Union County Real Estate Talk

"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?*

Moving to Charlotte NC?  Here's How to Register Your Car and Get Your License

Are you a newcomer to Charlotte and North Carolina?  Your head is probably spinning from all the details of your move and all the things you need to do to get settled in. 

You've closed on your new home and unpacked the boxes.   What should you think about next?

It's time to register your car and other vehicles and get your North Carolina driver's license.  How much time do you have to take care of these tasks?  You should register your vehicles within thirty days of establishing residency.  You have sixty days to get your driver's license.

Click on the link below for answers to frequently asked questions about the licensing process in North Carolina.

Charlotte NC Relocation--How do I Get My Driver's License and Register My Car?

Want to know more about moving to Charlotte NC?  Request a free Charlotte NC relocation package.

Copyright 2011.  Carol Fox. Allen Tate Realtors.  *Moving to Charlotte NC?  Here's How to Register Your Car and Get Your License*

2011-11-30

Charlotte NC Gets Chiquita Banana Corporate Headquarters

Chiquita Banana announced yesterday that it will move its corporate headquarters to Charlotte NC.  The company estimates that it will relocate approximately 200 jobs to our fair city with another 200 jobs becoming available.

Those of us who live in Charlotte are not surprised that Chiquita Banana chose Charlotte for its new headquarters.  We know that Charlotte is a destination city for newcomers from all over the country and that more people move into Charlotte every year than move out.

Why not?  Charlotte has a mild four season climate, a bustling arts and sports scene, affordable housing in beautiful neighborhoods and some great schools.  Apparently, our airport with its 700 daily flights and numerous international flights was very attractive to Chiquita Banana executives who travel extensively.

Chiquita Banana joins more than 200 other firms in the Charlotte area who have 500 or more employees.  Charlotte is home to eight Fortune 500 companies.

Learn more about Charlotte’s employers.  Charlotte NC Relocation—Where Will I Find a Job?

Want to know more about moving to Charlotte NC?  Request a free Charlotte NC relocation package.

Copyright 2011.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Charlotte NC Gets Chiquita Banana Corporate Headquarters*

2011-11-15

Charlotte NC Relocation—What Type of Exterior Siding is on the Homes?

I often work with Charlotte NC newcomers who are not familiar with the variety of materials used on the exteriors of homes here.  They may be relocating from a part of the country where homes are built predominately with one material, such as wood or stucco.  As we tour Charlotte homes, I find that I must give lessons on the exterior materials used and the pros and cons of each type.

Here is a short guide to help newcomers to learn about the exteriors on Charlotte homes.

Brick

Also called brick veneer, brick has been the favored siding material in Charlotte for decades.  You’ll find brick homes in the older sections of the city as well as the newer more expensive neighborhoods.  Because it is more expensive that other forms of siding, newer homes in the moderate price ranges aren’t likely to be built with brick.  The great benefit of brick homes is that they are relatively maintenance-free and the exterior is very durable.

Vinyl

Most moderately-priced homes in Charlotte today are built with vinyl siding.  Made of a durable plastic, vinyl siding is a relatively low-maintenance product requiring power washing occasionally to remove dirt and mildew.  If not installed correctly, vinyl siding can warp and crack.  You’ll find vinyl siding in neighborhoods built since the 1990s.

Hardboard Siding

Used extensively on homes built in the late 1970s through the 1980s, hardboard siding is a material made of compressed wood by-products.  This type of siding is prone to deterioration unless installed correctly to avoid water intrusion and painted every five or six years.  A home with hardboard siding warrants close inspection to see that the material has been maintained well by previous owners.

Fiber Cement Siding

Fiber cement siding is a new material used on more expensive homes to give a “wood home” look.  The materials used to create this siding are sand, cement and cellulose fibers.  It won’t rot and is very durable.  It’s considered to be a low-maintenance material.  It needs to be painted but only every 10 to 15 years.  It is a heavy material and does need to be installed correctly.

Wood

Wood siding is used less than other kinds of exterior materials.  You’ll find wood houses primarily in neighborhoods built during the 1970s and into the 1980s.  It was used to provide a “contemporary” look during that period.  The great negatives of wood siding are its high maintenance need for frequent painting and lower durability.

Stucco

Stucco has been used in Charlotte on upscale homes since the 1980s.  There are two types of stucco:  hard coat and synthetic.  Hard coat stucco is a cement product while synthetic stucco is a watertight product.  Homes built with synthetic stucco in the late 1980s and early 1990s often had moisture problems because no drainage system was installed to let water behind the siding escape.  These homes should have special stucco inspections and a regular maintenance program.  Synthetic stucco on newer homes has been installed differently and has fewer problems.

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

Copyright 2011.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Charlotte NC Relocation—What Type of Exterior Siding is on the Homes?*

Charlotte NC Relocation—Where Will I Find a Job?

Where are the jobs in Charlotte NC?  Who are Charlotte’s largest employers?  What types of jobs are available in Charlotte?

If you are considering a move to the Charlotte area, you may be wondering about where you will find work.  This article will outline some of the basics about the Charlotte NC job market.  This information comes from the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce website.

Where are Charlotte’s jobs and what employment sectors are strong in the city?

Charlotte is located within Mecklenburg County, which is the hub of the Charlotte region.  Mecklenburg County has more than 73% of the approximately 727,000 jobs in the region.  The business sectors with the most jobs in Mecklenburg County are finance and insurance (48,585 jobs), retail trade (53,264 jobs), wholesale trade (32,931 jobs), manufacturing (29,734 jobs), and information (18,353 jobs).

Who are Charlotte’s largest employers?

According to a 2010 Chamber of Commerce survey, there are 282 firms employing 500 or more people in the Charlotte area.  Five organizations have 10,000 or more employees.  They are Carolinas Healthcare System, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Walmart.  ADECCO Staffing, City of Charlotte, Duke Energy, Food Lion, Lowe’s, North Carolina State Government, Presbyterian Hospital, US Airways and the US Postal Service all have between 5,000 and 10,000 employees.  Click here for a link to a list of Charlotte’s largest employers.

Charlotte is home to eight Fortune 500 headquarters, ranking sixth in the country for the number of Fortune 500 companies.  Charlotte’s Fortune 500 headquarters include Bank of America (banking), Lowe’s (retail), Duke Energy (utilities), Nucor (metals), Family Dollar (retail), Goodrich Corp. (aerospace and defense), Sonic Automotive (automotive retailing), and SPX (electronics).

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

Copyright 2011.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Charlotte NC Relocation—Where Will I Find a Job?*

Property Taxes in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Union County NC—A Comparison

Charlotte NC home buyers often ask me to compare the property taxes in Charlotte versus Union County NC and its small towns.  Everyone has heard that taxes are lower outside Charlotte.  Are they really lower?  If so, by how much?

It’s July and counties and municipalities have just completed the process of adopting their budgets and setting the tax rate to fund those budgets for the coming year.  Using the new tax rates, let’s compare property taxes for three cities in Mecklenburg County with some of Union County’s towns.  The numbers in the tables below represent the property taxes on a property with an assessed value of $200,000.

Mecklenburg County Taxes for a $200,000 Home

Union County Taxes for a $200,000 Home

It should be noted that a property’s annual tax bill may include other fees, such as fire district fees and storm water fees.  Charlotte NC home buyers moving from out of state often ask if there is a school tax in addition to the property taxes.  This answer is no.  County taxes pay for the schools.

If you are comparing the property taxes in various towns and cities, you should also look at what services you will receive from the local government.  While property taxes in Mecklenburg County include garbage pickup, some of the areas in Union County do not.  If you live in unincorporated Union County or Weddington or Wesley Chapel, for example, you will need to contract with a private garbage hauler for garbage pickup.  The Mecklenburg towns have their own police departments while only some of the Union County towns have a police department.

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

Copyright 2011.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Property Taxes in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Union County NC—A Comparison*

Charlotte NC Property Taxes—What You Need to Know

Considering a move to Charlotte NC?  If so, you are probably interested in property taxes in Charlotte and the surrounding areas.  Here are some questions that newcomers to Charlotte ask me about taxes in the area.

How are property taxes calculated in Charlotte NC?

Property taxes are calculated by adding the county tax rate and the city tax rate plus the tax rates for any special tax districts that apply to a particular property.   This combined tax rate is multiplied times each $100 of a property’s assessed value to determine the year’s tax bill.  The tax rates are set every June by the city and county governments.

How much would I pay in taxes for a home assessed at $200,000 in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County area?

The 2009 tax rate for Charlotte is $1.2973 per $100.  Matthews and Mint Hill have somewhat lower tax rates at $1.1712 and $1.1137 respectively.  These rates include the Mecklenburg County tax rates.  2009 annual property taxes for a home assessed at $200,000 in these areas are shown in the table below.

How do the property taxes in Union County and its small towns compare with the taxes in Mecklenburg County?

Tax rates in Union County are typically but not always lower than those in Mecklenburg County.  Taxes for a $200,000 home are shown in the following article.  Union County NC Property Taxes—How Much Will You Pay on a $200,000 House?

Will the assessed value of a property change when I purchase it?

No.  The assessed value of a property does not change when ownership transfers.  The assessed value changes when the county decides to do a reassessment of all properties in the county or when you improve the property, such as adding a garage or a swimming pool.

North Carolina requires that counties complete a reassessment at least once every eight years.  They can reassess property more often than that and sometime do so during times of rapidly rising values.  Mecklenburg County is currently going through the reassessment process and new values will be issued for every property in January 2011.  Union County completed its reassessment process in 2008.

Does North Carolina have any homestead exclusions?

Yes, there are homestead exclusions for certain qualifying individuals. 

There is a Low-Income Homestead Exclusion for individuals who are at least 65 years of age or totally and permanently disabled subject to certain income eligibility requirements.  If you qualify, you can receive an exclusion of the taxable value of your residence of either $25,000 or 50%, whichever is greater.

The Disabled Veterans Homestead Exclusion excludes from property taxes the first $45,000 of assessed value.  There is no age or income requirement for this benefit but the veteran must have a 100% total and permanent disability.

Is it possible to defer property taxes in North Carolina?

There is a new “Circuit Breaker” program for deferring property taxes.  This program is available instead of the Homestead Exclusion for the Elderly or Disabled Veterans.  There are income limits of $150% of the income eligibility limit for the Homestead Exemption.  Unlike exclusion, which reduces taxes owed, deferral postpones paying a portion of the taxes due until a future time, such as sale of the property.

What is the income eligibility limit for these property tax exclusion and deferral programs?

Set every year by the NC Department of Revenue, the 2010 income limit for exclusion is $27,100.  The Circuit Breaker deferral limit cannot exceed 150% of this limit.

Want to know more about real estate and living in Charlotte NC?  Click here to request a free Charlotte NC relocation package.

Copyright 2010. Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Charlotte NC Property Taxes—What You Need to Know*

Charlotte NC Ranks Well on Housing/Economic Recovery Lists

Charlotte NC was the golden child of the Carolinas during the 1990s and the boom years after 2000.  Plentiful jobs, reasonable housing prices, low taxes and great weather lead to high growth and prosperity for the Queen City.  The economic slowdown came late to Charlotte but the financial meltdown in the fall of 2008 brought the national economic crisis home.

Have the financial meltdown and the resulting Great Recession knocked Charlotte NC off its golden perch?  Perhaps not.  Forbes Magazine recently published three articles that ranked American cities in terms of their prospects for recovery and liveability.  Charlotte fares pretty well on each of these lists.

In December, Forbes looked at cities recovering fastest from the foreclosure crisis.  Charlotte NC ranked #27 out of 100 cities.  The study looked at the percent of loans that were 90+ days delinquent, the percent of loans in foreclosure, and the deterioration rate from October 2008 to October 2009 to create the rankings.  In Charlotte, 4.7% of loans were 90+ days delinquent and 1.8% of loans were in foreclosure.  According to the magazine, the metropolitan areas where housing prices did not become overheated will lead the way out of the foreclosure crisis. Source:  Cities Recovering from the Foreclosure Crisis. 

In November, Charlotte NC was ranked #56 on Forbes’ list of Best Bang for the Buck metropolitan areas.  The magazine created these rankings by looking at housing affordability, time travel, real estate taxes, unemployment, vacancies, jobs forecast, housing prices forecast, and foreclosures.  Charlotte scored best on real estate taxes (ranking #32), jobs forecast (ranking #18) and housing prices forecast (ranking #22).  The study concludes that areas with a stable housing market, low taxes, and reasonable commuting times are where people can get the best bang for their bucks.  Source:  Best Bang for the Buck Cities.

Another November Forbes article ranked Charlotte #54 among America’s fastest recovering cities. Unemployment, foreclosure rates, housing prices and average days on the market were used to create these rankings.  The magazine concludes that relatively stable housing and a diversified economy are helping cities like Charlotte NC recover faster than most metropolitan areas.  Source:  America’s Fastest Recovering Cities.

Learn more.  Request a free Charlotte NC Relocation Guide.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Charlotte NC Ranks Well on Housing/Economic Recovery Lists*

Charlotte NC is still a top relocation destination in the country according to two new studies.  Each of these studies looked at Charlotte NC relocation from a different perspective.  Forbes.com used 2008 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine which metropolitan areas over one million in population had grown the most from 2007 to 2008.  In this study, Charlotte grew 3.36%, ranking third behind Raleigh NC and Austin TX.  Charlotte's growth slowed from the previous year when it grew by 4.2%.   Forbes.com concluded that diverse business opportunities, great weather and affordable housing were reasons that Charlotte and others ranked high on their list.

Charlotte NC relocation landed a number three slot on Relocation.com's 2008 list of 20 Best Cities for a Fresh Start.  Relocation.com is an online resource for moving resources and services.  Charlotte NC was a popular destination when Relocation.com compared quotes for moving to and out of the nation's cities.  For every 100 quotes for moving out of Charlotte, the online site got 180 requests for moves into the area.  The 20 Best Cities List was created by looking at economic growth and housing affordability as well as a city's ranking on moving quote requests.  Two Texas cities topped Charlotte on the list:  Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth.

These studies only confirm what those of us who live, work and play in the Charlotte NC region already know.  Charlotte is a wonderful, friendly mid-sized American city with a great climate, easy access to the mountains or the beaches, and a variety of beautiful neighborhoods with relatively affordable housing.  The city has two professional sports teams, a number of museums and other cultural activities, and our own small lakes for boating and water recreation.  It also is the headquarters city for a number of Fortune 500 companies and has a regional airport hub.

Any article about Charlotte NC relocation should include information about Charlotte's small towns.  Some of the best are in the southern part of the region.  They include Matthews NC and Mint Hill NC, immediately adjacent to Charlotte and the small towns of Union County a bit further south.  Indian Trail NC in Union County itself has been included on several best small town lists.

Learn more about Charlotte NC area relocation.

Indian Trail NC Voted Best for Relocation

Union County NC Relocation Guide

Click here to request a Charlotte NC relocation guide.

Visit www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving.com to learn more about Charlotte North Carolina's best small towns.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  *Charlotte NC Relocation Still Tops in the Country*