Sardis Woods is one of vast neighborhoods in Charlotte, North Carolina. People who live in Charlotte often do not say they do live in the city. They tend to refer to the neighborhood or subdivision they live in.
Sardis Woods is one such community in Charlotte, NC. Tucked away on the southeast side of Charlotte, this area boasts homes built in the mid-1970s through the 1980s. A well-established family neighborhood now, Sardis Woods was developed when it was considered to be "out in the country" and far away from Charlotte, NC. But the times have caught up to this little pocket of the city.
Within the last few years, a new Wal-Mart and several other shopping centers have been within a few minutes drive from Sardis Woods. What was once rolling farmland, the Galleria shopping center which includes the Wal-Mart and many other retail shops, businesses, cafes, apartments and restaurants, Two grocery stores, Harris Teeter and Food Lion, are right around the corner from Sardis Woods along with a movie theater, a swim academy, yoga studio and indoor climbing facility.
With shopping, entertainment, activities, and a electic and ethnic eateries close by - from a raw bar and sushi to burger joints and coffee cafes, there's no need to and with there has been a Walmart constructed on an old farm. A new shopping center has been travel uptown for a night out.
If you did want to take that trip uptown, Sardis Woods is only a 15 to 20 minute drive and very close to Highway 74 and 51. Or if the South Park section of Charlotte if more your style with its South Park Mall and it upscale shopping experience, then Sardis Woods puts you only minutes from the only Nieman Marcus in North Carolina.
If you are looking for tree-lined streets and the kids playing outside, then Sardis Woods might be the neighborhood for you. Sardis Woods is a pre-dominately middle class family neighborhood with homes starting in the $150's. Sardis Forest Swim and Tennis Club is also close to the neighborhood and memebrship is open to homeowners to join. If you are interested in seeing Sardis Woods for yourself, come see why more than 20 families last year made Sardis Woods their neighborhood. Email or give me a call and I will be happy to show you.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Matthews North Carolina--More than A Suburb of Charlotte
Matthews, NC is more than an suburb of Charlotte. It's a commuter's dream town: close to uptown, right off I-485 and not far from rural North Carolina.
But if a place to call your new hometown is what you're looking for, than Matthews, NC is it. This town of approximately 28,000 people has an adorable downtown with a town hall that is all Southern charm with a public library on its first floor with shops, restaurants and small businesses surrounding it.
The downtown of Matthews, NC has several churches, boutiques, upscale restaurants, a weekly farmer's market, cute parks and Matthews Elementary School all within walking distance of the town hall.
And family-friendly is the name of the game in Matthews, NC. If you have children, then this town is the place to be if you want to live near Charlotte, NC but not in it. Stumptown Park right in the heart of Matthews, NC is ground zero for live family-friendly entertainment that is often free. Starting right before school ends in June and throughout the summer, bands play at this Matthews, NC park along with free kid-orientated movies.
Matthews, NC also has its own town-owned community center that hosts plays and offers classes in many areas of interest for both adults and children. Sports activities are also huge in Matthews, NC, which has a recreation center and Matthews Athletic RecreationAssociation (MARA) not far from downtown. There are many events throughout the year in Matthews, NC - from art shows to BBQ festival - but the biggest event of the year is Matthews Alive, the largest Labor Day celebration in the southeast United States.
With home prices starting around $130,000, March saw 39 new families make Matthews, NC their new hometown. If you are interested in more information about Matthews, NC with the homes that are on the market, give me a call or send me an email. I would happy to show you why I call Matthews, NC home.
Dave diCecco
Realotr/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
But if a place to call your new hometown is what you're looking for, than Matthews, NC is it. This town of approximately 28,000 people has an adorable downtown with a town hall that is all Southern charm with a public library on its first floor with shops, restaurants and small businesses surrounding it.
The downtown of Matthews, NC has several churches, boutiques, upscale restaurants, a weekly farmer's market, cute parks and Matthews Elementary School all within walking distance of the town hall.
And family-friendly is the name of the game in Matthews, NC. If you have children, then this town is the place to be if you want to live near Charlotte, NC but not in it. Stumptown Park right in the heart of Matthews, NC is ground zero for live family-friendly entertainment that is often free. Starting right before school ends in June and throughout the summer, bands play at this Matthews, NC park along with free kid-orientated movies.
Matthews, NC also has its own town-owned community center that hosts plays and offers classes in many areas of interest for both adults and children. Sports activities are also huge in Matthews, NC, which has a recreation center and Matthews Athletic RecreationAssociation (MARA) not far from downtown. There are many events throughout the year in Matthews, NC - from art shows to BBQ festival - but the biggest event of the year is Matthews Alive, the largest Labor Day celebration in the southeast United States.
With home prices starting around $130,000, March saw 39 new families make Matthews, NC their new hometown. If you are interested in more information about Matthews, NC with the homes that are on the market, give me a call or send me an email. I would happy to show you why I call Matthews, NC home.
Dave diCecco
Realotr/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Charlotte North Carolina Market Starting to Stabilize
Charlotte, North Carolina was one of the last areas of the country to feel the housing collapse. Mainly becaue home prices did not skyrocket as quickly here as they did in other parts of the country. When other parts of the country were reporting double digit price increases each and every year during the boom; Charlotte was holding rather steady with inflation at a conservative increases. This made Charlotte one of the few areas of the country that economists agreed would probably rebound the quickest.
I was reading an article that was talking about existing home prices. The article was very informative and was talking about the statistics of sellers lowering their home prices in terms of a percentage of sellers who actually reduced the price of their home on the market. Back in the collapse of the market over 30% of the sellers were discounting their price. Now across the board the average for the period of March 1, 2010 to April 1, 2010 saw less sellers discounting prices. The number has dropped to a national average of 19%. Meaning a little less than 2 out of every ten sellers are lowering their asking price. That is a good sign that the housing market on a antional basis seems to be stabilizing itself.
The great news for Charlotte North Carolina area among major cities; we have the HIGHEST drop of all cities in regards to sellers lowering their home prices. Charlotte North Carolina saw a decline of an astounding 28% of sellers lower their home prices between March 1, 2010 and April 1, 2010. This lays claim to the fact that sellers and buyers seem to be more in agreement on what fair market value of homes in Charlotte are.
Even as we get closer to the end of the tax credit projections seem to be showing that sellers and buyers are agreeing more on what fair market value for a home should be. As the article and the study pointed out; with the tax credit due to end by the end of this month sellers are not panicking and buyers seem to be agreeing that home prices are fair.
Now to be fair this study does NOT include foreclosures in their numbers. These numbers represent actual home owners who have their homes actively listed on the market.
So, if you are a seller you should feel relieved that the market seems to be stabilizing itself. Buyers who are waiting to see if prices are going to dramatically fall before the deadline of April 30, 2010 may see themselves lose out on the house they want......
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
I was reading an article that was talking about existing home prices. The article was very informative and was talking about the statistics of sellers lowering their home prices in terms of a percentage of sellers who actually reduced the price of their home on the market. Back in the collapse of the market over 30% of the sellers were discounting their price. Now across the board the average for the period of March 1, 2010 to April 1, 2010 saw less sellers discounting prices. The number has dropped to a national average of 19%. Meaning a little less than 2 out of every ten sellers are lowering their asking price. That is a good sign that the housing market on a antional basis seems to be stabilizing itself.
The great news for Charlotte North Carolina area among major cities; we have the HIGHEST drop of all cities in regards to sellers lowering their home prices. Charlotte North Carolina saw a decline of an astounding 28% of sellers lower their home prices between March 1, 2010 and April 1, 2010. This lays claim to the fact that sellers and buyers seem to be more in agreement on what fair market value of homes in Charlotte are.
Even as we get closer to the end of the tax credit projections seem to be showing that sellers and buyers are agreeing more on what fair market value for a home should be. As the article and the study pointed out; with the tax credit due to end by the end of this month sellers are not panicking and buyers seem to be agreeing that home prices are fair.
Now to be fair this study does NOT include foreclosures in their numbers. These numbers represent actual home owners who have their homes actively listed on the market.
So, if you are a seller you should feel relieved that the market seems to be stabilizing itself. Buyers who are waiting to see if prices are going to dramatically fall before the deadline of April 30, 2010 may see themselves lose out on the house they want......
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Lease Purchase Win Situation for Sellers and Buyers
The past week I did my first lease purchase contract representing the buyer. I found it was a win/win situation for all parties involved. A lease purchase is when the buyer puts down a down payment to be used an option to buy a house. The buyer in turn agrees to make set monthly payments to the seller for a period of time agreed upon by both parties.
This can be beneficial in so many ways in this market. For the seller, it allows them to move out of their house and get into the new home they need or want. The seller is given a down payment that is non refundable.It is generally called an option fee. Thus if the buyer elects not to purchase the house by the specified end date they lose their deposit on the home. The seller then not only receives monthly rent payments to make the mortgage payment with, but a down payment to use toward the home they want to buy.
For the seller it can also open a window of opportunities in selling their home. With the average days a home is on the market being 145 in the Charlotte area the question looms for a lot of homeowners who are thinking of selling....Can I wait that long and possibly longer to sell my home? This opens a window of opportunity for the seller to expand the pool of possible buyers for the house.
For the buyer, it can be a big advantage. In my case the buyer was in a situation where they qualified for the hosue they wanted; but did not have enough of a down payment saved to purchase the house. This allowed them to get into the hosue they wanted and save up the difference they need to get the required down payment.
In other cases it can be a matter of getting the credit score up enough to qualify. I represented the seller on one where the buyer was 2 points away from qualifying for a mortgage.By allowing them to do a lease purchase my seller was able to make the move he needed for his job and the buyer were able to get into the house they wanted.....Four months later the buyers are happy home owners.
The buyer also has a guaranteed purchase price that they and the seller agree to in advance. This allows both parties to know exactly what the price and terms are going to be before they finalize the contract for the lease purchase. The seller benefits in that he does not have to renegotiate at the end of the lease purchase. The buyer is assured that if the house appreciates in value he can still buy at the agreed upon price.
A lease purchase may not be the right choice for everyone. But in those cases where you have exhausted all other options it may be a feasible option in today's housing market.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
This can be beneficial in so many ways in this market. For the seller, it allows them to move out of their house and get into the new home they need or want. The seller is given a down payment that is non refundable.It is generally called an option fee. Thus if the buyer elects not to purchase the house by the specified end date they lose their deposit on the home. The seller then not only receives monthly rent payments to make the mortgage payment with, but a down payment to use toward the home they want to buy.
For the seller it can also open a window of opportunities in selling their home. With the average days a home is on the market being 145 in the Charlotte area the question looms for a lot of homeowners who are thinking of selling....Can I wait that long and possibly longer to sell my home? This opens a window of opportunity for the seller to expand the pool of possible buyers for the house.
For the buyer, it can be a big advantage. In my case the buyer was in a situation where they qualified for the hosue they wanted; but did not have enough of a down payment saved to purchase the house. This allowed them to get into the hosue they wanted and save up the difference they need to get the required down payment.
In other cases it can be a matter of getting the credit score up enough to qualify. I represented the seller on one where the buyer was 2 points away from qualifying for a mortgage.By allowing them to do a lease purchase my seller was able to make the move he needed for his job and the buyer were able to get into the house they wanted.....Four months later the buyers are happy home owners.
The buyer also has a guaranteed purchase price that they and the seller agree to in advance. This allows both parties to know exactly what the price and terms are going to be before they finalize the contract for the lease purchase. The seller benefits in that he does not have to renegotiate at the end of the lease purchase. The buyer is assured that if the house appreciates in value he can still buy at the agreed upon price.
A lease purchase may not be the right choice for everyone. But in those cases where you have exhausted all other options it may be a feasible option in today's housing market.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Monday, April 5, 2010
Should I Buy Now or Continue To Rent?
I recently was reading an article that asked the same question. I hear a lot of people say they are not sure if it is advisable to buy now. Consider the first sentence of the article I read stated "The average home owner is worth 35 times more than the average renter". That is a large difference in net worth.
The market conditions and economy have scared a lot of people from experiencing the joy of home ownership. But you should be looking at the other side of the coin in this as well. Owning a home has a lot of benefits that renting does not provide. You can build equity in your home, You receive tax benefits and it becomes part of your retirement portfolio. But the best reason may be; the possibility of getting a better deal now then you ever could.
According to the National Association of Realtors, the affordability of homes is better now than it ever has been. They concluded that as of December 2009 homes were more affordable than any other point since they began tracking such numbers in 1970. The numbers mean that the median income family can afford more of the hiomes on the market today than ever before. So, it means your choices out there have grown and you do not have to settle for that one or two homes that were within your price range.
I recently had a client who was a first time buyer that went through this. They thought for what they wanted and where they wanted to live it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. When we got done with their wish list and area they wanted to live; they were astounshed to find there was over 30 homes that fit their criteria in their budget.
Mortgage rates are at historic lows. That coupled with the influx of short sale homes and foreclosures on the market has made it very affordable for people renting to experience home ownership.
Let's not forget that if you find a home and agree on terms by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010 you can receive up to a $8000.00 tax credit in addition.
Looking for that first home in the Charlotte area? Not sure what you can afford or if the home you want exists? Give me a call and let me put my 15+ years of sales expeince to work for you.
Dave diCecco
Realotr/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
The market conditions and economy have scared a lot of people from experiencing the joy of home ownership. But you should be looking at the other side of the coin in this as well. Owning a home has a lot of benefits that renting does not provide. You can build equity in your home, You receive tax benefits and it becomes part of your retirement portfolio. But the best reason may be; the possibility of getting a better deal now then you ever could.
According to the National Association of Realtors, the affordability of homes is better now than it ever has been. They concluded that as of December 2009 homes were more affordable than any other point since they began tracking such numbers in 1970. The numbers mean that the median income family can afford more of the hiomes on the market today than ever before. So, it means your choices out there have grown and you do not have to settle for that one or two homes that were within your price range.
I recently had a client who was a first time buyer that went through this. They thought for what they wanted and where they wanted to live it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. When we got done with their wish list and area they wanted to live; they were astounshed to find there was over 30 homes that fit their criteria in their budget.
Mortgage rates are at historic lows. That coupled with the influx of short sale homes and foreclosures on the market has made it very affordable for people renting to experience home ownership.
Let's not forget that if you find a home and agree on terms by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010 you can receive up to a $8000.00 tax credit in addition.
Looking for that first home in the Charlotte area? Not sure what you can afford or if the home you want exists? Give me a call and let me put my 15+ years of sales expeince to work for you.
Dave diCecco
Realotr/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
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