Buying on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau

The house is only part of the decision.

Buying a second home in the mountains comes with a different set of questions. Where do you want to spend your time? How close do you want to be to town? Does your version of the mountains include golf, lake days, long-range views, or enough acreage that you can't see your neighbors? And then there are the questions you may not know to ask yet.

I help buyers navigate Highlands, Cashiers, Scaly Mountain, Sapphire, Glenville, and Lake Toxaway, from figuring out where you fit to understanding the details of a property and what owning it will actually look like.

Start Your Search Tell Me What You're Looking For

What buying here actually involves.

Start with how you want to live here.

Before we talk bedrooms and square footage, I want to know what brings you to the mountains. Dinner within walking distance or acreage with no neighbors, golf mornings or a boat on the lake, turnkey or a fixer. Those answers tell us where to look, not just what to buy.

Highlands or Cashiers? Club or no club? Lake or view?

There's no one “best” place on the Plateau. Highlands, Cashiers, Scaly Mountain, Sapphire, and Glenville each offer a different experience. We'll compare areas and communities and narrow the search around what actually matters to you, even if you're starting with no idea at all.

The details matter more in the mountains.

Driveways, septic and water systems, drainage, road maintenance, and what happens to that view when the leaves come back. My job isn't to make you fall in love with every house we see. It's to help you understand what you're buying.

Due diligence should actually be diligent.

North Carolina's buying process gives us a real window to investigate a property before closing. Inspections, surveys, septic and well testing, contractors, whatever the property calls for. You'll get context, not a frantic list of problems.

Buying from out of town doesn't have to feel like it.

Most of my buyers aren't local. I keep you updated throughout the transaction, coordinate what needs to happen here, and make sure distance doesn't leave you wondering what's going on with your own purchase.

Finding the house is only part of my job.

Eventually you close, and then you need a plumber, a painter, someone to check on the house while you're gone. I share the network of contractors and local resources I've built so you're not starting from scratch.

“She is very organized and kept us updated throughout the process which was especially helpful because we do not live locally.”

Alex B.

The Process

What does the process actually look like?

We Talk

Before I start sending listings, we'll talk about why you're buying, how you plan to use the home, your budget, timing, priorities, and what you already know about the Plateau. If you're starting with “we really don't know,” that's a perfectly good place to begin.

We Explore

We'll narrow the communities and properties that make sense and spend some time looking. This is usually where priorities get clearer, and something you hadn't considered may move straight to the top of the list.

We Make a Plan

When you find the right property, I'll help you understand the market, comparable sales, terms, and circumstances around the listing so we can build an offer strategy that makes sense.

We Investigate

Once you're under contract, we move into due diligence. I'll help coordinate the appropriate inspections and evaluations, keep track of deadlines, and work through what we learn.

We Close

I'll help keep the transaction moving through closing and make sure the details don't get lost in the shuffle.

You Own a Mountain House

This is the good part. And when you inevitably need the name of the person who can fix, clean, build, maintain, deliver, install, or figure something out, you still have my number.

“Her knowledge of the area, keen sense of the market and patience with our many questions made the entire experience with her a pleasure.”

Elizabeth Mills

“Rachel was truly a pleasure to work with. She helped me find the right property. She went above and beyond in also assisting in recommending vendors who could assist me with maintaining my home. From negotiation through acquisition, and after, Rachel was there to help.”

Dr. Tito Ogunsola-Smith

Before You Buy

A few things worth knowing before you buy.

You don't have to know exactly where you want to be. A big part of my job is helping you figure that out.
The prettiest view isn't always the easiest property. We'll look at the whole picture.
Private clubs aren't interchangeable. Golf, amenities, culture, location, membership structures, and costs vary. If club life is part of your plan, we'll make it part of the search from the beginning.
Renovation isn't necessarily a dealbreaker. Sometimes the right location with the wrong countertops is a much better purchase than the perfect kitchen in the wrong place.
Local relationships matter. Especially after closing.
There is no prize for buying quickly. The goal isn't to buy a mountain house. It's to buy the right one.