Lake Norman Real Estate's Friday Hot Sheet - 06/27/08 05:01 PM
 
Announcing a new feature for this Lake Norman Real Estate Blog:  The Friday Hot Sheet! 
Despite all of our technology, one part of our real estate practice has consistently been an important part of our routine...pulling the daily, or in this case, bi-monthly Hot Sheet which gives us a snapshot update for all residential real estate activity in Lake Norman for the past two weeks. 
Above is a chart with today's numbers and then, for comparison, numbers I pulled throughout the spring.  Here are some highlights:
 
The past two weeks almost mirror the first two weeks in June. … (10 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate: What are the Experts Saying, Part 2 - 06/25/08 11:24 AM

 
The Charlotte Observer's front-page Business Section headline today is:  "Charlotte home prices slip for the year...It's the first such drop since 1991, and things are a lot worse elsewhere - but that's little comfort for homeowners who can't sell."
This article goes on to quote the latest of the popular S&P/Case-Shiller's Home Price Index which states that Charlotte area prices have dropped .1% in the 12 months through April 2008.   However, "the Charlotte market was strongest in the survey of 20 Cities".
 
According to Mark Vitner, senior economist with Wachovia (who is headquartered right here in Charlotte),  "Charlotte … (6 comments)

Fourth of July is a GREAT time to be in Lake Norman NC! - 06/22/08 10:34 AM

 
From nostalgic patriotic parades to community festivals with firework displays to myriad planned and spontaneous boat-tie up parties on Lake Norman, there truly is something for everyone here in the greater Lake Norman area this 4th of July.  Get out of your home, save gas and have a great time!
Saturday, June 28th at 11:00am is the Iredell County Independence Celebration Parade which is an annual event held in downtown Troutman.  The truly old-fashioned parade features "everything from professional floats to kids pulling a wagon with a dog in it".  This will be the third year I will be … (3 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate: What does the Closing Attorney Do? - 06/18/08 05:19 PM

 
When my husband and I bought our Lake Norman home over 3 years ago we knew nothing about the closing process in North Carolina let alone what the attorney's role was in the process. 
Yesterday I received an email from someone moving here who had read this blog but couldn't find anything specifically explaining the role of the closing attorney.  She too is moving here from CA where we used escrow and title companies for closings so I can understand her confusion.
 
Here is an outline of the most common closing practices and the role of our closing attorneys here in … (10 comments)

It's Official; The Number of Newcomers to Lake Norman and Charlotte NC has Slowed - 06/16/08 04:38 PM
 

 
What we have felt for quite some time here in the Lake Norman real estate market has been officially substantiated:  The number of people moving to the greater Lake Norman and Charlotte region has slowed according to a Charlotte observer article: Signs suggest regional influx slowing.
In Lake Norman we saw it first happening as much as a year ago when buyers planning to move to Lake Norman couldn't because they either were unable to sell their homes in the most hard-hit states around the U.S or hesitated to buy in a downward trending real estate market.  Since … (10 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate: Discover Fern Hill Road, Part 2 - 06/14/08 07:04 AM

 
One of the newest peninsulas to be developed on Lake Norman  is Fern Hill Road which straddles the towns of Mooresville on the south and Troutman on the north:

 
 
Woodleaf is an interesting subdivision that winds its way along  the water view side of Kenway Loop and inland along several new streets as well. 
 

 
Developed in 2006,  most of the homes for sale are new construction on heavily wooded lots. 
They range in price from $489,900 to about $800,000 depending on the size of the home, the builder and the location of the lot.  … (3 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate: First-Time Buyers are Welcome! - 06/12/08 07:16 AM

 
If you read my article about the schizophrenic nature of the towns along the east side of Lake Norman, then you will already know that the east side of the Interstate 77 is where you will find the original Main Streets and older homes.  These areas have also experienced significant growth but because they were originally farmland and are a fair distance to Lake Norman, the housing growth has focused on more moderately priced homes.
In Mooresville, three of the most popular subdivisions where prices are in the $100,000's - $200,000s are Curtis Pond, Kistler Mill and Linwood Farms.  All … (4 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate: June Gloom in North Carolina? - 06/10/08 05:02 PM
 
 
So, it's 100 degrees outside today, June 10th, in the greater Lake Norman area.  A great day to stay inside and crunch some housing numbers.  As I was thinking of the rather gloomy U.S. economy, it reminded me of the term we used in LA for our June weather due to the daily morning fog: "June Gloom".  But is the real estate market in Lake Norman really gloomy?
It's been about 4 weeks since my last update on our Lake Norman housing market.  While I always find it interesting to look at and play with the latest numbers from our Charlotte Regional … (6 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate: Our Schizophrenic Communities - 06/06/08 12:19 PM

When one thinks of our Lake Norman communities images of large estates on the water, new upscale shopping and restaurants, and a lifestyle revolving around the myriad lake recreational opportunities most likely come to mind .
 

 
But, on the east side of Lake Norman, the towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville and Troutman truly have two distinct and very different personalities related to their location of the Interstate 77.
  
One has to remember that all 5 of these towns were originally founded along the path of the north/south railroad from Charlotte to Statesville long before Lake Norman was … (7 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate: Discover Fern Hill Road Part 1 - 06/04/08 04:25 PM

 
One of the hottest areas for housing growth on Lake Norman is along Fern Hill Rd.  Straddling Mooresville and Troutman, Fern Hill Road curves its way through farms and forests from just west of the I-77 to the shores of Lake Norman. 
 
When you first travel west on Fern Hill you will pass farms dotted along the country side amongst brand new upscale subdivisions. Some of this farmland is actually part of the Voluntary Farmland Preservation District.

 
As you get closer to the Lake Norman, the farms give way to heavily wooded forests and slightly … (3 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate: An entire community is lost in the name of progress - 06/02/08 04:13 PM

 
I knew it was coming but I still felt a pang of sadness when I saw the bright red number spray-painted on this quaint and historic landmark.  As I read in the Charlotte Observer months ago: "The last home remaining from the long-ago community of Mayhewtown is about to be leveled for the widening of Brawley School Road In Lake Norman." The bright red number is the last thing this house will see before the tractors mow it down. 
I wrote a while back about a wonderful old store that had just been torn down as well.  But, this … (5 comments)