Carol Fox, Real Estate Broker, Union County NC Real Estate

Visit historic Waxhaw NC in October and discover a number of fun and interesting things to do.

Autumn Treasures Fine Arts/Crafts Festival

Stroll the streets of downtown Waxhaw NC during the second weekend in October. Here are some things that you can do and see.

Browse the arts and crafts booths.

Shop for antiques.

Listen to music.

See Waxhaw's fire engines.

Museum of the Waxhaws

The Museum of the Waxhaws is located just a half mile from downtown Waxhaw NC. This museum documents the history of the Waxhaw region from 1650 to 1900. Exhibits tell the story of the Waxhaw Indians, the area's first inhabitants, the culture of the Scots-Irish settlers who came after the Indians, Revolutionary War battles in the area, Civil War battles, the history of schools and education in the backcountry, and provide a memorial to President Andrew Jackson who was born in the region.

Here are some things that you can see in October.

Visit the Secrest Homestead, a log home.

Watch a blacksmith in his workshop.

Learn about camp life during Civil War Infantry Weekend.

Meet Yankee soldiers. Meet Rebel soldiers.

Waxhaw Scottish Highland Games

The Waxhaw Scottish Games will be held October 25, 2008 at Cane Creek Park south of Waxhaw. Events during the games include athletic and piping competition, scottish and celtic music, scottish dancing and border collie exhibitions.

For more information about real estate or living in Waxhaw NC, visit

www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving.com

About the author: Carol Fox of Allen Tate Realtors is a veteran real estate agent who has been selling the neighborhoods, horse farms, and rolling countryside of Waxhaw NC for over twenty years.

Copyright 2008. Carol Fox. All rights reserved. "Three Fun Events in Waxhaw NC During October"

Do you want to live in a neighborhood where you can walk to restaurants and the grocery store?

If so, take a look at Brighton Park, one of downtown Mint Hill NC's most walkable neighborhoods. Brighton Park wraps around a community shopping center that includes a grocery store, several restaurants, and other convenient shops. Mint Hill Town Hall and a bank are nearby at the intersection of Lawyers Road and Highway 51.

Brighton Park has the feel of a traditional neighborhood where streets are arranged on a grid and homes with front porches on narrow deep lots allow neighbors to know and greet each other. Some of the lots have alleys behind them where homes with rear garages can be built. Five parks are interspersed among the homes in Brighton Park. A huge legacy magnolia tree that dominates the linear park along Highway 51 provides a beautiful entry to the neighborhood. This park contains a path for strolling and benches for relaxing.

Homes in Brighton Park

You can purchase a brand-new home in Brighton Park or you can choose from one of the resale homes available in the neighborhood. The following is a market report for Brighton Park as of October 2008.

• Brighton Park New Construction. Mattamy Homes is currently building new homes in the neighborhood. Five floorplans are available. Three of these plans have master bedrooms on the first floor; one of these plans is a ranch. Square footage of the homes ranges from approximately 1900 sq.ft. to approximately 2400 sq.ft. Prices start at $216,000 and go to $233,000. Source: Mattamy Homes.

• Brighton Park Resale Homes. Nine resale homes have closed in Brighton Park during 2008. The heated living area of these homes ranged from 1550 sq.ft. to 2611 sq.ft. Prices ranged from $216,665 to $280,000. The average closed price was $241,912. There are twelve homes on the market in early October 2008 ranging in price from $214,900 to $309,000. Source: Carolina Multiple Listing Service.

Visit Carolina Small Town Living for more information about real estate and living in Mint Hill North Carolina.

About the author: Carol Fox of Allen Tate Realtors is a veteran real estate agent who has sold homes in Mint Hill neighborhoods for over twenty years.

Copyright 2008. Carol Fox. All rights reserved. "Downtown Mint Hill NC Walkable Neighborhoods: Brighton Park"

Downtown Matthews NC is a great place to find artwork in the month of September.

The 23rd annual Artfest of Matthews occupied the Village Green in downtown Matthews last weekend. The Artfest is a juried art show that showcases the finest artists from the southeast. The Artfest also has a YouthArt Scholarship Competition for rising seniors from area schools and a children's area for creativity during the event.

Let me paint a picture of the scene at the Matthews Village Green last weekend.

People strolled down Matthews Station Drive toward the Village Green and the Matthews Town Hall in the distance. The Village Green is a landscaped traffic circle with a Gazebo and stone walkways and benches in the center. A jazz band played music in the Gazebo. Booths with artwork and pottery lined the circle. Visitors could view the restored Matthews Train Depot and a restored Caboose that are located to one side of the circle.

My Favorite Work of Art on the Village Green

My favorite work of art in downtown Matthews is hidden away in the Matthews Town Hall, a two-story colonial brick building on the circle. This work of art is the Matthews Library, which occupies the first floor of the Town Hall. Step through the library doors and you will discover a beautiful Craftsman-style interior that makes you want to linger awhile.

What Can You Do at the Matthews Library?

You can enjoy quiet reading on the couches in front of the floor-to-ceiling fireplace.

You can look for library materials among the stacks separated by beautiful craftsman-style columns.

You can take your children to hear stories by the "train" in the Children's Department.

You can ask the library staff for assistance and use the public conference and community rooms.

Visit the Matthews page at www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving.com for more information about living and real estate in Matthews North Carolina.

About the author: Carol Fox of Allen Tate Realtors is a veteran real estate agent who has enjoyed living in the Matthews area for over 20 years.

Copyright 2008. Carol Fox. All rights reserved. "Works of Art in Downtown Matthews NC"

Brandon Oaks, a master planned community of 18 distinct neighborhoods, is Indian Trail North Carolina's largest neighborhood. Construction began in Brandon Oaks in the mid-1990s and continues today with three builders in six neighborhoods. When complete in a few years, Brandon Oaks will have over one thousand homes. A central landscaped parkway runs through the community providing access to the various neighborhoods and the community amenities. A variety of community shopping facilities is under construction nearby including a Harris Teeter grocery store within walking distance of the neighborhood.

Amenities

Brandon Oaks includes two swim and tennis facilities. The Brandon Oaks Swim and Tennis Club, with a regulation-size pool, a kiddie pool, a basketball court and two tennis courts, is located near a community pond with playground and walking trails. The Brandon Oaks Sports Club has a resort-style pool with 85-foot water slide and wading pool with water fall and water play features. A series of walking trails connects the various neighborhoods to the amenity centers.

Brandon Oaks Homes

The various neighborhoods in Brandon Oaks contain a wide range of home styles and sizes. Three builders, Ryan, Shea and Ryland, are currently offering homes from the $180,000s to over $300,000.

• Ryan's current offerings include ranch and two-story single family homes from 1600 sq.ft. to over 3000 sq.ft. Pricing ranges from the $180,000s to the $270,000s.
• Ryland also offers single family homes in the $200,000 to $250,000 price range as well as The Gardens at Brandon Oaks, a patio home community with lawn maintenance. These homes all have master bedrooms on the first floor and range from 1500 sq.ft. to 2300 sq.ft. Pricing ranges from the $190,000s to the $220,000s.
• Shea's homes start near 3000 sq.ft. and range in price from the $250,000s to the $360,000s with full brick exteriors.

Brandon Oak's resale market for homes is very active and a wide variety of prices and sizes can be found. As of October 1, 2008, the Carolina Multiple Listing Service reports the following statistics for the neighborhood:

• Sixty one homes are on the market. Prices range from $168,900 for an 1800-2200 sq.ft. home to $475,000 for a 3600-4300 sq.ft. home. The median asking price for these 61 homes is $238,000.
• Thirty six homes sold in Brandon Oaks during the first nine months of 2008. Prices ranged from $160,000 to $350,000. The average sales price was $220,000 and the average heated living area was 2234 sq.ft.

Get information about other Indian Trail NC neighborhoods by visiting other neighborhood profiles in this series:

Live, Work and Play at Bonterra Village in Indian Trail

For more information about buying or selling real estate in Indian Trail NC and other neighborhoods, visit www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving.com.

About the author: Carol Fox of Allen Tate Realtors is a veteran real estate agent who has been selling Indian Trail neighborhoods for over twenty years.

Copyright 2008. Carol Fox. All rights reserved. "Indian Trail NC Neighborhoods: Brandon Oaks"

Public schools in Matthews NC and Mint Hill NC are part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System (CMS), one of the largest systems in the country. CMS just unveiled its Data Dashboard, an online database that puts information about the system and each of its schools into a central web site.

The Data Dashboard is the place to start if you want to learn about Matthews and Mint Hill schools and compare them with other schools in the CMS system. The information presented includes not only test scores but also results of student and family surveys as well as service goals, such as whether the buses run on time. CMS identified seven Strategic Goals with performance targets for year 2010. These goals provide the organizational categories for the information.

What can you learn about the schools in Matthews and Mint Hill from the Data Dashboard?

• How does this school compare academically with other schools at CMS? Check the High Academic Achievement category.
• How do teacher credentials at this school compare with others and is the school fully staffed? Check the Effective Educators category.
• How does this school's technology compare with other schools? Check the Adequate Resources category.
• Do students and parents feel safe at this school? Check the Safe Schools category.
• Is this school making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and how does it compare with other schools in the system? Check the Freedom, Flexibility & Accountability category.
• Do the buses run on time? Check the World Class Service category.
• Do parents think this school is responsive to them? Check the Parent Community Involvement category.

According to the Data Dashboard home page, CMS is providing the website to create a more open and transparent system and to assess the school system's progress toward their strategic goals. The information and format are a great tool for parents and educators alike.

Visit the Education Page at www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving.com to learn more about schools in Matthews and Mint Hill NC.

About the author: Carol Fox of Allen Tate Realtors is a veteran real estate agent who has been selling real estate in Matthews and Mint Hill NC for over 20 years.

Copyright 2008. Carol Fox. All rights reserved. "Matthews NC and Mint Hill NC Schools: New Tool for Schools Comparison"