You have just found a spacious, two bedroom, two bathroom log cabin chalet in Murphy NC!  This home has so many wonderful features AND it is only TWO minutes from downtown Murphy.  Settled on a little over an acre and in a great area, you would never even know that you were so close to town.  You will love enjoying your time in the mountains from the large screened in porch and deck.

As you step into this delightful chalet, you will notice the beautiful, brand new Hickory floors lining the entire main level.  The great room has a spacious feel with the vaulted ceilings and fixed glass panes that let in plenty of natural light.

The large, open rooms give you plenty of space for all your needs.  Not only that, the master bedroom is on the main level.  The upstairs loft is large enough for you to turn it into whatever you need.  Storage will never be an issue with a full basement, two car garage, walk-in closet and an extra storage room off the side of the screened porch.  You will never find a log home like this one, in such a great location, especially at this price!!

CLICK HERE for More Information and Pictures of this Cabin Home for Sale in Murphy NC

The Poltrock Team – REMAX of Murphy NC – www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com –

Call us Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496 – Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team

Thank You for being a GREAT PROFESSIONAL!  We are very impressed with your outstanding level of service.  We really appreciate your knowledge of the current real estate market which let us know how to price our home & what to expect to receive.  The surveys you filled out after each showing were very informative.  The immediate response from people was so valuable.  You stayed in constant contact with us from the day we listed it through the day we closed.   In too many ways to mention, you went above & beyond to help us.  We are so excited about our house being sold only 65 days after you took the listing! (the average in our area right now is 9 months)  If I can ever refer someone your way, I CERTAINLY WILL!

The Poltrock Team – REMAX of Murphy NC

– www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com –

 Call us Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496 –

Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team

When it comes to acreage tracts and land in Murphy NC, I must admit Cherokee County has great tax rates! It’s nice to live in an area where taxes are affordable and reasonable. However, it’s always nice to be able to lower your tax bill! And if you have a larger tract of land, you can lower a good tax bill to an extremely great tax bill.

Cherokee County NC, like many other counties in North Carolina, have access to a program called Present Use Value, or PUV. It is NOT designed to be a program just to drop your taxes. It provides a benefit to you (lower taxes) for sound management of your property. That is done by creating a forestry plan, etc. and properly executing it on your property. It’s truly a win-win all around.

There are several variations of the program with different requirements for each. Here are the basic requirements to be eligible for each PUV program:

• Agriculture/Aquaculture
• You must own at least 10 acres in the production of crops or livestock for commercial sale or 5 acres in production of aquatic species or have more than 20,000 pounds of aquatic product for commercial sale.
• Show an average gross income of $1,000 from the preceding three year period must be shown from the sale of the products produced from the land
• If you have more than one farmed tract, only one of the tracts (the parent tract) is subject to the minimum size and income requirements.
• Horticulture
• At least five acres in the production of fruits, vegetables, nursery or floral products for commercial sale.
• You must have an average gross income of $1,000 from the preceding three year period must be shown from selling products produced from the land.
• Christmas tree farms are part of the horticultural classification and must have at least five acres in production for commercial sale.
• If you have more than one horticultural tract, only one of the tracts (parent tract) is subject to the minimum size and income requirements with the exception of Christmas tree farms.
• Forestry
• At least 20 acres in the production of forest products for commercial sale.
• The forest land must have a written forest management plan from the NC Division of Forest Resources or a private forester and a copy of the plan on file with the Tax Administrator’s Office.
• If you have more than one forestry tract, only one of the tracts (parent tract) is subject to the size requirements. Since income is only produced when timber is harvested, there is no yearly income requirement for forest land.
• Wildlife
• Tract of Land must be between 20-100 acres.
• Must protect an animal species that lives on the land and is on the NC protected animal list or conserve a priority wildlife habitat.
• You must have a written wildlife habitat conservation plan from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and file it with the Tax Administrator’s Office

The present use value is based solely on being able to determine the property’s ability to produce an income, NOT the estimated market value of the land.

If you are eligible and/or considering applying, I highly recommend you contact the Cherokee County Tax Office at 828-837-2421. Since they ultimately have the final say in whether you can be in the program, it’s a great idea to contact them to get pointed in the right direction on your property or land you are considering buying.

Frequently asked Questions

 -What if there is a home on the land I want to put in the PUV program? This is generally not a problem. An acre of property that your home is on will be completely excluded and taxed according to current assessments. The rest of your property can be in the program.

-What happens if I sell the property? The taxes that are “deferred” as a part of the program are reclaimed for the past three years. For example, let’s say your “normal” tax bill is $1,000 and the PUV program makes it $100 for a $900 savings each year. If you’re in the program for 10 years, that’s $9,000 worth of taxes you saved. If you sold it in year 10, you would be responsible for paying back the last 3 years of savings. So, it would be $900 x 3 = $2,700. Yet the other $6,300 is a total savings you DO NOT owe.

-How much can I expect my tax bill to be in the program? I was told by a local forester who develops plans for parcels to enter the program that it averages about $1.50 per acre. For example, if you had 100 acres, your annual tax bill would be about $150.

Are you looking to buy acreage tracts of land? If so, we’re here for you! Land is always so unique that it can be challenging to search for, even online! Let us help. You can feel free to use our FREE Land MLS Search for Real Estate OR Fill out our CONTACT US Form and let us know what your “Wishlist” is for land, and we’ll do the leg work for you! If you have any other questions or concerns, always feel free to let us know.

John Poltrock – The Poltrock Team – REMAX of Murphy NC – www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call us Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496 – Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team

When folks look at their tax value of their real estate in Cherokee County (which encompasses Murphy NC, Andrews NC, and many others), it looks awfully good – if you sell it for that price, that is! However, there’s a substantial disconnect of what the tax assessed value vs. the price real estate is actually selling for.

When we do a market analysis for a prospective seller on a piece or real estate, we use many different approaches to come to a final valuation to determine what we can expect the home or land to sell for in today’s real estate market. One of many things is the tax assessment value.

We’ve been tracking what homes actually sell for vs. their assessment value. We’ve found that, on average, homes are selling for 70% of their tax value. For example, that means a home with an assessment of $100,000 sells for $70,000, on average. Although it amazes me how accurate this can be in a substantial amount of homes, we still find “outliers” where this doesn’t apply. For example, land can fall way outside these parameters in either direction. One large factor is how long the owner has owned their real estate. I’ve noticed the longer a property is owned, say 30+ years, the values tend to be closer to the market value. There are also other factors as well.

As we speak, Cherokee County is working on the new re-evaluation of all the real estate in the county. This is a massive undertaking! To ensure they are as accurate as possible, they have hired an outside and unbiased appraisal company to help hone the values. The new evaluation is scheduled to become “active” on January 1st, 2012. It’s very likely residents and property owners will be notified of their new evaluation a few months before it becomes active.

Are you thinking, “Sell my house!” or “sell my land!”? Let Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team help you! We’re always here to help guide you through the entire process. If you’d like to know how we’ve worked for clients like you? Be sure to check out our testimonials. Contact us today!

John Poltrock – The Poltrock Team at REMAX in Murphy NC – Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team – www.MyMurphy.com – www.iLoveMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496

That’s right, not only was RE/MAX Mountain Properties in Murphy NC voted the #1 Real Estate Office by The Cherokee Scout’s Reader’s Choice Awards, Jessica Poltrock was voted the #1 Realtor in Murphy NC and Cherokee County! The vote was done by ballot in The Cherokee Scout, and all the readers chose her as the best real estate agent!

When you’re looking for results in real estate, call Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team – The Poltrock Team.

The Poltrock Team – www.MyMurphy.com – Call us Toll-Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496 – REMAX Real Estate in Murphy NC

The Poltrock Team sold more real estate than 90% of real estate offices in Cherokee County. When you take all our agents in RE/MAX Mountain Properties, we outsold every real estate company. You got it – nobody sold more real estate than RE/MAX.

When you want your home or land sold in Murphy NC, contact Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team to get the job done.

Check out our advertisement on the back cover of The Cherokee Scout’s magazine, Country Roads! Be sure to click the image to see a larger version.

The Poltrock Team at REMAX in Murphy NC – Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team – www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call The Poltrock Team TODAY Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496

Here’s an article I wrote for the Cherokee Scout, our local newspaper. It was published in theirs magazine – Country Roads – on Wednesday. Enjoy!

Spring Break – it’s the things legends are made of. Countless Hollywood movies have been created capturing hilarious Spring Break family vacations and college excursions. Here in the mountains, it’s a perfect opportunity for families to come and enjoy the bountiful selection of things to do that bond memories together forever.

On our website, www.iLoveMurphy.com, I wrote an article on Bear Paw Resort here in Murphy NC that said, “It is surprisingly common to have a middle-aged person come who spent their summers as a kid in Bear Paw and want to purchase a property so they can continue to enjoy and prolong those great memories that have captivated them for years.” I received a call from a gentleman a week or so ago saying, “I’m one of those guys!” Now, he wants to come back to Murphy, NC to create the same fond memories in the minds of his young children so they too can look back at family vacations and Spring Breaks in the mountains.

However, fond memories are certainly not confined to Bear Paw. There are lots of opportunities throughout Murphy and Cherokee County. Fortunately, we are not a “Panama City Beach Spring Break” type partying place. We are the retreat for both couples and families.

There are so many things to do here in Murphy NC! In fact, I have quite a comprehensive list on our website. Things like ATVing, hiking, camping, fishing, boating, antiquing, farmer’s markets, festivals, Field of the Wood, zoo, flying, and so much more leave something everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re an adult or 5, you’re bound to find something to do and build those memories that last a lifetime.

So many folks come here on Spring Break, or another vacation, and find they absolutely love it! Murphy is one of the few places on earth that the more you come, the harder it gets to leave. It grows on your soul and becomes part of you. That’s why so many people choose to buy land or a permanent/vacation/retirement home. Land offers the opportunity of owning a sliver of the place you love.  A home provides instant use so on the few times per year you can break away, you have that special place to come to awaiting your arrival. Or, if you’re lucky enough, you can move here full time and become a true Murphy-onian.

No matter your age, no matter the ages of your family or lack of, I hope you have a wonderful Spring Break. Make it something that touches the heart and soul of those around you. Be certain to explore the opportunities that lie close to you. Leave no rock unturned and genuinely enjoy the time off to recharge your batteries and create memories that last decades.

John Poltrock – The Poltrock Team at RE/MAX – Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team – www.MyMurphy.com – John Poltrock@gmail.com – Call us Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496

The Culberson Community of Murphy NC is mostly known today for its small post office, Spur 60 (the 4 lane road running from GA to 64), and being the first community you come to in North Carolina from Georgia on Spur 60.

It’s interesting if you read the history books because in the late 1800′s, Culberson was far more commercially advanced than was Murphy. The railroad came to Culberson in 1887 from Marietta, Georgia. At that time, all the roads were unpaved and it would take a full day’s travel to get to Murphy, so it wasn’t as commercially viable at the time. Culberson was quite literally Cherokee County’s link to the outside world.

There were several stores that began there, along with a hotel (known as the Anderson Hotel), a warehouse, and even a distillery were part of the businesses being operated in Culberson as a result of the railroad. It was an incorporated town that even had a mayor!

It’s glory didn’t last long because the railroad to Murphy was completed in 1888 linking Murphy to both Knoxville and Atlanta. Once that happened, most of the commerce in the county was diverted to Murphy thus resulting in Culberson’s decline.

It’s interesting that Culberson has such a rich history, and it had the first opportunity in Cherokee County for commercial growth. Some things simply aren’t meant to be and now Culberson is known for its gentle laying land. It even has the Nottley River stroll right through it where you can enjoy some trout fishing

Are you looking to buy or sell real estate in the Culberson area? Contact The Poltrock Team Today!

John Poltrock – The Poltrock Team at RE/MAX Mountain Properties – www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call us Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496

Read a previous post we wrote about the Culberson community in Murphy NC.

The Chamber of Commerce that services the Murphy NC and Cherokee County area is absolutely outstanding! There are several folks who are directly responsible for making the Chamber a success and extremely beneficial for both folks coming to the area and those who live here in Cherokee County. Phyllis Black is the current director. Nancy Lane is also in their office along with several other really great folks who are always friendly!

If you’re coming to the area, they have one of the best maps of Cherokee County you can possibly get. Not only that, they have a huge array of Things to do Here in Murphy NC. Free Wireless Internet is also provided so you can easily check up on everything you need to at no cost.

You can stop in at any time. They are located at:

You may also call 828-837-2242 and speak with them directly.

Ready for Real Estate in the Mountains of Murphy, NC? Contact us today and even use our FREE Murphy NC Real Estate MLS Search Tool!

JohnPoltrock – The Poltrock Team at REMAX in Murphy NC – www.MyMurphy.com – JohnPoltrock@gmail.com – Call us Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496