Would you be surprised if I told you that there are 43 single family homes for sale in the towns surrounding Lake Norman that are listed UNDER $100,000? What you don't see on most websites about Lake Norman is any information about the modest older homes that are dotted about our more rural areas and clustered around our downtowns.
All of the communties of Mooresville, Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville and Troutman on the east side of Lake Norman truly have two distinct cultures that stem from their historic roots as railroad stopping points for our cotton farmers and the spectacular housing and retail growth along the lake in the past two decades.
The housing developments on the west side of these Lake Norman towns that include all of the lake shore properties and much of the recent retail growth came about upon the completion of the I-77 in 1975.
However, east of I-77, what is now Hwy 115 and sometimes still called Main Street, is the road that parallels the railroad tracks that run from Charlotte north to Statesville and beyond along which the original towns were built.
Our historic downtowns were all built along or in close proximity to Main Street in the late 1800's and early 1900's. At the same time several large cotton mills were established, the most significant and long standing being the Burlington Mill in Mooresville that closed in 1998 and the Cannon Mill farther southeast in Kannapolis. The mill owners built self-sufficient villages or what we refer to as "mill houses" for their textile workers.
From 1902 - 1930 over 400 homes were built for the influx of cotton workers in Mooresville. A variety of floor plans were built; 3 bedroom T-shaped houses with front and back porches were most common.
Today, the modest historic homes and mill houses clustered around Main Street are just beginning to be appreciated by home buyers. And that means they are still affordable! Of the 18 active listings under $100,000 that are not mobile homes, 14 are mill houses located in the Historic Mooresville Mill Village. They range in size from 640 sq. ft. to just over 1200 sq. ft.; were built between 1911 to 1970 and range in price from $65,000 - $99,900.
Throughout the South there is a textile heritage movement as well as a growing appreciation for historic homes and preservation.
The residents of homes in the Mooresville Mill Village have organized their efforts to renovate and restore these special pieces of living history by creating the Mooresville Mill Village Historic District. On their website you can learn more about the history, as well as their current restoration efforts.
Once the urban village development, Mooresville Mills, which will be built on the site of the old Burlington Mill, is completed the entire mill area will be an exciting and rewarding place to live!
LEARN MORE ABOUT HISTORIC MOORESVILLE
Mooresville Historic Home Tour
27 Reasons to Visit Historic Downtown Mooresville Part 1
27 Reasons to Visit Historic Downtown Mooresville Part 2
27 Reasons to Visit Historic Downtown Mooresville Part 3
Mooresville on Money Magazine's Best Places to Live!
Fresh Sushi, Hush Puppies, The Scoop About Relocating to Mooresville
Historic Main Street and Face Jugs...Learning about the Heart of Mooresville
I have always thought of Cornelius as the older sister to Mooresville since it was targeted by Crescent Homes for its first luxury lake front residential community, The Peninsula (with 11 miles of shoreline on Lake Norman), about ten years before The Point in Mooresville.
Both towns have a significant number of miles of newly developed waterfront property on jagged peninsulas of land jutting out into the middle of the main channel of Lake Norman. And both towns have their historic downtowns on the east side of I-77 along the old Main street/ Highway 115.
Because Cornelius experienced its most significant waterfront housing developments in the early 1990's, compared to Mooresville there are more mature trees and landscaping giving it a bit of a different feel.
A general overview of Cornelius NC:
One of the must exclusive developments on Lake Norman, The Peninsula off Jetton Rd offers homes from the mid-$300,000's to more than $3 million.
Besides the beautiful homes, The Peninsula offers two community clubs: The Peninsula Yacht Club is a first-class marina offering 400 boat-slips, the Yacht club dining room, a competition-sized swimming pool and a great calendar of activities, events and boating classes.
The Peninsula Club offers an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Rees Jones, recreational facilities at the Swim and Tennis Center, Club house with fine and casual dining and activities and private boat slips to enable members to arrive by water!
And, as the luxury homes sprung up in Cornelius so did upscale shopping, restaurants and amenities.
All along Catawba Rd. (which is in the process of being widened!) are a great variety of restaurants, coffee shops (Starbucks of course) and other upscale retail and businesses.
The Town of Cornelius boasts 12 community parks including the wonderful Jetton Park along Lake Norman where you can take a walk or bike ride amidst tall trees, play tennis, or just enjoy the incredible views of Lake Norman.
Downtown Cornelius, on the east side of I-77, is known for its small boutiques and antique shops. Home styles in this area are primarily historic bungalows, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival.
There are also a number of newer developments from the popular Oakhurst community of town homes and condominiums to the Heritage Green which is a new community of single family homes both of which are priced in the high $100,000's.
Links to important Cornelius Resources:
Charlotte/Mecklenburg School District
Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce
The Peninsula Crescent Community
Lake Norman Area Hospitals:
OTHER ARTICLES ABOUT LAKE NORMAN AND ITS COMMUNITIES
Davidson NC, Lake Norman's College Town
Mooresville NC Relocation Resources
Sherrills Ford and Terrell: The western shore of Lake Norman is looking
Lake Norman Real Estate: Denver is a Community to Watch!
Lake Norman's Troutman is a Real Estate Hot Spot!
I don't often take too much stock in real estate news sources top ten lists because they tend to make gross generalities that sometimes contradict reality for our Lake Norman real estate market. However, this recent article in Forbes: Best Cities For Bargain House-Hunters , caught my attention because Raleigh NC was #2 and Charlotte #4.
Well, what did they consider when ranking for "bargain house-hunters"?
They were looking for markets with:
So, a buyers market, healthy job growth and more inventory than buyers...that sure sounds like Lake Norman AND Charlotte!
When I first saw the headline I thought of locations that have large foreclosure rates and unemployment like parts of Michigan, Florida and California. But, truly, those may seem like bargains yet they don't have the strong foundations of jobs that we do here in Lake Norman and Charlotte and they have too many foreclosures.
Here is what Forbes said about Charlotte: "Just like in-state neighbor Raleigh, Charlotte has expanded quickly as the result of an economic boom that has drawn many residents from the North and Northeast. The financial sector is largely responsible and this is something to keep an eye on as banks' woes continue. While the city continues to growl, building activity has supplied plenty of inventory on the market keeping thing in the buyer's favor."
Just like the Three Bears, we are not too hot or too cold but just right for buyers!
MORE ARTICLES ABOUT OUR LAKE NORMAN REAL ESTATE MARKET
Fed Cuts, Charlotte Oberver Headlines and Lake Norman Real Estate; What a Day!
Lake Norman Home Sales: Are We in for a Wild Ride?
Lake Norman Real Estate Hot Sheet: Market Update
Lake Norman Real Estate 4th Quarter Sales Analysis
Sailing near NorthView Harbour
With my past article How to Predict the next Lake Norman hot-spots I started a series about three up and coming communities along the shores of Lake Norman: Denver, Troutman and now Sherrills Ford and Terrell.
Just north of Denver, located in southeastern Catawba County with wonderful street names like Molly's Backbone and Slanting Bridge, are the two small but growing towns of Sherrills Ford and Terrell. Once considered one of Lake Norman's best kept secrets, these two quaint towns are committed to holding on to their agricultural traditions and to preserving their rural beauty despite being targeted for significant growth in the next five years.
The Facts:
Much like its neighbor to the south, Sherrills Ford and Terrell are destinations for those wanting a more quiet and rural retreat.
However, the Crescent Community of NorthView Harbour in Sherrills Ford, an active, lake front upscale community offering heavily wooded home-sites, a swim club with competitive-size swimming pool, club house, tennis courts, play ground and boatslips is just part of Crescent Resources "ambitious plan that will continue changing the face of Catawba County.
Future plans for Sherrills Ford and Terrell include:
Current home prices in Sherrills Ford and Terrell range from $50,000 to $10,500,000 with an average sales price this past January 2008 of $516,250.
The local hangouts include the two gas stations that flank Sherrills Ford Rd: The Gold Mine 66 & Grocery and The General Store. With the opening of the newest Harris Teeter and numerous shops at the corner of NC 150 and Perth Rd., residents no longer have to drive all the way to Williamson Rd for large grocery stores, cleaners and Starbucks coffee!
Also located in a refurbished 1876 homestead in Sherrills Ford is the wonderful restaurant: Tim Schafer's At Lake Norman. Mr. Schafer is considered to be the foremost authority on cooking with beer in the entire country and has appeared on the Food Network, HGTV and other food related productions sharing his passion for cooking with beer.
So, if you are looking for a Lake Norman home that is away from the hustle and bustle of the I-77 but still close enough to take advantage of all of the nearby amenities, I highly recommend that you visit Sherrills Ford and Terrell.
Important Links:
RELATED ARTICLES
Lake Norman Real Estate: Denver is a Community to Watch!
Lake Norman's Troutman is a Real Estate Hot Spot!
How to Predict the Next Lake Norman Hotspots
The small Town of Troutman, NC which sits along the northeastern shore of Lake Norman has been discovered in a very big way. As I mentioned in my previous article, where Crescent Homes goes so goes the focus of growth around Lake Norman. In October of last year, Crescent Homes opened sales at their latest housing development, Falls Cove, a 900-home, high-end subdivision in Troutman. Here's why:
Located just north of Mooresville along Lake Norman between exit 42 and 45 on the I-77, Troutman is considered to be a reasonable commuting distance to not just Charlotte but Greensboro and Winston Salem. It truly is at the very center of our rapidly growing economic region.
Besides the numerous housing developments cropping up off Perth Road on up to Lake Norman State Park, there are significant retail developments, particularly at Exit 42 where Lowe's Home Improvement opened in October and where a hotel, restaurant and Wendy's will follow later this year. Following these are plans for the Troutman Town Center, the Troutman Commons and others. A total of 6 sizable commercial developments have applied for water and sewer. As the Statesville Record & Landmark said last Sunday: "It is hard to miss the fact that Troutman's retail and commercial sector is on the brink of busting wide open."
ABOUT TROUTMAN
A bit of History:
Today:
Just the Facts:
Lake Norman State Park
One of the true jewels of Lake Norman, the Lake Norman State Park, is located in Troutman. In incredible 1,328 acres along the shoreline of Lake Norman, the park offers myriad recreational opportunities including mountain biking, hiking, walking trails, kayaking, public boat ramps and the only public beach on Lake Norman.
New or Newer Residential developments in Troutman include:
Residential Real Estate Statistics:
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Predict the Next Lake Norman Real Estate Hot Spots
Greater Lake Norman Growth and Development Update
Lake Norman Growth and Development: What's in the Pipeline Part 1
Lake Norman Growth and Development: What's in the Pipeline Part 2
Specializing in residential real estate since 1991. Mooresville and Lake Norman; Relocation specialist; great diversity of clients and experience; passionate about offering the best service to all!
Welcome! I am so glad you stopped by to see what is happening in our wonderful Lake Norman area.
You will probably find that I write quite enthusiastically about Lake Norman and about life here. That is because I am writing through the eyes of someone who discovered, fell in love with and just up and moved to Mooresville Lake Norman in 2005 for no other reason than my husband and I decided it was the ultimate place in the country to live.
If you know the old adage "There is no substitute for experience," I have found that this definitely applies to all of my real estate services. My extensive marketing background, years in real estate that have encompassed a diversity of locations, economic markets, price ranges, types of housing, cultures, ethnicitys, ages and personalities of clients comprise the foundation upon which I build all of my customized real estate services.
But, honestly, and I know this sounds corny, but there is only one thing that truly motivates me: I care. I care about every one of the clients I choose to work with and I do my absolute best to represent them, support them and educate them; designing their real estate experience to best suit their needs and meet their goals.
Just the Facts
08/28/07
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