Field notes
The explainers behind the lookup.
Flood zones, STR rules, and recovery records — in plain language, sourced from the same public data the lookup runs on.
Recovery · 2026-08-21
Helene recovery context — and how to read it
What the county’s damage records can and can’t tell you about a property after Hurricane Helene — with no invented numbers.
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Flood · 2026-08-21
Flood zones, explained
AE, AO, X — the letters on FEMA’s flood maps look like alphabet soup. Here’s what each one means for a property and its insurance.
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STR rules · 2026-08-21
Short-term rentals in Asheville, in plain language
Whether a property can legally be a short-term rental changes entirely at the Asheville city line. Here’s the distinction that matters, and the one thing the tool can’t check for you.
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Flood · 2026-08-21
What your Zillow flood score isn’t telling you
The big portals all show the same algorithmic flood score from one licensed feed. The official record — FEMA’s zone letters, LOMA/LOMR, and NC’s floodplain data — is a different, checkable story.
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