Real estate development is one of the biggest and most regulated industries in Western North Carolina. The Van Winkle Law Firm has developed a reputation for serving the complex needs of these clients with knowledge of real estate development law unmatched in the region, guiding them through each nuance of a development from the planning stages to completion. Services include everything from development financing, land use planning and contractor negotiations to drafting homeowners’ association documents, creating restrictive covenants, and managing sale transactions. Van Winkle attorneys regularly appear before a variety of administrative bodies, taking with them an unparalleled expertise in the latest state, county and municipal laws, covering all aspects of real estate development law. Regular challenges include compliance with zoning regulations, environmental protection laws, consumer protection statutes, and historic preservation guidelines. The firm is also sensitive to the local concerns and politics involved in such proceedings, having formulated strategies to avoid community opposition from the early stages of a project. When resistance does arise, Van Winkle attorneys have successfully litigated a variety of issues through local and state courts.
Representative Work
- Successfully guided developer through structure and sale of large new development in Lake Lure.
- Negotiated $17 million sale for high end Buncombe County Golf Course development with retained development rights for selling landowner.
- Negotiated $3 million purchase of mountain tract and lake rights with conservation easement for Church conference center.
- Currently represent several developers in obtaining zoning approvals for new developments in Buncombe County.
