Special offer

Lake Norman Real Estate: How "Walkable" is your neighborhood?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with LKN Realty, LLC 242267

How walkable is your neighborhood?

One of the most frequent questions I get from home buyers planning a move to the Lake Norman area is "how far is that home from shopping?"  Keeping in mind that for the most part, the closer you are to living on the actual shoreline of Lake Norman the farther you are from most restaurants and shopping, most of my clients would like to be within about 15 minutes of at least a full-service grocery store.

Considering there is about 520 miles of shoreline on Lake Norman, explaining the proximity to shopping for each property can be difficult....until now!

I just learned about a really cool new site:  WalkScore.com  All you have to do is type in a specific address at the top and it will not only provide you with a "Walk Score" from 1-100,  but it also provides a map and lists the closest:

  • Grocery Stores
  • Restaurants
  • Coffee Shops
  • Bars
  • Movie Theaters
  • Schools
  • Parks
  • Libraries
  • Bookstores
  • Fitness
  • Drug Stores
  • Hardware Stores
  • Clothing and Music

I found that sometimes their first choice might not be the best one but if you click on the category a list will drop down of all of the, let's say, coffee shops, in the area and how many miles they are from your home!

Even though most Lake Norman homes may not get high scores for walkability this is still a great tool for finding the closest services to your home.  Enjoy!

 

RELATED ARTICLES

Lake Norman Home Buyers, Stop Searching for Homes!

Lake Norman Relocation Resources

Before buying a Lake Norman Waterfront Home, See it by Boat!

Monika McGillicuddy
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Verani Realty - Hampstead, NH
Southern NH & the Seacoast Area

Very cool tip Diane. I'm going to check out my town! Thanks.

Jan 12, 2009 10:28 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

I love the walk score, I have the widget on Ann ARbor Real Estate Talk. Ann Arbor folks put a high premium on walking as reflected in our price per square feet if you are close to downtown, the U of M. and the "Big House".

Jan 12, 2009 11:24 AM
Terry & Bonnie Westbrook
Westbrook Realty Broker-Owner - Grand Rapids, MI
Westbrook Realty - Grand Rapids Forest Hills MI Re

With energy costs going up and the need for exercise we all should consider walking more I check it out.

Jan 12, 2009 12:32 PM
Joe Jackson
Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty - Columbus, OH
Clintonville and Central Ohio Real Estate Expert

WALK SCORE IS GREAT! It's linked on my web site!

Jan 12, 2009 12:47 PM
Debe Maxwell, CRS
Savvy + Company (704) 491-3310 - Charlotte, NC
The RIGHT CHARLOTTE REALTOR!

Hi Diane!  I LOVE WalkScore.com and my clients do too!  Funny too, that most of our clients are looking for nearby shopping, isn't it?  We live in an area full of shop-a-holics, don't we?!

Debe in Charlotte

Jan 12, 2009 02:26 PM
Tony Orefice
NorthGroup Real Estate/www.TonyORealtor.com - Concord, NC
Realtor- Cabarrus County, NC

It's always good to have links like this to provide to our clients. Thank you!

Jan 12, 2009 02:53 PM
Diane Aurit
LKN Realty, LLC - Mooresville, NC
Lake Norman Real Estate

Monika:  Thanks!

Missy:  Leave it to you to be way ahead of me...great idea!

Terry:  It really is a great tool!

Joe:  Great job!

Debe:  Yes, although at the "lake" most are also looking for serenity and nature.  But this tools gives them a sense of what is closer so it works for everyone!

Tony: You are welcome!

Jan 13, 2009 01:34 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Diane, I am going to love that site!  It's very helpful to use as a tool but also for me because I so often work in NYC and try to decide how far it is from the station...whether to walk (my preferred method) or take a cab.  This is going to be something your clients and many others will use.

Jan 13, 2009 10:51 AM