remember PFC James Fleet McClamrock, and we remember his courage, remember his faith, remember his desire to make a difference, and we remember that freedom is never free, and it's carried on the backs of real people, real families, and real sacrifice. And may we live with gratitude, may we remember with reverence, and may we never let the names of the fallen fade into

Decoration Day Roots Of Remembrance

SPEAKER_02 8:15

silence. And again, that's the the importance of Memorial Day and to have these conversations, and and again, these are this is real life, and again, the freedom that we have, um the again the the sacrifices that so many people have made, families uh and actually before it was called Memorial Day, it was called uh decorate decl decoration day, and it was the idea was simple and profound. Go to the graves of those who died in war and decorate them with flowers, and in 1868, General uh John A. Logan issued an order calling for the National Day to decorate the graves of Civil War soldiers, and that was the first national observ observance was held at Arlington National Cemetery, and there's something beautiful about that word decoration. It wasn't about the speeches, it was about pol it was not about politics, it wasn't about the flowers, it was about walking to a grave and saying, You're not forgotten. And maybe uh that is still the heart of Memorial Day, you know, before the the parades, the long weekend, and before the cookouts, and you know, there was this simple human act of remembering the dead with gratitude. So uh we do uh again with gratitude, we're so thankful for those that have uh given it all. And a lot of times Memorial Day is confused with Veterans Day. Veterans Day sir you know honors all who served, especially living veterans. And Memorial Day is more specific, honoring those have that who died while serving in the United States military. Um so it's not it's not just saying thank you for your service, which is always appropriate. I my kids and I, every time we see someone with uh a a military hat, we we do take a moment to just acknowledge that and say thank you. Um but today's you know something even heavier. We remember those who never came home. So maybe the best way to honor them is to live with more gratitude, a little more courage, a little more responsibility, and a little more appreciation for the freedoms that we often take for granted. So again, today is um um important, and may we remember the freedoms uh they protected, but never casually uh I saw this quoted, may we gather with joy but remember with reverence, and may the lives we live be worthy of the sacrifices we remember today.

VA Home Loan Benefits Explained

SPEAKER_02 10:54

You know, it's in the real estate market and real estate industry, especially today being Memorial Day, you know, people that uh and men and women who came home, you know, the our veterans, active duty service members, national guard members, reservists, um, they benefit through they have benefits that they earn through that service. And one of the most powerful benefits is the VA home loan. And this is where what's surprising, a lot of veterans either don't know how strong the benefit is, or they assume it works like every other mortgage, and it doesn't. We work with a lot of veterans that take advantage of the VA home loan program, and and this is uh the the loan program was designed to help those who serve buy, build, repair, retain, or adapt a home for their own personal occupancy. Um and the VA does not usually make the loan directly, instead, private lenders make the loan. The VA guarantees a portion of it, which helps lenders offer more favorable terms. And so for veterans or eligible service member trying to buy a home in today's market, that matters. And so for a lot of people, the biggest obstacle is, and it can be that monthly payment, and and and it also can be the cash down payment needed up front. And you know, the down payment, the closing costs, the reserves, all those other expenses that can come with purchasing a home, and that's why and where the VA loan can be a game changer. You know, according to the VA, the main pillars of the VA loan loan benefit include no down payment required by the VA. They have very competitive, low interest rates, limited closing costs, no private mortgage insurance, and the ability to use the benefit more than once. And so that's where a lot of people don't realize this because the a lot of people miss this part. The VA home loan is not a one-time benefit, and for a lot of eligible um veterans, it can be used multiple times over a lifetime, and that's one of the myths that keep people from asking questions. Some veterans think, well, I used that years ago, or I sold that house, or I don't know if I can use it again. And in many cases, the answer is yes, it it may be available again. And so another misconception is the down payment. A lot of buyers assume every mortgage requires money down. Conventional loans often do. FHA loans require, I think it's three and a half percent down minimum payment, but the VA back loans offer no down payment as long as the sales price is no no higher than the what it appraises for. And so, and of course, just because they might be eligible for a VA loan doesn't mean every buyer automatically qualifies for every home. The buyer or the borrower still has to qualify based on income and and credit and lender standards, and and the property has to meet the VA requirements, and also one of the requirements is that the buyer also has to live in the home they're purchasing, and then and so the the point is this an eligible veteran, uh the the lack of a traditional down payment requirement can open a door that might otherwise feel closed. And then it's another thing is uh private mortgage insurance, what you might hear hear of it referred to as PMI. On a conventional loan, if a buyer puts less than 20% down, PMI is usually required, which can increase the monthly cost, but VA loans do not require private mortgage insurance and more mortgage insurance or mortgage insurance premiums, and that can make a big difference in affordability. In twin in a twenty twenty-six survey conducted for New Day USA found that only thirty-two percent of veterans surveyed knew a VA loan requires no down payment. Only 23% understood that VA loans do not require PMI unless a down payment. And that serve same survey found 30% of veterans were unsure whether they qualified for the VA loan benefit at all. And so, and it's not that's so that's not a mortgage issue, that's an information issue, and that's why us in the real estate industry, you know, it's part of why I'm sharing this this morning. Again, it's a responsibility we have to help veterans ask the right questions. And it's a VA loan is not a second-class loan, it's not a last resort loan, and it's not something to be embarrassed by. It's a benefit earned through service. And so, you know, there again, there's so many pieces of this that are so beneficial. Uh, and again, it we're so thankful for those that have served, and and and again, the VA loan program is one of the many benefits uh that uh is available. And so I think again, on this Memorial Day, sharing with you guys about uh if you have a family member or yourself or a grandchild or a child that served in the military, they might not be aware of all that the VA has to offer. So again, we'll touch more on this. We have a short break coming up. You're listening to the George Real Estate Group live radio broadcast here in the queue. We're here every Monday morning right after the 9 o'clock news. But stay tuned in, we'll be right back.

Flat Rock Spots We Love

SPEAKER_02 16:32

Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome back. You're listening to the George Real Estate Group live radio broadcast here on the queue every Monday morning. If you're tuning in for the first time ever, welcome. We're here every Monday morning. You can follow us on social media, Facebook and Instagram. We also podcast all of our radio shows. You can find us on your favorite podcast platform. Encourage you to follow us. Uh, that certainly helps uh with the algorithms. Follow us on your on our podcasts, follow us on our social media. We'd love to connect with you. Stop by our office anytime. We're on Rainbow Row. Um, our good friends there at the Flat Rock Bakery. Um, Hubba Hubba Barbecue, Campfire Grill, The Wrinkled Egg, also Dogwood. And I don't know, I I just recently came across, I I'm trying to get their name correct. It's the there's an ice cream hey, chickadee. By the way, remarkable. I had come on, Marquis. Did you have some of those ice cream? I couldn't believe it. Have you tried it? Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Yeah. It's remarkable. And it's different, and it's made, it's invented right here in Flat Rock. They created this. They created it here. They created it out of the idea of an ice cream that you can only get in Vermont that is sweetened with maple. Right.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

They told they said up in New England they would go, New Vermont, New Hampshire. Yep. And I guess the sugar shacks, I mean, but the ice cream up there made with maple syrup, they said, let's do this with local honey. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 17:58

All local. It's phenomenal. Local dairy, local everything.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

So they so our you know, of course, we were all sad honey and salt, and then you have uh Habaloo, and it's evolved, right? That space, the greens the green building there on Rainbow Row.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

And right now they're open on Fridays and Saturdays. Fridays and Saturdays till four o'clock, but we'll see what happens in the summer.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

I I hope they expand their hours. The offerings, the f the and I just said when I tried it just recently. Yeah. I I just had the the they they I was gonna get the four-ounce cup, but I ended up getting the six-ounce cup. And I'm glad I did. It is I mean, it is and it's so simple the ingredients, and it's and it's remarkable. It does not it does not need toppings.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

It does not need toppings.

SPEAKER_02 18:39

I and I and I love, and I didn't realize, I had no idea that they were in a food truck before. Yeah, and now they're there in the space where Habaloo the breakfast spot was. But please go by and check it out. It is I'm so excited for them. I'm glad you get it.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

I wish my office was right around the corner.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

Well, that's dangerous, I'm telling you. Between the bakery and then uh hey chickadee. I know and check them out. And again, open on the weekends. Uh and again, that's the type again. I love our c our little uh the village of Flat Rock and all that's going on there. But the you know, hey chickadee and again all the other offerings there.

Summer Camps Fuel Local Life

SPEAKER_02 19:14

By the way, with all the camps going on, I mean the the hundreds, hundreds of families are coming through every single you know, weekend and day now, but the camps uh opening day, I think, for some of the camps have already happened. Uh, you know, so uh and there's over, by the way, I'm gonna digress, not digress. I think this is an important conversation. We have over 50 summer camps in the three counties here. I think some 15-20 years ago, they did an economic impact study. You know, it was $350 million annually, you know, 15-20 years ago, the economic impact. But again, you hear this story after story where families, their their their grandparents went to camp here, then the the parents, and then people are coming back, and it's not it is it's this incredible phenomenon, but you know, the camp industry is just a pillar of our community here, and and this has been some of our camps are a hundred years old here, and it's and it's remarkable. I know my daughter's looking forward to going to one of the uh local girls' camp here this summer, and the camp industry is is uh one of the it's a remarkable uh the difference it makes in our kids' lives. By the way, there's a phenomenal nonprofit here in our community called Camplify uh that offers uh camping you know, camp experiences for some of our local kids that are identified as leaders, and they have that program there too, which is remarkable. Again, the camping industry makes a difference in our kids' lives, and again, it's been uh in some cases three and four generations of families that send their kids to camp. Uh and but again, the economic impact here between the restaurants and the hotels and the and the stores that benefit from it. Again, I you can tell I'm a little biased, but I think we live in one of the most amazing places in the country, and again, we we hear from people. People walk into our door, they're in our office, they're on a rainbow row, and they're sometimes it's for the first time, and they're like, wow, we love it here. And then they find a way. I mean, it sort of uh is is is similar to my own family's experience. My father in the 80s uh came up here to uh a Bible conference in the early 80s in 1982. They got here on uh Sunday or Monday, and and actually my dad uh found a house and bought a house by Friday, which is wild. Uh took him a few years to get out of his business in Florida and then moved our family up here in the in the mid-80s. Um, but again, that story, people come here, they have the experience, they love it, they want to move here, quality of life, the climate, the unique, unique community we live in, the people, um, again, it's an amazing place that we all get to call home uh here. And again, the and it's funny you hear people that say though they want to shut the door behind them when they move here, but again, that's that that's just not possible. But you know, it's it's that uh tension of again, what an amazing place we have, and it is because of the people that live here and the uh the people that retire here. Small business owners and again, all that make the small local radio. I mean, again, it's all that it makes it all possible uh and w makes our community for what it is. And again, the garden jubilee this weekend. I hear many people they come to Hendersonville for the first time because of the garden jubilee, and they say, I want to live here, want to move here. I can't tell you how many people have told me that story, and then they found a way. They sometimes they're retiring here, sometimes they we certainly experienced during uh COVID where there was this concept of move your dreams forward. Don't wait. Don't don't wait for retirement to live where you want to live. And so many people moved their dreams forward, they found a way, they brought their business with them, they they created new businesses, they brought their jobs, maybe they were able to work you know virtually or remotely, and and then and then people just started over and created the life that they wanted to create for themselves. Uh what's uh the again uh we've talked about this. It's people at the end of their lives, it's not the they don't regret uh the things they they did, it's the things they didn't do. Again, uh making those uh steps of faith and and make the uh make the the leap of faith and and move and and and live where you want to live. Get get closer to friends and family and start and create the life uh that you want to have. And so again, we get to see that, we get to experience that. When we're working with people every single day that, and again, it could be at the beginning of their dreams, maybe it's the the new chapter of your life where again you moved here, you you bought the the vacation home, you bought the mountain home, you lived here, now it's retirement and getting closer to the grandkids. Again, so many different stories that we get to experience, and it's a truly a privilege and honor to hear our clients' stories that they share. And and again, it's it's not about the house. I mean, the house, of course, it's the house, but do you hear what I'm saying? It's like when you go to the local local coffee shop and you you get a cup of coffee, it's it's not about the coffee, it's it's running into the the regulars there. It's it's it's the conversation with the barista, it's the or at your favorite restaurant, right? You go. I I recently uh my daughter and I ate at Eggs Up Grill, and the you and we sat at the bar, which I love doing the the the breakfast bar there, and uh the the waiters uh and servers, they they you know, knowing the their customers' first names, the regulars that are there, and and then the customers knowing each other's names. Again, it's it's not about the breakfast, it gets about the connection in the community. And so again, it's just so this is what are what makes our community what it is. So again, these are these conversations that we're having every single day. And it and it again, life happens, therefore real estate happens.

Making VA Offers Win

SPEAKER_02 24:39

And and I was as I was sharing before we took the break, again, we've we we've been helping a lot of our clients that are veterans and taking advantage and and helping them walk through the the benefit of using the VA loan. And so again, us in the industry, the and it we have a responsibility to help our veterans uh again take advantage of the VA loan. Like I said earlier, it's not a second-class loan, it's not a not a last resort loan, it's something that you can take advantage of. And it's the you don't have to have a down payment. There's there's um you know the the very competitive interest rates. And again, you want to work with a lender that understands VA loans, and we have lenders we recommend for that. You know, not every lender handles VA loans in the same way. Not every lender understands how to structure um the VA financing, and not every real estate agent understands it either. So again, working with a real estate agent, we have a lot of experience working with VA loans. You know, not and not every seller understands that a VA buyer can be a strong, qualified buyer. In fact, we have some uh veterans that in fact they can pay cash for a home, but they have the ability to take advantage of a VA loan program. So again, you know, there's a some misconceptions. You know, some sellers think that the VA loans take too long or that the appraisal is going to be difficult or the transaction is gonna be more complicated. And so, you know, it it's again miss there's some misconceptions, but the right preparation can make the difference. And with our veteran buyers, that means we get a strong pre-approval. We we work with VA experienced lenders and then real estate agents who are on our team who understand how to communicate the strength of a VA offer. And so, you know, again, VA a VA buyer can be very well qualified, and and it's usually one of the strongest home loan benefits uh available in the country. And so, you know, we we are we have these conversations, and so for veterans, the VA loan benefit can mean more than just a mortgage, it can mean stability, it can mean a place for their children and grandchildren to gather, it can mean roots in the community, and then it can help build wealth. I mean, home ownership is one of the best ways to build equity and wealth over time, and and it and it can mean that the service and sacrifice offered to this country becomes connected to one of the most important pieces of the American dream, a home. And so on this Memorial Day, as we remember those who gave it all, let's also honor the veterans in our community by making sure they know what they've earned. And so if you are a veteran, active duty service member, reservist, national guard member, or eligible surviving spouse, ask the question, find out if you qualify, you know, request the certificate of eligibility, talk with a lender who understands VA loans. Give our office a call. We can uh you know, our group of real estate professionals at the George Real Estate Group, we understand and know how to use that benefit wisely. And sometimes the difference is between thinking homeownership's out of reach and realizing it may never, it may be possible, is understanding the benefit that's already been earned. So again, we'd we'd love to have the conversation. You know, the VA loan home benefit is not a handout, it's actually you know a promise that's one's tied to service, sacrifice, and the opportunity to come home. So in here in Henderson County and across Western North Carolina, where affordability is is one of the biggest conversations in housing, we want to make sure our veterans are not sitting on the sideline simply because they're never clearly told what they've earned. And so we have these conversations every single day. We're so thankful to be here with you on this Memorial Day. We're so grateful for those that gave it all. And again, thank you so much for tuning

Final Thanks And Contact Info

SPEAKER_02 28:29

in. Give us a call, 828-393-0134. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast. And again, have a wonderful day, and we'll see you next Monday.

SPEAKER_00 28:39

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 and 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.

SPEAKER_02 29:31

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 most. At the George Real Estate Group, we understand that real estate isn't just about the house. It's about transitions, timing, and trust. We've helped thousands of families in Western North Carolina make smart, thoughtful moves. Closer to nature, closer to family, closer to home. So when you're ready to right size, simplify, or start fresh, we'll be here. The George Real Estate Group. Local, trusted, proven. Call us today, 828-3930134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com because your next chapter deserves to feel just right.