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Custom New Construction in Wendover Hill

There’s a new exclusive neighborhood coming soon to the Cotswold/Myers Park area of South Charlotte. Wendover Hill has amazing custom homes that are grand in scale, yet on a private cul-de-sac less than ten minutes from Uptown Charlotte, five minutes from SouthPark, and two blocks from Cotswold. Currently there are three opportunities to own homes here, one almost completed and two still with plenty of opportunity to customize before completion.

Custom boutique builder/Architect Jain Design LLC is responsible for the project at Wendover Hill. They bring more than 20 years of experience and LEED accredited building expertise. They work in conjunction with leading Charlotte interior designers to make these spaces truly luxurious.

Each home in Wendover Hill has at least 3,000 thoughtfully designed square feet of living space. Open floor plans feature plentiful windows for natural light. Main floors feature 10 foot ceilings and wooden beam accents. Custom furniture-style cabinetry, custom moldings, and site-finished hardwood floors are just a few of the details you can expect in a home in Wendover Hill. Luxurious bathrooms with spa showers, soaking tubs and custom tile work are to be expected as well. Outdoor spaces are high on the list of perks with screened porch areas with fireplaces and gas lamp details. Some plans have fully finished basements. There is community open space as well making yards feel larger and more open. Current prices start in the high $700’s.

The homes and the location are just a few of the features to love in Wendover Hill. Amazing schools are zoned for the neighborhood as well. Children here will attend Cotswold Elementary, Alexander Graham Middle, and coveted Myers Park High Schools. Please verify the school assignments as they are subject to change. There are also many private school options nearby.

If you are interested in learning more about Wendover Hill or touring one of these amazing properties, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can view current listing and create custom searches on our website here.

 

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McClintock Corners Coming to Commonwealth Morningside

New condominiums and townhomes are coming to the Commonwealth Morningside area next year. There will be 12 condos and 21 townhomes when the project is completed. There will be plenty of options to make these homes perfect for your lifestyle. They are in a great walkable area, perfect for urban professionals, empty nesters or small families.

Commonwealth Morningside has slowly been gaining projects to fill in where the Morningside Apartments used to be. There are many cute single family homes here, but there is increasing density as demand grows for this quirky area. Plaza Midwood has gotten expensive and Commonwealth Morningside is a great alternative.

Located between Nandina and St. Julien along McClintock road, McClintock Corners is in a great position. Commuting to a job in Uptown or SouthPark is a breeze. Harris Teeter is a quick walk away, as are many restaurants, nightlife, quirky shops and more. Veteran’s Park is just around the corner offering green space, walking, sports, and a great playground.

Local real estate services company The Drakeford Company is developing the project. They have been working for more than 30 years on multi-family and urban housing, development, land assembly, and real estate finance. They already have a great project in the area, Plaza-Vu (pictured above) which was built in 2008.

The Drakeford Company will begin building the condo portion of McClintock Corners in the spring. The Townhome portion of the project will follow after. The condos will have two and three bedroom options. First floor units will range in size from 1,145 to 1,175 square feet. Second floor units will range from 1,580 to 1,610 square feet. Two bedroom units will start at $360,000 while three bedroom units will start at $460,000.

The townhomes in McClintock Corners will have three stories and will have two bedroom units at around 1,750 square feet and three bedroom units around 1,950 square feet. Prices should start in the low $500,000 range.

If you are interested in a home in McClintock Corners or another project in the Charlotte area, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can also view current listings and create custom searches on our website here.

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Affordable Condos Cotswold Springs Coming to Cotswold

Cotswold has long been a desirable spot in the Charlotte area, but it is about to become even more so. There is a condominium project underway that will bring high-end finishes with affordable prices. There are 18 condos total in a project builder Main Street Properties & Development is calling Cotswold Springs.

Cotswold Springs is located at 935 McAlway Road, near the intersection of North Wendover Road and Beal Street. Right down the street is Grayson Skate Park and the other way is Oakhurst Park. There is easy access to Highway 74 with direct access to Uptown Charlotte for sporting events, museums, nightlife and much more. Cotswold Village Shops are just a quick drive away, as is the common market, publix, harris teeter, starbucks and plenty of other options. And just a little bit further will have you in SouthPark for world class shopping and dining.

Homes here range from just over 800 square feet to just under 1,200 square feet. There are three floorplans to choose from with one and two bedroom options with either 1 ½ or 2 bathrooms. Each home will have outdoor space, either a patio on the first floor units, or balconies for the higher units.

If Cotswold Springs is your new home, expect chic finishes. Solid wood cabinetry is standard as are 10 foot ceilings, quartz countertops, and in-unit laundry. All homes are pre-wired for fiber optic internet, with two connections per unit. There are plenty of smart upgrades available as well. The Smart upgrade package includes wi-fi enabled stacked washer/dryer, wi-fi enabled refrigerator, wi-fi enabled oven, smart deadbolt, smart thermostat, and network video doorbell.

If you are interested in a home in Cotswold Springs, they are pre-selling now. As of this writing, there are sixteen of the eighteen units left to choose from. Starting prices are in the low $200,000’s. Expect these homes to be completed early in 2018. For more information, call us at (704) 525-4045. You can also view current listings on our website here.

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Common Market Coming to Cotswold

A new location of Common Market is coming to Cotswold. This third location will join one in Plaza-Midwood and a new location in the works in SouthEnd. The new location at 4420 Monroe Road will be their largest location to date with 6,500 square feet.

The store will be at the border of Oakhurst and Cotswold so will bear the quirky name of Common Market OakWold. The location is great as it is close to Uptown, but will service the many neighborhoods off Monroe Road and Wendover Road.

This new location will be a gathering place for the community like their other locations. Expected to open in the spring, it will offer a full deli, coffee, beer and wine, and unusual retail. There will be a full bar and expanded kitchen offering expanded prepared foods and take away.

A community meeting will be held at Clayworks on February 6th to discuss and get neighborhood input on additional features. These could include a larger grocery portion of the store, live music, or community events like food truck fridays.

This is the second big project in the works for Common Market. They are also building out for the launch of their even larger new 7,000 square foot SouthEnd location at 235 W. Tremont Street. The old SouthEnd location will become the home of Dimensional Fund Advisors. The new SouthEnd store should open in the summer.

Common Market has been known as a gathering place for great food and drinks. Patios for dining and catching up with friends have helped make them a staple of the community. These new locations show just how much demand there is for community building and great food and drinks here.

If you are interested in a home in SouthEnd or South Charlotte, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can also view listings for SouthEnd on our website here, or South Charlotte here.

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Enjoy the Queen’s Feast starting this weekend

This January, you can once again be a part of the Queen’s Feast in Charlotte. This annual event includes over 130 restaurants in 9 counties around the Charlotte Metro area. Each restaurant offers a price fixe menu for dinner with 3 courses for $30 or $35 not including tax and tip. The event begins Friday January 20th and runs through January 29th.

This year, there are many new restaurants making their debut at the Queen’s Feast. Among the newcomers are:

     O-Ku – Japanese and sushi in Atherton Mill

     The Pump House – Southern influenced modern cuisine in Rock Hill

     Sea Level – locally sourced seafood in Hearst Tower in Uptown Charlotte

     Essex Bar & Bistro – a gastropub and craft cocktail restaurant in Uptown Charlotte

     Babalu Tapas & Tacos – small plates and tacos in Dilworth

     204 North Kitchen & Cocktails – fresh farm-to-table cuisine in Uptown Charlotte

     Burtons Grill & Bar – chef inspired food in Park Road Shopping Center in South Charlotte

     Comida  – Mexican inspired cuisine in Plaza Midwood

There are also some well established restaurants joining the Queen’s Feast for the first time this year. Most notable of the newcomers is Reid’s Fine Foods in SouthPark. Many long-time favorites are featured on the line-up as well. 300 East in Dilworth, The Cajun Queen in Elizabeth, Sullivan’s Steakhouse in SouthEnd, and Ruth’s Chris in SouthPark are just a few of our favorite picks.

Heading to the Queen’s Feast is a great way to sample cuisine from all of these amazing eateries, but it is also a chance to check out a new neighborhood. Many of these restaurants have rooftop terraces or patios from which to observe the people and pace of a neighborhood. You can take a drive around before your reservation to see how the area looks around dinnertime. This is a great way to see how vibrant and area is in terms of fitness, walkability, traffic, and more. You can drive past local schools, parks, shopping and more to really get a feel for an area you haven’t spent much time in before.

If you plan to visit a restaurant for Queen’s feast, reservations are recommended. You can click the link below to see the participating restaurants. Most will allow you to make reservations online, but some only take reservations over the phone. No passes or tickets are required.

To find a full list of restaurants participating in the Queen’s Feast, click here.

If you are driving around before your dinner and find a home you want to tour, call us at (704) 525-4045 or visit our website with comprehensive search capabilities here.

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Spotlight: Country Club Heights

This beautiful home sold in August for 102% of list price

Just East of Plaza Midwood, on the other side of Charlotte Country Club sits the up and coming neighborhood of Country Club Heights. This spot is quickly becoming one of Charlotte’s most desirable neighborhoods due to it’s location and affordability.

If you want to get in on Country Club Heights, now is a great time. In fact, Zillow predicts that Country Club Heights should see a 7.2% increase in median home value this year, up from its current median value of $207,200. It is considered one of the hottest neighborhoods in the Charlotte area right now. This increase is well above the national average of 3%, and the Charlotte average of 3.8%. Other neighborhoods ranked highly by Zillow, with projected growth and current median home value are:

     Yorkmount, 10% projected growth; $114,600 current median home value

     Thomasboro-Hoskins, 8.6%; $75,600

     Oaklawn, 8.5%; $81,000

     Belmont, 8.4%; $117,500

     Lincoln Heights, 7.8%; $80,100

     Wilmore, 7.8%; $224,000

     Country Club Heights, 7.2%; $207,200

     Collingwood, 7.1%; $240,700

     Washington Heights, 6.9%; $65,200

     Derita-Statesville, 6.8%; $117,400

Any of these areas would be a great place for a starter home or possibly an investment property. Country Club Heights has many homes that have been renovated from the original 1950’s and 1960’s style. There are also many homes that are in original condition that are just waiting for you to put your personal touch on. Some homes have even been taken down and new ones are being built in their place.

Shamrock Park Entrance

Country Club Heights has Shamrock Park right at its center. This 2 acre park includes tennis court, volleyball court, a picnic shelter with grill, and a playground for the kids. There is also a community garden that brings the neighbors all together.

Right around the corner are great restaurants, and it’s a quick trip to Cotswold or SouthPark for more dining and shopping options. Uptown is really close. Just a quick trip down Central Avenue will take you there in just minutes.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in Country Club Heights, call us at (704) 525-4045 or view our listings on our website here.

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December Market Analysis

This week the Carolina Regional Realtor Association released their monthly report of housing data in the Charlotte area. These figures are based on Carolina Multiple Listing Services data which includes Charlotte and surrounding areas including two counties in South Carolina. This area also includes 10 counties in North Carolina ranging from Statesville to Fort Mill, and from Gastonia to Salisbury.

Numbers on the report were not surprising. They continued the trend of low inventory and strong sales which has been going on for the entire year. In December, the total MLS area was up 4.5% over last December for total closed sales. If you look at the entire year, 44,386 homes were sold, up 8.4% over 2015.

Sales activity wasn’t the only number on the rise. Both the median and average sales price rose for both the month and the year. This December, median sales price rose 10% to $209,000 and average sales price rose 8.2% to $258,108. For the entire year, median sales price was up 7.5% at $207,000 while the average sales price rose 6.5% to $257,701.

Inventory numbers continued to fall throughout the year. December’s inventory number was down 25.7% from last year at this time. This leaves the Charlotte region with just 2.3 months of inventory which is well below the six months of inventory needed to have a balanced market between buyers and sellers. This leaves sellers with the upper hand in transactions for now.

The rise in prices and lack of options could leave some buyers out of the market entirely. Mortgage rates are expected to rise as well which could be a problem for first time buyers in particular. However, the market is strong, and expected to remain steady for the coming year.

If you are looking to buy or sell in the Charlotte area, call us at (704) 525-4045. You can also see listings on our website here.

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Just announced Runnymede City Homes seeks zoning approval

What a crazy week it’s been. Macy’s is closing stores all over including two in North Carolina. Sears and Kmart are closing stores throughout America. Sears has sold its iconic Craftsman brand. Limited is closing stores across the country. And to top it all off, a winter storm is headed our way with all of the expected closings and delays.

What better way to spend a snow day than drinking some hot cocoa (or something stronger) and looking through home listings to find the home of your dreams? No matter if you are a millennial looking for your first home, or a senior looking to downsize, or any kind of family in between, New Angle Realty has what you are looking for.

If you are looking for something completely new, take a look at some just announced plans by Capital Land Partners for a new condominium project near the intersection of Selwyn and Runnymede. A rezoning petition was just filed for a 29 unit complex on a three acre site. This project, tentatively called Runnymede City Homes, joins many others in and around the area.

According to the site plan, each 4 story townhouse will include a two car garage and can have an optional rooftop terrace. Each home will also have 400 square feet of private space, as a garden or patio is unclear from the current plans.

The rest of the design and finishes have not been announced yet. If the zoning petition is accepted, you could look at the other projects Capital Land Partners have completed in the area to give you an idea. Ardrey Kell Villages, Lawing Pond, Mintworth Village, Andover, and The Meadows at Houston Hills are a few of the projects they have completed in recent years.

Capital Land Partners are also working on a number of projects in and around Charlotte. We would be happy to talk to you about purchasing a new construction home in Stevens Grove in Matthews, Belair Ridge in Lancaster County, SC, or Cotswold Commons near Uptown.

If you are looking for a home in the Charlotte area, give us a call at (704) 525-4045 or visit our website with comprehensive search capabilities here.

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Year End Wrap-Up

As we ring out 2016 and prepare to welcome 2017, it seems like everyone wants to discuss what went right and wrong. We also long for certainty about what is to come. Here are some thoughts and predictions and reflections about the Charlotte real estate market.

North Carolina in general had a great year when it comes to population. The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported an increase in population of 111,602 people over the year. This brings the total state population to more than 10.1 million. This increase was felt in the Charlotte area with much new growth and new housing projects. It has also driven a seller’s market as higher population leaves less inventory.

Home prices in the Charlotte metro area climbed year over year. In fact, the entire region is showing strong home prices. Higher home prices are great for sellers, but they can leave buyers in a bind as they deal with affordability. Many first time homebuyers have to wait longer to purchase a home or can be priced out of the market entirely.

It remains to be seen what if any impacts HB2 has on the real estate market. Many sporting events and businesses have reacted. Reactions have ranged from mild censure, to pulling out of the state entirely. There have already been financial impacts, but we don’t yet know if there will be other long term repercussions.

Basically, the future looks mostly rosy for the Charlotte area. As the region grows, we attract more talent, retail, restaurants, businesses, and tourism. We truly have the best weather, we are close to everything, and people want to be here. This makes it look like we will be a strong real estate market for years to come.

If you are looking to buy or sell in Charlotte or surrounding areas, call us at (704) 525-4045 or search on our website here. Happy New Year everyone!

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Inexpensive ways to go green in your home

If you’re like me, you start the year off thinking of all of the projects you can do at your home to make it more comfortable, have less environmental impact, and save money. Well, I’m here to provide you with a list of simple things you can do to make that a reality. Resolutions, and going green doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.

One of the easiest ways to go green in your home is to get a programmable thermostat. There are many on the market now, including some models that you can activate remotely from your phone. These help keep costs low as you can program them to be off when you are away from home or sleeping. It is also a good idea to get regular check-ups for your heating and cooling system to make sure it is running properly.

You can also put on a sweater or blanket before you reach for the thermostat. In the summer, you can add a fan to a room instead of turning down the air conditioning. These small changes in behavior could have big impacts during the hottest and coldest months of the year.

Another easy way to save on energy costs in your home is to change out to compact fluorescent or LED light bulbs. You may not think you will save much by doing this, but over time there can be significant savings as these bulbs draw much less power and last years instead of months.

If you’re in the market for new appliances, consider energy star appliances. These are manufactured to use less energy but still get the same job done. While you are at it, clean any old appliances so they are running properly. You would be amazed how much better your refrigerator will work when you vacuum the coils in back. Also, cleaning out a dryer vent will help efficiency and can help prevent a fire.

Turning off appliances you aren’t using can also save you a bundle. Your computer is a constant draw of power even if it is asleep. Turning it off and any other appliances like your smart toaster, phone chargers and more can lessen your energy drain.

Saving water is another way to go green in your home. Repair leaky faucets. Install water-saving toilets and shower heads. If you have a pool, cover it during times you aren’t using it to prevent evaporation. Additionally try and run the clothes washer and dishwasher with full loads.

If you still feel like you aren’t doing enough, you can start composting. You can recycle, you can repaint your home with low or no VOC paint. You can even purchase green power from your power company or buy vouchers. If you have it in your budget, you can install solar panels on your roof or put in geothermal heating or a solar hot water heater.

There are so many ways to go green in your home, many of them really affordable. No only will you be helping the planet, you will be helping you wallet and potentially making your home more attractive to a future buyer.

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Charlotte area, call us at (704) 525-4045. Our agents can help you decide what green upgrades can sell your home faster. You can also browse our listings on our website here.