Realtor Thursday

A conversation with Debe Maxwell, Realtor®/Broker, from Savvy + Company Real Estate, Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

Our Downtown, now known as ‘Uptown,’ is home to two of the largest banks in America, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, making Charlotte second only to New York City in the financial arena. Charlotte is the 25th largest Television and Radio market in the nation, the 9th largest new home market and 5th largest city with regards to the number of Fortune 500 Companies headquartered right here in our Queen City. Although we are known as a financial center, we are quickly rising in status as one of the nation’s top energy hubs, yet our largest employer of over 50,000 Charlotteans, is Carolinas Healthcare System.

 

 

 

 

 

 

City Facts

1. Charlotte Metro Population: 1,771,000

2. Median Age: 32.7 years, accounting for a large population of college students and entry-level financial and healthcare related jobs

3. Major Industries: Financial services, Healthcare, Motorsports, Energy

4. Median Household Income: $51,731

5. Median Home Price: $189,600

6. Unemployment: 10.3%

7. Job Growth: +4.0% (projected 5.7% by 2013)

8. Cost of Living: Right at the national average

 

History

Charlotte was founded in 1769 during the gold rush and was named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George, III of England. Her birthplace was Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Germany for which Charlotte’s county was named (Mecklenburg). Built upon the crossroads of two highly traveled trading paths, Trade and Tryon Streets, now considered the center of the city,

intersecting in the Uptown area.

Lifestyle

Charlotte is full of new life–many relocation clients move here because of job transfers, others come here because of the lifestyle opportunities available in the Queen City. Charlotte offers downtown, urban, in-town, suburban and even equestrian lifestyles in nearby Waxhaw. Many of Charlotte’s in-town communities are filled with historic homes, giving those who love older, remodeled homes and close proximity to the city, everything they could ever want!

If you’re into the country club lifestyle, lake living, golfing communities or equestrian communities, Charlotte’s got it! If you’re single, married with families or even looking to retire in a city filled with variety, you’ve come to the right place!

Real Estate in the Area

Home styles vary as much as lifestyle opportunities in Charlotte. Charlotte is a fascinating city with something for everyone–from urban to suburban and everything in between. Those relocating to the Queen City have a wide variety of choices, from Uptown’s vibrant vertical lifestyle to single family homes on large lots out in the Weddington and Waxhaw

areas.

Uptown is home to many mid- and high-rise condominiums, which afford their owners the luxury of walking to their uptown offices and enjoying the Uptown amenities that are like no other downtown in the nation.

 

Condo living is popular in many areas of the city, as are single family homes, from starter to luxurious homes in areas such as in-town’s historic Myers Park, Eastover and Foxcroft as well as South Charlotte’s Ballantyne and Blakeney areas. If you’re looking for craftsman style homes, you’ll find these in Charlotte’s first streetcar suburb, Dilworth as well as Elizabeth, Plaza-Midwood and NoDa (North Davidson).

 

Just to the south of Myers Park, you’ll find North Carolina’s largest live/work community in SouthPark, which is also the city’s largest shopping area. SouthPark is home to some of the most upscale shops in the city including Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. SouthPark also boasts some of Charlotte’s most elite communities including, Quail Hollow (home the the Wachovia Championship) and Morrocroft, a lovely gated community with great walkability in the SouthPark area.

Farther south, you’ll find another gorgeous gated community, Heydon Hall as well as the small towns of Pineville, Matthews, Marvin, Wesley Chapel, Weddington and Waxhaw, where you’ll find the gorgeous Longview Country Club. South Charlotte’s gem, Ballantyne, features a lovely resort south of I-485 and popular Ballantyne Country Club.

 

Lake Wylie (located in South Carolina), a popular south Charlotte lake community, is one of 3 lakes in the Charlotte area where its residents benefit from low SC taxes great waterfront properties and offers a variety of home styles at a variety of price points.

Mountain Island Lake, the closest to the Uptown area, is the smaller of the 3 lakes but, offers more affordable lake living in a wide variety of communities. Lake Norman, the city’s largest man-made lake (technically the Catawba River), boasts great golf course and lake front communities located in several towns including Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius and Mooresville.

Lake Norman to Waxhaw or South Carolina’s Fort Mill and Lake Wylie areas and everything in between, there is something for you in the Charlotte Metro region that is sure to spark your interest.

Attractions

From the hustle-bustle of our vibrant Uptown center to the quaint main streets of Davidson (home to Davidson College), Matthews and Waxhaw, visitors and those relocating to the area not only find plenty of attractions but, have a difficult time deciding which ones to savor during their time in Charlotte.

 

Charlotte’s Uptown boasts popular Discovery Place, Imaginon and the Blumenthal Center for the Performing Arts. Charlotte is also home to the Carolina Panther NFL team with games played in the Uptown’s Bank of America Stadium as well as the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, who play in the Timewarner Cable Arena, also located in Uptown.

There are a multitude restaurants in the Charlotte area including Capital Grille, Mickey & Mooch, Ruth’s Chris, Morton’s, The Palm and McCormick & Schmick’s as well as the Johnson & Wales University, Culinary Arts Institute which brings a whole host of variety and spice to the city.

Other activities you will find in or near the city include our National Whitewater Rafting Center, with miles of mountain biking trails, a plethora of local parks from which to choose, the Mecklenburg Aquatic Centers, many YMCA facilities and more restaurants and shopping than you can imagine!

The Real Estate Market

Real estate market values in Charlotte were not affected initially as the rest of the nation; in fact, we felt a bit too protected in the beginning of the nation’s recessionary period, with few distressed properties absorbed and relatively stable sales prices. During the last two years, Charlotte residents have realized that we weren’t immune to the national recession and have suffered, albeit minimally compared to some larger metropolitan areas, an approximate 20% loss in value.

Because of new businesses constantly moving into the city, our real estate market continues to experience multiple offer situations in properly priced homes that are in updated condition in preferred locations across the city. Average days on market for single-family properties is approximately 120 days. We routinely compare the Charlotte real estate market data to share with the consumer to better prepare buyers for making informed Offers on Charlotte real estate and setting appropriate listing prices for our sellers.

Thinking of Living in Charlotte?

If you’re thinking of relocating to the Charlotte area, you’ll enjoy a city that not only boasts four-seasons but, more to do than you’ll ever be able to do! With so many Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the area, transferring employees in and out of the city, the Queen City has very few ‘native Charlotteans.‘ Instead, you’ll be graciously welcomed by residents who have proudly adopted Charlotte as their new hometown!

About the Author

I am a full-time REALTOR®, personally specializing in luxury home sales in the Charlotte NC real estate market. Our team of agents specializes in client representation including first time home buyers, condos and townhomes as well as single family home sales and marketing in a variety of areas. Buyers are screened for lifestyle and neighborhood needs and assigned to a member of our team who fits the clients’ specific needs. Agents are highly pecialized in the area(s) of interest to the client–not simply handed out in round-robin fashion! This level of detail is optimal for those relocating to the Charlotte area and our clients rave about the quality of knowledge, guidance and customer service which they receive from Savvy + Company Real Estate.

Contact Debe Maxwell, CRS, Realtor®/Broker

Savvy + Company Real Estate

License No: 228209

Mobile/Office: (704) 491-3310

Fax: (704) 353-7014

e-Mail: Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com

Website: http://www.iCharlotteRealEstate.com

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This guest post is part of our Realtor Thursday Series. We invite realtors and real estate professionals from towns and cities all over the country, big or small, to participate. Our goal is to “travel” to as many towns as we can in every state. Every town is unique and wonderful to our readers. If you would like to showcase your town, your neighbors and your talents as a realtor, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com .