If you live on Lake Norman I don’t have to tell you that our lake levels have been uncharacteristically low since late summer; dropping down to 95.0′ on September 17th which is a full 3 feet lower than our  summer “target” levels of 98 feet.  And, you most probably have also noticed a sudden increase starting on November 16th bringing us up to our current level of 98.7 feet! 

I must admit I am baffled as to why Duke Energy, who manages our Lake Norman water levels, decided to drop them fairly suddenly during a time when our “target” levels were 98 feet and we were not in a drought.  One guess is that they were worried about the potential for Hurricane Irene’s high rain levels.  If any of you all know more, please leave a comment!

For those of you who are new to Lake Norman, the very best resource regarding Lake Norman water levels bar none is Duke Energy’s Check Lake Norman Water Levels website  which Duke Energy updates daily.  On this site you can get the actual lake levels of all 11 lakes that are part of the Catawba River System as well as the “target”” Lake Norman water level for that day, the minimum , maximum, range and any lake message updates.  They also provide a schedule of flow releases and other related data.

Lake Norman is a result of the damming of the Catawba River back in 1963 when the Cowans Ford Dam was completed.  It is part of Duke Energy’s power resources and provides electricity to the Piedmont Carolinas by using the McGuire Nuclear Station and the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station at the south end of the lake and the Marshall Steam Plant on the west side at Highway 150.  The water levels are controlled by Duke Energy and normally vary less than 5 feet.

The maximum level is called “full pond” which is 760 feet above sea level. Duke Energy considers full pond to be the “the point at which the water begins to spill over the flood gate spillway.” You will sometimes hear waterfront homeowners refer to the “760 line”.

On the Lake Norman Water Level charts, full pond is considered 100.0 feet.  Duke Energy purposely lowers water levels seasonally to anticipate rain or melting of the winter snows that feed the entire Catawba River system.

If you want to see today’s 13-Month Lake Level History chart for Lake Norman  on Duke Energy’s website you can see the daily water levels for the past year.

All I know is the lake looks awesome!

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Looking at a variety of local and state economic and business news is an important component of gaining insight into the future direction of our Lake Norman real estate market.  I collect such data from various news sources for several months and then share them with you in one blog post with the goal of helping you get a better understanding of the bigger picture in our area’s economy.  This stack of data shows some glimmer of hope:

• ISI Alams announced on 10/5/11 that they will be moving their headquarters and call center to Downtown Mooresville.  (From Concord). This move will include an expansion and, according to CEO Jayson Walker, will  employ about 150 workers within two years.

• Forest City Land Group has requested a rezoning of property on N.C. 801 in Mooresville for their Cotton Creek housing development; increasing the number of single family homes from 655 to 1,100.  While this is a long-term project, it is a positive sign to see developers moving forward with the planning and construction of new homes after years of inactivity and even shutdowns.

• “Facebook ‘likes’ North Carolina, and it’s investing here” according to a Charlotte Observer article on 10/5/11.  The first of Facebook’s 3-building data center is scheduled to go online in March, 2012 about 75 miles west of Charlotte.  The $450 million data center will serve the Eastern U.S. and Europe. This announcement “underscores state officials’ efforts to lure high-profile companies to North Carolina …with the help of incentives including our low-cost electricity, ready access to water and significant building incentives”.  Facebook will join Google, Apple, Time Warner Cable as part of North Carolina’s “data hub”.

• North Carolina ranks as Number 16 cyberstate according to The Triangle Business Journal on 10/10/2011.  TechAmerica Foundations’ annual report stated that North Carolina currently employs 145,700 tech workers.  North Carolina computers and peripheral equipment manufacturing which employs 11,000 ranks 4th nationwide after California, Texas and Massachusetts.

• North Carolina ranks 5th in corporate relocations according to another article in The Triangle Business Journal on 8/17/11. “An Atlas Van Lines migration study shows that North Carolina continues to rank among the strongest states in the country as a corporate relocation destination.”

• North Carolina was 8th in the “Top 10 States for Venture Capital” rankings according to an 8/9/11 article in The Triangle Business Journal.

• “Charlotte among Forbes’ top potential boom cities” was the headline of an article in the Charlotte Business Journal on 7/14/11.  Charlotte ranked 8th on the list “mainly because of its mild climate, low housing prices and relatively small size, which allows it to avoid transportation bottlenecks that strangle larger cities like Atlanta”.  They also considered the Charlotte Airport and Charlotte’s investment in its infrastructure.

• North Carolina is the second-least-expensive state for mortgage closing costs according to a new survey from Bankrate Inc.  I can support these findings as I hear this from many of my relocation clients who are very pleased when they find out their actual closing costs are so low!

• Charlotte ranked 47th in job increases out of all of the U.S’s metropolitan areas according to an article on 10/4/11 in the Triangle Business Journal.

RELATED ARTICLES

Lake Norman and Charlotte Remain at the Top of  the List of Places to Live

A Glimpse Into Post Recession Lake Norman Real Estate

Lake Norman Area is Growing and Improving Despite the Recession!

Lake Norman Real Estate: Is Mooresville Really Bucking the Recession?

Lake Norman Real Estate: Wow! A Lot of Good News!

My daughter and I had some fun with our pumpkins!

Lake Norman is a great place to celebrate Halloween.  From haunted houses to old-fashioned Main Street celebrations to costume parties and live entertainment at local night clubs there truly is something for everyone!

Every year at this time the Lake Norman area comes alive with pumpkin patches, Corn Mazes,  Halloween festivities for all ages and homes decorated to welcome all of our young trick -or -treaters.  Many of our subdivisions have their own neighborhood events but here are some more options:

If you are in search of a pumpkin patch:

• Carrigan Farms: Hayrides to the pumpkin patch 9-4 Saturday and 12-4 Sundays through Halloween. Pick a pumpkin, visit the animals and have some fresh apple cider.
• Patterson Farm: Pumpkin patch is open with tours through Nov. 6th and on weekends don’t miss Paw Paw Carl’s Playground where you can enjoy hayrides, a corn pit, Tomato Slingshot, Duck Races and more!  See their website link above for more details.

Or, just look to any of our many local produce stands like Josh’s Produce Market on Williamson Road in Mooresville who are brimming over with pumpkins and decorations for your Lake Norman home!

Of course, it would not be Halloween without some fun, and even spooky events for all ages and Lake Norman is full of options!

• This year, Carrigan Farms’ Scarrigan Farms is supposed to be so scary that moms enjoying smores on the other side of the quarry can hear their kids screaming as they walk throw the haunted trail.  As they say on their website: This is not a trail for kids. If you’re under 12 come back when you’re old enough. We’ll be waiting. If someone hasn’t peed in their pants by the end of the night we know haven’t done our job. Come gather around the bonfires, at the well-known Carrigan Farms Rock Quarry, before or after you enter the haunted trail. Visit Scrarrigan Farms on Facebook.

• Ghost Tales in the Dark: October 14-15 & 21-22.  Take a candlelight tour of the Latta Plantation at night as you listen to ghost stories. For more information: Latta Plantation.

• Hoot and Howl: Carolina Raptor Center October 29, 2011 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Kraken Slime Creation Station,  Face Painting,  Spider Bingo,  Cookie Decorating,  Owl Masks,  Tie-dying (BYO T-shirt): Extra

• Downtown Davidson’s Halloween March on Main Street in Davidson. Friday,  October 28th 5-7pm. Free. Costumed characters of all ages are invited to march! 704.892.3349.

• Halloween Fun at Birkdale Village: October 31st: All ages will enjoy an afternoon of games, art, crafts, balloons and more including hay rides.  Birkdale Village in Huntersville from 4-6pm.  Free!

• Downtown Mooresville Annual Halloween Treat for Families: 3-5pm Oct. 31. Downtown will be crawling with little ghosts and goblins as businesses hand out candy and treats. 3 – 5pm.

• Downtown Statesville Trick or Treating: October 31th: 4-6pm. Downtown Statesville at Broad Street and Center Street.  Free!

• Haunted Statesville Tours!  Oct. 21-22 and 28-29.  Come if you dare!  This walking ghost tour is full of old stories and legends from Statesville’s past. Step beyond the beauty of Statesville’s historic downtown and discover its true haunted history–where tales of spirits, scary creatures, mysterious deaths and creepy alleys become real. Tours run October 21-22 and October 28-29* every half hour between 6:30 – 8 pm. Tickets are $10 per person or 4 for $35. Reservations are required. Special hayride tours only on October 29 at 6 pm, 7 pm and 8 pm. Hayride tour tickets are $10 each. Group rate does not apply. Hayrides provided by Stamey Farms.

• North Carolina Fright Factory, Uptown’s Largest Haunted House” located at the NC Music Factory September 30th -31st.

Did I miss anything?  Let me know and I will add your events to my list!

Have a GREAT and SAFE Lake Norman Halloween!!!

If you have never seen a “Wiener Race” then you are in for a whole lot of fun this Saturday!  First, just being there in the midst of so many adorable dachshunds is worth the visit.  But, watching the dogs racing (I use that term loosely!) and their owners at the finish line doing anything to get their dog to run to them is hilarious:

 

The annual Mooresville Wiener Race  is organized by the Mooresville Downtown Commission and volunteer Tom Kilroe.  The event’s mission is to raise money for two non-profit organizations; Friends of the Animals-Iredell County  and the Humane Society of Iredell County NC.  Races start at 11:00am but I highly recommend you get there early to get a good place along the race fence to see the dogs doing their best to figure out what they are supposed to be doing.  There are 4 categories:  Puppies, Juniors, Adults and Seniors.  You will see some actual racing in the Adult group!

There will also be vendors selling barbecue, funnel cakes, slushies, pet insurance, scented candles and more but I must admit the best souvenir is the Mooresville Wiener Race T-Shirt.  I still have mine from several years ago.

If you want more incentive to attend, just Google You Tube Videos of Wiener Dog races!

Have fun!

Other Articles of Interest

Lake Norman Relocation and Resource Guide

Lake Norman Sports (Participation) Resource Guide

How to get the Lastest Lake Norman News, Events and Coupon Savings!

Relocating to Lake Norman

With more and more frequency I am being asked by potential Lake Norman home buyers about the future expectations and direction of our local economy.  Are Lake Norman, Charlotte and even the State of North Carolina seen as a good place to invest in the long term?  Where are our local and regional economies headed?

The good news is that this is indeed the silver lining for our Lake Norman real estate market during this economic downturn.  Lake Norman communities, Charlotte and North Carolina are all predicted to be popular destinations for future businesses and to experience continual population growth in the years to come.  I base this on a number of recent articles from a variety of sources as well as my own observations over the past 6 years.   Here are some of the most relevant about Charlotte and North Carolina and some older articles I have written about Lake Norman growth and development that are still relevant:

• Post-recession, N.C. economy well poised:  This April 12, 2011 article in the Triangle Business Journal refers to an analysis by the Economic Group of Wells Fargo Securities which concluded that North Carolina is “well positioned for growth when  the expansion comes around the bend…”.  “North Carolina, they found, has a regional competitive advantage in 21 industry groups, only one step behind Florida, which had 22…Among North Carolina’s groups are health care, non-durables, professional and technology and accommodations and food.”  “North Carolina continues to augment its reputation as a home for cutting-edge research and is also becoming a major destination for national and regional headquarters…Charlotte also continues to attract a growing cadre of corporate and regional headquarters and its financial sector is growing again…”
• Chief Executive Magazine ranked North Carolina #2: For the second year in a row in their poll of the best states in which to conduct business.  ” 550 CEO’s evaluated the states on a broad range of issues, including regulations, tax policies, work-force quality, education resources, quality of living and infrastructure.” 
• Charlotte is ranked as the 3rd fastest growing city according to recent census numbers. “As North Carolina’s largest metropolitan area, Charlotte boasts affordable living and great jobs in a financial services hub.”
• Site Selection Magazine: North Carolina ranks 6th for new and expanded businesses.
• Forbes named Charlotte among best retirement cities
• Kippling lists Charlotte among the best cities for college graduates due to it being a “cost of living bargain compared to other major cities with a rebounding economy.”
• Mooresville Top Micropolitan again in 2009 by Site Selection Magazine which calculates the total corporate real estate deals by year.
• Mooresville #2 Micropolitan in 2010 by Site Selection Magazine
• Lake Norman Area is Growing and Improving Despite the Recession!
• Lake Norman Real Estate: Is Mooresville Really Bucking the Recession?
• Lake Norman Real Estate: Wow! A Lot of Good News!

While this is just the tip of the iceberg of information regarding our economic future, hopefully it will serve as reassurance that the long term prognosis for the Lake Norman real estate market, thanks to our growth and development and quality and affordability of living, is a good one.