Union County Real Estate Talk

The 2011 Weddington NC Real Estate Market—Four Facts

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

Here are four facts about the Weddington marketplace in 2011.

• The number of homes sold was the same as the number sold in 2010 and more than units sold in 2008 or 2009.
• The median sales price of $412,500 continued declining in 2011, down 13.1% from 2010 and off 27.3% since 2008.
• New construction accounted for only 11% of all sales in 2011.
• Distressed sales made up a quarter of the 2011 market.

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

1. The luxury home market continues to suffer from the lack of new homes being built and the impact of distressed sales on pricing.
2. Home buyers in Weddington can find some of the best values ever in this small town.

Want to learn more about the real estate market in Weddington and see all the numbers for each of the past four years?  Click on the link below.

Weddington NC Real Estate Market Report—Year 2011

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

Lawson, a Charlotte neighborhood where history is preserved.

Lawson doesn’t have historical houses.  It’s the land itself where Lawson lies among 500 acres of rolling woodlands that has a history.  In 1701, an English naturalist named John Lawson followed an ancient trail of the Waxhaw Indians to discover the area.  In the mid-1700s, a thriving settlement was located here where five roads met at Five Forks.  The land was also the site of a 19th century mill called Howard’s Mill.

These historical sites are preserved in Lawson’s common areas, which encompass nearly a third of this master-planned community.  Miles of walking and hiking trails weave through the common areas for residents to enjoy.  The working water wheel and building of the community clubhouse evoke Howard’s Mill.

Lawson residents can enjoy its history and natural sites while living in newer homes.  Started in 2005, Lawson has several villages completed and a new builder has announced plans for three new villages in 2012.  The neighborhood has a great location off Cuthbertson Road in the small Union County NC town of Waxhaw NC.  Waxhaw is a twenty minute drive from Charlotte’s southern edge.

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

Lawson—Neighborhood Information and Homes for Sale

Watch a video tour of the Lawson neighborhood.

Click here to see Lawson homes for sale.

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

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

Millbridge, a great place to find a new home in a master-planned community.

Charlotte’s only covered bridge to welcome you into the community.  An amenity center with a 12,000 square foot clubhouse, two pools and an airnasium.  A nearby town park with sports fields.  A recently-built elementary school within walking distance.

Millbridge is a Charlotte neighborhood where the amenities were built before the homes.  With about 200 homes currently finished in the neighborhood, Millbridge will eventually include 2000 homes.  Five builders are currently building in the neighborhood.  Homes can be as small as 1500 square feet or as large as 4000 square feet.  Ninety percent of the 2011 sales in Millbridge were new construction.

Millbridge is located in the small town of Waxhaw.  Waxhaw is a historic town with quaint shops, a farmers market and a number of community festivals.  The town is about a twenty minute drive from the southern edge of Charlotte.

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

Millbridge—Neighborhood Information and Homes for Sale

Click here to see Millbridge homes for sale.

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

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

Brighton Park, a great walkable neighborhood with big front porches and gingerbread trim.

Do you like the idea of living in a Charlotte neighborhood where every home has a big front porch and there are sidewalks and parks where residents can meet and gather?  If so, you might love living in Brighton Park, a newer compact neighborhood in the heart of Mint Hill NC.  Mint Hill is a small, low-density town on Charlotte’s eastern edge.  Brighton Park was designed to add vitality to Mint Hill’s downtown.

You can find a cottage, a bungalow or a traditional two-story home in Brighton Park.  Garages face rear alleys so the neighborhood retains its traditional feel.  If you prefer an attached townhome, three-story units are available as well.

A community shopping center anchors one corner of Brighton Park.  The neighborhood is very conducive to walking to the store for a loaf of bread or eating lunch at one of the restaurants at the shopping center.

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

Brighton Park—Neighborhood Information and Homes for Sale

Watch a video tour of the Brighton Park neighborhood.

Click here to see Brighton Park homes for sale.

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

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

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*