Brandon Farmer

Stone Orchard ~ Detached houses but still condominiums

I just put a house under contract in the Stone Orchard subdivision. This subdivision is located in the Sedgefield area right off of Marsh Road in Charlotte, NC. The community has a little over 60 detached houses but all of them are considered condominiums. The HOA dues for this house are $220/month and this covers master insurance premium, real property taxes on the common areas, exterior building maintenance, exterior yard and landscaping maintenance, trash removal, water, sewer, pool maintenance and pest extermination. HOA dues will be different for different condos. The more square feet in the house the more the HOA dues. This is the largest floorplan in the subdivision so some of the other houses in the neighborhood will have lower dues.

Stone Orchard had an assessment about 3 years ago to pay for re-roofing all of the "houses" in the subdivision. There is going to be a new assessment starting in January of 2010. The assessment will add an additional $115/month to the HOA dues and will be used to replace the driveways, repair/rebuild the fences and to put new gutters on all of the units.

William Douglas Management is managing the subdivision...their number is 704-347-8900

This house has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms and a deep one car garage. The kitchen has been remodeled with new cabinets and granite counter-tops. The condo also has a private fenced patio and is located in a cul-de-sac. The neighborhood pool is located just across the street. The pool opens on Memorial Day and closes on Labor Day.

The main level of this house is tiled and there are hardwoods upstairs in all but one room.

This condo is located in the Myers Park High School district and this is an important factor when it comes to reselling the property.

Search for more houses @ www.showcasecharlotte.com

Two townhomes under contract this month so far. Both are for first time home buyers. That is really who is buying right now. A lot of first time home buyers are trying to get into contracts so that they can close by December 1st and receive the $8,000 tax credit. You must stay in the house for 3 years to receive the entire tax credit.

Both of these townhomes will be great for first time home buyers. Both communities are located in south Charlotte and these buyers took advantage of the low market prices and low interest rates. There are a lot of nice townhome/condos available in south Charlotte for under $120K and they are starting to receive more showings as we are getting close to the tax credit deadline.

Buyer activity is increasing but not much is selling over $250,000. Sale price to list price has dropped in the last year and the list prices have also been decreasing the last 12 months. This time last year the sale/list price was about 95% and this year it is 91%. This is proof that sellers are willing to negotiate to sale their properties even after they have priced their houses competitively. Only the houses that are in great showing shape and that are priced right are moving.

If you are a first time home buyer you should be under contract by the first of November if you want to close in time to receive the tax credit. Let you agent know that there is certain verbiage that needs to be in the contract so that if you are unable to close before Dec. 1st to receive your tax credit that you will have the option of backing out of the deal.

MLS# 862851 Listed at $119,500 MLS# 862837 Listed at $95,000

Both are pending closing.

Find more listings like these by searching the MLS through my website. www.showcasecharlotte.com

Houses in Dilworh - Finding the perfect bungalow in Charlotte, NC. There are plenty of them in this real estate market. Take a look at the houses listed in the Dilworth subdivision in Charlotte, NC? The Dilworth area is one of Charlotte's historic districts and houses bungalows that date back to around 1900. Most of the homes have renovated interiors with the normal granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and vanity sinks in the bathrooms... but many of the foundations and exterior designs remain original. I love the artsy feel that you receive as you drive down the tree-lined streets in Dilworth. Ever wondered why so many of these trees are lined with what looks to be black tape about 5 feet from the ground? It keeps the canker beetle from getting to the foliage where it lays its eggs and where the baby worms eat all of the leaves. I also like the street parking. It makes it harder for cars to drive fast through the subdivision and they help to protect the sidewalks that line the streets.

Dilworth Houses For Sale

Houses in Dilworth have list prices ranging from the mid $300,000's to close to $2 million depending on what area of the subdivision you are in. The real estate market in Charlotte, NC is very neighborhood specific and Dilworth is proof that it is also street specific.

Bungalow - "gained popularity in housing developments of American towns during the 1920s. Its general design-with high ceilings, large doors and windows, and shade-giving eaves or verandas-makes it especially well suited for hot climates" ~ dictionary.com

A lot of the bungalows in Dilworth have an open floor plan and these layouts are popular with growing families. The Dilworth community is full of young professionals that want to raise their children in a subdivision with a safe reputation. There have been a few articles in the Charlotte Observer over the last few years about break-ins and carjackings in Dilworth, but this is happening in every part of Charlotte and occurs in every large city. I think the paper focuses on these occurrences in Dilworth because it is an area where people would not suspect criminal activity.

The houses listed in the Dilworth subdivision have an average list price of $697,000 and an average of 4 bedrooms. Take a look at some of these houses and you will understand why so many people in Charlotte want to live in Dilworth. The Dilworth area is within a mile of Uptown Charlotte and the area has many restaurants, grocery stores, churches, shopping stores and local bars. Once you live in this area of Charlotte you will realize that everything you need is within a very short distance. Take a drive through Dilworth and you will agree that it is a hip subdivision.

It is the lifestyle that really sells these units. The Metropolian, being built by Peter Pappas...he also built the well known Birkdale Village in Huntersville, NC and is beginning to build the Berewyck subdivision down close to Lake Wylie.

The Metropolitan is offering a lot of the same flavor that Birkdale Village offers. They have a modern spa, a Trader Joes, Best Buy, Target and the word on the street is that there will be a Sam's Club moving under the midtown Target. Shh....you didn't hear that from me.

The restaurants at the Metropolitan are going to be awesome. There is an Italian restaurant that is moving in and will probably be the first to open. There is also going to be a sushi restaurant that will become strong compitition for Niko's, a seafood restaurant and a great sandwich and deli restaurant.

The Greenway is already well on its' way and is going to be a great buying point for people that enjoy walking their dogs. Their is a small pavilion on the greenway that I am sure will host some great music in the evenings. If you want to live just outside of the city and you want the convenience of living in an urban environment, then this is a complex that I suggest taking a look in to.

2 bedroom condos, with amazing skyline views have sold for just over $300,000. This is new construction and all of the units come with a 10 year warranty. This is an amazing opportunity to buy a lifestyle that offers more than any other area in Charlotte.

3411 Summerfield Ridge Lane - Under Contract

This townhome went under contract on 5-26-09 at a list price of $115,000

For information on other townhomes at an incredibably affordable price...call me!