Blowing Rock Gallery of Homes & Land - Blowing Rock Homes for Sale

Blowing Rock Gallery of Homes & Land (BRGH&L) was established in October 2008 at 159 Sunset Drive, in the heart of the Village. Housed in a rock-faced building that began its life 60 years ago as the Blowing Rock Post Office, it is now home to a unique combination of businesses. BRGH&L joined Art & Artifacts, a gallery of regional art, to renovate the space into a combination real estate agency and art gallery. It has proven to be a synergistic combination. People buying mountain properties often desire to furnish them with original creations from the area. So, the building has become a magnet for people seeking both art and real estate. The space showcases homes, land, farms and investments from Watauga, Avery, Caldwell and Ashe Counties. In addition, the original works of more than 25 professional artists are displayed throughout the facility.

Above: The attractive reception area features a "big screen"TV for viewing properties on MLS Below: One of the galleries featuring works by some of the nearly 30 regional artists represented

Opening a business during the worst economic downturn since "The Great Depression" was surely not the most fortuitous time to establish a new enterprise. Lynn Sharpe Hill, broker-in-charge and owner of BRGH&L in deciding to take the plunge, reflected on the words of a poster she had hanging on the wall of her office for many years. It was a quote from Charles Dickens, Tale of Two Cities:

Hill certainly did not foresee the depth and length of the real estate downturn, but she saw the immediate effects all over the High Country. Prices that had been inflated beyond real value and new construction overbuilding were the first areas to fall in price. Remembering that some of our Nation's great fortunes were made during such dramatic and drastic declines, Hill believed that NOW is a real opportunity time for savvy buyers with the means to enter the market.

For over 100 years, in the best of times and in the worst of times, Blowing Rock and the High Country has been a popular visitor destination. The Great Depression in the 1930's spawned the WPA that built The Blue Ridge Parkway, a nearly 500-mile long magnificent national park. The Parkway has consistently been the most visited park among all U.S. national parks. In the 1960's and 1970's, the visitor season was greatly extended with the addition of ski resorts and winter sports. With great highways being been built connecting the lowlands with the highlands, the High Country has become a year-round visitor destination and an attractive place for retirees. There is something about coming to the Blue Ridge Mountains and changing altitude that changes attitudes and lifts spirits.

Through market up's and down's, High Country real estate values have "held their own". In "normal" years, the market has appreciated at 5% to 8% each year. There have been exceptions, with some properties appreciating substantially more. In other years growth has been flat. The High Country is known for conservative, steady growth, with modest and grand properties that keep their values. It has been traditionally a good place to invest.

Lenders are loosening up and making credit more readily available...There are bargains in land and homes from Banner Elk to Boone to Blowing Rock to Ashe County. Although, there are relatively few foreclosures and short sales in the High Country, they are here, too. In November 2009, one of our agents sold an historic house on Main Street in Blowing Rock for $800,000. The house had originally appraised at over $3 million. This was an exceptional deal, but the deals are out there and the six agents of Blowing Rock Gallery of Homes & land are searching daily for good buys for their clients. Please click on agent and staff tab to learn about our agents and to contact us.

Blowing Rock Gallery of Homes & Land Agents Have Nearly 100 Years of Experience