Archive for November, 2009

Dilworth; Notorious Streetcar Suburb Presents History on Call

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

The Dilworth neighborhood is one area in North Carolina that has an extensive historic background of streetcar transportation with pleasant stories to tell. It is an extremely popular place to buy a unique Charlotte home and make residence because of its history, among many other things. Beautiful tree lined streets, charming bungalows and paved sidewalks make this neighborhood highly sought after because of the family friendly atmosphere.

Dilworth is notorious for being Charlotte’s first streetcar suburb that was established around the 1890’s by a man named Edward Dilworth Latta. The neighborhood is one of Charlotte’s earliest suburbs that utilized the streetcar system for transporting their residents. One company is now helping to communicate stories of the Dilworth history; Charlotte Trolley, Inc. has launched an informative program called ‘History on Call’.

This new effort is a cell phone tour that costs nothing to hear stories of the important people and places that make up Charlotte’s history. The audio dramas are accessible through the internet or by telephone and consist of six topics in the series. Each one tells a specific tale of moments in history that showcase the historic events of Dilworth. It begins with the introduction of the suburb with the electric trolley and tells of the struggles that were endured during the time of the company strikes up until the marvelous homes that were built by an architect named Charles Christian Hook. Many of the stately and historic homes that were created by Hook are still standing and are listed as landmarks.

Dilworth has homes for sale that have been built when the neighborhood first was created. Your new Charlotte home could be located inside one of the most famous neighborhoods in North Carolina. Call Katie Gray at 704-560-9699 or email katie@katiegrayhomes.com to find out more about the historical events and homes of Dilworth, the first streetcar suburb of Charlotte.


Choosing Education Programs and Schools in Charlotte

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Living in a Charlotte home with children will require that you place your child into an education program or a public school system. Alternately, you could home school them, if that is your choice. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District will assign your child to a school depending upon where they live. Alternate choices are available for parents when deciding their child’s education path, like a magnet school that has a specialized curriculum.

According to the federal law known as ‘No Child Left Behind’, children have the liberty to attend another school within their district if it is higher in performance than the school they are attending. Sometimes when your workplace is in an area that is closer to another school district, it is necessary to transfer your child into a different district. There will be an application process to complete for the transfer and each individual school district will have their own set of regulations. If the transfer request is denied however, you can appeal the decision. Most often, the denial will come because of space limitations.

Charter school enrollment, on the other hand, is not necessarily governed by boundaries of location. You can place your child into a charter school without state regulations, if there is adequate space available. Magnet schools will sometimes have an enrollment process that is quite competitive and will require the child to pass an entrance exam. Other magnet schools may allow enrollment by using a lottery system or a combination of the lottery and an exam.

In the school district of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, there are six separate geographic learning communities with a seventh area that is called an achievement zone. The CMS district strives for excellence in education and performance, which is the purpose of reshaping the communities. There are many choices for your child’s education when moving to a new town. Real estate experts like Katie Gray can help you find your new Charlotte home in an area with the best elementary and high school according to your preferences.

Call Katie today at 704-560-9699 or email katie@katiegrayhomes.com and she will help you find your new home within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district.


Finding a Home in Charlotte Isn’t Just About Finding a House

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Finding your future home takes time, patience and diligent exploration because it is not merely a search for a house to live in; it’s more of a quest to find a house that you will make into your home. For this reason, there are a lot of things to consider when looking for your new Charlotte home. An experienced realtor can help you find the things that matter the most to you and your family, like school district information, demographic statistics, neighborhood ratings and basic housing data.

Demographic statistics can be found much quicker by the realty specialist than if you look for this type of information on your own. You could go to the courthouse and search for these pieces of data; however, the real estate agent will have better access to these facts. Knowing things like crime statistics will make your discovery much easier and you can rest easy knowing that your family is safe in their new home. Charlotte has been known to be an area with a fairly low crime rate compared to other big cities in America.

School district information and neighborhood ratings are vital for most families, too. This will give the peace of mind in knowing that your children will be safe and obtain the best education that is possible. If you are going to be moving to any of the outstanding neighborhoods like Plaza Midwood, Villa Heights, Belmont or Dilworth, there are competent school systems to give your children an excellent education.

A dedicated real estate agent, like Katie Gray, will understand that finding a house is easy, yet finding a home takes more than just a looking at the structure. Call Katie today at 704-560-9699 and let her expertise guide you to discover where your new Charlotte home will be located. You can also email her at: katie@katiegrayhomes.com.


Downpayment Assistance Program for Charlotte Homebuyers

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

If you think you can’t afford one of the luxurious Charlotte homes because of your income level, you may want to reconsider your options. The City of Charlotte has designed an assistance program for homebuyers in their Neighborhood & Business Services division called “HouseCharlotte”. The program provides financial assistance that can be used for a down payment, paying down points, closing costs and to even pay off up to $3000 in medical collections that you may have acquired.

You could qualify for up to $10,000, depending upon the neighborhood for which you are applying. The eligible homes are located in areas that are predetermined by the HouseCharlotte website and it is called a Neighborhood Statistical Area (NSA). Some of the areas include Villa Heights, Wilmore, Belmont, Wesley Heights and North Charlotte, along with many other neighborhoods.

An excellent example of a qualifying 3 bedroom home in Villa Heights with 2 full baths is located on Parkwood Avenue. It is a newer home with an open floor plan with wall-to-wall carpet, central air conditioning, insulated windows and it includes all appliances. There is also an option on this beautiful home for a full home warranty. The list price for this ranch style home is a mere $124,999. This could be a perfect first time home that would qualify for the Downpayment Assistance Program.

Applying for the assistance is fairly easy; simply find your desired home and make sure that it qualifies for the assistance program, first of all. Once you have determined that it does qualify, you will need to fill out an application form. Most of the real estate agents have access to these papers, but if you would like to print them at home, it is also available on the HouseCharlotte website. Talk to Katie Gray about the possibilities of obtaining the down payment assistance to purchase your new Charlotte home.

For more information on the homes listed above, contact Katie at 704-560-9699 or email katie@katiegrayhomes.com.


Keeping Charlotte Beautiful and Prosperous

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

Buying a home in Charlotte is advantageous for many reasons; one of them is because of the continual efforts to keep the city beautiful and prosperous. The area is economically flourishing and has a tremendous growth rate that has continued for many years. Keeping the city at its finest is top priority with a long standing committee for keeping Charlotte beautiful. Founded in 1974 as one of the very first affiliates of the Keep America Beautiful program, Charlotte leads the way in the objective.

Keep Charlotte Beautiful or KCB, as it is sometimes called, is a committee that works to improve the beauty and cleanliness of the city. Teaming with area schools, businesses and local government authorities, as well as homeowners groups and neighborhood organizations, the committee plans and implements various programs like the Neighborhood Recognition Program, Earth Day, Mow Across America, Litter Sting and an adopt a street program.

When you move in and get settled into your new Charlotte home, you can get involved in any of the beautification programs that will enhance your own neighborhood. A fun program is the Litter Sting where you can actually ride along in the vehicles with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg law enforcement officers to find people in the neighborhood that are littering. You can spot and stop the litter bugs by giving them a ticket to appear in court. This will conquer two tasks; it will encourage cleanliness in your own neighborhood and will also allow you to contribute your civic responsibility to the area.

The elite region of neighborhoods and towns in North Carolina are not only beautiful, but offer a wide variety of structural design. New construction and existing homes that consist of cozy bungalows, ranch houses, contemporary condos and mansions that are custom built are available for immediate purchase.

Call Katie Gray today at 704-560-9699 or email katie@katiegrayhomes.com and she will help you find your new home with the unique personality, just as your own.


Myers Park Country Club; Just One Magnificent Feature of Charlotte

Friday, November 20th, 2009

The golf course of Myers Park Country Club is just one of the many luxurious complexes that Charlotte has to offer guests and residents alike. The beautiful and modern design of the golf course was renovated last year, in 2008, by the world renowned golf course architect named Kris Spence. Since Charlotte had to replace the sewer main line that runs through the Myers Park course, it was a perfect time to renovate and add an extensive irrigation lake that has not only contributed to the sharp appearance, but has also inspired an additional amount of strategy to the golf course.

Sometimes called the finest planned suburb, Myers Park has more to offer than just the country club. It is one of the most exclusive and premier neighborhoods around the Charlotte area, actually, it has been dubbed a national historic district in the heart of North Carolina. A few of the neighborhood favorites are the Laurel Market, Manor Theater and Freedom Park. There are many specialty shops and upscale restaurants within the Villa, like the famed Quaker State & Lube, which was the venue of the 2006 movie: “Talladega Nights”. For these attractions and more, buying one of the Charlotte homes in Myers Park will afford a variety of options in entertainment and appeal.

Also, the campus of Queens University is located in the center of Myers Park. The university offers undergraduate studies, continuing education classes and several different graduate degrees in liberal arts. Even though it was originally founded around 1857, it has been situated in Myers Park since 1914 and continues to draw students from around the United States because of the integrity of the college.

If you are one of the many individuals that are finding themselves in a position to relocate to Charlotte, Myers Park offers luxurious townhomes, condominiums, plentiful shopping and an excellent golf course all within miles of the Uptown area.

Contact Katie Gray today by phone or email to find out more about the classic Charlotte homes that are available in the Myers Park neighborhood. Katie’s phone number is 704-560-9699 and her email is katie@katiegrayhomes.com. Call today and move in before the holidays!


New 2009 Tax Credit – Broken Down in English

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Questions on the first time home buyer or exsiting home owner tax credit? This YouTube video breaks it down in English, for all of us to understand:


Moving – not in Charlotte?

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Referrals is another big part of my business that you may not know about. If you know and love the customer service I have given you in the past and continue to do so, then don’t you want an agent like me to assist you, family or friends in other cities/states?

Keller Willaims Realty is a international company. I have personally met many agents all of the country that I have waiting for your call.

Just let me know!


Rainy Days – Still Make Appts!

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

An agent once told me that they didn’t work in the rain. I can see that for reasons that you don’t want to get your clothes wet and muddy, or your car.

I received an email from Bill McConnell from Cunningham Mortgage and he put this right into perspective: ‘As a house hunter, you should know one of my cardinal rules and that is: RAINY days are the very BEST days for looking at houses. Why? Because it’s the only time you get to see firsthand how water is managed on the property. You get to see if the roof leaks, the basement floods, the windows fog and if the yard backs up or floods.

In these next couple of days with rain in the forecast, I would encourage you to call your Realtor. They love the rain! Wear your galoshers and have fun.’

Also, I want to add in there that this is also the ugliest that this house will look. So if you like it in the rain, you will certainly love it on those sunny days!