Maureen Graham Explains The Low-Cost Medical Equipment Loan Program

A flood can erase a building in hours, but it can’t erase a community that refuses to quit. We sit down with Maureen Graham to hear the story behind Hendersonville’s Medical Loan Closet on Seventh Avenue, a place that feels like a lending library for durable medical equipment. When you suddenly need a walker, knee scooter, wheelchair, shower chair, or even a hospital bed, the price tag and the scramble can hit at the same time. Maureen explains how their low-cost loan program helps neighbors get what they need fast, with care, cleanliness, and high standards guiding every piece of equipment that goes out the door.

We also zoom out to what’s happening across the Western North Carolina real estate market. People are still moving to the mountains for quality of life, family, and those first memories that stick, summer camps, downtown Hendersonville trips, and local festivals that make a place feel like home. We talk current sales pace, pricing stability, and why “life happens, therefore real estate happens” even when interest rates and the economy feel noisy. For listeners thinking beyond a single transaction, we touch on 1031 exchanges and why tax strategy and estate planning can be part of a smart real estate conversation.

Then the spotlight returns to the real heart of the hour: volunteers, generosity, and resilience after Helene flooding left the Medical Loan Closet underwater and starting from zero. You’ll hear how they rebuilt, how donations are evaluated, why some items are turned away, and how the team stays focused on what patients and caregivers actually need right now. If you love Hendersonville, care about practical community resources, or want proof that small systems can create big dignity, you’ll want to hear this one. Subscribe for more local stories, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the help and hope our hometown keeps showing.

Transcript

Ten Years On WHKP

SPEAKER_01 0:00

The George Real Estate Group Radio broadcast is celebrating 10 years on WHKP. The George Real Estate Group is celebrating 10 years on the radio live every Thursday morning at 1005 on WHKP 107.7 FM and AM 1450, and streaming online at WHKP.com. Each Friday morning at 845, the George Real Estate Group presents the Hometown Hero Award to someone in our community who goes above and beyond to make our hometown a better place to

Why Hometown Heroes Matter

SPEAKER_01 0:38

live. Here's this week's Hometown Hero Show. It's 8 45 and time now for our George Real Estate Group Hometown Heroes series. Gosh, it's always fun to gather on a Friday and talk about members of our community doing good in the neighborhood. And Noah George is always here to join us. And Noah, good Friday morning to you.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Good morning. Are we live?

SPEAKER_01 1:03

We got you.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

We're good. Technology, right? Yes. Which is a lot of fun. But so much to be thankful for. Happy Friday. Yes, we're here every Friday morning. It's a privilege and honor to sponsor the Hometown Hero series. And uh I love the stories that you and I get to share, uh, Randy, around the mic, and it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Over the years, man, we have uh and I guess it's what, six, seven years now?

SPEAKER_02 1:30

I mean, I I need to go back. It might even be eight years. I mean, it's been it's been wonderful. I think it's actually we're getting close to ten at some point.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

And and during that time, uh, I mean, we've gone through storms and uh we've seen some real heroics, some real heroes come out in this community. And that's why we love it here so much, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:54

It it is so much fun. Again, talk sharing positive news and sharing uh you know remarkable stories from amazing men and women serving this community. So it's there's no shortage of of these stories, which is which is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

That's right. And uh uh it's you're on the forefront of of uh welcoming people to our neighbor neighborhood here, people who are moving here and learning about uh the the fascinating place that we live in in the real estate

Western North Carolina Real Estate Update

SPEAKER_01 2:25

world. Uh tell us about how real estate's doing now.

SPEAKER_02 2:28

Absolutely. And you're right. We get the privilege of of meeting and speaking with people that are considering uh relocating here. Of course, it's one part of what we do is people are are are exploring and considering their think about living their dream out, right? They want to move to the mountains, they want to the quality of life, you know, all the reasons.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

How many people have you uh talked to that said I came to summer camp here when I was a kid, or we traveled through here on vacation, or summer camp's one of the biggest ones, honestly.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Multiple there's over fifty summer camps in the three counties here, and it's not unheard of the you know, second, third, fourth generation families of kids going to to camp here. That's one thing, and then people had that camp experience. Uh my daughter's uh going to one of our local camps this summer here, which she a girls' camp, which she's so excited about. Of course. Uh so that's amazing. And then, you know, people come to either maybe the Apple Festival or Garden Jubilee, or you know, they have that first experience, you know, downtown and they love it, fall in love, and they say, Well, how can we find a way to move here or bring their jobs with them or or start a business? Or uh there was you know, during COVID, there's this saying, uh, you know, uh move your dreams forward, don't wait. And uh, you know, don't wait to live that dream. And so it's a it's really amazing and remarkable. Uh in and again, life happens, therefore real estate happens. The interest rates are the interest rates. The economy is the economy, the gas prices are the gas prices, but life is happening and people are buying and selling. I mean, uh, you know, for context, we've had over a hundred single family more homes sold in the last 12 months than the current 12 months. Really? The current 12 months, excuse me, more homes are selling now in the current 12 months than the previous 12 months. I might have had that flipped around. But we're averaging 135 homes a month selling. Home prices are actually holding. Uh, you know, you might see a lot of price reductions, but the average single family home price in Henderson County is in the 540s.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Uh so it's continuing to happen. And not only

A Quick Look At 1031 Exchanges

SPEAKER_01 4:28

right here in Hendersonville, but uh in the upstate of South Carolina. You you uh you guys work all around the region.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Yeah, upstate South Carolina, West North Carolina, and by the way, uh 10 thir specialize in 1031 exchanges and commercial properties uh in addition to the real estate uh 1031 exchanges. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

It's a little hard to get into, I guess, on our program this morning, but definitely a conversation worth having.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

But we can help people uh defer taxes, uh move uh help families with their estate planning and and get that mailbox money, uh, you know, move real estate from physical real estate into another physical real estate, but we have options into institutional level real estate, which is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

Well, get us in touch with the George Real Estate Group.

SPEAKER_02 5:08

Absolutely. Give us a call. 828-3930134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com. We're also here every Thursday morning right after the 10 o'clock news. We've been doing that show since 2011, uh 15 years uh doing our Thursday show. But it's a privilege and honor again to be here sponsoring the Hometown Hero Series.

Meet Maureen Graham And The Closet

SPEAKER_01 5:26

Maureen Graham is no stranger. Scoot up to that microphone, Maureen. She's no stranger to our WHKP mics because you've had been a guest on NOAA's.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

Oh, I certainly have.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

Yeah. And uh we just uh well we actually had someone to stop by WHKP uh a couple of weeks ago and give us your name and fill out the little form to tell us uh about the medical loan closet. And and we just wanted to highlight you and and all of the staff there. I had to kind of twist your arm into coming in early this morning.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

Anyone who knows me knows that this is just not something I do a I'll I'll do anything for our clients as long as it's after 10.

unknown 6:15

I love it.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

But uh Maureen, tell us uh about the medical loan closet. What a concept.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

It is a concept, and we have uh just so many wonderful, wonderful people in Hendersonville that back us up and um, you know, keep us busy, that's for sure. You know, the growth in the county is showing, you know, at at our doorstep too. So um uh of course we had Helene and we had to, you know, come back from that as we lost everything. So uh now we are back and strong and well well stocked, everybody. Please know we've got all the equipment you need.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

Um it's I mean it's remarkable what you guys are doing. I mean, to help our community. And can you go back and just give a brief I mean this has been in our community for 62, yes, 62 years.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Yes, I think six, yeah, there's twenty-four, yes, it's sixty-two years. And of course, started at St. James and of which they, you know, have nothing, you know, to we we stand alone. I uh yeah, yeah. So um, you know, thank you so much to the people out there who made it possible to have that vision at the beginning. Absolutely, and continue. We have some amazing clients. Um, and you just you know mentioned one that um came here and asked if I could, you know, put in an application for me to be able to come to this spot today. So I thank all of our clients because they're they're wonderful

The Equipment People Actually Need

SPEAKER_00 7:52

people. Now we are well stocked. We are changing over our software, so it's constantly, you know, we're constantly updating and and trying to get in special pieces of equipment for people. You know, we have gotten some for Parkinson's. We've we've upped our thing for the pediatric, and that has been that has been popular, being able to take care of some of the kids and their you know, little tiny equipment. So yeah, we're we're really going.

SPEAKER_02 8:25

It's one of those things that you don't think about till you need it.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Noah, that's so true. And people say to me, Do you advertise here? Do you advertise there? And I say, you know, it's really a lot of word of mouth in in Hendersonville. It it really is. Not that advertising isn't, you know, popular and good and we do it, but um we really rely a lot on our our word of mouth.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

There's so many uh I I know with my dad recently, or within the past couple of years, you know, there's a progression. He starts out uh my dad passed away at age ninety-nine. And uh for the previous couple of years, it starts out with he needs a walker. Right. And then it starts out with he needs a recliner, you know, and then it starts out and then it proceed progresses into a hospital bed in the house. And right. There's so many things and pieces of equipment, and you guys have it all.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

You know, we we really do, and if we don't have it, sometimes we can get it uh for them. Uh times people will mention something and I'll say, you know, that is something that we sh I like that idea. We'll we need that in stock. We'll we'll get that. And so we'll get it, they'll use it, and then we have, you know, another piece of equipment that is being used by, you know, many people. So we we really like to stay on top of what people need. You know, um uh yes, we have tons of knee scooters and and things like that, but we have some knee scooters that are heavy duty, they've got big tires on them. We've got so it's not we don't keep just the same same. We try to really up the game so that we're we're helping more of the people. And as I said, more of the people that come in, you know, more of the things we we want to have for them.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

That changes a lot, I'm sure. Uh there's new innovations and exactly.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

And and sometimes, you know, I'm they'll tell me about something and I go, I've never heard of that. You know, and I'll get on the computer and go, well, yeah, we should have one of those for sure. So we we really and then we have power chairs. People um donate power chairs to us. We go over them. We have one of our gentlemen who just knows them in and out, and then we let them go for a very, very low price. Um and and that's been very popular for us. We've we've sold quite a few of those.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

I I noticed in uh my write-up of uh uh about your organization that that there's uh low or no cost for some people to rent and borrow this equipment.

Low-Cost Loans And High Standards

SPEAKER_00 11:14

Right. Our loan program is is very, very low. It's twenty dollars for two months for as many pieces as you need.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

What about that?

SPEAKER_00 11:23

You know, on now if it's a specialty equipment, you know, like a bed or something, yes, it is a little higher. But most all the people that come in, they're gonna have knee replaced, they're gonna have hips replaced, they're gonna, you know, whatever their need. It's normally $20, you know, that they walk out the door having paid, you know, for two months. And we are we try so hard to be meticulous about the equipment. Uh we really put a lot of effort in into making that sure that, you know, would you want to loan that piece? You know, when I look at it, you know, no, no, I don't know that that's not quite up to our standard. And I I think sometimes people might get a little upset with us, you know, when we don't take something in. Um it's because we don't have that much time, and so we have to, you know, only we have to pick and choose. And I'm sorry we have to do that, but it it's a must.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Well, I uh called uh there the other day to talk to you.

Volunteers The Joyful Engine

SPEAKER_01 12:29

Uh let's talk about the volunteers. It sounded like a beehive in that place.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

It is so funny. People come in um and we're open Tuesday and Friday, 1230 until 430. And yes, it is busy. I mean, it is trying to find a parking place can be a little uh troublesome at some times. But um it it works. I mean it really works. I have uh just a dynamic team of of volunteers. They've all been with me five years or longer, you know, and we really are a team together. And it's a joyful I I get that comment often, and that is everybody's so happy and laughing. And yeah, and I said, we love what we do, we love the people we serve, they love us back. It's a win-win, you know. Um we're able to help them and we're anxious to help them. And then they always bring in treats, you know, they spoil us.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

I felt it over the phone. I really did. I'm so glad. I felt it over the phone, Noah, when I called up there.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

I bet it's amazing. And that you feel it, it's you feel the energy. The this the the remodeled building's incredible, what you guys did. Yes, that has been the space is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

It it is, it is. It's really much more um bright and cheerful and and functional.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

But you had to start over completely.

Rebuilding After Helene Flooding

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Oh yeah. They lost everything with it. Really? Everything like just right uh down the corner from us here on Seventh Avenue. Completely eight feet. Underwater. Yeah. And to have to come back from that was remarkable.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

And and it was remarkable. And uh I I have to say the Lord is with us every day. I mean, things happen that people because how did that happen, you know? Um the whole building, the whole, you know, um it happened, you know, we had Helene, there's water, there's mud, everything's upside down, it's completely destroyed. And we happened at that time to be working with a contractor because we were thinking about expanding a little. So boom, we had a contractor in our back pocket, and it just went from there and it went quickly. I mean, we were able to uh, you know, we worked outside for a while and helped people, and then after that we uh got inside and just, you know, took it week by week.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

Gosh, I I could talk about this all day, but we've got to go. Thank

Where To Find Help And Listen

SPEAKER_01 15:05

you so much, Maureen, for getting up and coming in here with us. The medical loan closet on 7th Avenue. And uh Noah, uh remind us of where George Real Estate Group is.

SPEAKER_02 15:15

Uh we're we're in Flat Rock, but you can call us directly, 828-393-0134. But again, congratulations, Maureen, and thank you to you and all your volunteers for what you do.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Oh, thank you for this. I really appreciate it. It will be put in a very yes, very prominent place.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

Thank you so much. Join us every Friday morning for the joy and the love that we share here on our Hometown Hero series. Thank you for joining us. 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 828-3930134 or stop by their office at 2720 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, North Carolina. Tune in live each week on Thursdays at 1005 a.m. on WHKP 107.7 FM and 1450 AM, or stream online at WHKP.com, or download these podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. The George Real Estate Group brings you the WHKP Hometown Hero Series every Friday morning at 8.45.

When A Home Change Becomes Life Change

SPEAKER_02 16:30

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 rise size, simplify, or start fresh, 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.