Touching your Heart in Charlotte Real Estate

August 21st, 2010 categories: Buying your Home, Our Charlotte Realtors

Every once in a while a Charlotte Real Estate transaction occurs which touches your heart in one way or another.

I was fortunate enough to experience one of these recently and thought I would share the experience.

Hen Soon (father of seven children, former police officer, pilot, and jack-of-all-trades) contacted me by email from his home in St. Martin after having discussed with a friend the possibility of moving here.  The friend on Hen Soon’s  had moved to Charlotte a few years ago.  While originally contemplating Pennsylvania, his friend urged him to consider Charlotte since the climate is better and Charlotte real estate purchasing power is stronger here.  With children already located in Miami, Atlanta, and Virginia, Mr. Soon quickly realized Charlotte was worth a closer look.

Mr. Soon was an avid researcher on one of our websites (www.searchsouthcharlottehomes.com) and saved no less than 45 homes he was considering as a possible match.  With his wife and two youngest children in tow, Mr. Soon traveled to Charlotte in early August and I arranged a busy couple of days looking at homes he wanted to see.  After our first day, it was clear he had found the perfect Charlotte home for his needs – a fixer-upper in a quaint neighborhood established in 1953 and located close to the city.  We placed an offer on the home and were under contract before Mr. Soon and his entourage departed back to St. Martin.

The real reward here was not selling the home itself but being able to help make a  Charlotte dream come true.  The excitement in the eyes of Mr. Soon, his wife, and two children was unmistakable.  The realization of a long-standing dream to relocate to the United States and reunite with older children already living and working here was finally within reach. Further, there is no doubt that a genuine friendship has been born that will continue to grow and prosper over time.

I was delighted to have assisted Mr. Soon in making his dream come true.  We will close the transaction later in the month and Mr. Soon will return to commence renovations of his new Charlotte home before making the permanent relocation.  These are the types of Charlotte real estate  transactions that go above and beyond the routine move from one neighborhood to another.  And making dreams come true is one of the rewards of working in residential real estate that never gets old.

~Tim Richardson (Friendly Charlotte RE/MAX Realtor)

Tim@TalkCharlotte.com

704-426-7853

Authored by Donna Johnston | Discussion: 2 Comments »

Charlotte Mecklenburg Property Taxes part 2

August 19th, 2010 categories: Real Estate News

Charlotte Property Tax

Investing in Charlotte properties while prices are low is a very smart move, even in a down economy. But, how about those property taxes? Ouch! Welcome to Charlotte. Unfortunately, while living in Mecklenburg county has its perks, owning property in Charlotte, NC will cost you. The city of Charlotte has the highest sales tax in the state as well as one of the highest property and personal property tax rates.

The largest source of revenue for Mecklenburg County is property taxes. Everything that makes living here so worthwhile is funded by these taxes. Important services like fire, police, local libraries, schools, and restaurant inspections.

What are your Charlotte Property Taxes paying for anyway?

If you visit our county’s tax website, you’ll see what else your real estate investment is paying for. “Charlotte property taxes also fund Social Services, help residents move from welfare to work, protect children and senior citizens from abuse and neglect, protect our water and air from pollution, and repair and build some roads.”

Plus, what some might call our luxury services, which are the greenways and parks are paid for out of the property taxes collected from Charlotte Real Estate taxes paid by homeowners and Charlotte property owners.

However, if you do not think your Charlotte property has been fairly assessed and you want to appeal the tax, it is possible to do. Whether or not the Charlotte Tax appraiser will come back to reassess the property is the great unknown.

You must pay your taxes!

Even if, in your opinion, the matter is in dispute; paying your taxes on time will avoid accumulating interest and late fees. The Mecklenburg county website is rather confusing when it answers the question of whether or not you can appeal. Here it is copied directly from the site:

Can I appeal my real estate assessment when I get the statement?
No, an assessment must be appealed by May 15th or within fifteen (15) days after receipt of a Change-of assessment notice.

Now, if you sold a Charlotte property, you will not have to pay the taxes on it from the point when you sold it and forward. You will give a credit for your portion of the taxes at closing, for the year to the buyer, and the buyer will be responsible for the full amount. Yet, the bill will probably still come to you! See, North Carolina tax law requires that the tax statement be sent to the owner of record as of January 1^st and the actual tax bill comes out in Sept. but is due on January 1^st.  If you’ve sold your home, make sure you give the bill to the new owners or you should return the statement to the Tax Collector’s Office with new owner’s name. If they are not living in the property and you don’t know the address of where they are living, just send the statement back and notate as such.

If you have purchased Charlotte-Mecklenburg property that is historical or used for farm or forestry purposes, your property might fall into the reduced tax rate category of properties. Any historical property you purchase retains its historical status until the structure is destroyed. Most likely, if you’ve purchased an historical home, you wouldn’t want to tear it completely down. Be advised also that the other Charlotte property owners living in the neighborhood would not appreciate the depreciation of their property values because the historical value of the neighborhood is changing! Want to know the current Charlotte Metro Property Tax Rates? Get the latest Charlotte Property Tax rate here!

You can pay your taxes online, by phone, or by sending in a check. Paying the extra percentages that we do to own Charlotte homes only rears its head once a year. Just grin and bear it because you know that your money is going to a good cause…our beautiful Queen city!

Have questions about your Charlotte home value? Give us a call and we will take a quick look for you. 888-297-6100

Authored by Donna Johnston | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Blake Garvin | Top Charlotte Realtor with REMAX

August 18th, 2010 categories: Our Charlotte Realtors

Blake Wilson Garvin

Broker Associate
Talk Charlotte Real Estate Team
704-763-0907
Blake@TalkCharlotte.com

Originally from Roanoke, VA, Blake Garvin graduated from Elon University with a degree in Corporate Communications in 1999. After two years in the marketing world she moved to Richmond, VA, where she started her real estate career at Gumenick Properties working directly with buyers, sellers, and builders. She moved to Charlotte in 2003 with and ever since has been helping people from across the country make the Queen City home. She settled in the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood – with it’s artistic flair and convivial spirit it fit her like a glove. Blake’s specialties are Uptown, Dilworth, Elizabeth and Myers Park but she has enjoyed helping folks find their dream home across the entire Charlotte region. She prides herself on making you feel like her only client and helps you find the beauty and inspiration in Charlotte whether it’s your first visit or you’ve lived here for years.

Licenses: North and South Carolina
Affiliations/Memberships:

• Charlotte Regional Realtor Association (CRRA)
• North Carolina Association of Realtors (NCAR)
• National Association of Realtors (NAR)
• 2009 Platinum Club
  
• 2008 Platinum Club
  
• 2007 RE/MAX Chairman’s Club
• 2006 RE/MAX Hall of Fame – Platinum

Hobbies:Skiing, traveling, boating on Lake Norman, and anything with my dog- Lady

Authored by Donna Johnston | Discussion: 1 Comment »

Rhonda Gibbons | Famous Charlotte Realtor

August 15th, 2010 categories: Our Charlotte Realtors

Rhonda Gibbons

Associate Broker

Talk Charlotte Real Estate Team

704-651-6551

Rhonda@TalkCharlotte.com

After 20-plus years in the fashion/apparel industry working with often demanding customers, building relationships, negotiating and getting things done, I decided to take the skills I learned on the “runway” and apply them to the “driveway”.

Working for companies like Ralph Lauren and Levi Strauss, I learned the importance of details and deadlines! I’m happy to say these skills are even more important in the Charlotte home market. Most Charlotte Realtors have something to sell. First, I listen. I have many happy homeowners who will attest to my listening skills, but listening is, of course, only the first step – after that it takes determination and ‘smarts’ to help people find the perfect home.

Details and deadlines are not only important when buying a home, but even more so when listing your home for sale. This stuff is hard work, and while I take this responsibility seriously I genuinely enjoy helping my clients through the process with passion and enthusiasm, and ultimately finding the perfect home for them.

So whether you’re buying your first Charlotte home, moving up, downsizing or relocating – I look forward to listening to you, first! They don’t call me “help me Rhonda” for nothing!

Charlotte Regional Realtor Association (CRRA)

North Carolina Association of Realtors (NCAR)

National Association of Realtors (NAR)

2007, 2008, 2009 FIVE STAR Award (THREE STRAIGHT YEARS!!)

(voted best in client satisfaction by Charlotte home buyers)

2009 RE/MAX Platinum Club

2008 RE/MAX Platinum Club

2007 RE/MAX Chairman’s Club

2006 RE/MAX Hall of Fame – Platinum

Authored by Donna Johnston | Discussion: 2 Comments »

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 »

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