Why Choose The Elizabeth Neighborhood Of Charlotte To Live

Why Do People live in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC? Ask Elizabeth residents why they chose this Charlotte, NC neighborhood and you’ll probably get several answers: old Victorian style homes and bungalows, easy walk to Independence Park, shops small businesses and restaurants, close to Uptown Charlotte and the sense of community. A substantial number of homes and buildings, known as the Elizabeth Historic District, in the Elizabeth neighborhood are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Looking for a home in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC? Searching for homes for sale in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC? The boundaries of the Elizabeth neighborhood are approximately Randolph Road/4th Street on the southwestern end to Independence Boulevard to the west and the north with a creek to the east. Elizabeth’s major roads, Elizabeth Avenue and 7th Street, are also important Charlotte, NC thoroughfares. Click here for homes in Elizabeth to find out what is available for you! What's the Elizabeth neighborhood like? This Charlotte neighborhood is named for Elizabeth College, which was located where the Novant Presbyterian Hospital is now. The Elizabeth neighborhood was one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in Charlotte when it was first developed in the early 1900s, complete with a trolley line. Early homes were first built along Elizabeth Avenue, several which were converted into shops, businesses and restaurants. Even William Henry Belk, founder of Belk Department Stores once called the Elizabeth neighborhood home. The Elizabeth community’s Small Area Plan recently received an “Award for Excellence” from the American Planning Association. Many of the Elizabeth neighborhood streets are lined with mature trees and the very pedestrian-friendly. It is also on the city bus line. Business and homes in the Elizabeth community are close together and most streets have sidewalks. Independence Park, Charlotte’s first public park, is located in Elizabeth. The long, narrow park offers two playgrounds, walking and biking areas, tennis and basketball courts, table tennis. Easily within walking distance of nearly any home in Elizabeth, this Independence Park also has a picnic shelter with tables, maze garden and a lovely waterfall and reflecting pool. Elizabeth is also home to two of Charlotte’s major hospitals, Presbyterian Novant Hospital and Mercy Hospital with many medical offices along Randolph Road. The American Legion Memorial Stadium is also in the Elizabeth community and lies close to Independence Park. What's Going on in Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC? Residents of Elizabeth community often sponsor events for their neighbors to enjoy or just to make their neighborhood a better place to live. Annual activities include the Elizabeth 5K, the Elizabeth Home and Garden Tour, Pumpkin Wall Lighting, Elizabeth Recycles Day, and the Elizabeth Neighbor Meeting and Potluck Dinner. Check out the website, www.elizabethcommunity.com for information about what’s happening in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC. Central Piedmont Community College is also located in Elizabeth as well as the Grady Cole Center, home to the Charlotte Roller Girls, and the Visulite Theater, an old movie theater that is now a music venue. A shopping trip to Elizabeth must include a stop at Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find and VisArt Video. Several great Charlotte restaurants, including Lupie’s, the Cajun Queen, Carpe Diem and the Philosopher’s Stone. What Schools will the Kids Attend in Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC? To get local school scores and more information about these schools in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC check out the link www.ncreportcard.org Now You Really Want to Find a Home in Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC? If you are interested in finding a home for sale in Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte, NC, click here for an updated list of homes in Elizabeth for sale Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com

Is A Home Inspection Necessary On New Construction?

Is a Home inspection necessary on new construction? I admit I have been an advocate that with all the inspections that builders have to go through with the towns and counties that the checks and balances have always been there. So, I was not necessarily a proponent of a home inspection on new construction; until NOW. Builders are building homes at a rapid pace and struggling to keep up with the demand for homes to the point they are spread thin in staffing. There seems to be an underlying thinking that it cannot sustain the level we are at so they do not want to hire more staff and then lay them off in a few months. But is the lack of help and the quality of the inspections hurting the home owner buying the house? I recently have sold five new construction homes. Three of them closed recently and all three had a home inspection done on them. This was more peace of mind for them than anything else. The results of two of those inspections made me re think my thinking of home inspections on new construction. One came in relatively clean with a bad light socket and a door jamb that needed an adjustment (no real big deal and easy fixes). The other two left me appalled that the builder did not notice the issues and that they made it through the inspection process. One home had an exhaust pipe that was supposed to go out through the roof and someone forgot to cut a hole in the roof and extend the pipe. The only way the inspector caught it was he noticed a pipe hole missing on the roof and used his camera to zoom in on the area in the attic to see that the pipe had been cut off a few inches before the roof. The bad part was this was would have led to carbon monoxide to enter the house. With this being a young family with two kids and a third on the way this is not something they wanted to deal with. To make matters worse the house had missing insulation on a few of the cavities in the wall and some electrical issues..... The other house was not even complete the day we were supposed to close and got extended another three days. Going to the house on the day we were supposed to close there still was issues with the house in regards to the stove had no power the gas line was not hooked up, the garbage disposal did not work, the exhaust fan in the master bathroom was not connected, and a slew of other minor issues with paint and trim work. This was all after the home inspector found so many issues with the house it actually covered two pages of items that needed to be addressed a week prior to closing. A lot of the things were items we would not have noticed and some we might have caught. One house I might have said it was an exception to the rule but two in a week and a third I am closing on this month and am running into issued with now make me think that these builders are spread so thin that they are making mistakes trying to get done as fast as they can to stay with the demand. Thus now I am strongly advising EVERY new home buyer to have an inspection done on the house prior to closing........ Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com

Do Schools Matter In House Prices In Charlotte, NC?

There has always been a lot of discussion that the assigned schools for a particular house can affect the home value of the house when trying to sell it. The argument goes the better the school the higher the price you will get for the house. Home buyers are willing to pay more for better schools...But is that just an adage or is it a true fact? I always hear people say that they want the best possible schools they can get for their budget price. Well a recent study from Realtor.com showed that 60% of home buyers surveyed would pay more to send their children to a better school system for their same house. The part that was most revealing was that Homebuyers were willing to go as high as 20% higher for the comparable house for the school. I know the Charlotte area has some great schools that home buyers are constantly flocking toward. We have Myers Park High School, Audrey Kell High School, Providence High School South Mecklenburg High School and many others in surrounding towns as well. But what premium do you put on sending your child to one of those schools versus sending your child to one a tier below in the rankings? I know people that pay upwards of $60,000 to $80,000 more to buy a home in a certain school district versus the same one in another school district. As recent study by Redfin found out in some areas people will pay as much as $130,000 more for a better High School.... So, the question is does the schools make a difference in home prices? The answer is without a doubt yes. By how much varies on the individual and how much more they are willing to spend for that school. In Charlotte the average is 18% more than a comparable house in a neighborhood with a school rated a tier lower. The key here is that if you are going to list your house for sale and your home is designed and being marketed to a family with children then you will want to know what the schools are and how they rate. It could be the difference in thousands of dollars in your pocket..... Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com