Hotel/Motel at 20826 Great Smoky Mountain Expressway, Waynesville
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41 photos

$425,000

20826 Great Smoky Mountain Expressway
Waynesville, NC 28786
Listed by Matthew Wells · Keller Williams Great Smokies
Bedrooms
N/A
Bathrooms
N/A
Living area
N/A
Year built
1958

About this home

Prime Commercial Opportunity Near the Blue Ridge Parkway An exceptional opportunity to acquire 2.3± acres of commercially positioned property in one of Western North Carolina’s most heavily traveled and sought-after corridors. Located just minutes, and less than .4 mile, from the Blue Ridge Parkway, this property sits directly along the Great Smoky Mountain Expressway (US-23/74) with 390+ feet of four-lane road frontage, offering unmatched visibility between Waynesville and Sylva. Average daily traffic count is over 24,000, placing it squarely in the path of both local and tourist traffic year-round. The property is home to the former Balsam Motel, along with a residential house and an additional building, all of which offer substantial potential for updating, repositioning, or complete redevelopment. With its combination of acreage, highway exposure, and proximity to major destinations, the site provides a flexible canvas for a wide range of commercial or investment uses. The motel part of the property (12 units) have sustained lots of water damage due to a long term leak in the roof. The property was last operated as a motel in the early to mid 1990s. The property will take substantial work and vision, but could provide tremendous potential to the next owner. Visibility and accessibility define the value of this location. Direct access from a major highway, strong daily traffic counts, and immediate proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway create a setting well suited for businesses or developments that benefit from consistent exposure. Surrounded by mountain views, outdoor recreation, and established regional attractions, the property sits at the crossroads of travel, tourism, and growth. Whether envisioned as a revitalized motel or boutique lodging destination, a mixed-use or commercial redevelopment, a destination restaurant or retail concept, or a long-term investment in a high-demand mountain corridor, the possibilities here are extensive. Opportunities offering this level of frontage, location, and development flexibility are becoming increasingly rare in Western North Carolina. Offered at 20826 Great Smoky Mountain Expressway in Waynesville, this property represents a compelling chance to secure a highly visible and versatile site in one of the region’s most desirable and heavily traveled areas.

Property details

MLS
Canopy MLS
MLS #
CAR4332918
Property type
Hotel/Motel
Subdivision
N/A
Status
Active
Days on market
294
On market date
January 5, 2026
Stories
2
Total bathrooms
N/A
Garage spaces
N/A
Parking spaces
15
Lot size
N/A
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Nearby schools

Within 10 miles. School directory data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), accessed via the Urban Institute Education Data API. Local Score is calculated by INNOVATE Real Estate; where a state rating is shown, it comes from that state's own official school report card.

Elementary
Hazelwood Elementary
4.07 mi away · Grades -1-5
Zoned school (attendance boundary, 2015-16 data)
3.3
Local Score (state rating (2025) blended 70/30 with student-teacher ratio) -- not an official state rating
State rating: C (2025)
Enrollment
464
Student:teacher ratio
13.3:1
District
Haywood County Schools
Middle
Waynesville Middle
5.13 mi away · Grades 6-8
Zoned school (attendance boundary, 2015-16 data)
2.6
Local Score (state rating (2025) blended 70/30 with student-teacher ratio) -- not an official state rating
State rating: D (2025)
Enrollment
767
Student:teacher ratio
14.5:1
District
Haywood County Schools
High
Haywood Early College
9.97 mi away · Grades 9-13
Zoned school (attendance boundary, 2015-16 data)
3.8
Local Score (state rating (2025) blended 70/30 with student-teacher ratio) -- not an official state rating
State rating: A (2025)
Enrollment
191
Student:teacher ratio
23.9:1
District
Haywood County Schools

Walkability

Blended score for Waynesville's center, calculated by INNOVATE Real Estate from two sources: the EPA's National Walkability Index (street network, transit, land-use mix) and Google Places amenity data (what's actually reachable on foot from this point). 60% EPA National Walkability Index + 40% nearby-amenity density (Google Places).

18
Very car-dependent
out of 100
EPA National Walkability Index
5.8 / 20 -- Below average walkable
Google Places amenity density
0 / 100
Restaurants & cafes0
Grocery stores0
Parks0
Schools0
Transit stops0
Pharmacies0

Market position

How this listing compares to current activity in Waynesville, from live MLS data.

On the market 294 days -- 101 more days than Waynesville's current average of 193 days.
For reference, the median list price across 608 active listings in Waynesville right now is $311,250.

Mortgage calculator

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Est. monthly payment
$2,709/mo
$85,000 down
$340,000 loan
Principal & interest$2,205
Property tax (est.)$354
Home insurance (est.)$150

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Data source: Listing information provided by Canopy MLS (carolina) via Trestle/CoreLogic. Last updated 2 days ago.

Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed; all measurements, school assignments, HOA fees, taxes, and feature lists are approximate and should be independently verified. Equal Housing Opportunity.