Charlotte Homes for Sale

Charlotte Short Sales Tips

2012-01-19T13:41:00.003-05:00

I visited the Charlotte Court House again this week. One crucial thing that many agents neglect are the Hearing dates for pending foreclosures.

I have a couple of Sort Sale listings that are under contract. The court dates are very important; communication is essential. I spoke at the hearing and request an extension so that we have time to close on homes already under contract. The courts are very flexible and very much prefer you to sell your home on a short sale. Again, the key is communication. But doesn't the "foreclosing bank" already know there is a foreclosure and control the dates?

Yes, the bank is very much aware of the pending dates. The best way to understand a process is to stand in someone else's shoes. The lender has a Foreclosure Department and a Short Sale Department (the actual department names vary but their primary function is the same).

The departments operate independently. The foreclosure department has a checklist to follow to assure all processes and procedures are followed. Many short sales fall through due to buyers losing patience and walking away from the deal. "IF" the short sale employee tells his employer to hold off on the foreclosure and then the deal falls through, then the employee lost more money for the bank (by postponing the foreclosure and to get the bad debt off of their books).

As a Charlotte area Realtor, I attend the hearings to assure no deal falls through the cracks. I have not been told by the Short Sale Departments that my interaction helps them but ultimately, it helps assure that a short sale actually happens.

Charlotte area Homes for Sale have many short sales and foreclosures in addition to new homes and resales. Each sector of the market is unique. The most popular areas and price ranges sell quickly (and very near list price). Homes in more challenged areas/neighborhoods take longer to sell. It all depends. If you are considering a short sale, call your lender first and then call me, Rick Waite at 704-770-6559. Honesty is essential; it is a process and I will help you understand the process and help sell your home.

Visit Charlotte Real Estate to learn more about me and anything about the greater Charlotte Real Estate market!

Is it possible to get 100% Financing on a Mortgage?

2011-11-27T09:01:00.004-05:00

Many people still would like to buy a home but have been unable to save up enough money for a down payment plus closing costs. In today's mortgage environment the FHA loan is a popular option. An FHA loan requires 3.5% down payment in addition to closing costs and funding fees. This can be a challenge for some but it is still a great option.

There are VA loans for our Veterans. Our Veterans are familiar with these loans which will provide 100% financing but there is a large funding fee required.

How about another 100% Mortgage Loan? The USDA Mortgage loan still provides 100% of your mortgage. In addition the USDA Mortgage Loan can include most of your closing costs in the loan! How does this work and who qualifies?

First, the USDA Mortgage program is from the United States Department of Agriculture. This program provides mortgages for rural properties. There is a USDA map that dictates what areas are still considered rural and which areas do not qualify. There are also income limits; the program is intended to help home owners get into home ownership. How does this program still exist? Does any properties in or around Charlotte qualify?

The USDA Mortgage program still survives. The people borrowing in the rural communities help because they continue to pay their mortgages. In addition, many rural areas were benefited by a very stable housing market (not subject to the steep rise and falls of major cities).

There are still areas both east and west of Charlotte (still within the city limits) that qualify in addition. There are naturally many surrounding areas that also qualify. How does some of the city of Charlotte qualify as rural?

Charlotte NC is still a new and developing city. The area has changes tremendously over the past decade. Many of the areas that qualify today will not qualify 5 or 10 years from now. Ultimately, they qualify today and it is a great option for purchasing a Charlotte home.

As a Charlotte Realtor, I make it my business to understand all options that help you own a home. I do not want you over extended into a mortgage you realistically can not afford; nor do I want to see someone feeling trapped renting when they can actually own their own home.

Contact me at rjwaite1@gmail.com, 704.770.6559 or visit one of my Charlotte Real Estate websites; discover all of your options and lets consider the best Charlotte Homes for sale for you and your family!

Greater Charlotte Real Estate Property Tax Values

2011-10-22T11:48:00.005-05:00

Property taxes and Assessed Tax Values of Property is a huge concern and lends to much confusion when relocating to North and South Carolina! Consider property taxes to be "market value" at a random time. What?

Let us begin with North Carolina. North Carolina requires each county to reassess values (basically to update market values) every 4 to 8 years. Naturally, the values on homes 6 or 7 years ago may be very different. Each NC County decides when and how often to assess their property. For example, Mecklenburg County reassessed for 2011. This includes Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Matthews, Pineville and Mint Hill. The tax values should be close to fair market value of the home.

To the south in Union County, the last assessment was in 2008. This was when the economy began to falter. These values are lower than they would have been in 2007 but still not reflective of today's true market value. The County rejected a plan to reassess in 2012 so the current values will stand for at least another year.

Cabarrus County also last reassessed in 2008, Iredell reassessed in 2011 and Gaston County reassessed in 2007. Keep this in mind as you compare "list price" to "tax value". Gaston County provides a great baseline to how much the market has changed since 2007. Expect to pay closer to tax value in Iredell or Mecklenburg County but keep in mind these assessments are not actually appraisals.

Each county assesses based on "Mass Property Evaluations". There is a good possibility that certain facts are not truly factored in such as updates, recent changes, redistricting of schools and other real factors that determine property values. The assessments are typically close but do not rely too heavily. I have seen the tax records exaggerate the square footage (typically not considering 2 story great rooms and foyers) along with underestimating square footage (not realizing the basement, attic or sun room is now finished.

South Carolina Property taxes are different. The assessments are every 5 years and your primary residence has a lower tax rate than investment homes (does not impact assessed value but does directly impact your pocket book. I will leave that for a future blog.

When considering Charlotte area real estate, be sure not to weigh too heavily of tax value. Tax value can be helpful when comparing within the same county as a base line. There are many factors to consider to assure you are getting a great property value. Visit Charlotte Real Estate or Charlotte Homes for Sale to consider your understanding of greater the greater Charlotte Real Estate market!

Charlotte Real Estate Market Activity

2011-09-22T19:05:00.004-05:00

The Charlotte Real Estate market is improving based on sales in 2010. The data in this blog is from August 1 though Sept 22nd. I wanted over a month of data and wanted information that is timely (today is September 22nd). The Charlotte Real Estate homes sold last year (2010) during the same time period has increased 22%.

August 1- September 22 2010
Foreclosure Sales: 26% of all sales
Short Sales: 4.7% of all sales
New Homes: 14% of all sales

August 1 - September 22 2011
Foreclosures: 17% of all sales
Short Sales: 5.5% of all sales
New Homes: 14% of all sales

The trends have improved over the past year in Charlotte Real Estate. Short Sales have increased slightly (in comparison to the Charlotte Foreclosures) but this is also because lenders are improving their short sale process and it is becoming more efficient.

Overall, this is very positive news for the greater Charlotte Real Estate market! everyone wants to purchase a home "at the bottom". Unfortunately, by the time you discover where the bottom "was" you missed it! Mortgage Interest rates are at historical low and Charlotte Homes are prices aggressively. It is time to buy!

Townhome in Ballantyne for Sale

2011-08-23T11:16:00.004-05:00

Looking for brick townhome in Ballantyne? How about a 2 car garage, Master Bedroom on main floor with 3 bedrooms? Walk to shopping at Stonecrest at Piper Glen! What an amazing quality of life!

Visit the Virtual tour of 11182 Villa Trace Place and see what you have been missing!

There is a townhome for sale in the Villas of Ballantyne Trace that is sure to exceed your expectations! Enjoy the affluence of South Charlotte homes! It is hard to believe this home is listed at $245,000! It is time to take advantage of this opportunity!

The pride of home ownership is reflected throughout this home! The closets are organized with California Closets (closet organizers). The deck is incredible! This home has been maintained with quality and meticulous detail. You are sure to be impressed! Call me, Rick Waite today at 704-770-6559 to see this amazing home!

Charlotte Foreclosures: How much to offer?

2011-06-25T09:52:00.003-05:00

The ultimate question is: How can I purchase a great home for the least amount of money?

The first key is to be able to recognize a great deal. When a home is aggressively prices (well below the previous sale price) and well below the neighboring homes, it is likely to be a great deal. Too many times I have had buyers go against my recommendations and lose the home for a couple of thousand dollars. After the fact, (hind site is 20/20), they voice regrets that they should have listened and just paid more. It was already a great deal.

A recent home I was showing was listed at $125,000. The home sold "new" for over $212,000 in 2005. It was in great share. Naturally, there were multiple offer in days. The final sale price was $131,000. This was a cash sale. With paint, a few light fixtures and a few appliances, you have a great home!

Other buyers lost this home because they did not want to pay too much! When you realize that you are getting $60,000 in equity (allowing for a depressed market), why would you worry about $3,000 to $5,000? That is silly.

You need to step back and keep things in perspective. It is not a "deal" just because it is a foreclosure. It is not quite so simple. Together we will look for great deals but be prepared to react when it is a great deal. Yes, you are buying a home and there seems to be pressure when making a quick decision. It is strictly numbers. If the numbers indicate you are getting a great home at an unbelievable price, there is a time to sit back and a time to place your offer.

Visit Charlotte Real Estate to learn more about the great opportunities in the greater Charlotte real estate market!

Short Sale Activity Picking Up!

2011-06-19T15:43:00.007-05:00

The Charlotte Real Estate market continues forward and I have found the Short Sale process continues to improve. Yes, it still will take several months before the lender responds but this time frame is now closer to 3 months as opposed to 6 months or longer!

As a seller this is a huge plus. You are in a very stressful situation; the sooner you home is sold, the sooner you can begin moving forward. It will take time for the bank to evaluate the offer and to assure the offer is legitimate. Unfortunately there are many people out to take advantage of a system; you can not blame the lender's hesitation.

This is also good for the buyer. What is the benefit of a Short Sale over a foreclosure? There are many people searching for a foreclosure. Yes, a foreclosure can easily close in 30 days but there is a lot of competition to any aggressively priced homes. Not so with a short sale.

A short sale has very limited competition since most people want to close on a home in a month or so. Good things come to those who wait. You can find a great deal in a foreclosure, be patient and get the home of your dreams. You will typically find the short sale will be in better condition than a foreclosure so it is a huge win!

As the real estate market and the economy continues at a slow pace, we must figure out how to make the best of a bad situation. Charlotte Short Sales should be considered if you have the time and patience to wait. There are great deals in Charlotte Foreclosures and standard resales, it just depends on what works best for you!

Charlotte Area Retirement Communities

2011-05-08T15:01:00.003-05:00

There are a variety of retirement subdivisions in the greater Charlotte area. One very popular area is South Carolina in both York and Lancaster County. South Carolina has lower property taxes for residents in addition to a senior property tax discount. This means a lot to seniors with a fixed income.

One subdivision in Fort Mill SC is Four Seasons at Gold Hill. This is a relatively small subdivision that was built by K. Hovnanian in the mid to late 2000's. This is an age restricted community which preserves the active adult environment that you are seeking. There are permanent resident exceptions for adult children, a spouse or care taker that resides with the "age qualified" person. This assures the integrity of the community.

Visit Charlotte Real Estate and learn about the great Charlotte area homes for sale; it's time for you to improve your quality of life.

Meet your neighbors at Charlotte Area Festivals this weekend!

2011-05-06T10:28:00.003-05:00

When relocating to an area, meeting your neighbors is a must before you purchase your new Charlotte Area Home. A great place to experience our culture and to meet your neighbors is at local festivals. This weekend there is a Strawberry festival in Fort Mill. Fort Mill Real Estate is just across the South Carolina border. Downtown Fort Mill is about 15 miles form uptown Charlotte.

In north Charlotte the is a Dragon Festival to celebrate the Chinese tradition. This is in Cornelius in the greater Lake Norman Real Estate area. This is on Saturday from 11:00 to 4:00.

As you visit the greater Charlotte region, visit our suburbs and discover our quality of life. Charlotte Real Estate offers something for everyone. Are you ready for a change?

Charlotte Area Retirement Communities

2011-05-02T07:21:00.003-05:00

I have recently been hearing form many people looking for "distressed" homes in Retirement Communities. I did some research and was pleased to discover that there are none that are short sales, foreclosures or pre-foreclosures. I then checked the previous listing history and also found that there has not been any. I am pleased to see that the foreclosure crisis is not the result of decision of our seniors!

This makes sense since our seniors are the most responsible amongst us. They actually have planned for a fixed income. Even if things did not turn out the way that was desired they do not place themselves in an unaffordable situation.

Yes, I have been hearing more and more about the seniors placing themselves in a weaker position based on helping their adult children. Even in this situation seniors are still making intelligent financial decisions about their future; they are not getting in over their heads with an unaffordable mortgage.

There are several retirement communities in the greater Charlotte Real Estate market. Many seniors are focusing on Carolina Lakes Sun City. This is an amazing retirement paradise! There is the added benefit of reduced South Carolina Property taxes in addition to the seniors discount on taxes. It is hard to compete with these discounts especially when you are considering a fixed income!

We should all take lessons from our seniors when purchasing a home. Yes, it is up to us to take chances in our careers but still be responsible when considering homes for sale. The greater Charlotte market has a lot to offer our seniors and home owners of all ages. Visit the greater Charlotte area today and discover what we have to offer!

Charlotte Short Sales

2011-04-21T21:06:00.004-05:00

Short Sales in real estate are frequently misunderstood. First, what is an actual "Short Sale". A Short Sale occurs when the home owner owes more on the home than the current market supports.

What is the home owner to do if the home owner owes $250,000 on the home and the current market value is $220,000. What if the current home owner's situation is that he/she must sell since there is no way to continue paying the mortgage (assuming the home owner does not have $30,000 in cash to pay off the current debt)? A short sale is a possibility and much better than a foreclosure.

The bank may accept the "shortage" between payoff and what is received. This is a tough decision for the lender. The lender's job is to protect their investment. This is typically a very slow process.

Expect the process to take about 4 months. If you are the seller, the phone calls will continue from collections. This is not a quick fix but it is a better option in the long run. Buyer, only place an offer on a short sale if you love the home and another home will not measure up. Otherwise, you will never be patient enough to wait four months plus for a decision. You are going to see many other homes over the next 4 months that will be of equal interest.

If you are considering a short sale, either as a seller or a buyer, give me a call and we will see if a Charlotte area short sale is right for you. Call Rick Waite @ 704.770.6559 or email at rjwaite1@gmail.com. Visit me Charlotte Real Estate website to learn more about the greater Charlotte Real Estate market and real estate in general.

Short Sales and Charlotte Relocations

2011-04-01T19:57:00.004-05:00

I have recently spoke to several home owners across the nation that are in a very difficult position. They have a new position in Charlotte but are unable to sell their home in their home state for the amount that is owed. Several have shared that a short sale is their only option. This is not necessarily so. If your market is depressed and you you are upside down on your mortgage, you may want to consider renting your current home or a lease purchase. If your job is relocating you more than 50 miles the current may qualify you for your new mortgage while you rent out your current home. I understand no one desires to be an absentee landlord but it will save your credit and enable you to have a new home in the Charlotte area. Another option is to sell your home via a lease purchase. This is when the new buyer has a credit issue that needs to be corrected but their credit will be healed within the next year. The buyer basically moves into your home a year before purchasing it and takes full responsibility for maintaining the home. This is often a win/win situation. Consider your options before you torpedo your credit with a short sale. Renting for a couple years is not the end of the world but you would rather be in your own home and re-establishing your family in a better environment. Visit my Charlotte Real Estate website and learn more about our great housing opportunities.

First Step in Foreclosures

2010-12-09T21:49:00.003-05:00

More and more people are considering Charlotte Foreclosures and do not know where to begin. The first place to begin is by speaking to a lender. See how much money you can get and under what conditions. Will it be your primary residence, a 2nd home or an investment home?

If you require financing, is the home habitable? Many foreclosures are damaged and will not qualify for a standard loan. Many investment loans require a 25% down payment. Bank Owned Homes will have an addendum that supersedes the standard Offer to Purchase. You are not only purchasing a home "As Is", you also pay the transfer taxes and often must pay to have the utilities turned on for inspections.

Speak to a lender today to see "If" a foreclosure is an option for you. Give me a call and I will help you figure out the best plan and we will find a great home at a great price! Visit Charlotte Real Estate and learn more about the greater Charlotte real estate market.

Charlotte Foreclosure Sales Accelerating!

2010-10-07T19:57:00.005-05:00

The month of September indicated almost 43% of the sales were distressed sales in Charlotte. This includes "closed" sales and "pending" sales. This is up from 38% in August. This increase shows a new demand for foreclosures and an indication that our market is beginning to recover!

This is based on the city of Charlotte Homes for Sale and only single family homes. I did not calculate townhomes, condos and multi family homes.

As the Government pressure increases to reduce spending and control expenses, as indicated by the Charlotte Real Estate market, consumer confidence is picking up. What makes me so confident that our real estate market is reflective of the national economy?

Charlotte was one of the areas in the US that was very popular, growing rapidly but still not hyper inflated. Charlotte is the place that many from the northeast are relocating along with Floridians. These populations reflect a huge portion of the US, Charlotte is centrally located, mild winters, not too terribly hot and immensely popular! Many are relocating to Charlotte and have been holding back! The time has arrived. The deals are going faster than ever and a wise person knows when to seize an opportunity!

Charlotte Luxury Homes at deep discounts?

2010-09-20T07:31:00.003-05:00

It is incredible to witness amazing greater Charlotte Area Luxury Homes are selling at deep discounts! As the financial markets and housing markets continue to struggle, the 2nd hardest hit sector are luxury homes! Many of these homes were purchased by entrepreneurs in 2006-7 and then the markets collapsed! Builders from across the nation flocked to Charlotte to take advantage of the HUGE demand in Charlotte Luxury Homes! It typically takes a year to build one of these exquisite homes. When the market collapsed, most were already committed to building!

There is a home in Piper Glen, a great South Charlotte Golf Course Community, with a Charlotte Foreclosure home listed for 50% off the 2006 sale price! This is incredible. As intelligent buyers, we ask why and what are the odds that sector will further decline.

The market took a huge hit due to lending rule changes. Many were financing these homes with "equity" from their previous home sales. That illusive equity is no longer so went the capital. The lending rule changes make it very difficult to purchase with a Jumbo loan (above $417,000). Lenders realize this and many homes in the $600,000 to $800,000 ranges are sold at ridiculous discounts.

This does not mean to "low ball" current executive home owners because most are willing to hold sit and wait; why sell a home for less than the cost of the materials! Lenders are less discreet and are trying to clear their books. The current political winds indicate a paradigm shift in November. IF this becomes reality, the luxury home market will likely rebound quickly! There has never been a better time to purchase a Charlotte Luxury Home. All Charlotte Homes for Sale are a great investment. Various sectors have been impacted differently so it is not black and white. The entire national and local economic situation largely dictates current demand and the wise can intelligently speculate the future trend. If you purchase a $800,000 fro $400,000 and how about if it only increases in value to $600,000 in the next 5 years? $200,000 profit is not a bad return! There are those still sitting on the fence and there are those taking advantage of the opportunity before them. Which are you? Call me, Rick Waite, today at 704.770.6559.

Listing your Charlotte Area Home for Sale

2010-08-26T22:15:00.003-05:00

The national real estate market is very difficult right now and the Charlotte Real Estate market, although not impacted like many cities, is finding fewer home buyers actively seeking a new home. Marketing has never been more important!

As home equity disappears, many people are looking at ways to save some of their money. Please be careful. There are many companies offering "limited service" listings. Many of these firms offer to place your home on the MLS for a flat fee. The seller pays several hundred dollars up front for this marketing. You get exactly what you pay for. It is sad to see many of the photos, the descriptions and actual marketing that the Charlotte Home Sellers have actually purchased.

Hmmm, after you pay for a job, how much customer service do you think you are to receive for free? That is typically what you get.

As a Charlotte Realtor, I take the time to discuss your personal needs. The photos are the most important. I am very aware of this fact and take the time and care to assure we present your home in the best light. You only get one chance to make a first impression!

How about the price? Do you want to list your home or would you like to sell your home? You must price your home according to current market values. Your home is an investment. Would you buy IBM stock at today's market price or would you pay the market high a few years ago? I did not check on IBM stock history but you the point is the same? We will price your home fairly and sell your home for the best price possible.

Visit my Charlotte Real Estate website or give me, Rick Waite, a call at 704-770-6559.

Charlotte Foreclosures or Short Sales?

2010-08-24T19:41:00.003-05:00

There are many great deals in Charlotte Real Estate in foreclosures and short sales. Which is a better opportunity? Charlotte foreclosures are a great deal. You do have the "negative energy" of the previous home owner which is a reality of distressed sales. What is commonly referred to as Charlotte Foreclosures are actually Bank Owned Homes. The foreclosure is actually the process in which a lender gets possession of a home when the current owner is in default.

A Charlotte Bank Owned home allows you to take possession of the home that is empty and ready for a new family to enjoy. These homes can typically close within 30 days. Many foreclosures will not qualify for FHA financing and banks will not make any repairs. Why not? Banks are in the business of lending money. A foreclosure home is "bad debt" and the bank needs to liquidate this debt. The bank needs to get the most possible for their "bad debts" but they are still discounted off of current market value. There are unfortunate situations that occur but that is ultimately part of life. We, as US citizens, are resilient and each foreclosure purchase is a step to healing our economy!

Short Sales are homes for sale when the seller owes more than the current market value. The lender must agree to accept the shortage for the decreased market value. This is a much harder process than it may appear. There are Investors that must accept the losses. The investors must volunteer to take less money. This is often very complicated to determine which investors are holding the investment/mortgage and then convince them that the Short Sale is better than a foreclosure.

A typical short sale will take 4 months or greater just to hear if the Lender/Investor will accept, reject or counter your offer. This means you, the buyer, must wait for 4 months without an answer. No one wants to wait 4 months without an answer. There are other opportunities and it is very difficult to ignore other opportunities while waiting for months.

Based on my experience, the only time you should consider a short sale is "if" you absolutely love the home. If you do not love the home, you will find a better deal before the lender considers your offer. It is an unfortunate reality in the world and the Short Sale is a very unpractical decision. It is better for the bank to go forward with the foreclosure process and clear the bad debt. This is what we need for our national economy. It does not make sense for a lender, a professional in lending and handling money, to have such a program. Hmm? Kind of makes you wonder why. . .

Visit Charlotte Real Estate to learn about Charlotte Homes for Sale, Charlotte Foreclosures and so much more.

Charlotte Lease Purchase Agreements

2010-08-12T20:37:00.003-05:00

What is a Charlotte lease purchase and what benefit is it to me? Hmmm? A lease purchase is actually two contract that are legally linked. There is a lease agreement drawn by an attorney and this is accompanied with an Offer to Purchase. You make an offer to purchase the home, place your earnest money deposit, rent the home for a specified time period and then purchase the home.

This permits the buyer time to get established in Charlotte and still have a home. This assures you do not move your family twice and your children remain in the desired neighborhood and the desired schools.

The new credit rules are making this a feasible option for many sellers. A Lease Option helps a buyers' family while removing the burden of a second mortgage, utilities and maintenance of the second home.

Call me for more information and to assure you are protected no matter which side you are on. Yes, if done incorrectly, there are dangers for both the buyer and seller. Visit Charlotte Homes for Sale to learn more about the greater Charlotte Real Estate region!

Homes in Weddingon and Wesley Chapel

2010-07-31T10:08:00.005-05:00

Homes in Weddington and Wesley Chapel have great schools, low property taxes and now convenient shopping! These communities of Union County NC have been very popular primarily due to the convenience to Charlotte and great Union County Schools!

The new Target Shopping Center at Waxhaw Indian Trail Rd/Weddington Rd is becoming more and more established and making Wesley Chapel the center of activity. Stop by and have some New York Pizza at Brooklyn Pizza or have dinner at the Hickory Tavern. As you visit the area, drive through the subdivisions, visit the community pools and then visit the local retail shops. This will give you an idea of your greater neighborhood and help you determine how you personally fit into the community.

Wesley Chapel is a great area to call home and there are many great deals in the current real estate market. Value your perspective; if you visit the area and like the "feel" of the community, the odds are you are not alone. That will also help assure your investment will do well in the future!

Search for homes in Wesley Chapel by visiting my Charlotte Real Estate website. Explore the greater Charlotte Real Estate market and learn about our wonderful suburbs.

Charlotte Neighborhoods that are Changing

2010-04-22T20:35:00.003-05:00

There are many changes occurring in the greater Charlotte Real Estate market since the national economy has changed. There were many investors that moved into the greater Charlotte Real Estate region after Katrina and the Florida Hurricanes in 2005 in addition to many credit challenged people.

There were three primary types of investors that moved into the Charlotte Real Estate market. The first was the new home investor. Several Charlotte Investors were purchasing Charlotte Starter Homes in new neighborhoods. They were making deals with builders to purchase homes in bulk for great discounts. In addition, the Charlotte Investor could be assured of no maintenance for a year and minimal maintenance for several additional years until they decided to sell. Each investor thought they were the only one doing this and every other investor in the nation did not read the same articles published throughout the nation about Charlotte's growth, affordable real estate and a great place to invest.

The problem with their philosophy is the renters within "new home" communities tanked the neighborhoods. New homes need a proud home owner to take care of the grass, landscaping, invest in window shades and much more. The renters did not do this and the neighborhoods reflected the "rental mentality".

Another group of "investors" wanted to purchase resale homes in established areas. They targeted areas that were very popular but inundated the least expensive neighborhood in such areas. The problem once again is that they did not operate in a vacuum! Many investors purchased homes within each community and Every one's home value plummeted with the new neighbors. It does not take too many renters hanging out to destroy property values.

The third group intentionally worked in concert and would pick a "Revitalization" neighborhood. Multiple investors began purchasing these homes, converting simple conservative homes into modern and updated cottage style homes. The problem is that the naive buyer did not realize the "demand" was falsely created and that there was no economical sustainable reason support those types of upgrades in those areas.

Where are the opportunities today? The first are the Charlotte starter neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are still having many foreclosures and short sales. These neighborhoods are so overwhelmed with renters that it will take time to weed out those home owners.

The superficially inflated neighborhoods will likely be reclaimed by the original inhabitants. Many of those people are realizing they are surrounded by negative factors and it is time to move their family into safer housing. Many of these buyers are now having families and need to find a safer place to call home. They are having trouble finding qualified buyers to relocate into those areas. The talk of "the entire" greater area being revitalized is now too far off in the future to imagine.

The affluent suburb neighborhoods will recoup the best. As investors lose their tenants and sell, the communities will return to their natural states based on sound economic and educational factors.

There are several examples of these neighborhoods. Visit my Charlotte Real Estate site to learn more about the great Charlotte Real Estate region and discover the opportunity in purchasing Charlotte Homes for Sale.

Weddington Homes for Sale

2010-01-21T02:38:00.002-05:00

Weddington NC Real Estate continues to grow in popularity based on location, schools and taxes. Weddington was a very rural suburb just south of the prestigious South Charlotte Real Estate market. many of the homes in Weddington rest on 1 acre lots embraced by trees and nature.

How do I find Weddington Homes for Sale? Weddington NC is a bit confusing since Weddington North Carolina does not actually have a post office so the mailing addresses are based on which post office services the area. Many Weddington Homes are serviced by the Matthews NC post office. Matthews is technically in the neighboring county (Charlotte/Mecklenburg County). Matthews borders much of Weddington and thus services the area. You will notice that these Weddington Homes have Union County taxes and belong to Union County Schools.

One example is the Greystone subdivision. This is a subdivision with plenty of space and a variety of homes; this is not your "cookie cutter" neighborhood! Greystone offers the cul-de-sac neighborhood with privacy for you and your family!

Visit Charlotte Real Estate today and consider 6005 Greystone as your new home. This is found under my Featured Charlotte Real Estate listings; a great home and a great location! Visit today!

Waxhaw NC Passes Liquor by the drink!

2009-11-07T00:04:00.004-05:00

As the greater Charlotte region continues to evolve our suburbs are also experiencing a huge influx of new ideas. Waxhaw North Carolina just passed a law to allow liquor by the drink. This may sound odd to many but there are no bars in Waxhaw and no alcohol sold in restaurants. Waxhaw NC has been and maintained itself as a small little country town and wanted to preserve their character. Yes, there were several powerful groups also assuring "liquor by the drink" was defeated.

The issue was placed up for a vote once again and the vast majority voted to approve the measure. Will this change the quality of life in Waxhaw and how will this impact Waxhaw Real Estate?

There are a lot of new residents in Waxhaw and the new comers likely now out number those that were born here. Liquor by the drink is not actually stopping people from drinking; they are just spending their money in surrounding areas. Now that money will remain in Waxhaw. Waxhaw Homes are likely to experience an increase in demand. I share this because I have had clients moving "from" Waxhaw because they were so disgusted that they could not stop and have a beer locally.

Waxhaw is a great town and a great place to call home. Visit Waxhaw Real Estate to learn more about our fantastic little town.

Charlotte Foreclosures can still beat the November 30th Deadline!

2009-10-11T22:25:00.004-05:00

First time Charlotte home buyers can still buy Charlotte Foreclosures and still received the $8,000 Federal Rebate/Refund the has been proven. Charlotte Short Sales will likely not be able to close in time to qualify for the November 30th deadline son Charlotte NC Foreclosures are the only option in Charlotte NC.

Learn more about Charlotte Foreclosures, Charlotte Short Sales and so much more at Charlotte NC Real Real Estate to discover the unique homes throughout our greater Charlotte real estate market.

Charlotte Real Estate and Charlotte NC Weather

2009-09-29T18:33:00.003-05:00

As the north begins feeling the fall chill in the air, Charlotte continues its pleasant weather patterns. Our evenings are getting cool into the upper 40's and our day time highs are pleasant upper 70's and lower 80's. Absolutely delightful. How does that impact Charlotte Real Estate?

The Charlotte NC Real Estate market does not stop in the fall and winter but continues driving forward. The desirability of our climate just increases the passion fro Charlotte Homes. The Charlotte Property market slows in the winter but there are still many people realizing that it is still time to relocate to Charlotte.

What can you expect for our winter? If you anticipate one snow fall and one ice storm a year then you will witness a bad winter. Our snow fall (averages about 2 inches) will typically be melting by 10:00 in the morning. Charlotte Schools will be closed with any snowfall. If you think about this it makes sense. If the school bus drivers only see snow once a year they will not be accustomed to diving in snow. One accident would not be acceptable for our kids so it is better safe than sorry.

It is always a good time to visit Charlotte and discover the Charlotte home that is waiting for you and your family. Learn more about Charlotte Real Estate -Charlotte NC Homes for Sale today! Buy now before the national economy creates too much demand and the prices will continue to increase.

Charlotte Foreclosures

2009-08-30T17:32:00.003-05:00

Charlotte foreclosures are in huge demand especially for first time home owners. In order to receive the $8,000 tax credit you must not have owned a home within the past 3 years (if married this rule applies to both of you). The home must close before December 1, 2009 so first time home buyers must make their decisions soon.

Foreclosures typically allow you to purchase a larger home for less money. Charlotte is a major city (relatively speaking) and has a huge variance within the Charlotte foreclosure market. There are many new home neighborhoods that were primarily occupied by investors/renters and sub-prime loans. Many of these neighborhoods are already being transformed since the lending standards have changed. Is this good or bad?

I will say that Charlotte Real Estate is going to be much stronger as a result and Charlotte foreclosures will be short lived. Yes, there will be additional Charlotte foreclosures based on past decisions (no equity in the current Charlotte NC Homes due to 100% financing). But the transformation is already under way.

Charlotte Real Estate is in demand and now only "A" credit people can relocate to places like Charlotte. This is not to disparage anyone with "B" credit but "B" credit home buyers really should work out their situations so that when they actually can buy a Charlotte home their habits and life style assure they can afford the home and have a better life like they had intended.

Ultimately there are some decent deals out there for those prepared to purchase a home; Charlotte Foreclosures, like any foreclosure home buyer always assumes some risk. Your discount is based on the risk assumed.

Learn more about the foreclosure market at Charlotte NC Foreclosures or call me directly at 704.770.6559 and visit Charlotte NC Homes for Sale to learn about the greater Charlotte area.

Charlotte Foreclosures

2009-08-12T22:25:00.004-05:00

Charlotte Foreclosures are still offering a great opportunity for buying your Charlotte home. There are several challenges to these homes; first and foremost is home financing. Banks have already discounted the homes since it is a foreclosure. The bank is not in the repair business so that is why the homes are discounted below market value. The home is sold "as is".

If you are purchasing a home via an FHA loan, then you will likely be excluded from the foreclosure market. The majority of banks/mortgage companies will not accept FHA mortgages. The banks have learned that a large portion of these never close because the home inspection. The home inspection will find defects (that is why it is "as is") and then the repairs must be made prior to FHA funding.

So the option of only paying 3.5% down payment is gone. What is next? The next loan program is 95% financing. It is incredible to see but lenders are still making 95% loans. The Charlotte Real Estate market, as a whole, remains strong enough that the lenders are reasonably assured that the values will not drop in the near term. Yes, you must have a very good credit score, two years of tax returns and then the money for the down payment. If you want to take advantage of the first time home buyers tax credit you may want to consider this option.

Learn about the real options prior to searching for home in Charlotte. Visit Charlotte Real Estate -Charlotte NC Homes for Sale and learn about Charlotte and our great suburbs.

Providence Downs South Homes for Sale

2009-07-28T22:28:00.005-05:00

The best deal in Charlotte NC Real Estate at this time is for the million plus dollar homes. Providence Downs South in MArvin NC is a great example. Providence Downs South is a huge development with million dollar custom homes. Marvin NC is across the Mecklenburg County border (in South Charlottte NC) into Union County. The location could not be better; convenience to shopping, restaurants, entertainment and Union County Schools.

Providence Downs South was a showcase for custom home builders. Builders each competed with one another to demonstrate their finished product. Many buyers, realizing the prestege and value in Providence Downs South purchased homes. Many of the custom builders built model homes in Providence Downs South.

When the housing market had the downturn, our million dollar market slowed way down. There were already and abundance of these homes in the various building stages. What is a builder to do? Stop everything until the economy improves? Accept that what you are building has the value so continue moving forward? Assume the economy will pick up before you are finished?

Most of the builders had homes that were already too heavily invested to stop. The market slowed and the new home surplus began to increase. There are many deals in Providence Downs South for almost 1/2 off. Homes that sold for $1,400,000 are being sold in the $800's. All of them? No.

Many owners that need to relocate once again are still listing their homes at fair market value. What do you mean? The homes being sold in the $700's and 800's are actually selling for less than the cost. Why are these great deals?

Home buyers are trying to float the mortgage for a couple of years to enjoy the $700,000 in equity either for their future resale. Regardless of your position is will have a lot of equity to enjoy. Charlotte Real Estate is here to stay! Visit Charlotte Real Estate - Charlotte NC Homes for Sale for your home search and to learn more about the greater Charlotte Real Estate Market.

Charlotte Real Estate Trends

2009-07-25T00:54:00.006-05:00

Today everyone is looking for a great deal! There are great Charlotte NC Homes for sale but you need to have an understanding of our economy to find the best priced properties. How can you tell?

First, I always recommend to trust your "informed" instincts. Realize that all real estate is local. A home is discounted to a list price lower than New York is not necessarily a deal. If you are seeking to move into the 10% least expensive homes in Charlotte, this is similar moving into the bottom 10% of the any city. This does not make the areas "bad". This just means you find similar environments in the least expensive neighborhoods in any city. There is no difference. I just want you to realize beforehand that you are selecting to relocate your family into the bottom 10% of Charlotte NC Real Estate.

Now there are great deals in the high dollar market. You can also purchase a home there way below the cost of building the home. The difficulty is that these homes are harder to finance with Jumbo mortgage rates and the escalating foreclosure rates. If you can afford one of these homes then you stand to make hundreds of thousands in a couple of years.

Ultimately, you need an excellent Realtor to help you find your ideal home. What type of neighborhood are you seeking? Are you seeking a rental neighborhood? What time frame are you hoping to regain the equity? Are you on a 2 year plan or a five year plan? There are variables but experience helps minimize foreseen risks. Call me today and I can help or visit Charlotte Real Estate Charlotte Foreclosures for additional insights into our market.

Charlotte Land For Sale

2009-06-15T01:07:00.003-05:00

Many buyers are seeking Charlotte Real Estate with several acres. Yes, as Charlotte continues to grow this becomes more and more of a commodity. many peopel do have trouble understanding the value of land. Yes, it is confusing but if your are seeking such real estate then you really need to understand the market value of the Charlotte property.

Let's say that you have 10 acres of land in Charlotte. This could be one home. Let's assume it will be in an area with million dollar homes. The value of a lot with one home is $200,000 (20$ of the total value of the expected home. Now let's assume this Charlotte Property is in South Charlotte.

A lot in South Charlotte sells for about $200,000, If that 10 acre parcel could support 10 homes then the lot would be values at 1,000,000! Now if you owned land would you sell it for $200,000 or $1,000,000?

Now keep in mind that Charlotte Real Estate property value is based upon current market value of the land. What would you want to get for the Charlotte land? Hopefully this helps you understand the different values in Charloote. Call Rick Waite @ 704.770.6559 or visit Charlotte Real Estate.

Charlotte Foreclosures

2009-06-04T23:20:00.004-05:00

As the Charlotte Real Estate market continues to evolve the builders are evolving with it. The sub prime neighborhoods are going through a rough transition at the moment but there will definitely be opportunity here in the not so long term. Since the builders were "stuck" in many of these sub prime neighborhoods they stopped building. Basically the supply outpaced the demand (nor sub prime lenders). Charlotte New Home Builders stopped building and now the neighborhoods are transitioning. The investors lost a mint. This occurred because investors accelerated the problem. They purchased new homes in these neighborhoods and added renters into the new neighborhoods. Many renters do not care and destroy the homes and the neighborhoods follow.

As they investors leave along with the sub-prime borrowers, a new and more stable Charlotte neighborhood is taking root. Who would have guessed the lack of mortgage availability would improve our real estate market but it really is. Home ownership is still available to anyone but you now actually must be responsible and pay your bills.

The demand for Charlotte homes is still very strong and the best deals sell quickly. Visit my Charlotte Real Estate website today and begin learning about our great city.

Charlotte NC Quality of Life

2009-05-28T22:34:00.003-05:00

Many people are familiar with all of the great opportunities surrounding Charlotte but there is much more.

Did you know the first American Gold Rush was in North Carolina? Did you know is was in the neighboring counties to the east of Charlotte? Visit Gold Hill NC or the Reed Gold Mine.

Did you know there was a Native American Reservation in Rock Hill SC? The Catawba Indian Reservation is just south of Charlotte NC.

Did you know US President Polk was born in Pineville NC?

Did you know US President Andrew Jackson was born in the Piedmont of the Carolinas? There is a question whether he was born in North Carolina (Waxhaw) or in neighboring SC in Indian Land.

Did you know the town of Waxhaw is named after the Waxhaw Indians and the tribe is technically extinct? The remaining survivors were absorbed into the Catawba Indian tribe.

Indian Land SC was the home of the Catawba Indians but there are no reservations in Indian Land.

Did you know Indian Trail NC was the old wagon trade route in the 1700's?

There are many things to learn about your new Charlotte home. History is all around and ready for you to explore. Search Charlotte area homes at Charlotte NC Homes for Sale. There is no need to waste any more time.

Charlotte Condos - Charlotte Townhomes

2009-04-26T22:37:00.003-05:00

Charlotte Condos experienced explosive growth over that past several years. The main area of growth was in uptown Charlotte NC. Charlotte planning realized that a great city needs to keep the uptown workers close to town to aide the local economy. Charlotte observed that other cities lost economic activity at night when the workers went home to the suburbs. Center City Charlotte made great strides so that uptown Charlotte remained vibrant after dark. Charlotte began by attracting entertainment venues into the city. This included the arena, the football stadium and various other venues such as the Nascar Museum. The restaurants and night clubs followed suit as did the young professionals. Charlotte Condos began to thrive as the national excitement grew about Charlotte Real Estate.

Today the market has cooled due to the national economy. Crisis means opportunity! There are currently a great deal of Charlotte Condos being sold at lower prices than new! This is a fantastic deal since Charlotte will inevitably continue to grow. How can you really tell that Charlotte will continue to grow? Talk to people. Do not just follow the media like sheep but speak to people who actually live here. Ask them what they think. Ask them if they have family or friends relocating to Charlotte in the future. Just ask.

You will find that the growth in Charlotte is not due to the media but by real people visiting and realizing how nice it is to live here. You will discover this also. I would hope you question every resource. The best way to gain an impression of an area is to speak to someone who is thinking like you but a few years ahead (they already moved). Do not stop at just one person. Ask people at breakfast, out shopping, or in a coffee shop. You will quickly realize what is happening in Charlotte is not going to stop. The time to buy a Charlotte home is today! The prices are only going up along with the interest rates.

Charlotte NC Home Tax Values

2009-04-20T22:44:00.004-05:00

Many people continue to get mired in the "Assessed tax value" of Charlotte Real Estate. North Carolina and South Carolina Real Estate is assessed every four to eight years and each county decides when to assess. The assessments are all made together as a "mass assessment". This means they compare like properties in a very general sense by type of home, heated living area and garage. It is a little more detailed but not much. For example, if you have a home that is in extreme disrepair compared to one that is completely updated, it is likely that they will have the same assessed value if they are similar in square footage and in the same neighborhood. Do they really have the same market value? Of course not. Does te owner of the run down home realize that his home was over assessed? Typically not because he is delighted that his home is worth more than he thought.

Next consider time. What were the prices in the neighborhood four or five years ago? The only reason it matters is because you can see if the neighborhood is generally trending upward or downward since last property tax assessment. Here is a good way to elate to this issue:

Consider the Dow Jones Industrial Average. If you were purchasing a share of the DOW, would it really matter what it was worth four or five years ago? All that would tell you is that the value has appreciated or depreciated since then. That trend may change but you at least can use the history as a guide. Would you expect to pay the price of the stock four or five years ago or would you expect to pay current market value? Charlotte homes are the same.

How do you assess current market value? Market value is determined by what the market eill support. The best indicator is how much has a ready, willing and able buyer pay for a similar home today. We look back three months to help determine market value.

Visit Charlotte NC Homes for Sale to learn more about the greater Charlotte Real Estate region.

Charlotte Builders Continue to Merge

2009-04-12T18:45:00.003-05:00

Two national builders merged this past week. Pulte, the owner of Del Webb Senior Communities and Sun City Carolina Lakes south of Charlotte Real Estate, has purchased/merged with Centex. Centex Home Builders was based out of Texas and had large land holdings in both Texas and the Carolinas. This was appealing to Pulte based on the demographic trends and the baby boomers. New Homes nation wide and especially the Charlotte new homes market will flourish with senior homes.

Pulte homes tended to focus more on seniors and I am certain they will continue on this successful business plan as lending rules constrict. As lending rules tighten (or actually just become practical and cost effective) who has equity, credit and money? Seniors! It will be prudent to structure developments to cater to the seniors as they retire and continue to move south for lower taxes, less expensive homes and a warmer climate.

Centex was building new developments and were riding the trend of larger and larger homes. As credit tightened, much of their market could not sell their homes out-of-state and business slowed. Pulte capitalized on this opportunity. Every crisis provides opportunity for those positioned well for the current trends and demands. Pulte Homes is that company.

Visit Charlotte NC Homes for Sale to learn about the great Charlotte Real Estate Opportunities. Yes, our market has slowed due to the national downturn. but it is still the best place to buy a home. People all around the nation have the desire to relocate to Charlotte Real Estate just to not have the financial liquidity to capitalize on the current opportunity. Be assured their plans have not changed; merely placed on a temporary hold. The opportunities of today will be gone very soon. If you are fortunate enough to capitalize on this financial downturn, Charlotte NC Real Estate awaits.

Charlotte Real Estate and the Charlotte Condo Market

2009-03-23T22:33:00.004-05:00

There are many people seeking a solid Charlotte real estate investment but a single family home does not fit your lifestyle. Some of these people include seniors, single professionals and young couples just starting out and tired of paying rent. A Charlotte condo may be what you are seeking. There are several caveats to consider as you discover the Charlotte Condo market.

Charlotte is still a very new city. The condo market in Charlotte NC is still in its infancy. Many developers/investors did not do much research and just threw in their cash. Not a wise move.

You must first consider your market niche and decide why would a person want a condo in this location. Condos are to offer a more affordable home or convenience. Convenience is to either work and or night life. Condo developers swarmed in uptown Charlotte a couple of years ago without noting that the rate of condo development was far exceeding demand. Ultimately this challenged outer area condos because uptown Charlotte Condos were all the rage.

The rage has subsided and now many Charlotte Condo investors are holding onto empty condos. There will be many deals on uptown Charlotte Condos but please consider call of the expenses prior to buying. I do not share this to take you away from the condos but please consider these a longer term investment and be assured it is affordable for your budget. I do not want you to repeat the process that has occurred in uptown.

There are also areas where condos make a lot of sense. For example consider Piedmont Row in Southpark. Piedmont Row is a very nice complex with a great location in Southpark. Since Southpark attracted thousands of professionals that spend a couple of weeks a month at this office. These Southpark Condos are designed with you in mind. Due to the over development of Uptown Condos, many condos in outer areas (such as Southpark) did not see much activity over the past several years.

The areas such as Southpark will be ideal to take advantage of the slower market there. You can purchase condos below market value and be comfortable that you investment will appreciate over the next 5 or so years. These outer areas will recover much faster than uptown. Uptown Charlotte condos will take a while before our population meets the supply. In the mean time many of the 'investors' will let these homes go back to the bank.

Opportunity is all around. You just need to trust an expert that has your shared interest first. Visit my Charlotte Real Estate website for additional information of the greater Charlotte NC Homes market.

Union County Real Estate and Union County Schools

2009-03-15T22:51:00.004-05:00

Union County continues to grow and Union County must adjust the school borders to adjust for the current population. The New Cuthbertson Schools (middle and high) are opening in 2009/2010. Union County Real Estate maps are now constructed to allow for the new students to attend. Each new school creates new real estate opportunities. The New Cutbertson schools will pull students from Weddington, Marvin Ridge and Parkwood. Union County NC Homes within this new area will experience an increase in demand due to the excitement of the new school. This is good news for the vast majority of residents because their Union County Homes will increase in value.

There are other Union County Home owners not so happy with the other side of Union County. The Sun Valley school is beyond capacity and needs to lighten some of the student burden (according to county officials). They have reassigned certain neighborhoods to the Monroe High School and many citizens are not pleased with this decision. Parents often choose a home based on the schools and Union County Home owners do not like the government deciding which schools you children will really be attending. People feel they have been betrayed by the county since the Union County property owners valued their particular school and made the decision to purchase Union County NC Real Estate based on a particular school.

Ultimately there are many difficult decisions to be made with the greater Charlotte Real Estate area school assignments. I understand the concern of home owners and I do everything possible to assure you find the home in an area with schools of your choosing for your new Charlotte Home.

Charlotte New Homes: Where are the deals?

2009-03-12T19:16:00.002-05:00

One of the beautiful things about moving to Charlotte NC is that Charlotte new homes are still affordable. Nothing beats the excitement of having a brand new Charlotte Home where you personally select all of the features that you desire in a home. The downside to the new home building process is that life often changes before the home is even complete. Is this a downside or an opportunity? It depends on your perspective.

The rapidly evolving Charlotte Housing market is causing grief for builders. As the lending rules evolve so does the odds of the Charlotte New Home buyer. As the credit tightens many potential Charlotte New Home owners can no longer buy their dream home. Please be certain that you exceed the current credit rules if you are purchasing a new home. The lending rules/criteria are changing all of time. There is no way to know what the rules will be six months from now.

So what happens to the new home after the buyer can no longer get financing? This is not good for the Charlotte builder. In today's economy, builders are not building spec homes (also known as inventory homes). It simply takes too long to sell a spec home and it is not a viable business plan. So now what? The builder is in the same position as the potential buyers are today. There is no way of knowing with any degree of certainty what tomorrow will bring. Builders will discount these brand new homes to eliminate the risk and to free up their financial resources for new buyers. Yes you can purchase a discounted brand new Charlotte home. The down side is that you will not be able to select everything that you wanted but you can receive unheard of discounts of 20% or more!

As the economy changes these Charlotte NC Homes For Sale will not be discounted much longer. Springtime is always a more active real estate time period so the wise money is buying now. As the spring market heats up these discounted properties will be no where to be found.

Visit my Charlotte Real Estate website today and learn more about Charlotte NC Homes For Sale.

Charlotte Foreclosures-Charlotte Short Sales

2009-03-08T08:29:00.004-05:00

Many home buyers in today's Charlotte Real Estate market are looking for a deal. Well a steal would be more like it. As the banking industry deals with the national foreclosures they are also dealing with the homes that was considered collateral.

The sub prime market gave money to many that had no reason to ever own a home. Lending money to a person for a home that already has a history of not paying money back is not a sound business plan. Now we get Charlotte Short Sales and Charlotte Foreclosures.

From a bank's perspective a Short Sale is preferred. A short sale is a home that is already delinquent several months on payments (that is why a bank agrees to a short sale) and is willing to take less than what is owed. The bank also knows that there are more expenses to go through the foreclosure process and frequently the highest cause is the damage done by the person that was not paying the mortgage in the first place.

A Foreclosure home is often beyond just disrepair. I have seen them completely gutted to include the removal of entire kitchens, bathrooms (including all plumbing), HVAC units, furnaces and hot water tanks. I have seen them with the electrical panel removed and all of the House wiring severed.

The difficulty with a Short Sale is the "mortgage company" typically is insured by the Government (since the Government mandated the loans) and the bank is overwhelmed in this department. The Short Sale department represents a loss for the institutions. It is difficult to keep throwing more money after bad loans. The process is further complicated by the 2nd mortgages since the second mortgage holder bears the brunt of the losses.

You must get two "overloaded" departments to agree on a course of action, a fair price and who takes what loss. Are there deals to be had? Yes, but patience is required.

There are Charlotte Short Sales and Charlotte Foreclosures to be had. Keep in mind that the same rules apply to foreclosures as it does to regular homes. The homes for sale in the most desirable Charlotte NC Homes in the highest demand areas will also get the highest price for a Charlotte Foreclosure. The reverse is also true.

Visit Charlotte NC Homes For Sale to learn about the various areas surrounding Charlotte Real Estate and together we will find the best deal for you!

Charlotte NC Homes For Sale

2009-02-18T10:39:00.004-05:00

What a time to buy! Charlotte NC Homes For Sale are still selling but many Charlotte Homes are selling at prices they were 2 years ago! This is incredible for the Charlotte Real Estate market. Yes, it is true that Charlotte Realty has always been appreciating at a steady pace unlike many other markets that experienced the unrealistic and unsustainable price surge. There are certain areas in Charlotte that you can really save but the Charlotte Homes with the biggest savings accompanies the Charlotte Homes with the largest risks. But that is to be expected (that is why certain homes are not selling and why the sellers are providing deep discounts).

The Charlotte starter home neighborhoods are going through a series of changes. Many of these homes were purchased by Charlotte New Home Buyers that were not economically prepared to own a Charlotte home. In addition to these high risk buyers, many national investors also jumped into these Charlotte neighborhoods. Charlotte Real Estate investors came from across the nation to tap into the popularity of Charlotte Real Estate but had no idea what they were buying, where they were buying and convinced they were going to make money in spite of their lack of knowledge and familiarity of the greater Charlotte market. These investors watch too much TV.

Charlotte real estate investors felt if they purchased Charlotte new homes for the least amount of money, rented the Charlotte new home for 2 years, they could not lose. The builder warranty would take care of the vast majority of landlord duties and then the Charlotte investor would sell before any maintenance would be due. Here is the problem with that theory (what TV did not tell them).

Each investor seen himself alone making this decision. Reality is they were not alone and investors swarmed on Charlotte in mass (a great growing city at a time when financial investors were giving money to anyone with a pulse). Investors then turned these new Charlotte neighborhoods into rental neighborhoods. The Charlotte Investor failed to consider that if someone was renting at a time when anyone could get a loan, the "renter pool" largely consisted of people that did not care about their credit (or paying their bills). This does not make the ideal tenant.

Ultimately the investors lost these homes in addition to many of the sub prime borrowers. As mortgages in these specific neighborhoods went into default, the values declined. Are the homes worth more than they are being sold? Yes and no. Yes it would cost more to build one of these homes than the current market value. The "no" is based upon the actual market. These homes often need a lot of repairs based on a few years of blatant disregard and abuse from the previous owner and/or tenants. So how about future value?

You purchase a discounted home like you would purchase any investment. You purchase the homes with the deepest discounts because the odds are these neighborhoods will turn around and be full of proud home owners. This will take time for the right home owners to purchase these Charlotte Homes and take control of the neighborhoods. They will likely be great long term investments.

If you still plan on investing in Charlotte Real Estate be very careful if you think you are going to rent your Charlotte home out and it will be appreciating. There are simply too many investors watching the same TV. Where would I suggest investing?

If you have cash and want to invest, purchase land. The greater Charlotte Real Estate region will continue to sprawl. Americans like freedom and many Americans do not do well living cooped up in a city. As the population of Charlotte NC grows, Charlotte Property for Sale will be demanded further and further away.

If you would like to share More ideas of the greater Charlotte Real Estate market visit my Charlotte Real Estate - Charlotte NC Homes For Sale website or give me a call at 704.770.6559. I and a Charlotte Realtor and have a very good understanding of the greater Charlotte Real Estate market. I understand the Charlotte suburbs and understand the pros and cons with the greater area. Give me a call today.

Charlotte Real Estate - Mortgage Options

2009-02-09T23:04:00.002-05:00

Many people want to relocate to Charlotte NC but are concerned about both property values and the ability to get a mortgage. Inquiring into a mortgage can create stress because no one likes rejection. I can help you overcome these obstacles. I work with several lenders and mortgage brokers and can explain mortgages in layman terms.

What are my Charlotte Mortgage options? First, the "no money down" or 80/20 mortgages are gone. These loan products have disappeared due to the national housing market decline and high foreclosures on sub prime loans. Here is why.

Let's say your home declined 5% in value over the past year. Now you are behind on payments and going into foreclosure. If you are going into foreclosure is is safe to say that you are at least 6 months behind in payments of $6,000 (on a home of about $150,000. Now the lender hires a local attorney for the foreclosure process.

After the foreclosure the lender pays any tax liens or back home owners dues and the marketing expenses. After the home is actually sold the money is dispersed. The 2nd mortgage (the 20% of the 80/20) gets nothing because over 20% of the value was lost due to the expenses. Too many of these occurred so investors will no longer "invest" (or donate) there hard earned cash for 2nd mortgages. Ultimately they were a losing bet.

Here we are today. If you are going to purchase a Charlotte home is is safe to say you either get a FHA loan with 3 1/2% down payment or a conventional loan with at least 10% down. The FHA is a Government backed loan and there is a lot of additional Government red tape in securing this loan. As you are likely to be aware, any time the Government is involved there will be additional hoops to jump through. The FHA loans are more costly but it employs more people (also known as job creation or wealth redistribution).

The conventional loans are still possible but you will need 10% down payment, a credit score of 700+ and a debt to equity ratio of less than 35%. This will be a challenge for many "want to be" home owners but good things come to those who wait. In the long term this will actually help strengthen the over housing market and Homes in Charlotte NC. Visit Charlotte Realty and Rick Waite for additional insights into the greater Charlotte Real Estate market.

Charlotte Property Tax Values

2009-01-20T11:22:00.003-05:00

Many people consider Charlotte Property Tax Values as an estimate of the value of Charlotte Homes. Please be careful with this rule of measure. First consider what the property tax values really are.

In North and South Carolina the homes are assessed every so many years. Homes are assessed county wide when this is done. They will be assessed no less often than every 8 years but counties can reassess more frequently.

Now what does this mean to you? When ever the homes are assessed, keep in mind the quantity of homes that are considered. This amounts to bulk assessments. A home in a given area has its value based upon "similar homes" sold recently in the area. If the sold homes were in great condition, brick, with fantastic landscaping then an older home, of a similar size will likely be assessed at a similar value. The system is not perfect by no means but the county allows you to dispute the assessment if you feel your home is over valued. Many see the assessment, think that there home is now worth more and are pleased with the imaginary home equity.

What does this mean for the seller or buyer. First let's consider the person purchasing Charlotte Real Estate. If the assessment was done 5 years ago and the home is selling for less than 5 years then you are "reasonably safe" in assuming this neighborhood is on the decline. If the sale price is a lot more than the tax value then it is likely that this neighborhood is increasing in value.

For the Seller of Charlotte Real Estate I would not place much faith in the assessments and either pay for an appraisal or rely on your Charlotte Realtor for the market value. The Real Estate Agent will focus on your particular home to assure the value is more reasonable and actually assess fair market value.

There are great deals when purchasing Carolina homes but you really need to have a thorough understanding of the facts and figures that you are using to assess value. There are also neighborhoods that have skyrocketed in value. These prices are often superficially inflated by investor demand and the values are not sustainable in the short term. Please be careful.

Visit my website for additional information and insights into the greater Charlotte Real Estate market. Call me direct if you would like me to help you find ideal Charlotte NC Homes For Sale.

Charlotte Property

2009-01-15T21:48:00.003-05:00

Considering Charlotte Property for an investment? During these uncertain times in the economy many people are reconsidering their investment strategy. Consider no longer! Purchase Charlotte land! Yes Charlotte Real Estate has been in great demand for the past 15+ years but there is still a lot of room for expansion. So where will the expansion go? How far out do you buy? This depends on you.

If you are looking to capitalize on the weekend/summer homes then perhaps the mountains or a lake community will be ideal. If you are looking for shorter term investment the closer will be a better fit for you. Keep in mind that national investment companies have been purchasing Charlotte Property for Sale that expands 30 to 40 minutes away form Charlotte. These investment firms know how far out a typically city grows and realize how large the greater Charlotte Real Estate market will be.

Visit Charlotte NC Homes For Sale and find your ideal opportunity. Call me, Rick Waite today and I will help you in learning our area and finding the ideal piece of Charlotte property or Charlotte land for you.

Charlotte NC Homes For Sale and Mortgages

2008-12-27T12:01:00.003-05:00

Many people listen to the media and feel that no one can receive a home mortgage. Please allow your intelligence to be your guide. The media is a medium for distortion and sensationalism.

Contact a mortgage professional and pursue your options. Yes, high risk loans were a foolish creation dictated by our Government. This created a national financial crisis. Mortgage companies, banks and lenders are now making loans that are minimal risk. In reality this is what banks have done since banks began providing mortgages.

Banks are not mints. They are guardians of of our combined savings and are supposed to be intelligent stewards of our life savings. They assess risk and intelligently lend out our money and provide us a modest return. They are merely the middle man managing our money. The Government, via the Community Reinvestment Act told the banks to ignore their stewardship responsibilities and that the Federal Government would guarantee the high risk loans. The legislators foolishly are not intelligent enough to understand financial risk and thus the Government created the crisis.

Banks are still making loans but they are requiring sound financial fundamentals. This is the way it is supposed to be. Banks understand that too much debt will ultimately lead to a personal financial crisis.

I have worked with several lenders lately and they are in fact still making loans. Call me today at 704.770.6559 and I can help you contact lenders that are reputable and will help you all along the way to purchasing your new home.

Visit Charlotte NC Homes For Sale Charlotte Real Estate for additional information of our great real estate opportunities.

Charlotte NC Homes For Sale

2008-12-10T22:46:00.003-05:00

The Monday night football game has placed the spotlight upon Charlotte Real Estate. Many visitors were surprised and impressed with the quality of life that uptown Charlotte homes have to offer. Uptown Charlotte has man condos for sale in various price ranges. This provides the ultimate in urban life style.

In addition to the condos, many are surprised to find so many of the surrounding neighborhoods with so much potential. Charlotte has many small brick ranch homes within a few miles of center city that have been rentals for many decades. These neighborhoods are ideal for revitalization. many of these communities have already experienced the transformation such as The Arts District AKA NODA, Chantilly, Elizabeth and Dilworth. There are several other neighborhoods with the same potential and just waiting for the next entrepreneurs to apply their magic.

To learn more about Charlotte Homes For Sale visit my website and give me a call at 704.770.6559 today. Your future awaits!

Tega Cay Real Estate

2008-11-23T14:00:00.003-05:00

Tega Cay is a fantastic city in South Caroline that is only minutes from Charlotte NC Real Estate. Tega Cay began as a subdivision in the 7o's with a unique concept. Tega Cay is built on a peninsula on Lake Wylie and the architecture resembled the Polynesian islands. You will find delightful Tega Cay homes to have a contemporary resort feel. There is the 27 hole golf course and driving range, the public country club, tennis courts, several parks, a beach, many ball fields and a marina.

There are many positive features with Tega Cay but one great feature is the diversity of Real Estate. There are multimillion dollar homes with breathtaking water views and many small older homes that are still priced less than $200,000. This is an outdoor community and you will enjoy the walking trails all year round.

Tega Cay eventually out grew the Peninsula and now Tega Cay Real Estate includes area beyond the initial subdivision parameters. These home and subdivisions are newer with a wide variety of options.

How about property taxes and HOA dues. Residents living within Tega Cay are exempt from HOA dues since all of the amenities are/were included within the initial subdivision. Tega Cay and South Carolina Property Taxes are also very reasonable due to the recent change in South Carolina School funding. The South Carolina schools are funded via the lottery and the sales tax. This is a large benefit to home owners and balances out the school funding responsibilities. In addition South Carolina provides a tax benefits to home owners. Investors will pay higher property taxes on their homes. This provides a disincentive for investors and further enhances the value of your Tega Cay Real Estate.

How about the schools? Tega Cay attends the Fort Mill Schools which have some of the highest academics in all of South Carolina. Tega Cay was actually a subdivision within Fort Mill Real Estate prior to the subdivision becoming its own city. You will be pleased with your Tega Cay home and enjoy the resort life style.

Charlotte Real Estate For Sale

2008-11-09T23:33:00.003-05:00

What is the state of Charlotte Real Estate investments and how is the market activity? Wachovia created quite a scare but fortunately Wells Fargo will be ideal for the greater Charlotte market.

We also continue to see the Kannapolis Bio Tech Research park expand its operations and this will continue t support the North Charlotte market including Cabarrus County, Concord and Kannapolis.

South Carolina continues to grow as the infrastructure expands to support the ever growing demand. Take a drive down Hwy 521 from Ballantyne and you will readily see what I am referring.

The real estate market has definitely slowed from 2 years ago but the prices remain stable. Homes merely stay on the market longer. Charlotte home owners are not ready to give away their homes. Yes, our demand comes from all across this great nation and the demand is still there. The difficulty remains with current home owners being unable to sell there homes so that they can come and enjoy Charlotte.

Ultimately the people will sell their homes and we will welcome them to our community. Charlotte remains strong and we continue to diversify our economy. Visit Charlotte Real Estate for additional information on all f our great areas to call home.

Charlotte Suburbs

2008-10-22T20:28:00.003-05:00

Many people are interested in the growth all around Charlotte and seeking their ideal opportunity. Kannapolis NC Real Estate needs to be a consideration. Kannapolis was a quaint mill town until 2003 when the Pillowtex factory officially went out of business. Since then a complete transformation has taken place to this little town. Kannapolis is located northeast of Charlotte and about a 30 minute drive to uptown. Kannapolis is in Cabarrus County and now is the bio technology headquarters! Dole foods has teamed up with several universities to establish the bio tech center in Kannapolis. The grand opening of the first research center was this week in addition to the latest member to join in, Pepsico! It is incredible to see the continued growth in this area despite the current world economic situation.

If you want to be on the cutting edge of development and bio technology, Homes in Kannapolis is here for you! Learn more about greater Charlotte Real Estate and Charlotte Suburbs and make your move. 2009 is going to be a great year!

Charlotte Relocation and Schools

2008-10-17T22:42:00.004-05:00

A huge factor to consider when relocating is the school. You must keep in mind that Charlotte is a growing market. This means the schools have a constant influx of students with a wide variety of education levels. This creates a challenge for t he teacher to get everyone up to the same standard.

What Charlotte Relocation factors should you consider. If you are considering a new home it is likely in an area of Charlotte Real Estate that is still developing. The students will be from all across the nation and it will be quite a challenge to establish the "school norms". The good side of this is that all of the kids are new and more open to creating new friendships.

If you look into a preexisting home or a more developed area, then the schools have been established and the classroom structure will be more standardized. The downside is that the children have already created networks of friends and your child may not fit in all the way for a short period of time. Yes it will vary on the student.

These are just a few of the factors to consider for Charlotte Real Estate. Visit http://www.findmycarolinahome.com for additional information of the greater Charlotte area or call me directly @ 704.770.6559.

Charlotte Real Estate Market Update

2008-10-02T15:34:00.005-05:00

The greater Charlotte Real Estate market remains extremely healthy and strong! What? How do you come to that conclusion? It takes an understanding of Charlotte Real Estate and the property opportunities are clear.

The latest report says Charlotte Real Estate depreciated a little over 1% during the past 12 months. That does not sound tragic but this does not make a good real estate investment. Let's break down the Charlotte Real Estate market and then you decide.

Charlotte is a new city and many of the home sales are new homes in new Charlotte neighborhoods. What happened when the government provided home owners with high risk loans? There was a rush of new home buyers that were not ready to be home owners. Many of these people across the nation rushed to Charlotte NC Real Estate. They purchased Charlotte Homes in new neighborhoods and frequently in the lower cost new neighborhoods. These Charlotte Neighborhoods have a high percentage of Charlotte Homes in foreclosure. What do you think is the appreciation in these neighborhoods? These neighborhoods have depreciated and will take some time to recover. What is their appreciation rate? It is negative and worse than the majority of other homes. Yes, these drag down the remainder of Charlotte homes for sale when you look at the overall rates.

There are also some neighborhoods that Charlotte Real Estate investors decided to rehab. What? Yes, there are certain older neighborhoods that investors across the nation took a small quaint Charlotte neighborhood and then changed the market. They increased the size of the homes, added granite, hardwoods, tile and then doubled the price. These neighborhoods experienced a frenzy of excitement but the fundamentals of demand were not sound. The inflated appreciation of these neighborhoods have not done well.

You will also notice that Million dollar Charlotte homes has also taken a hit. Many of these homes were purchased in the excitement of a rapidly growing city and the buyers did not have a sound long term economic strategy. These homes have taken a hit and not selling as rapidly. How does that impact the market? If 100 million dollar homes sold last year during the summer and then only 10 sold this year, the aggregate numbers will show sharp depreciation if the difference of 90 current homes sales are in the $250,000 range as opposed to a million.

In conclusion, you will see that the Charlotte Real Estate market is still very strong and enjoying a nation wide real estate demand. How do you know a good buy? What is a good value and which homes are not? As a Charlotte Real Estate Agent and my firm understanding of the economy we can assure you find a great Charlotte home for you and your family.

Charlotte Foreclosures and Charlotte Short Sales

2008-09-21T23:13:00.003-05:00

Many people are hoping to find a deeply discounted home within Charlotte Real Estate. Yes, the sub prime market created havoc throughout the natioanl real estate market. There are many things to learn and ways to recognize real opportunity. The first is to comprehend that every area is different and real estate is ultimately local in nature.

Charlotte is a new city with a lot of large farms (rapidly being purchased by major developers). The developerbuilds the infrastructure and then sells the lots off to large builders. The builders selected a "price point" based on the demand (and cost of the land) in each area. If the area supported million dollar homes, the builder was willing to pay more for the lots. If the area demand would support $100,000 homes, the lots were considerably less expensive. These less expensive developments (in any and each area) typically focused on the local sub prime buyers.

One area in Charlotte may have many sub prime homes in $100,000 Charlotte neighborhoods and another Charlotte Suburb may have many sub prime loans in the range of $200,000. It all depended on the less expensive homes in each given area.

Yes, there are new home developments in Charlotte with a high percentage of sub prime loans and now short sales. Is this an opportunity? It depends.

The sub prime market was dictated by the government and not lenders. The government persuaded the lenders to bow to their political pressure and make new loans. The lenders have extensive criteria for credit risk analysis and it was based on individual credit risk and credit history. This criteria was ignored for political correctness. The tax payers are now to bear the burden.

Opportunity? The super inflated housing market will clean itself up in time. Yes, it will take several years for eh high risk loans to all fail and real home owners to move into the challenged neighborhoods. These Charlotte Real Estate deals are not for he couch potato American watching TV shows for their real estate mentoring. Remember it is a TV show. TV shows are even more disingenuous than the news media!

These Charlotte Neighborhoods will improve over time. The foolish "get rich quick" investors will lose their investments (consider a social donations) and real owners will once again have neighborhoods reflecting the pride of ownership. This will take several years but in return you will have a strong investment, a safe and friendly neighborhood with shared ambitions and goals.
Learn more about Charlotte Real Estate by visiting http://www.FindMyCarolinaHome.com

Purchasing Charlotte Foreclosures

2008-09-14T23:36:00.005-05:00

The first thing to understand about purchasing Charlotte Foreclosures are the various types of foreclosures. Before the actual home is foreclosed upon is called a pre-foreclosure. This means the owner is behind on his payments and the lender has begun the required legal process to begin the foreclosure. This is the beginning as the lender files paperwork at the court house requesting a hearing.

A pre-foreclosure has several forms and several possible end results. The first scenario is when the seller has equity in the home. The higher the equity in the home is less likely for the home to go through foreclosure. The current owner will either catch up on the mortgage or sell the home. If he sells the home, then you can likely get a good deal because the seller knows it must be sold quickly (before the foreclosure proceedings). The caution with this type of purchase is that the seller, since he is having financial difficulties, is likely not maintaining the home.

The next scenario is if the seller has no equity and has no money. This home has not been maintained and now the foreclosure seems inevitable. At this point and time the seller can contact the lender and work out a possible "Short Sale". A short sale is when the bank accepts less than what is actually owed from the current owner. The bank decides if the offer amount is adequate based on their cost savings of the foreclosure, the higher risk of damage and the current market value. There can be great opportunities for deals in this type of purchase.

If the seller still can not sell the home, then the home goes into foreclosure via an auction. The beginning bid is placed by the lender for the amount owed on the home. The bank assumes the vast majority of these homes because in today's world, most foreclosures have no equity.

When a home is purchased via foreclosure, the lender now has an appraisal completed and the home is marketed. These homes are listed by Realtors to effectively market the home.

I hope this information is helpful. For additional information visit Charlotte Foreclosures or Charlotte Real Estate and begin your search.

Charlotte Suburbs

2008-09-08T21:07:00.003-05:00

Charlotte has many great homes and the homes in Charlotte suburbs are particularly in high demand. Ballantyne is one are that is highly recommended. Ballantyne Real Estate is located in South Charlotte and provides a country club type of environment.

Weddington and Waxhaw homes are also in high demand. Weddington Homes and Waxhaw Real Estate are located in Union County just south of Charlotte. Weddington is very popular based on the schools.

Fort Mill SC Real Estate is also a great Charlotte Suburb. Fort Mill is only 10 miles from uptown Charlotte and provides a great opportunity for a real estate investment. Fort Mill has great schools and lower property taxes so it is a win-win situation for the home buyer.

As you are seeking Charlotte Homes for sale, visit http://www.findmycarolinahome.com for additional information on great Charlotte Suburbs.

Charlotte Real Estate Property Taxes

2008-08-18T20:48:00.003-05:00

There are a multitude of reasons for people relocating to Charlotte Real Estate. One large factor and concern are property taxes. Many major cities have outrageous property taxes that ultimately hurt your home owners and tax payers. Charlotte is more equitable than that. Charlotte Real Estate Property Taxes are higher than the surrounding areas but taxes are still relatively cheap.

As you consider relocating, you should also consider Fort Mill SC Real Estate. South Carolina recently revamped how their schools are funded. South Carolina Schools are now funded via the sales tax and the lottery. The concerns are that now the state has control of funding (as opposed to each school district). So far the system has worked well and Fort Mill continues to grow rapidly and their school academics are some of the best in the state. Now consider that you are paying lower property taxes for your quality of life.

Charlotte Real Estate does have higher taxes but if you consider he convenience of commuting and amenities, the difference in property tax is not too significant (especially considering the cost of gas).

Regardless of where you choose to call home, the greater Charlotte Real Estate market provides a multitude of options.

Charlote Neighborhoods with Great Appreciation

2008-07-28T06:50:00.003-05:00

If you are seeking a great Charlotte neighborhood consider one with great appreciation. You will find that there is a huge demand for Charlotte land. Many builders do not spend their time considering the value of the true location and are simply purchasing the land. Charlotte Real Estate has evolved tremendously and Charlotte builders are buying with hope that the areas will do well. How does a Charlotte Relocation person determine which neighborhoods are going to be great in the future?

If you are a buyer and do not trust your Charlotte Realtor, do additional research. Ask for other developments from the given developer. The appreciation rate in these neighborhoods will provide an idea of what you can expect. Saussey Burbank is one developer that has been very selective in their Charlotte neighborhoods and many of their neighborhoods have had great success.

Look for the amenities. The amenities will attract a certain clientele. The amount of amenities also dictate whether it is family oriented of oriented and what socioeconomic groups will be attracted.

Choose carefully. To learn more about Charlotte Real Estate, visit my website and I will assist.

Charlotte Real Estate Economy

2008-07-10T23:39:00.004-05:00

As the sub-prime market further deteriorates, the demographics for cities like Charlotte Real Estate will continue to improve. Charlotte North Carolina is still in great demand but many future residents are on hold. Some were planning to relocate but missed their opportunity until they improve their credit. This will be a challenge for many since they currently reside in an economic environment that is over taxed and hyper inflated.

The new Charlotte migration will be the careful deliberate person that has great credit, a down payment and a good job. This will also dictate a change in demand for the Charlotte Builders and Charlotte Real Estate to adjust for their new clientele.

The investor market will also change. Charlotte Real Estate has had a slow steady growth for many years. Investors rushed in 2 years ago and attempted to distort our market when the rest of the nation was showing signs of illness. They were hoping to create a super inflated market as they had done in other markets.

The problem was they did not comprehend the big picture. They rushed into the lowest dollar homes in an area in hopes of the fast buck. The investors were racing with the most credit challenged people for homes. The mixtures desolated many great Charlotte neighborhoods. Instead of Charlotte Real Estate appreciation, they experienced negative appreciation. Why?

The lower income neighborhoods already had economically challenged home owners. When you add renters, you further diminish the value of the neighborhoods. The investors sabotaged their own investments!

There is hope for investors. There are many foreclosures in economically challenged areas. Those ex-home owners will need a place to stay and will be needing a place to rent. Those neighborhoods will be impacted for another 5 years but you can have positive cash flow as the market recovers.

Visit Charlotte Real Estate to learn more about the real estate industry and the greater Charlotte suburbs.

Charlotte Real Estate Home Buying Tips

2008-07-07T03:21:00.004-05:00

Relocating to a new city is very difficult. I hear continual stories of great experiences and nightmares. Purchasing the right Charlotte Real Estate is critical to the stability and success of your family. Do not take your task lightly.

First, overconfidence is the first cause of error. Many people do not realize the importance of a good Charlotte realtor and the need for open and honest information. Yes, it is difficult to open up to a stranger. Call this a necessary evil. I have had many people purchase Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate only later to discover their true concerns.

Be certain your Charlotte Realtor understands your "potential" short term and long term real estate needs. New comers- do not purchase a new home in a new huge development! You are not ready for this level of risk! Will you like the way the Charlotte neighborhood develops? Will the commute be OK? Will your friends and the friends of your children meet your expectations? Are these schools really the ones that are best for your children?

If you are uncertain about any of these answers, be careful. A new home is exciting but the risk is overlooked. If things do not work out (perhaps your spouse will not like construction noise, road debris, dust and dirt in the house for years to come), how long will it take to sell your new Charlotte home? How have the resales been doing in the neighborhood? How much of a loss can you expect?

Before you move, learn more. Charlotte Real Estate is fantastic and so many people love it here. The key to your happiness is the right home with the right advise. Do mot risk your largest investment to an unskilled realtor or a part time person that is trying to make extra money. The happiness of our family is more important than this.

I am a Charlotte Realtor and speak from experience. A good realtor is not a sales person but a business person that looks out for you.

Fort Mill Real Estate

2008-07-01T23:40:00.003-05:00

Fort Mill SC Real Estate offers provides the best of all words. If your concerns are for location, price, commute to uptown Charlotte, Taxes or retiree benefits, Fort Mill South Carolina Real Estate is a place you must see.

Fort Mill Homes are merely 7-9 miles from uptown Charlotte. The schools in Fort Mill are one of the best in all of South Carolina. The schools are funded via the sales tax and the lottery income. This alleviates the home owners of the sole responsibility of funding schools.

The academics in Fort Mill are incredible. Many of the Fort Mill residents own Fort Mill Homes based on negative experience elsewhere.

If you have any questions r concerns, feel free to call of email be at RWaite@ReMax.net or my website at Charlotte Real Estate.

Charlotte Real Estate & Impact of Gas

2008-06-23T10:51:00.003-05:00

Many buyers must now factor another aspect into their Charlotte home choice: the price of gasoline. From a real estate investment perspective, you need to consider the Charlotte Real Estate demands and the real estate trends.

Unlike what you hear admitted by the media, they are inwardly pleased and are hoping that affluent successful citizens will flock back into the cities and fall in line with what the inner city politics. This is not likely.

When purchasing your new Charlotte home, the well being of your family will always be first and foremost. Now you must consider your commute more closely and base your home buying decision on your job. Many companies are figuring it out that they want their positions located near the Charlotte suburbs to attract skilled workers and offer the quality of life that executives desire.

Before you purchase your Charlotte Real Estate, carefully research the areas and ask for guidance. Free advise is frequently offered but very often you get what you pay for. As a Charlotte Buyers' Agent, the home buyer does not pay for the services of a professional realtor. The commission is paid by the seller. No, the seller is not paying the buyers agent; they are paying for a marketing plan that attracts ready, willing and able buyers to their home. In effect, the seller is buying an effective real estate marketing plan.

Charlotte North Carolina offers something for everyone. There is an abundance of opportunity all around. The key is finding your opportunity and the right Charlotte Home for you. The stability of your family is essential. The right home is critical to your stability and happiness. A poor financial decision can take years to recover. A poor choice for your family can have irreparable consequences.

Please choose wisely.

Visit my Charlotte Real Estate website to learn more about the greater Charlotte area including the Charlotte suburbs. We are not looking for my dream home, we are looking for yours.

Marvin NC Real Estate

2008-05-19T23:31:00.002-05:00

Marvin North Carolina is still experiencing fantastic growth and attracting the million dollar home owners. In Charlotte Real Estate, the median home price is less than $300,000. This helps place Marvin Real Estate in perspective. The best news is that you can still get a good deal in Marvin Homes. There are some builders willing to take a huge cut on their profit to move their inventory homes. A large custom home takes a year to build. A lot happens to Real Estate in a years time.

Marvin is just south of Ballantyne Real Estate and South Charlotte. Marvin in in Union County NC so you experience a lower real estate tax burden. Marvin Public Schools are still very new (attended Weddington Schools last year) are demonstrating the highest academic expectations.

Visit Marvin Real Estate and developments such as Providence Downs South to gain a perspective of what you can expect.

Tega Cay Real Estate

2008-05-12T21:18:00.003-05:00

Tega Cay Homes offer a Charlotte Suburb that is very unique. Tega Cay began as a small subdivision on peninsula on Lake Wylie. These Lake Wyile Homes offered a different type of lake living. Tega Cay is constructed around a 18 hole public golf course. Tega Cay feels like a vacation resort that is minutes from Charlotte Real Estate. There is a pool, several community ball fields, miles of walking trails, beaches and so much more. The homes in Tega Cay began in the middle 70's and has grown well beyond the initial peninsula. Tega Cay SC now has a Wal Mart in a new shopping center to further enhance the convenience of Tega Cay Real Estate.

Tega Cay residents attend Fort Mill Schools which maintain some of the highest academic scores in South Carolina. York County and Fort Mill has planned for the growth and Tega Cay Real Estate is transforming before our eyes. If you are looking for a Charlotte Suburb, an interactive community you need to visit Tega Cay.

Visit Charlotte Real Estate and Charlotte NC Real Estate for additional information on Charlotte Suburbs.

Lancaster SC Real Estate

2008-05-09T23:37:00.005-05:00

As you seek Charlotte Real Estate suburbs, take a drive down NC 521 into SC Real Estate and consider Homes in Lancaster SC. Lancaster South Carolina offers a wide variety of homes but the greatest opportunity is in Fort Mill Real Estate. Fort Mill Homes are technically located in York County SC but Lancaster County Real Estate offers fantastic homes also. This area is also known as Indian Land Real Estate. Lancaster SC is located just south of homes in Ballantyne and South Charlotte Real Estate. The Carolina Lakes at Sun City is the largest subdivision so far but the Firethorne Country Club is also spilling over from South Charlotte Real Estate. Enjoy the tax benefits of SC Real Estate and located 5 minutes from the Ballantyne Real Estate shopping venues.

Visit Charlotte NC Real Estate and Charlotte Real Estate for additional valuable information.

Charlotte Real Estate-The Big Picture

2008-05-04T23:50:00.004-05:00

What does the future have in store for Charlotte Real Estate? Ultimately, Charlotte homes will continue to expand and the demand for Charlotte property will grow outward. How can I say this? Follow the money.

Charlotte Real Estate is surrounded by solid economics, geography and weather. Charlotte Real Estate is close enough to the ocean to have a nice weekend at the beach and Charlotte homes are close enough to the mountains to enjoy the a weekend retreat. So what else?

Bank of America and Wachovia have their headquarters in Charlotte NC. Follow the money. Take a tour to uptown Charlotte and you will be astounded at the astonishing growth of home in uptown Charlotte. There is new construction everywhere and the skyline is filled with construction cranes are lined with cranes. Yes, Charlotte is not a large city today; watch closely and you will see Charlotte Real Estate transform before your eyes.

Why Charlotte? The baby boomers in the north east were all dreaming of their Florida retirement. The bad hurricane season has forever altered the picture. Taxes, HOA and Insurance sky rocketed and extinguished their hyper inflated market. Charlotte will rarely experience a hurricane (one did make landfall in 1989) since it is several hours inland. Since Charlotte Real Estate is safe from these natural disasters, Charlotte homes will be the preferred destination of the baby boomers.

Location: Charlotte Real Estate also provides access to the north east in a days drive. If there is a family event in New York, you can always drive there in a day (unlike Florida).

Transportation: Charlotte Real Estate has the luxury of Charlotte Douglas International airport and the US Airways hub. There are hundreds of direct flights out of Charlotte every day. This supports the Charlotte Real Estate market and further enhances your life style.

Charlotte has a professional football team, a professional basketball team, a white water center, racing and so much more. What are you waiting for? Pack your bags and lets find your new home.

Visit Charlotte Real Estate to learn more about Charlotte and our great Charlotte Suburbs.

The Demand For Charlotte Real Estate: Boom or Bust?

2008-04-29T23:44:00.004-05:00

Many home owners across the nation are nervous about purchasing a new Charlotte Home. They are paranoid that Charlotte Real Estate will follow the rest of the nation and values will fall. There are many very simple economic facts that determine Real Estate Value and Real Estate demand. After the hurricanes hit Florida, the Florida Real Estate market began to fall. Florida had sound economics; baby boomers were just beginning to retire, taxes were reasonable and the north east retirees were buying. After the Hurricanes, taxes, Home Owners Association dues and insurance more than doubled. This has crippled the Florida Home Values and this will not recover. The government (taxes), the HOA and Insurance Companies lost big as a result of the Hurricanes. Can any business afford to set themselves up for a loss like that again? If they do, they will be out of business. Invest your money in Charlotte Real Estate.

The baby boomers are now seeking Charlotte Real Estate from the Northeast, Florida and out west. The areas around the nation loosing population will continue losing home values and Charlotte NC Real Estate will continue to flourish. The best time to purchase a Charlotte Homes is now before the appreciation picks back up. Will the Charlotte demand continue? Hmmm? Will the northeast still have winter? Will Florida still get blazing hot and humid summers? That should answer the question. Visit Charlotte Real Estate and Charlotte Homes for Sale to gain additional insight into the Charlotte Real Estate market and to view all of the current Charlotte Real Estate Listings.

Charlotte Real Estate Market

2008-04-20T23:35:00.003-05:00

Charlotte Real Estate: Is now the time to buy? Many people are still wondering if they should relocate with Charlotte Real Estate and if they can get a good deal on Charlotte Homes. Real Estate prices are based on demand. Houses in Charlotte still have strong demand and Charlotte Real Estate continue to sell. The market has slowed since the "high risk" loans began going into default. Can you purchase some Charlotte Homes for less than they sold 2 years ago? The answer is yes if you buy in an area of weak demand. The problem with your Charlotte home purchase will be that the Charlotte Real Estate in this neighborhood has weak demand for a reason. The media then accelerated the Real Estate crisis by blowing it out of proportion. This has hurt the entire nation since it has made secure home buyers nervous.

A wise investor purchases a home in a secure area, with stable Real Estate factors and positive "known" factors that dictate the likely appreciation of your new Charlotte Real Estate. How are the schools? How are the schools trending? Is this a trend you desire? How about local construction? What local construction aids your Charlotte home value and what harms your Charlotte Real Estate Investment? As your Charlotte Re/Max Agent, I look out for you and your family.

Homes in Charlotte Suburbs

2008-04-12T00:08:00.002-05:00

What are Charlotte suburbs and how do they compare. There is a lot of misinformation about Charlotte Real Estate and the true Charlotte suburbs. First you must realize that all of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County attends the same schools. There are no suburb schools in Mecklenburg County. This includes Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Pineville and Mint Hill; they all attend the CMS (Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools). The schools system does vary around the city but CMS has done a good job at balancing/districting the schools to add balance.

Many consider suburbs to be the schools outside of CMS control. There are many surrounding counties that provide a wide array of options. Union County is to the South and Southeast of Charlotte and Union County Schools have a very good academic record. Visit Weddington Real Estate, Marvin Real Estate, Wesley Chapel Real Estate and Waxhaw Real Estate to gain a better understanding of Union County Homes.

Cabarrus County is to the North/Northeast of Charlotte Real Estate and some of the homes are in Concord Real Estate, Harrisburg Real Estate and Kannapolis Real Estate.

The South/Southwest of Charlotte is South Carolina with Lancaster County and York County. Visit Fort Mill Real Estate, Tega Cay Real Estate and Indianland to get a feel for South Carolina Real Estate.

These are just a few options and I hope this helps. For additional information visit:

Charlotte Real Estate
Charlotte Homes

Charlotte Economic Health

2008-03-26T20:03:00.004-05:00

Many people across the country are nervous about the economy and pausing prior to purchasing their next Charlotte home. The nation is in the midst of a housing slump. According to the latest figures, Charlotte Homes is the only major city that actually appreciated over the past 12 months. So has Charlotte Real Estate been impacted?

Yes, Charlotte has been impacted. Since the government pushed for lenders to ease lending requirements, millions of home buyers were welcomed into home ownership. This worked great in theory but many of the high risk (AKA Sub Prime Loans) were exactly that-High Risk. The High Risk Loans are placing a huge strain on many new home owners. This is known as unintended consequences that frequently occur when proven cautions are over ridden.

The public will be better served if the government spends the energy in educational classes for home owners and credit repair/credit building. You can not build a new home on an ill prepared foundation. Nor can you push home ownership without an equally strong foundation.

Ultimately, tens of thousands of people are relocating to Charlotte. The goals and dreams of our citizens have not changed. The quality of life in Charlotte is tremendous. Houses in Charlotte are still appreciating and we welcome you into our town and wish you the best for your Charlotte Real Estate objectives.

Visit Charlotte Homes to learn more about our area.

Homes in Charlotte

2008-02-26T04:54:00.002-05:00

Homes in Charlotte continue to sell and the climate is a huge factor. February is the time of year when the largest contrast is noted. The northeastern US is in the middle of winter and Charlotte is into spring. Charlotte real estate is in full bloom with trees flowering and flowers blooming. The contrast is so stark that it is hard to imagine that we are only a few hundred miles south.

The best deals continue to be builder inventory but the deals are about to end. In the Charlotte Real Estate market, this is the time of year that builders would be going full steam ahead. The objective was to have as many inventory homes completed in spring as possible. Reason?

Many people relocating to Charlotte wanted new homes but did not have 4 months to wait for a new home to be built. Builders would have an inventory of new Charlotte homes prepared for those buyers. Due to the past several months of buyers financing difficulties, the builders are not building "spec homes". The only Charlotte Homes available for "quick move in" will be on homes where financing falls through.

What does this mean for you? There are still some great deals available to the person with good credit. I received a call from Wachovia this week stating they do have a loan program for 100% financing with a credit score of 620. This is one of the few programs still remaining with this credit score. "IF" you fit this criteria and are assured you can make your payments, then I would recommend that you do not purchase a "to be built" home expecting this program to last.

The cause of the crisis was the government loosening up on the financial criteria for a loan. The pendulum will swing back to a more stable area. I do not suspect the home buying criteria to be as stringent as back in the 90's but is will settle somewhere in between.

Ultimately, Charlotte is still a great place to own a home and a great place live. Visit Charlotte Homes For Sale for more in depth analysis of the greater Charlotte region including Ballantyne, Fort Mill, Matthews, Tega Cay to Kannapolis.

Commercial Real Estate in North Carolina

2008-02-08T22:28:00.000-05:00

How do you gage an economy? A good means to gage the Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate market is to study the commercial real estate. Charlotte Real Estate is growing at an exponential rate as noted in the time frame and distanaces between various commercial developments. Take a look at South Charlotte Real Estate. The growht began 15 years ago at the Arboretum Shopping center. Seven years later, the Promenade opened 4 miles down the road. In the past 5 to seven years the Real Estate in South Charlotte is growing at a phenomianl rate. Trader jacks opened on Rea rd at Piper Glen. Two miles down the road is Stone Crest at Piper Glen with Target and a wide variety of affluent shoping opportunities. Two miles to the west is Ballantyne and two miles further west is the Carolina Place Mall. Travel south on Rea rd and in two miles you find the Blakeney shops. This is at the intersection of Ardrey Kell and Rea Rd. In the past 2 years the northwest and southwest corners of the intersection are near completion. The southeast corner has a new Charlotte Apartment subdivision that is due to open. The northeast corner of this intersection is now being developed for additional commercial Charlotte Real Estate.

There is a another new commercial Real Estate development 2 miles west on Ardrey Kell that began opening in 2008. There is a new Peak Fitness Center, an activity center, a Charlotte Recreational Park, a Harris Teeter, a new Elementary School in addition to many other stores and shops.

This is a great gage for the Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate economy. Charlotte Homes continue to thrive and the demand for Charlotte Real Estate wins the popularity nation wide. Hold on tight because Charlotte Real Estate will grow and continue being the location of choice.

Fort Mill Real Estate

2008-01-30T22:56:00.000-05:00

Fort Mill Real Estate continues to expand and provide national appeal. Frieghtliner is in process of relocating positions to Fort Mill Real Estate from Oregon. The greater Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate Market remains firm due to the attraction of diverse businesses and affordable homes in Charlotte North Carolina. Fort Mill homes have an outstanding reputation for accademic excellence. Theere is also resonably convenient shopping at the Carolina Place Mall in Pineville. This is just a short drive from homes in Fort Mill. As Fort Mill Real Estate expands, shopping will follow.

Fort Mill Real Estate is only ten miles from downtown Charlotte and you can still enjoy the benefits of living in the city as a great alternative to Charlotte NC Real Estate.

Visit: Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate to learn more about our areas and our growth.

South Charlotte Real Estate

2008-01-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

As the rest of the nation is experiencing a Real Estate melt down, Charlotte NC Real Estate continues to flourish. As you explore our expanding areas, you owe it to yourself to visit South Charlotte Real Estate. What is considered South Charlotte Real Estate?

South Charlotte is basically the entire pie shaped corridor from uptown Charlotte to the end of Mecklenburg County (Charlotte Real Estate is in Mecklenburg County). The areas just south of town are Dilworth and Myers Park. The Myers Park area has always been very affluent and prestigious. It is known for its wide winding roads and large tree canopies. Dilworth has been recently renovated and the homes in Dilworth maintain a great value.

Further South you enter into Southpark Real Estate. This is an older area that has gained a lot of value over the past 15 years. There are many white collar corporate offices within Southpark and this has influenced the trends of Southpark homes. In addition to the Southpark corporate offices, Southpark Real Estate also enjoys the upscale Southpark Mall.

As you continue your southward trend you discover Carmel Country Club, Piper Glen and then Ballantyne. Each of these areas offer golfing, shopping and affluence to impress the most successful among us. South Charlotte has expanded well beyond the confines of these larger neighborhoods and the prosperity reigns throughout the southern corridor. Travel Ardrey Kell rd and you will fell the growth first hand. The shopping center at Rea and Ardrey Kell is almost a year old and now a newer shopping area is due to open this year at Johnston and Ardrey Kell. On the south side of Ardrey Kell (between Johnston and Marvin rds) has a new Peak Fitness Center, the 521 Recreational Complex and a new Elementary School will be opening in 08.

The cause of the national Real Estate decline is also being driven from people relocating to Charlotte Real Estate. Come see for yourself.

Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate Growth

2008-01-24T00:03:00.001-05:00

What are the job opportunities in Charlotte? Charlotte Real Estate has a diverse economy but there are several large players within the Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate Community. First and foremost is banking. Charlotte is the 2nd largest banking community in the entire USA! Follow the money! Both Wachovia and Bank of America are headquartered in Charlotte. Wachovia is buying out Countrywide Mortgage which will further strengthen Charlotte Real Estate in the global economy.

Lowes Motor Speedway and Nascar provide a lot of economic power to our region. Charlotte Real Estate is enhanced by the Nascar race teams that surround our area which includes the popular Concord NC Real Estate area.

Kannapolis Real Estate is changing dramatically due to the new high tech bio research park being developed. This research park will employ thousands of people and turn this blue collar town into a thriving white collar community. The research park will open in 2008. The time to purchase Kannapolis Real Estate and Kannapolis land is now!

Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate has something to offer everyone. Visit Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate to learn more about our great and growing area.

Kannapolis Real Estate

2008-01-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

Most people have gotten the word that just northeast of Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate will be the Kannapolis Bio-tech Research Park. This state of the are scientific development center will be in Cabarrus County in the city of Kannapolis. Kannapolis was a small mill town with the Pillowtex Textile mill. That closed down a few years ago and Kannapolis would have fallen on hard economic times. Fortunately, Kannapolis is just 35 minutes to Charlotte and Robert Murdock moved in an made the Kannapolis Real Estate disaster into a huge gain. Kannapolis Real Estate consisted of many nice small "cottage style" homes throughout this working class city.

Now enter the Bio-Tech Research park. This sleepy little mill town will quickly transform into a white collar town with a projected 30,000 jobs for the research park. Now expand this to all of the supporting shops and restaurants! There are very few high end real estate developments close by but one is Wellington Estates. Wellington Estates is just 5 miles from the research park with custom brick homes. This is just the tip of the iceberg in the area. The time to buy up Kannapolis property is passing you by.

Charlotte Homes For Sale

2008-01-03T00:22:00.001-05:00

How is the Charlotte Real Estate economy? It is still doing very well. The holiday season has just passed and things are continuing strong. Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate values appreciated 4% last year while the vast majority of the country lost money. Our resale homes are still selling for about 97% of the list price and it is still a good buy.

Visit Charlotte NC Real Estate to learn more about the greater Charlotte Real Estate Listings.

Charlotte Real Estate Growth

2007-12-26T17:22:00.000-05:00

Since much of the national real estate real market has lost money, people think that Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate must be following the national trend. The latest figures were recently posted and Charlotte Real Estate has gained 4.2% over the past 12 months. These figures do not include new home sales or the condo/townhome markets. This provides an accurate picture of our market.

What do these figures really mean? Well Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate market in many respects. There are areas that appreciate faster than others and there are some neighborhoods on the decline. How do you determine a good deal? What drives the prices for Charlotte Homes? Are there areas being hyperinflated by investors? There are many things to consider when buying your new home. I have been actively working as a Charlotte Realtor and I actually work the entire greater Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate market. There are benefits to many areas. What area is best for you? Visit Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate to learn more about Charlotte Real Estate and all of our surrounding cities and neighborhoods.

Charlotte Real Estate with Equity

2007-12-05T00:39:00.000-05:00

Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate market continues to flourish but there are many Charlotte New Homes that are on the market. How or why? As the poor credit/high risk buyers lost their ability to get a loan, many new homes were already being built for these people. The builders finished the homes but now have "inventory homes" to sell. Many are offering huge incentives to get these homes off their books as soon as possible. If you want a deal for a new Charlotte home, talk to me. You will not believe the deals that are out there.

Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate

Marvin NC Real Estate

2007-11-24T00:26:00.000-05:00

Have you considered homes in Marvin NC? First, Marvin North Carolina is located in Union County and borders South Charlotte Real Estate. Marvin was a very small farm town that is now the home of the successful. Why?

When you develop an extgraordinary town, first you need an affluent population, you need a top quality educational system, you need convenient shopping, restaurants, amenities (like golf) and a convenient commute. Marvin Real Estate has it all!

Within a five minute drive from Marvin Real Estate and you are in the heart of Ballantyne. Ballantyne Real Estate offers everything you can ask in Mecklenburg County. Many prefer to reside in a bordering county and a neighboring town.

When considering Marvin Real Estate you will have several options. Providence Down South offers a fantastic community of custom homes. The community has several pools, an exercise room and even a lazy river within its pool system. This is an admirable community.

Firethorne at Innisbrook is another community to consider. Innisbrook also has custom homes but also this is a country club community with an outstanding golf course. The homes are set on scenic winding roads and gently rolling hills.

These are just a few of the highlights within Marvin Real Estate. For additional information about the greater Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate market, feel free to visit my website.

2007-11-24T00:23:00.000-05:00

Union County NC Real Estate Update

2007-11-18T22:51:00.000-05:00

Today I will spotlight a portion of Union County Real Estate growth. Cuthbertson Rd is located east off of Providence Rd (across from Cureton) and south of Newtown Rd.

Currently there is a small bridge that is being rebuilt due to a failed inspection. This bridge will be out for 2 more weeks. The bridge will then be torn down in 2008 to be widened for heavier traffic. Why?

There are currently 2 new schools being built; a middle school and a high school. The most incredible thing about these schools are that Marvin Ridge just opened last year and now a 3rd school will soon be open. Marvin Ridge helped relieve the congestion at Weddington High School and now the 3rd high school is needed! You can tell the popularity of an area based on the number of parents relocating to the area.

Cuthbertson also has a few subdivisions well under way. Champion Forest is a four side brick neoghborhood with a community pool. The streets are wide and there are many trees throughout the neighborhood.

Lawson is the other subdivision on Cuthbertson. Lawson has six different builders each with its own neighborhood. Lawson is built as a wooded retreat with walking trails, quaint walking bridges and water features. Their amenity center just opened with an elaborate clubhouse, a lap pool, another large pool with a large winding slide, a playground and tennis courts. There will also be custom homes added to this neighborhood in the near future.

How about retail? There is already an approved plan for a Lowes Home Improvement store to be built at the intersection of Providence and Cuthbertson. This is on hold until the new water treatment plant is completed.

This spotlight is just on one small road. Charlotte Real Estate growth is still in its infancy and has not slowed. Learn more about Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate and feel free to contact me with questions or concerns. I want informed and happy neighbors; let me help.

Charlotte Real Estate Sales

2007-10-23T22:38:00.000-05:00

How is the current Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate market? In reality, the media "crisis" is only a mere fraction of the market. What caused this crisis? The media. It was just a short time ago when the media created the outrage of "the evil bankers' keeping down the common man and not allowing enough opportunities fro home ownership. The Government stepped in and convinced the lenders to ignore their statistical data and lend more money. The Government knew these were high risk loans and guaranteed the loans.

As the high risk loans continued to default, the media screamed that the banks were heartless again and created a new "crisis".

First, the banks lend "our" money. When borrowers default, it is our money they are not returning. Banks do not own money; we do.
So how large is the financial "crisis"? It is only a mere fraction of the loans that are at risk but the media has placed the citizens in a paranoid state and many are scared to purchase a home and making the media story a reality!

Opportunity? Of course. Paranoid people make uneducated decisions and the wise man will prosper. It is actually a great time to actually buy a home. The economy is doing well, the Fed lowered interest rates and there are deals to be found. The smart people realize this is a hoax and that is when the common people lose out. The common person follows the media.

Perception is reality and the media creates their version of reality. So if you are ready to take charge of your own reality it is an opportune time to purchase Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate.

Charlotte Real Estate Opportunities

2007-09-21T23:37:00.000-05:00

What effect has the sub prime mortgage market had on the Charlotte Real Estate market? It has created a buying opportunity! First you need to consider the sub prime market. The sub prime market was developed to provide "less than perfect" credit loans. In the Charlotte Real Estate market, these buyers were buying a reasonable new home. There are certain builders that focus on the first time home owners. So where are they now? Well, as the sub-prime loans dried up, many of these specific builders now have an abundance of inventory homes available. The builders that are hardest hit are slashing prices to move the inventory. How does this affect the neighborhood?

As a builder offers deeper discounts, the overall values decrease (in the short term). As long as the builders keep the investors from further devaluing their neighborhoods, you can do very well. There is one builder in Charlotte that has over 75 inventory homes located throughout the area. This weekend they are offering a 30 year fixed rate loan at 5.5%! There will be many great deals to be had.

These discounts will go away very soon. The only reason these inventory homes are available is that people initially qualified with a sub prime mortgage. Now the borrowers no longer qualify! There are deals to be made. Visit http://www.FindMyCarolinaHome.com for additional information for Charlotte Real Estate. If you are ready to make a deal, let me know and I will help you select the home of your dreams!

Charlotte Real Estate: The Next Wave of Growth

2007-08-28T22:31:00.000-05:00

Where will Charlotte Real Estate be 15 years from now? Where will a good place to have a home? Is Charlotte be a good place to raise a family?

First accept the fact that Charlotte was a small city just 15 short years ago. As more and more people visited, they liked what they saw. Our population has been growing exponentially ever since. Will it continue. Of course! We have a great climate, it is 2.5 hours to the beach and 2.5 hours to the mountains. We are far enough away from the coast to avoid hurricanes and our winters are mild.

As every major city grows, there will be given areas of real estate that are of higher demand. I can help you find those areas.

The counties surrounding Charlotte will also thrive. This occurs all over the nation. Now imagine how far into the outer counties our growth will spread considering our rapid population expansion. Charlotte NC Real Estate is destined to grow. If you are considering Charlotte homes, I will help protect your investment in Charlotte Real Estate.

How is the Charlotte Real Estate Market?

2007-07-28T23:23:00.000-05:00

The most frequent question I receive is "How is the Charlotte Real Estate market? Are people still relocating to Charlotte? How is the market.

First, real estate is local. The news will provide sensational stories about how bad the world is doing. That's the news. Most of us know the news is less than credible.

Yes, I am a sales person and there are sales people that will mislead you. So how can you tell for sure.

Ask yourself some questions:

1) Since the hurricanes hit Florida, taxes, home owner dues and insurance skyrocketed. Are any of these additional costs going down? (No). Can the average American afford hundreds of dollars in bills every month? (No). Are additional costs going to make the super inflated Florida market over priced for relocations? (Yes). Are Floridians still trying to unload their homes? (Yes).

2) Is it still cold up north? (Yes). Have Americans decided they now prefer colder weather? (No). Are the baby boomers up north retiring? (Yes). Are they seeking a lower cost of living and warmer weather? (Yes). Is this going to change? (No).

3) Want-to-be investors: Can you steal a home in Charlotte? (N0). The reason you can steal a home is other areas is because too many people are leaving.

Charlotte continues to grow and homes continue to appreciate. Yes, it is more difficult to obtain a sub prime loan (loans for challenged credit or for investors and 100% financing). Yes, there may be rental opportunities in neighborhoods that attract the credit challenged clientele.

The Charlotte market continues to grow and people are relocating from all across the country. They are coming from Seattle, LA, Phoenix, Miami, New York, New Jersey and more. Our economy is thriving and there are new developments beginning on a regular basis.

I hope this information is helpful. I am not here to mislead anyone and that is why I share these basic real estate principles. Let me know how I can further assist. http://www.findmycarolinahome.com/.

Charlotte Area Schools and overcrowding

2007-06-22T15:26:00.000-05:00

Many people are concerned about purchasing Charlotte NC Real Estate because of overcrowding schools. Yes, this is a rapidly growing area and with an increasing population, you will have more schools. As you stop to think about it, that is a good thing. I was raised in Pittsburgh PA and they close schools down in Pittsburgh because there are no longer enough students to support the schools. That is bad.

An expanding population is a good thing. Will my child be reassigned to a new school? That depends. If your child is already in school, then typically the child is accommodated to remain in the same school.

How do I know if the new school will meet my expectations? Are you interested in great sports programs for potential scholarships? High SAT scores? Uniformed schools? A progressive academic agenda? A conservative academic agenda?

Look closely at the area you are considering. Yes, we have a wide variety of schools in the area and different parents like different schools. That is the great thing about this country; freedom of choice. A good realtor can help you protect your home investment. No, we do not carry crystal balls but we live and breath the market trends. As the cost of land increases, so does the cost of the homes. As the cost of the homes increase, so does the demands.

Everyone can find their Charlotte Dream Home that meets all of their expectations. Share your expectations. Visit http://www.FindMyCarolinaHome for additional information.

Waxhaw and Fort Mill Real Estate

2007-06-22T15:12:00.000-05:00

What are people seeking as they relocate to Charlotte? Opportunity, privacy, lower taxes and more home for their money. Where can this be found?

Take a look at Waxhaw Real Estate and you will be pleased. Bridge Mill is the latest development under way and will have 2200 homes when complete. Yes, it will take a couple of years until completion but the value of your home will be worth it.

Lawson is another great development in Waxhaw. Lawson is a treed community with walking trails and a great pool and amenity center. Lawson has already sold many of its homes and is about to complete the inventory. There are additional phases planned but due to the strain on the utility systems, new permits are limited to current approved lots. It is likely that the new lots will not be released until 2009. Is this good or bad? If you already own a home is Lawson, this is great news. By the time the next phase opens, your home valued has already had great appreciation and the new prices will push the value higher.

The amenity center is just being constructed in Lawson. The pool will be complete by the end of this summer season. This is actually a positive thing because after the amenity center is complete, the value of your home will increase.

How about a home in Fort Mill? Fort Mill Real Estate continues to appreciate and the area is changing rapidly. Fox Ridge is well under way and the homes are fantastic. Fort Mill SC provides convenient access to Charlotte, great schools and lower taxes. The trailers are being removed and luxury homes are moving in.

Let's talk Real Estate!

Latest Charlotte Real Estate Trends

2007-06-06T23:29:00.000-05:00

As Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate continues to expand, various trends come and go. Yes, investors would call these "hot spots". South Charlotte continues to sizzle. There are areas around South Charlotte Real Estate that are destined for great appreciation. How about condos? There are several areas where condos are hot. But be cautious; some of these hot areas are superficially hot due to investors dumping good money into areas without knowing. Yes, they know if many speculators/investors buy, the values will increase. The problem will be their tenants and he degradation to the neighborhoods that follows. In these areas, I recommend get in and get out approach to investing. Renters are all bad? No, of course not. Are many bad? Yes. Charlotte is an area where the vast majority of people can earn a decent living and be able to buy a home. Many renters do not have pride in their home or their neighborhoods and it shows.

Let me know how I can assist you find a great place to call home. Visit http://www.findmycarolinahome.com for additional information and assistance.

Charlotte Events and Entertainment

2007-05-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

What is there in Charlotte for a newcomer? As Charlotte Real Estate continues to expand, so does the entertainment venue. The Wachovia Championship was here in beginning of May. This is an annual event that offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the best of the best in Charlotte. This year began with Michael Jordan playing a round of golf with Tiger Woods.

Another event are the races. This week is Speed Street. Speed street is another annual event that is in preparation for the racing season in Charlotte. Speed Street is a huge celebration in uptown Charlotte full of shows and entertainment. One of this years headliners is a concert by Sarah Evans on Thursday evening.

Charlotte Real Estate also offers the Homearama. This is when top builders showcase their finest work for the public. Several million dollar homes will be open for review. This years Homearama started last week and will continue until the beginning of June. Fort Mill gets to show off its newest Golf Course community this year in Springfield. Springfield will be one of the finest development within Fort Mill Real Estate.

The White Water park opened in the fall of 2006 and is ready for business. This is the first man made white water rafting and offers an unbeatable experience. The park is located on the west side of Charlotte on the Catawba river.

There are many things to do and enjoy in Charlotte. The list goes on and on. The activities that surround Charlotte is part of he reason our city continues to grow and prosper.