The Cane, the South Toe, and the slides

In September 2024 the Cane River and South Toe River rose through the valleys, flooding houses near Burnsville where Bald Creek meets the Cane, in Micaville, and along smaller creeks across the county. NC 80 was damaged, and houses on low ground were washed away. Hundreds of landslides struck the steeper slopes.

Houses that survived often stand on ground that changed: a stream channel moved closer, a slope above the house slipped, or a fill bank washed out. Those are the hardest cases to finance, and we buy them as they are. Send any engineer's report, FEMA inspection, or insurance letter you have.

Private bridges and access

Many Yancey houses sit across a creek on a private bridge or up a private road, and the flooding washed some of them out. Until access is rebuilt, a lender will not finance the house, and the cost of a new bridge can exceed what the owner can spend.

We buy houses whose access is damaged or gone. The closing attorney confirms the recorded easements, and the rebuild becomes our problem after closing.

Pre-storm tax values and a long reappraisal cycle

Yancey's current values took effect January 1, 2024, nine months before Helene, and the next reappraisal is not scheduled until January 1, 2032. Mitchell and Buncombe next to it both revalue in 2027, so Yancey's tax values will stay on their 2024 footing for years longer.

If storm repairs pushed your taxes behind, the sale can still go ahead. Delinquent taxes come out of the proceeds at closing.

Yancey County property we buy

  • Houses flooded by the Cane River, South Toe River, or local creeks
  • Houses below or on a slope that slid
  • Houses cut off by a washed-out private bridge or road
  • Lots where the house was destroyed
  • Manufactured homes on owned land
  • Older houses in Burnsville needing major repairs
  • Inherited houses and land owned by several heirs

Records, courts, and closing in Yancey County

Burnsville is the county seat. The Yancey County Register of Deeds records deeds and deeds of trust, the clerk of superior court in Burnsville handles estates and foreclosure hearings, and the county tax office keeps the 2024 values. Septic permits are held by environmental health.

A licensed North Carolina attorney closes the sale. If contractors have done storm repairs, tell us up front, because a North Carolina mechanics' lien can relate back to when the work began.

Frequently asked questions

Do you buy houses damaged by the Cane River flood?

Yes, from near Burnsville up through the rest of the Cane River valley, repaired or not.

The slope above my house moved during Helene. Will you still buy it?

Yes. Send any geotechnical or engineering report, and we price the property with that risk in it.

My private bridge washed out. Can I sell the house?

Yes. We buy with access damaged or gone, and the attorney confirms the easements.

When does Yancey County revalue again?

The next reappraisal is scheduled for January 1, 2032. Current values date from January 1, 2024.

Do you buy lots where the house was destroyed?

Yes, including land owned by several heirs.

Do you buy along the South Toe near Micaville and Celo?

Yes, throughout the county.

Yancey County property and court resources