Real Property, Real People, Real Loss: Restoring The Communities We Call Home

By Malia Williams 

Home is a simple yet altogether complicated topic for many.

Home may be where we were born and raised. It also may be discovered, unexpectedly, in a place we visited – one that, while we may have left it, never truly left us. Sometimes, it may even be found in the eyes of another person. If we are lucky, we may be able to call multiple places and people home. While the term carries with it varied meanings, the pursuit and care for it is ultimately a shared experience for us all.

For me, Lake Lure has always been one of the places I’ve called home. My family’s roots run deep in Western North Carolina, and much of my life has been spent on and in the waters of Lake Lure. It was a safe space to grow, explore, and try and fail at new things. Despite the area’s notoriety for films like “Dirty Dancing” and “The Last of the Mohicans,” it remained relatively unknown and under visited, until the last couple of decades. That changed with a spike in tourism, fueled by the rise of digital marketing and increased commercial real estate development. As a result, much of the residency basis shifted from seasonal to full-time, and the volume of seasonal visitors grew significantly.

 

As one can imagine, these changes powerfully moved the local economy in a positive direction, giving new businesses a much greater chance to become successful, permanent features. When Hurricane Helene hit, it stole my breath to see just how many of those businesses were suddenly underwater. Many of you are familiar with the images from Chimney Rock – an entire street of businesses and homes, gone in a moment. The devastation was and still is, incredibly difficult to absorb, much less to articulate. Yet, as overwhelming and catastrophic as Hurricane Helene’s impact was, the outpouring of support in the initial months that followed was an amazing testament to the heart of North Carolinians – and to those who love her well, nationwide.

Unfortunately, in many of these impacted regions, the progress made in restoration has been abruptly cut short. Wildfires sweeping through Western North Carolina are now burning through everything – from recently repaired properties to those that had been spared from Helene – further displacing and destroying these communities. The devastation wrought by these disasters is much deeper than what can be seen, as their economic and emotional impacts will echo in places like Lake Lure for decades to come.

Volunteer groups that have tirelessly worked to repair and rebuild these communities are facing depletion – of volunteers, funding, and time. Local emergency response teams are drained. Fellow members of the State Bar, based in these areas, are exhausted. An incredible amount of progress has been made, and yet there is still so much more to be done. It feels insurmountable. The burden cannot fall solely on these groups to face the immediate and long-term challenges ahead.

Donations of time, supplies and funding are still desperately needed all over Western North Carolina. Every dollar makes a difference, and summer is almost here. Please consider visiting, volunteering, or donating – whatever you can. If you are unable to contribute financially, but can visit in person, please take photos and share them with your network. Make it personal, because it is. And, if it isn’t yet, it should be.

As someone who has called this region home, and who is a North Carolinian and a real estate attorney, I feel a deep level of personal and professional responsibility to remain engaged in the efforts to rebuild, and to remind myself that the ongoing need should not be passed off as someone else’s issue to handle. If you share a place in any of those categories as well, please consider allowing these words to serve as a reminder of the same for you.

For the most up-to-date information on these impacted communities and their present needs, visit their official .gov websites or reach out to a member of their local bar.

Real property, real people, and now – real action. Let’s move forward together to restore the communities we, and those we love, call home.