News in and around Lake Norman NC - 03/31/09 10:03 AM

 
One of the advantages of being a REALTOR is that I am constantly driving around, networking and reading so I am able to observe and hear about what's happening and monitor the progress of our Lake Norman growth and development.  Here are a few updates I thought I should share:
Langtree at the Lake has gotten approval from the Mooresville  Town Commissioners to use a new form of bond financing for their portion of the public improvements required for this $800 million resort development.  There will be several public hearings and more details to follow.  What is important is to see that Langtree … (5 comments)

Inspire The Child - 03/29/09 09:00 AM
 

 
I remember when I learned about Rocky's (HeadMutha) first trip to Africa, read her updates and heard the emotional phone call as she struggled with the reality of having to leave her girls in Kenya when her 3-week visit ended.
Since then she and a group of us who are lucky enough to be included have watched Mothers Fighting For Others  grow from one trip to a newly designated 501c3 nonprofit organization!
Rocky has made numerous trips back to the orphanage in Kenya each time learning more about the needs of girls, from pencil sharpeners (the girls were … (6 comments)

Lake Norman Developer Close-Out Auction in Historic Downtown Davidson! - 03/28/09 08:38 AM
 

Would you like to own a part of one of Lake Norman's trendy new mixed-use Urban Villages?  Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 18th at 10:00am when 17 new residential condominiums located in the popular South Main Street District in Historic Downtown Davidson will be sold by auction.
 



The scoop:  5 of these condos are going to be sold at "ABSOLUTE AUCTION" which means there is no reserve.  The highest bidder buys regardless of the price!  The other 12 condos will sell subject to the sellers confirmation.
 
The history:  Pre-selling of these "Condos in … (4 comments)

Watching Mother Nature's Spring Play Unfold in Lake Norman NC - 03/26/09 08:00 AM
  

Almost like magic, every  year in about the middle of March, spring comes to life in and around Lake Norman North Carolina.  I love each stage for each one has its own star and cast of players as if we are watching mother nature writing her annual play.
 
The very first to brave the coming of spring are our bulbs, particularly daffodils.  Almost overnight you can see them sprouting up around mailboxes, nestled under trees and in gardens.  Our March 1st snow caught my daffodils off guard but didn't deter them for very long.
 Forsythia is the next flowering plant to make their entrance.  It … (12 comments)

A Glimpse at Lake Norman Foreclosures and Shortsales - 03/25/09 09:57 AM

 
If you hadn't read my title for this article, you might think this photograph would be introducing a post about the beautiful luxury homes at The Point in Mooresville, Lake Norman.  In fact, this estate is currently one of the bank-owned properties at The Point.  The listing price is $875,000 for this approximately 5500 square foot newly constructed but only 90% completed home.  Not exactly what one would picture when thinking foreclosures! 
This morning's Charlotte Observer article, "Foreclosed Homes Draw Hefty Crowd, ‘Scary' prices"  highlighted a "mega-auction" of 500 homes held this past Saturday at the Metrolina Expo in … (6 comments)

Lake Norman Real Estate Hot Sheet: March 20, 2009 - 03/22/09 10:15 AM
Lake Norman Real Estate's Friday Hot Sheet
March 20, 2009
 


 
Above is a chart with today's "Hot Sheet" numbers from the Charlotte Multiple Listing Services for single family homes in Lake Norman (Area 13).  These numbers represent a snapshot of the past TWO WEEKS of activity.  As always, I have provided the Hot Sheets for the prior 5 months to enable you to put these numbers into context. 
Here are some highlights:
New Listings remained about the same as last month but are very high if you consider that only 19 properties closed during this same time … (6 comments)

THE Place to go for all things Lake Norman! - 03/21/09 07:24 AM
 

One day when I was surfing the web about Lake Norman and Lake Norman real estate I happened upon this great website that sold fun and unusual Lake Norman stuff:  LKN Merchandise.com.  Since I am always looking for new and different types of locally owned and operated businesses to highlight each week I decided to email the company and find out more about it.
 
It turns out LKNmerchandise.com is the brainchild of a local firm:  Artisan Signs and Graphics located on Old Statesville Road in Cornelius. 
Owner Scott Crosbie was kind enough to meet with me and explain more … (5 comments)

How to get a green/energy evaluation of your home - 03/16/09 10:48 AM

 
The more I study about "green", energy efficiency and "high performance homes" the more ways I have discovered for making serious upgrades to existing homes.  While you may not be able to attain a LEED rating for your Lake Norman home, you can make significant improvements today!  

Evaluating the Existing Structure
The very first thing a homeowner should do is hire a professional to evaluate your home in the following four areas:
The Thermal Envelope The Moistrue Barrier Mechanical Systems Structural Defects The Thermal Envelope
Basically, this assessment involves testing the drywalls, ceilings and floors for leaks using such methods … (16 comments)

Mooresville/Lake Norman NC...We have a lot of good news! - 03/13/09 11:46 AM

 

 
At my Exchange Club luncheon today our guest speaker was Karen Shore the Executive Director for the Mooresville Chamber of Commerce.  I have known about some of what she shared with us but she confirmed that yes, there is some truly good economic news to share about the greater Mooresville/Lake Norman communities!
 
Mooresville-Statesville was just chosen as the #1 Micropolitan in the entire US for 2008 by Site Selection Magazine's  March 2009 edition! "In 2008, companies made 17 announcements to either expand or build a new facility in the Statesville-Mooresville Micropolitan Area, according to the Conway Data New Plant … (5 comments)

Lake Norman's Luxury Home Market Update - 03/12/09 03:56 PM

 
I couldn't resist having a little fun while providing an update of our Lake Norman luxury home sales.  Above is a home we locals refer to as the "Taco Bell" house.  It is located in The Point on the Brawley Peninsula and serves as a great landmark when out boating on the lake!
So, what is happening with luxury homes in Lake Norman?  In gerneral, sales above $750,000 have been quite slow: 
 



Active Listings: As you can see, we have 456 homes priced over $750,000 in Lake Norman and 12 have sold since the beginning … (8 comments)

It all started when I rode a horse to school. - 03/11/09 03:52 PM

 
On April 22, 1970, I met one of my friends at her house,  hopped on one of her horses, rode to my high school in Rolling Hills CA., tied the horse up in the tennis courts and went off to class. Without knowing it, I participated in the beginnings of one of the most passionate grass roots efforts in our country:  The First Earth Day, an annual day devoted to drawing attention to environmental issues.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I will admit this was not a stretch for me as by the age of 18 I … (21 comments)

Sign Up for REALTOR's Care Day by April 3rd in Charlotte NC - 03/10/09 05:46 PM

 
 I know this is a hyper-local event but I wanted to make sure all Realtors who are members of the Charlotte Regional Realtors Association are aware that April 3rd is the deadline to sign up as a volunteer for our April 24th Realtors Care Day in Mecklenburg and Iredell County.
They need 600 volunteers and are coming up short so I hope all of you who read this in the Charlotte Lake Norman area sign up!  We will be working a full day fixing up homes for those unable to do so for themselves...everything from carpentry to painting to … (9 comments)

Midas Spring Water: Lake Norman's Best-Kept Secret - 03/08/09 08:51 AM

 
Step aside Evian, Perrier, SanPelligrinio and Fiuggi!  Did you know that right here in our own town of Huntersville, located down a long country road off of Beatties Ford, is the Midas Spring, a "natural resource comparable to the best springs in Europe, which are prized for their health-giving benefits"? 





 
We all know that water is good for us but how often do we just grab whatever bottled water is on sale not knowing that all waters are not the same?
"Each mineral water has a particular content, created by the minerals it leaches from the surrounding … (5 comments)

Am I a bad person? - 03/07/09 09:05 AM

 
When I got my Google Alerts for Lake Norman Real Estate this morning, as always, I took a look at blog articles written by other Realtors just to keep in touch with my area.
I happen to read one by an agent/broker owner of a local real estate firm that had cut and pasted one of my posts over a year ago.  I thought we had a clear understanding that he was never going to use any of my content or photos again.
Well, in his post this morning in his video about a subdivision there was one of my photos!  … (113 comments)

The Woodlands at Davidson: A Certified Wildlife Habitat! - 03/06/09 08:06 AM


When one thinks of Lake Norman housing developments, Butterfly Meadows, Crab Apple Orchards and a suggested plant list derived from the "North Carolina Wildlife Federation  Recommended Native Plants for Wildlife" don't normally come to mind.  I think that is what I love most about Lake Norman because not only do we have lifestyles and homes designed for lake living, we also have innovative housing developments like The Woodlands in Davidson that is the first in North Carolina to be designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

The result of a collaboration between Greathorn Properties, Inc, Ridgeline Development  and the North Carolina … (4 comments)

Lake Norman's February 2009 Housing Sales Analysis - 03/03/09 08:23 AM
By Diane Aurit | March 2, 2009

Whether you are a potential home buyer considering the greater Lake Norman area or a Lake Norman homeowner trying to determine the best time to sell, it has never been more important to be informed in every possible way about our local Lake Norman real estate market.
Our Lake Norman housing market continues to change rapidly.  What was true even a month ago may not be true today.  That said, here is the summary of Lake Norman single family home sales and statistics for this past February.  (The period ending yesterday):
 

… (2 comments)

6" of Snow in Lake Norman North Carolina...in March? - 03/02/09 11:52 AM

 
Warning, for those of you who are REALLY SICK of snow and winter, you might not want to read this post.
Anyway, we have been pretty excited for several days as the expert weather forcasters have been telling us to expect a REAL snow storm to hit our Lake Norman NC area last night.  It had been pouring rain up until about 7pm so I had pretty much given up when I looked outside and saw snow.  The snowflakes were so big that I was able to capture them in the picture above.
I went to sleep not convinced … (15 comments)

Want to mingle with Lake Norman locals? Visit Summit Coffee in Davidson! - 03/01/09 02:12 PM
 
 
If you want to experience the best of life in a small college town in the Lake Norman area, you need look no further than the Summit Coffee  house on Main Street in Historic Downtown Davidson.
Summit Coffee & Tea is the epitome of what true old-school coffee houses should offer:  A gathering place for students, faculty and locals where people of all ages are drawn to the warm and inviting ambiance, great coffee, delicious pastries, fine teas, micro-brews, wine, evening entertainment and a place to hang out with your laptop or a good book.

 
 
 With tables and … (6 comments)

Wonderful Waterfront Lot in The Point on Lake Norman - 03/01/09 10:41 AM
… (1 comments)