Charlotte Homes for Sale

Forbes named Charlotte metro area as one of the top 10 cities in which to buy a home right now!

For people who want to own a home, the premium to buy—the spread between what they’d spend to rent and what they’d pay for a mortgage—is much lower than the 15-year average in many cities.

To determine what cities are smart buys, Forbes magazine computed the premium and also identified locales where economists predict home prices will go up the most over the next five years.  For more information click here.

I’ve written several times about why buying a home sooner rather than later makes sense–especially if you are looking to borrow with an FHA loan and/or are a first-time buyer. Today the Federal Housing Administration announced changes to FHA-insured loans that will begin significantly affecting home buyers starting in the spring. These changes include:

• An increase in the mortgage insurance premium by 50 basis points from 1.75% to 2.25%. This change will be effective in the spring of 2010.

Have you heard the news! Green real estate is getting lots of buzz. More and more homebuyers are looking for ways to increase their green footprint. They are looking for that perfect home and yard that will give them eco-luxury. Going Green in Charlotte, Waxhaw, Fort Mill North Carolina is happening as we know it.

Not only are we worried about our cleaning supplies being green, but now we want our homes to be green also. Homes with amenities like Gammpar floors, LEED-certified building materials, double-paned windows and even docking stations for electric cars! Also, homes that boast features like rainwater harvesting, passive air ventilation, reclaimed fixtures and recycled content tile and flooring.

The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) was enacted in 1974 to provide consumers with improved disclosure of mortgage settlement costs and to reduce the costs of closing by eliminating referral fees and kickbacks. Through the years, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued regulations and policy statements to provide RESPA guidance to the mortgage  industry and consumers alike.

On November 17, 2008, HUD published a new final rule “To Simplify and Improve the Process of Obtaining Mortgages and Reduce Consumer Settlement Costs.” The rule mandates use of a new Good Faith Estimate (GFE) and HUD-1 which went into effect on January 1, 2010.

Move-in ready former model home is situated just minutes from the University City area of Charlotte. Low Cabarrus County taxes. Great for the first-time home buyer eligible for the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. If you’re a first-time home buyer, don’t forget you need to be in contract by April 30th, 2010 to qualify!

5423 Hammermill Drive, Harrisburg, North Carolina Price: $180,000.00 Beds: 3 Baths: 2.5 Sq Ft: 3095 Description: This former model home with 3,000+ square feet of heated living space is in impeccable, move-in condition and still shows like a model home! The home’s exceptional floor plan is designed for ent …. View this property >>

There’s more good news on the Charlotte job front!

• Yesterday, Swedish outdoor equipment manufacturer Husqvarna announced they will invest 2.75 million into their new North American Headquarters in Charlotte.   This will bring 160 jobs to Charlotte with an average pay of $79,000. 
• Local retailer, Belk announced this morning that they would be adding 39 jobs at their Charlotte headquarters. The jobs will be in the company’s buying, merchandise-planning and private-brands areas. Hiring will take place between March and November.

Charlotte has lots of new jobs coming in 2010! Several companies have announced a move of their headquarters and or operations to the Charlotte metro area:

• Premier, a health care services company, announced in October that they will be moving their headquarters to Charlotte’s Ballantyne Corporate Park from San Diego. Premier already employs over 750 people in Charlotte and plans to add 300 jobs in the next five years at its new headquarters.
• Zenta Mortgage Services, Inc., a global financial outsourcing company, plans to expand its presence in the Charlotte area as well as to add 1,000 jobs over the next five years with an average salary of almost $48,000 per year. Zenta plans to expand in the Forest Park Business Park in southwest Charlotte.