Great news for our market and we welcome the the new residents with open arms.  You have done it again Queen City.   According to a recent article by FORBES Magazine Charlotte is ranked as one of the top cities for RELOCATION.  In fact, two NC cities made the list....Raleigh was number one and Charlotte was number three.  Part of the ranking was based on the fact that Charlotte is a financial and manufacturing hub, combined with great weather and affordable housing.   FORBES magazine tracked cities throughtout the country and determined that Charlotte was one of the Top Ten cities for relocation. 04/15/2009

  The economy is going to make a full recovery!  The question is, When?!  Well, I can tell you that you will soon hear the media saying that things are getting better!  How do I know this?  Because the media is always one to three months behind in reporting news about the economy.  This is because most of the measurements are compiled monthly or quarterly and that's the news that is released.  The Media Will Soon Announce... So, you are going to hear that the housing market is seeing a turn around.  This news will come when the March and April real estate numbers are divulged.  Being one of the top real estate teams in Charlotte, North Carolina I can assure you that we have seen a nice upward trend in real estate sales in the Charlotte Metro area in March and April.  What's Really Happe... 04/14/2009

North Carolina ranked right in the middle of all the United States for economic competitiveness!  This ranking comes from the American Legislative Exchange Council based in Washington, DC.   The ranking of 21 is the same ranking that North Carolina has had for the past two years. Learn more about the study and find out where all the states ranked at The Charlotte Business Journal. Keep up to day with the Charlotte Real Estate Market at with Your Charlotte Connection at The Ramsey Group. 04/14/2009

Charlotte NC Chantilly Market Report, April 14, 2009 Chantilly, one of Charlotte's favorite historic districts, is tucked quietly between Elizabeth and Plaza Midwood. Chantilly is located in the shadows of the Uptown Charlotte North Carolina real estate community.   The neighborhood features beautiful, narrow streets with charming cottages and a warm, neighborhood feel.  Comparable to the quaint Elizabeth and Dilworth with its craftsman style bungalows, Chantilly's historic development also boasts tree-lined streets and affordable cottage-style residences surrounded by expansive, stately homes. Chantilly has always been a highly sought-after neighborhood.  Even in this climate, those shopping for real estate that want to be in the Uptown area and be in an affordable community, choose Ch... 04/14/2009

If you have driven through Madison Park or Collins Park in South Charlotte then you know that there are 3 bedroom ranches that are being renovated on almost every street.  The neighborhood is located about 3 miles south of Uptown Charlotte and sits between Park Road and South Blvd.  Woodlawn Rd. divides the two neighborhoods.  Though Collins Park is located just north of Madison Park (making it closer to the city), the homes in Madison Park always have and probably always will be more expensive and more sought after.  There have been two reasons for this in the past and a third is being added to the picture.  Madison Park has the advantage over Collins Park because it has a road (Montford) that takes you directly to Park Rd.  If you lived in Collins Park you would have to take Woodlawn ... 04/13/2009

Did you know that the YMCA holds several races a year in the Metro Charlotte and Lake Norman areas?  Here is the info for the 2009 Race Series:YMCA of Greater Charlotte2009 Race Series CalendarThe YMCA of Greater Charlotte holds several races throughout the year.  All proceeds from these events benefit our Community Outreach Campaign which helps fund programs for youth, seniors, teens, and families in the Charlotte area.  Your race entry fee will help to continue this support in our community.  Please join us in the following events: March 7, 2009  Alston & Bird, LLP Corporate Cup 1/2 Marathon, 1/2 Marathon Relay, and 5K   April 18, 2009   Lowe's YMCA Starfish 5K5K, Healthy Kids Day and Vendor Business Fair  April 26, 2009 Second Annual Ride for Sally's Y25K, 50K and 100K  May 16, 2009 ... 04/13/2009

 CHARLOTTE LUXURY HOMES / CHARLOTTE LUXURY HOMES / CHARLOTTE LUXURY HOMES    CHARLOTTE LUXURY HOMES / CHARLOTTE LUXURY HOMES / CHARLOTTE LUXURY HOMES   Email: E-mail Website: www.YourCharlotteLuxuryHome.com Luxury / Home Search Request Charlotte Luxury Community DirectoryGolf Course CommunitiesWaterfront Luxury HomesEquestrian / Horse Friendly CommunitiesGated Communities Lake Norman Luxury HomesMooresville, NC Luxury HomesCornelius, NC Luxury HomesHuntersville. NC Luxury HomesDenver, NC Luxury HomesDavidson, NC Luxury HomesTroutman, NC Luxury HomesStatesville, NC Luxury HomesSherrills Ford, NC Luxury HomesLake Wylie Luxury HomesLake Wylie Luxury Homes 2Weddington, NC Luxury HomesWaxhaw, NC Luxury HomesMint Hilll, NC Luxury Homes Charlotte Luxury Living Cobblestone Luxury Community Crai... 04/12/2009

What better day than Easter Sunday to write a blog about true hope for our country.  After all, we still live in one of the most prosperous countries in the world!  We have more goods available to us in an instant at one Walmart than millions of people in the world will ever have.  And, best of all, we have the truest form of freedom that the world has ever known.  Thank God for The United States of America! All of this... right here in The United States of America!!  Our country, our home!  Here we have complete freedom of religion.  Be you a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, atheist, whatever, you have freedom to worship your god.  That is an amazing gift and that alone is cause for HOPE and excitement in our country.  Having Hope is a Personal Choice I choose to be filled with hop... 04/12/2009

Even amidst a severe recession and soaring unemployment rates, Charlotte NC is still one of the hottest real estate markets in the country... partially because of its continued influx of new residents.  Recently Forbes.com released a list of "10 Cities Where Americans Are Relocating".  According to their information, Charlotte NC is the 3rd fastest growing Metro area in the country... with a population growth of 3.36% to 1.7 million. Since there is a wide selection of available homes on the market with many available at bargain prices, interest rates are near all time lows, and the government is offering an $8000 first time homebuyer tax credit if you purchase a home between January 1 & December 1, 2009... NOW is the time to buy a home in the Charlotte NC area!  In my opinion, there wil... 04/12/2009

 If you are looking for some great insight into how certain websites get ranked and others are lost on page 30, I highly recommend a book by Ben Norman called "Getting Noticed on Google". I am constantly trying to figure out how people are getting organically ranked compared to our website www.lakeandtown.com.  So we hired an SEO to help us to get ranked. He sold us a couple of domain names that he created that were already ranked. www.birkdaleareahomes.com and www.homesforsalelakenorman.com. Each one of them had a page rank of 4 out of 10, which in Google terms is pretty good. We actually made it to the top 3 in a couple of prominent searches for real estate in our area. However, over the year or so we seemed to lose some of our juice. I am coming to understand that in order to stay or... 04/12/2009

Do you need a professional level Virtual Tour for one of your listings? We provide interactive floor plan based tours for agents and would love to add you to our site @ http://openhomes247.com/ as a featured Realtor for your area. See some sample we did in South Carolina by clicking on the photo below. Once page loads open up a tour by clicking on click to open home. 04/12/2009

HAPPY EASTER FROM CHANTILLY (Charlotte NC)! 2617 Shenandoah Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205 View Map 2617 Shenandoah Avenue, Chantilly Charlotte NC Come see for yourself! This delightful 1940’s charming Chantilly bungalow is now a 2009 renovated charmer, this home has it all—the charm of old and the WOW of new! Great location near Uptown and in the middle of everything Charlotte! Added dormer space to extend master bath to pure luxury—large master up with oversized closet, two bedrooms down with great, well-lit office space. New tiered deck overlooks one of Chantilly’s best lots (fenced-in). If you want to live in the ‘almost-Uptown,’ quaint community of Chantilly, you won’t want to miss this great home—it’s priced to sell and move-in ready! Visit our website at www.SoldByDebe.com to see a... 04/11/2009

Happy Easter From Heydon Hall! 9408 Heydon Hall Circle, Charlotte, NC 28210 View Map Stunning brick home in highly sought-after Heydon Hall. What other neighborhood offers their own private entrance to the Quail Hollow golf course?! This neighborhood is an old-fashioned, gated community that is truly representative of what a ‘neighborhood’ really is. Parties, games and childrens activities are held often—and there’s plenty of entertainment for the adults too! You’ll not only love the community but, this home is simply fabulous and it’s situated on one of the best lots in Heydon Hall. The gourmet kitchen is amazing with oversized island, double ovens, upgraded appliances. MBR on the main level with luxurious bath. Four other ensuite bedrooms are spacious and feature plantation shutters.... 04/11/2009

What is a short sale? A short sale is a sales transaction in which the seller's mortgage lender agrees to accept a payoff of less than the balance due on the loan. I am a Charlotte North Carolina area Realtor, who specializes in negotiating with mortgage companies on behalf of homeowners who owe their lender more than the current value of their home and are experiencing a financial hardship, requiring immediate sale of their home.  This process is commonly referred to as a "short sale". Here are some FAQs and basic information about Short Sales: •  Do I qualify for a short sale?  If you owe more than the current value of your house and are in some type of financial hardship requiring you to sell your home quickly, you may qualify for a short sale.  Some common financial hardships includ... 04/11/2009

It's almost time for the March unemployment rates to be published.  In February the Charlotte Metro Area saw an 11.7% rate.  However, the March rate may be lower.  The March unemployment rates for the Charlotte Metro area will be published on April 17th. Why Care about the Unemployment Rates for Charlotte, NC? It's all about the economy!  The economy will get better when the housing market picks up and the housing market will pick up when people stop fearing for their jobs.  All the incentives and low rates won't cause a person to buy a home if they are concerned about their income.  So, when the unemployment rates drop that means there are fewer layoffs.  That will make those people with jobs less fearful about losing their job.  Then they will be more inclined to take advantage of the... 04/11/2009

Heydon Hall, Charlotte NC--A Master Planned Community by Stephen Fuller A beautiful Stephen Fuller designed gated community in South Charlotte, Heydon Hall is one of the most beautiful, true neighborhoods in Charlotte.  Heydon Hall's residents enjoy community and friendship at every turn--neighborhood parties, children's activities and social events have created a close-knit community like none other in Charlotte. This gorgeous 56-acre neighborhood, with it's exquisite gated entrance, is simply enveloping immediately upon the opening of the massive, yet graceful gates.  The winding circle leads you past the gated playground and around tree-filled streets with old fashioned, glowing streetlights.   The homes are all architecturally unique with none of them looking identical--from Tudor t... 04/10/2009

Another All-Star Race is just weeks away.  Lowes Motor Speedway remains the host for the Race for A Million.  The week is full of activities, at the Speedway and around the area, and the Pit Crew Challenge is always a big draw.  With clients and friends on almost every team I can't choose favorites.....at least not out loud.  If you have never been to a NASCAR race you should make a point to go to the All-Stars.  Once you go....you will be hooked.  I have been going to races for over 20 years and the thrill is awesome.  From the stands, skyboxes to pit road, I have seen them all.   ELIGIBLE TEAMS All teams qualified for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which includes NASCAR Sprint Cup race winners form 2007 and 2008, past NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Winners of the past 10 years, an... 04/10/2009

CHARLOTTE GOLF COMES ALIVE.....THE QUAIL HOLLOW CHAMPTIONSHIP IS THIS MONTH (formerly, WACHOVIA CHAMPTIONSHIP) Starting Monday April 27 - Sunday May 3, 2009  Tickets Now Available at SouthPark Mall For 2009 Quail Hollow Championship Charlotte, NC-In an effort to provide a convenient option for patrons to obtain tickets, the Quail Hollow Championship has added another outlet for area fans for the 2009 tournament. Starting March 24, area fans can visit the Quail Hollow Championship kiosk at SouthPark Mall, and purchase tickets for the April 27-May 3 Quail Hollow Championship to be held at Quail Hollow Club. All ticket packages will be available. "We felt this would be a great opportunity for those patrons either visiting the shopping area or for those who live nearby to conveniently go an... 04/10/2009

For months I have been telling our selling clients that it will take a year or two before we see an increase in housing values in the Charlotte Real Estate Market.  Why?  This will happen because we have too much inventory of homes for sale and we have a slew of distressed properties. What will cause the housing prices to increase? Prices are dictated by the simple rule of supply and demand.  High Supply: The current real estate market is flooded with properties that haven't sold over the past six to twelve months.  This increases the supply while the uncertainty in the economy is keeping the demand low.  Both of these factors are putting downward pressure on housing prices. Low Demand: With historically low mortgage interest rates and low property prices one would think that the demand... 04/09/2009

Update-Incredible Ticket Deal!!!! Please Read!!!! I have just been informed that 14 of the restaurants below have certificates of $10 value for their restaurant in the Event Program that each ticket holder gets - Obviously, you may not like all 14 deals, but if you can use only 4 of the certificates/coupons, you have paid for your $40 ticket---if you can can use only 2 of the certificates/coupons, you have cut your ticket price in Half!!!!!   Just what is needed for these economic times - an event that allows you to make your donation back!!!!! Here is the the original email we sent out to get your $20 ticket discount!!!! Deadline to get this $20 discount is Monday at 5PM.   TICKET DISCOUNT FOR "TASTE OF THE NATION" CHARLOTTE'S BEST RESTAURANT EVENT   John Lineberger and Sponsor Partie... 04/09/2009