lake norman real estate: Lake Norman's Town Of Cornelius: From Small Village to Posh Suburb
- 02/18/08 09:31 AM
I have always thought of Cornelius as the older sister to Mooresville since it was targeted by Crescent Homes for its first luxury lake front residential community, The Peninsula (with 11 miles of shoreline on Lake Norman), about ten years before The Point in Mooresville. Both towns have a significant number of miles of newly developed waterfront property on jagged peninsulas of land jutting out into the middle of the main channel of Lake Norman. And both towns have their historic downtowns on the east side of I-77 along the old Main street/ Highway 115. Because Cornelius experienced its most significant waterfront housing … (14 comments)
lake norman real estate: Charlotte #4 in Best Cities For Bargan House-Hunters!
- 02/13/08 08:32 AM
I don't often take too much stock in real estate news sources top ten lists because they tend to make gross generalities that sometimes contradict reality for our Lake Norman real estate market. However, this recent article in Forbes: Best Cities For Bargain House-Hunters , caught my attention because Raleigh NC was #2 and Charlotte #4. Well, what did they consider when ranking for "bargain house-hunters"? They were looking for markets with: Strong job growthRelatively low foreclosuresHigh inventory of active listings both new construction and resale So, a buyers market, healthy job growth and more inventory than buyers...that sure sounds like Lake Norman AND Charlotte! … (10 comments)
I have been doing regular real estate sales analysis on this blogsite since last June but I have never actually provided a map of the exact area I am analyzing. If you look at the map above, Lake Norman is Area 13. I always include all of Area 13 in my sales analysis with the exception of the northern most part referred to as The Catawba River since it is where the lake turns in to a river heading north to I-40. For those of you with access to MLS numbers I am using Areas … (5 comments)
lake norman real estate: Relocating? Learn about gardens and gardening in Lake Norman: Part 1
- 02/10/08 09:39 AM
I admit it, I love my gardens. Relocating to Lake Norman from Pasadena, California, I knew nothing about how to design or what plants are appropriate for a Lake Norman garden. Looking around the lake neighborhoods, especially at new construction landscaping because there are so many new homes, I found several prominent themes of gardens: The "forest" look: These properties were cleared only enough for the house to be built and the rest of the lot remains forest-like with lots of tall pines and hardwoods and perhaps a row of Japanese holly bushes along the front of the home. (Almost a mountain feel). What I call … (8 comments)
With my past article How to Predict the next Lake Norman hot-spots I started a series about three up and coming communities along the shores of Lake Norman: Denver, Troutman and now Sherrills Ford and Terrell. Just north of Denver, located in southeastern Catawba County with wonderful street names like Molly's Backbone and Slanting Bridge, are the two small but growing towns of Sherrills Ford and Terrell. Once considered one of Lake Norman's best kept secrets, these two quaint towns are committed to holding on to their agricultural traditions and to preserving their rural beauty despite being targeted for significant growth in the next five … (6 comments)
lake norman real estate: Fed Cuts, The Charlotte Observer Headlines and Lake Norman Real Estate; What a Day!
- 01/30/08 08:19 AM
I admit it. I am a bit of a news junkie. So, you can imagine that with all that is going on around the world, the elections, the US economy and our local drought, I have been on overload. But, today ranks up near the top as far as the "perfect storm" of real estate related news. I woke up to see the headlines of the Charlotte Observer: Housing Market Strained: Housing slump catches up to Charlotte. Dip in home building and sales accelerates, but prices hold up relatively well. Then I find an article online later on from The New York Times " Fed Cuts Rates by Half-Point; second Reduction in … (2 comments)
lake norman real estate: The Lake Norman Housing Market: Are we in for a Wild Ride?
- 01/28/08 03:27 AM
Wow, so where do I begin to discuss all of the various components that make up our current real estate market in the greater Lake Norman area? Between the national economy, sub-prime mortgage meltdown, the ever-changing home loan programs and our own housing sales there truly is a lot that must be considered when analzying our current Lake Norman housing market. Let's start big picture and move to local news. Following the national economic news last week was like riding a roller coaster. Admidst concerns of worldwide destabilization, more and more talk of a recession and plummeting stock prices, the Feds made their stunning and unscheduled .75 rate cut last Tuesday. … (2 comments)
lake norman real estate: Lake Norman's Troutman NC is a Real Estate Hot Spot!
- 01/23/08 09:42 AM
The small Town of Troutman, NC which sits along the northeastern shore of Lake Norman has been discovered in a very big way. As I mentioned in my previous article, where Crescent Homes goes so goes the focus of growth around Lake Norman. In October of last year, Crescent Homes opened sales at their latest housing development, Falls Cove, a 900-home, high-end subdivision in Troutman. Here's why:
Located just north of Mooresville along Lake Norman between exit 42 and 45 on the I-77, Troutman is considered to be a reasonable commuting distance to not just Charlotte but Greensboro and Winston Salem. It truly is … (8 comments)
After decades of playing the role of the humble step-sister to such popular Lake Norman towns as Huntersville, Cornelius and Mooresville, Denver is now one of the most exciting communities to watch around Lake Norman. The Facts: The Denver area was settled in 1770 and founded in 1876Population: 13,030-20,000 depending on the sourceTax Rate: $.61 per $100 for the county and$.189 for the city Location: Southwest corner of Lake Norman in Lincoln CountyUnincorporated; administered by the Lincoln County commissioners and managerLincoln County SchoolsDenver has always had a low-key lifestyle with … (6 comments)
lake norman real estate: Relocating to Lake Norman: What you should know before buying real estate: Part 3
- 01/12/08 01:36 AM
Last month I wrote: Thanks to having several years of experience selling real estate in the greater Lake Norman area after 15 years selling in California, I can not only tell you exactly what to look for regarding earthquake safety (okay, not terribly useful here) but now I can also explain the benefits and shortcomings of different types of siding, how to mediate moisture in your crawlspace, what levels of radon are considered acceptable, how to test septic systems, private well-water and what to do if your double paned window seals break. Here is Part 3:
Moisture: What to look for when buying a home … (9 comments)
lake norman real estate: Lake Norman Real Estate: How to learn about Lake Norman Schools
- 01/08/08 08:49 AM
From the time I was in the sixth grade, my family was relocated across the country about every two years because of my father's job. Every time my father brought home the news of our next move, my mom would go into major research mode. The number one priority was always the school systems first and then real estate. If you are a parent contemplating a move to the Lake Norman area I'm sure you are also anxious to learn as much as possible about the various schools before you make a decision if or where to purchase a home. Thanks to … (6 comments)
In addtion to my regular quarterly Lake Norman sales analysis which provides an overview of the quarter's sales, I also do an analysis by price range which will enable both buyers and sellers better understand their specific niche.
Lake Norman 4th Quarter Sales Analysis By Price Range:
This chart provides you with a number of ways to analyze our Lake Norman home sales:
Compare the percentage of the properties sold by price range to the percentage of the actives. Example: Properties listed between $300,000 - $399,000 were 20.15% of the sales in the 4th quarter but represent only 12.55% of our active listing inventory. This is a … (0 comments)
lake norman real estate: Lake Norman Real Estate 4th Quarter Sales Analysis:
- 01/02/08 09:19 AM
Real estate is in the news just about every day. Between the national decline in sales, the sub-prime mortgage meltdown, increases in foreclosures and tougher mortgage standards, it's been a busy time for real estate. I doubt that the fact that we are in a buyers market in Lake Norman is surprising to you. However, once again, I must quote the saying "all real estate is local" and take it one step further. Lake Norman real estate has pockets of strengths and weaknesses as well as overall trends and it is very important to be armed with this specific information when pricing your Lake Norman home … (2 comments)
Everywhere you turn, there is yet another perspective, debate or article on housing, mortgages and the economy. Just look at our local news. The headline in today's Charlotte Observer: Banks warn of more mortgage pain ahead; BofA, Wachovia brace for mounting loan defaults, losses tied to bad debt. A small article to the left: A push to disclose agents' bonuses is a follow-up to an article I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. Several days ago The Charlotte Observer had a story entitled "New suburbs in fast decay...Foreclosures in starter neighborhoods lead to vacancies and crime" which was a part of a series on … (5 comments)
I recently read an article by Bernice Ross in Inman News entitled: Avoiding a relocation nightmare. It brought a smile to my face because I could tell that, like me, she was also used to housing issues common in California and seemed truly alarmed by all of the unexpected things she encountered while building a new home in what I'm guessing was the Southeastern part of the country. It's amazing to me how truly different the home-buying experience is throughout our country. When my husband and I moved to Mooresville our Realtor didn't even begin to educate us about all of the differences and things we needed to consider; probably because … (3 comments)
Three months ago I wrote Lake Norman Home Sales: Are We Swimming in the Number of Homes for Sale? It was prompted by a very negative headline in the Charlotte Observer's Business Section about our housing slump. So, what have we learned in the past three months? According to three news articles today: "Odds rise for economic recession" "...there is a 45% chance that the U.S. Economy will spiral toward a recession in 2008 as real estate foreclosures and gasoline costs continue to escalate, according to economist Ken Rosen.";or "Home prices rise in 33 states since September 2006" which takes the glass half-full perspective and … (3 comments)
The Crescent Homes' communities including their newest at Falls Cove, plus Sailview in Denver, The Point and The Farms in Mooresville and The Peninsula in Cornelius are some of the most beautiful in Lake Norman; offering exceptional amenities and community activities. I just received this update on the specifics of all of their available homes. If you are just thinking about relocating to Lake Norman perusing these links will give you a better idea of what the more upscale communites offer.
Homes on the Rise at Falls CoveConstruction at Falls Cove is continuing at full force. Currently, 16 homes are under way and all are in the … (5 comments)
I have refrained from making any hard core predictions or gross generalities about our Lake Norman real estate market until I truly had enough evidence to provide well founded guidance to both buyers and sellers. Today was the "Perfect Storm" of data that has prompted me to go out on a limb and give you specific advice based upon my October sales analysis, interest rates, national economic indicators and interviews with some of the leaders of the real estate industry.
For Lake Norman Buyers: It is now time to buy. Why? Interest rates have dipped below 6.0%! The Federal Reserve dropped their target rate by .25 … (11 comments)
lake norman real estate: Virginia Tech and Fido; How a cover letter can make or break an offer!
- 10/26/07 06:09 AM
I remember in the good old days when we buyer's agents would actually sit down with the sellers and their agent around their dining room table and personally present the purchase offer. We would explain how wonderful our clients were, how well qualified, and the terms of the offer. Only twice was I actually asked to leave because of a low offer!
As technology improved and sales trends changed, that practice disappeared; replaced by a fax or an email. The buyers and their agents were usually complete strangers. At the height of the market in my Pasadena area when we got up to 60 offers on … (17 comments)
Dear Potential Sellers in Lake Norman, If you are considering listing your property in the next 6 months, it is extremely important that you not only know the current status of our local Lake Norman real estate market, but what to consider before listing your property and finally what you and your Realtor should do to prepare and market your property in this current market.
General Overview of the Current Lake Norman Real Estate Market
There is simply no doubt that we are now, and have been since late spring, in a buyers market. The number of active listings around the Lake Norman Area … (16 comments)
I have always thought of Cornelius as the older sister to Mooresville since it was targeted by Crescent Homes for its first luxury lake front residential community, The Peninsula (with 11 miles of shoreline on Lake Norman), about ten years before The Point in Mooresville. 
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