The Avery-Watauga Association of Realtors gathered Tuesday
to honor one of its members and discuss industry trends.
The general membership meeting, held at the Broyhill Inn &
Conference Center in Boone, brought together real-estate professionals
in the two counties.
The Avery-Watauga Association
of Realtors honored its Realtor of the Year, Emily Bish
of The Sterling Company, during its annual membership
meeting Tuesday. Pictured are Hope Harvey, president-elect
of the association; Tim Holland, the 2007 Realtor of the
Year; Bish; Laurie Phillips, executive officer of the
association; and Carole Cox, president of the association.
Photo by Scott
Nicholson
Emily Bish of The Sterling Company was announced as the association’s
Realtor of the Year, and she urged her fellow members to stay
involved in the community and in industry issues. Bish said technology
and the role of the Internet in selling property were the biggest
changes during her career, which started in 1984.
Bish has been an association member since 1997, and she said home
sales had been consistent, particularly in the second-home market
of Banner Elk where she usually works. “In the last five
or six years, people have looked at higher-priced homes,”
she said.
Association president Carole Cox said the annual meeting was a
chance for the board of directors to network with members and
discuss the industry. A major topic at the meeting was the recent
defeat of a land-transfer tax in Avery County, which went to an
elections recount before being decided by 35 votes.
Association member Jim Dorman, who was active in the campaign
against the tax, said the issue had become political and said,
“We were accused of raising people from the dead to vote
in Avery County.”
He also said the association had been portrayed as not supportive
of education because it opposed the tax on property sales.
Cox portrayed the association as good neighbors to the community,
supporting charitable organizations and education. The association
reported $1.14 million in assets and another $405,000 in its Multiple
Listing Service account. One member questioned why more money
wasn’t given back to the community, since the association
pays taxes on the MLS fund. Another member criticized media coverage
of the land-transfer tax and suggested members should consider
where they spend their advertising dollars.
“Giving back to our Avery and Watauga communities is an important
mission of our association,” Cox said. “As good neighbors
to the communities we serve, we give scholarships to four deserving
high school students, provide monetary support for local charitable
organizations, support nursing home residents with Christmas stocking
and Easter baskets, and help Santa surprise local children at
Christmas.”
Cox said the association was running advertisements to encourage
consumers to “get off the fence” and take advantage
of available loan money, The National Association of Realtors
is supporting legislation to lower mortgage-interest rates, extend
the home-buyer tax credit and make increased loan limits permanent.
The association contributed to $15,000 to non-profit organizations
and charities last year, said treasurer Cheryl Fox. It also funded
four $500 scholarships for Avery and Watauga County students and
is planning to grant four $1,000 scholarships this year.
The association currently has 527 primary members and 80 secondary
members. It is in the process of changing its name to High Country
Association of Realtors and is updating its Web site at www.awaronline.org.
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