Exploring the Valley

What Makes A Community Worth Never Leaving

• PC PRODUCTIONS • Season 2 • Episode 4

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0:00 | 26:58

A hurricane knocked down trees, but it lifted up something bigger: the kind of community you only understand when neighbors show up with laundry baskets, hot showers, and time. We sit down with Hope Burk—longtime local, real estate pro, and steadfast friend—to explore how Black Mountain turns shared hardship into lasting bonds and why that spirit keeps people rooted.

Hope traces her path from App State to a decade in Charlotte and back to the valley, where her kids found continuity and she found a calling. She opens up about building a trusted partnership with fellow agent Chloe Lunsford, the real differences between residential and commercial real estate, and the practical ways a small team can deliver big care—like clearing a distant parent’s home, arranging donations, and guiding a family through a tough sale with dignity and calm.

We dive into how service weaves daily life together here: Rotary grants that strengthen local schools, small group rhythms that nourish friendships, and Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry’s Fuel Fund, Deck The Trees, and mobile medical care that quietly keep people warm, moving, and healthy. Along the way, we tackle housing affordability with real talk—rising prices, interest rates, and first-time buyer hurdles—while sharing the tools and strategies that still open doors.

If you think small towns mean small minds, prepare to be surprised. Black Mountain brims with talent, from retired executives to creative makers, united by a habit of showing up. Press play to hear why home is more than a house and why some places make staying feel inevitable. If this story resonates, follow the show, leave a rating, and share it with a friend who loves community as much as you do.

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SPEAKER_00:

Hope Burke. I am really glad you're here. You were one of the first people that I really got to know when I first moved here a couple of years ago through the Black Mountain Business Club, I think. Is that where we first met? Yes. Met your husband before that, but then I think that's where we first met. Yeah. And um, you're also the person who showed up at my house after the hurricane and said, um, give me your laundry. And um, would you like to come to my house and take a shower? Which was for people who don't live here, don't know how special and precious a shower was at that point. But but that that is why I wanted you to be here today, because you're one of the one of the people who's a tried and true friend and will do anything for people. And you just were one of my first friends. And I appreciate that. Well, I appreciate you. So tell me a little bit. Tell me. I always start with what's your story?

SPEAKER_01:

Where are you from? I am from Black Mountain and moved here in right before eighth grade. After moving around my entire life, I've lived in multiple states: Georgia, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, all over the place. Dad was in college administration. Okay. And so we were brought here by Montreat, Montreat Anderson at the time. So he was Dean of Students there. And when we moved here, we bounced all over Montreat while their house was being built. And yeah, I am grateful that they made that decision. Was it the house that they're in now that they were building?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. Ah, it's a great house. I love it. I love the view. I love everything about it. But okay, so you so you actually lived in Montreat. Yes. And then you moved to Black Mountain.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And but you went to the Black Mountain schools because there are no Montreat schools. Correct. Did you know there was a Montreat high school back in the day?

SPEAKER_01:

No, I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_00:

I did not know that either. I heard that from Craig Cooley at the Chamber one day. I thought that was interesting.

SPEAKER_01:

But no, there was Black Mountain High School and a Swannanilla High School. And then they merged to become Owen. I was actually the last class to graduate from Black Mountain Middle. The and the first class to go all the way through the new high school.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, that's cool. I did not know that. I didn't. I hear about the two high schools a long time a lot of times. And I didn't know, I didn't know really when it was that that happened. So that's cool. And was it, I mean, has it always been where it is? The new high school?

SPEAKER_01:

The new high school, yeah. Yes. No. Well, it was the middle school now was the high school when they merged to become Owen. So it was Owen High School. And then when they built the new high school, that's when we had Owen Middle instead of Swantanoa and Black Mountain Middle.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. See, things I learned. This is good. Very cool. So you've lived all over and you've chosen to stay after you graduated. Sort of.

SPEAKER_01:

So we all lived somewhere else for a little while. We lived in Charlotte for 10 years after we graduated from Appalachan State. Okay. And who's we? My husband Jason and I. We met at App State and got married in 2000. Married 25 years. Holy cow, really?

SPEAKER_00:

Y'all aren't old enough to be married 25 years. We were babies. That's well, that's what happens when you get married when you're 12. Mm-hmm. That's for sure. That's right. That's right. Well, and so you've raised babies here who are no longer babies. They're all grown in. Well, they're not all grown, they're still in college. So we're not going to give them full credit for being an adult yet.

unknown:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

But tell me about that. So we moved from Charlotte when our kids were little. Jack Wesley was in preschool and Layla was going into second grade. And the economy happened in 2008, 2009. And my husband found a job up here. It's actually where he's currently working. And I I didn't know how awesome that was going to be. I didn't I didn't love raising my kids in a big city. I'm so grateful and I'll forever be grateful that they were raised here. It was weird moving back.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

What's weird about it? Well, seeing people that you went to high school with, I still see people on occasion that I haven't seen in 30 years. So that is is kind of weird, but really awesome at the same time. Same time.

SPEAKER_00:

One of the things you do still come to the Black Mountain Business and Community Club, which meets every Wednesday morning from eight to nine o'clock at the visitors center. And everyone is welcome to come. But sorry, little commercial there. You still attend. And one of the things you always say is as well, I haven't even talked about what you do for your living, which we'll do that in a minute. But you always say, I'm a true native. That's the words you use. And I love those words. And I think that's one of the reasons you're really good at what you do. But so let's go there. Let's go there. What are you? What is your job and what is your business? Tell me about your business partner too.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. I'm a real estate agent. I've been doing real estate for eight years and just celebrated my eighth anniversary. I've been with the same company the entire time that was formerly Beverly Hanks, but now we have a parent company and we've partnered with Freestone Properties here in Black Mountain. So I'm grateful to have a Black Mountain office. It's the cutest office in town, too. That's adorable. I love it. Anyway, sorry. We have a partner named Chloe Lunsford, and she has been in the business with the same company for 10 years. Okay. So combined, we have 18 years of experience, which is awesome. I love working with a partner. It gives us, well, it gives our clients two for the price of one, basically. But it it gives me someone to bounce ideas off of, or, you know, if you've had a bad day to, you know, commiserate with them or a good day to celebrate with them. And it's a it's a really sweet partnership. Also makes vacationing a little bit easier. Right. She's on her way to Florida right now. She really. So good for her. I'm really excited for her to take a break.

SPEAKER_00:

But I feel like every time you go out of town, the world explodes and Chloe's like, I'm uh or the other way around. I mean it happens how it works. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

If you want something to happen in real estate, go out of town.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. Good. Good to know. I'm not going into real estate, but that's good to know. That's funny. My brother is in real estate as well. He's in he doesn't live here. He lives in Asheville. But but it is true. They have a place down in South Carolina that they go to. And when they get there, something happens here. They're agents in both places. So sometimes they'll be there. That's when something sells here. So I wonder what that is. That's how it works. That's how it works. So you should vacation more often. I guess that's what that means. Speaking of vacationing, so both of your children have gone to college. And so it's not really uh what is that called? Empty nest. Empty nest. Thank you. I'm like, it's birds flu. That's not it. It's not really an empty nest until they're they're they're they're grown and not coming home occasionally, but it's so different. And you all are doing a really good job from from an outsider. Y'all are doing a really good job of going on trips and doing things and just adventures. Tell me about what y'all have done. And then it's only been what, six months since that since he left. This the younger one left? Correct.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. First of all, you never stop raising your kids. That's right. And I hope that they always come to us with, you know, whatever they need or want to talk about. But yes, we got to go to Italy for our 25th anniversary, which was awesome. And of course, both of our children have been student athletes. Zoe get to travel and go and watch them play. Or our daughter was a runner. So we I don't miss a game. That's cool. And our son is in school in Tennessee in eastern Tennessee. So I I'm there for any game that's that he plays in. So what sports does he play in college? Basketball. Basketball. But he played other things too growing up. He did. Oh, he we tried out every sport growing up. I think kids should try everything. So you should. That's right. And just see what sticks.

SPEAKER_00:

That's right. But he was he was he was rock star in high school and and then he got to go to college to play basketball some more. So that's really fun.

SPEAKER_01:

So and then we, while we're in town, we have found we've joined a small group with our church, and we are really enjoying that. And then we also go to trivia on Tuesday nights at lookout brewing, and that's really fun. So we we're open to, you know, going on date nights and whatever else, whatever we feel like doing.

SPEAKER_00:

That's pretty fun. Yeah. That's awesome. And I'm proud of you for do we get. I think when my guys left, I was like, I don't know what to do. And I didn't, I didn't know what to do. And so I didn't do anything. And then it wasn't about maybe six months later, I was like, hey, I can go do anything I want to. And it finally kicked in. But for y'all, you really, you, you, you got it. And I think that's cool. And part of that value of your job is the flexibility that you can hop in the car and go to college to go to you want to say the name of the school? Yeah, Milligan. Okay. So you can hop in the car and go. And Jason is also in real estate.

SPEAKER_01:

He's a commercial agent. So he specializes in commercial properties and he's with Whitney Commercial. Totally different company than mine. And it's a totally different job, really. We all think it's the same. Yeah, this is not. It's not. I I wouldn't feel comfortable doing commercial real estate. And I'm sure he wouldn't feel comfortable doing residential. It's two totally different jobs.

SPEAKER_00:

I get it. I had sold insurance for a long time. And people, people were like, oh, can you tell me about this car thing? I'm like, I don't know. I know, I know Medicare. I do not know anything about any of that stuff. So yeah, I get it. But people don't know that until you tell them. So you all, let's see, you went to college, then you then you went directly from college to living in Charlotte, is that right? After you got married. Yes. And then you were excited, you were super excited about coming back to live here, but why? What what draws you back? What what makes you love being here?

SPEAKER_01:

So I I I was excited, but I didn't know how good it was gonna be to be back here. I think that growing up here and really getting to know your classmates and a lot of most of the time here, you know, people live here for their entire education. And so to go to school with the same people the entire time is is was a really cool thought for my kids since I moved here in eighth grade, constantly moving, meeting new people people my entire childhood, and then finally getting here and and establishing some roots. I was excited for my kids to go to school with the same people and graduate with the same people. It was really sweet to get to know those kids too, and to support them and see them excel with our children was was really special.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, and I've I've lived in a several small towns, not a lot, but several. And the unity in the community here is beyond what I've seen anywhere else. I absolutely loved where I lived before, as you know. I I could go back and visit. I'm not going back and staying for sure, but I could go back and visit and I enjoy doing that. But the but the just the the way people work together here is different to me. Does that do you see that or are you able to see that having not lived here? I mean, having lived here, but that didn't sound right. Are you able to see that or being here the whole time, does that make it where you can't see the difference? I am able to see that.

SPEAKER_01:

And a lot of that has to do with a hurricane. And as you know, my family was displaced out of our home. We had extensive damage, tree damage, not water, but for 10 and a half months. But the the initial initially when it happened, watching this community come together the way that they did was so special. I can't even put it into words. It and it continues to this day. And and I'm I have always known that this is a special community, but that really was like it was eye-opening even for me to to see that and to see just neighbors meeting neighbors they may have never met, and sharing meals together with people that we would have never shared meals with. And it's something I will never forget. It was it was a really terrible thing that happened, but it there's so much beauty that came out of it. It's it's hard to describe.

SPEAKER_00:

It is. It's hard to explain to people. And I I don't know. I yeah, I'm with you. That's exactly how I feel. It's like so many good things happened. I sure don't want to do it again. Never.

SPEAKER_01:

No, I don't, but I wouldn't change it. Right. That's a good way to put it. It yeah, it's it was really a special, a special time in this community. And because of that, we won't we will never leave. That's right. I get that. I'm not leaving either.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm really not. And a year ago, you knew me. I would have gone in a heartbeat if it was an option. So glad you didn't. Things are just just different. The storm changed everything. I I would truly say that. And and all your your whole family was at home during the storm.

SPEAKER_01:

Our daughter was at UNCG. She was at school. Okay. And but our son was, yep. Okay. We were home. It's very scary. Yep. We're not gonna relive that.

SPEAKER_00:

That's over. We're not gonna relive that. We're just grateful that the end. I like that. I like that. So you're very active in the community beyond a lot of times, people, you know, they're active in the community. What does that really mean? I know that you're on different boards, but I I don't know that being on a board makes you active in the community always. But one of my favorite groups that you you're part of right now is the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry. They're the ones who do deck the trees. They have the fuel fund. They have tell me about them.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I really uh I am on that board, but I'm I'm on the outskirts, but they are such an amazing organization that the fuel fund that you you mentioned, you know, it raises money to heat people's homes or to put gas in their cars. And it is is such a neat way to do it with the trees being decorated all around town. And then the the gala that they do is amazing. And then partnering with Hammer and Heart is is was a big deal to be a part of that. I I really I like being on that board to be able to vote on things that make a difference. Make a difference.

SPEAKER_00:

That's awesome. Yeah, and they added the uh medical, mobile medical part this year, which I thought was before no, that was after the storm. I got the flu really bad. I know. Oh, you remember that? Yes, you asked me where you came. Oh, you were the one who sent me there? Oh my goodness, that's funny. I tell people about it all the time, and I didn't realize it was you that told me to go there. Anyway, and that's how I met Dr. Height, and uh they treated me like I don't know, like like I was like anybody else. And I I I felt weird because it was I didn't pay for it, and I've never done that before, and I've I love them and I've I've sent in clients or patients since then just because of that whole thing. But I wouldn't have known about it if, well, I guess apparently if you hadn't told me. But they do so many things that are that people don't realize. Somebody asked me today, they they said something about it, and they said, I've never heard of it. I'm like, you've never heard of it. And I thought about it, and I thought, well, you know, they don't advertise it as Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry all that much. You hear about the medical part, you hear about the fuel fund, you hear about and people don't necessarily connect them as one big umbrella.

SPEAKER_01:

So yeah, it's an amazing organization, and I'm proud to be a little tiny part of it.

SPEAKER_00:

That's right. I see Savannah every morning on her way to work because she walks right by the chamber on her way to work. And sometimes we stand out there and chat for a minute, but anyway, they're fantastic. And I love Kevin. I love everybody there. I was on the the walk. The walk for your neighbor? Walk for your neighbor, that was the name of it. Yes. I was on that committee last not this past year, but the year before. And then it got messed up by the storm. But I got to that's how I met a lot of people that I didn't know otherwise. So that was pretty cool. Yeah. But they do just so many things. But what other things are you a part of when people say you're active in the community? What does that mean? What else are you connected with?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I'm in Rotary Club, and that's awesome. That meets at the children's home on Wednesdays from 11:30 to 1. And it's a a service organization. Uh we've able, we've been able to obtain a number of grants that have helped the community high school, and it's it's it that's that's awesome to be a part of that. It's starting back up. It kind of had died out for a little bit, and now it's starting back up. So I'm proud to be a part of that. And then the Black Mountain Business Club, I love coming there on Wednesday mornings.

SPEAKER_00:

And you were also part of the Swannova Valley Medical Center that that had run its course. Yep, we sent them their thing, sunset. You gave all the money away. Did and you gave us some of it. And you told me I could use it. I I applied for the grant, or I guess I should say, we applied for the grant. Correct. And I applied for it for four different things. I was like, I don't know what I want to, I've got so many things I need help with that. Here's the four things. And y'all granted me the money and said you can do any of the four things, whatever you want to do, but you have to do it and then you have to report back. And I think that's due pretty soon. And we are using it to enhance the visitor experience in the visitor center. And and we appreciate that. But but that's because you were here, you were part of things, and that's how you got to be on that board. Yeah, I was really proud to be on that board. That was a cool, that was a cool event when they gave the money away. It's so fun to give away money. I mean, I enjoy that. It's really fun to give away. Yeah, it's really fun to give away money. But everybody in that room was so excited to be there and so excited to just be a part of it. And it was it was cool. So I appreciate that. And you go to, let's see, you're at Valley Hope too. We are at Valley High Hope. Did you maybe invite me there the first time? I think you did that too. Now that I think about it, yes. And I do go to Valley Hope at the same time. I think we would like to see from there. Yeah, it's fun. Let's see. Your parents are still here. Yes. They still live in the house that I got to take a shower in. That's right.

SPEAKER_01:

Awesome shower. When when we had the tree damage from the hurricane, we went to my parents' house and they had a generator and a well, which allowed friends to come and take showers. So it Or wash clothes. So I'm grateful to live in the same town as as my parents and get to they get to come to our kids' stuff and and it makes it a lot easier.

SPEAKER_00:

I didn't realize that living with not with, I lived next door to my parents, and I didn't always live next door to them. Well, I mean, when I was a kid, I lived in their house, obviously, but as an adult, they moved here and I stayed in Georgia. And sometimes I'm jealous that your parents were here for your grandchildren. I'm not belittling what my parents did. They would take my kids for weeks on trips across the country and do cool things too. I'm not saying they didn't, but I do think it's cool and that your parents are still involved with, you know, things that they do and things that you do. I see you with your mom at events, and that's just really fun to see them, see you together with them. Really enjoy spending time. And I don't think we realize how lucky we are to still both have our parents. And we have so many friends who don't. And I think that's that's a gift that we've been given that we need to remember. That I don't know, I don't have trouble remembering it, but sometimes I need to be reminded. So people around here always talk about how expensive it is to buy a home here. And that happens a lot. People talk about it a lot. But in the town I lived in before, people talked a lot about how expensive it was to live there and how the housing market's out of control. Is that like a universal thing? It's not like people always talk kind of like it costs so much to live here. I don't think it's different from other places. It might be a different price point, but it's not that different. Is that crazy? Is that real?

SPEAKER_01:

I think that people probably talk about things like that over the years that I mean people are always gonna have something to say. Should it be the interest rates, can it be the housing prices, can it be the cost of milk, the cost of gas, or whatever it is. But I mean, we have ways to figure things like that out.

SPEAKER_00:

But so it's not like Swantanoa Valley issue. It is an issue everywhere.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, you know, there's uh there's Western North Carolina, you know, the the prices have gone up. Right. They have. But they have in Northwest Georgia too. They have. And the it's it's harder for people who've lived here years and years and years to wrap their head around the higher prices.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. I think maybe I'm the girl who's moved so much that to me, I don't really notice it. So you're right. That I didn't register till just that second. Right. If you're the girl that moves a lot, you buy a new house. It doesn't look like the price went up a whole lot. But if you haven't moved in 20 years and all of a sudden you're looking at a house and you can't afford it because wow, it's so much more.

SPEAKER_01:

It's easier for people who maybe sell their house and they're making a lot of money on it. Right versus a first-time homebuyer that can be deaf and tricky, but we have we have ways and tools to work through that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, y'all are really good at that. And I I tell the story a lot about how you and Chloe asked me to help you with a house that you needed, just some help that was not a friend of yours. It was uh just somebody called you and wanted you to sell their mother's home. I think that if it was a friend of yours, it it would be easier to say the story is, you know, it's just a one-off, but it really is a good picture of the way y'all work. Somebody called you from out of state and just wanted you to help them with their mom's house and sell it, but it needed a lot of work and uh it had to be gone through, had gotten sick and unable to be here to help and go through things. And y'all got somebody who had the time to come sit there and go through everything she owned and try and help figure it out. And I just think that's a really good picture of the way that y'all work is that you're willing to do, you probably didn't get a whole lot more money just because you got somebody to help you with it. I'm sure you didn't get a dime more, but but the fact that y'all were willing to do the extra work where it would have been an easy one to just pass off.

SPEAKER_01:

But right. Those are the ones that make you they make you feel really good. Like, you know, we aren't scared to get our hands dirty, obviously, with that one. And after you came through and went through all the paperwork that could be important, we came in and did a whole lot more. We donated furniture and and got the house all cleaned out and I mean it it ended up selling with multiple offers. That's awesome. Within within the past year. So that is still possible. Yeah. But yeah, I I I tend to like projects like that where I'm helping someone and something that they can't wrap their head around that maybe too emotional or too physical for them to do.

SPEAKER_00:

Or they're just too far away. Right. I mean, they had their mom now to take care of in Florida or somewhere far away. And then they also had to sell a house. So I'm sure to them that was you were gold. Like, wow, we found it. It was awesome. So anyway, it's a great picture of what y'all do. And I think that there are other realtors who would do things like that, but uh probably not a whole lot. I don't know. I don't know that I would have taken that project on. I'm just saying. So that was somebody who was moving away from here, technically. What about people who relocate here? What do they what do they get right? What do they get wrong? What about those people?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I think that what people get wrong is they think, oh, small mountain town, small-minded people, which it couldn't be further from the truth. It is a small mountain town, but we have some of the most talented, sophisticated, willing to help people in this town. Some that have been here forever, some that are brand new. But I think that people often think the wrong thing before they come here.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm amazed at the people I meet who were some top lawyer at some corporation in some big city and they live here and you meet them and you're thinking, What? I had no idea. So you're right. I hadn't thought of that perspective, but that's that's interesting. So do you work more with people who relocate here or people who are just moving in town?

SPEAKER_01:

I would say it's a it's a good mix. A good mix. A good mix. I mean, since Chloe and I have, you know, both from here, we know a lot of people here. So but then we also have a lot of people that are either relocating here or leaving, leaving. Which, you know, that's always sad. Yeah. They're usually people that we've worked with in the past. So okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Hope thank you for coming. Thanks for being one of my very first friends and one who has stuck with me when I was crazy or smelled bad because I needed a shower. Oh my gosh. And I appreciate you and thank you for coming in. My pleasure. Thanks for joining us on Exploring the Valley. Until next time, keep celebrating the pride of our community and discovering the magic of the mountains. In the meantime, you're free to move about the valley.