As Carolina Farms & Homes approaches its 25th anniversary of service to the region, its founder, Al Engler, is stepping down as president and handing over the reins of the company to the partners in new leadership roles. "This transition is the last step in a process that began five years ago when Andrew Gibbons, Ellen Peric, and Leon Inman became partners in the real estate firm I started in 1984, " said Al Engler. "This team of co-owners will now take over the day-to-day operation of the company. I will become an agent serving my own clients. The three partners, now the sole owners, have high praise for Engler's efforts in creating the firm. "Al had the vision of introducing the foothills region of North Carolina to the rest of the world as a desirable place to live, " said Andrew Gibbons, who will become the firm's new president. "We welcome the challenge to maintain that professional image and service in the future as we transition into new leadership and as we move the company in new directions in response to market conditions." Gibbons continued. The partners agreed that the real estate industry has changed substantially with the advent of the internet. Potential buyers of all real estate now have strong expectations for accessing comprehensive information about properties quickly and easily, even before approaching an agent, they said. Carolina Farms & Homes was one of the first real estate firms in the region to take advantage of internet technology, and two of its agents pioneered the use of virtual tours for area properties. All the partners agreed, however, that when it comes to listing properties, the building of trusting relationships with property owners through face-to-face contact will remain the key to building a successful Carolina Farms & Homes real estate practice. Ellen Peric reviewed the achievements of the company during the five-year transition. "Because real estate is intensely local, we add additional agents to serve those markets. We increased our sales significantly and solidified our position in the market as the "go to" real estate firm for farms and homes with acreage. We also created the Farms & Homes Journal, which remains a strong marketing tool for sharing with local customers the properties we offer. Commenting on the current state of the local real estate market, Leon Inman offered, "Property values in our area have maintained themselves. Because we did not experience the high spikes in price increases, we did not experience any rapid decline in property values as did other parts of the country mentioned prominently in news reports. It is important to note, as well, that land values continue to hold steady. Land continues to be an excellent investment especially in the face of the volatility of the stock market." "Going forward, " reminded Gibbons, "buyers and sellers should expect to see a continuation of the quality service with new tools and technology to help make the buying and selling experience a positive one. This is what clients have come to expect from Carolina Farms & Homes over 25 years. Carolina Farms & Homes knows what you're looking for. In 1976, Carolina Farms' President Al Engler was looking for it too. At the time, Al was stuck in the rat-race in New York. He knew there had to be a saner way to live and he found it on a 140-acre farm in Stokes County, NC located near the Virginia border. Eventually, after several friends from up north visited Al and bought property, he realized that there were many people like him dreaming of escaping to the peace and security of the country. So, in 1983, Al started Carolina Farms & Homes - a real estate firm that specializes in listing and selling farms, land and country homes in North Carolina and Virginia. The northwest Piedmont region of North Carolina offered an unbeatable combination of beautiful rural property, low taxes, and easy access to a big city with a first-rate transportation network, shopping, great restaurants, and quality
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