Charlotte Homes for Sale
Nina Hollander
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Lots of things happening in and around Charlotte to celebrate during the upcoming 4th of July weekend. Here’s just a small sample of things to do:

• Charlotte Symphony Pops Presents Celebrate America starts off the weekend celebrations with its Summer Concert Series on Saturday, July 3rd. Albert-George Schram will be conducting the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra with a patriotic musical concert and sing-along, which will be followed by a fireworks display. Pack a picnic and enjoy the Symphony under the stars at Charlotte’s Symphony Park in SouthPark! Preludes at 7 p.m.; orchestra concert at 8:15 p.m.
• Town of Waxhaw Celebration: takes place on Saturday, July 3rd and runs from 10am till 10pm. Cost is free. The historic town’s parade will beging at 10:00am in downtown Waxhaw. Evening events will include the Red, White, and Blues Music Festival featuring several bands. Lots of activities for kids. Lots of food. The famous Waxhaw fireworks display starts at 9:30pm. For more information, click here.
• Nights of Fire at Carowinds Park: Sunday, July 4th a one-of-a-kind fireworks display launched from the top of the Carolina Skytower. Carowinds guests can spend a day of fun in the 108-acre theme and water park, topped off with the state-of-the-art, computer designed and controlled pyro-musical fireworks show. The computer produces a brilliant and thrilling show, firing shells in precise time to music with an accuracy of 1/100th of a second. Show begins at 10:00pm and is free with park admission. Free admission to the park for military personnel.
• Red Rock, Whitewater & Bluegrass Celebration: begins at 2:00pm on Sunday, July 4th at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Lots of food, music, and fireworks.
• Charlotte Knights Skyshow: one of the largest fireworks displays in the southeast takes place at the Charlotte Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, SC right after the baseball game.
• Red, White, and Boom: on Sunday, July 4th is Uptown Charlotte’s celebration at Memorial Stadium starting at 6:00pm and with fireworks starting at 9:30pm. For kids (young and old), there’ll be balloon artists, tug of war, sac races, watermelon eating competition and more. For more information click here.
• Fireworks At Lake Wylie:  There is nothing quite like fireworks over water. Enjoy the scene over Lake Wylie which straddles North and South Carolina just south of Charlotte. Buster Boyd Boat Landing S.C. Hwy. 49 at Lake Wylie, on Sunday, July 4th at 9:30 p.m.  Best of all, it’s free!

Carolinas Realty Partners wish you a happy and safe 4th of July holiday!

Did you know that automobile traffic is expected to increase 17.1% this coming weekend for the 4th of July holidays? Did you know that the National Safety Council has named the 4th of July holiday the “deadliest” due to lots of travel, alcohol, and fireworks?

In North Carolina, state troopers will be on the lookout for the following this week right through the holidays:

• Speeders. so try to stay within speed limits. Troopers and police will be particularly vigilant for speeders who appear to have been drinking.
• Texters.  New laws in North Carolina prohibit texting while driving. For your safety and that of others don’t do it! Police will not be kind if they catch you!

There’s also a new traffic law in North Carolina that requires you to move over one lane if you see police, fire, ambulance lights on the side of the road. If you can’t move over one lane, you need to significantly slow down. This law has been in effect in many states, but is relatively new here and lots of drivers are not aware of it. Again, troopers and police have their orders to keep their eyes peeled for violations.

Here are a few tips to keep your travels safe this coming weekend and weekend:

• Allow extra time for your trip. With all the cars on the road, it makes sense to allow for delays on the roads, rather than driving recklessly and/or speeding to get somewhere on time.
• Be more vigilant and aware of traffic conditions around you when on the road. Drive responsibly. Use caution in work zones.
• Be well rested and alert. It can help to make stops to re-energize.
• Keep equipment in your car for “on-the-road” emergencies.
• Always buckle up.
• Don’t drink and drive.
• Don’t let your gas tak get too low.
• Clean your windshield and car lights. Don’t forget to turn those lights on if you after the sun sets and if you are driving in bad weather.

If you follow these simple tips, your holiday travel should be a safe and pleasant experience!

For more information about the Charlotte area from Carolinas Realty Partners, click here.

16% of Charlotte’s employers expect to hire more workers during the third quarter according to a recent Manpower, Inc. survey–a 4% improvement over the same period last year. At the same time, we have also seen some great new job announcements in the Charlotte area in recent weeks:

• The American Red Cross plans to hire 450 new employees in their new call center.
• Citco Fund Services plans to create 258 jobs over the next five years at an average salary of $78,000.
• Morgan Stanley plans to hire 50 new people on top of the 35 already here in Charlotte for its private banking operation.
• Supermetal, a Canadian metal fabricator, plans to open a plant in York County, SC with up to 200 new jobs in the next five years. They will
• Jo-Mar Spinning plans to startup a spinning and twisting operation in Belmont which will generate some 100 new jobs.
• Advanced Textile Solutions plans to hire 127 people when it opens a manufacturing facility in Caldwell County to produce bullet-proof vests for the military and upholstery for airline seats.
• General Mills plans to establish a lab operation at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.
• Magna Composites  (a Canadian auto-parts company) plans to create 327 new jobs in the coming four years at three Charlotte-area plants with an average pay of over $33,000 + benefits.
• Clearwater Paper plans to build a new factory in Shelby that will create some 250 jobs over five years.
• Ally Bank, NACA, Zenta Mortgage Services and Citgo have announced a plan to create 2,400 new jobs in the next five years.
• Intelagrid, a smart-grid technology start-up copany in Virginia, has decided to put its software development division in Charlotte, beginning with a five person office and hoping to grow to a 12 person office within the next two years.

Chief Executive Magazine’s annual Best & Worst States survey, which measures business conditions in all 50 states ranked North Carolina as #2 in their list of top five states in which to do business. (North Carolina has improved its ranking from third and fourth place in 2008 and 2007 respectively.)

With Charlotte well-positioned for a strong comeback in terms of employment, housing in Charlotte’s metro area can’t but be positively impacted by all this great news!

Today is Flag Day… you’ll be seeing lots of flags proudly flying at many Charlotte area homes. One of my fondest memories is marching in the Flag Day parades throughout the 1950′s  in New York City, first as a Brownie and then as a Girl Scout. When I got old enough, being selected to carry the flag was always a great honor!

Flag Day is a day when all Americans celebrate the flag by showing respect for the flag and its makers and its designers.

The original U.S. flag was authorized by Congress on Saturday, June 14, 1777. It had 13 stripes – 7 red and 6 white – that represent the original 13 colonies. There were 13 white stars in a blue field representing a new constellation. Since the birth of our country, the American national flag has changed some 27 times between 1777 to 1960. Click here for a great history of Flag Day and pictures of  how our flag has changed since 1977. If you are looking for great children’s activities for Flag Day, click here.

So even if your town doesn’t have a parade today for Flag Day… celebrate the occasion by flying your own flag!

The 2010 Taste of Charlotte Festival begins this Friday and runs through Sunday. This is the 12th year that this popular event is taking place in Uptown Charlotte.  Admission is free. You can purchase coins for food tasting at the festival or on-line.

Some of this year’s participating restaurants include some of Charlotte’s perennial favorites: Amelie’s French Bakery; RIRA Irish Pub; Village Bistro; Cafe Sienna; Dilworth Neighborhood Grill; Wild Wing Cafe; and more!

Entertainment will include live music, dancing, magic acts, as well as all sorts of special activities for kids. Click here for more information about each day’s events.

For the shopper, The MarketPlace by CircleK will provide eclectic, boutique style open-air shopping experience.

Festival times and location are:

Friday, June 11th from 11:00am – 11:00pm
Saturday, June 12th from 11:00am – 11:00pm
Sunday, June 13th from 11:00am – 6:00pm

Tryon Street from Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. to 6th Street

Festival Map

If you are coming down the south side of Charlotte, the Blue Lynx train is a perfect way to travel to the festival and there’s no parking worries.!

Some great tips from the ASPCA about how to keep your pets safe this Memorial Day Weekend! Many of these tips are common sense, but as we celebrate the start of the summer season, they are certainly worth reviewing!

• Keep your pet indoors as much as possible during backyard parties and barbecue, which can be a minefield of potential problems for your pet–toxic food, alcoholic drinks, rowdy guests.
• Keep all alcoholic drinks out of reach for your pet.
• Don’t change your pet’s normal diet and keep in mind that onions, avocado, chocolate, grapes, raisins can be very toxic.
• Don’t use sunscreen and insect repellant intended for humans on your pet.
• Keep matches, candles, lighter fluid out of reach from your pet.
• Don’t leave pets unsupervised around water (pool, lake, river). Don’t allow your dog to drink chlorinated pool water.
• Keep your pet out of the sun and heat as much as possible and keep fresh water nearby and available to keep your pet hydrated when outside.

And if you suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous from the picnic table, please contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) at (888) 426-4435.

For more pet safety and care tips: click here.

Charlotte’s Wilmore neighborhood was designated as a historic district this week. This community in west Charlotte joins five other historic neighborhoods in the city. (For those of you who don’t know about historic designations, it means that homesowners cannot make any significant changes or renovations to their homes without first getting city approval for the proposed changes.) The other five historic districts in Charlotte include:

• Dilworth: designated in 1983. This neighborhood was developed in the 1890′s as the City’s first suburb and  connected to uptown via Charlotte’s first electric streetcar. Today, Dilworth is considered one of Charlotte’s most distinctive neighborhoods and in 1987 Dilworth was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Map of Dilworth’s Historic District.
• Fourth Ward: designated in 1976. Fourth Ward dates back to the 1850′s as a prosperous residential area convenient to uptown, shopping, and business. As people began to migrate in the late 1890′s to the new suburb, Dilworth, the Ward began a slow, but steady decline and by the 1970′s many of the Victorian homes here had been demolished. In the 1970′s Fourth Ward underwent a revitalization process returning it to some of its original character and charm. Map of Fourth Ward’s Historic District.
• Plaza-Midwood: designated in 1992. Plaza-Midwood is a compilation of a series of small neighborhoods that were developed in the 1910′s and 1920′s. As a result this neighborhood now boasts some of the most eclectic of Charlotte’s historic districts in terms of architecture and styles of housing. Map of Plaza-Midwood’s Historic District.
• Wesley Heights: designated in 1994. This neighborhood was developed in the 1920′s and has managed to survive many changes while still retaining its basic appearance as when it was served by Charlotte’s streetcar system. Lots of bungalow homes and tree canopied streets give this neighborhood is special feel and until this week’s addition of Wilmore to the historic neighborhood list, Wesley Heights was the only west Charlotte neighborhood given this designation . Map of Wesley Height’s Historic District.
• Hermitage Court: designated in 2006. In 1911, the Myers Park development on Charlotte’s south side was announced (carved out of a cotton farm owned by the Myers family). Today, Myers Park, nestled between Charlotte’s uptown and south park areas, is considerd one of Charlotte’s most desirable residential areas.  The Hernitage Court homes were built from 1913 till 1925 and are an eclectic mix of Bungalows, revival styles, Colonials, and Tudor revival homes. Today, a majority of these homes retain their original architectural character. The home at 625 Hermitage Court is a grand Colonial Revival style home built in 1913 and is one of the oldest existing homes today in Myers Park.  In 1987, Myers Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Map of Hermitage Court’s Historic District.

And then there’s Charlotte’s Historic Arts District known as NoDa, which is now home to the City’s bet collection of galleries and performance venues, and funkiest restaurants. While it’s not been designated as an official historic neighborhood in Charlotte, it has become a popular place for residents and tourists alike.

Lots of good news on the jobs expansion front here in the Charlotte area these days and the types of companies/jobs expanding here will be providing a healthy dose of economic and employment diversification for our area. This type of economic diversification portends good news for our real estate market as well!

• American Red Cross will be undertaking a 240,000 sqaure foot expansion of its facility here, which will add some 267 new jobs in the near term and potentially 1,000 new jobs in the future.
• Siemens announced its second expansion in Charlotte in less than one year, which is expected to bring in 800+ jobs, $170 million in local investment over the next five years. These jobs are expected to pay $65,000 per year on average.
• Nutramax Laboratories and Nutramax Manufacturing in Maryland, which make health and nutrition products for both people and animals as announced plans to invest more than $12 million dollars in Lancaster County in South Carolina and expects to hire 200+ people over the next five years.

For those of you who didn’t know, Charlotte, North Carolina is NASCAR’s hometown!  You can’t think of NASCAR without thinking of Charlotte! And you can’t really think of Charlotte without thinking of NASCAR!

Today, NASCAR’s Hall of Fame officially opens in uptown Charlotte.  This opening has been eagerly awaited by NASCAR fans for four years, since Charlotte was selected as the “host” city for the Hall of Fame. With the opening ceremony scheduled for 9:00 am today and public admission at 10:00am, people have already been lining up this morning since 6:00am!

All expectations are that the new Hall of Fame will razzle-dazzle and attract lots of new tourism to Charlotte!  And if you’re not already a NASCAR fan, there couldn’t be a better place to learn more about it. Also eagerly awaited are the first five members, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this month (May 23rd): Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr.

The goal for this $195 million, 150,000 square foot facility was to make it the most interactive, technologically advanced hall of fame in sports–a 21st Century facility.  As you enter the building, you” be immediately whisked into a theater with a 64-foot wraparound high-definition screen showing a 12-minute history of the sport. You’ll be directed to use your “hard card” to enter information on touchscreens that will identify you later when you jack a car or try to stay off the wall at Darlington in a race simulator. After you’ve attempted to stay on your feet standing on a replica of the steep 33-degree banking at Talladega, you can walk through a race hauler, sit in a car and pick an on-demand video of your favorite close finish.

Admission is $19.95, with discounts for children 12 and younger, seniors 60 and older and military members. Yearly memberships are also available. For more information click here.

Ads for the Hall of Fame have been running continuously around the country for months now. If you’d like to see one, click here.

In anticipation of Mother’s Day this Sunday, South Park Mall in south Charlotte is hosting Charlotte’s “National Mom’s Night Out” for the second year in a row this evening.  The event takes place from 6:00-8:00pm in the Mall’s center court.

“Mom’s Night Out” is the first nationally organized celebration of motherhood and is intended to bring together today’s moms, both physically and virtually. The National Mom’s Nite Out will unite over 150 social media groups, companies, local playgroups, mommy bloggers and mother social networks in giving moms a well-deserved night off.

Mom’s Night Out” at SouthPark will feature live demonstrations, fun interactive activities, free prize giveaways, discounted shopping from participating retailers, live entertainment, food and wine tastings and more. Retailers including The Body Shop, Carmen Carmen and Aveda will be on hand to supply product sampling and mini-makeovers. In addition, Moms can visit stations to learn more about beauty products including StriVectin and Beadlush as well as how they can join the fight against breast cancer by joining the Avon Walk for Breast

 The national event is orchestrated by Maria Bailey, Host of Mom Talk Radio and author of “The Ultimate Mom Book.”