Living In: Waxhaw, North Carolina

Waxhaw is a small, cute town in western Union county which has been in a bit of a boom in the last few years. It has a high concentration of transplants who are attracted to it's quirky Main Street area, and interesting selection of homes in all price points and good schools. Once a farming town, there are still plenty of remnants of horses and cows in fields right next to new shopping centers that are popping up.

The Cureton subdivision is pretty much the anchor neighborhood in town, as it is the largest. Pricepoints vary widely here, from a $140,000 townhouse all the way into the $600k range at this writing. The neighborhood also boasts a small shopping center on Providence Road (currently being widened to 4 lanes) with a Harris Teeter, CVS, good Chinese restaurant and more. Immediately around this opened up a Lowe's home improvement store, and there's room for more shops which will inevitably come. So, there is definitely a convenience factor growing in Waxhaw. A Wal-Mart attempted to move into town a few years ago, but a lengthy legal battle ensued by the residents that claimed it would kill the small town feeling and decimate the local shops. Needless to say, they won and Wal-Mart was sent packing.

Main Street is having it's up and downs at the moment thanks to the economy. Located right on the train tracks, the town attempts to control the types of shops that open there so that it maintains its days of yore feeling. There are several interesting antique shops, a barber shop with the familiar candy stripe pole outside, and several decent restaurants. A simple wooden bridge originally constructed in 1888 enables pedestrians to cross the train tracks which is a favorite with the locals was recently renovated. It's a great spot to watch the freight trains whiz by right under you. It's pretty much a ghost town during the week, and gets visitors mostly on weekends.

Mama Lena's Italian restaurant is a favorite that has been around for some time, and the owners are native New Yorkers. It's housed in an old building with wonderful architecture and they are known for making their own bread. Everything is fresh and takes some time, so be ready to hang out a while. Rippington's offers typical American fare across the street that is a bit pricey, and it's somehow trying to be something fancier than it should be given it's location. The Bridge & Rail is well-known for it's brunch, but isn't open for dinner. Just off Main Street, Crossroads Coffee House is a super popular hangout and is situated in an old wooden home with a wooden screen door. A continual rotation of musicians keeps the place lively.

One word of caution: don't look for a martini with your meal. Waxhaw's restaurants can only offer wine as a beverage, since the town is essentially dry. There are no bars or spots to hang out with an alcoholic brew. Many non-bible belting transplants consider this a transgretion of the highest order, and they are working hard to sign petitions to get alcohol allowed in the local establishments. Heck, even the restaurants themselves want the resolution approved as it will improve their bottom line. The feeling by many is that no further profusion of eateries will come to Waxhaw without their ability to offer a drink. The usual battle is ensuing where one side wants the ability to drink so that locals don't have to trek just a few miles down the road to Charlotte for a beverage (and deposit their tax dollars into another county); while the other side fears DWI's and a profusion of crime would result should an adult imbibe in a vodka and cranberry.

In May there is an annual Spring Fest with local vendors selling all types of typical fair goods and craft art; and July 4th and Christmas parades gives local kids a chance to have a blast. I give Waxhaw's town leaders credit for continually putting on interesting little events each month to draw attention to Main Street and giving it a boost. A small children's park is hidden behind the shrubbery off Main (or around the corner from the Tack Exchange shop, where there is more parking) that also has an unexpected, but very cool skateboarding area for those interested in hitting pipes and bowls.

Artists abound in Waxhaw, and Eight Legs Gallery and Stewart's Village Gallery are two places that are a must see for interesting art gifts of pottery or metalwork. Rebecca's Pottery, is located in Eight Legs and let's you bring out your inner potter by offering you a chance to make your own stuff. As an aside, Stewart's is now partnering with the Waxhaws Farmer's Market to use his grounds (they were formally on Providence Road) for their stands. So look for them there.

From a real estate perspective, you can buy a modern brick contemporary on a huge property for well into the millions of dollars, a classic southern farmhouse with a front porch and shutters (check these out just down the road on Main Street) or a shack for $90k. Watch out for the property taxes here, as they are one of the highest in Union County--though transplants will laugh at how cheap they are in comparison from where they came ($10,000 prop taxes in New Jersey anyone??). You can be way out in the sticks and far from any supermarket, or you can be right around the corner from one. You can live on many acres or a manageble back yard. The great thing about Waxhaw is that it does offer you options. Typical shopping for clothing and such is going to mean a trek to the Charlotte city limits, but that's only a 15 minute drive (depending on where you live) to the Ballantyne area or South Charlotte. All the usual suspects like Target and everything else is just a drive away.

All in all, Waxhaw is trying to hold onto its days-gone-by appeal in a county that is one of the fastest growing in the US. Not an easy feat. Now, if we could just have a drink!

49% of Residents Want to Leave NJ and Come to NC/FL

An interesting tidbit appeared in yesterday's Charlotte Observer newspaper, claiming that a recent poll said 49% of the residents living in New Jersey wants to move out of the state and go to either North Carolina or Florida.

Digging around, I found the story in the Star Ledger which appeared on October 17th. Don't just read the story itself, but also read the near 50 comments from readers that wrote in to voice their thoughts. Here's one particularly entertaining one:

"New Jersey, if the fumes, taxes (personal and corporate), traffic, and corruption don't kill ya, the stupidity in government will!

Hey, here's an idea, let's tax the people who don't make as much; an idea that will work right? Less tax to those who make more, more tax to those that make less. This state is in dire straights right now, along with many towns. Towns need more help financially, and the state has no funds to help.

$3.5 BILLION in deficit? The state just keep running up the credit card bills, chasing out the businesses. There is soon to be a tax on the tax.

I guess discussing this is like trying to introduce logic to an illogical equation. Nothing will change, anytime soon. Get used to it, or be prepared to move. I felt exactly like these people about living in the northeast. Taxes too high, cost of living is nuts." -1lvdherelong

I can totally relate to what these people are feeling, as I was one of them over 3 years ago. Between the taxes, the cost of living and the traffic, you simply don't feel like you can get ahead in the northeast. You're working like a maniac to pay bills.

A friend of ours who still lives with his wife in northern Jersey is purchasing a house and told us the property taxes were going to be $9,000. He said it without any emotion or shock...as if it was all normal. I guess in Jersey people just accept those numbers. I held my breath when I heard the figure and said to Matt--can you believe we're paying $2,200 property taxes for 3 acres??

So, I don't blame folks in New Jersey for wanting to run as fast as they can. And you won't be alone, because your buddies that left a few years ago are already waiting here for you.

Use the Internet to Research Your House or Neighborhood

I was talking to a realtor last week on the condition of the market in Charlotte, and she confessed that it has slowed down quite a bit from spring time. She explained that the the housing bubble elsewhere in the country has finally affected Charlotte in that folks can't sell their homes to come here. In other words, someone in New Jersey who is itching to get south is having to sit on their unsold house and can't make the move until it happens.

In Charlotte, homes have never really sold for those inflated prices around the rest of the country. There's been a slow and steady increase in home values that work with the national average. We also enjoy moderate property taxes in comparison to other areas. That gives those looking to purchase a home here good buying power. You get a heap for your money. I recommend using the Charlotte area MLS site, Carolina Home, versus Realtor.com as the listings are more accurate and give you better photos.

If you want to do a bit of research and find out what your house or the homes in the neighborhood have sold for within the last 5 years, check out websites such as Zillow and Domania. I used these tools successfully when buying in New Jersey as I was able to get vital information that helped me devise an offer. All you do is plug in an address and the info is all there at your fingertips.

When I was living in Morganville, NJ, for a year in one of those terrible cookie-cutter neighborhoods where the houses sat 12 feet away from each other. The house I lived in could be bought here in Charlotte for $125,000, and I won't tell you what unspeakable sum of money I bought the very same house for there (with $10,000 property taxes!). I purchased the home from someone that was selling it themselves and not using a realtor. So, I was left without an intermediary to the offer haggling for me. I had to do it myself. I went to Domania and looked at the recent comps in the neighborhood, but then I was also able to see that the seller had purchased the house two years before and that he was attempting to get over $100,000 more in that short time period! With this information in hand, I was able to tell him, "Look, I know you paid $X for this house just two years ago, and the comps say $Y. I'm ready to walk away if I can't get this house for this offer." He looked aghast and a bit sheepish when I told him EXACTLY what he paid for the home, and we were able to come to a reasonable number--well, at least what was reasonable in New Jersey!

The internet is an amazing source of information when it comes to home buying and selling, and not when it comes to purchase price either. Want to know how many registered sex offenders live within a certain mile radius from your home--or worse, perhaps right next door to the house you are buying? Check out The National Sex Offender Registry site and plug in your address. You may be duly delighted or horrified by what you find out. North Carolina has it's very own site, NC Find Offender, that does the same thing. And many of the local counties have their own version of this as well. Just do a google search for "cabarrus county nc" and "registered sex offender."

Need to know if you're buying or living near an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) superfund site? Check out their site to determine if you're going to be living near a toxic dump. Scorecard is a site that takes it even further, and can help you determine things like agricultural and water issues.

If schools are a concern for you, there's a number of interesting tools such as Great Schools that give you general data about every school in the country. In North Carolina, students have to pass the ABC standardized test. The scores have gone up this year, check out how yours did here. There's plenty of info if you go directly to the counties themselves to research what is happening in the local schools, too.

Property taxes are another issue for home buyers to consider. You should be thrilled if you're coming from the northeast. My property taxes were $10k per year, and now they are $2,200 for three acres of land! For tax numbers, check out these sites and do the math:

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg
• Gaston
• Iredell
• Union
• York, SC

So, as you can see the internet can provide a wealth of info before you go ahead and dump hundreds of thousands of dollars into a humungo purchase like a house. Happy searching!

Indian Land, SC

Ah, Indian Land. I really, really wanted to live there, but couldn't find a darned house to buy since it's so tiny! Indian Land is in Lancaster County and is part of the Fort Mill, SC, zip code as it does not (yet!) have it's own post office. It's just minutes from the Ballantyne area on highway 521 just a bit away from primo property in NC. You can buy a house for a song, with dirt cheap property taxes. It's a real estate buyer's dream.

There's a neighborhood in Indian Land named Black Horse Run that I adore. It's an equestrian friendly community that allows owners to have 2 horses on every 1 acre of land (though many residents do not). Much of the neighborhood was built in the 1980's, so you have mature landscaping and decent sized lots. There is also a neighborhood pool, a barn, riding trails and a wonderful lake. The homes are a bit smaller than what you find new right now, but they are at a pricepoint that affords updating and in adding on. Houses in the subdivision generally go quickly...if you find one for sale at all.

Indian Land is set to explode, as you've got a heap of growth happening on the 521 corridor. Del Webb's 50+ neighborhood, Sun City at Carolina Lakes, is driving much of the growth and is sells out quickly each time a new building pod area starts up. Sun City has incredible amenities for those who fit the over 50 age profile, including a golf course, boating and a club house. Del Webb plans to build another similar subdivision in the next few years that does not have golfing for those that are not inclined. Investing in these neighborhoods is money in the bank.

Many property owners along 521 have recently put their larger parcels for sale to capitalize on the real estate boom that's happening, and they are being snapped up for retail and homes. And, it's proximity to Ballantyne doesn't hurt either. Gasoline is cheaper in SC, so you'll find lots of NC plates visiting the closest gas stations over the South Charlotte border. Plus, it's also home to Southern Spirits, our favorite liquor store here at Charlotte Central.

This area is served by Indian Land schools, which are decent; and not Fort Mill schools, which are excellent. In my opinion, however, I think the schools in Indian Land will get even better as the area is further developed.

Do not miss out on a little gem of an area--check out Indian Land, SC. You won't be sorry you bought ahead of the boom.

Buying Furniture in Charlotte

You’ll find lots of info out there on the Hickory Furniture Mart, just an hour outside of Charlotte that is home to many of the popular furniture manufacturers. Personally, I found it interesting for ideas, but too expensive. I kept hearing for years how this was the place to go and get everything, and when I finally get here it was a serious disappointment, and went home empty handed. Matt can vouch for the fact that I rarely come home with nothing.

Through word of mouth–which is how you find out about all the good stuff–I discovered Furniture Factory Outlet on Lancaster Highway in Waxhaw. The darned thing is is the middle of nowhere, but so worth the trip. For one, it’s huge. It is a former factory that now has nothing more than great quality finds at terrific prices, including mattresses. Want a grandfather clock for $500 bucks? It’s here. A whole bedroom set in burl wood with a poster bed? Hop on over.Some things can be ordered, but most stuff is straight off the floor (but in immaculate condition). The catch is that they pretty much don’t deliver (except for the ordered stuff), so people drive up with rented U-haul trucks or those $19 an hour Home Depot pick up trucks. If you’ve got a friend with access to a large vehicle or van, they you’re in luck.

Ashley Furniture and Value City are pretty inexpensive, but the quality reflects it. You’ll pay darn near the same thing as the place above, but it won’t be as good. If you need an inexpensive couch for $450 bucks and you don’t expect it to last more than 3 or 4 years, then this might very well be the place to go. Expect the couch arms will be made of particleboard and have fabric that will not be durable.

Honestly, you’d be better off heading to family-owned Tyndall Furniture or Efirds. There’s heaps crammed onto the floor, and you can also browse their books and purchase something specific that way. You can get a Rowe couch for just $650 (depending on the fabric), and it will be 8-way hand-tied and real wood–and it will last you 15 or more years. So, do your math and make sure that that $450 couch is really worth it. Some of the bigger furniture stores do have outlets, such as Boyle’s, who just opened a new one out on Highway 74.

Decor can be found in virtually every shopping center around Charlotte. Home Goods just opened two locations in Charlotte and is a mecca for inexpensive, but interesting goods. There are people that swear by the Black Lion, which has two locations and hosts small shops that are individually owned by regular folks like us who want a way to have their own business. I prefer the one in Pineville versus the one in the Concord Mills Mall.

Charlotte Interiors is a great web source for finding local places to shop for all your home, furniture and decorating needs.

Is There a Real Estate Slowdown in Charlotte?

We were the last to feel it, but it does appear that the bubble has finally hit Charlotte a wee bit. It's not that people don't want to move here and buy a house, what's holding them back is that they're having a hard time selling their homes where they're living now.

Charlotte's house prices have always stayed level with the national average, unlike some places around the US. And, if you ask me, the rest of the country was long overdue for a correction. I mean, when did we ever think that buying a 1,800 square foot house that is 80 years old and has a backyard the size of a postage stamp for $600,000 was normal?

Personally, I think flippers did huge damage to the market everywhere. These money hungry individuals never intend on living in the home they are buying--just profiting from it in the shortest amount of time possible. There's TV reality shows that sprung up thanks to this phenomenon, and you could see for yourself how they buy ramshackle homes and put in some cheap flooring, paint over sins and hang some cheesy drapes up and then turn around and sell the darn thing for another $80 grand more than they bought the place 3 months before. Clearly, there's something very wrong with that picture.

To make matters worse, there were lots of flippers who knew nothing of home construction or repair engaging mediocre labor to put lipstick on a cosmetically challenged pig of a house. Work that should be properly done in a matter of weeks or months is crammed into days so another mortgage payment does not have to be made. The corners that I have seen cut are not only inappropriate, but also can make the home unsafe for its future inhabitants who have payed good money for the home.

I can assure you that when you paint directly over freshly hung drywall that has not fully cured--that that paint will be popping off the walls in less than 6 months. Of course, by that point, the flipper has long moved on. You also cannot lay tile AND grout it in the same day, yet I've seen that done as well. Anyone buying a house from an investor should tread cautiously and definitely use a home inspector. I'd also insist on a home warranty as well. Unfortunately, any structural issues won't be covered by a $399 warranty, so be ready.

I'm not sure why people feel the need to move into a perfectly immaculate, move-in ready home. I purchased a mid 1980's house that was in serious need of a facelift. I was able to get her at a great price and her bones were solid. The home is in a great neighborhood with lots of trees and huge lots; plus the schools are some of the best in the state. I managed to do some critical messy repair work right before we moved in like getting rid of the popcorn ceiling and replacing the carpeting. But I've been having work done over the last 5 months that I've been here, and its happening at a reasonable place by some talented folks that aren't ripping me off. I got to pick the granite I liked, the finish on my cabinets and how big I wanted my deck. The house now feels like its been custom built by me and to my taste without being in a cookie-cutter insta-neighborhood.

Has it been a pain to have workers in my house for the last few months? Sure, but they've also become like part of the family. I was having my master bath ripped out by our terrific contractor Kevin Scally (KDS Construction 704-507-3091), and one evening my 4-year old had a wheel come off his toy truck. I offered to fix it for him, but he advised me that he would be asking Kevin to fix it the next day. If anything went wrong, my son said Kevin could fix it. And he's probably right!

In the end, instead of paying someone else to present me with a move-in ready house with their materials, I'm controlling the process and making sure it's done right. And my 25 year old house is looking quite pretty again these days, just as she must have on day one.

Mooresville

When we first moved here and I was looking for an IT job, an opportunity came up in Mooresville. I looked at the map and it didn't look all that far away, so I set up an interview and drove up. It's about 20 miles north of Charlotte, and situated right on Lake Norman. As it turns out, I took the job and have been commuting up there every day for two and a half years.

Mooresville is in Iredell (eye-err-dell) County, and is known as Race City USA because of it's association with motor sports. As I mentioned in a previous post, many race teams have their headquarters in Mooresville, including Dale Earnhardt Inc., Robert Yates Racing, and others.
The town is bisected by I-77, and the western side of town is the lake side. There are some very expensive homes on the lake, and the associated marinas, restaurants and recreation areas. Housing is more affordable on the eastern side of the highway, which is still close enough to the lake to take advantage of what is has to offer.

The area is booming. Highway 150 (Exit 36 off of I-77) is the main commercial/retail thoroughfare in the area, and is getting quite congested with all of the new people moving in, and new businesses opening up. In general, housing and taxes are more affordable than Mecklenburg County, and because of that, a lot of transplants are settling there. (I go to a dentist in Mooresville and the hygienist is from Long Island. She told me her whole development was filled with Yankees).

Culturally, it's a little different than Charlotte, especially South Charlotte. There are more natives there and you can really get a better feel for North Carolina living than you do in, say, Ballantyne. But even this is changing as progress is driving the suburbs farther north. I have a reverse commute, and when I'm heading up I-77 in the mornings, the traffic heading south from the lake into Charlotte looks pretty bad to me.

If you go to Mooresville to check it out, stop for a bite at Lancaster's BBQ or, if you want something a bit fancier, try Jeffrey's. You won't leave either place hungry.

Homeowner's Association (HOA) Hell

When you buy your new home in Charlotte, you're going to have the option to choose a neighborhood that either has a Homeowner's Association (HOA) or doesn't. I have had the pleasure--and displeasure--of both options.

When I first arrived to Charlotte, we lived in Providence Country Club in South Charlotte for two years. In the middle of our time there, a new board was elected to run (or should I say rule) the neighborhood. Almost immediately, this new nazi board enforced every single rule in the neighborhood handbook to the extreme. Almost immediately, a slew of people on my particular block got letters for what the new board felt were a variety of infractions. For example, a bunch of them got nasty correspondence about their swingsets that might be in view of the driveway.

My immediate neighbor had a swingset for his three boys that had been sitting in the very same spot for 10 years, and it was also the regulation wood tone that the neighborhood requires. One morning I'm sitting in my home office and I see a car stop right in front of my driveway with a telephoto lens pointed at my neighbors yard. I had no idea what was occurring at the time, but it did feel like I was witnessing a case of espionage happening. Several days later I hear from my neighbor that he'd received a letter along with a photo explaining that he had to move his swingset out of view and screen it with shrubbery. Folks, the thing had been there 10 YEARS! He was so aggravated that instead of moving it, he took it down and sold it.

I got a letter about my garbage pails while living in PCC. You see, you're not allowed to have your garbage cans in plain sight either. Heaven forbid anyone in the neighborhood has children that actually go on swings or that we make garbage! What a horror! In the winter, I have no problem keeping my garbage can in the garage--but come summer, no one wants that stinky thing in a 125 degree garage. So, out it goes right next to the house. And there came a lovely letter citing chapter and verse from the PCC bible on the Architectural Committee's view on garbage pails: "Thou must not have a garbage can that may be seen from the driveway, and it must be removed from the street within 16 minutes of the garbage truck picking up your filthy mess." Of course, I'm exaggerating a bit, but you get the picture.

Neighbors got letters because they had their boats sitting in the driveway while getting ready to take them to Lake Norman, and they got letters about their lawns. When I moved there, I purchased a home that was a foreclosure and the lawn had not been maintained for close to 2 years. It was nothing more than patchy crabgrass. So, we immediately set upon turning it around and hired a landscaper to do weekly cuttings and Lawn Doctor to start killing the weeds and planting seed. Now, those of you who are gardeners know that you can't turn a lawn around in two weeks. It can take a season or two to make an impact. Well, wouldn't you know that we got a letter right after moving in to tell us to hurry up the process.

I immediately responded to the nazi board with my own letter explaining that we'd just moved in and were trying to fix the lawn that had been completely neglected by the previous owners for years, and that this process would take time. I also provided receipts for the services that I had retained to repair the lawn as proof that I was spending money to make improvements. I wrote that they would simply need to be patient while the lawn regenerated. I never heard from them on that subject again, and by the following season I had one of the prettiest lawns on the block.

The PCC monthly newsletter was a hoot, too. Each month, the residents had a finger wagged in their faces by the writers who proceeded to tell us what bad people we were. We were told that if we sold our homes we HAD to lease ($150!!) one of the For Sale signs available at a local sign shop or else! We were told that our fences had to be wood or iron or the god's would strike us dead. If you had a tree or shrub die in your landscaping, you were admonished if you did not replace it with exactly the same variety that had just perished. Imagine what would happen if you replaced that holly bush with a crape myrtle? They'd probably splash your face on the front page of next months newsletter with a big red X across your face! Matt was even ready to put out an anti-PCC newsletter where he mocked all the nonsense they wrote about each month. Needless to say, we finally decided to just move because the HOA was so insane at Providence Country Club.

We wanted to make sure that in our next neighborhood there was absolutely no HOA. I'm all for rules that are reasonable, and we wanted a community that still had protective covenants that the residents would abide by so that property values would be retained. For example, you shouldn't park a semi on your front lawn; you shouldn't keep a ratty old sofa on your stoop for 6 months, and you shouldn't be allowed to keep 17 howling dogs in your backyard. The grass on your lawn shouldn't hit your knees, and if you decide to paint your front door purple with pink polka-dots your neighbors have every right to give you hell about it.

Finally, after much searching we found our current neighborhood in Union County with no HOA. I can't be happier to have my sanity back--and my garbage cans are proudly sitting in their rightful spot beside my garage as they should be. And I no longer fear checking my mailbox for a damned HOA letter!

So, hopefully you'll be lucky enough to live in a neighborhood with a reasonable HOA board, but I'm not willing to take that chance ever again. Don't let your realtor advise you about the antics of the board either--remember, they're just looking to make a commission. And no one knows better than someone who lives in the neighborhood itself, so get out of your car and knock on some doors and inquire about the sanity of your HOA board before you buy that beautiful home.

Better to find out now, than in a letter!

New vs. Older Houses in Charlotte

One thing that surprised me about Charlotte is the overall lack of southern looking architecture in most houses being built. I was expecting to see those gracious front porches supported by wood columns and beautiful fern leaves swaying in the wake of the breeze provided by an outdoor fan. I was expecting live oaks gently shading that front porch as well. Well, that's not the case in Charlotte--most everything is new here and is built in a transitional style. If you want formal southern architecture, you'll have to move to Charleston. The Dilworth neighborhood, and those surrounding Uptown do still sport homes with typical southern design, and you will catch one here and there around town, but it's pretty rare.

Neighborhoods in Charlotte are mostly called "subdivisions," or what us non-natives might refer to as a "development." Most of Charlotte is not built on a grid of blocks like NYC, it's simply a series of subdivisions--and each one tends to be named. There's places like Providence Country Club, High Gate, Sunset Park and Heron Harbor. You tell your realtor about these named neighborhoods that you like, and they can search for you in this manner.

You'll see two scopes of buildings here--brand spanking new or a bit older. Here's the pluses and minuses of each:

New:
Heck, it's new! No one has lived in your brand new house before you, or maybe there was just one owner. You're probably getting an open floor plan, big closets and modern stainless appliances tucked into granite countertops. I call these "insta-neighborhoods," where you may have a community pool and playground surrounded by many cul-de-sacs. Houses tend to be really close together, and yards are puny. The developer has likely cut down every precious tree on the land to make way for many more houses than should be placed in any one place. Builders put four houses in the spot where there should be one. You better like your neighbors, because you're going to be really, really, close to 'em. If you get into a Hatfield-McCoys situation in this setting, you could just stare at each other through your side windows and make faces in the heat of battle.

Homes in these neighborhoods tend to look very much alike to their neighbors, with a slight variation of color or design. Its perfect for folks with kids, as they can ride around with their bikes in a safe manner and its easy for them (and you) to make friends. Some neighborhoods have taken this form a living to new heights. For example, the very popular Birkdale Village in Huntersville (Area 9) has adorable southern styled homes on .12 size lots. There's cute shopping right near all the homes, and it's almost like a little town onto itself.

There's a few amazing neighborhoods, however, that are not so extreme such as Ardey in Area 5 (South Charlotte). The builder has put together a collection of pretty southern inspired homes with front porches and alleyways in the back for cars. They are painted in marvelous Charleston colors like pink, teal and Georgia peach. It really is a stunning community, and the builder took care to really put together a design that gives variation to the homes.

You can find newer neighborhoods in golf communities or even lake communities. You can have tons of amenities where you may not even have to leave your subdivision (Sun City at Carolina Lakes for 55+ adults). Or, you can have a bare bones inexpensive place where the homes are pretty much cookie cutter.

Older:
Most of these will be built from the 1960's to just a couple of years ago. 90% of these will have siding versus any of the brickface or hardi-plank newer homes are wearing these days. Small or non-existent closets are the norm, and most likely everything will need some updating. You may not see the 10 foot ceilings that the new homes have, and there's less bathrooms. On the flipside, you get land, lush trees and privacy. You also tend to get a bargain in terms of a sale price of these homes, but you'll only plow it all back in to update the darn thing. But, at least you get to fix it up the way you want it. It's also likely that you won't be subjected to a Home Owners Association (HOA)--that's a blessing as far as I'm concerned.

I've lived in both of these types of homes, and I confess I'm partial to older homes. I've got 3 beautiful acres, with plenty of space between me and my neighbors. I've had to rip up everything in the house--kitchen, baths, etc., but you just can't find a 3,000 square foot house on a plot like mine in Union County for the price I bought it for. I got a bargain, in fact! There's also a bit more character in these older gals--if you consider that the house is mostly out-of-square character, that is. So, be sure to not ignore older homes in your search if you're looking for a steal in terms of real estate.

Basically, two things will determine the home you buy. The first will be money and the second will be the area you prefer to live in. Figure out that combination and just let your realtor know what you're looking for in terms of the house itself.

Oh, and I neglected to mention that when you house hunt here in Charlotte you'll be surprised to note that when you walk into houses it appears like all of them have been decorated by Martha Stewart. In New York, I was so used to walking into slummy looking homes for exorbitant prices, that I was totally shocked at the level of decor in the homes here. You're thinking to yourself, how can I compete with this?! But interior designers are inexpensive to work with around these parts, and every proud southern woman seems to use one. Good for them!

Happy house hunting in Charlotte!

Where to Live in Charlotte

There's lots of opinion here, but most people will tell you that if Charlotte is a circle and you drew two vertical lines about an inch apart from center--that you should stay in the middle of the two lines. Generally, east and west of city center is considered a bit shady--and those areas north and south of the city aren't. Of course, your pocket book will really dictate where you end up for the most part.

Those areas north and south are more expensive, and the areas east and west are dirt cheap. You'll see a map of the area is divided into zones called "areas." For example city center is called Area 99, Union County is Area 10 and so on. So, when you talk to your realtor, you basically tell them what zone you want to live in. It's living in New York and saying: I want to live in the East Village or Harlem. They are neighborhood areas.

Charlotte is spreading out quite a bit. Areas in the outer reaches like Lincoln County and Union County are growing like wildfire. Union County, in fact, is the fastest growing county in North Carolina and the 20th fastest growing county in the USA. Just a few years ago, it was nothing more than beautiful farmland. Today there are houses springing up where the cow patties used to lay. There are heaps and heaps of northerners living in Union County, there is also heaps of disposable income there. You will find everything from the simplest trailer home to multi-million dollar mansions. The dichotomy is truly amazing.

The schools in Union County are generally considered the best in Charlotte (and in some respects the state). You can review school data at www.greatschools.net if schools are a consideration for you. One caveat is that since everyone wants to move into Union County, the schools are overcrowded. You will find temporary buildings behind many of the schools. Weddington High School, for example, has more children in temp buildings than in the school building itself. It's not their fault--its ours. We keep moving moving here in droves with our kids and they can't keep up with adding new schools. Basically, Charlotte is having a hard time keeping up with the growth in terms of infrastructure thanks to all the newcomers. Schools and roads are bursting and they can't build 'em fast enough.

Up north there's Huntersville and Mooresville and other nice areas. It's NASCAR country, you've got the Lowe's Motor Speedway as well as Lake Norman--a beautiful man-made lake with many acres of shoreline and great for boating if you're so inclined. City center (called uptown by the natives) is hopping with newly built condos, and there's wonderful restaurants and bars that have popped up. They are building 10,000 new condos over the coming years, and Donald Trump is laying stake to putting up the tallest building in Charlotte too. Headquarters for Bank of America are here as well. Just 7 years ago, the area was a drug-infested area where no simple mortal would enter without a hefty set of cojones. Today, you've got the Discovery Place, Bobcat Arena and Panther Stadium.

Due east is the University area. IBM is located there, and its an easy commute. The area is considered convenient and accessible and homes are cheap. Most people with kids living there will tell you that they put their kids into private school, however. Just south of uptown is the beautiful Dilworth area, which sports pricey homes built in the 1920's on gorgeous oak tree lines streets. It has a more genteel southern feel that most people imagine when they think of this area. Huge columns on stunning homes, and a price-tag to match. Up and coming areas like NoDa have adorable craftsman homes that are being renovated. The area has an artsy feel thanks to all the artists that moved in and gentrified the area. Prices here are climbing as well.

If you really want dirt cheap property taxes, you cross the border to South Carolina and look in Indian Land and Fort Mill--two lovely areas just south of Ballantyne. Indian Land in particular is exploding since the opening of an enormous 55+ retirement community by builder Del Webb called Sun City at Carolina Lakes. That whole Route 521 corridor is set to explode with growth as that neighborhood becomes populated. There is a waiting list for homes in this village, and it has a huge golf course and its own shopping area.

There's something for everyone in Charlotte. Those in the under $200k price point would be better off in a townhome or condo. If you're in the $300+ range, you'll do fine in terms of finding a home. Set a budget for yourself and stick to it. You will find that you can get incredible bang for your buck in comparison to the northeast, and its very easy to blow past your budget when you see what you can get. I came here saying we weren't going to spend over $300k--we quickly bought a $429k home in Mecklenburg. Luckily, the house we sold in Jersey was $500k. (By the way, you could find the very same cookie cutter home we had there for $125k here). We had $10,000 property taxes on our house in Jersey, and the backyard was teensy. Here, I've got 3 acres and I pay $2,200. It's madness!

In terms of finding real estate here, I suggest you use the Charlotte MLS site www.carolinahome.com instead of realtor.com. You'll get much more info, great photos, and you can search by lots of criteria--including subdivision. I found this site terrific.

It would take me days to describe all the great areas to live in Charlotte, so explore the areas and be open minded. There's a place where you'll feel at home, no doubt.