Balsam Mountain Preserve Resumes Club Operations and Sales and Marketing Programs

SYLVA, N.C., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- After a six-month hiatus, Balsam Mountain Preserve, one of the Southeast's premier private club communities, will resume club operations and marketing and sales of its remaining 120 home sites.  Located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, Balsam Mountain Preserve features a top-rated golf course and extensive club amenities set across 4,400 acres.

Ken Costanzo, President of Balsam, announced the Preserve's Arnold Palmer Signature golf course will open in May for the remainder of the season.  In addition to golf, Balsam's members can enjoy an extensive array of private club amenities, including dining, a swim and tennis center, and miles of hiking and horseback riding trails.

"The worst of the real estate downturn is behind us, Balsam Mountain Preserve now has the advantage of stable, institutional ownership and no debt;  we're moving forward expeditiously to complete this exceptional project in one of the country's most beautiful settings," Costanzo said. "This is a unique property with outstanding amenities--as the economy continues to recover we expect to see increased demand of our home sites. It's really a now or never opportunity for inaugural buyers with only 30% of Balsam's home sites still available. "

Balsam Mountain Preserve's new owner, Vestlyn BMP LLC, is represented by TriLyn LLC, an institutional real estate investment company.

Sam Belfore, a Balsam homeowner since 2007, said, "Balsam Mountain Preserve offers such a wide array of attractions to its home and property owners. It has one of the finest mountain golf courses in the country, along with numerous amenities and miles of beautiful hiking trails, and a fully staffed Nature Center for families to enjoy. However, I think that the strongest feature of the development is the enormous feeling of community and friendship among its members.

"While the community was recently tested by the financial difficulties of the original developer, the homeowners stuck together.  With our new and financially sound owner in place, the outlook for the future of Balsam Mountain Preserve is brighter than ever," added Belfore.

Melanie Murphy, a Balsam property owner since 2007, added, "I enjoy the opportunity to go on vacation and only travel a few miles from home.  My time spent at Balsam – an hour, a day, a weekend – is a wonderful escape into the magic of our mountains.  As a member of the local Jackson/Haywood County community, I am thankful that the new owners share the vision and recognize the potential of our area."

Set deeply in the dense forests adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Balsam Mountain Preserve offers over 3,000 acres of protected land, 38 miles of streams, 34 miles of trails and elevations climbing to over 5,400 feet, as well as amenities that include:

• The 18-hole Arnold Palmer Signature golf course
• Ruby Valley Sports Camp, complete with fitness center, tennis courts, pool and activity pavilion
• Horseback riding on 34 miles of private community trails
• Dark Ridge Camp with pavilion, bunkhouse, numerous camping sites, and trout fishing
• Boarding House includes ten mountaintop cabins, a timber-framed restaurant, lounge and rustic living room with large stone fireplace
• Nature Center featuring an in-house team of Naturalists, nature displays, and educational programs

About Balsam Mountain Preserve:

A 4,400-acre private community nestled in the Western North Carolina Mountains near Asheville, Balsam Mountain Preserve features an Arnold Palmer Signature golf course, dining and lodging facilities, and other amenities, all of which have been completed. Homes constructed at Balsam represent some of the finest examples of high-end mountain architecture in the country. Seventy percent of the property has been placed in a permanent conservation easement to protect its present park-like state.   Balsam has been recognized by Links Magazine and Travel + Leisure Golf Magazine as one of the top private golf communities in the state of North Carolina. For more information visit:  www.balsammountainpreserve.com

SOURCE Balsam Mountain Preserve