Asheville ECO-GREEN Real Estate

I began a "conversation" with a horse person via email. She is a potentialclient I met through Active Rain. She wrote something like this,

"I am exploring relocating to an eco conscious, eco friendly community which welcomes and accommodates horses (5).  I am specifically interested in a situation in which there is minimum environmental toxicity in the community."

Now folks, I know what she means by eco-friendly. "Green"  is downright popular these days. Thank goodness "old timers" and ecologists are readily available to point out plants and trees potentially toxic  to horses.

But I also know about my horse-clients and their attraction to horses! I figured that five (5) horses  may  be the case now  ...but soon there could be one to be rescued and another as a total surprise ... inexplicable that attraction horses evoke in the horse-lover, one that horse people honor... et voila..  another horse finds the way home. Real estate professionals take such realities into consideration. (I'm smiling..)   So, with this in mind, I answered, as diplomatically as possible. . .

"...   let's say that over the years you have 6 or 7  horses...you might need a minimum of 14 acres...depending on your accommodation and amenities choices. By this I mean that there are eco-friendly equestrian communities here in the Asheville area where you could share a pasture and barn, but please tell me, what kind of paddocks/stalls situation might work or not work for you?"

 (These horses want to "be rescued" and come Home to an eco-friendly farm in Asheville, N.C. Photo by JT, Broker.)

One of the challenges of communicating via email is to open up a good conversation.  I wanted to make sure this potential client, who would be  relocating to the Asheville area, understood that I would be thorough in my search for what was most important to her. I wanted her to know that her concerns about environmental factors were being "heard". I needed to let her know that I am knowledgeable and conscientious,  and that she could depend on me.   So, I continued. . .

"I should explain that when I am keeping an eye out for land for my clients, I look for what's "there" and what isn't. When looking for eco-friendly equestrian property, here's what I do. I:

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    • Walk the land.
    • Check to see if there are rocks, holes, trees that are toxic to horses
    • Grab some dirt and consider the condition of the soil
    • Smell and feel the grass in the pasture,and note what kind of grasses are hanging out there in that pasture
    • Check the water source.
    • Note if the property is fenced, and what kind of fencing is there...the height, the condition
    • Take photos of all this.
    • Take photos of and note what's around the land. Is there a hog farm next door?  Is there an old apple orchard where chemicals were used and now are in the groundwater?
      Not good! And who's down the road? Do they use pesticides?
    • Investigate the quality and condition of barns, stables, etc.

I wasn't quite ready to tell her that I saw a really, really nice horse property the other day while I was out looking for one of my clients. The tack room had hot water and a washer and dryer. And a sofa. Nice! I'd be sure to mention that in the next email...but first I'd ask her what was most important to her. So I wrote...

"... do you want to have a home/stables, round ring and so forth already on the land?...
or do you intend to build? Tell me what's on top of your priority list. . ."

By the way, there is amazing horse and eco-friendly property within half an hour of Asheville. Gorgeous 35 acres ...10-15 acres of flat pasture, spectacular long range views, potential municipal water hookup, for example. I could hardly wait to tell her about this.  Would this potential client respond?  What do you think?

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