BANNER ELK, N.C. – July 2, 2026 – Jeff Hamm, the digital content producer and real estate broker behind The Best of LKN – Lake Norman’s #1 podcast and email newsletter – today announced the launch of Banner Elk Living, a hyper-local media platform promoting Banner Elk and the North Carolina High Country as a premier destination for high quality living, tourism, vacations, and investment.
The platform brings together a website, blog, podcast, YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram accounts, and a monthly newsletter under one mission: to tell Banner Elk’s story and shine a light on the independent small businesses that give the town its character.
The idea took root after Hurricane Helene tore through Avery County on September 27, 2024, damaging homes, roads, and the area’s water and sewer infrastructure. Witnessing the devastation across the region he loves – and the resilience of the community that rebuilt it – Hamm set out to draw visitors and investment back to the mountains while supporting the businesses working to recover.
“After Helene, I saw a community that refused to be defined by one bad day. Banner Elk is back, it’s open, and it’s every bit the hidden gem it always was. I built this platform to make sure the rest of the world knows that – and to give the family-run kitchens, makers, and outfitters who make this town special a place to be seen.”
– Jeff Hamm, creator and producer of Banner Elk Living
A Resource for Visitors, Locals, and Small Businesses
Banner Elk Living organizes its content into three pillars: Food & Drink, with honest features on local restaurants, bars, and cafés; Real Estate, featuring tours of standout homes and neighborhoods, including The Lodges at Eagles Nest; and Banner Elk Life, covering outdoor adventures, galleries, shopping, and local events.
A core commitment sets the platform apart: local small businesses can be featured at no cost. Rather than charging the independent businesses that anchor the community, Banner Elk Living offers them free exposure through editorial features, video, and photography. For travelers, families considering a move, or buyers exploring the second-home and vacation-rental market, it’s designed to be a genuinely useful – and free – guide. Readers can subscribe to the monthly newsletter at bannerelkliving.com.
A Proven Model, Brought to the Mountains
Banner Elk Living is built on a formula Hamm has already proven at scale. Since launching The Best of LKN in 2020, his Lake Norman platform has grown into one of the region’s most engaged local audiences, reaching more than 150,000 locals and visitors each month – with a podcast surpassing 144,000 downloads, a website drawing more than 710,000 visitors, over one million YouTube views, and a curated network of 400-plus respected local businesses. Hamm runs Banner Elk Living personally, hosting the podcast, writing the articles, and producing much of the photography and video himself.
Local Expertise in Luxury High Country Real Estate
The platform launches alongside Hamm’s real estate practice with Elevate Land & Realty, where he specializes in luxury homes throughout Banner Elk, with particular expertise in The Lodges at Eagles Nest – the master-planned, gated community spanning roughly 3,000 acres of Blue Ridge ridgeline. A Certified Marketing Specialist for luxury homes with more than 20 years in customer service and marketing, Hamm guides buyers and sellers through a market shaped by elevation, views, and mountain living.
About Jeff Hamm
Jeff Hamm is a digital content producer, publisher, marketing expert, and licensed North Carolina real estate broker with Elevate Land & Realty. He is the creator of The Best of LKN and Banner Elk Living, and produces both platforms through Epic Journey Media, LLC.