Your hostess, Valentine Van Zee, was raised in southeast Florida, but has always had a pull towards the beauty of the mountains of western North Carolina:

It is not such a mystery as it may seem. You see, my maternal great grandmother was a native of Asheville and her great grandparents were among the very first settlers to reach the area after the Revolutionary War, establishing their home at Bee Tree Gap in the "Swannanoa Settlement", just east of present day Asheville.

I purchased my first property in western North Carolina in 1974 and have been returning to the area on a regular basis ever since. The purchase and re-habilitation of several properties in the historic district of Montford in Asheville in the early 1980s gave me a real appreciation for the history and splendor of the area. Personally I like to think of it as “God’s Country”.

The next logical step for me was the purchase of a truly naturally beautiful place. The minute I walked into Highwoods, I knew I had found it! Here I will retire when the time is right - but in the meantime - I am happy to share it with others who also feel a pull towards these beautiful mountains.