Highlands and short-term rentals

In 2024 the Highlands town board voted to phase out short-term rentals in the town's main residential zoning districts, and that decision has been contested. Until it is settled, a buyer will price a house in those districts on what it can clearly be used for.

If your Highlands house has been rented short-term, tell us its zoning and permit status. We price on what the house can legally be used for, and it is better to settle that question at the start.

Franklin and the valley

Franklin, the county seat, has older frame and brick houses near downtown and a large ring of rural property around it: family land, manufactured homes, and houses on wells and septic reached by gravel or private roads. A failed septic inspection, a road with no recorded maintenance agreement, or a manufactured home never retitled as real property are common reasons a financed sale stalls.

None of those has to be fixed before we buy. Send whatever paperwork you have.

The 2027 revaluation and Nantahala Lake

Macon County last reappraised in 2023 and its next revaluation is scheduled for 2027. Owners of second homes and heirs carrying a vacant house often decide before the new values land. Delinquent taxes do not stop a sale. They are paid from the proceeds.

Nantahala Lake is a Duke Energy reservoir, so docks and shoreline work need Duke's approval. Lake cabins with older docks, steep access, and dated systems are part of what we buy.

Macon County property we buy

  • Highlands houses affected by the short-term rental rules
  • Second homes on the plateau needing repairs
  • Older houses in Franklin
  • Rural houses on wells, septic, and private roads
  • Manufactured homes on owned land
  • Cabins near Nantahala Lake
  • Family land and inherited houses

Records, courts, and closing in Macon County

Franklin is the county seat. Deeds are recorded with the Macon County Register of Deeds, the clerk of superior court in Franklin handles estates and foreclosure hearings, and the county tax office sets values. Zoning in Highlands is handled by the town, and septic records by county environmental health.

A licensed North Carolina attorney handles the closing, and recording generally happens before funds are disbursed.

Frequently asked questions

My Highlands house was a short-term rental. Will you buy it?

Yes. Tell us its zoning and permit status, and we price it on what it can legally be used for.

Do you buy houses on private roads with no maintenance agreement?

Yes. Access and road questions are part of our assessment, not a reason to pass.

When is Macon County's next revaluation?

It is scheduled for 2027. The current values date from 2023.

Do you buy manufactured homes around Franklin?

Yes, on owned land, whether or not the home has been retitled as real property.

Do you buy lake cabins near Nantahala Lake?

Yes, including ones with older docks or steep access.

Macon County property and court resources