Union County Real Estate Talk

A drive through the country brings you to Fairhaven, but city conveniences are so close.

Fairhaven is a Charlotte neighborhood located in the Union County small town of Stallings.  Two interchanges with I-485 are within minutes as are shopping centers and historic downtown Matthews.  Surrounded by farms and woodlands, Fairhaven will make you feel like you’re still in the country.

Fairhaven is a great neighborhood to find an affordable new home.  Construction in the neighborhood began in 2006 and continues today.  Built on small easy-to-maintain lots, Fairhaven’s homes include both ranches and two-story homes.  The neighborhood includes a swimming pool and a playground.  A town park with picnic facilities and a sports field is adjacent to the community.  A recently-built elementary school is just a mile away.

Click the link below to get more information about Fairhaven, its builders, its community amenities, the 2011 real estate market, and its schools.

Fairhaven—Neighborhood Information and Homes for Sale

Watch a video tour of the Fairhaven neighborhood.

Click here to see Fairhaven homes for sale.

Click here to receive a free market evaluation of your Fairhaven home.

Copyright 2012.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors. *Charlotte Neighborhoods—Fairhaven*

Mint Hill NC Homes for Sale--13927 Jonathans Ridge Road

Do you dream of a beautiful home in a magnificent wooded setting?  How about a place where you can tinker in your workshop?  Do you want to live in a tranquil spot in a small town?

If so, you may be dreaming of 13927 Jonathans Ridge Road in Mint Hill NC.  This brick home sits among beautiful hardwood trees on almost an acre.  It includes an oversized attached two-car garage plus a detached one-car garage with workshop.

Learn more about this wonderful Mint Hill NC home for sale... 

Discover the wooded setting of your dreams. Magnificent trees shelter this custom home and provide shady spaces for relaxation and play. The end-of-the street location ensures tranquility

A spacious great room with crown molding is the heart of the home. Entertaining can flow outside through French doors that open to the deck overlooking the backyard.

Granite countertops and a tile backsplash dress up the spacious kitchen. Sunny windows brighten the corner where the stainless sink and dishwasher are located. Grab a bite to eat or prepare food at the island.

Cabinetry lining three walls of the kitchen includes a workstation. You can move easily from the kitchen to the great room in this open floor plan. Crown and chair rail molding plus the pretty staircase with wooden treads add interest to the area.

In the breakfast room, a deep bay area with multiple windows provides wonderful views of the backyard. Space for grilling and dining are just outside the atrium door to the deck.

A versatile room on the first floor is currently used for an office. Picture other uses for this room such as a playroom or hobby room.

A cathedral ceiling and Palladian window add to the spacious feel of the very generous master bedroom. The room has abundant wallspace and is large enough for a seating area.

The master bath is a place for luxury. It includes a whirlpool tub tucked under a faux glass block window, his and hers vanities with sinks, a marble shower, a water closet and tile flooring.

Two roomy secondary bedrooms and a hall bath complete the upstairs of the house. One bedroom has access to the hall bath. Pull-down stairs lead to floored attic space over this area.

A huge bonus room with Palladian window is the fourth upstairs room. It is accessed by a staircase from the main level of the home. There is walk-in storage off the bonus as well as "under-the-eaves" storage.

Garage space is plentiful here. A 24'x29' attached two-car garage includes a workbench and shelving. A 21'x25' brick detached garage has workshop space as well. The workbench in the detached garage remains. A staircase leads to overhead storage.

A 31'x16' deck wrapping around the back of the house provides space for dining, grilling, or just relaxing and watching the birds

See a virtual tour of 13927 Jonathans Ridge Road.

Get more information about real estate and living in Mint Hill NC.  Visit www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving.com

Copyright 2012.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Mint Hill NC Homes for Sale--13927 Jonathans Ridge Road*

Did you ever run out of hot water at your house and wonder why?

Here is an interesting post about water heaters from a Tennessee home inspector.  He includes a guide for calculating how large a water heater should be. 

This is a great post for anyone buying a home.

The 2011 Union County NC Real Estate Market—Seven Facts

It's time to look at the real estate market in Union County NC and to assess how home buyers and home sellers fared in 2011.

Here are seven facts about the Union County marketplace in 2011.

• The number of single family homes sold rose above the units sold in 2009 and 2010 but remained below 2008 sales.
• The median sales price for single family homes in 2011 continued to drop.  At $189,000, it was 5.5% lower than the median price in 2010 and 12.9% lower than in 2008.
• Fewer townhomes and condos sold in 2011 than in any of the previous three years. 
• The median sales price for townhomes in 2011 was $113,500, also lower than the median sale price of previous years.
• A quarter of Union County’s home sales in 2011 were distressed sales.
• Eighteen percent of all home sales were new construction in 2011.
• Of Union County’s small towns, only Wesley Chapel, Stallings, and Indian Trail saw increases in the median sales price of home sold in 2011.

What do these seven facts mean for Union County buyers and sellers?

• The large number of foreclosures and short sales in 2011 likely exerted a downward pressure on the median sales price in most parts of Union County.
• Sellers of townhomes and condos face a continuing decline of demand for their homes and resulting drop in prices.
• With new construction at almost 20% of the market, Union County is a good place to find a new home to purchase.
• Union County homes are more affordable than ever.

Want to learn more about the real estate market in Union County and see all the numbers for each of the past four years? Want to know how Union County’s small towns fared in 2011? Click on the link below.

Union County NC Real Estate Market Report—Year 2011

Copyright 2012. Carol Fox. Allen Tate Realtors. *The 2011 Union County NC Real Estate Market—Seven Facts*

The 2011 Mint Hill NC Real Estate Market—Four Facts

It's time to look at the real estate market in Mint Hill NC and to assess how home buyers and home sellers fared in 2011.

Here are four facts about the Mint Hill marketplace in 2011.

1. The Mint Hill single family real estate market has experienced a steep decline in prices since 2008 with the median price in 2011 over 30% below the median price in 2008.
2. The number of single family homes sold in 2011 was slightly above 2009 levels but approximately 11% below 2010.
3. Townhome prices also declined in 2011 dropping almost 8% below 2010 prices.
4. Distressed sales made up approximately 35% of all sales in Mint Hill in 2011.

What do these four facts mean for Mint Hill buyers and sellers?

• Mint Hill home sellers are feeling the impact of the large number of foreclosures and short sales in the steep price declines over the past four years.
• Home buyers will find the Mint Hill market to be very affordable.

Want to learn more about the real estate market in Mint Hill and see all the numbers for each of the past four years? Want to know where the most active Mint Hill neighborhoods were in 2011? Click on the link below.

Mint Hill NC Real Estate Market Report—Year 2011

Copyright 2012. Carol Fox. Allen Tate Realtors. *The 2011 Mint Hill NC Real Estate Market—Four Facts*

The 2011 Matthews NC Real Estate Market—Five Facts

It's time to look at the real estate market in Matthews NC and to assess how home buyers and home sellers fared in 2011.

Here are five facts about the Matthews marketplace in 2011.

1. The single family market in Matthews improved last year over each of the previous two years with 6.9% more homes sold than in 2010.
2. The median sales price was up slightly over 2010 and up 6% over 2009.
3. Matthews’ townhome market has declined every year since 2008.  The median sales price of townhomes has been at the $160,000 level for the past two years, substantial decline from median sales prices over $225,000 in 2008 and 2009.
4. There is still new construction to be found in Matthews at around 11% of the marketplace.
5. Distressed sales accounted for approximately 25% of the 2011 market.

What do these five facts mean for Matthews buyers and sellers?

• It is a much better marketplace for single family home sellers in Matthews than for townhome sellers.
• In spite of the improving single family market, Matthews is still a very affordable place for home buyers.
• Home buyers can find a few new home neighborhoods in which to purchase.

Want to learn more about the real estate market in Matthews and see all the numbers for each of the past four years? Want to know where the most active Matthews neighborhoods were in 2011? Click on the link below.

Matthews NC Real Estate Market Report—Year 2011

Copyright 2012. Carol Fox. Allen Tate Realtors. *The 2011 Matthews NC Real Estate Market—Five Facts*

The 2011 Stallings NC Real Estate Market—Four Facts

It's time to look at the real estate market in Stallings NC and to assess how home buyers and home sellers fared in 2011.

Here are four facts about the Stallings marketplace in 2011.

1. The median sales price of single family homes in Stallings has improved slightly each of the past three years over the previous year.  Down 12.3% from the 2008 median price, the 2011 median price in Stallings was $199,495.
2. Townhome median prices in Stallings have declined each year since 2008 with the 2011 median sales price at $114,000.
3. Distressed sales accounted for only 16% of all sales in 2011.
4. New construction accounted for only 2% of all sales in 2011.

What do these four facts mean for Stallings buyers and sellers?

• Single family real estate prices have been stable the past few years, perhaps signaling a bottom in the Stallings market.
• Townhome prices appear to be continuing their downward trend making it difficult for townhome owners to sell.
• Home buyers can find good values in the Stallings real estate market, especially in the townhome sector.
• The resale market in Stallings appears fairly healthy with little competition from new homes or distressed sales.

Want to learn more about the real estate market in Stallings and see all the numbers for each of the past four years? Want to know where the most active Stallings neighborhoods were in 2011? Click on the link below.

Stallings NC Real Estate Market Report—Year 2011

Copyright 2012. Carol Fox. Allen Tate Realtors. *The 2011 Stallings NC Real Estate Market—Four Facts*

Walk your children to school from Brookhaven.

Brookhaven, a Charlotte neighborhood in Union County, is next door to Antioch Elementary School.  Three villages make up this 500-home neighborhood of Craftsman-style two-stories and larger brick luxury homes.  Heated area of the homes can be as low as 3000 square feet and go over 5000 square feet in the larger homes.  Some basement homes are available.

Brookhaven amenities are the heart of the neighborhood.  A 7000 square foot Residents Club has meeting, lounging, media and kitchen facilities.  An Aquatics Park offers a water slide, a lazy river and water geysers.  Pathways through the neighborhood’s wooded common areas offer places for walking, running and bicycling.

Brookhaven’s villages are located in Indian Trail or Weddington.  Its location near South Charlotte and Matthews give residents plenty of opportunties for shopping, restaurants and community festivals.

Click the link below to get more information about Brookhaven, its builders, its community amenities, the 2011 real estate market, and its schools.

Brookhaven—Neighborhood Information and Homes for Sale

Watch a video tour of the Brookhaven neighborhood.

Click here to see Brookhaven homes for sale.

Click here to receive a free market evaluation of your Brookhaven home.

Copyright 2012.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors. *Charlotte Neighborhoods—Brookhaven*

"Are there basement homes in Charlotte?" 

If you ask me that question, I know that you are probably from somewhere up north where the cold winds blow, the snow piles up and the ground freezes.  Your home probably has one of those holes in the ground called a basement where you send the kids to play.

The answer to your question is "yes, there are basement homes in Charlotte".  But not every home has one and you are more likely to find a basement in one of the higher priced homes than in the modestly-priced homes.  Charlotte's basements tend to be "daylight basements" that are built into the side of a hill.

So, where can you find basement homes in Charlotte?

Click on the link below to learn more about Charlotte's basement homes and to see a list of neighborhoods where you might find one.

Charlotte Relocation--Where Can I Find a Basement Home?

Want to know more about real estate and living in Charlotte?  Request a free Charlotte relocation package.

Copyright 2012.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Are There Basement Homes in Charlotte?*

The 2011 Indian Trail NC Real Estate Market—Four Facts

It's time to look at the real estate market in Indian Trail NC and to assess how home buyers and home sellers fared in 2011.

Here are four facts about the Indian Trail marketplace in 2011.

1. The real estate market improved in 2011 over 2010 with more homes sold and fewer days on market.
2. The median single family sales price was up less than 1% over 2010 but down significantly from 2008 and 2009.
3. Very few townhomes sold in Indian Trail in 2011.
4. Approximately a quarter of 2011 sales were new construction and a quarter were distressed sales.

What do these four facts mean for Indian Trail buyers and sellers?

• The nearly equal median sales price of the past two years may mean that Indian Trail prices have bottomed.
• Buyers may find Indian Trail a good place to find affordable new homes.
• With resales representing only half of the market, Indian Trail sellers face competition from new homes and distressed sales.

Want to learn more about the real estate market in Indian Trail and see all the numbers for each of the past four years? Want to know where the most active Indian Trail neighborhoods were in 2011? Click on the link below.

Indian Trail NC Real Estate Market Report—Year 2011

Copyright 2012. Carol Fox. Allen Tate Realtors. *The 2011 Indian Trail NC Real Estate Market—Four Facts*