It has been observed that mountain-view real estate can inspire blindness.  Jackson County, NC landslide photo — SouthWings flyover 2010

Western North Carolina mountain real estate is exposed to debris flows, underground landslides and slope failures.

Unstable land conditions, such as those found throughout the Western North Carolina mountain region, can lead to irresolvable financial burdens.  Homes have no earth movement insurance protection and HOA members must pay assessments to repair their landslide-damaged roads. By statute, private subdivision roads do not have to meet minimum state Department of Transportation engineering criteria. Most Western North Carolina developer-commissioned roads were not built to specification. This information is recorded on subdivision plats.

USGS map showing high landslide risk for Western North Carolina mountain counties

Map of Western North Carolina Landslide-Hazardous Counties Western North Carolina counties on the Federal Emergency Management Agency Landslide Watch List: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey.  Landslide hazard maps have been published for Macon, Watuaga, Buncombe and Henderson Counties