Michael Barry

Phone
828-268-2260

Keller Williams High Country Realty

643 Greenway Road, Suite H2, Boone, NC 28607

I love that which affords the mind a sense of wonder!

I enjoy working with buyers.  But if you have a property to sell, I can help make that happen, too.  

As your Buyer’s Agent, my job is not really to sell you real estate. Rather, my job is to assist and represent you in locating and purchasing the property that meets your expectations--with price and terms you are well satisfied with.

Background: When my Dad retired from the Navy in 1979, we moved to Boone, NC. I attended Watauga High School, Appalachian State University, and then transferred to UNC-Chapel Hill. My degree from UNC was in Russian & East European Studies and, like Melville's character in Moby Dick, "having little or no money in my purse, and nothing in particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world."

I accepted a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps. Yes, I did see some of the watery part of the world, but to my surprise, quite a few hot, dry deserts, steamy jungles, and one or two bone-chilly inhospitable places, too. I thoroughly enjoyed over 25 years serving alongside U.S. Marines.  Many memorable adventures, from completing the U.S. Army's Ranger School and being a Force Reconnaissance platoon commander during Operation Desert Storm; plus several deployments during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Along the way I earned a master's degree from the  U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and was privileged to serve as a member of the  Joint Staff, working cyberspace related national military defense plans and policy issues at the Pentagon.

Rebecca, my wife of 32 years, and I have eight children. We’re very pleased and proud of each.

In 2013, I began to be interested in North Carolina High Country real estate. The High Country is a place that affords the mind a sense of wonder, in part because you'll always find 'beauty and courage flowering in unlikely places.' After wrapping up my time in the Marines I acquired some valuable experience in vacation rental property management. 

Enduring friendships that carry on after the deals are closed are a great part of our real estate business. I enjoy problem solving aimed at results that are thorough and satisfying.

Everyone has a story to tell. I'm interested in hearing yours. Introduce yourself. I can be reached email at Michael@KeyTerrain.com and also via cell/text at 828-268-2260

In Search of the Perfect Property? Try the FAST property search! 

Market reports give insight about pricing dynamics -- what's active, under contract, and sold in an area! 

Contact me today to find out how I can be of assistance to you!

Testimonials

Dec 2021:

"Michael is absolutely one of a kind. He is one of the most hardworking, ethical, thorough and knowledgeable professionals I have ever met! He is a world class real estate agent who went above and beyond at every stage of the home buying process. Michael was a great advocate and guide through this whole experience. I am relocating to the area and did most of my work with Michael "remotely" (from across the state). Michael generously made many trips to the property on my behalf, and went above and beyond his responsibilities as my agent to ensure a smooth closing and great experience. He was patient and took the time to explain things in detail and make sure I understood what I needed to understand. Michael represented my best interests throughout the entire home-buying process. You can absolutely trust Michael to get the job done right and well."

- Claire G.

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Jan 2019:

After several years of looking, in January 2019 we closed on a plot of land that will be perfect for us.  The search was long, and may not have ended successfully if it were not for the incredible representation by Michael Barry.

The Good:  Our initial contact with Michael was met with an enthusiastic response and commitment to work with us, even though we made clear that our budget was modest.  Michael embraced our plans as though our budget was unlimited.

The Better:  Our search identified roughly a dozen candidates.  Michael was quick to share his in-depth local knowledge, and was able to help us eliminate several before we wasted time visit the properties.  For the ones that remained, Michael met us at the properties and put his boots on the ground, walking the borders and offering insight we would not have thought of.  On one of our visits, Michael joined us for close-up evaluations of two top contenders, and did so on a weekend when the temperature was raw, the wind blowing, and flurries were in the air.

The Best:  Once we identified the property we wanted, Michael met us to conduct a second in-depth walk of the property.  Also, he secured valuable documentation of the property’s history, and offered professional input on how to structure our offer.

The Amazing:  The back-and-forth negotiations spanned a period of six weeks.  Throughout this time he never showed an ounce of deal fatigue or frustration with trying to hit a moving target.  He stayed 100% on task, and 100% in our corner.

The Incredible:  At all times Michael was 100% responsive.  Every – and we do mean every -- email or text sent to him was promptly responded to.  And his responsiveness did not stop with us; he was swapping emails with the selling agent in the wee hours of the morning to make sure things kept moving forward as quickly as possible. 

From beginning to end, Michael was professional, pleasant, reliable, and responsive.  Working with him was comfortable and effective.  At all times we felt like we were his only, and most important client.

Thank you, Michael!  Well done!! 

Lou and Tina O.

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Our first interaction with Michael was a harbinger of things to come. We began our search for a cabin online.  Within 5-10 minutes of clicking the Contact button on a site, Michael called me.  His quick response and the enthusiasm he exuded during our first phone call made it clear that we had   gotten lucky with a realtor!  Soon after, we found a property of interest.  We had told him that safe access to the property (as well as proximity to Boone and ASU) was a high priority.  Michael drove to the cabin (without being asked to do so), videotaped the road and drive to the cabin, and emailed the video to us. This was very helpful as it gave us a good idea of the condition of the road and showed the surrounding area. 

Michael, having spent considerable time in the Boone area growing up, knew the area well, which benefited us.  He was able to steer us to areas that met our criteria (safe access roads, 20 minutes or less to Boone etc...).

Michael was very proactive and often anticipated questions we would have and would provide answers before we had asked questions.  He never failed to provide information in a timely manner and his enthusiasm never wavered.  Patience with clients is an absolute required trait for a good realtor and Michael showed an abundance of this.  He stayed in close contact with us throughout the entire process, always easy to reach and quick to respond.  He was willing to work with us when it was most convenient for us - nights and weekends, as he respected our work time during weekdays.

Michael has shown a willingness to help us post-purchase by monitoring a lot we are interested in.  We have no doubt he will do so.

It was truly a pleasure to get to know Michael and have him guide us through the search and purchase process.  We highly recommend him.  

- Hunter K. 03/20/2018

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Michael did a fantastic job as our agent.  He is extremely knowledgeable about Boone area real estate.  We were shopping for acreage from the Charlotte area and MIchael was a HUGE help.  He went to the target properties and did detailed reconnaissance work including narrated video that we were able   to watch from our home.  This allowed us to narrow down the properties we were interested in and not waste a lot of time driving back and forth to the mountains!!  

- Sean N. 05/17/2018