John Keith treated his ‘computer guru,’ George Ferguson, and I to lunch this week at Downtown Waynesville’s Gateway Club. Housed in a building that has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Club offers "a venue for social and business connections that pairs traditional Southern hospitality with state-of-the-art amenities." The Fried Hamburger that John ordered was most appetizing (love fried food), and I was glad he ordered it so I could lust over it. My words can’t describe a fried hamburger as well as this short video does. George’s Shepherd’s Pie must have been delicious if his empty plate was any indication, and since George asked what I was doing with my ’stuff’ I was videoing … now you know George! My Blue Cheese Burger was delicious, and after lunch I prete... 08/02/2009

The Chocolate Bear, Purveyors of Fine Chocolate, is conveniently located right in Downtown Waynesville on Main Street. The beautifully decorated store is not only pleasing to the eye - - the sights and smells of the chocolate once you are inside make your mouth water. Chocolate covered sunflower seeds ... almonds ... marshmallows ... peanut butter ... pretzels ... etc., etc. The Chocolate Bear — Purveyors of Fine Chocolates “Our mission is to provide the best quality product and customer service as possible in an environment that encourages and inspires our customers and ourselves.” By the way, the owners just added Gelato to the store … fresh, all natural ingredients, in 14 different flavors. Stop by to cool off with a Gelato before you pick out your chocolates. You will be glad you di... 07/24/2009

The Swag, North Carolina’s premier Country Inn, minutes from Asheville, Waynesville and Maggie Valley, was noted as “One of the Best 100 Hotels in US by Conde Nast Traveler” (read the Press Release here) and, most recently, the National Geographic Traveler announced The Swag as one of only 129 on their international National Geographic Traveler’s Stay List 2009. Anxious to enjoy the Wednesday picnic lunch at The Swag (described below), this week afforded me the perfect opportunity to visit The Swag again. “Wednesday lunch is truly something special — you are treated to a gourmet meal served picnic-style atop Gooseberry Knob. Enjoy our best culinary creations while gazing at panoramic mountain views. Love the idea, but not up for a fifteen minute hike? We also provide Land Rover shuttle ... 07/23/2009

  Lake Junaluska always provides new and beautiful views and/or flowers each and every time I drive around the Lake, depending only upon the season. Yesterday afternoon it was warm and sunny, and the swimming area was quite busy. Hard to imagine getting into the water since the temperature on my deck yesterday morning was 52 degrees. If you are in town this week for Folkmoot, here is a link to their schedule: Folkmoot USA Schedule More Lake Junaluska pictures and videos: What’s Happening at Lake Junaluska this July 4th? No Moonshine for Your Stroll Around Lake Junaluska at Dusk. Shut the Duck Up! Some of my other websites: HORSEALICIOUS Breaking Horse News Breaking Asheville News 07/21/2009

The private mountain community of Sunset Falls at Bald Creek is very conveniently located a short distance from both Waynesville and Asheville, and offers beautiful mountain homesites with breathtaking, long-range mountain views. Altitudes at Sunset Falls of Bald Creek range from 3,200 to 4,300+ feet, present stunning views of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, mountain streams, cascading falls, and miles of hiking trails.  Enjoy the old-growth forests, while at the same time utilizing the broadband internet and excellent cell phone reception.   Illustrative Master Plan Location Photo Gallery Contact Information (Tell them Susie sent you.) Or call 828-254-4235 right now. Original posted on Bucking the Real Estate Trend. 07/15/2009

My realtor friend Bonnie Williams treated me to a delicious Birthday Dinner Monday night at her beautiful home in  Pinnacle Ridge in Waynesville NC. Pinnacle Ridge is one of the beautiful mountain, deed-restricted, gated communities in Haywood County with beautiful views in every direction, and a location convenient to everything. Bonnie plants beautiful flowers every Spring, so I ran out before the dinner was ready and the sun disappeared, and snapped a few photos of her flowers. She also plants herbs, which were delicious in the chicken, vegetables and salad.   Recent articles on Western North Carolina Developments Approved Developments HORSEALICIOUS Breaking Horse News Breaking Asheville News Original posted on Bucking the Real Estate Trend.   07/07/2009

A few days ago I, once again, ended up at the mini-horse farm on Mauney Cove Road in Waynesville NC, which is located maybe 60 seconds from Granny’s Chicken Palace. The owners are all geared up for carriage and pony rides. What a great place to take your kids if you are in town for the weekend, or if you live here in Haywood County. Phone number not publicized; just stop by. Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy ... Dressage Style. Horse Radio Network Included Me In .... Balsam Mountain Preserve, a Golfer's and Equestrian's Dream. HORSEALICIOUS Breaking Horse News Breaking Asheville News Original posted on Horsealicious. 07/05/2009

The weather is beautiful this weekend, and there's something for everyone to do in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Red White and Boom in Maggie Valley Stars and Stripes Celebration in Waynesville Independence Day Festivities in and around Maggie Valley and Waynesville See the Miniature Horses in Waynesville NC (I visited again yesterday, July 3) Breaking Asheville News Breaking Horse News My horse website 07/04/2009

Photos for this slideshow were taken in and around Lake Junaluska late the afternoon of June 30. Independence Day Celebration 2009 - Schedule of Events Directions to Lake Junaluska Slideshow of last year’s Fireworks at Lake Junaluska Lake Junaluska at dusk photos Seeing the Light on Lake Junaluska Breaking Asheville News Breaking Horse News My horse website Original posted on Bucking the Real Estate Trend.   07/01/2009

Brannon Forest Development in Jonathan Creek, Waynesville NC, has its own darling resident asses. Don't mess with Mama. She looks a little bit pregnant. Photo taken 06/28/09. 'Pasturizing' milk in Jonathan Creek, Waynesville NC, off of Grindstone. I hope that's not the milk truck in the background. Photo taken 06/28/09. Do-it-Yourself Marketing Ideas to Start Today. Is There Anything You Can't Do with Posterous [from Mashable]? Seven Ways to Develop a Unique Brand for Your Blog. Breaking Asheville News Breaking Horse News My horse website 06/29/2009

Breaking Asheville News is my real-time, Twitter-fed website built with the guidance of, and grateful thanks to, Domus Consulting Group. Haywood County was my first choice, but the number of Haywood County Twitterers does not a website make… yet. Asheville businesses are ‘on’ to Twitter … restaurants tweet their specials, stores tweet their sales, hikers tweet about hiking in the Smokies, etc., etc. - - and their information (i.e., marketing) appears for all to see AT NO COST to the businesses. Every day there are more Buncombe County and WNC businesses that are now tweeting to market their businesses. Please look at the Breaking Asheville News website and see what they are doing … and also note in the sidebars the multitude of cities nationwide who have Breaking News sites, with more a... 06/28/2009

Photo taken in Frog Level, NC right next door to Panacea. ©Susie Blackmon Photos Second Home Owners … great information in this Wall Street Journal article. Downtown Waynesville merchants hope to get a boost in customers after the Courthouse opens June 29 after 2-year rennovation. Don’t forget the Cold Mountain Heritage Tour June 27, 28 in Bethel. Bethel Heritage Tour 2009 site descriptions and pictures. “Buy Haywood”- Want to find Haywood County Farms? Here’s your MAP! “A new brochure and map lists more than 30 locations to buy local produce, plants, trout, and more.  The featured sites include farm stands, tailgate markets, nurseries, and others.  The brochure also lists farm-related events, such as the Canton Mater Fest.” Mad Cow Company. (Has nothing to do with PMS). The Local Busin... 06/24/2009

“Buy Haywood”- Want to find Haywood County Farms? Here’s your MAP! “A new brochure and map lists more than 30 locations to buy local produce, plants, trout, and more.  The featured sites include farm stands, tailgate markets, nurseries, and others.  The brochure also lists farm-related events, such as the Canton Mater Fest.” Previous “Buy Haywood” post here. Take a Tour This Weekend: Cold Mountain Heritage Tour this weekend (June 27, 28) in Bethel. “This rural area is also fortunate to be the real home of “Inman” from Cold Mountain fame. The community, “Cold Mountain,” was essentially a fictionalized place that was named for a nearby mountain; actual events that happened in Inman’s life occurred in Bethel. Inman was born, lived, murdered, and buried in Bethel. Inman’s gravesite, the lo... 06/23/2009

It is always beautiful at Boyd Mountain Log Cabins and Christmas Tree Farm, and last week was no exception. The flowers are amazing and thriving (we have had lots of rain this Spring), and the Christmas trees are much bigger than the last time I visited. More Boyd Mountain Log Cabins and Christmas Tree Farm pictures, etc. Snow on Boyd Mountain … Nothing Better for the Soul of a Cowgirl … ‘Real Estate’ in Maggie Valley … Visit my horse website! Original posted on Bucking the Real Estate Trend. 06/14/2009

Okay.... it is not news that we have businesses in Haywood County closing left and right, numerous layoffs, homes being foreclosed upon, short sales, no significant new construction to speak of because our residential real estate inventory is ridiculously high and still increasing, we have the lowest number (drastically lower) of Haywood County residential real estate sales in 2009 than in any of the previous 4 years, automobile dealerships are drying up, the dairy industry is suffering, food expenses are higher, gas prices are on the increase, etc., etc., etc. Now the County is having meetings to figure out how to raise our taxes. “The proposed budget recommends cutting 35 county positions and increasing the property tax rate by 1.7 cents from the current rate of 49.7 cents per $100 to... 06/07/2009

The chart below provides a 'bird's eye' view of the 2009 Haywood County residential sales market (through June 5) in comparison to previous years. Interesting to see that we are back to 2005 'average selling prices' ... almost. The number of closed transactions, however, is the lowest in the five reported years, and it is taking longer to sell homes in 2009 (average of 176 days). The average selling price of the 4 closed transactions so far in June is $187,325, and the average listing price of the 5 June pending sales is $164,000. Please click chart for larger version. Source: MLS. Data deemed reliable but, not guaranteed. Why Borrowers Default The Real Power of Twitter See Mine That Bird's (Chip Woolley's) Kentucky Derby Winner Buckle Do What You Love ... Whether It's Wine, Horses, Cow... 06/06/2009

THREE IN ONE MARKET REPORT AS OF 05/31/09 Source: MLS. Data deemed reliable but, not guaranteed. NOTE: May is a little skewed because of a $1,520,000 sale in a beautiful Maggie Valley development. Waynesville’s numbers might be a truer representative of the present market. The number of sales increased in May, but the number of homes on the market continues to increase as well, rendering a 27 month inventory for the County. *** See the Haywood County Market Report Archives. See the Maggie Valley Market Report Archives. See the Waynesville Market Report Archives. *** 06/04/2009

The miniature horse farm here in Waynesville has an entire pasture full of new babies, and I just couldn't resist going by there a couple of days ago and snapping a few pictures. Hard to take a bad picture of tiny miniature horses, and it is not bad having Waynesville real estate filled with pastures of horses - - no matter what size they might be. See another recent article with more photos of the mini horses. There's a map there too. Link to photo set of video photos on Flickr: Mini-horse photos. Ghost Town in the Sky opened yesterday. Come have some fun at Ghost Town. 05/23/2009

Bullet Points for April 30 Numbers for Waynesville. Compared to April 2008 (last year), the number of homes sold in April 2009 is lower by 64%. Our inventory of homes decreased 3% compared to April 2008, sales, as noted above,  have decreased. The average listing price is 36% lower than April 2008 statistics. The average selling price is 37% lower than April 2008. Most expensive home sold in April in 2009: $316,000; least expensive: $25,500.                                                 (Please click chart for larger version.) Source: MLS. Data deemed reliable but, not guaranteed. *** See the Haywood County Market Report Archives. See the Waynesville Market Report Archives. See my Photos of the Day. Original posted on Bucking the Real Estate Trend. 05/10/2009

Click here to see homes and property available in Laurel Ridge. Laurel Ridge Golf and Country Club, and their gated log home community, The Smoky Mountain Retreat (named “One of the Top Ten Best Log Home Communities in North America” in 2005 by Log Home Living Magazine), present a unique mountain lifestyle in the spectacular Great Smoky Mountains. Conveniently situated on the edge of the historic town of Waynesville, North Carolina, breathtaking views, altitudes between 3,000 and 4,500 feet, and wilderness surroundings enhance and surround the  unique homes in this 1,000 acre Haywood County community. The Smoky Mountain Retreat, known for 30-mile long-range views and for preservation of  the natural beauty of the land, is an exquisite gated community enhanced by gently sloped and paved ... 04/26/2009