Ready to Build Mountain View Lots, Franklin, NC

SERIOUS QUESTIONS FOR SERIOUS LAND BUYERS 

(A public service brought to you by Bill Vernon Development & FeatherstoneNC.com)

Welcome to Macon County! We welcome you as our neighbor but also want your experience in our community to be a pleasant one with NO surprises. As you shop around for land you will find a wide variety of options and prices. Close to town or further out, views or valleys, good access, poor access, high end or low end etc. The following is a “straight-up” discussion on the most serious issues you face. As always… you usually get what you pay for.  Buying land in these mountains is unlike buying land anywhere else. We have no zoning laws, you MUST be careful! Whether you purchase from us or someone else, you need to educate yourself before making any decisions. 

DRINKING WATER - You may find the best land value in the county but if you can’t get drinking water what good is it? Consider what can happen if you purchase land in an area where YOU are responsible to drill your own well; Drilling alone runs $25.00 – 50.00 per foot (Google it – We’ll use $25.00 to illustrate). With an average depth of 700’ you’ll have $17,500 just in drilling the hole. No pump yet! It is VERY possible that you may have to drill 2 or even 3 holes to obtain a productive well. I’ve had a total of 7 nonproductive holes over the years which at today’s prices would be in excess of $120,000 gone…down the drain! Add another $6,000 – $8,000 for the pump and other necessary equipment. Your attempt to secure drinking water could easily add another $25,000 – $35,000+ to the cost of developing your building site before you even begin thinking about building your house. Even worse, suppose you purchased a smaller lot as all your neighbors did. They are all ready to build and proceed to install their septic systems, wells etc. There are state-mandated setbacks that may come over on to your property as result of your neighbors’ actions and unbeknownst to you that could render sections of your land non-useable insofar as a well or septic system is concerned. You MUST have knowledge and be careful so these issues do not come back to kick you in the head and wallet. Some communities offer chlorinated city water. We prefer and offer natural, deep well, mountain water – non chlorinated or fluoridated etc. ALL lots in Featherstone have access to deep well drinking water delivered right to the property line or to your finished graveled driveway.

SEPTIC SYSTEMS & PERMITS - This issue goes hand and hand with the drinking water section discussed above and has great importance when it comes to smaller parcels. Did you know that if your neighbor was to install a septic system or drill a well let’s say 15’ from his adjoining property line with you, this can have a profound effect on what you can now do with your land? The Health Dept. will require a 100’ setback separating a septic system from a well. Do you know what happens if you draw a 100’ circle around a well? You lose almost 1 acre of land that cannot be used for a septic system or well!  Clearly, both septic systems and drinking water MUST be addressed together if you intend to build on the land that you purchase. Your neighbor can impact you and your options!  It is important that you address upfront if and where you will be able to install a septic system and where will you get your drinking water. There are cases in Macon County where people owning a small parcel find that they can no longer get either a well or a septic system on their land!

ROADS: A poor road is big trouble & reduced property values! Carefully consider:

ROAD WIDTH:  Many lesser traveled or private roads in Macon County are very narrow. A wide road is a safe road. If you can’t easily pass another car due to width, poor construction or bare spots, who will be the lucky one who gets to back up to let the other car by?  At Featherstone, any of our single lane driveway access will have pull-outs allowing cars to pass easily. 

EMERGENCY VEHICLES:  What about emergencies for fire or illness?  If you can’t easily pass another vehicle or there are problem spots - what about a fire truck or ambulance? Don’t “scrimp” here as this is a very serious issue!!!

ACCESSIBILITY: How will you access your land?  Will you control the access, or will it be shared with others? Is there an active, functioning Association of all who use the road?  Roads need constant maintenance here in the mountains as they are continuously settling mostly along the outside edge where utilities are often buried. Is the road currently being maintained? 

EASEMENTS:  Always beware of a property whose access is via an easement through another persons land. Make sure that you have a deeded right-of-way that is plenty wide enough and offers you a good deal of control. Many mountain properties have compromised access and rights-of-way so be sure to have your attorney review all the access issues. 

GRADE & STEEPNESS:  Watch for very steep areas - especially those with gravel that remain badly and continuously disturbed for long distances. Any steep grade where your tires spin continuously probably may need to be paved or you’ll end up with ongoing, costly maintenance expenses. 

GRAVEL:  There is nothing wrong with a good, well-built and well-maintained gravel road. However, gravel usually requires constant maintenance. Dust can also be an issue especially to those with certain health issues.  Roads in the mountains literally “eat gravel” over the first several years. Their appetite for gravel then slows a bit as they become more stable over time. Watch out for gravel roads with dirt or clay showing through.   If you see thin gravel with a lot of dirt or clay showing through the gravel today, while it is for sale, what will it look like a year from now after another winter or heavy storms?  

You need to ask the seller how this will be addressed before you get stuck with thousands of dollars in repairs and maintenance. Gravel will run you about 750.00 +/- per truckload not including the bulldozer if you will need to level it!

DRAINAGE AND CULVERTS: The best protection for a road comes when you can shed the water off easily and quickly. Watch for LARGE heavily eroded “ruts” or standing water that seem to remain problematic or are not properly maintained. A good road will also have plenty of culverts to properly handle storm runoff.

ROADS – SUMMARY:  As mentioned earlier, roads need constant maintenance here in the mountains as they are continuously settling. Gravity and the elements work hard 24-7-365 trying to flatten out the mountains which take their toll on roads. Repairs are common on all roads. The key is to make sure the repairs are being addressed!  Once a road problem starts it must be addressed quickly because they ALWAYS get worse!   

PEACE OF MIND: The remaining Lots in Featherstone are owned free and clear by the original developers Bill & Cheryl Vernon. All underground utilities, wells etc. are installed and paid in full. All our main roads have been paved 2-lanes and WIDE! Our POA / HOA is well managed and actively running. You will know exactly what you are getting. No surprises! When you are making a large investment in a homesite, remember; “location – location – location” and just as important.

OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:

DRIVEWAYS: Will you have a “fully completed” driveway or do you have to build and or finish off your own? Figure on spending about - $40.00 - $60.00 per foot for a gravel driveway or road like we build and is included in the price of each Lot.

VIEWS: Has your view been opened up? More importantly, do you have control of future tree growth? Or, are you told what could be done? You move here for a view. We spend “big money” to assure your view is open and protected and you have control of the bulk of the trees in your view even if they are not on your property and could impact your view over time.

ELECTRIC SERVICE: Is electric readily available? Overhead or underground? We provide underground power. You can get caught in a revenue guarantee with Duke Power if you are not careful. Figure on $7.00 – $8.00 per foot just to bury power. 

SECURITY – FEATHERSTONE IS A GATED COMMUNITY:  Will your property be safe and secure?  We also have one way in and one way out for additional security. Call Bill for the Gate Code: 828-524-0863 or 828-342-3275

PROTECTIVE COVENANTS:  Macon County has no land use or zoning. Unless you purchase enough land to protect yourself, you could end up with an undesirable neighbor. Our restrictive covenants are realistic, reasonable and designed to fully protect your investment without having to purchase a huge parcel of land.  Ours are simple, basic and reasonable.

REFERENCES:  Available upon request from those who have purchased in communities we have built over the years. We’ve been developing land in the Franklin, NC area for three decades. Reputation is everything!

AT BILL VERNON DEVELOPMENT:  “We’d rather have to justify the price than have to make excuses for poor quality”! We address EVERY single issue.  We have PAVED – D.O.T / State Road Maintained access into our communities.  Featherstone has WIDE, PAVED, 2-Lane roads throughout the 185+ ac community.    It is well worth having peace of mind knowing that you will not be blindsided with issues that you may never have thought of.  Believe me, these days there are many folks out there who now wish they had addressed the issues outlined in this discussion more seriously. I have even had previous lookers at Featherstone purchase elsewhere then come back and tell me themselves that they now wish they had purchased in Featherstone!  Join us for carefree mountain living that truly is… Simply The Best!!!

Brought to you by Bill Vernon Development

DEVELOPERS OF:

1-828-524-0863 • 1-828-342-3275

www.FeatherstoneNC.com