Archive for the 'Great Neighborhoods' Category

Somewhere Over the Charlotte Rainbow…

September 2nd, 2010 categories: Great Neighborhoods

Living in Charlotte, NC is an experience in flavor, color, diversity, and history. We truly have a rainbow of diversity in our population which has brought wondrous food and cultural flavors to the area. No one can deny that the historical aspects of areas such as: Plaza-Midwood, Dilworth, Uptown, Chantilly, Elizabeth, and Fourth Ward offer great opportunities to learn about the birth and survival of our nation.

The Charlotte-Metro area has more to offer than just history; in fact, there is a great deal of “new” our area has to offer which also adds color and warmth to living here.

Take the Iredell County,  NC – Statesville area.

The school system has over 20,000 students, which places Iredell-Statesville NC  Schools in the top 20 largest school districts in North Carolina. The teachers are highly experienced with an average of 15 years of teaching experience. The Iredell-Statesville NC School district is among the top 25% of school districts in the state and continues to improve. In fact, the SAT scores, graduation rate, and writing scores are some of the highest in North Carolina.

The county itself is an interesting blend of urban, suburban, and rural living. Whether it is Charlotte lake life or country life that you’re looking for, Iredell county is filled with thriving communities and sleepy little towns.

Check out these Iredell County stats and facts:

• Lake Norman consists of more than 520 miles of shoreline. That’s a great deal of Charlotte waterfront property available for purchase and building.
• With Charlotte only a fast by highway 40 miles away, spectator sports such as Carolina Panthers football, Charlotte Bobcats basketball, Charlotte Eagles Soccer, Carolina Hurricanes hockey, and several minor league baseball teams are all within easy reach.
• Concerts, events and outdoor festivals thrive in Iredell county and your choice of Charlotte, or Winston-Salem (also just 40 miles away) are thriving places to visit for day trips or evenings out.
• Higher education is just a few steps away from this centrally located area. You’ll find: UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, Lenoir-Rhyne, Gardner-Webb, Catawba College, Wake Forest, Appalachian State, Central Piedmont Community College, and more.

The Real Estate in Iredell County appears to give you more bang for your buck as compared to Charlotte Real Estate deals can offer. Sure, Charlotte is a great value but when taxes are a bit lower and you’re out of the Char-Meck area of double taxing, you find that other counties often compete very nicely with what you can find in the Queen City.

The city-data website offers these statistics about Iredell County:

County population in July 2009: 158,153 (50% urban, 50% rural)
County owner-occupied houses and condos: 35,680
Renter-occupied apartments: 11,680

% of renters here:	25%
State:	31%

Land area: 576 sq. mi.
Water area: 21.4 sq. mi.

Population density: 275 people per square mile

Dec. 2009 cost of living index in Iredell County: 84.2 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)

Type of workers:

• Private wage or salary: 83%
• Government: 10%
• Self-employed, not incorporated: 7%
• Unpaid family work: 0%

Races in Iredell County, North Carolina:

• White Non-Hispanic (80.7%)
• Black (13.7%)
• Hispanic (3.4%)
• Other race (1.7%)
• Two or more races (0.9%)
• Other Asian (0.5%)
• American Indian (0.5%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Median resident age:	36.5 years
North Carolina median age:	35.3 years

Males: 60,120	(49.0%)
Females: 62,540	(51.0%)

As you can probably guess by the stats, Iredell is a growing community filled with diversity, flavor, and excellent opportunities for education – primary and secondary. Talk to your Charlotte area Realtor if you’re considering buying property in the Charlotte-Metro area and see what her thoughts are about moving a little further north. Chances are, you’ll find a great deal to offer, and you’ll have a choice of waterfront, countryside, or urban living all waiting for you over the Charlotte rainbow in our north county neighbor of Iredell.

Authored by Wendy Wells | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Friends and Neighbors

August 14th, 2010 categories: Great Neighborhoods

When you’re looking through all of the homes, picking a Charlotte  neighborhood is very important.

We all want to be able to at least tolerate if not actually become friends with our neighbors. The Chantilly neighborhood is a Charlotte Realtor’s dream. The tree lined streets are canopied with mature branches that grow tall. It’s wedged between the Plaza Midwood and Elizabeth neighborhoods. The homes are mostly bungalow style with families that have either retired in their home from 40 years ago, or they’re a young family starting out with a home they want to modernize and renovate.

Much of the real estate in Charlotte is new, which is good, because we all want modern things. Finding a Charlotte  home that has already been renovated is easy right now in the Chantilly neighborhood. If you’re in the market for a new home that needs little to no effort after moving in, you can find several in the range of $250k and up to about $495k. One of the benefits to buying a remodeled home in Chantilly is that not only is it already upgraded with floors, fixtures and kitchen, but a second bathroom has usually always been added! Keep in mind, these Chantilly bungalows were mostly built back in the mid 1940’s to early ’60’s and families just did not have the luxury of more than one bathroom if they lived in the working class neighborhoods and boroughs.

However, if you’re handy and don’t want to spend a lot of money on the initial purchase of a Charlotte property, you can find several fixer-uppers for around $120k. Yes, that’s true! Owning Charlotte property and living in a neighborhood like Chantilly for just over $100,000.

The area around Chantilly is charming. When you talk about great Charlotte NC properties, this place is at the top of the list. You have your choice of walking to either the restaurants and pubs in the Plaza Midwood area, or to those that are in the Elizabeth area. Both areas have much more than this to offer but some of the highlights are:

• Plaza Midwood has
  • Thomas Street Tavern
  • the Penguin
  • Zeda Janes (best breakfast in that GREEN building)
  • Dish
  • Nova’s Bakery
  • Whiskey Warehouse
  • Loco Lime (for some great Mexican eats)

Oh and by the way while you are there, check out BeadLush. A great Charlotte Bead Shop.

• Elizabeth has:
  • Crisp
  • La Te Da’s
  • The Philosopher’s Stone
  • Carpe Diem
  • Adams 7^th street market
  • the Cajun Queen (Live Jazz)
  • Jakalope Jack’s

There are little shops to explore in both neighborhoods, so be prepared to do some walking if you take the kids out for a Sunday stroll to dinner!

The kids are covered well in Chantilly, too. The elementary school is Elizabeth Traditional, the middle school is Piedmont Open school, and the high school can be either Hawthorne or Midwood. We’ll see how CMS divides the lines this year!

Speaking of kids, the makeup of folks living in Chantilly is really torn in half. About 40% are married couples, about 41% are singles, and the rest is made up of divorcees and widowed spouses. The main home type in Chantilly is the single family home, more than 75% in fact. Charlotte Condos are only about 23% and the rest is “other.” That could be rentals or homes in transition.

Here’s a look at what Charlotte Realtors have sold in Chantilly over the last couple of years:

Year	2008	2009	2010
Number of homes sold through MLS Average sales price Average days on market of sold homes Average year built	30 $331,557 57 1954	23 $316,174 148 1959	9 $321,337 146 1960

This is a great place to live as a family or a single adult. People feel safe enough to jog, walk, and ride bikes at night…alone even! That says a lot about a Charlotte community. It says that the residents know they’re all looking out for each other; the neighbors actually know one another’s names on most of the streets!

Investing in a Charlotte home in Chantilly can give you the warm fuzzy feeling, too. Just find the right place and go make friends! Want more information about Chantilly, give top Charlotte Realtor Rhonda Gibbons  a call 704-651-6551.

Authored by Donna Johnston | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Sizzlin’ Summer Social Life|Uptown Charlotte Condos!

August 2nd, 2010 categories: Great Neighborhoods

Summertime is all about grilling outdoors, swimming, and enjoying time with friends. However, many upwardly mobile young professionals do not want to deal with mowing lawns or cleaning pools. Uptown Charlotte condos and townhomes offer a great blend of homeownership and near maintenance free living with the fringe benefits of a community pool, common grill areas, and socially active Charlotte lifestyles.

Not all uptown Charlotte condos offer a pool or courtyard area for interacting socially. There are quite a few that do and they’re affordable as well as pricey and luxurious. It all depends on what your price range is and what you can afford as to how active your summer will be at your condo this summer!

210 N Church Street has a wonderful place with everything you need to make the summer sizzle! For $339,000 you get 2 beds/ 2 baths on the 23rd floor, in an ideal location. Charlotte MLS listing 964196

· Fabulous pool, outdoor entertaining area with a fireplace and a plasma TV.

· Short Sale in Charlotte priced more than $45,000 less than tax value.

· View of skyline, Fourth Ward, and the sunrise.

· Granite in kitchen and both bathrooms, stainless steel appliances.

· Refrigerator plus washer and dryer stay.

· Building amenities include: 24 hour concierge, fitness center, secured garage parking with two spaces.

· High Speed internet included in HOA dues.

If you can live in studio, there is a sweet little place in Fourth Ward available for $129,900 at 626 N Graham St #213. While this place doesn’t have a pool, it offers Uptown living which means there is access to the YMCAand Ray’s Splash Planetwhere you can swim for the price of membership or entry. Charlotte MLS listing 934275

· Exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and stained concrete floors.

· Stainless steel appliance package.

· Secure building.

· Close to Epicentre, Panthers Stadium, I-277 and Interstates.

230 S Tryon ST # 1104 is a high-end secure building with concierge service and special delivery from Ruth’s Chris restaurant downstairs!  This place is a BARGAIN at only $219,900 as it is hard to find a 1 bed / 1 bath with a den condo in a building like this Uptown with as many amenities as this one has: Charlotte MLS listing 909300

· Rich hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops.

· View of the building’s glorious pool and Tryon St.

· Includes 1 parking space.

· State of the art fitness center, media room, cyber cafe, and a billiards room.

Let your summer go crazy and help your social life sizzle with a great new uptown Charlotte Condo in a hot and happening place Charlotte Uptown!

Authored by Donna Johnston | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Underappreciated but NOT Undervalued! Cotswold homes

July 26th, 2010 categories: Charlotte Living, Great Neighborhoods, Market Trends

Cotswold homes

Underappreciated but NOT Undervalued!

There is a section of real estate in Charlotte that you don’t always hear about on a regular basis. The news doesn’t report on it much because it’s a safe and quaint part of the Queen City, yet it’s fully loaded with all the amenities of the most popular areas in town. I’m talking about Cotswold. This area is in close range of spots that are more popular and talked about more frequently, like Myers Park, South Park Mall area, Dilworth, Elizabeth, and South Charlotte.

Yet the properties for sale in this area are very impressive. Some of the most luxurious condominiums in Charlotte are located in Cotswold like those at the Rosewood on Providence, as are some of the homes tucked away in the neighborhood areas. These homes can run into the one million dollar range, yet homes that are very nice and present well are also available in the $100,000 range.

In fact, see for yourself as to the type of homeownership that is taking place in Cotswold in contrast to the real estate sales in Charlotte, NC overall. There have been some significant jumps in the higher range homes but for the most part the price range of homes in Cotswold has been higher than the average in Charlotte.

The number of sales have not been as high because Cotswold is a small spot, which makes it all the nicer to live!

Neighborhood	Apr – Jun ‘10	y-o-y	3 months prior	1 year prior	5 years prior
Cotswold	$159,996	-14.2%	$193,500	$186,500	$213,500
Charlotte	$150,000	-3.2%	$141,500	$155,000	$150,750

Any Charlotte Real Estate Agent can tell you about the geographic advantages to living in Cotswold; close to Uptown, close to South Charlotte, and a very good school district.

As you’re looking to buy property in Charlotte, NC, don’t forget to check out Cotswold!

(info is thanks to trulia.com market trends)

Authored by Donna Johnston | Discussion: 1 Comment »

We can’t believe you’re selling your Charlotte property? from Montibello?

July 5th, 2010 categories: Great Neighborhoods, Selling your home

What homeowner hasn’t thought that or said it to the neighbors when they announce a move! We can’t believe you’re moving! Especially when the home is perfect! It can be a challenge to find a house that truly becomes “our home”. As a fellow Montibello neighbor I’d have to say this about Bob and Myra Carter’s home on  5007 Montibell0 Drive ($519,000) Charlotte MLS 949740…I can’t believe your moving!

Rhonda and I also live in Montibello (seven years) – it’s the perfect Charlotte location – close to Uptown, Southpark and just far enough away from the box stores on 51, the hustle of Ballantyne and the Aboretum and I485. Carmel Country Club provides a natural (nice bass caught in golf course pond by our son Ryan) and beautiful border to one side of the Charlotte neighborhood. You’d never know over 500 homes are nestled quietly this close to Carmel Road and Providence Roads – all the best of Charlotte is literally minutes away. Walk to Harris Teeter and Starbucks if you like.

So back to the Carters…why are they selling their Charlotte property?? Well first off they’re not moving too far they know and love this part of Charlotte. No doubt they’ll miss their beautiful home and impeccable yard/garden BUT life changes and like so many of us the Carters are looking to right-size. It’s a great opportunity for them and an even greater opportunity for somebody new to enjoy the beauty,  great Charlotte community and convenience of one of Charlotte’s most beloved and yet unpretentious neighborhoods.

We hope you’ll check out the Carter’s house – updated, manicured it’s a dream and one of Montibello’s finest! It will be easy for someone to make their house – your Charlotte home! For info or a showing please drop a GREAT Charlotte Realtor,  Rhonda Gibbons an email click here

Hand laid flagstone walkway welcomes you to this gorgeous updated ranch! New kitchen w/tile, granite, stainless steel appliances & updated baths. Gleaming hardwoods thorough out! Elegant formals, great room w/fireplace & built-ins w/ granite tile. Huge sunroom overlooks gardener’s paradise. Fenced yard, two-tier patio, full irrigation & drip system. Large bedrooms & great storage. Spacious Master and new bath!! 2.5 garage w/half bath & storage.

Myra’s HomeStory…

Oh yes the Carmel Country Club bass picture as promised…(he’s still there to be caught again)

Authored by Mike Gibbons | Discussion: 1 Comment »

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