Archive for April, 2009

TalkCharlotte Team “Chips In” at Charlotte Realtor Care Day 2009

April 28th, 2009 categories: Betsy Mayer, Charlotte Realtor, Jackie Stutts, Rhonda Gibbons, Sunday Inspiration

Chipped and scraped and scraped and cleaned and painted would be more like! All for a great cause, for some great people in a great City! On Friday 600 Charlotte Realtors teamed up and fanned out to work ~ fixing roofs, painting and doing general maintenance on  33 homes in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties. Helping those people who can not perform critical home maintenance and repairs due to financial or physical limitations.
Fridays are a busy day for Realtors so we are extra proud that the entire TalkCharlotte team was out early ~ Jackie, Blake and Besty the earliest birds ~ Starbucks delayed Michael, Rhonda and Donna ~ we worked the entire day. Our job (we thought) was to prop up and paint a porch on a traditional Charlotte home in the Plaza Midwood area ~ little did we know we’d be scraping and painting an entire home! It seemed a little daunting at first but we channeled “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” and got to work making sure we could “Move that Bus” at 4PM! The homeowners worked with us side by side and the day flew by ~ it was fun and satisfying for everyone! (please click on the picture titles for a special treat!)

Nice work if you can get it!

Up on the roof!

You know when you look around you see all kinds of people doing amazing things for others. If you are “being the change you wish to see in the world” then KUDOS and keep it up! If you’ve been on the sidelines please consider getting out there and doing some good for someone else – I guarantee in the end it will do more for you!

Move that Bus!!

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

TalkCharlotte Friday Fun: French Fries and a Library Card

April 24th, 2009 categories: Charlotte Real Estate & More

Market bottoms?, short sales, foreclosures, toxic assets, sub-prime mortgages….arrrgggh sometimes you just need a good laugh! This from our own Rhonda (full disclosure Rhonda is a brunette)

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

Florida can’t relocate!

April 23rd, 2009 categories: Friday Fun

We certainly don’t want to minimize or make light of the catastrophic hurricanes the past few weeks (see Red Cross link below) – but we also know that life will go on and that one of our most precious possessions is not a possession at all it’s our sense of humor.

So hopefully this will give you a chuckle and if you are so inclined here is a link to the Red Cross who among others is doing some amazing work putting lives back together in the Caribbean, along the Gulf Coast and in Florida.

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Out to make a killing in real estate? Charlotte’s probably not for you!

April 23rd, 2009 categories: Charlotte Real Estate Trends

A Realtor telling you you’re probably not going to get rich** ~ depending upon your view that’s either killing the sale or refreshing. For those of you out to make a killing ~ you might check here, here or invent one of these.

Are they gone yet? OK good, for the rest of you…here’s some refreshing news on Charlotte Real Estate. The Charlotte market is sound — it has not collapsed nor is it (or was it ever) as apparently RED HOT as Naples, Florida (see above). Most of the people in Charlotte are working and living comfortably, happily in their homes. Are things tough? Sure they are and we’re not immune to the economic woes.

But here’s the thing about homes in Charlotte we have not had a citywide boom (OK maybe in 1848) nor have we had a bust! We’ve have some incredibly hot areas like Union County, Ballantyne and Myers Park / Dilworth but overall our market is steady.  ** I should clarify my “not going to get rich” comment.  Don’t get me wrong there are many many many people who have and continue to get rich from Charlotte real estate. But most of our clients just want a great home, in a nice neighborhood with some better than average price appreciation. For you the following Charlotte market statistics are encouraging.

According to and courtesy of Zillow take a look at the following one and ten year Charlotte home price trend charts ~ I know steady appreciation boring…..but in 2009 Charlotte residential real estate Boring is the new Black!

Charlotte Home Price Appreciation (One and ten year)

Ten year (2000-2009)

One Year (2008-2009)

I apologize if you were looking for a more exciting Charlotte real estate story ~ but if you’re like us right about now we could use a little less excitement thank you very much! If you like what you’re read, you’ll love working with our team please give us a call  888-297-6100 we’d be happy to help you with a rational, sane and smart approach to finding a home to live in here in Charlotte North Carolina!

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

Charlotte Magazine 2009 Best of the Best: Home Winners

April 21st, 2009 categories: Charlotte Real Estate & More

Each year we await Charlotte magazine’s BOB (Best of the Best of Charlotte) Awards edition! Please check out all the winners in twelve categories or better yet pick up a copy at magazine outlets all over Charlotte ~ help support a great local publication / business!

Let’s take a look at a few of the winners in the Home category (courtesy of the Charlotte magazine website)!

We know and love these guys — say hello to Dixon for me and prepare to spend an hour plus browsing oddities, collectible & memory lane!

Furniture for a Steal
There’s no better place to shop on a shoestring than the cavernous Sleepy Poet Stuff warehouse. Among the zebra-print rugs, vintage mannequins, and eclectic bird cages are cheap high-end furnishings. A shabby-chic ivory cabinet by High Point that retails at $2,400 recently sold for $1,500. And a mint-condition mahogany chest of drawers from the 1950s went for $250. Fix-it types can find wingback chairs, colonial-inspired love seats, and dining room chairs that need either some refinishing or new upholstery, both of which cost less than buying brand new.
121 Freeland Ln., 704-529-6369

Modern home store
We couldn’t be happier that California-based chain west elm (pictured) has found a home in the Queen City. The store’s clean, sculptural furniture (like the room-divider bookcase, $599), brightly printed duvet covers, and transitional throw pillows and chunky blankets add graphic punch to any room. Earthy accessories, like a bone table lamp ($169) and raw wood vase ($39) soften the modern silhouette. Plus, the inexpensive yet sophisticated glassware — Champagne flutes, stemless wine glasses, and water glasses — allow you to buy for your home without feeling buyer’s guilt.
1100 Metropolitan Ave., 704-333-0642

Lighting
Abode owner Mary Tobias Miller has twenty-seven years of experience as an interior designer, so she’ll understand your quest for the perfect sconces, lanterns, or standing lamps. Let her lead you to a brightly colored Robert Abbey lamp ($215 and up) from abode’s showroom or a handcrafted chandelier from Louisiana-based artisan Julie Neill. Abode specializes in sconces, of which the store offers an extensive selection. This is what really sets the South End store apart from other lighting purveyors. The shop also boasts a collection of unique lamps made from architectural remnants, like salvaged wrought-iron gates.
201 W. Worthington Ave., 704-332-3731

We lost two team members in IKEA  one day – be prepared to shop and you’ll know why they a great fully loaded restaurant!

Kid Stuff
Swedish home purveyor IKEA caters to the kiddie set. Nearly 8,000 square feet are devoted to brightly colored bedding, toys, and artwork for kids. And pint-size furnishings are smartly designed, too: a blue Hermelin crib, $129, can be converted into a traditional bed as your child grows and MATA tableware ($2.95 for a set of four) is super functional — suction rings keep dinner on the table, not splayed all over the floor.
8300 Ikea Blvd., 704-549-4532

Home Accessories
This decidedly unpretentious shop pairs classic home wares, like blue-and-white colonial pottery, with the hottest trends of the season. Tennille & Co. merchandise is affordable, too-browse throw pillows in feral prints (snakeskin, giraffe, cheetah) starting at $10 or snap up delicate safari-inspired votive holders for $5. Need a last-minute hostess gift? Tennille carries monogrammed wine stoppers for just $15.
2823 Selwyn Rd., 704-369-0062

So there’s a start — remember even in these tough times whether you are sprucing up your Charlotte home for sale or recently purchased a home you’ll want to shop smart and get the best design and value for you money ~ hope these ideas help!

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: Your Comments Please »

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