Asheville – Buncombe County is striving for equity by postponing the 2025 revaluation. Interim Property Assessor Eric Cregger recounted a story familiar to Western North Carolinians. The 2025 reappraisal process was 70% complete when Helene struck.
Over 5,500 parcels and hundreds of businesses were damaged. In a recent county update, Community Development Analyst Jonathon Jones reported that, as of March 1, 1,565 Buncombe County residents remain in some form of FEMA-supported temporary living situation, down from a maximum of 1,877. To date, FEMA has received reports of 11,633 structures with habitability issues, 704 with major damage, and 360 destroyed beyond repair.
The reappraisal process was delayed, and assessors returned to the field to examine thousands of properties. While they are not allowed to enter homes, they reviewed county records for items such as pulled permits and analyzed sales of comparable properties…