Meet The Agents: Lou Cooper

For Lou, Real Estate is all about putting the right people in the right house. She loves the interaction of working with buyers and sellers. Some of her closest friends were once her clients. She has never considered this a job, it has always been a joy for her. Seeing the excitement in a buyer's face when they realize that their dreams are coming true is a privilege! The same goes for the seller. All sellers have a reason they need to sell. Making that happen for them brings Lou so much pleasure!

Meet The Agents: Kimberly Mateiko

Kimberly has been with Century 21 Mountain Vistas for 14 years. Kim specializes in applying expertise in marketing and all the new social media tools to expose your property to the widest possible range of qualified buyers. She listens and works tirelessly on your behalf. She does the hard work, so you don't have to! · Kim provides a higher level of personal service, with attention and consideration to all her clients. She specializes in residential properties and will bring an abundance of energy, creativity, dedication, experience, and knowledge to our work. You can be assured that Kim will stay on top of all the details to provide smooth and easy going transactions. She listens and works tirelessly on your behalf. Please don't hesitate to call anytime, either in the office or on her cell. Kim looks forward to hearing from you and assisting you with your new home adventure!

Meet The Agents: Holt Politano

After having lived in Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Virginia, Holt moved to Boone in 1991 to attend ASU, and never left!  Like many people drawn to the area, he spent several years working various seasonal jobs, including 5 summers at Tweetsie, managing a ski rental shop in Banner Elk, running a pizza delivery business on Beech Mountain, and making pottery in Valle Crucis.  Finally, he settled into the automotive field, working in and managing the parts departments at dealerships in both Watauga and Ashe counties for the past 20 years. When not working, he is often out exploring the area, by Jeep, ATV, or motorcycle.

Meet The Agents: Eric Thomas

After a career as an opera singer and university professor, Eric and his family made the easy decision to relocate to where their hearts had always been: the North Carolina High Country! 

During his many years traveling the globe, Eric has developed a unique sense of people and place, and a valuable sensitivity to culture and people's needs. As a part-time resident of fifteen years, Eric now brings an understanding of the High Country from both a part-timer and full-timer's perspectives. He and his family can be found out and about nearly every weekend, during every season, taking advantage of the High Country's many natural and cultural resources. 

The attention to detail Eric honed in his previous profession serves him well in negotiating the complicated details of a real estate transaction, while his ability to identify with people on an intimate level enables him to respond to their needs in a tangible way. His belief that the High Country is the perfect place to live, raise a family, own a business, or have a second home make him a perfect choice to help sell your house -- or find your perfect home. 

Meet The Agents: Earl Starkey

Earl has lived in the area for about fifteen years but his wife grew up here. He truly understands the attraction to the area. He thinks the high country is a great place to raise a family, live full-time or even enjoy part-time. Earl currently lives in Fleetwood with his wife of 20 years, their daughter, and two dogs. Earl has had several jobs that prepared him to understand real estate. He has worked in commercial construction, maintenance, installed custom trim and cabinetry, and even owned and operated his own business. Earl also got to experience finishing his own home. He knows the importance of hard work, listening to his clients, and reliability. Earl has valuable experience in negotiating and communicating which he will put to work for you. Earl doesn’t know a stranger and enjoys talking about real estate. He likes to convey a friendly yet professional atmosphere. If you are looking for someone to have your back while investing in the largest buy or sell of your life, call today. He looks forward to putting his knowledge and experience to work for you.

Meet The Agents: Butch Phillips

Butch grew up as an Air Force brat and joined the Army after high school, making him a Vietnam Era Veteran. In 2004, he retired from the US Postal Service after 32 years. He started his real estate career in 2005. He and his wife Kim have been married 36 years. While he enjoys playing golf, fly fishing and shooting, he also loves helping people with their real estate needs. He enjoys working with sellers and buyers and loves doing real estate where his home is in Avery County.

Meet The Agents: Billy Herring

Billy has been a Real Estate broker in the High Country for ten years. He grew up in Boone and his family has long been very active in the community. Billy was and still is very active in all of the offerings that the beautiful mountains provide such as skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, and rock climbing. His knowledge of the area and the beauty it has to offer makes him uniquely qualified to share the hidden gems of our beautiful home. Before becoming involved in Real Estate Billy was deeply involved in the growth of the Western North Carolina music industry. He was at the forefront of what is now an international hotbed of all types of music. His love for the heritage of local music keeps him involved to this day in musical projects that are reaching schools, concert halls and music festivals all over the country. Billy's wife of 21 years teaches Special Education in the local schools. His two daughters have followed in his love of the outdoors and music as they explore the same trails and rivers that he did while growing up here. They are following in his musical journey as well and exploring all types of instruments and styles of music at home and in school. Billy and his family have a small farm in Western Watauga County where they raise bees and grow all types of fruits and vegetables for themselves and their extended family. Billy looks forward to sharing his knowledge of this area with his clients and to assist them with all of their Real Estate needs. He can assist you in finding that "just right" place to call home in these beautiful mountains or in helping you sell your home to someone who will cherish it as much as you have.

Meet The Agents: Bill Maler

William is an innovative senior design professional offering outstanding design, planning, communication and production team management skills. He is a multi-discipline executive with solid experience working and managing all levels of creative environmental/interior and industrial design over a period of thirty years. His experience is rooted in three key companies he created to provide completed facilities and/or products for his clients throughout North and South America utilizing a staff of 25 and many subcontractors. He presently resides in Jefferson, NC, where he maintains an art/design studio with his wife, sculptor Mary Ann Prack, and is actively associated with Century 21 Mountain Vistas, Boone, NC as a Real Estate Agent/Broker. William's background in design and production gives him a unique perspective as an agent. 

MOVING IN

Our home moving checklist can help you make your move much easier. 

Home Moving Checklist

6 to 8 weeks prior:

• Purchase or rent moving supplies: tape, markers, scissors, pocketknife, newspaper, blankets, moving pads, plastic storage bins, rope, and a hand truck. Free boxes can usually be obtained at a local supermarket, but consider purchasing wardrobe boxes for clothes. 
• Have a garage sale to clear out unwanted items and plan accordingly. Consider donating unwanted items. 
• Keep a detailed record of all moving expenses. Your costs (and donations) may be tax deductible depending on the reasons for your move. 

2 weeks prior:

• Hire a reputable mover or rent a moving truck. Be sure to get referrals or references, check with the Better Business Bureau, get estimates and purchase moving insurance. 
• Two weeks before moving day, contact your telephone, electrical, gas, cable/satellite, refuse and water companies to set a specific date when services will be discontinued. Contact utility companies in your new town about service start dates, including Internet and telephone services. 
• Notify healthcare professionals (doctors, dentists, veterinarians) of your move and ask for referrals and record transfers. 
• Register children for school and ask for school records to be transferred. 
• Notify lawn service, cleaning and security companies when service should be terminated. Advise the post office, publications, and correspondents of change of address and date of the move. 
• Check your homeowners' insurance and make arrangements for new coverage. 

Moving day:

• Have tools handy for breaking down beds and appliances. Give every room a final once-over. Don't forget to check in with your local CENTURY 21 Agent - he or she may be able to provide useful local advice and/or referrals.

TIP: Move valuables (jewelry, legal documents, family photos, and collections) yourself - don't send them with the moving company. Make sure you have a complete home inventory of all your possessions. 

TIMELINE AND PAPERWORK

In the home buying process, ownership of the home is officially transferred to you at the closing meeting. Know what to expect when you close on your new home. 

Home Buying Process - Timeline and Paperwork  

Closing can also be referred to as settlement or escrow. Your CENTURY 21 Agent will guide you through the closing process since local/state laws vary.

In general, ownership of the home is officially transferred from the seller at the closing meeting. Most of the people involved with the purchase of your home will attend your loan closing. 

In advance, a title company is usually hired to conduct a search for any recorded documents that affect the deed to the property. Examples include easements, liens, tax assessments, covenants, conditions and restrictions, and homeowner association bylaws. The buyer and lender must approve the preliminary title report prior to closing. 

Once the conditions of sale have been met and the preliminary title report has been approved, all parties will agree to sign closing documents. The preliminary title report then becomes the final title report, on which any applicable title insurance is based. 

If everyone agrees that the papers are in order, the buyer submits payments to cover the closing. If the lender will be paying your annual property taxes and homeowners' insurance for you, a new escrow account (or reserve) is established at this point.

Finally (and here's the best part) you receive the keys to your new home!

TIP: After the documents have been signed, notarized copies will be forwarded to the lender, funds will be released and the sale will be recorded at the local recorder's office. This legal transfer of the property may take a few days. It is at the point of deed recordation that you become the official owner of the home.