The Angle – Page 25 – New Angle Realty

September 27, 2016

First Time Home Buying 101

When you reach a certain point in your life, buying real estate becomes an investment most people make. You may be about to get married, have gotten your first adult job, or just feel you are ready. Regardless of what leads you to a real estate purchase, there are a few steps you should take to make sure you are doing the best you can for yourself and your family.

The first thing to do when you are thinking about purchasing a home is to check your credit score. Good credit is essential to getting the best interest rate on a new loan.

The second thing to do when looking for a new home is to find a lender. Your lender’s job is to help you decide how much home you can afford.

Once you have decided how much money the lender is willing to lend you, you should check to see how much home you are comfortable paying for. This may or may not match with the amount of money the lender is willing to give you. If you have a lot of extra money, you may be comfortable with a larger amount. If you don’t have much in reserve, it is wise not to max out your loan potential. This gives you more room in your budget just in case you have to take care of unexpected expenses in the future.

Next, you need to decide where you want to live. Research neighborhoods, check out open houses. Drive through neighborhoods at different times of day to see what traffic is like. Research the schools and amenities.

When you have narrowed things down a little bit, it’s time to hire a Realtor. A buyer’s agent works for you. They help you look at any home, and can give you advice and guidance so you make the best choice for you. Realtors help you narrow down your search and help you to put in an offer on a home. Their job is to advise you on each step of your purchase.

With an accepted offer in hand, it’s time to hire a home inspector. The job of the inspector is to check over the house to make sure that everything is in working order and that there are no maintenance issues. If anything comes up you can negotiate with the seller to get issues resolved. This helps to assure you that you can move right into the home and not have any large issues crop up immediately.

Once the inspection period is finished, most of the rest of the time between then and putting the key in your new front door is waiting for the loan to come through. There will be lots of paperwork you need to provide to the lender. You’ll need to secure insurance for the new home. Once your loan paperwork is done, it will be time do a final walk through and sign on the dotted line.

September 25, 2016

Strong Sales but Uncertain Future

Last month’s market report by the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association had us all concerned because the number of homes sold had drastically decreased year over year. New listings were also drastically slowed year over year. This month, it looks like those fears are unfounded. New listings are up 7.3% year over year and Closed sales were up by 10.4%.

There are currently 11,150 homes for sale in the entire CarolinaMLS area. This represents 3 months of inventory. A balanced market between buyers and sellers typically has 6 months of inventory. This means that the trend for a seller’s market continues for yet another month.

Homes are selling for an average of 96.6% of the list price. This is yet another indicator or a seller’s market. Less supply means more demand for homes allowing them to command higher list prices. With more buyers competing for fewer homes, the possibility for multiple offers keeps prices high.

Mecklenburg County has only 3,513 homes for sale, down from 4,633 last year. This represents 2.2 months of inventory. Homes here are commanding 97.5% of their list prices. Mecklenburg County has also seen rises of new listings, pending sales, closed sales, median sales price and average sales price.

Uptown Charlotte had a 52.6% drop in closed sales year over year. This is down to 18 from 38. This makes sense as last month Uptown had fewer than normal pending sales. We will have to watch this trend to see what happens after the violence in Charlotte over the weekend.

In fact, the current climate in Charlotte could have some drastic effects on the Real Estate market here. Because of negative national publicity, many people may reconsider relocation here. Many people who live here could decide that they don’t want to live here anymore. People may decide that they want to live further away from Uptown. It remains to be seen what may shake out.

HB2 could also have some effects that will play out in the Real Estate market. Repercussions of HB2 are already being seen in the loss of NCAA Tournament games, Paypal jobs, Google ventures funding and, ACC Football Championship to name a few. With fewer new jobs and loss of current jobs, there could be a real correction in the Charlotte market on the way over the next few months. This could spell trouble for sellers who have reaped many benefits over the last few years, but could be a real opportunity for buyers going forward.

September 22, 2016

Lennar buys Pepsi Bottling Plant in SouthEnd

With Common Market SouthEnd closing its doors on July 30th, the Pepsi Bottling Plant on South Boulevard joins it as yet another landmark going the way of the Dodo. The Pepsi plant has been a fixture on the site since 1938. The building was used as a bottling facility, but in recent years has been a distribution center. Pepsi built a new distribution center in Harrisburg and has already moved operations to their new site.

It has been in the works for a while, but Lennar Homes officially closed on the property for nearly $18 million. They plan to build 432 apartments and 26,000 square feet of street level retail on the 5.2 acre site. The new plan includes a six-story building with apartments, retail, and a nearly 800-space parking deck.

The plan includes five pedestrian-friendly, ground-floor retail spaces. These spaces will have direct access to the Blue Line and the Rail Trail. In fact, the Rail Trail is going to be the front door of the community with South Boulevard being a secondary entrance.

A later addition to the site will be a pedestrian crossing from South Boulevard to the Harris Teeter supermarket currently under construction across from the site. A public walkway connecting the site to the new pedestrian bridge will also be added.

Designed by Axiom Architecture and LandDesign, the design is much more promising than a lot of the recent projects in SouthEnd. The focus on the Rail Trail and pedestrian access is especially welcome. The hope is to get a tenant like “Earl’s Grocery” to anchor one of the retail spaces. Restaurants, bars and retail should round out the commercial portion of the project.

The residential portion of the project will have some ground level entry with stoops for an urban feel. Amenities should include fitness center, pool area and bike repair station.

There is even a nod to the history of the site in the color choices of red, white, and blue for Pepsi. If everything goes according to plan, look for the project to be finished in mid-2018.

September 20, 2016

Light Rail Extension Plan Connects Uptown with Matthews

Charlotte Area Transit System has published a long range plan for expansion. The highlight of the plan is the Silver Line which would connect Charlotte from I-277 to Central Piedmont Community College’s Levine Campus in Matthews. The 13-15 mile route would run alongside Independence Boulevard then transition to the median on Monroe Road. The line would then follow Matthews Township Parkway before terminating at CPCC’s Levine Campus.

The plan was proposed during a city council meeting this week. Proposed cost is around $2 billion and is slated to be part of the 2030 transit plan. If approved, extension plans for eventual connection of the Silver Line to Charlotte Douglas International Airport is likely. The plan should also include ways to integrate the Blue and Silver Lines more fully into Uptown Charlotte.

This plan is a long range one, and the line would not be expected to open soon. The planning and site work together could take 10-13 years after funding is approved. This means it could be 20 years until riders would be able to commute using the line. For example, the Blue Line Extension up to UNC Charlotte has been underway since 2006 and is slated to open late next year.

This means that now is a great time to be investing in real estate in the Matthews area and anywhere along the proposed Silver Line. If you are looking for a home for yourself, there are many great options between Matthews and Uptown. You could also look for investment property, either commercial, or residential to hold. This could give you great benefit as the areas along the line should steadily rise in value as the plan is adopted and work begins.

If the Silver Line takes off like the Blue Line through SouthEnd, there is great potential for community investment. The Silver Line could also ease traffic for anyone commuting via Independence Boulevard and Monroe Roads. This could make neighborhoods not directly on the line more attractive as you would be able to park and ride, or have a more pleasant commute with less traffic.

If you or someone you know is thinking about purchasing real estate in the area, contact our expert Realtors to help you make the most of your money.

September 15, 2016

Solar Community coming to Cotswold

The Charlotte Business Journal reported on September 14th that a new solar community is underway in Cotswold. Consisting of 24 homesites, ReAlta will be a great example of efficiency. Each contemporary home will have state of the art environmentally friendly features. Solar panels are just the start, they will also have energy efficient appliances, digital controls for lighting, HVAC, security and entertainment.

Builder Chelsea Building Group says they aim to “promote good health, feel comfortable and solid, be well-lit and ventilated, and use energy efficiently.” This is great news for buyers as they are always looking for ways to economize and have a smaller environmental footprint.

Homes in ReAlta will range from 2,350 to 3,980 square feet in 5 open floor plans. Features will include high end finishes and European Kitchens.

Located on Rama Road between Charing Place and Riviere Drive, ReAlta is a great location. Nearby is Rama Road Elementary School and a short drive away is Cotswold Village Shops. Just down Rama Road as it becomes Sardis Road are great dining options and the Fresh Market. SouthPark Mall is right around the corner with world class dining and shopping. Twenty-six minutes away is Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Uptown Charlotte is just five miles away making for an easy commute.

Homes in ReAlta are expected to range in price from $459,000 to $598,000. This puts most plans under the average sale price for Cotswold which came in at $596,308 last year. Current listings in Cotswold, of which there are 44, average $702,454. This makes these homes a great value for the area with a potential to appreciate quickly.

Builders are definitely seeing demand for communities that fit with today’s values. Buyers are demanding more environmentally friendly building materials and features. There are even developers creating communities surrounding foodie culture and village style living. It will be interesting to see what other trends appear in the housing market.

To read the entire Business Journal article, click here.

September 15, 2016

Get to know Piper Glen Estates

Imagine living next to a championship level golf course designed by Arnold Palmer himself. Living in Piper Glen Estates would get you just that. Newly renovated, the TCP (Tournament Players Club) Piper Glen Club has golf, tennis, swimming, dining, and a kids club. You could work on your swing, host a business meeting in their conference center, or celebrate a wedding in their banquet rooms.

Homes in Piper Glen Estates are stately and unique. Most are well over 3,000 square feet and include luxury features to make you as comfortable as possible for a family dinner or when hosting a charity event. Homes here can start below a half million dollars and go up into the millions of dollars. Some of the homes also include private tennis courts, pools, saunas, exercise rooms, home theaters, and smart homes wired for all electronics.

This beauty sold earlier this year for $2M

While there are some new homes in Piper Glen Estates, most are existing homes. Some have been up-fitted with all of the latest features. Most include unique architectural details and many have views of the stunning golf course.

Piper Glen Estates is conveniently located north of I-485, South of Highway 51, straddling Rea Road and west of Providence Road. Ballantyne Commons is just a short drive away. Also close by is Providence Commons with more shopping and dining options. Take a short drive up Colony Road and be at SouthPark Mall in 20 minutes.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is just 25 minutes away without traffic and Uptown Charlotte is just 30 minutes away.

piperglensign — Welcome to your new neighborhood

Piper Glen Estates is currently zoned for McAlpine Elementary School, South Charlotte Middle School, and South Mecklenburg High School. Please check with the school board as school assignments can change.

As of September 15th, there are 23 homes on the market with 5 under contract. This is about 6 months of inventory which usually makes a pretty even market between buyers and sellers. The lowest priced home is a 4 bedroom, 2 full bath, 1 half bath home with 2,840 square feet listed for $460,000. The highest priced home is a 5 bedroom, 4 full bath, 2 half bath with 5,685 square feet listed for $1M.

September 14, 2016

Final Phase Open in Trinity Ridge

As we reported back in April, Trinity Ridge in Fort Mill is a luxury community that used to have 60 homesites. The final phase of the project is now open for new construction with 63 additional lots that are all around an acre. This is a great chance to get a custom built home on a private lot in a serene setting about 40 minutes from Uptown Charlotte.

The Charlotte Business Journal reported that “homebuilder JPOrleans has opened the third and final phase of Trinity Ridge in Fort Mill, with plans for some homes that may top $1 million.” Indeed, it looks as if homes in phase three should start around $700,000. These estate homes will have a variety of designs and will range between 3,500 and 4,500+ square feet.

JPOrleans is also about to close a deal with New Old of Fort Mill to produce 14 Southern Living Home Collection houses within the 63 sites. These homes should be along Sugar Creek and will sell for between $900,000 and $1.3 million.

A Recently Sold Estate Home in Trinity Ridge

This all comes at a time when Fort Mill is booming. There are numerous developments around the area. In addition, Main Street in Fort Mill is undergoing a revitalization. Old disused buildings are being reclaimed and repurposed. Developers are bringing more restaurants, nightlife, offices, and shopping to Main Street. This will help Fort Mill become a destination center like Ballantyne.

As of September 13th, there are 2 homes on the market in Trinity Ridge, one existing and one new construction. In the coming weeks, we should see the additional 63 homesites in the MLS system, but you can also have your Realtor from New Angle Realty help you negotiate with the builder to start the process of building your custom home.

September 10, 2016

Explore Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek in Indian Land, South Carolina was just named the #1 neighborhood for new construction closings by the Charlotte Business Journal. It had the most sales of new homes of any other neighborhood in the Charlotte area. With 260 homes sold in 2015, there are plenty of homes to choose from and opportunities to build your dream home. There are also already built homes if you aren’t in the market for a building project so there is something for everyone here.

Walnut Creek was designed to be a space for families and a throwback to a time when kids played outside all afternoon until parents called them in for dinner. The amenities were planned with community in mind. Master planned to have homes and townhomes, there is something for a family with young children, older couples downsizing, young professionals, couples just starting out and every other variation of a family.

walnutcreekclubhouse — Walnut Creek Clubhouse

Outdoor amenities within the community include two playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball fields, and soccer fields. Residents also enjoy access to The Walnut Creek Club, 7,000 sq. ft. recreation facility featuring a resort style pool, splash area, clubhouse, and state-of-the-art workout facility! Walnut Creek also has access to the Carolina Thread Trail, and over three miles of trail which connect to Walnut Creek. The Red and Blue Trails of Twelve Mile Creek are at the heart of Walnut Creek and are just outside your back door.

Homes in Walnut Creek are a great value. Most homes have luxury features and a variety of floor plans available. Homes start in the 200’s and most models have at least 3 bedrooms and at least 2 bathrooms. Builders include Bonterra Builders, D.R. Horton, Eastwood Homes, Lennar Homes, and Ryland Homes. Neighborhood sections include The Groves, The Overlook, The Parks, The Villages, and The Bluffs.

Walnut Creek is conveniently located in Indian Land, SC off Hwy 521 only minutes from the Ballantyne area of Pineville, NC. Shopping, fitness, entertainment, and more are just minutes away.

Walnut Creek is currently zoned for Indian Land Elementary School, Indian Land Middle School, and Indian Land High School. Please check with the school district as school assignments can change. All of the schools are within a mile of each other so pick-up and drop off are easy if you have multiple children at different schools.

In the past year, homes in Walnut Creek have sold for between $200,000 and $388,020. At the moment, there are 40 homes on the market with 19 under contract. These homes range from completed to fully under construction. The lowest priced listing is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with 1,559 square feet listed for $224,500. The highest priced listing is a 5 bedroom, 5 bath home with 3,508 square feet listed for $393,060.

September 8, 2016

Brewery Move Makes Colonial Village Even More Attractive

The Charlotte Business Journal reported today that Lenny Boy Brewing Co. will officially open its new location this weekend. A soft opening is set for Thursday, with the grand opening on Saturday. The new location has a much bigger taproom and space to brew bigger batches of beer and kombucha. They plan on canning beer in the near future and it may be available in the same fine retailers where you can already get their kombucha. They will also have food offerings inside and a food truck in the parking lot.

With this expansion joining the many other projects in South Charlotte along the Blue Line light rail, Colonial Village looks even more attractive. This neighborhood has been steadily under the radar, overshadowed by Sedgefield, South End and Dilworth just to the North. This means that you can still get a great deal on a home here.

Colonial Village is in the perfect location, just 7 miles from the airport and 3 miles to Uptown Charlotte. Residents here can drive into work, take a bus, or ride the Blue Line light rail. There are numerous restaurants, retail establishments, fitness centers, library locations, and parks close by. You can also get to SouthPark Mall in 10-15 minutes. Residents can stock up at Costco, which is only 3 miles South.

Originally built in the mid-nineteenth century, Colonial Village is a suburban community featuring single-family homes and apartments. Construction began when a railroad was built to connect Charlottesville to Charleston, SC. There used to be a lot of manufacturing in the area, but businesses started moving out in the 1970’s and the area is now primarily residential. Colonial Village is a great neighborhood for families, couples and young professionals.

Homes in Colonial Village are typically on large lots with original hardwood floors. Some homes are small in size, and some are much larger so there is something for every buyer. There are opportunities to fully update a home yourself, or you can get a home that has already been updated.

In the past year, homes in Colonial Village have sold for between $200,000 and $346,000 with an average sale price of $277,362. As of September 7th, there are two homes on the market in Colonial Village with one under contract. The home under contract is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home with 1,045 square feet listed for $215,000. The other home is a 3 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, 1 half bathroom home with 1,403 square feet listed for $289,000.

To read the full Business Journal Article click here.

September 7, 2016

Tips for Getting Top Dollar for Your Home

With Labor Day behind us and the school year officially underway, summer is officially over. What better time to take stock of your home to see if there are any upgrades you can make so that you can get top dollar if you need to sell soon. Why put off these projects? If you do them now, you can enjoy them before you sell, or they can already be done so you are ready and don’t have a long list of things to do once a home inspection is completed.

Not sure where to start? You can always have a pre-inspection done on your home so you know all of the areas that might be a cause for concern once you have a contract with a buyer. A good licensed inspector will look over all of the systems in your home as well as the structure itself to let you know any areas of concern. This way you can handle all of the pesky maintenance issues with a handyman or contractor before you even list your home.

Have outdated features? Maybe you might consider doing a small or even big renovation project to help your home sell faster. Small projects might be DIY, or something you might want a professional to help you handle. A great place to start is by looking online to find photos or videos that can help you as a tutorial. There are lots of DIY sites that can help you to learn how to use power tools or how to do small projects that could have a big impact on your home.

If you need a larger project done, you will want to get bids from at least 3 contractors before you have any work done. Make sure to ask for references and photos of previous jobs so you can check out work done. Ask the references if the jobs were completed on time and on budget so you can really get a sense of if each contractor is right for your job before you hire one.

Don’t forget to look at the curb appeal of your home. Really look at any landscaping to see if any of yours blocks the view of your home or blocks views from the interior to the exterior. Professionals can help you here or you could take on a project yourself. Your local plant nursery might even help you with a plan for native plants that can add color and interest to your home.

Don’t forget that before you sell your home you should go through each room to de-clutter and de-personalize the space. Taking things out of your home can make each room appear larger and more appealing to a buyer. Removing personal items makes it easier for a potential buyer to imagine themselves living in your house.

If you get all of the maintenance and upgrades done before you list your home, you can save yourself a lot of stress and hassle during the selling process. You should be able to get top dollar for your home without all of the negotiation during the repairs phase of a real estate contract. This should make for the smoothest home sale and should make all parties happy.