Eco Friendly Real Estate Blog: North Carolina: Black Mountain: Creston Eco- Friendly Community

Creston Community & A Sweet Building Site

Black Mountain, ( minutes form Asheville) NC.

HIKING and Nature trails will be right at your door when you build your dream home at this beautiful site at Creston Preserve. ( Creston Community is about half an hour or so easy drive from Asheville, and just 15 minutes from Black Mountain, NC.)  Think of my hand-drawn blue lines on the "Trail Map" below as treasure map. If you are a nature-lover, this Creston Community building site is the center piece.

You can hear the distant Allison Falls from the “Nestled In”  building site. Imagine walking the Allison Falls Trail along the border of the Pisgah Range adjacent to this building site. The sound of Allison Falls may beckon you. But here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. For part of the trail, be sure to amble and enjoy the scenery.

2. Stop to soak in the views.

3. Take a blanket and picnic.

4. Wear layers as time disappears and the temperature may vary.

5. Be certain to take your camera! 

Soon the snow will arrive. That’s when a special kind of energy is in the air…Here (just below) is a slide show. See for yourself!   I’ve included a poster of
ECO-SMART homes you could build here …on a small footprint… nestled in…and cozy… a larger trail map that covers Creston Community …

___    ___ xo  ___  ___

Here's an Asheville NC Land Buyer Wish List- for an Emerald Green Building Site

1) privacy and a nestled in feeling with the sound of waterfalls in the distance

2) adjacent to preserved thousands of acres of preserved/conservation easement land and trails

3) in an eco-friendly community

4) within 15 minutes of Asheville area town(s)

CAN DO! There really exists and "emerald green building site"... (see videos - right side bar and photo of flagged trail to building site) ...

This Nestled In gem is adjacent to  the Triple Falls Sanctuary at Creston Community’s  (Black Mountain NC) secret garden; a 350 acre preserve of forest, streams, and waterfalls that is literally the soul of this mountain community.   AND...A trail  right from the building site allows access to these wonders.  Creston Community Map

The gateway to the Pisgah National Forest is Triple Falls Sanctuary. The upper and lower Catawba waterfalls are within hiking distance but not for the faint at heart and a solid attraction for the serious hiker. Arriving in the Sanctuary is magical. 

 Three waterfalls surround Creston Community's  camp area with a viewing platform below Allison falls (see video- right sidebar)  which is accessible from this amazing building site.

Extra care has been taken to leave the building site area as natural and undisturbed as possible ..

details:  watch this video from Green General Contractor then let me know what you think! 

Creston Preserve could be a dream come true. Some say Creston Community is  the “perfect” place to “ nest with the eagles” in NC mountains. Nest or nestle in (featured in December 2011  videos -Right Sidebar! )

you can do it within 11minutes of Black Mountain NC. ( Creston Community is just 42 or 43 minutes from Asheville, NC too.)

Creston Community keeps a promise to nature, conserved. 

Creston Community's eco-friendly development design emphasizes a "close-to-nature" setting as opposed to more urban developments .

You can feel a wonderful  connection with nature -the sites situated to maximize privacy and views, trails leading into huge conservation areas with the sound of waterfalls beckoning,  sunny lots with southern exposure for organic gardens,  and atop the mountain the community center for all to enjoy.  

( We are excited about one particular "cabin site" here.  It adjoins the National Forest and the rails leading to Allison Falls. ...see video here and -right side bar)

**** *** **** **** *** *** Yet, Creston Community's proximity to the amenities of Asheville and Black Mountain offers access to excellent restaurants, grocery stores that feature locally-grown and harvested produce, cultural and recreational offerings.

Insights: 1) "North Carolina has proven to be one of the top five retirement states in the nation over the past 30 years, "  according to Retirement Lifestyles Magazine.  This, despite a blip in the housing market the magazine reports , "will continue to be attractive to boomers, empty-nesters and retirees."  2) Creston Community is debt-free and on solid ground financially. This  means you can expect good appreciation and value for your money.

Can you imagine being a Creston resident in an NC mountain home?   If so, I look forward to meeting you. Email or call me for a tour, and in the meantime, check out the WEB CAM- Live View to the Southeast from Creston's NC mountain homes...(refreshes every 60 seconds)

 Details on Creston Community
http://localism.com/nc/black_mountain/creston_eco_friendly_community

Building your dream home in the mountains near AshevilleNC ? I have to recommend walking the Land with  a "natural-healthy-built" general contractor. You are sure to “unearth” some very interesting things, as I did recently while exploring building sites at Creston Community. (SEE VIDEO BELOW)  Creston Community, by the way is an eco-friendly development in the Black Mountain Range near Asheville. Here are a couple links for details

1. Creston Community (Asheville Area) Cabin and Nature
2. Creston Community (Black Mountain, NC) and Your Second Home?

Features and Benefits 

Choosing a sustainable, low-maintenance approach in landscape design has benefits— for example, selectively removing small poplars so that the larger ones can grow, (see video below,) can not only open up the views, but can add value to a building site.

Native Landscaping Benefits  

1. REDUCED money, water, chemicals and labor.
2. Wonderful wildlife habitat and viewing.
3. Increased probability of a strong foundation that invites other wild plants to come in and grow.
4. Increased time to live with and learn about each other and the plants used - adaptable, drought-tolerant, insect- and disease-resistant –
5. Less effort- =)

You may choose to keep in mind this time and energy saving tip: Trading out plants that demand a lot of attention and substituting plants that seem to do well on their own will save you time and energy. Of course, this is one of the hallmarks of sustainable landscape design.

P.S. I like the idea of including edible landscaping in the site plan. (EX. apple trees) I can see blueberry bushes planted on the sunny slope in the video that follows...

"The Creston Community believes that quality of life and natural splendor go hand-in-hand. " Our vision for Creston Community was inspired by shared ideals of conservation, responsibility, and environmental sensitivity. For this reason, Creston Community has partnered with the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina. ...." Conservation easements  ensure the natural heritage residents can  cherish and enjoy in forever protected beauty.

NOVEMBER FEATURED VIDEOS (to your right) :
Creston Preserve- Black Mountain, NC (Asheville)

1.        The video to your right shows a view of Allison Ridge. From Creston Preserve, you look across the   Black Mountain Range to Allison Ridge (also can be seen from a “Nestled In” building site!)

2.        The “Nestled In” building site with views of Allison Ridge and trail leading to Falls at Creston.

  One of our favorite spots at Creston adjoins the conservation acreage. It seems the perfect place to build a “HealthyBuilt” second and/or vacation home. And we know the perfect General Contractor who just happens to live right at Creston! You can take this as a clue in terms of what you might expect in this Asheville area community.

MLS 505730

WITH VIEWS OF ALLISON RIDGE!

...HERE you will find privacy and a great price, and a location that not only adjoins a huge area of land in conservation trust, but has trails leading to waterfalls at Creston Preserve in Black Mountain, NC.

 Is this Your Building Site? The One you have been dreaming of for so long? The one that can satisfy your need for a special connection to Nature?

Here, you can build your dream home and then follow the trail from your own back door. The sound of Creston waterfalls can guide you....

BUILDING SITE FEATURES: Gentle topography, and two (2) potential building sites, makes this an easy to build on site in the mountains.

There is a producing well already in place. And there are custom, PRE-APPROVED, eco-friendly building plans you will want to see. 

NOTE: Adjacent to 350 acre conservation easement. Topo and tree survey on file. Drive time to Asheville is less than an hour..Asheville.

Asheville NC Real Estate:  LAND and LOT EXPERTS/ Eco-Friendly Properties.  Tools for Sellers and Buyers. Mountain Homes, Land Legacies, LOTS and Land For Sale by Owners.(c) CRESTON PRESERVE! Dream Build Site-Asheville Area Eco Community, Asheville, 2011.

COREY ATHERTON is one of our favorite real estate experts here in the Asheville area.He has a great handle on land and home values. In the post that follows, COREY points out the excellent features of one of our favorite conservation developments in the Asheville area. This development, CRESTON, protects over 1,000 acres of land that adjoins the 65,000 acre Pisgah National Forest.

 As COREY says, " NC mountain homes have an attractive quality. Having been on board at Creston for many years, I can tell you that this "attractive quality" is underscored here! The concept is to keep it simple, quiet, and serene so the natural beauty of the land takes precedence. 50% of 1100 acres is designated as Creston Reserve/Common Property which will remain undeveloped for all residents to enjoy as part of Creston living."

Today we headed out to visit our friend who has a building site at Creston Preserve near Black Mountain, NC.  We hiked down the gentle slope,  past the twin mountain laurels toward the sound of the waterfall. The sun was just rising. It was about 65 degrees- perfect day for a hike through the woods. 

It has been reported that natural areas like the one we took on our hike and seen in the photo here are

" irreplaceable as laboratories for scientific research, as reservoirs of natural materials for uses that may not now be known, as habitats for plant and animal species and biotic communities, as living museums where people may observe natural biotic and environmental systems and the interdependence of all forms of life, and as reminders of the vital dependence of the health of the human community on the health of the other natural communities." 

And after our half-day sojourn, we agree. Totally! 

In North Carolina, we have established a Natural Heritage Program .  It provides assistance in the selection and nomination for registration or dedication of natural areas. This program includes classification of natural heritage resources, an inventory of their locations, and a data bank for that information. 

LOOKING FOR SPECIAL LAND? PLEASE NOTE:

1.Nature preserves may be acquired by gift, grant, or purchase.

2.There are a select number of amazing real properties available for sale in the Asheville, NC area. They do qualify as "outstanding natural areas" like that we visited for our hike today.

3. YOU can take part in funding and founding nature preserves by investing in such a property.

4. The owner of a qualified natural area even may transfer fee simple title or other interest in land to the State.  

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Asheville NC Real Estate:  LAND & LOT EXPERTS:: Going Green Eco-Friendly Properties::  Second and Vacation Mountain Homes, Land Legacies, LOTS and Land For Sale by Owners.

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(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............" We are on the roll  for  sustainable  innovation."  © 2010. Asheville NC Real Estate     Unauthorized reproduction of any information on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws. All rights reserved. TAKE A HIKE CRESTON PRESERVE ©

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Looking for a place to build your mountain cabin? Creston, an eco-friendly community thoughtfully developed  and carefully tucked  in the peaceful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina  is set amidst hardwood forests and an abundant diversity of native flora and fauna.

This could be just the place for you. An environmentally-sensitive community, it features Western NC mountain homesites situated to maximize privacy and a connection to a wonderful system of hiking trails, mountain views, waterfalls, and nature-loving neighbors. 

Creston's  Significant Features: Beautifully landscaped  with native plants, and rockery here you will find Earth-friendly chip and seal paved roads, miles of  walking and hiking trails that lead to 1,000+ acres of gorgeous land. You can take a picnic to Waterfalls or stroll down the road to a  breath-taking mountain overlook. (see photo)

"The Creston Community believes that quality of life and natural splendor go hand-in-hand.We share an ethic of preserving the natural heritage of the mountains," say John and Marilyn Nelson the developers. " Our vision for Creston Community was inspired by shared ideals of conservation, responsibility, and environmental sensitivity. For this reason, Creston Community has partnered with the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina. ...."  Now, conservation easements  ensure the natural heritage residents can  cherish and enjoy in forever protected beauty.  

One of our favorite spots at Creston adjoins the conservation acreage. We visited the owner last weekend. It seems the perfect place to build a LEED® Certified second and/or vacation home.And we know the perfect General Contractor who just happens to live right at Creston! You can take this as a clue in terms of what you might expect in this Asheville area community.

Here is a video featuring the owner of that building site,  currently one of Asheville's finest For Sale By Owner/FSBO  finds.  Leading directly to the National Forest via hiking trails, here you can keep an ear out for the sound of wildlife and the waterfall as you enjoy nature close-at-hand.There are a number of  unique building sites ranging in price from approximately $120,900 to $545,000 currently available at Creston. Yet, this remains one of our favorites, and we have long been in the business of finding incredible Land for our clients, whether that be Land for Sale by Owner or Land listed on the MLS. 

Asheville NC Real Estate:  LAND and LOT EXPERTS/ Eco-Friendly Properties.  Tools for Sellers and Buyers. Mountain Homes, Land Legacies, LOTS and Land For Sale by Owners.

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............" We are on the roll  for  sustainable  innovation."  © 2010. Asheville NC Real Estate     Unauthorized reproduction of any information on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws. All rights reserved.Asheville NC Eco-Friendly Creston Site ©