Relocating To Charlotte NC: Education

Besides the economic development that Charlotte offers one thing that seems to pop out among people relocating to the Charlotte, NC. Area is the schools and education that is received for kindergarten though twelfth grade specifically. One fact that not many people know is the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system is the largest school system in the state of North Carolina. We are home to 160 schools and educate over 300,000 students each and every year. But just because we are the largest in the state the education system does not lack in resources or in providing a quality education to all students throughout the different grade levels. In fact the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system has won numerous awards and grants based on its educational performance among other school systems across the country. In 2011 it won the Broad Prize for Urban education. It is awarded for Charlotte Mecklenburg system strong academic performance among urban schools...It is also the largest grant given out for education every year. In 2012 Charlotte Mecklenburg School fourth graders outperformed ALL other fourth graders in math on the national math exam and placed third in reading. At the same time eighth grade students are ranked first in reading and third in math. In addition to the numerous awards they have won; they have some great magnet schools to help nurture children with special talents and IB programs along with numerous AP courses available to High School students. Last year Charlotte Mecklenburg Students took over 8,000 AP exams. Because of the rigorous standards set fourth by the school system and the constant updating given to parents in this joint venture seniors last year were awarded over 93 million in scholarships to post high school education. We also have schools that have won national awards for their excellence in education and some ranked as top High Schools by well-respected news publications like Us News and World Report and Forbes magazine. Besides the lower school education system Charlotte is also home to some wonderful post High School options. We have the University of North Carolina Charlotte which boasts a great set of programs and has grown over the years and tightened its entrance requirements to make ti a competitive college. There also is Johnson and Wales University, King's College, Wingate University and of course Central Piedmont Community College with campus scattered throughout Charlotte just to name a few. Having moved here almost nine years ago with four small children; schools were very important to me and my wife. I can say I have been extremely pleased with the level of education my children are receiving and the level of openness that the schools have in making it a partnership with the parents. I currently have children covering elementary through High School and each one is challenged on a daily basis. Having worries that the large system would be just a number for my child has proven to be exactly the opposite here in Charlotte. Teachers and principals take a hands on approach and an open door policy and seem to care about the well-being of the kids and their education like they are their own. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com

Relocating To CHarlotte, NC: Economic Development

In this ever changing landscape I have noticed more and more people are moving to where jobs are and unlike previous generations that stayed where they were for most of their lives the newer generations tend to be on the move more. One area that is popular among people moving is Charlotte, NC. I have decided to devote a series of blog posts to the many reasons why people are moving into the Charlotte region on a daily basis. First is economic development. The number one reason people move is for their jobs or to find one. Charlotte has become a robust area for job seekers over the past few years. There are a lot of reasons why. According to the Charlotte chamber of Commerce the Charlotte region in the past year alone Charlotte has seen 6,790 new firms invest over 12 Billion in new Charlotte facilities. This coupled with Hoover's report that Charlotte is home to over 3400 companies that have revenues over 1million annually. But the main reason Charlotte thrives with job seekers is we are home headquarters to eight of the fortune 500 companies and 274 of them have facilities in the Charlotte area. That means over half of the 500 largest companies in the United States have a stake in the Charlotte market. This diversity has helped Charlotte thrive even in the economic down turn. We are the second largest banking center in the United States behind New York. That has helped us create numerous jobs in the banking and financial sector which has added to the job growth of the Charlotte region. But we are more than just fortune 500 companies and a banking center hub. We have a large manufacturing base as well as an international companies in the Charlotte region. In fact Charlotte is the largest hub for international companies in the state of North Carolina. When you visit Charlotte for the first time you can now see why there is an ever constant flux of construction going on as the city of Charlotte is constantly growing and expanding to meet the demands of companies here and ones moving into the Charlotte region..... This is the first reason I hear from most people on why they chose the Charlotte region to relocate to and one of the reasons I chose Charlotte a little over eight years ago to call home when I was leaving Connecticut. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com

How Is The Housing Market In Charlotte, NC. December 2013?

There is a lot of talk about the housing market in Charlotte, NC. and whether it is improving or if the rise in interest rates has caused the market to slow down and prices to lower while inventory creeps back up . A monthly analysis versus the previous year and two years ago during the same month allows me to compare and see where the trends are and how they are impacting the housing market in Charlotte, NC. Here are the stats for December 2013: First, let's look at inventory of available homes buyers have to choose from in the Charlotte, NC. . In 2011 there were 7319 homes for sale in December. In 2012 there were 5203 homes for sale . Last month there were 3975 homes for sale. That is a decline of 53% in two years of available homes buyers have to choose from. Second, the average sale price of homes in the Charlotte, NC. for December 2011 was $199,108. In 2012 the average sale price was $212,223 and last month the average sale price was $233,395. That is an increase of 14% in the average sale price in the Charlotte, NC. market over the past two years during the month of December. Third, let’s look at days in inventory. How long are houses sitting on the market? In 2011 the average home sat on the market for 10.7 months before being sold in December. In 2012 the number improved to 6.4 months and last month it improved to 3.9 months. That is a dramatic drop in inventory of over 65% in two years for the average homes is on the market that sold. What the trends are showing is that the housing market is out of the recession and available homes for sale have decreased to the lowest levels we have seen in over 5 years coupled with prices slowly creeping back up and more buyers out there than homes available and you have signs of a robust market in Charlotte, NC. heading into the New Year. However; in comparison to last couple of months the trend is showing that the housing market has stabilized and some prices are remaining stable for the past few months with slight increases being seen. Generally in December we start to see homes slowly decline a little bit as sellers are taking their homes off the market with the holiday's. Yes there are fewer buyers now but it still is a great time to sell your home and buy a home. As a seller you have less competition with existing homes and buyers have less competiton when looking at a home and are not feeling as rushed to buy a home in fear that someone else may scoop it up first. The out look is looking good for both sellers and buyers as interest rates are still at historic lows and affordability is high and sellers are taking advantage of the limited inventory to get their homes sold. And buyers are taking advantage of aggressive rates right now before the spring market when it is expected rates will start to increase. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com