by Marla Hardee Milling
photos by Steven McBride
Reprinted from Mountain Homes Southern Style
Cathy and Allyn Stanton had every intention of turning their condo at The Headwaters at Banner Elk into a second home. That is until they moved into the luxury unit in October 2008 and found themselves resisting return trips to their Chicago home.
“It has my heart,” says Allyn of The Headwaters. “That’s why it’s hard to leave.”
The Stantons originally discovered Western North Carolina after reading an article about Asheville. But their first visit didn’t convince them; they had Colorado on their minds. After much searching, they decided to return to Asheville in March 2008 for another look. “It knocked our socks off,” says Allyn. “We thought, ‘This is it. Now we just have to find a place.’” They put a contract on property north of Asheville, but one day, they took a drive to Banner Elk and discovered The Headwaters. They fell in love and never looked back, smitten by three critical components: property, place and people.
“That combo,” Allyn says, “won on its own.”
Along with Tash, their beloved English Springer Spaniel, the Stantons spend an average seven of every eight weeks in Banner Elk. Owners of a successful Chicago medical-device marketing company with a staff of 10, they’ve found it efficient to work from their condo, where they have flat-screen computers situated back-to-back in the living room.
This luxury is possible because The Headwaters is the only certified fiber-optic community in Avery County. Residents receive up to 250 channels of digital cable, unlimited long distance, high-speed Internet faster than DSL or cable, and remote home monitoring services via a state-of-the-art fiber-optic system. Having this access has been pivotal to granting the Stantons the option of using their condo as a primary residence while telecommuting to their Illinois offices.
“Without fiber optics, we couldn’t have done it,” says Allyn. “We run our company from here and only go back for staff meetings.”
When the lure of the mountains draws their attention away from work, the Stantons explore the development and the neighboring Pisgah and the Cherokee National forests. A favorite area is beside one of the property’s lakes, where they enjoy grilling dinner and letting Tash swim.
“We feel like we’re the pioneers here,” says Allyn. “Every day is a new day – finding a new section of trail or seeing new landscaping.”
For more about The Headwaters at Banner Elk, visit www.headwatersnc.com or or call us today at 866.200.3290 to schedule a private tour!
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Tags: Avery County, Banner Elk, NC, nc mountain properties, nc mountain real estate, private mountain communities
This is a true timber frame home with exposed wood beams and timbers throughout the house.
Part 2 - Cultural Events
On Saturday, September 12, Grandfather Mountain will gear up for another exciting Kidfest. This event is designed to provide kids with their very own day at Grandfather and get them excited about the nature and culture of the North Carolina mountains.