Lake Norman Real Estate’s March 2013 Sales Analysis

The dynamics of our Lake Norman real estate market are definitely changing. What started as an upward trend in sales and a downward trend in inventory of homes for sale in 2012 has given way to a true break through in so many aspects of our housing market. There is a new sense of energy and hustle reminiscent of the good old days. For some Realtors the days of 24/7 have also returned. I was so excited to get Easter off!

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers to glean some insight into the short term future and exactly where the Lake Norman housing market stands right now.

Here are the March 2013 numbers from our Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for our Lake Norman Area 13 real estate market:

* Note that the Charlotte Regional Multiple Listing Service has created two new categories, Under Contract Showings (UCS) to continue and Under Contract no showings (UCNS). These replace the Contingent, Conditional and Pending categories. Contingent Sales are now joined with Conditional sales in my reports.

Some significant additional statistics for you: Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s April 2013 Wallpaper Calendar is Here!

Lake Norman Real Estate's april 2013 Desktop Calendar

Lake Norman is not only a beautiful lake with wonderful waterfront communities, it is also close to so many other lifestyles and cities. You don’t have to drive far from Lake Norman in any direction to find beautiful rolling farmland full of cotton, soybeans, corn and tobacco and picturesque old farms like the one above. On the other hand, Charleston SC is less than 4 hours by car, Wilmington and other beach communities are about a 4-hour drive, Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway are about a 90-minute drive, Atlanta and Washington DC about 5 hours.

This gorgeous photo was taken by renowned artist Cotton Ketchie, owner of Mooresville’s Landmark Galleries, who spends much of his time driving all over North Carolina and even summer trips around the country, taking stunning photos like this one. If you haven’t visited his store on Main Street in Historic Downtown Mooresville you should put it on your list for 2013! Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s March 2013 Hot Sheet is Here!

Want the very latest insight into our Lake Norman real estate market? So do I which is why, every month, I do a snapshot analysis of the middle two weeks of the month to get a sense of where our Lake Norman real estate market is at this very moment…an almost live insight into the heartbeat of the Lake Norman housing market. These Hot Sheet reports serve as pretty good predictors of our short-term Lake Norman real estate market.

Lake Norman’s 2013 real estate sales have been strong since January 1st. But, even more importantly, today’s level of activity in our Lake Norman for single family home sales is very high. We currently have 271 homes under contract in all of Lake Norman which far surpasses any other time since the recession. Buyers are out looking and making offers. Let’s take a look at a snapshot of the past two weeks’ activity:

Lake Norman Real Estate’s Two-Week Hot Sheet

3/21/2013

* The above chart is a summary of today’s “Hot Sheet” from the Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for single family homes in all of Lake Norman (area 13). These numbers represent a real time snapshot of the past two week’s activity. (March 7th – 21st). As always, I have included the past 6 months so that you can put these numbers in perspective. Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s February 2013 Sales Analysis Predicts a HOT Spring!

Okay, so my concerns about our Lake Norman real estate market last month have proved to be unfounded; SERIOUSLY unfounded. Not only did our Lake Norman’s strong February home sales increase our streak to 14 months in a row in which we exceeded sales from the same month in the prior year and all years since 2008, but our number of residential homes under contract today stand at a truly remarkable 255. This means that more homes are under contract today than at any time in at least the past 3 years which is when I started recording these numbers!

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers to glean some insight into the short term future and exactly where the Lake Norman housing market stands right now.

Here are the February 2013 numbers from our Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for our Lake Norman Area 13 real estate market:

Some significant additional statistics for you:

Continue reading →

lake norman real estate, Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

How Our Lake Norman Real Estate Market Stacks Up with National Housing Market

One of my greatest concerns these days is that potential Lake Norman home buyers and sellers will base their decisions on national real estate news and even Charlotte’s housing market trends. While in very general, broad terms our Lake Norman real estate market does share trends with the nation, when we get into the specifics there are a number of disparities which should be understood before anyone considers buying or selling a home here in Lake Norman.

Here is a look at Lake Norman vs. our National real estate numbers for January 2013:

Sales

Nationally, sales grew at a slower pace in January. Existing home sales edged up .4% when compared to December 2012’s sales but were up 9.1% when compared with January 2012.
Lake Norman’s home sales in January dropped 22.8% when compared to December 2012’s sales but were up a whopping 47.9% when compared to January 2012. Historically the Lake Norman real estate market sales are significantly lower in January compared to December so our 22.8% decline is “normal” for us but the 47.9% increase when compared to January 2012 is exceptional.

Number of Homes for Sale

The number of existing homes for sale nationally at the end of January was the lowest since April of 2005. They represented a 4.2-month supply at the current sales pace. In other words, if the country got no new listings it would take 4.2 months to sell all of the homes currently listed for sale.
The number of homes for sale in Lake Norman at the beginning of January hit a record low of 746. At the end of January we had 10.8-month supply at the current sales pace which is more than DOUBLE the national averages. Despite hearing us Realtors complaining about our low inventory of homes for sale, the reality is we are still in a buyers’ market and have substantially more inventory than the national average. Lake Norman’s average months of supply in 2012 was about 8 months.

Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s March 2013 Calendar is Here!

Lake Norman Real Estate Calendar March 2012

Photograph Copyrighted by Cotton Ketchie

March is a wonderful month here in Lake Norman. After being dormant all winter, our trees and gardens start to come alive this month. As in the beautiful photo above taken at Davidson College, one of the first signs of springs are pink and white blossoming trees that seem to bloom over night. Daffodils are popping up all over our gardens and even in the natural areas around Lake Norman. All of the beautiful hardwood trees lining the shoreline of Lake Norman are just beginning to bud but will once again be brilliant shades of green by April. And then come the incredible azaleas!

Davidson College and the Town of Davidson itself is truly a beloved part of life in Lake Norman. The quaint, historic town offers many cultural and natural pleasures from Concerts on the Green, theater/dance and lectures at the campus to their awesome Saturday morning farmers market offering organic produce and meats.

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s February 2013 Hot Sheet

After a strong 2012 for Lake Norman single family home sales and an impressive January 2013, it is critical to take the pulse of our February numbers to make certain that the optimism about our Lake Norman real estate market is justified. Let’s take a look:

Lake Norman Real Estate’s Two-Week Hot Sheet

2/21/2013

* The above chart is a summary of today’s “Hot Sheet” from the Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for single family homes in all of Lake Norman (area 13). These numbers represent a real time snapshot of the past two week’s activity. (February 7th – 21st). As always, I have included the past 6 months so that you can put these numbers in perspective. Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s January 2013 Sales Analysis: A Great Start to 2013 But With Some Caveats!

Lake Norman’s strong January home sales increased our streak to 13 months in a row where we exceeded sales from the same month in the prior year and all years since 2008. Our Lake Norman real estate market is very active for what are traditionally our slowest months of the year. However, there is a caution in these numbers because nearly three-fourths of our sales last month were under $400,000. Our Lake Norman housing market has some strengths which make us look good over all but there are some very weak price ranges as well.

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers to glean some insight into the short term future and exactly where the Lake Norman housing market stands right now.

Here are the January 2013 numbers from our Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for our Lake Norman Area 13 real estate market:

Some significant additional statistics for you: Continue reading →

lake norman real estate, Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman’s 2012 Home Sales Annual Review

After a rather erratic 2011, our Lake Norman real estate market definitely has a lot to celebrate about 2012. Not only was the volume of sales up 23% but our average price and average price per square foot both inched up for the first time since 2007. But, my favorite word for 2012 is consistency. Not only were sales strong, but they were strong every month in 2012 without one hiccup.

What about 2013? My greatest concern is our lack of inventory of homes for sale. My second highest concern is that sellers AND Realtors will over estimate our recovery and have unrealistic expectations for 2013. I am already experiencing sellers who are inflexible about their listing price due to their optimism. No matter how much our Lake Norman real estate market has improved, overpriced listings could play a significant role in limiting our sales as will our lack of inventory. While I don’t expect prices to go down, I also don’t expect them to go up more than about 5% at best.

Below are three charts that pretty much tell the story about our Lake Norman housing market: Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s January 2013 Hot Sheet

There is no doubt that 2012 was a strong year for Lake Norman single family home sales..the highest sales since 2007. But, will these improving sales continue in 2013? Now as we start the new year it is critical to take the pulse of our January real estate market in Lake Norman. Let’s take a look: Continue reading →

Lake Norman News, Events and Celebrations

Lake Norman New Year’s Celebrations 2013

For 2014 New Year’s Celebrations in Lake Norman go to: Lake Norman 2014

Unlike my home town of Pasadena CA with the annual Rose Parade/Rose Bowl, Lake Norman and the greater Charlotte area don’t have one major New Years’ celebration. Our public celebrations are, for the most part, found at local restaurants and entertainment venues spread throughout Lake Norman and Charlotte. From 5-course dinners to rockin’ oldies bands, there truly is something for everyone.

Probably the ultimate Lake Norman New Year’s Eve celebration is a cruise on our beautiful lake! Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos, Relocating? Life in Lake Norman

Lake Norman Photos: from Sunrise to Sunset

It is time to share so beautiful photographs of Lake Norman!

This first group includes some of my favorites of the lake itself that I or several of my clients have taken over the years. They include some gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. In the future I will create groups of photos of waterfront homes, sports/boating, neighborhoods and many more! Enjoy!

130 Lochfoot sunrise on Lake Norman

Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s November 2012 Sales Analysis; An emphatic 11!

Lake Norman’s November 2012 residential real estate sales number places an explanation mark on the belief that our housing market has hit bottom and is steadily and consistently improving. November’s total single family home sales in Lake Norman makes it eleven months in a row that we have exceeded all prior months’ sales since 2007. What is remarkable is that once the few last sales are input by the agents who always run late in recording their sales, I believe we will also exceed November 2006’s home sales! And, while Lake Norman has experienced atypical seasonal slowdown to a degree, it is not nearly as dramatic as most years.

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers to glean some insight into the short term future and exactly where the Lake Norman housing market stands right now.

Here are the November 2012 numbers from our Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for our Lake Norman Area 13 real estate market:

Continue reading →

Historic Downtown Mooresville, Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s December 2012 Calendar: Old-Fashioned Holiday Cheer!

Photograph Copyrighted by Cotton Ketchie

Yes, we do get a bit of snow here in the Lake Norman area!

Those of you who have followed this blog since 2007 will know that I have written about the schizophrenic nature of our Lake Norman communities along the east side of the lake where you will find the historic Main Street towns of Mooresville, (pictured above), Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville on the east side of Interstate 77 and then the newer sides of these towns on the west side of I-77 along Lake Norman.

This gorgeous photo taken by renowned artist Cotton Ketchie, owner of Mooresville’s Landmark Galleries, captures the charm and small-town feel of Historic Downtown Mooresville so beautifully. On the right is the window of D.E. Turner’s Hardware Store which was opened in 1899 and where you can still buy an old-fashioned red wagon or ice cream churn for your children. The charming street lights and restored brick storefronts make one feel like they have traveled back in time to when cotton farmers made up the majority of the 3000 residents. (Thanks to growth, particularly on the Lake Norman side, the population has grown ten-fold since then.) Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s November 2012 Hot Sheet

There is no doubt that 2012 has been a very strong year for Lake Norman real estate and home sales relative to all years since 2007. As of today the MLS has a total of 120 closed sales for May, 119 sales for June, 115 for July, 120 for August 92 for September and 92 for October; all 6 recording the highest months’ sales since 2007! While the best October since 2007, last month was the second month in a row where our sales failed to reach 100. While still relatively strong, we are seeing a typical seasonal slowdown in our Lake Norman housing market. November, while looking to be is a continuation of this slowdown, may be one of the strongest Novembers since 2005. Will we, for the 11th month in a row, beat the prior year’s sales for the month? Let’s take a look:

Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s October 2012 Sales Analysis; Did We Make it 10?

Lake Norman’s October 2012 residential real estate sales number should makes it ten months in a row that we have exceeded all prior months’ sales since 2007. However, as of today, we are tied with last year’s 88 total sales. As always a few more agents will be late in recording their sales. When all the numbers are for October we should have recorded at least 90 or more. So, yes, we will make it 10 but it will be a squeaker! However, because October 2011’s sales were unusually high beating that number still supports my belief that we hit bottom in 2011 here in the Lake Norman housing market and have had fairly robust sales consistently in 2012. Yes, we are clearly seeing our typical seasonal slowdown but the fact that October sales will most likely equal September’s, at this point it still looks like our Lake Norman real estate market has moved into sustained positive territory.

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers to glean some insight into the short term future and exactly where the Lake Norman housing market stands right now.

Here are the October 2012 numbers from our Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for our Lake Norman Area 13 real estate market: Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s November 2012 Wallpaper Calendar

Photograph Copyrighted by Cotton Ketchie

The Lake Norman’s 520 miles of shorelines are spectacular in the late fall as all of the hardwood trees like Maples, Poplars, Gum Trees, Oaks etc. turn into vibrant shades of yellows, oranges and reds. Thanks once again to renowned artist Cotton Ketchie, owner of Mooresville’s Landmark Galleries, who has generously provided this gorgeous photo of a sailboat on Lake Norman with the backdrop of stunning fall colors. Yes, our temperatures are mild enough that folks do get out on their boats through October and even November! Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s October 2012 Hot Sheet

The past five months pretty much blew our Lake Norman sales trends right out of the water. As of today the MLS has a total of 120 closed sales for May, 119 sales for June, 115 for July, 120 for August and 90 for September of which 4 of the 5 are the highest months’ sales since August of 2007! While the best September since 2007, last month we did begin to see a marked slowdown in our Lake Norman housing market. It appears from our numbers below that October is a continuation of this slowdown which may be a bit more than just the typical Lake Norman seasonal slowdown. Will we, for the 10th month in a row, beat the prior year’s sales for the month? Let’s take a look: Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s October Wallpaper Calendar is Up in the Air!

Photo Copyrighted by Cotton Ketchie

For the second month in a row I am able to share a photograph from renowned artist Cotton Ketchie, owner of Mooresville’s Landmark Galleries, who has generously provided me with well over a year’s worth of spectacular photos for Lake Norman Real Estate’s monthly wallpaper calendars!

This photo was taken at our amazing annual Carolina Balloonfest which takes place on October 19-21 in Statesville. I will write more about it in a separate article! Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s July 2012 Sales Analysis; Another strong month!

Lake Norman’s July 2012 residential real estate numbers once again exceeded all prior July’s since 2007 and my own predictions as well. All 7 months of 2012 have been strong but the past 3 months have been exceptional when compared to the past 4 years. Triple digit sales for three months with signs that August will make it 4 is good news. Gone, for now at least, is the term “erratic” which I have been using regularly for several years when describing our Lake Norman real estate market. While I expect a seasonal slowdown, at this point it looks like our Lake Norman real estate market is over the hump and moving into sustained positive territory. As always a few more agents will be late in recording their sales so when all the numbers are for July we should have recorded at least 115.

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers to glean some insight into the short term future and exactly where the Lake Norman housing market stands right now.

Here are the July 2012 numbers from our Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for our Lake Norman Area 13 real estate market: Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s August 2012 Wallpaper Calendar

This month’s picture is a great example of a wide cove with deep water and views out to the main channel of Lake Norman. For folks who don’t want the waves and noise that goes along with those incredible main channel views, a cove like this one is a great option. It has deep water and is wide enough to offer lovely views. I took this picture from the dock of a home I sold for “land value” for $305,000 last month. It was an exceptional deal! Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s July 2012 Hot Sheet

The last two months pretty much blew our sales trends right out of the water. As of today the MLS has a total of 119 closed sales for May and 115 sales for June which are the two highest months’ sales since August of 2007! It appears from our numbers below that July will also be a very strong month of housing sales for Lake Norman. Will we match last month’s highs? Let’s take a look:

Lake Norman Real Estate’s Two-Week Hot Sheet

7/21/2012

* The above chart is a summary of today’s “Hot Sheet” from the Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for single family homes in all of Lake Norman (area 13). These numbers represent a real time snapshot of the past two week’s activity. (July 7th – 21st). As always, I have included the past 6 months so that you can put these numbers in perspective.

I created this additional chart comparing just the July Hot Sheets for the past 3 years to help put our July 2012 numbers in perspective with the past Julys’, not just the past 6 months:

Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s 2nd Quarter 2012 Home Sales By Price Range

If you are a home buyer or seller in Lake Norman, it really only matters what is happening in YOUR price-range. Yes, it is important to know about the global economy, the national economy and the Charlotte area economy and real estate market but real estate is hyper-local so it is most meaningful to learn about the Lake Norman real estate market and within that, your specific niche. For instance, if you are looking to buy or sell in the $400,000 price range, you are going to have an entirely different experience than someone in the $700,000’s. This is exactly the reason why I create a price-range analysis every quarter:

*Compiled from the Charlotte Regional Multiple Listing Service’s data, this chart enables you to focus on your specific price range(s) rather than use the broad-brush approach thus allowing you to size up your competition and better position yourself. Continue reading →

Lake Norman waterfront homes

Lake Norman Waterfront Real Estate: What is Currently on the Market in YOUR Price Range?

Without a doubt the most common contacts I get from this blog/website are buyers searching for waterfront homes on Lake Norman. Most of these buyers want to buy at what appears to be our “bottom”. The good news is that prices are very low compared to our peak of 2007. However, our inventory has also dropped to half the number at our peak so there is less available today. In order to educate you about our waterfront homes I am going to describe what is currently for sale by price range. This should also help some folks who may arrive in Lake Norman with unrealistic expectations of what they can afford.

Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s July 2012 Wallpaper Calendar

It’s the weekend before 4th of July and it is HOT outside so what better place to be than on “the lake” as we call it here? I took this photo a few weeks ago while out on our boat. It really captures life here: gorgeous blue skies and water, thick green trees, lovely waterfront homes and folks out having fun on the lake. Water skiing is just one of myriad sports and activities on Lake Norman!

Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s June 2012 Hot Sheet

Lake Norman Hot Sheet Home Sales

Last month pretty much blew our sales trends right out of the water. As of today the MLS has a total of 118 closed sales for May which is well above any other month’s sales since August of 2007! It appears from our numbers below that June will also be a very strong month of housing sales for Lake Norman. Will we match last month’s highs? Let’s take a look:

Lake Norman Real Estate’s Two-Week Hot Sheet

6/21/2012

* The above chart is a summary of today’s “Hot Sheet” from the Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for single family homes in all of Lake Norman (area 13). These numbers represent a real time snapshot of the past two week’s activity. (June 7th – 21st). As always, I have included the past 6 months so that you can put these numbers in perspective.

I created this additional chart comparing just the June Hot Sheets for the past 3 years to help put our June 2012 numbers in perspective with the past Junes’, not just the past 6 months:

June Hot Sheet Numbers for the Past 4 Years

Highlights:

New listings: Our number of new listings were the lowest since last December! If you add our new listings to the 21 back-on-market we had a total of 106 Lake Norman properties added to our housing inventory in the past two weeks compared to last June’s 128, 171 in June 2010 and 207 in June 2009. As of this morning the total number of active listings in Lake Norman had increased from our all time low of 752 in January back up to 977 which is still low historically and trending back down after a high of 985 a few weeks ago. The reason these low numbers are such good news is because keeping our inventory low will help stabilize our own Lake Norman housing market no matter what is happening in other areas or states.

Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s April 2012 Hot Sheet

Lake Norman Hot Sheet Home Sales

Want the very latest insight into our Lake Norman real estate market? So do I which is why, every month, I do a snapshot analysis of the middle two weeks of the month to get a sense of where our Lake Norman real estate market is at this very moment…an almost live insight into the heartbeat of the Lake Norman housing market. These Hot Sheet reports serve as pretty good predictors of our short-term Lake Norman real estate market.

Well, last month I was very enthused by our string of “hot” months. Unfortunately, a bit of doubt is beginning to creep in to my perspective of our current Lake Norman housing market. Instead of a consistent showing of improving numbers across the board, there are some hiccups that indicate to me that we once again may see some mild ups and downs in the coming months. Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s 1st Quarter 2012 Price Range Analysis

If you are a home buyer or seller in Lake Norman, it really only matters what is happening in YOUR price-range. Yes, it is important to know about the global economy, the national economy and the Charlotte area economy and real estate market but real estate is hyper-local so it is most meaningful to learn about the Lake Norman real estate market and within that, your specific niche. For instance, if you are looking to buy or sell in the $300,000 price range, you are going to have an entirely different experience than someone in the $500,000’s. This is exactly the reason why I create a price-range analysis every quarter:

Relocating? Life in Lake Norman

Davidson Farmer’s Market 2012 Season Starts this Saturday!

The best farmer’s market in the Lake Norman area, in my opinion, has got to be the Davidson Farmer’s Market which is celebrating its spring/summer season opening this Saturday from 8:00am to noon.

What makes Davidson Farmer’s Market so special?

Features more than 35 farmers and local producers withing a 100-mile radius
Certified organic, naturally grown & conventionally grown fruits and vegetables
Grass-fed beef, pastured porch & eggs from free-range chickens
Fresh baked goods
Prepared foods
Fresh cut flowers
Herbs, plants
And more!

Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s April 2012 Wallpaper Calendar is Here!

Without a doubt, April is my favorite month here on Lake Norman. This year’s unseasonably warm weather accentuated the annual burst of life that we enjoy every April. Blossoms are everywhere as our trees go from sticks to fully leafed out. Blossoming Cherry Trees (like the one above) are joined by plum, apricot, crabapple, Rosebuds and, of course, our spectacular Dogwoods. Bright yellow Forsythia bushes and daffodils are quickly followed by the showy pick flowers of Loropedalums, Spireas. And then, the Azaleas burst with color all over the lake shoreline. The skis are bright blue, temperatures are mild enough for avid boaters. Life is good! Continue reading →

Just the facts about Lake Norman, Relocating? Life in Lake Norman

Lake Norman Area Wins Top Honors for Economic Development and Donald Trump wants to Make Lake Norman “Magical”!!

For the 6th time in 8 years, Mooresville-Statesville was named top Microplitan area by Site Magazine thanks to nearly doubling the number of economic development projects in 2011! And, Governor Perdue recently announced that our state of North Carolina has risen to 4th place for states based upon the number of new and expanded corporate facilities also by Site Magazine. Both local and state officials say that these awards are evidence of our business-friendly climate.

More evidence of the health of our future ecomony came from a recent Penkse Truck Rental press release that ranked Charlotte in the top 10 of one-way truck rental destinations in the US.

Now, if this isn’t enough evidence of our strong local ecomonic future, guess what “The Donald” said about the Lake Norman area when interviewed recently about his interest in buying The Point Lake and Golf Club and asked why he targeted the Lake Norman area?

“North Carolina and the Lake Norman Market in particular are a much safer investment than some of the higher-profile resort locations teeming with speculative and unproven markets” according to a recent Business Today article entitled: Trump says Lake Norman market is big draw….Market ‘stable, well occupied’.

In fact, while in town for his meeting this week with members of The Point Lake and Golf Club in Mooresville, Trump went on to say to the Charlotte Observer:

“We love this piece of land, the lake, the tremendous lake…The views from the (golf) course are magnificent…I think Charlotte has a great future. I think the whole area is great. The people, the energy. That’s why we’re going to be doing this deal…I think we can bring that course to the next level…It will be a magical place.”

Continue reading →

Historic Downtown Mooresville, Lake Norman News, Events and Celebrations

Downtown Mooresville’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is this Saturday, March 10, 2012!

St. Patrick’s Day is one of those holidays where just about everyone feels at least a wee bit’o Irish simply because it is such a fun day.

That is why the news that Mooresville is holding its first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in over 20 years is welcomed by so many! While a full week before St. Patrick’s Day, this Saturday, March 10th from 2-4 pm promises enough shamrocks, leprechauns and green to get everyone in the spirit.

“Hosted by the Mooresville Downtown Commission, the parade will feature a bagpipe band and local dance groups, said MDC Executive Director Kim Atkins” according to a recent article in the Mooresville Tribune.

The parade will be on Main Street in Historic Downtown Mooresville starting at Iredell Avenue at 2pm. While there, you might want to check out the many wonderful shops and restaurants as well and help support our local businesses! Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s February 2012 Sales Analysis: Good news!

I don’t know about you, but I welcome good news of any kind these days. The fact that our Lake Norman home sales have not only picked up but have had two positive months in a row with indications of more to come is almost GREAT news!

It is important to note that these numbers are only as good as the agents who report them. Expect an adjustment in our 57 sales in February upward perhaps two more sales by the end of the month since it takes some Realtors several weeks to actually input their sales into our MLS. I create these reports early in the month while the information is still very fresh so always pad the sales upward just a bit.

Here are the February 2012 numbers from our Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for our Lake Norman area real estate market: Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s March 2012 Wallpaper Calendar is Here!

Lake Norman Waterfront Shoreline at Dusk Photo for Calendar

Awwww, another day in paradise here on Lake Norman! I took this photo at dusk from the dock of a property I listed this past Saturday which sold with multiple offers in 3 hours! Yes, our Lake Norman housing market is improving. (I’ll write a separate post about this sale). Last month’s calendar photo was a main channel view. This photo is of a very wide cove which opens to the main channel. The homes in the photo are located in Connor Quay, a small luxury gated community adjacent to The Peninsula in Cornelius. The benefit of a location like this one is that you have stunning views including sunsets but you are off the main channel far enough to be spared from the wear and tear on your dock and the noise at peak boating times in the summer.

This photo was taken just a bit later and I turned towards the main channel but I was standing in the exact same spot as the photo above. Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s January 2012 Sales Analysis: Things are looking up!

While I anticipated weak sales before an upswing this month, January wasn’t actually too bad. We squeaked by just equaling our January 2011 sales

It is important to note that these numbers are only as good as the agents who report them. Expect an adjustment in our 46 sales in January upward perhaps two more sales by the end of the month since it takes some Realtors several weeks to actually input their sales into our MLS. I create these reports early in the month while the information is still very fresh so always pad the sales upward just a bit.

Here are the January 2012 numbers from our Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for our Lake Norman area real estate market:
Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s February 2012 Calendar is here!

I was previewing Lake Norman waterfront properties last week on a spectacularly beautiful day and decided to take some photos. This is about as good as it gets for what we call “main channel” views. At the southern portion, the main channel of Lake Norman widens out quite a bit which creates these vast, wide open water views. As you travel to the north side of the Brawley Peninsula, the main channel narrows a bit and curves around our many peninsulas making the main channel views quite different; a bit more private.

And yes, that is a real palm tree! Continue reading →

Lake Norman News, Events and Celebrations

Charlotte’s Southern Spring Home & Garden Show 2012 Starts February 29th!

”IMAGINE CREATE INSPIRE SAVE LEARN”

Here is a little secret: some of us living on Lake Norman enjoy gardening just as much as boating! I confess that I am one of those crazy folks. So, news about our annual Southern Spring Home & Garden Show on February 29 – March 4, 2012 might be even more exciting than the boat shows to some of us.

Held in Charlotte every spring, this wonderful event with over 400 exhibitors promises to inspire and tempt attendees with 24 stunning Showcase Gardens, Kitchen and Bath vendors’ latest and greatest products, a Green Living and Market and plenty of experts on hand to answer even your most esoteric questions about everything from orchids to home remodeling. Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s January 2012 Hot Sheet is Warming Up!

Lake Norman Hot Sheet Home Sales

Want the very latest insight into our Lake Norman real estate market? So do I which is why, every month, I do a snapshot analysis of the middle two weeks of the month to get a sense of where our Lake Norman real estate market is at this very moment…an almost live insight into the heartbeat of the Lake Norman housing market. These Hot Sheet reports serve as pretty good predictors of our short-term Lake Norman real estate market.

So, our Lake Norman real estate market is showing clear signs of picking up after 5 relatively strong months over the summer and early fall followed by a marked drop in November and December. Quite a roller coast ride we are on these days! Activity in the Lake Norman housing market picked up right after Christmas and seems to be gaining steam every day. Here are our numbers Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s 2011 Sales Analysis by Price Range

If you are a home buyer or seller in Lake Norman, it really only matters what is happening in YOUR price-range. Yes, it is important to know about the global economy, the national economy and the Charlotte area economy and real estate market but real estate is hyper-local so it is most meaningful to learn about the Lake Norman real estate market and within that, your specific niche. For instance, if you are looking to buy or sell in the $300,000 price range, you are going to have an entirely different experience than someone in the $500,000’s. This is exactly the reason why I create a price-range analysis every quarter:

Relocating? Life in Lake Norman

Red Line Commuter Rail from Charlotte to Mooresville; Good or Bad Idea?

For 15 years there has been a planning effort among state and local officials to create what is being called the Red Line project; a 25-mile commuter train that will run east of I-77 and link Charlotte to Harris, Eastfield, Hambright, Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and end at Mount Mourne in south Mooresville.

To me the benefits are obvious: cutting traffic on I-77 and helping commuters who work in Charlotte but wish to live in the Lake Norman area. Opponents of the plan unfortunately include a large chunk of Iredell County elected Officials and several Cornelius town board members who balk at the taxes, proposed development along the line and feel it will benefit just a few. Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s December 2011 Wallpaper Calendar: Happy Holidays!

Wow, I can’t believe December is here!

In the Lake Norman area our gorgeous hardwood trees are now bare and most of our perennial flowers are going into hibernation for the winter. But, our Fescue lawns are still bright green and pansies bring new color to entrances to subdivisions and shopping areas.

The good news is that because of the bare trees our views of the lake have never been better! During these next 4 months, homes with “seasonal views” will truly enjoy the best of Lake Norman. Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s November 2011 Hot Sheet

Want the very latest insight into our Lake Norman real estate market? So do I which is why, every month, I do a snapshot analysis of the middle two weeks of the month to get a sense of where our Lake Norman real estate market is at this very moment…an almost live insight into the heartbeat of the Lake Norman housing market. These Hot Sheet reports serve as pretty good predictors of our short-term Lake Norman real estate market.

The past five months our Lake Norman housing sales have been relatively strong with a particularly stellar August and October. (Our October sales are now at 88 after 6 more were reported since my October sales analysis making it the best October by far since the recession hit and almost as high as our 2007 sales!)

Unfortunately, it looks like we will not sustain this trend through the final months of 2011. Based upon our numbers so far in November I don’t think we will even match November 2010’s 81 sales:

Lake Norman Real Estate’s Two-Week Hot Sheet

11/21/2011

* The above chart is a summary of today’s “Hot Sheet” from the Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for single family homes in all of Lake Norman (area 13). These numbers represent a real time snapshot of the past two week’s activity. (November 7th – 21st). As always, I have included the past 6 months so that you can put these numbers in perspective.

Highlights: Continue reading →

lake norman real estate

Putting the Lake Norman Real Estate Market in Perspective isn’t Easy!

I was recently reading a national real estate news article that explained that todays’ monthly mortgage payments are 40% cheaper than 2006. This is a fascinating perspective of how to evaluate the true cost of a home today compared to our peak of 2006.

The article went on to say that “Although affordability has increased….housing demand remains depressed with existing home sales back to 1998 levels.”

Of course, I had to see if these is true of our Lake Norman real estate market and here is what I found:

Lake Norman Annual Sales Analysis by year

* Note that our 2011 numbers are through today and I expect them to equal 2010.

Insight Summary Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s November 2011 Wallpaper Calendar

Fall has definitely arrived in Lake Norman. The 520 miles of shoreline are lined with shades of green, yellow, organge and red as our gorgeous hardwood trees respond to the cooler weather and shorter days. The Maples turned first this year so you will see firey brilliant reds and oranges framed by green Popular and Pine trees.

It’s time to plan Thanksgiving dinner! Continue reading →

Lake Norman Real Estate Market Reports

Lake Norman Real Estate’s September 2011 Home Sales Analysis: Signs of Improvement Continue

August was indeed a stellar month for our Lake Norman housing market. (The second best month of closed home sales since August of 2007!) While our number of closed sales were not quite as high in September, all of our numbers indicate strong closed sales this month (October). Our third quarter 2011 sales were 14% higher than 2010 after a drop in both first AND second quarters. Add to this trend our declining inventory and shrinking numbers of disressed properties and I believe we have some strong signs of recovery. Of course, this can change but these are important indicators to watch!

Here are the September numbers from our Charlotte Multiple Listing Service for our Lake Norman area real estate market:

Some significant additional interesting statistics for you:

Only 10% of our closed sales were “distressed sales” ( Foreclosures (REOS), defaults, Short Sales) compared to 16.8 last month, 18.5% in July, 25% in June and 27% in May. Not only is this a record low since the market tumbled, but unless we experience a new wave of foreclosures which we certainly haven’t seen signs of yet, then I think we can safely say that our Lake Norman market is healing and the worst is behind us.
38% of our closed sales were waterfront homes up from 21% last month.
52% of our August sales were under $400,000 and 74% were under $600,000.
Today our active listings stand at 985, the lowest number since I started these reports in 2007

A closer look: Continue reading →

Lake Norman News, Events and Celebrations, Relocating? Life in Lake Norman

Lake Norman Beer Festival is this Saturday, September 17th!

If you love beer and music, this Saturday’s 2nd Annual Lake Norman Beer Festival is the place to be!

Hosted by Galway Hooker in Cornelius from 12 noon to 10:00pm, not only will you be able to sample over 42 craft brewers, but you will also be entertained by a great lineup of bands featuring Simplified, Blue Monday and Gael Warning and can purchase food and fun merchandise. And, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the USO. Continue reading →

Lake Norman photos

Lake Norman Real Estate’s September 2011 Wallpaper Calendar is Here!

With the 38th Annual Carolina BalloonFest just around the corner, I was thrilled to receive this stunning photo taken by one of our readers and a local Lake Norman resident, Terri Shoemaker. She took this photo of a hot air balloon barely clearing the trees on our Lake Norman shoreline from a moving vehicle. Wow! Thank you to Terri for allowing me to use this as our September calendar photo! Continue reading →

Relocating? Life in Lake Norman

Lake Norman’s Brawley School Road Has Gone From a Nightmare to a Dream!

“Today (Thursday, August 25, 2011), I saw the world’s most beautiful DOT sign”.

I friend of mine (thanks Beth!) forwarded this photo and the caption to me last week. It is hard to explain how much the quality of life has improved for all of us living down Brawley School Rd (in Lake Norman) since all lanes were opened just in time for the first day of school last Thursday!

It now takes me, on average, 4 minutes to get to the intersection for Brawley School Road and Williamson Road from Isle of Pines. ( I used to allow 20-30 minutes for this trip depending on the time of day). I have yet to witness any bottleneck at this notorious intersection. When making a left turn on Williamson Rd on to Brawley School Rd, simply chose one of the TWO left turn lanes and breeze through.

The funny thing is that now that traffic is zooming by (I think folks are so giddy they are exceeding the 45 mph speed limit) merging on to Brawley School from the Harris Teeter Parking lot or the BP Car Wash now requires waiting for a wide enough space to allow us to merge and get up to speed quickly!

As far as I am concerned the 3-year nightmare was more than worth it. Living down Brawley School Road is now, in my opinion, one of the absolute best places to live in all of Lake Norman!

Continue reading →

lake norman real estate, LKN Realty LLC

Is Lake Norman Real Estate Ready for QR Codes?

Chances are that if you are reading this you fall in to one of two camps:

There are those of you who look knowing at the symbol above, probably own a smart phone with an app to read QR Codes and wonder why I am bothering to write about them.

Then there are the majority of you who may never have heard the term QR Code but vaguely recognize this type of bar code and wonder what the heck it has to do with Lake Norman real estate!

According to Wikipedia: A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that is readable by dedicated QR readers, smartphones, and, to a less common extent, computers with webcams. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded may be text, URL, or other data.

I (and some other Lake Norman area real estate agents as well as many throughout the US) have started using QR Codes on my listing flyers in front of the properties so that folks driving by can simply scan the QR Code like the one above, and almost instantly get to the website I created for that property with multiple photos and all of the data about the property that they could possibly want up front. It is predicted that QR Codes will be used consistently in real estate once everyone catches on. Continue reading →

Relocating? Life in Lake Norman

Lake Norman Real Estate’s August 2011 Wallpaper Calendar is Here!

When I think of August, one of the first things that comes to mind is vineyards. Every August from the year my first child was born we would visit my parents at their vineyard in Napa Valley CA. The wine grapes were about a month away from picking (looking just like the photo above) and the views of the miles upon miles of lush green grape vines interrupted only by an occasional winery were simply stunning.

What I didn’t know until moving to Lake Norman was that North Carolina also has a thriving wine country located in three major viticultural areas: The Yadkin Valley, Swan Creek and Haw River Valley. You can learn more at the Visit North Carolina Wine Country website. There is nothing more relaxing than a picnic in a serene vineyard on a warm August day so if you don’t feel like going out on Lake Norman, try a day in the wine country! Continue reading →