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ENDERSONVILLE - Despite Tropical Storm Helene's potential to scare off homebuyers in Henderson County, data from real estate brokerage Redfin suggests a minimal impact on sales so far. Some buyers who were considering purchasing properties in the area decided against it due to concerns about the storm's severity.

    "We had a few sales fall through because of the storm," said Gainer Jernigan, a Keller Williams agent in Hendersonville. "Some buyers were looking at properties here and thought, 'If it's going to have a hurricane that bad, we're not moving there.'"

    Debbi Moseley-Prince, a Re/Max Results agent, shared similar experiences with her office. "One property across the state line in Travelers Rest had a tree through it, and it killed the deal," she said.

    However, both agents predicted that demand would remain strong long-term. Lee Linhart, owner of Re/Max Results, noted that property values typically recover within two years after a natural disaster. "People have insurance settlements, so they've got money to spend," he said. "They don't necessarily go back to the exact same spot, but watch it."

    According to Redfin's market tracker report, home sales and prices in Henderson County changed only slightly following Helene. In September 2024, there were 129 homes sold with a median price of $460,000. The subsequent months saw minimal changes, with October and November experiencing slight increases and decreases in sales and prices.

    Candi Guffey, president of the Hendersonville Board of Realtors, said that data from the Multiple Listing Service indicates the real estate market has been resilient in the wake of Helene. "When you look at the year-end totals of number of units sold in Henderson County, the net was down only 2% (compared to 2023), and given that we went through a catastrophic circumstance, not bad," she said.

    Looking ahead, Redfin's Senior Economist Sheharyar Bokhari predicted that home prices will continue to rise steadily throughout 2025 at a similar pace. "Homeowners who'd locked in low mortgage rates the past few years would be unlikely to move and assume higher rates, leaving a dearth of homes listed for sale and buyers competing for the ones that are available," he said.

    Jernigan noted that after years of prices getting pushed higher and higher, there had been 33 price reductions in three days between Dec. 30 and Jan. 2 in Henderson County. "I think we'll have a good year because of some of these prices that are settling out, and people who've been running around scared to buy a house need to buy a place to live," he said.

    Guffey predicted that Western North Carolina will remain a desirable place to live long-term, despite ongoing concerns about affordability affecting the service industry and hospitality industry. "Ultimately, this is a place that people want to be," she said.