Relocating to Mooresville/Lake Norman: Subdivision or No Subdivision?

When my husband and I started looking for homes in the Mooresville, Lake Norman area I was surprised when we were asked whether we wanted to live in a subdivision and what kind of amenities we were looking for in our community. Coming from a city that had almost all older homes and no real subdivision-like communities, I didn’t realize that in areas like Lake Norman and Mooresville, which are mostly newer homes, a large majority of homes are located in various levels and types of subdivisions.

Therefore, when moving to the greater Lake Norman area, one of the very first things you need to decide is whether you want to live in a subdivision or not. And, if you do want to live in a subdivision, what “amenities” do you want and how restrictive do you want the HOA rules to be?

Why do many people choose to live in a subdivision?:

• Sense of community

• Ease of meeting people/social life

• Many are geared to children so there will be plenty of new playmates and activities for children

• Uniformity of look and maintenance of homes and common areas

• Amenities like playgrounds, pools, tennis courts, volleyball courts, walking trails, golf courses, lake access, boat ramps, boat slips, organized sporting activities, social activities, community meeting rooms and club houses

• Subdivisions are available in the first-time buyer price ranges all the way to the luxury home communities by Crescent Homes:

The Point’s activities calendar Crescent Homes Communities

Subdivisions vary greatly as to how many amenities, strictness of HOA rules and HOA dues so if you do decide to live in a subdivision it is important to list your priorities: Do you need a pool or tennis courts or do you simply want access to the lake? Do you want playgrounds and amenities that are geared towards younger children or do you want a boatslip and a golf course membership? Do you want restrictions regarding your landscaping, deckings, outdoor storage? 

Why people prefer NOT to live in a subdivision:

• Sense of privacy

• Desire for an informal environment/ neighborhood

• Freedom, lack of HOA restrictions

• No HOA dues

• Don’t want or plan to use community amenities  

My husband and I knew we wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet of Lake Norman and have the freedom to build a second garage and live a casual lifestyle. We did not want or need the amenities offered by subdivisions so we only looked at homes that were not in subdivisons and chose a home on this quiet gravel road! For us, this is heavenly but for some the idea of living in a community full of life and things to do is most important.

The bottom line is, when buying a home in the Mooresville Lake Norman communities, besides identifying the location, commuting distance, schools, lake access or whatever is important to you, be sure to decide whether you do or don’t want to live in a subdivision!

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