What’s your pet worth to you?

How much does a pet cost you during its typical life span?
According to this post:
— $5,980 for a small dog
— $6,565 for a medium dog
— $7,800 for a large dog
— $7,640 for a cat
— $6,960 for a rabbit
— $2,905 for a guinea pig

The most expensive pet to own? A cockatoo.

If you’ve ever seen the cockatoos at a pet store and thought about keeping these large and magnificent birds- don’t. Yes, they are beautiful, and yes, they are relatively smart. But, they will cost you $1,035 a year after spending $1,535 the first year. And these guys are no guinea pigs. Expect your cockatoo to live for 50 years, costing you a total of $52,250.

via How Much Our Pets Cost in a Lifetime – VisualEconomics.com.

What kind of pets have people searched so far this year on Iwanna.com?
— 7,036 for dogs (228 for bull mastiff and 936 for yorkies)
— 761 for cats
— 399 for rabbits
— 133 for guinea pigs
— 14 for cockatoos

That means a lot of pet-friendly family budgets out there. But not a lot of expensive bird interest.

 

 

Home values keep falling in Asheville

The chief economist with Zillow.com says residential real estate values are continuing to decline across the country — including Buncombe County.

“The supply and demand picture continues to look challenging to say the least. …  Data on mortgage applications from MBA and pending sales data coming in now from local markets suggests that housing demand plummeted after the expiration of the first-time homebuyer tax credits at the end of April.”

via National Home Values Continue to Fall in April; Sales Likely to Dry Up After Tax Credit Expiration | Zillow Blog – Real Estate Market Stats, Celebrity Real Estate, and Zillow News.

Bank-owned properties, seriously delinquent mortgages and foreclosed homes are creating a “shadow inventory” that is depressing prices around the country. At the end of April, year-over-year home values declined in 81% of the metropolitan statistical areas that Zillow tracks.

Zillow data for Buncombe County (below) shows Biltmore Forest, Fairview and Black Mountain as sustaining the biggest YOY declines in house values.  Bent Creek, Swannanoa and Woodfin show actual increases in home values for the period ending in April.

According to the Zillow blog:

“Existing home sales will continue to stay robust through the end of June, when contracts that were signed by the end of April must close in order for buyers to receive the tax credits.  Expect them to fall off precipitously thereafter…”

Ginseng dealer sentenced to prison

A federal prison sentence handed down today for the illegal sale and transport of ginseng shows the natural resources of Western North Carolina are more than just a tourist attraction.

The conviction arose from a three-year anti-poaching investigation intended to document the unlawful take, purchase, sale and transport of ginseng and bear parts within and along the southern Appalachians by various individuals.
via North Carolina Ginseng Dealer Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Export of Ginseng Valued Over $100,000.

Ginseng and black bears, which are native to the mountains, are prized in some circles for their medicinal qualities and even culinary uses. The particular prosecution that ended today was for a large amount of ginseng transported across state lines without a license, and was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, with assistance from the National Park Service and Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Ginseng is popularly used as an energy supplement, and locals can find it by searching Iwanna.com.

The Western District of North Carolina has divisional court offices in Asheville, Bryson City, Statesville and Charlotte.

Most searched items on Iwanna in 2009

A Yorkie Puppy

More than 98,000 unique items were searched on Iwanna.com in 2009. Pets, cars and recreational equipment represented the most searched terms.

The single most searched term? Dogs. With puppies close by. The most sought breed in the Asheville area? Yorkie.

The most popular car model on Iwanna.com was Mustang, followed by Jeep and BMW.

And the hottest recreational items included kayaks, canoes and campers.

Here are the Top 10 most searched items on Western North Carolina’s most popular user-generated shopping network for 2009: dogs, pets, boats, puppies, guns, jobs, kayak, campers, mustang, cars.

Big contractor postpones giant yard sale

12.04.09 UPDATE: Due to threat of snow, Beverly-Grant has postponed its giant warehouse sale originally scheduled for Dec. 5. No new date has been set yet, but an inventory list has been provided. It follows this updated post.

As every family knows, the old homestead can accumulate a lot of stuff over the years.

And then you have to do something about it.

That time has come for Beverly-Grant, the second-generation, family-owned business in Asheville that is the largest general contractor in Western North Carolina. Its warehouse is bursting at the seams and in order to free up some much needed space, it has scheduled a giant yard sale for Dec. 5.

“Our company has been in business for over 50 years and naturally we have accumulated a lot of excess construction materials and tools over that time,” a company spokesman said. “We are selling items that might be of use to other builders.”

Building materials and tools for sale include lumber, lighting, trim, brick, block, tile, trailers, saws, fasteners, slate, and more. You can see pictures here.

You may recognize Beverly-Grant from some of its work. It designed and built the Laurel Park Medical Centre in Hendersonville and CBS featured one of Beverly-Grant’s current projects, CooperRiis Wellness Center, on a recent Sunday Morning News show. The business is a member of the Western North Carolina Green Building Council.

The construction warehouse sale, originally scheduled for Saturday Dec. 5th, has been postponed until a later date TBD. It will be at 92 Thompson Street in Asheville.

The inventory list includes (updated Dec. 4):

Used mop sink with faucet $50
Poplar/Pine lumber $0.25/ft
Oak lumber $0.50/ft
2×6 tongue and groove decking $1.50/ft
3×6 tongue and groove decking $1.50/ft
Aluminum Clad Windows $100 each
Fiberglass columns w/ capitals $50 per column
Door Frames $10 each
Button caps $5/box
Bolts $0.50 each
Nails $5/box
Handicap Shower Seats $20 each
Come-a-longs $5 each
Simpson Hangers $1 each
Doors $10 each
Attic Stairs $75
Hardwood Flooring $800.00 LOT
Cedar Closet Lining $15/box
Wood Brackets $1 each
Large Simpson hangers $1 each
Florescent Light fixtures $1 each
Stainless Steel Sink $25
Grout pump $50
DeWalt Saw $25
Air Compressor $30
2 Sets back hoe forks $150/pair
Decorative Tile $150 LOT
Anchor bolts $1 each
Low flow smoke detector $20 each
Louvers $25 each
Huge louver $75
Garage door $150
Large Medical Center doors $100 each
Misc. Cabinet Palettes $25/palette
Cypress balusters $1/piece
50 year Shingles $25/square
PVC Plumbing Fittings $1 each
HPS Light Fixtures $1 each
Rock $250 LOT
Pre-Cast Architectural Concrete $10/piece
Brick $0.10/brick
24 gauge Metal Siding $500 for the lot
Slate Shingles $500/palette
Scaffolding $5/piece
Slate Tiles $1/tile
Patio Furniture $50
Radial Arm saw $50
Sears Radial Arm saw $25
Timber connection plates $5 each
Fan $5
Yard Edger $75

Asheville builder makes the best of a bad situation

Opportunities often spring from the misfortune of others in tough economic times. But innovative solutions can also spring from financial setback.

A case in point is Asheville builder John Erwin, who will run an unusual auction this weekend to sell one of his larger, newer houses to spare damage to his business and credit rating.

“While the economy has crushed the short-term real estate market here in Asheville it has also devasted the construction industry–which is where we earned our living. As a result we have to get out from under the payments on this nearly-new home (only 6 years old).”

via Beautiful Asheville Home in Financial Distress

The take-notice part of this short sale is the starting price of $118,500 — for a 2100 square feet, 4BR and 2.5BA home with cherry hardwood floors and a nice back deck.

Home prices have plummeted lately due to the deflation of the housing bubble, which was brought on by loose credit, but it’s hard not to see a lot of room for value in this low starting bid. And Erwin’s hope is that it brings enough interest to get him the best out of a bad situation. (Disclosure: He’s advertising the sale on Iwanna.com.)

What’s the market value of Erwin’s home?

— Buncombe County tax records value the property at $264,280.
— Trulia.com lists the market value as $224,500
— Zillow’s “zestimate” is $266,500
— Cyberhomes says it’s worth $249,900.

You can read more about the auction here: www.beautifulashevillehouse.com

Don’t expect to move in anytime soon, however. Erwin’s bank must approve the highest bid; so, like with any short sale, the process could take some time to complete. Short sales can take six months or longer to complete.

Erwin gets props for his innovative auction concept — which may keep the sale away from the courthouse steps, where foreclosures are usually finalized.

Meanwhile, Wall Street roars. The DJIA crossed 10,170 today for the first time in a year. And the unemployment rate (officially announced at 10.2% last week, but 17.5% when including Americans who have given up looking for work) continues to rise alongside foreclosures and bankruptcies.

In the comments below, tell us what you’re doing to make lemonade out of lemons in this economy.

‘Furniture’ becomes a hot topic in Google Trends

Thanks to a morning television show segment,  the subject of furniture has become volcanic in Google Trends today. Especially on the radar is Boyle’s Furniture Outlet in Charlotte, which was specifically mentioned in the program for its rock-bottom clearance pricing on its website — for instance, getting a $500 chair for $99.

The Today Show segment also singled out consignment and estate sales as good ways to find extreme furniture deals. In the Carolinas, however, furniture has always been a hot item in Iwanna’s free classifieds. Readers can find hundreds of furniture deals every day in Asheville and Greenville by searching Iwanna.com.

Americans are freely shedding their past

The latest Zogby interactive poll says that Americans continue to shed their material past, and are giving a lot of it away for free.

Even during economic hard times, we find Americans more likely to give things away. I don’t believe that most are doing so in order to make room for new material objects. Instead, people are moving toward a simpler, less materialistic lifestyle. I call them Secular Spiritualists because they are looking for more meaning in their lives, and will seek it through family, friends, volunteering and leisure activities that fulfill their needs.”

via Zogby International.

One of the most popular search terms on Iwanna.com is “free” and it returns hundreds of items. You can see what people are giving away on Iwanna just by clicking here.

Poll shows Americans adopt a more frugal lifestyle

Zogby International today documented America’s trend toward a more frugal lifestyle with poll results showing that the recession is affecting more than just discretionary spending.

Pollster John Zogby said:

Increasing numbers of people have become less materialistic and more interested in other, simpler forms of personal fulfillment.

via Zogby International.

The survey asked questions about economic lifestyle changes and found that cost-cutting is prevalent in all demographic groups — even those making over $250,000 a year. Americans are not just driving and eating out less, but they are reducing their housing expenses and are purchasing more second-hand apparel.

Iwanna has been the primary source for frugal shoppers in the Carolinas for more than 30 years. Now it is the area’s largest online user-generated shopping network.

How to eat for 33 cents a meal

Eating consumes a lot of your budget, and everyone has tips on how to  feed yourself more cheaply. Yesterday, tech startup enthusiast Andrew Hyde posted his tricks for eating for about 33 cents a meal.

One of the most humbling experiences I have ever had was shopping for two weeks worth of food with a twenty dollar bill. … Hacking your food budget is one of those things that I am surprised more people don’t do.

via How To Live (Comfortably) on $36 A Month For Food | Andrew Hyde – Startups. Start Here.

One of his basic tenets is that if you are serious about sticking to a budget, you have to change your thought process on food. And he rattles off tips from breakfast, lunch and dinner to snacks. Don’t miss the reader comments at the end of his post.

Deep discount grocery shopping is one of his tips, and good local sources of low-cost food are grocery factory outlets such as Go Grocery. Local farmers markets are another source, and calendars can be found in the weekly Iwanna.

Then again, there are even more extreme measures like dumpster diving, which local blogger Ashvegas explored earlier this year. And not surprisingly, Hyde notes that “the smaller your stomach is, the easier this is going to be.”