Charlotte, NC. Second On Best Value Cities To Live

Yes, Charlotte, NC. was recently named second on is list of the top ten best value cities to live. A great credo for a great city. I chose Charlotte, NC. eight years ago for many of the same reasons Kiplinger magazine did. First, Charlotte is diversified. Yes, we are the second largest banking capital in the United States behind New York City. But when I tell most people that they looked at me stunned. "Charlotte, NC. is a banking capital?" We are home to Wells Fargo and Bank of America. However; we are home to major fortune 500 companies also. Lowe's, Family Dollar and an array of other companies call the Charlotte, NC. area home. This adds to the diversity that Charlotte offers families. Second, we are fast becoming one of the top energy hubs in the country. Our great location sandwiched halfway between Virginia Tech to the North, Georgia Tech to the south, NC State to the east and Clemson to the west has made us an ideal destination for the young and upcoming technology engineers. It also does not hurt that Duke energy is home based here in the Charlotte region and soon may become the largest utility company in the United States. Third, a big draw for bringing in companies and maintaining the ones we have is the family atmosphere you receive when you visit Charlotte. Despite our rapid growth Charlotte is well known for it's small town family like atmosphere scattered throughout the neighborhoods in the queen city. Fourth, is the eduction system in Charlotte. Charlotte has worked hard and continues to strive for excellence in the schools. And it is beginning to show. Newsweek last year ranked 14 of our high schools among the top 1600 high schools in the country. That is almost half of our high schools. Also, proof that our education system for a large town is producing what we as parents expect out of it. Fifth, Charlotte is very affordable. One of the main reasons I chose Charlotte was because of the affordability rate here. I deal with a lot of clients who are relocating from the North and are shocked at what you can buy here and the low cost of taxes in comparison to where they are at now. Do to our large business base Charlotte has been able to keep property taxes at a reasonable and affordable level for years and all signs point to that continuing in the near future. Sixth, Charlotte is a fun city. Home to diverse neighborhoods and areas. Charlotte offers something for everyone. We have numerous restaurants and bars that cater from the upscale to the local and everything in between. In addition Charlotte is home to a professional basketball team (Charlotte Bobcats), football team (Carolina Panthers), and minor league hockey as well as baseball teams. NASCAR Hall of fFame calls Charlotte home as well... In addition to the sporting events there are a lot of museums, theaters and other cultural activities going on in Charlotte, NC. throughout the year. If you prefer enjoying the outdoors there are numerous green-ways throughout Charlotte and more being built or expanded in the area daily. Last, is the weather. because of our unique position in North Carolina we do not get the snow or the extreme cold weather other areas do. Yet, we are only a couple of hours away from the mountains and a couple of hours away from the beach... As the city strives to go green the progress shows throughout the city. Jobs are being created daily to help with the transformation and companies are moving here to take advantage fo Charlotte's forward thinking with green technolgy. Thinking about relocating or moving to Charlotte? There is so much for everyone in Charlotte. Here is the link to the article on Kiplinger's site: http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/best-value-cities-2011-charlotte.html Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker www.davedicecco.com