If you’ve ever wanted to give a bigger gift to a charity but felt stuck with the same old “write a check” playbook, this conversation opens a door most donors and nonprofits don’t even realize exists. We sit down with Matt Hayes, cofounder of EnGiven, to unpack how complex giving actually works and why the next wave of generosity is coming from appreciated assets, not spare cash.

Matt explains how EnGiven partners with 501(c)(3) nonprofits to help them accept cryptocurrency donations and stock donations through simple, branded online widgets. We talk about what happens after a donor clicks donate: how transfers work, why nonprofits typically want to liquidate speculative assets, and how a platform can handle donor support, receipting, and transparency so charities can focus on relationships instead of paperwork. We also break down donor-advised funds (DAFs) in plain English, including why donors use them for tax planning and how DAF-style workflows can make gift acceptance easier for nonprofits.

Attorney Justice Mullen helps connect the dots to charitable planning and estate planning. We dig into why donating appreciated stock, crypto, or real estate can be so powerful, especially when capital gains tax would otherwise take a bite out of the value. We also touch on larger strategies that may come up alongside giving, including 1031 exchanges and charitable trust options designed to align generosity with long-term income and legacy goals.

If you’re a donor, a nonprofit leader, or someone thinking about legacy protection, listen through to the end and share this with a charity you care about. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what kind of asset would you consider donating if the process were truly simple?

Waiting can feel like the safest move, but what if it is quietly costing you money, peace of mind, and options you do not get back? We unpack the real “cost of waiting” in real estate and in life, from homeowners delaying a move to investors postponing a tough decision about a property that no longer fits. Sometimes waiting is the right call, but we keep coming back to one honest filter: are you intentionally waiting, or are you avoiding the conversation that would bring clarity?

We walk through real examples that show how delay compounds. Deferred maintenance can turn a simple repair into a major expense, and hesitation around pricing or preparation can leave a listing stuck while the market moves on. We also dig into tax strategy that homeowners and families often overlook, including the primary residence capital gains exclusion and why timing matters when major life changes happen. If you have lost a spouse, we discuss an important two-year window that may affect how much you net after taxes, along with the practical reality that grief and logistics rarely follow a neat schedule.

On the investment side, we connect estate planning, legacy goals, and real estate portfolios. We explain step-up basis at inheritance, why shared ownership among heirs can create conflict, and where tools like a 1031 exchange may fit. For investors tired of active management, we also preview Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) options that can provide fractional ownership in professionally managed real estate, which can simplify both income planning and future inheritance for the right situation. We close with a quick Henderson County market update and an invitation to learn more at upcoming events with Troy Wada.

If this conversation helps, subscribe for more local real estate insights, share it with a friend who is stuck in “maybe later,” and leave a review so more people can find the show. What decision are you putting off right now, and what question would help you move forward?

Ten years on local radio teaches you something: communities run on people who keep showing up. We’re celebrating a decade of the George Real Estate Group Radio Show on WHKP, and we start with a clear update on the Henderson County real estate market. Yes, interest rates are higher, but homes are still selling, inventory is still tight, and the biggest shift many folks feel is time, with longer days on market and a longer path from listing to closing. We talk through what those local numbers can mean if you’re buying, selling, relocating, or planning an investment move.

Then we spotlight a Hometown Hero who’s putting gratitude into action. David Lewkowicz joins us to share the story behind the Seventh Annual First Responder Day of Thanks, a community effort that provides free breakfast, a catered lunch, and a family meal for first responders across Henderson County. David explains how the idea took shape in 2020, why it resonated, and how it has grown into a well-run event powered by sponsors and more than a hundred volunteers.

We also dig into a practical model that goes beyond one day: a 24-hour responder room designed as a place of rest, food, and encouragement, now expanding into Buncombe County and available for other churches to replicate. If you’ve ever wondered what meaningful first responder appreciation looks like on the ground, this conversation makes it real.

Subscribe for more local stories and real-world real estate guidance, share this with someone who loves Hendersonville, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

Real estate gets talked about like it’s only a market story, but most of the time it’s a life story. We’re seeing it every week in Western North Carolina: people are right sizing, upsizing, downsizing, handling family land, and making investor decisions even when interest rates feel loud. We walk through what’s happening in the Henderson County real estate market and why price point matters so much, using absorption rate and months of inventory to show how one neighborhood can act like a seller’s market while another feels like a buyer’s market.

Then we go deeper into the planning side, because many owners don’t actually have a property problem. They have a tax, income, or legacy problem. We break down homeowner capital gains rules, and we talk through investor strategies like the 1031 exchange, including the challenge of finding replacement properties. We also revisit Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) as one possible option for passive real estate ownership when you’re tired of landlording but still want real estate exposure.

We also tackle the issues that sneak up on long-term owners: depreciation benefits fading, equity getting “stuck” in an underperforming asset, and the fear of a big tax bill that keeps people from selling. From step up basis planning to preventing conflict when multiple heirs inherit one property, we share the questions we use to help clients coordinate their real estate plan with their tax advisor, estate attorney, and financial team.

If you’re thinking about your next move, subscribe for more weekly real estate market updates and planning conversations, share this with a friend who owns property, and leave a quick review so more WNC homeowners and investors can find the show.

A town’s story is told in the details most people never see: the water system that stays on during a crisis, the fire station that becomes a command center overnight, and the hard budget calls that keep services reliable without pricing residents out. That’s why we’re proud to spotlight former Hendersonville City Manager John Connet as our Hometown Hero, and to celebrate 10 years of the George Real Estate Group on WHKP at the same time.

We start with what listeners ask us every week about the Hendersonville real estate market: are people still buying and selling with interest rates up? The answer is yes, because life keeps moving. We also share open house updates, from acreage in Edneyville near Point Lookout to a wooded, large-home setting in Kenmure, plus why certain homes simply look better in person than online.

Then John joins us for a clear, behind-the-scenes look at what a city manager actually does and what changed across 13 years of growth, emergencies, and constant demand. He explains his move to the North Carolina League of Municipalities and how cities across the state share operational know-how, risk management support, and advocacy. We talk resilience and infrastructure planning, including water supply strategy, wastewater improvements, and what Helene taught about preparedness. We also dig into today’s toughest challenges for local government, from political friction to staggering cost increases like million-dollar fire trucks with multi-year wait times.

Subscribe for more local insight, share this with a friend who cares about Henderson County, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

You can own great real estate and still feel trapped by it. The value is up, the taxes feel scary, and a 1031 exchange sounds like signing up for another round of landlord work under a brutal 45 day deadline. We sit down with estate planning attorney Justice Mullen and financial advisor Troy Wada of Impact Wealth to explain how Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) can change the options, especially for investors who want tax deferral, more passive income potential, and less day-to-day management.

We walk through what a DST is, why the IRS treats it as like-kind property for a 1031 exchange, and how investors can exchange out of a rental or commercial building into fractional ownership of institutional-grade real estate. Troy breaks down practical details people worry about, including debt replacement through non-recourse financing, minimum investment ranges, and how DST availability can reduce the stress of finding a replacement property fast. We also talk about the 721 UPREIT approach, where a DST can later convert into REIT ownership and potentially introduce liquidity planning that traditional 1031 exchanges do not address.

Estate planning stays front and center. Justice explains the real family problems that show up when multiple heirs inherit property together, or when the properties are unequal in value. DST interests can be divided proportionally, which may reduce conflict and simplify beneficiary decisions. We also address the risks honestly: vacancy, market shifts, tenant issues, debt terms, and the fact that income is never guaranteed. Troy shares the due diligence lens used to vet sponsors, properties, micro-market drivers, cash flow sources, and upcoming capital needs.

If you’re thinking about a 1031 exchange, retirement, or a long-term wealth plan built around real estate investing, listen closely and bring your advisor team together early. Subscribe to the podcast, share this with a friend who owns rentals, and leave a review so more investors can find it.

One overlooked detail can turn a paid off home, a mountain cabin, or a rental portfolio into a court supervised mess, right when your family has the least bandwidth to deal with it. We sit down with Hendersonville estate planning attorney Justice Mullen of Romeo Harrelson and Mullen to talk through the decisions that actually protect what you’ve worked hard to build, especially when real estate is the biggest asset on the balance sheet.

We walk through the foundation of a solid estate plan: a will, financial power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney, and a living will. Justice explains a reality many people miss: if you don’t create a will, North Carolina still has a plan for you, and the state’s “default will” often clashes with blended families, second marriages, and specific wishes for kids, stepkids, or heirlooms. We also break down wills versus trusts, what probate demands from executors, and how thoughtful planning can reduce delays, fees, and friction for your heirs.

Then we connect the legal plan to real estate tax strategy and inheritance outcomes. We cover step up in basis, capital gains considerations, and the important two year window that can allow a surviving spouse to sell and still use the full $500,000 home sale exclusion. For investors, we dig into 1031 exchanges and how Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) may offer flexibility when replacement property timing is tight or when families need a cleaner way to split value among multiple heirs. If you care about estate planning, real estate investing, tax planning, and legacy planning in Western North Carolina, this conversation gives you better questions to bring to your own advisor team.

Subscribe to the George Real Estate Group Radio podcast, share this with someone who owns property, and leave a review so more local families can find it.

A bad product demo sparked a career shift that ended up reshaping fire truck safety across North America. We sit down with Sam Massa of HiViz Lighting, a first responder founded tech company based in Hendersonville and moving key operations to a new manufacturing facility in Fletcher, North Carolina. What starts as a simple question about “lighting for emergency vehicles” quickly turns into a deep look at how visibility, coordination, and communication can change outcomes on the worst nights of someone’s life.

Sam walks us through the realities of working a fire scene: why the only light might be the fire itself, why crews can end up operating in darkness once the job is going well, and why the beam pattern on a fire truck headlight is a mission-critical design problem. We also unpack how coordinated emergency lighting can reduce chaos on scene, and how HiViz Connect points toward a future where public safety lighting becomes part of connected vehicle infrastructure, helping alert drivers sooner and protect first responders on the roadway.

Then we zoom out to community impact. Bringing manufacturing back to North Carolina isn’t just a business story; it’s a response to lead times, product quality, and the national fire truck backlog that leaves communities waiting years for apparatus. Sam also shares advice for young people considering firefighting, law enforcement, or EMS, including why first response can be an entrepreneurial incubator with real skills, real responsibility, and a path to build something bigger.

Subscribe for more conversations with the people building a stronger hometown, share this episode with someone who cares about public safety innovation, and leave a review so more listeners can find the Hometown Hero Series.