It's time to celebrate with WinterFest!

Tomorrow kicks off a great winter tradition in the High Country, honoring local charities and celebrating winter fun. This festival will host events through Sunday which will include wine tastings, a chili cook-off, and even an ice carving demonstration. Bring the kids for free hayrides and activities hosted by the High Country Girl Scouts on Saturday. This weekend will be fun for the whole family!

See the whole schedule of events here.

This is just one of the many reasons we love living in these beautiful North Carolina Mountains. Contact the Liz Riddick team today to learn how you can live the life you love in the High Country, too!

Call Liz direct at 828-719-0120 or email us at lizriddick@gmail.com

Buying a home just got a whole lot more Affordable!

CNN Money reports: "In an effort to make owning a home more affordable, the Federal Housing Administration will dramatically cut the costs associated with the mortgages it backs.

Premiums for FHA mortgage insurance, which is designed to protect the agency in case a borrower defaults on a loan, will be cut from 1.35% of a loan's value to about 0.85%, the White House said in a statement Thursday.

As a result, a typical first-time homebuyer will save $900 a year on their mortgage payments. Existing homeowners who refinance into an FHA loan will see similar savings.

"Too many creditworthy families who can afford -- and want to purchase -- a home are shut out of homeownership opportunities due to today's tight lending market," the White House said.

The White House estimates that the lower premiums will enable up to 250,000 new buyers to purchase a home."

Read the full article at http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/07/real_estate/fha-mortgage-insurance/index.html

Call the Liz Riddick Team at 828-719-0120 or email us at lizriddick@gmail.com

Boone Ranked in Top 10 Safest Places in NC!

picture from http://www.ashevilleguidebook.com/wnc/wnc-cities/boone.htm

When choosing a place to live, many factors are involved including school performance and cost of living. Perhaps the most important factor, however, is the safety of the community. Movato Real Estate Blog has recently rated the top 10 safest places to live in North Carolina, and Boone has made the list, coming in at number 10! The list includes the North Carolina towns of Pinehurst, Cary and several other places across the state and was compiled using crime data from the FBI Uniform Crime Report. To see the full list click here.

We are proud to live in a beautiful, secure community and eager to assist you in making the move to one of the safest towns in the state. Contact the Liz Riddick Real Estate Team today to learn more about how you can make this oasis your home, too.

Some of our beautiful Boone homes!