One great teacher can change the arc of a life, and you can hear exactly how that happens in our latest WHKP Hometown Hero conversation. We start with a quick, practical Henderson County real estate update, including what we’re seeing with home sales, prices, and low inventory in Western North Carolina. Our view stays consistent: the market is the market, rates are rates, and life keeps happening, which means real estate decisions still need clear data and a steady hand.

Then we welcome our Hometown Hero guest, Matthew Rollins, agriculture teacher at East Henderson High School and District Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year. Matthew breaks down what Career Technical Education (CTE) really is, why it matters for students who do and do not plan to go to college, and how one high school ag teacher gave him the career direction that shaped his entire future. If you care about public schools, workforce readiness, and community growth in Henderson County, his perspective is worth your time.

We also dig into FFA and the surprising skills it builds: public speaking, confidence under pressure, and the ability to explain your thinking clearly. Matthew shares what makes hands-on learning so effective, plus a story about a student written off as a troublemaker who found a path, built a successful adult life, and still stays in touch. And for a simple way to support students right now, we highlight East Henderson’s plant sale, featuring flowers, vegetables, and hanging baskets grown by the students themselves.

If you like this kind of local storytelling and useful real estate insight, subscribe on your favorite podcast app, share the show with a friend, and leave us a review so more people in Flat Rock, Hendersonville, and beyond can find it. What teacher gave you direction when you needed it most?

The Henderson County market is giving clearer signals than most people expect and if you know how to read them, you can make calmer, smarter moves. We break down what we’re seeing right now across Western North Carolina: pending sales trending up, prices holding, a list-to-sale ratio around 93%, and days on market stretching longer than the “sell in a weekend” era. We also explain why a roughly four-month supply still points to a seller’s market, even as buyers negotiate harder and compare every home to what else they can buy online.

From there, we get practical about pricing strategy. We talk about why the first 7 to 10 days matter most, how overpricing can actually net you less, and why you either show up as the best value in your category or you get ignored. Our goal isn’t just a high number, it’s the best outcome with the best terms, timing, and the least stress, backed by professional marketing and wide online exposure. The market decides the price, but we can control the plan and we’re committed to care and candor when the data is speaking.

We also zoom out to the life side of real estate. We share the rubber ball and glass ball theory to help you protect what can’t be replaced, plus a “progress over perfection” story that fits perfectly with selling and negotiating in real life. Finally, we touch on North Carolina due diligence, why buyers can walk away, and what proactive steps like pre-inspections can do for your leverage. If you’re local, we also mention the open house at 1032 Brightwater and our Hometown Heroes spotlight.

Subscribe for weekly real estate market updates, share this with someone planning a move, and leave a review so more neighbors can find it. What question do you want us to answer next about buying or selling in Henderson County?

Wood smoke, brick pits, and a real look at what’s shifting in the Henderson County housing market, all in one morning. We start with a fast, local market snapshot for Hendersonville and Flat Rock, including inventory levels, average single-family home pricing, and what it means when days on market stretch past 100 days for both buyers and sellers. If you’ve been on the sidelines because affordability feels out of reach, we talk through why this spring may offer more options and how the right plan can uncover pockets of opportunity.

Then we welcome special guest Kyle Russ, executive chef at Hubba Hubba Barbecue on Rainbow Row in Flat Rock NC. Kyle explains why authentic, full wood-fired Carolina barbecue is becoming a dying breed, how regional barbecue styles differ across the country, and what goes into Hubba Hubba’s in-house sauces. He also shares his path from childhood pit cooking to intense professional kitchens, including the reality of the grind and the craft behind an overnight cook.

We also get into why places like Hubba Hubba feel bigger than food: the open-air courtyard, the camps and travelers who make it a must-stop, and the way a local restaurant can anchor a community just like trusted local real estate guidance can. If you’re thinking about buying, selling, downsizing, or just want a great lunch in Flat Rock, you’ll leave with practical takeaways and a stronger sense of what makes Western North Carolina special.

Subscribe for weekly updates, share this with a friend who loves barbecue or real estate, and leave a review so more neighbors can find the show.

A free summer camp for hundreds of fifth graders sounds like a feel good story, but the real surprise is how practical it is. We sit down with Sergeant Kandy Carland from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department to unpack the STAR program, short for Sheriff’s Teaching Abuse Resistance, and how it prepares 10 and 11 year old's for the realities they’ll face in middle school. The focus stays on what actually works: education that’s age appropriate, relationships that build trust, and consistent support inside schools.

We dig into what students learn in STAR, from being a good citizen to bullying prevention, responsible use of electronic devices, and clear guidance around vaping, alcohol, and drugs. Sergeant Carland explains why Henderson County’s school resource officer program matters so much and how daily presence changes the way kids see law enforcement. Instead of showing up only when something goes wrong, deputies and SROs become familiar, trusted adults who can help early.

Then we get into Star Camp, a no cost, three day day camp offered across six summer sessions for about 550 students. From outdoor time in Pisgah National Forest to community service projects, the camp is designed to build confidence, friendships, and pride in school. We also share how the program is funded through community partners and sponsors, plus the Star Camp 5K fundraiser at Rugby Middle School, including ways to sign up and support.

If you care about youth safety, substance abuse prevention, and building a stronger Henderson County, this conversation is for you. Subscribe for weekly community stories, share this with a parent or educator, and leave a review telling us what programs helped you most growing up.

The real estate market doesn’t pause for perfect conditions, and neither do real lives. We take a grounded look at the Henderson County real estate market with fresh local numbers, including recent sales volume, active inventory just over 500 single-family homes, and an average single-family home price hovering around $544,000. We also dig into what we’re seeing on the ground as days on market rise: why pricing and presentation matter more than ever, and how a steady Western North Carolina housing market can still feel very different depending on your goals.

Then we do a fun but honest comparison of 1981 vs today, because the affordability challenge didn’t disappear, it just changed shape. Back then, buyers faced 16% to 18% interest rates and far lower home prices. Now, rates are often in the 6% to 7% range, but the price-to-income gap is wider, which reshapes how first-time homebuyers and move-up buyers plan their next move. The takeaway is simple: successful buyers and sellers adjust to the market they have, not the market they wish they had.

We also walk through practical strategies people are using right now, including the rise of multigenerational homes as a way to share costs, solve childcare needs, and create a path to homeownership. On the seller side, we cover key capital gains tax basics for a primary residence, including the $500,000 exclusion for married couples and the important two-year timing window that can help surviving spouses avoid unnecessary taxes.

If you live in Hendersonville, Flat Rock, or anywhere in Western North Carolina and you want clear next steps, listen now, subscribe for weekly market updates, and share the show with a friend. If this helped, leave a review and tell us what topic you want us to break down next.

The real estate headlines are loud, but your decision to buy, sell, or hold is personal. We break down what we’re seeing right now in the Henderson County real estate market and why the idea of a “perfect” time to buy is mostly a myth. Rates matter, but they are only one piece of the puzzle. When rates drop, more buyers tend to flood back in, competition rises, and prices can climb, so waiting does not always make things cheaper. The better goal is getting prepared so you can move when the right home shows up.

You’ll hear a clear March market update with local data: more new listings, more pending sales, stabilizing home prices, and days on market stretching out. That longer pace is a meaningful change from the frenzy where buyers faced 10 to 15 offers, waived inspections, and paid far over asking. If you’re buying in Hendersonville, Flat Rock, or across Western North Carolina, this shift can create breathing room and negotiating power, while sellers need sharper pricing and stronger presentation.

Then we move beyond primary homes into investor and retirement planning. Many long time owners have “won” with real estate appreciation, but they’re tired of tenants, toilets, and taxes. We explain how a 1031 exchange can defer capital gains taxes, why replacement property deadlines can be tough, and how a Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) may help some owners trade active management for professionally managed passive income. We also touch on legacy planning, step up basis, and the long view of building wealth that serves your life, not the other way around.

If this helps, subscribe to the podcast, share it with a friend who’s making a move, and leave a review so more local homeowners can find these market updates. What question should we tackle next?

Ten years on local radio doesn’t happen by accident, it happens when a community decides a voice is worth keeping around. We’re celebrating a decade of the George Real Estate Group on WHKP, and we start with the kind of real-world housing details that actually help: what buyer traffic looks like right now, how pricing affects days on market, and why open houses still matter in a low-inventory Western North Carolina real estate market. We also share two opportunities to tour homes this weekend, including a standout property at 1032 Brightwater Drive with a screened porch, a fireplace, and sweeping mountain views, plus an additional open house at 21 Virginia Commons Drive in Arden.

Then we shift to the heart of the Hometown Hero Series and welcome Jan King, a lifelong educator whose 30-plus years of service span the classroom, principal leadership, state-level work, and district administration. Jan talks about Henderson County Public Schools with the kind of perspective you only get after serving across North Carolina, and she gives credit where it belongs: the teachers, staff, bus drivers, custodians, and leaders who show up for students every day. She also shares the personal side of a career in education, the mentors who nudged her into leadership, and the teacher who shaped her most.

We close by celebrating Jan’s upcoming induction into the Henderson County Education Foundation Hall of Fame and by connecting the dots between schools and housing decisions for families relocating to Hendersonville and greater Henderson County. If you like practical real estate guidance paired with genuine community stories, subscribe, share the show with a neighbor, and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Sports can build confidence, but it can also crush a kid’s sense of worth when the scoreboard becomes their identity. We sit down with BJ Laughter, an area representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in Henderson, Polk, and Rutherford counties, to talk about what students are really carrying and how faith-based mentorship shows up inside real schools in Western North Carolina.

BJ shares what FCA looks like on the ground: 86 active huddles across his three-county area, many led by students, where kids gather for devotionals, prayer, and real conversations about integrity, sportsmanship, and pressure. We also hear BJ’s path from a long career in education and school leadership to becoming a fully support-raised “missionary” in his own hometown, plus how FCA helps communities process grief when tragedy hits a team or a campus.

We also break down a big local fundraiser: a donated 1997 Harley Davidson Springer being raffled with 300 tickets at $100 each, benefiting Southwest North Carolina FCA, Donnie Jones’s special needs sports program, and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office STAR Camp. If you want to follow along, look up Southwest North Carolina FCA on Facebook or Instagram, or connect with BJ at bjlaughter.com. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves youth sports, and leave a review so more Western North Carolina listeners can find the show.