King Carty's Lake Norman Area Real Estate and Community Update

SEPTEMBER 2008 NEWSLETTER

2009-02-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Brawley School Road Here's a big one: July's newsletter was about the challenges of getting our roads improved and I singled out the Brawley School Rd situation as our "worst case scenario."

Well, LO and BEHOLD - a major fix has coalesced that will in time transform this mess into a lovely and workable solution. It should also bode well for future home sales and property values to boot.

Freeway Exchange Here's the deal: $100 million dollars has been allocated by the State to construct a new freeway exchange at Brawley School Rd and I-77. Brawley will also be widened to four lanes, plus a median, sidewalks and even bicycle paths - all the way out to the Point. Nice.

The Point This work will also extend east across the freeway to Talbert (and later on to Hwy 21). Who says that the days of miracles are over? It will take about three years, in two overlapping phases, and no doubt cause considerable pain. Phase I beginning at the Point and reaching to Williamson is imminent. We should see construction vehicles there as soon as next month. Contracts for Phase II will be let in February 09 and includes the section from Williamson to Talbert along with the new I-77 freeway exchange. When it's done the miracle will be greatly appreciated all along Williamson, Brawley and the Highway 150 corridor. As they say, "no pain - no gain."

Two Parks for Mooresville Here's a nice one: Two new parks are in the works for Mooresville. One, off Mazeppa Road, is a 200 acre site of which 100 acres are in development for recreation. This park will have 3 adult sized softball fields, and 1 adult sized baseball field, plus an extensive playground for the kids. The other new park is off Cornelius Road, and will include 2 youth baseball fields, 6 tennis courts, and a recreational center. Cool. Another estimated three year build.

New Charter School: Iredell County welcomes it's newest vehicle to higher education, the Pine Lake Preparatory School. Pine Lake opened its doors on September 2nd, 2008. The school is located on Hwy 115, near the intersection of Langtree Road. It's a brand new facility containing Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, each in their own separate building. This is a rigorous college preparatory program and a marvelous opportunity for students to be educated in a charter school environment all the way from K-12. Students were chosen by lottery from surrounding counties. I have heard that at times the PLP waiting list has reached 2,000 students.

New Developments in planning: There are an estimated 9,000 lots currently approved for development in Iredell County. Depending on whether or not you want to see more people moving here, this could be good news or it could be bad news. Some of these lots are in active subdivisions and some still only raw land. Along with all these lots the county is putting in new infrastructure like: roads, water, sewer, schools, and other community facilities, so we will be well positioned for the next round of population growth. Take a look at this little map to see the locations of South County subdivisions.

What about the Real Estate Market? Despite some of the advice I have heard from national investment gurus in recent years, our economy (along with the housing market) is cyclical. It goes up for awhile, then it goes down for awhile. And yes, we are in the down for awhile period.

Buyer's Market I will finally admit that home sales have slowed here in the Lake area utopia. There are more houses on the market than there are buyers. We are officially in a Buyer's Market and many sellers will end up having to settle for less money in order to move their properties. So, if you do not have to sell now, don't bother. Just stay out of the fight. I heard a great phrase in the office that perfectly describes what it takes to sell a house right now, "It's a price war and a beauty contest."

But what if you need to sell? Yes, you will probably get less for your home than you would have a couple of years ago, but you will make it up on the other side, when you end up getting a great deal on your next home. I have seen this happen, big time. You are not losing anything, just making a change. Be sure you hire a quality Realtor who is able to help you do this without getting stuck with any surprises.

In this market there are great deals out there for buyers, so if you have thought of investing in real estate in our very desirable and growing area, now is the time to get with the program. If you wait too long, prices will be rising again, so go ahead and make your move. If you're interested, call me for a list of best buys.

At this time I am offering free home valuations, whether you want to buy or sell. Sometimes folks just want to know what a qualified Realtor thinks their home is worth. Give me a call at 704-528-9889, and I will be happy to make an appointment with you.

Downtown Mooresville New Development Master Plan

2008-08-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hats Off to Mooresville

Last Friday evening my wife and I had the pleasure of getting a peek at the first draft of the Town of Mooresville's new downtown development plan.

To begin with, we were both inspired by the depth of vision and the degree of professionalism brought to bear on this project. We find it admirable that Mooresville planners and citizens are working not only to preserve the town's architectural heritage, but to continue that tradition into the future. Mooresville's goal is to maximize and beautify the downtown area, and they are doing a great job.

To this end they have employed the firm of Sottile & Sottile, experts in Urban Analysis and Design, out of Savannah, Georgia. Principals and staff from this firm had been here all week, working with planners, holding public meetings, and opening their office to townspeople to drop in with ideas. The quality of the draft plan was phenomenal, and it was heartening to witness the spirit of cooperation between all the parties through the process of shaping Mooresville's future development.

The plan is actually an extension of an initial "face lift" completed on the downtown "core" in 2005. We can all see the tremendous improvements made by this operation. The next phases will include both areas immediately north and south of the core plus the Mill District further south.

The presentation by Christian Sottile was quite fascinating. The language of urban design is interesting in that it is at once descriptive and flowery and at the same time logical and analytical. We heard about how the "bone structure" from the first formation of the town is still intact. We looked at historical maps and photographs and learned that old Mooresville was, in times past, more populous at the center. He showed us the strategic positioning of Mooresville in it's larger regional context and the benefits of being "well connected " to neighboring cities. The next step being, to enhance these "gateways" making travel easier and more pleasurable.

We think one of the more intriguing ideas that emerged was to create an inviting environment between the RR line and rear entrances to the buildings facing on Main St. Inspired by attractive alleyways in other cities, they dubbed this area "Main Lane". Overlay renderings helped us to see how utilities could be cleaned up, terraces created, trees and attractive street lights added, and parking changed to created a usable and enjoyable walkway. All this is in keeping with restoring the pedestrian nature of a Main Street seen in days gone by.

The most ambitious and large scale component of the entire plan will be converting the beat up old Mill district into a hot new trendy multiple use; living, working, and shopping destination. No joke, this is do-able. I have seen it happen many times in other places. In our case, it starts with building a web of interconnected streets joining mill buildings, mill village and the downtown core. Next, add a series of parks, bike paths, kids playing, ice cream cones. And finally, cover everything with a heavy wash of Americana cute and "Voila!" - you get the idea. It's going to be nice.

A summary of Big Ideas emerging from the process: Strengthen the core, define transitional areas, integrate the mill district, expand the gateways, high priority on new residential, parking strategies, adding and connecting parks, and planning for transit. Builders and Developers, as well as local residents should see many opportunities emerging in Mooresville's ambitious plan for their future. Anyone interested in more details can visit the planning department in Mooresville to look, learn, and add their two cents to the ongoing planning process. Speaking of pennies, if the town of Mooresville was a stock, my recommendation would be to "buy".

Please feel free to contact me for any of your real estate needs. We have a great team and the service we offer for both buyers and sellers is just tremendous. It is our goal to exceed our client's expectations at every level. There are lots of good deals out there at the moment, so if you believe in the future of this area as strongly as we do, it may be time to get off the fence and check out some of the possibilities. Just pick up the phone and give us a call!

Take a look at all Mooresville Real Estate

Langtree Development

2008-08-24T05:54:00.000-07:00

Langtree at the Lake...............Wow!

In my Newsletter this month, I want to show you what is planned and developing for Mooresville right at 1-77 and exit 32.

It's big, it's beautiful, and it's happening right now. Three phases will cover 167 acres with 650 high rise condominiums, 300,000 square feet of commercial office and retail, and acres of recreational including; golf, boating, and everything in between- you name it. There is over a mile of waterfront in these developments. Work is starting this very month on Phase I shown in this illustration and is scheduled to be finished in Fall of 2009.

One of the things I like best about Langtree is that, like a village, most of these condos, offices, and amenities are within walking distance. That means you can live there, have your business there, play there, shop or have a great meal at Ruth's Chris Steak House just footsteps from your front door. And, if you stub your toe getting off your boat, the Lake Norman Medical Center is only five minutes away. Langtree is going to be the most high end, high tech, luscious development on or near the lake. I'm impressed.

Now, what I refer to as condos in Phase I are really more like high rise "palatial estates" with 10 foot ceilings, top grade material and workmanship, lavish appointments, water views, the whole bit. The little ones (not so little at approximately 1800 to 2100 sf) start at $650,000.00 and the big ones go for up to $2.5 million.

Whether you actually live at Langtree or not, we are all going to enjoy the Gucci grade shopping, fine dining and many other new work or play opportunities it has to offer. Langtree at the Lake is one gorgeous project. Without fear of exhausting my superlatives, I will go as far as saying that it will become the "Jewel" in the Queen City area crown.

Feel free to contact me for more information on this or any other project in the area. If you are looking to buy or sell, I would be happy to represent you. We do a top notch job on all our listings and have also helped many buyers to make this area their home.

King and Karen Carty

704-528-9889

Keller Williams Realty

For Other Developments on Langtree:

King's Landing
Royal Pointe
Oak Harbor
Carsons Place
Alexander Island
Waterside Landing
Bridgeport
Langtree
Sailor's Lair
Lakeview Shore

Take a look at the new k-12 Charter School very close to the Langtree area: http://www.pinelakeprep.org/

And take a look at my website for real estate near Pine Lake Preparatory School: http://www.kingcarty.com/

Troutman Exit 42 I-77 Development

2008-08-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Exit 42 off the I-77 Freeway is developing fast. Here are some of the coming attractions:

- Troutman Commons: a 39 + acre commercial development including retail stores

- Troutman Town Center: Another 59 acre retail park, behind LOWES

- A major 42 acre office complex/ Corporate facility

- A new Wal-Mart, scheduled to open in approximately 2010

- Weather's Creek Station: a 211 acre mixed use development, containing retail stores, at least 11 sit down restaurants, approximately 400 apartments, 50 +/- single family homes, maybe a theater, and probably a hotel predicted to contain 150 rooms. Plans are still in development as far as which stores, so the details on this are yet to be forthcoming.

- Two 3 story hotels, one is a Country Inn and Suites (70 +/- rooms), the other yet to be determined

- At least six other retail, commercial, and hotel projects around LOWES Home Improvement Center located on out parcels that were created by the LOWES project.

- Fast food like Wendy's and McDonald's, planned to open later in 2008

- Two residential projects which have been satellite annexed to the town of Troutman are: 156 homes in Georgia Mills, and a Land Craft project on Westmoreland Road which contains 229 lots.

- Other residential projects that have not been annexed by the Town of Troutman, but remain in the county, are in the works.

Search Lake Norman's Best Real Estate Website
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King Carty
Keller Williams Realty
(704) 528-9889
Lake Norman, NC Real Estate
Mooresville, NC Real Estate
Troutman, NC Real Estate

Exit 42 Development

2008-04-02T04:37:00.000-07:00

Exit 42 off the I77 Freeway is developing fast. Here are some of the coming attractions:

- Troutman Commons: a 39 + acre commercial development including retail stores

- Troutman Town Center: Another 59 acre retail park, behind LOWES

- A major 42 acre office complex/ Corporate facility

- A new Wal-Mart, scheduled to open in approximately 2010

- Weather's Creek Station: a 211 acre mixed use development, containing retail stores, at least 11 sit down restaurants, approximately 400 apartments, 50 +/- single family homes, maybe a theater, and probably a hotel predicted to contain 150 rooms. Plans are still in development as far as which stores, so the details on this are yet to be forthcoming.

- Two 3 story hotels, one is a Country Inn and Suites (70 +/- rooms), the other yet to be determined

- At least six other retail, commercial, and hotel projects around LOWES Home Improvement Center located on out parcels that were created by the LOWES project.

- Fast food like Wendy's and McDonald's, planned to open later in 2008

- Two residential projects which have been satellite annexed to the town of Troutman are: 156 homes in Goergia Mills, and a Land Craft project on Westmoreland Road which contains 229 lots.

- Other residential projects that have not been annexed by the Town of Troutman, but remian in the county, are in the works.

Larkin

2008-02-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

Troutman exit 45 Planned Unit Development

Most of you know we have a very large community development coming to the Troutman and Statesville area at exit 45, reaching northwards almost all the way to exit 49. The name "Larkin" has been selected to reflect the Scotch-Irish roots of people in our area. The current plan shows a total of 908 acres, allotted as follows:

- Residential:
Multi-Family: +/- 1,780 dwelling units
Town Homes: +/- 200 dwelling units
S.F.D. 40 ' x 120': +/- 450 dwelling units
S.F.D. 50' x 120': +/- 470 dwelling units
S.F.D. 60' x 120': +/- 850 dwelling units

- Commercial:
Hotel: 500 units
Retail: 1,000,000 S.F.
Wellness Center: 100,000 S.F.
Office: 250,000 S.F.

Developed acreage will be approximately 529 acres, with open space at a minimum of 181 acres. The open space will include parks, walking trails, and a pool. Tom Scott, representative of the development firm G.S. Carolina, confirmed that the Fitness facility up front, green space, and the pool are for public use.

This exciting community development will take approximately 15 years to see all phases completed, and involve a total investment of $1 billion.

Beth and Company......................................... An Awesome Salon

2007-12-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

Michael and Beth Davidson have built a top notch business in downtown Statesville. The interior is gorgeous, with a classy, understated decor worthy of any major metropolitan area in the entire country.

Beth has been in this business since 1981. She is a Nationally Certified Educator-Cosmetologist, one of only about 200 people nationwide who have earned this type of license. There are now more than 20 stylists working in the salon, a massage therapist, three nail technicians, and an esthetician who deals with skin and hair removal, microderm abrasion, and chemical peels.

Both Michael and Beth strongly believe in staying on top of the latest trends, so at Beth & Company all the stylists are exposed to a constantly rotating series of classes and demonstrations. Beth herself has been a part of seven national trend releases for the U.S., forecasts for fashion in hair, cut, style and color. All of this training and experience adds up to a world of excellence.

In addition to local classes and workshops, stylists from Beth & Company attend the Chicago Midwest Beauty Show every spring. This spring for the first time in 8 years, the Hair Olympics are going to be held in the USA. This will be in conjunction with the Midwest Beauty Show, so it is a wonderful opportunity for stylists to see both at the same time. Beth characterizes the Hair Olympics as “utterly amazing”.

Whether you are a newcomer to the area, or a longtime resident, I encourage you to visit Beth & Company. If your goal is to be beautiful, this is the place to go!

Beth & Company is a supporter of the “Look Good, Feel Better” National Cancer Association program.

Beth & Company is also a member of “Cut It Out”, Salons Against Domestic Abuse. Visit http://www.cutitout.org/.

Michael and Beth Davidson, Owners, Stylists, Educators
Ashley Rowe, Assistant Salon Coordinator and Reservation Specialist
Lori Tomlin, Salon Manager-Coordinator
Amanda Davidson, Stylist
Terri Douglas, Stylist
Sherrill Fairfax, Stylist
Erin Feimster, Stylist
Kayte Foran, Stylist
Larry Rachels, Stylist
Veronica Walker, Stylist
Diane Woodside, Stylist
Holly Poole, Spa/ Esthetician
Amy Phelps, Massage Therapist
Elizabeth Ellis, Nail Technician
Vickie Miglin, Nail Technician
Kim Mottinger, Nail technician

Making Christmas Bright

2007-12-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

Find out how you can help local Iredell Families in need this Christmas.

Please visit http://www.helpsantasavechristmas.org/.

Owner of Tommy Johnson's Motorsports Warehouse Discusses Building a Home

2007-11-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

BUILDING YOUR DREAM HOME WHILE LIVING AFAR

By Bob Delia

Many people are faced with the dilemma of wanting to build a new home in some distant area while still living in their present home. This can bring fear to the heart, but can also make the planning process more complete and thusly make the project go smoothly.

Once you have selected a piece of property, get an architect involved and have them meet you at the property and look over the site. They can give you loads of suggestions as to where to situate the home, best lighting, code requirements, any construction problems, and best of all keep an eye on things.

Selecting a builder is the next effort. Once you have plans, you should get local references and seek out at least three builders. I have found that talking to the bank manager where I opened an account was useful. He knew many of the local builders and gave me several quality names to talk to. The local Better Business Bureau may also provide insight. You can never get too many references! During the selection process, talk to prior customers of the builders to see how satisfied they were and look at homes under construction. A good builder will not dance around your questions, direct answers to any questions should be expected. This part of the process is the most critical. A poor choice of builder will be a major headache down the road and your dream home will become a nightmare.

Lastly, make sure you have a contract that clearly states what you are getting, how much it will cost, when it will be completed, and that all insurances, bonds, and legal issues are in place with the builder. There are a lot of low quality builders out there…… beware!

Plan to visit the site at least once a month, twice a month if you can, with the selected builder and go over the project. Look at the progress, workmanship, and see that what you are paying for is being done.

Do your homework and the process can be rewarding and painless. Take shortcuts and you will not soon forget the experience!

TJ's Motorsports Warehouse serves the performance and racing industries. They sell top quality performance parts for racing, street rods, nostalgia cars, as well as custom cars. Take a look at their complete offering by clicking on this link: Tommy Johnson's Motorsports Warehouse

Beautiful Waterfront Lot in Sherrills Ford, Lake Norman, NC 28673

2007-11-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

Absolutely beautiful, large, lake lot in desirable Lakepointe North subdivision in Sherrills Ford. In a great location, this wooded lot has beautiful water views, and a private sandy beach. This lot also has a large pier zone of 63'x 110'.

View this Sherrills Ford listing!

High Marks for Statesville Orthodontist

2007-10-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Lin Yang, Dr. James Vacca, Shandi Buchanan, and Kim Draughon (seated)

Dr. James Vacca
1316 Davie Avenue, Suite C
Statesville, NC 28677

Office: 704-872-0969
Email: james.vacca@gmail.com

If you are moving to the Statesville area and you need an orthodontist, Dr. James Vacca is a great choice. Serving the Statesville area population since 1975, Dr. Vacca has cared for thousands of patients, and now on occasion even has second generation clients. When families come back time and again, you know that is a winning combination.

Dr. Vacca’s office is conveniently located, has ample parking, and most of all, has a comfortable atmosphere for patients. His wonderful staff treats all their patients like family members. Having this high level of care and concern for your child makes getting through braces easier for parents.

Fun Stuff:

Q: “Can you describe some of your most interesting patients?”
A: “We have worked on an Opera Singer. We have worked on a professional model.”

Q: “Ever work on a Vampire?”
A: “Only on Halloween!”

More and more adults are coming in for care, and they make up about 5% of Dr.Vacca’s business currently.

Kids wear cool sunglasses while they are being worked on!

Dr. Vacca’s Hobbies:

- He’s a YMCA addict; enjoys aerobics, nautilus, and treadmill

- Runs the Cooper River 10K race in Charleston, South Carolina with one of his four daughters and two sons-in law.

- Like many North Carolina families, Dr. Vacca and his wife, Mickie, enjoy a week at the beach during the summer. They make it a big family affair with their four daughters and all their grandchildren.

Local Mortgage Specialist

2007-10-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Cassie Hansley is with First Financial Services, Inc., a full service mortgage banker. Cassie is a mortgage specialist. She and her husband, Scott Hansley, work as a team. You can see their website at carolinamortgageteam.com.

First Financial has a program right now that allows people to lock in rates for 260 days. This is a great program for Buyers who are also selling a home and do not know how long it will take to get it sold. In addition, if rates decrease while on this program, the client can go to the lower rate with no penalty. So you are locking in a low rate, but you can still get a lower one!

They also have a very successful program for FHA first time homebuyers, as they will work with a credit score down to 450. That’s a great opportunity!

We have worked with Cassie before and she showed our client how to improve her credit score so that she could qualify for the home she wanted. Not every loan broker knows how to help, or may be willing to help a buyer improve their credit.

Cassie grew up in Catawba and Scott is a native of Maiden, North Carolina. They have two boys in the Catawba school system. Their eldest boy, Zack, goes to Maiden High School, a brand new school. Their youngest, Isaac, attends Startown Elementary in Catawba.

The Hansley family spends most of their free time on the local football fields with both of their boys on teams. In fact, the town of Maiden is known for being, “The Biggest Little Football Town in the World”.

Cassie has many other programs for buyers, lots of local knowledge, and is great to work with.

Give Cassie a call at:
First Financial Services, Inc.
A Full Service Mortgage Banker

Office: 704-895-1088
Toll Free: 866-486-6457
Cell: 828-234-3106
Fax: 704-895-2414

7930 W. Kenton Circle, Suite 150
Huntersville, NC 28078

Email: chansley@ffsmortgage.com

Vote YES on Troutman Fire Redistricting

2007-10-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

On November 6th, folks in the Barringer and Fallstown Precinct, will have a chance to vote on the Troutman Fire Redistricting measure. If it passes, this measure will make sure that the taxes those of you in the Troutman area already pay for fire will stay right here in the Troutman district, instead of being split up all over the county.

If you are in Fallstown, you will vote at the Troutman Town Hall. If you are in Barringer, you will vote at Wesley Chapel Church (your normal polling place). Let's get out the vote and PASS this new fire redistricting measure. That's what our volunteer firemen want us to do!

Need a Lender?

2007-10-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Ali Vicenty is a Mortgage Loan Officer with Southern Community Bank and Trust and brings many years of experience in the finance industry. While providing the highest level of customer service, she offers a wide variety of loan programs from interest only to standard 30 year fixed mortgages. Without question, her expertise is invaluable in finding a mortgage product that will best suite your home buying needs.

Ali has been a Mooresville area resident since 2003 and resides there with her husband and two daughters. She and her family moved to North Carolina from South Florida. She is passionate about spending time with her family and finds living a healthy lifestyle in combination with exercising very rewarding.

To contact Ali for personal assistance with your mortgage please call her office at (704) 660-8407 or her mobile at (704) 252-2669. Ali can also be reached by email at Ali.Vicenty@smallenoughtocare.com

Let Ali show you why Southern Community Bank and Trust is “small enough to care”.

Welcome to King Carty's Lake Norman Area Real Estate Update

2007-06-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

Watch this space for the new real estate information blog for the Lake Norman Area including the communities of Mooresville, Huntersville, Statesville, Sherrills Ford, Troutman, Denver, Cornelius, Davidson, and Rowan and Cabarrus Counties from King Carty. Look to us for timely news, market updates, hot new listings and more!