Why Choose Alpen Realty?
Fred Barth, Owner, Broker
Fred with wife Jane and son Steve moved to Beech Mountain from South Florida in 2005, buying a home and the two Beech Mountain Inns (Beech Alpen and Top of the Beech). For the past 45 years Fred was fascinated with Buying, Improving and Selling Tourism related Real Estate. His Motto: You live, work and create something nice where others like to vacation and hopefully it will turn out to be an good investment. This passion started after college, when he was working for Siemens as an engineer and crisis manger on main frame computers, but was also buying and selling small apartment buildings in the German Alps, which were rented seasonally. After eleven years of corporate life, he was burned out and ready for a new challenge. German Tourists were flooding the Bahamas and the GermanTax law opened a niche to build vacation homes as Tax shelter on the island of Eleuthera. For six years Fred built roads and underground utilities, a restaurant with beach and sold lots and vacation homes exclusively in the German market. When renting out the homes he was denied a work permit. Leaving the Bahamas in 1985 it was almost natural to continue his passion in South Florida. He started Ocean Realty Int., received his Florida licenses and is a Realtor and Member of the South Florida MLS to this day. The Ocean Realty office was located on Young Circle in Hollywood, had up to ten Sales Associates and was selling many homes and condos along the Beaches. Fred took also the lucrative opportunity in the 80's and 90's with his company B&B Investments to buy homes and commercial properties in a still depressed market, rehabed them to create a better value and attracted new buyers. Fred loves Beech Mountain as the highest town in the Eastern US. In Winter he loves Skiing at the close by Ski Resorts and in Summer he enjoys the beautiful and cool outdoors, or walking his dogs through the tranquil forests. He is not a golfer, but he is very happy with the Beech Mountain Country Club facilities. Fred is committed to Beech Mountain, he was the only major investor in commercial real estate in the past decade on Beech Mountain. He was aware that it was not a good investment, still adding two new restaurants to the Inns and invested in much needed improvements including AC, even as Tourism figures have declined and are the lowest in a decade. Many commercial properties are for sale for more than fifteen years. But Fred has no regrets, he likes to live and work on Beech Mountain. He started Alpen Realty, received his NC Brokers licenses and is now also a member of the High Country Association of Realtors and MLS. He also integrated Chalet and Condo Vacation Rentals as beechchaletrentals.com into the global distribution system for Travel Agents. He believes that quality rentals will improve the tourism outlook for Beech Mountain in the coming years. Fred has the experience and also the integrity you can expect when hiring a Real Estate Professional. He will always give you the facts and honest advice. Buyers have to know the difference in NC Agency law and he recommends to sign a buyers broker agreement to protect their interest. "Buyer beware". Ready for a vacation home - now is the best time to buy. There are opportunites in any market and Fred can help in pointing it out. |