Charlotte, NC. Ranked 16th For Housing Markets Heading Into 2014

Charlotte, NC. has always been a great destination among people looking to move to the area. Charlotte offers a well-diversified economic pool of jobs, great weather and affordable housing. Recent studies done by Price waterhouse and Moody's add credibility to those claims. According to price waterhouse Charlotte, NC. Is ranked as the 16th best housing market heading into 2014. This bodes well for investors and home sellers as well as home buyers. Construction is on the upswing and the economy is improving with an unemployment rate that is decreasing every month as the population continues to grow. The statistics say that new permits (what builders pull for new construction to build a house) are expected to rise by over 30% in 2014. That means that builders are getting a lot higher demand for their homes and just do not build homes to have them sit in inventory. But the contrary; they build as they sell them. This means more people are building homes and the growth is expected to carry into 2014. Part of it is because of the lack of inventory out there for homes. Charlotte, NC. has seen a dramatic decrease in available inventory out there for homes and the choices are getting slimmer every day. If those people do not put homes on the market the buyers are left with looking at new construction as an alternative to a resale house.... This is coupled with the fact that because of the large growth in the service sector, healthcare, and being the second largest banking center in the United States our growth in terms of population has exceeded expectations while unemployment has gone down. Meaning more people are moving into the Charlotte area; but we are creating more jobs at a faster pace than the growth of the city. Both great indicators of an economy improving. Also, based on demographics Charlotte area has the second highest projected growth in the population of people age 20-34 over the next five years at over 15%. This is great news for the housing market as people need places to live. And as rent prices increase because of demand it makes buying a more affordable option for most people. Moody's projects Charlotte housing market to improve because of the relatively high foreclosure inventory has declined rapidly, alleviating the downward spiral on housing prices. Despite concern that rising interest rate would potentially slow the housing market, interest rates are still low by historical standards. But most importantly, according to Moody's, is the expansion of the population growth coupled with business expansion increasing demand for housing in the Charlotte, NC market for the long term. Over the past 5 years Charlotte, NC. population growth was the 13th fastest in the country while unemployment remained steady or decreased over the same period. Based on these two reputable third party endorsements it appears the housing market in Charlotte, NC. is seeing an upswing and that the upswing will continue into much of 2014 and beyond. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com

Should You Put Your House on The Market During The Holiday's?

A lot of home owners after Thanksgiving if there home has not sold will take it off the market and consider putting it back on in the spring selling season around March or April. But is that always the right thing to do? Buyers are buying homes 12 months out of the year. In the Charlotte, NC. area the housing market is not as drastically affected by weather as other parts of the country are. We do not have to deal with the extreme cold or snow like our counterparts in the North and west do... Now there are two thoughts to the process of taking your home off the market for the holiday period and relisting it in the spring. The first one is that you do not want to be bothered by showings during this time and it is an inconvenience to keep your home up for showings during the holidays. Also, who is out there really looking at houses now? Everyone is usually too busy with the holidays and family gatherings to go out and look at homes. So no one is going to come out and look at my house anyway. The second thought is buyers are always buying homes and by leaving mine on the market I have less competition and less showings but more serious buyers looking to buy a house. So, it is to my advantage to leave it on for those serious buyers who want to buy and need to buy a home before the spring market. In reality both answers are true. The holiday's do make it tough to maintain your home in a show condition and with the trees barren and it getting dark earlier the time for showings tends to be smaller as people want to look at a house they can see during the day. Also, people do have holiday and family gatherings on their plates right now. But also serious buyers who either have to move or are wanting to take advantage of the winter market to avoid bidding wars are out looking at homes also. In fact this time of the year for me is the second busiest season for me after the spring market. For out of state buyers this is the ideal time to move when the kids are on Christmas break and they can start the New Year off in a new place. Also, buyers are always looking for homes and if the right one comes along they will buy....With the internet being so prevalent now buyers do not have to go out and look at homes physically first. They can view them online in the comforts of their home on the computers or phones....And they are looking. Searches for homes tends to increase now as well after the beginning of the school year lull as stats have shown. But the biggest advantage to putting a house on now versus later is less competition. It is no secret that there are fewer homes for sale in the winter months than there are in the spring season. Less competition usually means a seller can get a good price for their house and not have to worry about the neighbor lowering their price to below market value to just sell it. However; if the holidays are to hectic for you to list your home then consider right after the first of the year. Most people wait until March or April to list their homes. By putting it on the market after the first of the year you still get a head start on the spring sellers and buyers are out looking in a little more aggressively since they are now thinking of tax returns as down payment to help them stop renting and buy a house. Everyone situation is different and with there really not being a wrong answer to put your home on or not....It comes down to your family and what is best for you. But waiting to the spring can have a negative effect on your selling of your home and not getting what you want for it because of the competition versus selling now or in January or February. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com

Gaston County Nc. Short Commute To Charlotte With Lifestyle Choices

I often hear a lot of families moving to the Charlotte area ask me about the western side of Charlotte outskirts in Gaston County like. Is it something they would want? Well each and every one of us needs and wants and desires are different. However; Gaston County is made up of a few towns neighboring Charlotte that have grown in popularity over the years and has begun a revitalization with the influx of people moving into the Charlotte area. First you have barely 10 miles from uptown Charlotte; Mountain Island Lake which separates Mecklenburg County from Gaston County. Waterfront communities and many new subdivisions have been built along with other massive development, such as the Northlake Mall. Several communities on both sides of the lake in Charlotte and Mount Holly have community pools along with boat slips. Second, is Belmont which has a revitalized downtown and renovated older homes. Belmont has a small town feeling with an easy commute to uptown Charlotte and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. If you’re looking for a family-friendly town, Belmont might be the right choice. Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is located in Belmont and Stowe Park hosts many festivals and a holiday parade. McAdenville’s Christmastown USA is also a short drive away. Third, the largest town in Gaston County is Gastonia, which has seen a revival in the past few yearsas well with the influx of people and businesses moving into CHarlotte area. Downtown Gastonia has a Farmer’s Market, Arts On Main and many new restaurants, salons and businesses. New subdivisions were built around older neighborhoods in Gastonia letting the new mix with the old. In addition to the downtown shops, residents can shop in Westfield Eastridge Mall. Move to Gastonia where’s there plenty to do and see such as the Schiele Museum of Natural History, Adventure Landing, Crowder’s Mountain, the Gaston County Library and the local minor baseball team, the Gaston Grizzlies. Fourth, if you need to get a little farther away from Charlotte but still want an easy commute? Then Denver in Lincoln County might be for you. This little enclave is on the west side of Lake Norman and not far from Huntersville and Cornelius. It is the right place if you’re in the market for waterfront properties and golfing communities. Denver is also home to Cowan’s Ford Gold Club, which offers golf, pool and tennis. There are other small towns located just outside of there as well with a little more commute time involved in Bessemer City and Kings Mountain. These towns have kept the rich heritage of the small country town feeling and are far enough outside of Charlotte right now where the growth has not caught up to those areas yet. Regardless of where you choose to live...The west side outside of Charlotte does offer many options available to you depending on the lifestyle and what you are looking for in a home. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com