Mike Carpino Realtor from Lake Norman to Uptown Charlotte, NC

Huntersville placed second on Forbes Magazine's list of America's 25 Best Places to Move.

On its Web site, with the article about the list, Forbes has a color slide show with a picture from each city. Huntersville's picture was taken in Birkdale Village. The magazine notes details about the town, including:

Population: 42,9001
Location: 15 miles from Charlotte
Adults with BA degrees or higher: 49 percent
Born in different state or abroad: 67 percent
Racial demographics: 84 percent, white; 7.5 percent black, 5.5 percent Hispanic and 2.5 percent Asian
Came from out of state within five years (2000 Census): 30 percent
Median family income: $90,739
Median home value: $231,400

Forbes' article highlighted the hot spots across the country for companies and their employees to re-locate, Bobby Williams, Huntersville management assistant, said in a press release. "Relovilles," as the article calls them, are destinations for periodic relocation of major corporations to young, mid- and upscale suburbs near company headquarters and office parks in major cities such as Charlotte, Raleigh and Atlanta.

To determine America's best places to move, Forbes looked at cities with populations of 25,000 and more. Forbes analyzed Census data from 2000 to 2007 to identify the hot spots for places where people were born out of state or abroad, who had moved to town from a considerable distance within one to five years, and who had moved for a job.

Forbes also noted the top 25 Relovilles that emerged from the analysis generally have twice the incomes, twice the home values and home sizes, twice the college degrees, twice as many youth and half as many elderly among other factors.

The relative strength of the Charlotte housing market during the economic downturn was also referenced as a factor that could have contributed to Huntersville's high ranking.

Buzzwords such as "tree-lined neighborhoods," "charm" and "small-town feel" were associated with many of the 25 communities identified, Williams said in a press release.

Huntersville was one of three North Carolina towns on the list. The others were Apex at number 3 and Cary at number 8. Alpharetta, Ga., was no. 1.

My 5 yr old son Ryan has been fascinated lately with digging for worms in the back yard. So , I finally told him we could use those worms to catch fish.

Well, we took our first fishing trip down the street to Lake Norman. There is a great park called Ramsey Creek that has a nice pier to fish off of.

It took us a little time before we landed this big one but it was well worth the wait.

You can tell by the smile on his face that not only is the fish hooked but so is Ryan on fishing.

I am very fortunate to live in an area where I am only minutes from a beautiful lake to fish at.

If you are ever fortunate enough to visit the Charlotte region take some time to drive out to Lake Norman.

You will not be disappointed!

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Here is a recent update on the progress of the Discovery Place for Kids in downtown Huntersville, North Carolina:

A local company hopes to build a tree house in the middle of downtown. Not some boards nailed to the truck of a tree, leading to more boards tacked together in the limbs above.

Huntersville-based Power Play Inc. is working on probably the nicest tree house in town, a three-story structure that will greet kids and their parents as they enter the brand-new Discovery Place Kids museum in a little more than a year.

That's just one of many local connections Discovery Place Kids Director Debbie Curry has established, she said this week.

On its Web site, Power Play Inc. describes itself as "the world's largest, fully integrated manufacturer of commercial playground equipment, floating dock systems and lifts for boats and personal water craft." They make the climb-slide-and-swing combinations that have sprung up at schools, parks and playgrounds everywhere.

Power Play Marketing Director Jim Swintek said the company is excited to get the chance to bid on the tree house for the Town Center development in the southwest corner of Gilead and Old Statesville roads. He didn't want to say any more about the project this week. Curry said the tree house will accommodate children from birth through second grade and their parents. It will also need to be accessible in parts to physically handicapped children.

Mike Carpino
Owner/Broker
704 301-9264

While living in the Lake Norman area for the past 10 years I have seen the landscape change in many ways. I am very excited to see that a development that has been in the works for years is finally coming to fruition. Here is a recent article I read that will keep you updated on the Langtree at the Lake development.

Despite the spring rains, Interstate 77 Exit 32 in south Iredell remains on track to open this summer, a state transportation official said.

Barring weather delays, the long-anticipated interchange will open July 15, said engineer John Cook of the N.C. Department of Transportation office in Statesville.

"Even with all the weather we had this spring, they're still on schedule," Cook said last week of general contractor Rea Contracting of Charlotte.

The $21 million project includes a third interstate lane both southbound and northbound between the new exit and existing Exit 33 near Mooresville.

Interstate paving is finished southbound but not northbound, Cook said. "The main thing is the paving, and we're doing that at night," he said.

Signals have been installed on Langtree Road at the new exit, Cook added.

The state promised the new exit years ago as an incentive to lure the national headquarters of Lowe's Companies Inc., the home improvement retailer accessible from Exit 33 and N.C. 115. Lowe's is paying to build a road straight to its headquarters from Langtree Road near the new exit .

Work started on Exit 32 in March 2007.

The exit leads to Lowe's in one direction and to the planned $800 million Langtree at the Lake mixed-use development in the other direction.

Langtree Road will eventually be expanded to serve as an east-west connector between I-77 in south Iredell and Interstate 85 in Cabarrus County. The connector would link with N.C. 3 through the counties.

A California developer plans to spend about $2 million to renovate a theater building that has been vacant for 5 years. They can begin converting the long-vacant Palace Theater on Copely Drive into an arts center.

The center would feature a 400 seat entertainment venue, church, and other community gatherings and posibly a dance studio, music school and New York Theatrical production company.

The Cornelius Board of Commissions unanimously approved a rezoning last week to allow developer Shaoul Levy of Santa Monica, California to proceed with the $2 million in renovations to the complex.

The theater is on about four acres in Kenton Place, mixed-used development in the norhteast corner of NC 73 and West Catawba Avenue, beside Birkdale Village.

A centerpiece of the project would be the entertainment venue formed out of two of the Palace's 12 cinemas. The entertainment area would be open to the community for school performances, church services and other events. The building also could host wedding receptions. The developer also still intends to include space for a restaurant with a bar.

The buildings exterior would be repainted from pink to more neutral tones. The front of the building would have a covered walkway with decorative plants on top. Town officials are very excited to finally see this building being used.