Charlotte Homes for Sale
Nina Hollander
(704)779-0813

According to Forbes.com, the Charlotte metro area ranks as the 17th best in the country for business and careers. This is out of 200 metro areas studied/measured. Charlotte rankings among the 200 metro areas were as follows:

• Cost of doing business: #42
• Economic growth projected: #36
• Job growth projected: #31
• Educational attainment: #53
• Net migration: #7

Fortune magazine also came out with the Fortune 500 companies and their rankings for 2010.  North Carolina has 14 Fortune 500 companies, with 8  in the Charlotte area.  Bank of America, Lowes, Duke Energy, Nucor, Goodrich, Sonic Automotive, SPX>

A strong employment base is very important to the long term economic outlook for our area and should have dramatic impact on home values over time. More great reasons to buy a home in our area sooner rather than later!

There’s more great news on jobs in the Charlotte metro area! Hewitt Associates plan to add 463 new jobs in the next three years.  Hewitt provides human resources, healthcare, payroll, and retirement services. According to Hewitt, these new jobs coming to Charlotte will pay an average salary of just under $44,000. According to David Swift, Vice President at Hewitt: “Charlotte is a great location for us to expand our business due to the available talent pool.”

The Charlotte Business Journal also announced earlier this week that a deal may soon be signed to build an intermodal yard at the Charlotte International Airport. This deal has been in the making for 12 years and would have enormous economic impact on our area, bringing in more than $7 billion in increased business in the next two decades and many more new jobs.

All this jobs news will benefit our housing demand and market and if you’re thinking of relocating to Charlotte, its a wonderful place to live with a strong business climate and a great international airport.

It is very important to make a great first impression to the potential buyers of your home. Every seller wants their home to sell fast and bring top dollar. Does that sound good to you? Well, it’s not luck that makes that happen. It’s careful planning and knowing how to efficiently unclutter your home that will excite buyers. Here is how to prep a house and turn it into an appealing and marketable home.

Get rid of those items that have been sitting around for years without being used or even handled. This is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it. Buyers and real estate agents should see your house in its best condition from the very first day it’s on the market.

Here are a few approaches to take to unclutter your home and get it ready to sell. Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is this room used for?”

Another way to unclutter your home and get it ready to sell is to make those minor repairs and best of all, make the house sparkle! Only do one room, or even one small area, at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Your best friend is the trash bag; when in doubt, throw it out. Many find it easier to use boxes to sort items, so you don’t have to find a home for everything as you unclutter. Most important, be quick and decisive when sorting. Tell yourself:
• If you don’t need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
• Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet when not in use.
• Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need to do anyway.

If you are getting your house ready to sell in the Charlotte, Waxhaw, Fort Mill North Carolina areas, then take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas where you can unclutter your home and let myself, Nina Hollander, your agent help you to get your house ready to sell.

Homeownership may be the most important asset-building strategy for individuals. The value of homeownership gives homeowners a feeling of control, a greater sense of security and stability.

Homeownership is typically given a lot of importance and homeowners are generally allowed to do whatever they wish in their homes. Homeowners have the right to make choices and decisions regarding changes to their homes that renters may not be able to make.

Homeownership is a financial goal most families share. There are significant community benefits to homeownership as well. Owning a home gives residents a stake in the community and a sense of “rootedness” in their neighborhoods. Enjoying the privacy that a home brings, making long lasting friendships with neighbors and best of all taking pride in your home. The pride you’ll feel in owning and improving your home is an emotional value that cannot be expressed in dollars and cents. The value of homeownership has been thought to pro-mote thrift, stability, and neighborliness.

Homeownership is thought to be an important element in achieving personal fulfillment. When asked to define the good life, polls have shown that many Americans value owning a home over such factors as an automobile, a happy marriage, an interesting or high-paying job, and good health. The value of homeownership is credited with increasing self-esteem, life satisfaction, and an overall feeling of worth. Owning a home embodies the promise of individual independence but there are also many responsibilities that come with owning a home. The value of homeownership has been thought to pro-mote thrift, stability, and neighborliness.

If you are looking to buy your own home in Charlotte, Waxhaw, Fort Mill North Carolina areas, these are some points to consider when seeing the value of homeownership. Allow me, your Real Estate agent, Nina Hollander to help you see the value of homeownership.

North Carolina’s foreclosure rate dropped 16.1% in 2009. The state is only one of 10 states posting a decline in foreclosure rates versus 2008, as the majority of states posted increases. North Carolina’s performance compares with a 14% increase in foreclosure filings nationally in December from November, the first monthly increase since foreclosure activity peaked in July, according to a RealtyTrac. Fourth quarter 2009, North Carolina posted a 0.2% foreclosure rate, the smallest rate among its surrounding states.

To view an interactive map of state-by-state comparisons of foreclosure rates click here.

To view a chart for 2009 foreclosure filings in all 50 states and District of Columbia, click here.

Updating my blogs from January 6th and 8th, 2010 announcing all kinds of new job opportunities coming to the Charlotte metro area, here’s more good news: Celegard announced on Wednesday, January 17th that it will add 209 jobs and build a plant in Cabarrus county.   The company is involved in the “green industry” and the company wants to boost production of battery parts for electric vehicles.  The company will also add 80 jobs in Charlotte.  This is a total of 289 new jobs for our region over the next 5 years! Clearly, the Charlotte region is making strides in diversifying our economy and employment base, which will be critical for the area in the years to come. 

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.
• Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp has leased an additional 10,000 sq. ft. in downtown Charlotte’s Hearst Tower and will build a bond trading floor for its new high-grade, fixed income business. The most recent expansion follows an announcement in May of the creation of Charlotte-based fixed income and national corporate banking units. U.S. Bancorp has since hired 30 individuals for these divisions and expects to hire another 50 or 60 by the end of 2010. The bank’s current employment in Charlotte stands now at 120, a total that includes specialists in the trust division that has operated here since 2005.

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.
• Swedish appliance manufacturer, Electrolux, will be consolidating and moving their North American headquarters to Charlotte in the coming year. This will bring some 738 jobs to Charlotte and is the largest headquarters announcement here in some 25 years! Job opportunities will begin to post at the end of the first quarter 2010 at their career site page.
• Wilbert Plastic Services, a producer of molded plastic parts for the automotive, industrial equipment and custom parts markets, will be moving its headquarters from Chicago to North Carolina and will be expanding its Belmont facility in Gaston County, where they plan to invest almost $6 million and add some 40+ jobs. The company also has a facility in Harrisburg, just north of Charlotte.

Slowly, but surely, the Charlotte region is making strides in diversifying its economy and employment base. Over time, this also will have a positive impact on our real estate markets. Another great reason to think about making a move to the Charlotte area!

The Charlotte International Auto Show rolls into the Charlotte Convention Center on Thursday, November 19, 2009. With over 400 new vehicles on display attendees will get an opportunity to see at what is new and exciting in the automotive world, including a special “green room” and cars depicting the history of the automobile.The Charlotte International Auto Show is proud to have become the Carolina’s leading automotive event. The 2009 show will fill the Charlotte Convention Center with nearly 280,000 square feet of exhibits and features. The goal is to present a window into the automotive world that encompasses every automotive interest.

$8.00 (Adult – Ages 13 and up)
FREE (Children 12 and under)

Call 704-364-1078 for more information.

For more information, or to view the story in it’s entirety please visit http://www.siteselection.com/portal/.