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Check out the Parade of Homes

If you are interested in new construction in the Charlotte area but aren’t sure what you want in a home, the Parade of Homes is a great place to start. This showcase highlights model homes in communities all around the area in a wide variety of styles, home builders, and price points. The Parade of Homes is also a great way to learn your way around if you are new to town.

The Parade of Homes began last weekend, and continues this weekend and the next. Dates are October 13-15, and 20-22. Homes are open from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Sundays. The tour is free of charge and even has an app this year that will help you navigate. You can also check out http://www.paradecharlotte.com/ for the interactive website to plan your tour.

The Parade of Homes is like a huge open house. The best home builders in Charlotte and the surrounding area are all participants. They pull out all of the stops to show you everything they can do for you. Builders show fully furnished model homes and hope to get you to sign on the dotted line for a new home.

Some important things to remember about purchasing a new home. Just like purchasing an existing home, it is important to have your own Realtor represent you in the transaction. All of the sales staff for the builder work for the builder’s interests. You want to make sure you have someone to help guide you through what will probably be the single biggest investment in your life. A Realtor can help you through the process of choosing all of the options, upgrades, and finishes that will make your house a home, but will also make it appreciate and if necessary, get you the best price on resale.

Eighty homes will be a part of the tour this year highlighting 21 builders. Prices range from $240,000 up to $1.4 million. The show is organized by the Home Builders Association of Greater Charlotte. This year the homes are in Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Weddington, Huntersville, Concord, and in Charlotte as well. Builders represented this year are:

  • Alan Simonini Homes
  • Arthur Rutenberg Homes
  • Bonterra Builders
  • Century Communities
  • Chelsea Building Group
  • David Weekley Homes
  • Epcon Communities
  • Essex Homes
  • Fielding Homes
  • H & H Homes
  • Knotts Builders
  • Kolter Homes
  • Mattamy Homes
  • Meritage Homes
  • Niblock Homes
  • Saussy Burbank
  • Shea Homes
  • Smith Douglas Homes
  • Taylor Morrison
  • Terrata Homes
  • Toll Brothers

If you are interested in a new home in the Charlotte area, go tour the Parade of Homes, then give us a call at (704) 525-4045 and we will be happy to help you navigate through the process of purchasing your new home. You can also view current listings on our website here.

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Cramer’s Pond to be Developed by Grandfather Homes

Homebuilder Grandfather Homes is in the works to build ten custom homes in Cramer’s Pond. This location is right around the historic Barnhardt-Cramer House located at 2733 Country Club Lane in Plaza-Midwood. The historic home will be preserved by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. They are purchasing the original estate with four adjacent lots. They will eventually sell the historic home as a single-family residence.

Plaza-Midwood is home to many Charlotte favorites. This diverse and eclectic area has art galleries, funky stores and delicious restaurants. From a streetcar suburb during the great depression, when the Barnhardt-Cramer house was built, to today, Plaza-Midwood has been a great place to call home.

Eventually there will be up to 40 homes around Cramer’s Pond. They will join the original 6,500 square-foot plantation home built in 1938. Grandfather Homes will take 15.3 acres of the original plantation and develop ten custom homes. The remaining 26 lots will be developed later.

What we know at this point about Grandfather Homes plans is that each home will be distinct. Floor plans will range from 2,500 to 4,500 square feet. Homes will have between three and five bedrooms and three to five bathrooms. Homebuyers can work with Tammy Coulter Design to select interior options. Prices should start in the $800,000’s and construction should start sometime next month. Floor plans are available or buyers can work with plan designers to build to suit.

Homes in Cramer’s Pond will follow along with the same craftsmanship and attention to detail that are a hallmark of Grandfather Homes. Based in Charlotte, they offer premiere custom homes that offer close attention to detail. They make sure the home you build is perfect for you and your family.

If you are interested in a home in Cramer’s Pond, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. Remember that bringing representation to a builder is in your best interest as the builder’s reps work for the builder, not for you. You can also view current listings on our website here.

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People’s Market Coming to Dilworth

Dilworth is about to have a new coffee shop/market/deli/bakery/casual eatery. People’s Market is about to open and hopes to become a neighborhood hub. From your morning coffee to  a nightcap in the evening, People’s Market has you covered starting on October 31st.

People’s Market is partnering with Charlotte Coffee Company. They will provide coffee, cold brew, and espresso behind the bar. Many other local and regional coffee vendors will be represented on the retail side of the store. There will be spaces to work along with WiFi and workstations as well as conversation areas for meeting with clients.

Local is the theme at People’s Market and it extends to the beer and wine selections. The bar will have a wide selection of craft beers. They expect to have 10 to 12 taps and a rotating selection of local beers. There will also be a curated selection of beer and wine that you can purchase and take home with you. Along with your beverages, you can also grab prepared meals, snacks, and desserts then head home. If you are looking for a more social outing, you can grab a table and socialize with your neighbors.

On the food front, The People’s Market will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They will feature salads, prepared foods and sandwiches. Local bakeries will provide cake, cookies, and cupcakes. Sweets will also be stocked from King of Pops and Two Scoops Creamery.

A covered patio and fireplace outside will make for a cozy place to hang out at People’s Market. A wide selection of music will tie everything together.

It will be refreshing to have this space at the corner of East Boulevard and Scott Avenue revitalized at last. It has been vacant since April of 2016 following it’s third fire in six years. A sister cocktail bar with small plate foods called The Queen & Glass is scheduled to open next door in late November.

If you are looking in the area for a home, this walkable area of Dilworth can’t be beat. To learn more, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can also view current listings on our website here.

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Luxury Attached Homes by Grandfather Homes

Grandfather Homes, a luxury custom homebuilder, has started building more luxury attached homes. Think of them like the best duplexes money can buy. The company calls them “duets”, but they are single family homes that share one wall with another single family home. Each home is separate and is sold separately. This is a departure from how duplexes typically work. Usually the entire structure is purchased and held by one party, and the second side rented to a tenant.

Towers at Mattie Rose Rendering

Grandfather Homes started with a few infill “duets” on Ideal Way. These helped pave the way for more as they sold as soon as they were built. Just down the street is their next project called The Fountains at Mattie Rose and included six more homes (three duets). There is currently only one home unsold from this project listed at $805,000.

Their two new projects have us really excited, The Towers at Mattie Rose in Elizabeth and the Townes at Mattie Rose in Myers Park. These are both much bigger projects with more units to keep up with demand.

The Towers at Mattie Rose is located between Elizabeth and Midtown. There are 18 units here, duets and even triets (three attached homes). This makes it Grandfather Homes largest duet project yet. These homes range in price from $730,000 to almost $800,000. Most units are two or three story and center on a main roadway, green living street, or Woonerf. This Dutch inspired design space doubles as a gathering space for residents. Many of these homes have skyline views and are walking distance to area restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and the CityLYNX Gold Line Extension.

Townes at Mattie Rose Rendering

The Townes at Mattie Rose is a smaller project with four units, just three units still available. These have not broken ground yet so there is still opportunity to customize one of these homes. They will begin at $900,000 and will have luxury features like site-finished hardwoods, luxury trim packages, custom cabinetry, Thermador appliances, and solid surface counters. This project is within walking distance to Freedom Park and Park Road Shopping Center making it a perfect location.

If you are interested in owning one of these amazing homes, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can also view current listings on our website here.

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Midtown Project in the Works

Another multi-use project is in the works, this time on the Southeast side of Uptown. Located at the corner of Kenilworth Avenue and Greenwood Cliff Road, the site is adjacent to Pearl Street Park. It is currently the home of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association and the Mingle School of Real Estate.

This great location is walking distance to Midtown Park on the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. It is also walking distance to the Metropolitan Shops with plenty of shopping and dining locations.

The current building for the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association and Mingle School of Real Estate will be demolished to make way for the new project.

The first phase of construction will extend Pearl Park Way, Berkeley Avenue, and build the new headquarters for the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association and the Mingle School of Real Estate.

The subsequent three phases will have a mixture of retail, parking deck, residential, hotel, and office buildings. A timeline for construction has not yet been announced.

Pappas Properties heads up the project with the partnership with Selwyn Property Group. They now head into the planning and pre-development process. They just closed on the sale of 3.2 acres next to the current buildings which brings the total site to 5.2 acres.

This project is one to watch for sure as more and more high density projects move outside the I-277 loop. It will be a great location for millennials, families, or empty nesters alike. It remains to be seen if the units will be apartments or condos, that will depend on planning, zoning, and city council. We will be watching to see if this building follows the trends of having luxury amenities. Charlotte is teeming with projects similar to this one, so it has competition for sure.

If you are interested in learning more about this or any other project in the Charlotte area, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can view current listings on our website here.

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August Market Update

The trend continues with no apparent end in sight. Once again, inventory is down in the Charlotte area while prices creep upwards. But the real story is that home sales took another hit in August. These numbers all come from the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association reporting on data from the Carolina Multiple Listing Service.

Inventory is down 18.6% compared to August of last year leaving just a 2.6 month supply. 10,153 homes were on the market for sale, while last year there were 12,477. Last month there were 10,174 for a decrease of 21 listings month over month.

Sales were down 3.8% for the same period. 4,297 homes sold in August as compared to 4,467 last year at this time. This number is up slightly over last month, just 1.2% higher than July.

Median sales price crept up to $230,000 while average sales price inched up to $273,549. This means median sales price is up 5% from this time last year but is down from last month’s $236,000. Average sales price is up 1% from last August, but is down from last month’s $280,696. These numbers can be affected by a few large sales so we will have to wait and see if this is a new trend where prices might be adjusting.

5,394 new listings hit the market in August which represents an increase of 6% over last year.

Industry analysts are predicting that the market will begin to balance over the next couple of years. They expect some relief to the inventory woes as the cooler months typically have a slowdown in the market. This seasonal slowdown should, weather permitting, allow builders to provide more inventory to the market.

The Charlotte area doesn’t seem to be cooling off anytime soon. There is still demand for listings and there is still positive job growth. This means it is still a great place to call home.

If you are interested in a home in the Charlotte area, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can view current listings on our website here.

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The Dilworth Home Tour is right around the corner

Get ready for some great architecture!

Each year, the Dilworth home tour offers visitors a chance to preview homes throughout one of Charlotte’s most popular historical and charming neighborhoods. The self-guided tour includes seven stunning homes all differing in size and architectural style.

This annual home tour will be taking place on Friday, September 15 from 6 to 9 PM, and on Saturday, September 16 from 10 AM to 4 PM. Charlotte’s oldest home tour is organized each year by the Dilworth Community Association (DCA) with proceeds of ticket sales benefiting the Dilworth community. Tickets for the tour are $25 and can be purchased at the Dilworth community association website.

While it is a self-guided tour, attendees should allow approximately two hours in order to be able to view all of the art, architecture and sheer square footage included on the tour. Homes on the tour include 410 East Park Ave., 830 East Park Ave., 317 East Kingston Ave., 1300 Myrtle Ave., 1239 Belgrave Pl., 1214 Belgrave Place, and 804 East Worthington Ave.

The Dilworth home tour is a fantastic opportunity to get a much closer look at the beauty and uniqueness of this historic neighborhood. For more details and information on the Dilworth home tour and all it has to offer, be sure to check out the full article at Charlottefive.com.

And, for more information on Dilworth or the homes on the market there, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can also view current listings on our website here.

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Check out the Dilworth Home Tour 2017

If you’ve ever thought about living in one of the historic homes in Dilworth, or you are just curious to see the inside of some of them, you need to attend the Dilworth Home Tour. This is Charlotte’s oldest home tour and it is celebrating it’s 45th anniversary this year. The event runs from 6 pm to 9 pm Friday, September 15th and 10 am to 4 pm Saturday, September 16th.

There are seven homes on the tour this year and they can be toured in any order. They vary greatly in style and architecture. Some homes are in original condition, some have been remodeled. Homes contain features like pocket doors, slate roofs, original wood flooring, extensive millwork, and more. Some homes have been lovingly restored while others have been remade in modern style. There is even a home that has been featured in architectural magazines.

The home tour is put on each year by the Dilworth Community Association. Each year since they began in 1973, they choose a charity to receive the proceeds. This year they have chosen Dilworth Soup Kitchen. Many local businesses have teamed up to help the event to be a success. Charlotte B-cycle will offer bike rentals for the tour, with a limited number of them free. They will also provide bike racks at each home on the tour. Sodoma Law in the historic Brem House at 211 East Boulevard will provide parking for those walking or biking. They will also have refreshments available. Bonterra will provide half-priced glasses of wine with a home tour ticket on the days of the tour.

Tickets for the Dilworth Home Tour can be bought in advance for $25 and are available at High Cotton Home, Park Road Books, Paper Skyscraper, Dilworth Drug, and both locations of Ultra Running Company. You can get them online at www.dilworthonline.org until September 14th. You can buy them the day of the event, but the price goes up to $30.

If you can’t make it to one of the tour dates but are interested in owning a home in Dilworth, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. We can take you through any home currently on the market and help you decide which one is best for you. You can also view current listings on our website here.

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July Market Statistics

The housing market in the Charlotte continues to be strong this summer. All indicators are that sales are strong, they are up 3.1% year over year which is a rise of 127 sales. However, total inventory is still down year over year down to a 2.6 month supply of homes.

The monthly report from the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association also shows that sales slowed between June and July. Sales are down 473 homes from one month to the next. This appears to follow a yearly trend. In 2016 there was a dip in sales of 785 homes between June and July.

The 2.6 months of inventory are down 25.7% from June of 2016 when there was a 3.5 month supply of homes. There were only 10,174 homes on the market at the time of the report as compared to 12,685 in July of 2016.

There are a few factors that are keeping a shortage of homes on the market. Sellers are not listing homes the same way. There is a trend of homeowners staying in homes longer, not trading up from a starter home, or just buying their forever home from the beginning. With a lack of supply in the market, it is hard for sellers to sell until they have secured their next home. This leads to a catch-22 where sellers won’t sell because they have nothing to buy.

Builders are not able to make up the gap fast enough to add supply to the market to keep up with buyer demand. There has been a labor shortage for builders so they are relying on a smaller pool of talent and that inevitably slows down building.

New listings are up 5.9% from 5,123 to 5,427. Pending sales are also on the rise from 4,068 to 4,724 representing a rise of 16.1% year over year. This is a strong sign that the market is going to continue on the current trajectory.

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

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Charlotte Neighborhoods Reshaped by Teardowns

As demand for homes close to Uptown Charlotte grows, teardowns appear to be inevitable. People have changed what they want out of a home, so original structures don’t meet the needs anymore. Many homes can be added on to get the space and functionality that is desirable now. But, many homes are too small, outdated, expensive, or out of style to easily modify. When this happens, buyers buy the house for the value of the land, then start over with a new construction design.

Many of the older neighborhoods in Charlotte have historical guidelines that prohibit tearing down structures. Those that don’t have such restrictions have seen a rise in teardowns and there is no apparent end in sight as demand seems to be growing. There have been teardowns in parts of Dilworth, Sedgefield and Montford for years, but now we are seeing a rash of them in Wilmore and Villa Heights as well as many areas that are further out from Uptown.

Many people love a new home built in a traditional close-in neighborhood. It allows for a shorter commute, close proximity to nightlife, restaurants, and in some cases walkable neighborhoods. Homes tend to take up much more of the land than the original structures. They can also be much taller than the original. These homes tend to have modern features that are extremely desirable right now. Many contain offices for working from home, high speed internet connections and wifi. They also tend to have open concept living spaces in the main living areas. Bedrooms tend to be large and may contain spa like bathrooms.

If you are interested in a new construction home in an existing neighborhood, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. We can also help you look for a property if you would like to build up a new construction home in place of an existing structure. You can view current listings on our website here.