Henderson County Real Estate Update With Inventory, Pricing, And Leverage Shifts

The housing market story you hear on the national news can be wildly misleading when you’re trying to buy or sell a home in Western North Carolina. We zoom in on Henderson County real estate with a clear snapshot of sales pace, inventory, and what “months of supply” actually means for negotiating power. The big point: the market is softening in some areas and price points, but that doesn’t automatically translate to a simple buyer’s market or seller’s market. It depends on where the home sits, how it’s priced, and how it shows.

We also dig into a topic we hear every week from clients: everything about owning a home feels more expensive. Beyond the mortgage rate, we talk through the real costs that shape your monthly budget and your long-term comfort including property taxes, homeowners insurance, utilities, HOA dues, routine maintenance, and the emergency repairs that always seem to arrive at the worst time. We connect the dots on purchasing power, why a fixed monthly budget buys less house today, and how to avoid getting blindsided by system age, roof life, HVAC condition, septic, drainage, and more.

From there, we share practical, local advice. Buyers: get pre-approved early, run real insurance quotes during due diligence, and keep cash reserves. Sellers: pricing and condition matter more than ever, and preparation can prevent a deal from falling apart after inspections. We close with why homeownership still matters for stability and long-term wealth, plus tax considerations that can make a major difference during life transitions. Subscribe, share the show with a friend in Western North Carolina, and leave a review. What’s the biggest question you have about buying or selling right now?

Transcript

Welcome And Ways To Connect

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 broadcast here on the queue every Monday morning. Thanks so much for tuning in. If you're tuning in live or maybe you're listening to this on your favorite podcast, we podcast all of our radio shows. Welcome if you're listening to the podcast version of as well. The George Real Estate Group, we're located in Flat Rock and we serve all of Western North Carolina and the upstate South Carolina. If you're thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate, or even a career in real estate, we'd love to have the conversation. Maybe you're unwinding your investment career and considering a 1031 exchange, which we help with that, and uh estate planning, uh tax strategies in regards to real estate. Uh we have a lot of uh tools that we're helping our clients navigate through whatever iteration you are, whether it's your personal home, whether it's your investment property, you know, whatever it might be, we'd love to interview for the job. There's no pressure, there's no cost, there's no obligation to have a confidential consultation. You can call us directly at 828-393-0134-828-3930134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com. Encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, social media, and like I said, our podcasts. I'd love to connect with you on our podcast. We have uh we're syndicated our podcasts across multiple platforms. Wherever you might listen to a podcast and all of our radio shows, we'd love to connect with you. Be sure to subscribe uh to our podcasts. And so grateful to be here. Can you believe we're over halfway through the month of June? July's around the corner. Yesterday, summer solstice, first day of summer, and that's uh here we go. I I gotta say though, this weather is spectacular. I mean, talk about why we love living here and the quality of life, the incredible, incredible uh you know, climate we're in, the the four distinct seasons, the quality of life, the community we're in, the you know, you name it, all the outdoor activities if you're looking to hike or or bike or you know, take a stroll down Main Street. I mean, the and then just you know, I whether it's your going to your favorite coffee shop or your favorite breakfast spot, I mean, again, it is what a community we live in, and grateful to be part of it, grateful to help our clients navigate through, whether it's their personal home or investment properties, or maybe you have family land, uh, whatever it's maybe it's hundreds of acres you're you have inherited, maybe it's uh you know an investment property, maybe you have commercial property. Uh again, whatever the situation is, uh we'd be honored to help. Uh and just grateful. So call us directly, 828-393-0134. 828-3930134.

Local Sales, Prices, And Inventory

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Over the last 12 months in Henderson County, there's been over 1,600 single family homes sold over the last 12 months, uh, over almost 1650, and that's getting closer. Almost 135 plus homes, single family more homes have sold in the last 12 months than the previous 12 months. That price, the price, the average single-family home price over the last 12 months is at 542, and that's uh holding, and that's because we of the low inventory levels, uh, 614 total active homes on the market. You know, you can see this on our most recent blog posts, or one of our most recent blog posts. You can go to George Real Estate Group Radio.com. You know, remember when all the sellers had all the the power and the buyers were stuck offering ways to over, you know, maybe they were asking over maybe buyers were making those significant above asking prices or the waiving the inspections just because they they wanted a chance at the house. You know, and and here's the the reality, those days I would say are behind us currently. Doesn't mean there's not going to be another cycle of that, but currently, and by the way, real estate's local, and of course you hear the national news and the sky is falling. And you know, there are some areas of the country that you know you would say it's definitely a buyer's market, and it's you know, it's and and the truth is it's becoming more of a two-way street again. And you know, the economists say a balanced market is about six months of supply. Uh, less than six months is a is a seller's market, more than six months is a buyer's market. It certainly depends on the price point. And this is where you know, whether you're buying or selling, it's it's important to know what's changing, what's not changing, what it might mean for you. You know, the most um there the the national data set tells an interesting story, and this is according to realtor.com. The national housing market is balanced but gradually loosening as the cycle moves more into a buyer-friendly direction. I mean, I'll say this here locally, and again, real estate's a local market, um, and certainly by price points or or uh you know locations and and you know, but specifically Henderson County, just a quick snapshot. There I mentioned there was over sixteen hundred single-family homes sold in the last 12 months. That's 137 a month. Uh, there's currently 614 active right now. Uh, and so we have a 4.4, almost a four and a half months supply of our total market. Now, if your homes in the 700 to 800,000, that's a different market than the homes between three to four hundred thousand. And you know, each price point has its own market conditions, but again, you know, the market is softening, and and again, the this is where across the country, and especially over the last few years, a lot of the areas of our country have been shifting into more buyer-friendly in terms of inventory. And so, you know, the there's some markets uh you know where you know back in 2021, 96% of the excuse me, 98% of the markets in the United States were a seller's market back in 2021, and and majority of all the met major metro area areas were sellers markets. And this is where across the country there the in 2025, only one in three major metropolitan markets were favoring sellers, and that's clearly uh an obvious shift. I mean, there's some markets, they're saying at the end of 2025, 16% of the markets were buyers' markets, 46% were moving towards a buyer's market, and so that change that changes how the market feels for everyone, and sellers shouldn't expect 2021 conditions, but neither should buyers, at least not generally speaking. And the story, this is why again I said that the and I continue to say real estate is local, it's not the same story everywhere, and who ultimately has the power depends on specifically where you live. And so some metro areas have an abundance of inventory, and this is where supply and demand, if you have an overabundance of supply, that's gonna what dictates if it's more buyer-friendly. And there's still uh you know, areas of the country that are strong sellers' markets, but you know, there's some areas of the country that are buyer-friendly, and so it comes down to supply and demand in your specific area, and even in your specific price range, and and some of the national, you know, you know, some of the Sunbelt cities, Austin, Tampa, San Antonio, saw the major building booms in the recent years, which gave buyers more options and, frankly, more negotiating room. And then some of the cities in the Northeast and the Midwest, uh, Rock, Rochester, Hartford, Buffalo, didn't see the same wave of inventory. So the inventory stayed tight and competition stayed fierce. And the this was a quote recently from in the housing analysis at Bankrate, Jeff Ostroke. Uh, the former formerly hot Sunbelt markets have cooled. Well, the Northwest and Midwest have stayed hot, and the big driver here is construction activity. The softest markets now have experienced big booms that spurred new building, and that's led to a large supply of new and existing homes in the market in those places. So, so to find out who has the power in your your market, and specifically, you know, you want to talk to a real estate agent. This is what we're here for, to provide context and to provide clarity and to provide information. Again, this is where you've got to be careful. We hear it all the time. Oh, you know, the market's, you know, it's it's uh I can, you know, the market's a buyer's market. Well, it depends. It depends on the price point, it depends on the location, depends on the neighborhood. So a local market uh analysis, your sp your home and your neighborhood, and and again, whether it's a home or land or commercial, you know, and so if the market is working in your favor, lean in, whether you're a buyer or a seller, you know, and if it's not, you can still find a strategy that might work for you regardless of any market. And so I always maintain this life happens, therefore real estate happens. The market could be going up, the market could be going down. You know, there's always four cycles. You have the top, you have the downturn, you had the bottom, you had the recovery. And you know, finding out how you can navigate through the market in your specific situation, you know, the local conditions, your goals.

Buyer And Seller Moves That Work

SPEAKER_02 10:34

And so, you know, with a if you're a buyer, you know, one of the number one things is regardless of the market, you want to get pre-approved before you even start shopping. And it shows when you make offers that you're serious. And then when the right homes hits the market, you're ready to act and and make that offer. You know, also considering different types of terms, whether it's a quick closing or even you know, whatever. Maybe the buyer, or maybe the seller wants longer uh closing terms, or maybe the buyer seller wants to, the seller might want to lease it back, or the buyer might want to, you know, again, anything can be negotiated. And of course, working with a real estate professional to guide you, to advocate for you, to help you, and to provide clarity for you. Ultimately, you get to decide what you want to do, but having guidance, and it's your choice if you want to um follow the guidance or not. I mean, you have to live with your decisions. And here's the thing, though, if you're selling in a in a buyer's market, pricing is so critical. You know, you can't underprice anything. You know, overpricing will cost you time and money. Uh, focusing, of course, on the curb appeal, staging to stand out in areas with more inventory, being open as a seller to offering incentives, like maybe you're willing to discuss offering closing costs or home warranty. You know, and buyers expect to negotiate. And again, as a as a seller, being ready to be flexible. And here's the thing local markets are local, and every price point, every neighborhood is unique and different. Again, it's be careful to apply these, you know, sweeping uh, you know, uh statements about the the housing market or the economy, and you know, you know, here's the thing your strategy as a buyer or seller reflecting our local market. And so if you're curious what your home is worth, if you're curious how to approach it, and you know, it's not always you know, money's important, certainly, but it's it's not always the the main driving factor, whatever situation you might have going on. And and again, being able, what kind of price do you put on being able to move on with your life and doing the the next thing that's important to you? And and maybe you're getting out of a challenging situation, and and again, it's not about squeezing every last penny out of it versus again, what what's the peace of mind worth? And again, your particular situation, your particular home, you know, navigating through the market and having an agent advocating for you. Again, you know, if we can help you, we can we can have the conversation. There's no pressure, there's no cost, there's no obligation. You get to decide what you want to do. Our job is to present you with options, and then you get to decide you know what's right for you. So, you know, your personal home, your investment property, it could be property you've inherited, it could be property you're planning ahead for your estate, for your children and grandchildren, whatever that might be. We'd love to have that conversation. Call us directly, 828-393-0134. Call us today. Uh, find us online at realestatebygreg.com. Also uh follow our podcast. If you're listening to us on the podcast, thank you so much for joining us. Be sure to subscribe. And again, glad to help. We're here on the queue every Monday morning right after the 9 o'clock hour. We're here every Monday on the queue. Uh find us online, George Real Estate Group Radio.com, real estate by Greg.com. You can check out our listings, follow us on social media. We'd love to connect with you. And oh, again, if you thought about a career in real estate, we're growing. Uh, we're hiring more agents. We're so thankful. We have an incredible group, uh, incredible staff and incredible agents, and we'd love to connect with you. We have a short break coming up, uh, so stay tuned in.

Local Spots And Community Check In

SPEAKER_02 14:21

Uh, we'll be right back and keep diving into the conversation. Good morning, and welcome back to the George Will State Group Live Radio Broadcast this Monday morning. So much to be thankful for, so much to be thankful for, and thankful to be here with you. And we keep diving into the conversation of what's going on locally. But before we do that, again, if you're tuning in for the first time ever, stop by our office uh in Flat Rock. Uh, we'd love to help. We have our friends at uh Flat Rock Bakery, Hubba Hubba Barbecue, Campfire Grill, and uh Hey Chickadee, an incredible uh ice cream spot. Only Fridays and Saturdays, currently, as I understand it, but they they offer incredible offerings with local honey infused into their ice soft serve ice cream. It's dangerous. Uh but definitely check in and visit our friends there on Rainbow Road, the Wrinkled Egg, our friend uh Virginia and what she's doing there. It's remarkable. Uh some, I think since the 80s, maybe 90s. I it might be the 80s, but it's incredible what they've done there on Rainbow Road. Stop in and say hello. Uh, we'd love to connect. Uh, also find us online, realestatebygreg.com. You can also call us directly. And if you're also listening to us on our podcast, welcome to follow us and be sure to subscribe to our podcasts. Uh, we're grateful to connect and and uh help you out any way we can. You know, there was an article this morning on the morning brew, one of the uh just an incredible newsletter I I subscribed to. Apparently, by the way, on June 22nd, only back in 1775, the Continental Congress created legal tender and authorized the printing of two million dollars. This is this is the opening of the Morning Brew. They were my reminding us of that. Uh, if if this is the article that says if George Washington has never felt relatable, you should know that by 1778 he was already mad at inflation messing up his budget. Uh, and they go on to talk about uh a number of things in today's uh newsletter. Uh the homeowner costs uh was one of the topics uh that they they covered, and you know, this uh the cost of owning a home and certainly we feel it here locally uh and there's this statement that you know can be uh a lot of people can relate to this, but everything there's a there's a pretty ex uh what's the word? Just um the statement that that people are making is everything about owning a home is more expensive uh is is a is a real statement today. Wall Street Journal analysts found that several major homeownership expenses increased sharply from 2019 to 2025, emergency repairs increased 175%, home maintenance costs increased 85%, homeowner insurance costs increased 72%, mortgage interest costs increased 35%, and property and tax property taxes increased 31%. This these increases, of course, explain why many middle class Americans feel as though the goalposts of home ownership keep moving. And according to Redfin, uh buyer with a monthly housing budget of $2,500. This is fascinating to think about and remember. A buyer with a monthly housing budget of $2,500 in nine in 2019 could potentially have purchased a five hundred and seventeen thousand dollar home with twenty percent down and a mortgage rate near three percent. With mortgage rates around six point five percent today, that same monthly budget would support a home price of only about three eighty-four. In other words, the monthly budget the buyer's monthly budget did not change, but the purchasing power fell by more than $130,000.

The True Cost Of Owning A Home

SPEAKER_02 19:04

And buyers understandably focus on the purchase price, the interest rates, and monthly principal and interest payments. However, the true cost of ownership also includes which we talk about with our clients and when we're working with our lenders, it's property taxes, it's homeowners insurance, utilities, routine maintenance, landscaping, heating and cooling system repairs, roof replacement, plumbing and electrical repairs, well inseptic maintenance, pest control, HOA dues, emergency repairs, and these some of these expenses can be predicted, and then of course, some of these arrive with no warning. And nationally, the article goes on to say homeowners spent an average of approximately 9,000 per year on improvements, maintenance, and emergency repairs repairs back in 2019, and by 2025 that number had increased in approximately twelve thousand five hundred, and that represents almost three hundred dollars per month in ownership cost before the the normal things like your taxes, your insurance, utilities, and mortgages. And so, and this is interesting, the the word affordable versus attainable, there's semantics there, and we'll talk about this, but you know, the affordability problem or attainability problem, particularly here in Henderson County, is very relevant because our local home prices have risen substantially from pre pandemic pre-pandemic levels. I mentioned to you that the average single-family home price over the last 12 months is at 542. Median the median home sales price in Henderson County in 2020 was 290 in change. By the first half of 2025, that median year-to-date median price had climbed to approximately 440. That's an increase of nearly $150,000 in roughly five years. And though and although the prices have become more stable in the sense of like they're not having these dramatic increases, buyers buyers have gained negotiating power. Stabilization in home prices does not mean home prices have returned to the 2021, or sorry, 2020 or 2022 affordability levels, but buyers are still financing considerably higher prices at interest rate interest rates that are roughly twice the rates available during the pandemic era housing boom. And so considering a Henderson County median home price near 440 with 20% down, the buyer would uh be financing approximately $352. And at 6.5% interest rate, the principal interest payment alone would be $2,200 plus. Then you add in property taxes, homeowners insurance, and possibly HOA dues, the actual monthly housing expense could easily be twenty seven hundred or more. And that does still does not include utilities, maintenance, or emergency repairs. And so and for a buyer putting less than 20% down, do you then have private mortgage insurance could increase it even further? And again, this is remarkable in the light of what I shared with you earlier. We've had over 130 plus more single family homes sold in the last 12 months versus the previous 12 months. I mean so we've had over 1600 homes sold in the last 12 months. And to put things into context in 2021 we peaked out with 2100 single family homes sold. 2100 and then it dropped down to 1700 in 2022, 1400 in change in 2023, 1400 in change in 2024. Last year in 2025 that number jumped close to 1600 but it's remarkable we're we're holding the line and even with the interest rates where they're at even with affordability where it's at this the market is still moving and and specifically one of the other things you know Henderson County continues to compare favorably with many other communities when measured strictly by property tax but the property taxes are just one side of our equation. So this is amazing that's property taxes and there's there was a recent article in the news about the property taxes and uh you know the property uh rate right the the tax rate uh also the 2027 countywide property reappraisal if I got the year correctly um but and then also insurance this is fascinating North Carolina homeowners insurance it home North Carolina homeowners experienced an average of 7.5 base rate insurance increases beginning in June 2025 and that that was considered smaller than the 42% originally requested by the North Carolina Rate Bureau but it's certainly added cost to our homeowners and so with with it's here's the thing though with our North Carolina especially West North Carolina you know we have risks here locally of course we all experience Helene and flooding uh we have landslides we have falling trees you got private road damage I mean there's the here's the thing hurricane Helene changed the insurance conversation in the mountains uh a lot of us homeowners learned that standard homeowners insurance generally excludes flood damage and a property does not necessarily have to be located beside a major river to experience damage from flash floods runoff or or overwhelm drainage systems or creeks so again making sure you check into the insurance for your s for insurance uh just what your insurance covers flood insurance needs again these are important all these things come together right I mean there's so many factors in today's buyers it's not just about the mortgage payment and this is where we're advising and consulting our our clients you know it's not just the mortgage payments it's you know as a buyer making sure you do your investigation into an actual insurance quote you know the the estimated property tax bill the utility history the age of the major systems you know a home with a a home with an older roof an older HVEX system maybe hot water or septic systems could maybe affordable on the closing day but extremely expensive during s the first few years of ownership and so making sure you have cash reserves making sure uh that you leverage your money and and being prepared for your financial if there is a financial emergency again these major repairs it's not if it's when and that's why we have incredible home inspectors and and advisors and and we do our complete due diligence and investigations so that you know buyers can decide whether you know uh the home and its current condition. By the way not all no home inspections are are are done by humans. There's no guarantees you know there's no you know it's it's the best uh experienced home inspector you know it still might miss something it's nothing against them but again everybody's doing their best to provide the most clear data for the buyer to make a decision and then it truly is it's a buyer beware state the buyer has full discretion not to buy the house during the due diligence period regardless it's if for any reason or no reason a buyer can decide to terminate buyers get to reinspect the any repairs negotiated you know and then but also specialized inspections might be appropriate for septic for drains for foundations for HVAC systems and again this is this is all part of the investigation and so this is as a seller this impacts you as well again being in a retail condition making sure you've addressed and this is where a lot of our sellers do pre-inspections to make sure there's no surprises buyers are sensitive to the age and the condition of the roof to the HVAC systems to the electrical to the plumbing and the buyer may be willing to pay more for a well-maintained property because predictable ownership costs have become more valuable. So a home that's overpriced or that has significant deferred maintenance could sit longer even when they're located in desirable neighborhoods. So buy sellers we prepare our sellers for the buyer's requests for you know every every uh and by the way that's in the event you you you hope the buyer's willing to negotiate I you know buyers don't have buyers could get spooked by a home inspection they're not obligated to negotiate repairs and that's where as a seller doing your best to prepare your home that's where we come along you know and where we guide our buyers we guide our sellers we're here to advocate and to facilitate and to give you options so you ultimately can make the decision.

Wealth, Stability, And Tax Advantages

SPEAKER_02 28:20

It's your decision we're just here to provide guidance and information and and here's the thing though home ownership is still one of the most effective ways to build long-term wealth establish stability and pr and truly to fight against inflation uh the it but certainly the financial calculations change for a lot of people can can a lot of people are saying it it's not just can I afford the mortgage payment can I the better question is can I afford to purchase it insure it maintain it repair it and for Western North Carolina buyers that means evaluating everything the roof the foundation the the HVAC the systems that and it's not just the upgrading the countertops you know the and this is the thing though the American dream's still very much alive like I said we've had over a hundred more homes sold in the last 12 months in the previous 12 months people recognize it's one of the best places to park your money to fight inflation participate in the appreciation and you also get to enjoy it and live there it's it's not just the financial it's the quality of life it's the roots that you you set it's I mean the home means so much more than the financial there's certainly the financial piece of it and and which is something we advise and talk about all the time with our clients is the the the you know as a primary home if you've lived in the home two out of a five year period tax code allows you as an individual what you paid for it plus expenses plus the first hundred first two hundred and fifty thousand dollars of selling your personal home is tax free if you're married it's five hundred thousand dollars something that a lot of people don't talk about just because it's delicate is if your spouse has passed and of course we recommend just like a lot of people say if you've dealt with uh passing of a loved one not to make any major decisions that first year grief is real grief is not a straight line and we're very sensitive of that and it's not lost on us and and there is part of the tax code that just people aren't aware of if you've had a spouse pass you can take advantage of your deceased spouse's tax benefit in regards to the your personal home if you sell that home within two years of the passing of your pat of your spouse that can be a life changing difference for you to you get to participate in not only your two hundred and fifty thousand dollars but in your deceased spouse's two hundred fifty thousand dollar tax break which could make an incredible difference maybe you're thinking about downsizing or going into a retirement community this is it's not again very sensitive to this topic we help a lot of clients who've lost loved ones and yet at some point maybe and again we said you don't make any major life decisions within the first year they say but there might be something that might make sense to do that in in the second year if if you're planning ahead thinking ahead and those are the delicate conversations we have and providing information and knowledge so that you can decide what's right for you.

Planning After Loss And Timing

SPEAKER_02 31:24

If any of this lands or hits home with you your personal home your investment property uh whatever it might be there's no pressure there's no cost there's no obligation can call us directly at 828-3930134 find us online at realastatebygreg.com follow us on our podcasts uh George real estate group radio on your favorite podcast platform follow us on social media or just stop by our office but thank you so much for tuning in this Monday morning grateful to be here with you have an incredible day time flies when we're having fun and just grateful to be here have a wonderful week and I hope everybody had a wonderful Father's day and we'll see you next Monday the George Real Estate Group has the experience of selling over 1200 properties and serving over 1200 families with their real estate needs in Henderson County and throughout Western North Carolina.

Closing Resources And Next Steps

SPEAKER_01 32:21

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 Monday mornings at 905 on WTZQ FM 95.3 and 1600 AM or stream online at WTZQ.com 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