Charlotte, NC (1 Viewer)

[BassNBrew]

Around here, my wheelhouse is the 2/3 bedroom and 2/3 bath houses. I buy for around 20k-30k, stick about 10-20k into them and sell for around 55-60k. Make about 15k per and do around 4-6 per year.

Plenty of homes like that around here to purchase. Problem is no one wants to buy them. Even if you can find someone with good enough credit to buy a home in that price range, it still has to appraise.

 

[The Commish]

Around here, my wheelhouse is the 2/3 bedroom and 2/3 bath houses. I buy for around 20k-30k, stick about 10-20k into them and sell for around 55-60k. Make about 15k per and do around 4-6 per year.

You'll be in some pretty dicey areas (meaning folks can't get financing or can't get the appraisal etc) around here doing that. Though there is a ton of opportunity buying around 50-60K putting that much in and selling for 80-90K...especially here in Rock Hill. Typically 3 beds and 1 or 2 baths.

ETA: What Bass said

 

[Sabertooth]

Around here, my wheelhouse is the 2/3 bedroom and 2/3 bath houses. I buy for around 20k-30k, stick about 10-20k into them and sell for around 55-60k. Make about 15k per and do around 4-6 per year.

You'll be in some pretty dicey areas around here doing that. Though there is a ton of opportunity buying around 50-60K putting that much in and selling for 80-90K...especially here in Rock Hill. Typically 3 beds and 1 or 2 baths.

I do those now and then as well. My biggest obstacle to moving is selling my home here and walking away with any cash left. I think my play would be to line up some real work down there and establish myself and then transition over.

 

[NYCelt]

I think I have have finally had it with the island and NYC tri state area. Wife and I have basically decided to move south and Charlotte area looks like the best fit for work schools and cost.

Starting to apply for jobs and Will probably head down this year to look. want to move before sept 2016 when my oldest would enter 6th grade.

Lifelong buddy of mine moved down a while back and lives in providence cc. So I guess my search will start in that General area.

Any thoughts from Charlotte guys here?

Thanks.

 

[steelerfan1]

i'll throw out the Mooresville area. it's about 30 minutes north of charlotte and in iredell county, not mecklenburg, so taxes wouldn't be as high. have always heard the school system is very good but don't have kids.

it's a growing city of about 40,000. it can be pricey in the lake areas but overall a very nice place to live.

if you had to commute to work in charlotte though, 77 south is a nightmare and I wouldn't want to do it.

 

[NYCelt]

i'll throw out the Mooresville area. it's about 30 minutes north of charlotte and in iredell county, not mecklenburg, so taxes wouldn't be as high. have always heard the school system is very good but don't have kids.

it's a growing city of about 40,000. it can be pricey in the lake areas but overall a very nice place to live.

if you had to commute to work in charlotte though, 77 south is a nightmare and I wouldn't want to do it.

 

[palmersteel]

Thanks palmersteel. Concord does look very nice. It always blows my mind to see houses like they have listed in Concord costing about the same per square foot as houses around where I live. It's crazy. Because there are no jobs around here, most professionals relocate, and there is just a ton of real estate available.

For instance this house is as nice or nicer than where I live right now. How's this area?

Not a bad area. Kind of in between towns with decent amount of traffic. More Harrisonburg than Concord

 

[NYCelt]

Yeah I am in finance so will most likely be working downtown or uptown or whatever it is called. Commute is a factor. Right now I am on the crap Lirr (half hour delay as I speak) so am used to an hour commute and longer on way home. Ideally if I get off at five would like to be home by six.

I have tried to educate myself a little with the school systems. Union county concerns me aittle not because of the quality but the potential high costs in the future. I know overcrowding is an issue as will be legacy costs. Like the idea of CMS being able to draw tax rev from business in Charlotte much like NYC schools can. Union and Iredell county may have trouble absorbing these costs much like Long Island and suburbs up here. Also going forward I imagine traffic worsening so the further out you are the worse it might get. And then I like buyng a house where less land is available for future development.

Anyway just kind of getting a handle on it. Any help or opinions are appreciated.

 

[palmersteel]

Yeah I am in finance so will most likely be working downtown or uptown or whatever it is called. Commute is a factor. Right now I am on the crap Lirr (half hour delay as I speak) so am used to an hour commute and longer on way home. Ideally if I get off at five would like to be home by six.

I have tried to educate myself a little with the school systems. Union county concerns me aittle not because of the quality but the potential high costs in the future. I know overcrowding is an issue as will be legacy costs. Like the idea of CMS being able to draw tax rev from business in Charlotte much like NYC schools can. Union and Iredell county may have trouble absorbing these costs much like Long Island and suburbs up here. Also going forward I imagine traffic worsening so the further out you are the worse it might get. And then I like buyng a house where less land is available for future development.

Anyway just kind of getting a handle on it. Any help or opinions are appreciated.

What do you do in finance? I'm in markets division for large bank. Most NY transplants in finance at least move to South Charlotte or the Lake Norman area. both areas can be a 30min commute. I live closer to downtown in Sedgefield/Dilworth area and love it. Every place i go is within 15mins of where I live.

 

[NYCelt]

Oh and probably looking to spend $400,000 to $600,000. Again I have three kids ages 4-10. So they are my main concern in a move like this.

 

[elbowrm]

Cotswold - may be able to find something in your price range, and you want to be north of Fairview if you are working uptown. Dilworth, Sedgfield are good options also. Traffic would be the main factor in staying away from anything north or south - but a lot of people come down and see how much more house they can get for the same money and wind up lIrving further out. Depends on priorities.

 

[simey]

i'll throw out the Mooresville area. it's about 30 minutes north of charlotte and in iredell county, not mecklenburg, so taxes wouldn't be as high. have always heard the school system is very good but don't have kids.

it's a growing city of about 40,000. it can be pricey in the lake areas but overall a very nice place to live.

if you had to commute to work in charlotte though, 77 south is a nightmare and I wouldn't want to do it.

My aunt and uncle lived in Mooresville for many years. My uncle died about four years ago, and my aunt sold their property to downsize after his death. They lived on several acres, and it sold fast to a NASCAR affiliated family. There are a lot of NASCAR drivers and crew that live in Mooresville. There is an animal park there that is popular called Lazy 5 Ranch.

 

[fightingillini]

Yeah I am in finance so will most likely be working downtown or uptown or whatever it is called. Commute is a factor. Right now I am on the crap Lirr (half hour delay as I speak) so am used to an hour commute and longer on way home. Ideally if I get off at five would like to be home by six.

I have tried to educate myself a little with the school systems. Union county concerns me aittle not because of the quality but the potential high costs in the future. I know overcrowding is an issue as will be legacy costs. Like the idea of CMS being able to draw tax rev from business in Charlotte much like NYC schools can. Union and Iredell county may have trouble absorbing these costs much like Long Island and suburbs up here. Also going forward I imagine traffic worsening so the further out you are the worse it might get. And then I like buyng a house where less land is available for future development.

Anyway just kind of getting a handle on it. Any help or opinions are appreciated.

Mooresville is a nice area, but the commute to Uptown is from hell. 1 hour plus, and worse in the summer going home when everyone is traveling to Lake Norman. I-77 is a parking lot going north on Friday during the summer.

Union County (Weddington/Marvin/Waxhaw) is nice and the schools are very good. Don't worry about the potential costs. The taxes are lower in Union County vs Mecklenburg county. But the commute from Union County to Uptown is a tough as well.....usually 50 min plus.

I live right on state line in SC just south of Ballantyne. Ballantyne is a very nice area. For me it's 30-40 minutes going to Uptown, about 40-50 min coming back. Commute is a lot better now that they added a lane to I-485. Most areas in South Charlotte are pretty good, with a reasonable commute Uptown in your 400-600K price range. You won't be able to afford the nice neighborhoods really close to Uptown, so expect a commute of at least 25-30 min if you want a decent size house.

 

[Sabertooth]

What's a good area with houses more in the 200k range?

 

[Slapdash]

What's a good area with houses more in the 200k range?

South Carolina

 

[NYCelt]

Yeah I am in finance so will most likely be working downtown or uptown or whatever it is called. Commute is a factor. Right now I am on the crap Lirr (half hour delay as I speak) so am used to an hour commute and longer on way home. Ideally if I get off at five would like to be home by six.

I have tried to educate myself a little with the school systems. Union county concerns me aittle not because of the quality but the potential high costs in the future. I know overcrowding is an issue as will be legacy costs. Like the idea of CMS being able to draw tax rev from business in Charlotte much like NYC schools can. Union and Iredell county may have trouble absorbing these costs much like Long Island and suburbs up here. Also going forward I imagine traffic worsening so the further out you are the worse it might get. And then I like buyng a house where less land is available for future development.

Anyway just kind of getting a handle on it. Any help or opinions are appreciated.

What do you do in finance? I'm in markets division for large bank. Most NY transplants in finance at least move to South Charlotte or the Lake Norman area. both areas can be a 30min commute. I live closer to downtown in Sedgefield/Dilworth area and love it. Every place i go is within 15mins of where I live.

Fixed income. Mainly mini bonds.

 

[NYCelt]

Muni bonds that is

 

[NYCelt]

Yeah I am in finance so will most likely be working downtown or uptown or whatever it is called. Commute is a factor. Right now I am on the crap Lirr (half hour delay as I speak) so am used to an hour commute and longer on way home. Ideally if I get off at five would like to be home by six.

I have tried to educate myself a little with the school systems. Union county concerns me aittle not because of the quality but the potential high costs in the future. I know overcrowding is an issue as will be legacy costs. Like the idea of CMS being able to draw tax rev from business in Charlotte much like NYC schools can. Union and Iredell county may have trouble absorbing these costs much like Long Island and suburbs up here. Also going forward I imagine traffic worsening so the further out you are the worse it might get. And then I like buyng a house where less land is available for future development.

Anyway just kind of getting a handle on it. Any help or opinions are appreciated.

Mooresville is a nice area, but the commute to Uptown is from hell. 1 hour plus, and worse in the summer going home when everyone is traveling to Lake Norman. I-77 is a parking lot going north on Friday during the summer.

Union County (Weddington/Marvin/Waxhaw) is nice and the schools are very good. Don't worry about the potential costs. The taxes are lower in Union County vs Mecklenburg county. But the commute from Union County to Uptown is a tough as well.....usually 50 min plus.

I live right on state line in SC just south of Ballantyne. Ballantyne is a very nice area. For me it's 30-40 minutes going to Uptown, about 40-50 min coming back. Commute is a lot better now that they added a lane to I-485. Most areas in South Charlotte are pretty good, with a reasonable commute Uptown in your 400-600K price range. You won't be able to afford the nice neighborhoods really close to Uptown, so expect a commute of at least 25-30 min if you want a decent size house.

I would be fine with that type of commute. This is basically where I started looking online. Ballantyne east to where my buddy lives in providence cc and north to hembstead. Any feedback is appreciated. Pros cons of where you live or where I am looking.

 

[NYCelt]

Cotswold - may be able to find something in your price range, and you want to be north of Fairview if you are working uptown. Dilworth, Sedgfield are good options also. Traffic would be the main factor in staying away from anything north or south - but a lot of people come down and see how much more house they can get for the same money and wind up lIrving further out. Depends on priorities.

I think the schools assigned to this area would be an issue. Also willing to move a little south of east for best schools and access to playing fields and parks. Don't need a tone of land but a yard where kids can run around a little or have a birthday or communion party.

 

[beer 30]

Oh and probably looking to spend $400,000 to $600,000. Again I have three kids ages 4-10. So they are my main concern in a move like this.

I live in Fort Mill, SC. I know you mentioned commute being a factor but an awful lot of folks wh work for the banks live here. Lower taxes, great schools, yada, yada. This is a cool spot http://www.baxtervillage.com/in town but they are building about 8000 new homes in the area right now so don't limit yourself to just here. Plenty of options.

What's a good area with houses more in the 200k range?

South Carolina

See above, Baxter is out of your price range but plenty of homes in the area can be had for that price, new builds and existing.

 

[The Commish]

is NC a requirement?

 

[The Commish]

Oh and probably looking to spend $400,000 to $600,000. Again I have three kids ages 4-10. So they are my main concern in a move like this.

I live in Fort Mill, SC. I know you mentioned commute being a factor but an awful lot of folks wh work for the banks live here. Lower taxes, great schools, yada, yada. This is a cool spot http://www.baxtervillage.com/in town but they are building about 8000 new homes in the area right now so don't limit yourself to just here. Plenty of options.

What's a good area with houses more in the 200k range?

South Carolina

See above, Baxter is out of your price range but plenty of homes in the area can be had for that price, new builds and existing.

I knew they were building up there. Had no idea it was going to be another 8000 homes. It might take you 45 minutes just to get from 160 onto 77 with that many. Holy Crap!

 

[moleculo]

I'm in an area called Indianland, which (I believe) is where fightingillini is as well. It's just across the state line from Ballantyne in SC. I think this area is the next Ft. Mill - that is, primed for a lot of high growth. We have a lot going for us here - easy access to Ballantyne/Marvin/Blakeney/Providence areas of south Charlotte, low taxes, great schools*. the US521 corridor has a number of new retail shops in the works, including a large movie theater and possibly a Target by the same developers that did Blakeney. traffic isn't as bad here as Ft Mill, but I expect it will get worse soon. Getting to uptown is a little worse than Ft Mill because I-77 isn't quite as accessible.

Let me also put in a shameless plug - my wife just got her real-estate license and is kicking ###. She is with Keller Williams out of the Baxter office in Ft Mill. If anyone wants some RE help in the Ft Mill/Indianland/South Charlotte area, hit me up with a PM and I'll get you hooked up.

* the HS is rated good, not great right now. I believe there will be some re-zoning soon and a lot of the more rural areas of the county will be transferred to Lancaster HS, which would then make Indianland HS comparable with the best of Ft Mill.

 

[The Commish]

I'm in an area called Indianland, which (I believe) is where fightingillini is as well. It's just across the state line from Ballantyne in SC. I think this area is the next Ft. Mill - that is, primed for a lot of high growth. We have a lot going for us here - easy access to Ballantyne/Marvin/Blakeney/Providence areas of south Charlotte, low taxes, great schools*. the US521 corridor has a number of new retail shops in the works, including a large movie theater and possibly a Target by the same developers that did Blakeney. traffic isn't as bad here as Ft Mill, but I expect it will get worse soon. Getting to uptown is a little worse than Ft Mill because I-77 isn't quite as accessible.

Let me also put in a shameless plug - my wife just got her real-estate license and is kicking ###. She is with Keller Williams out of the Baxter office in Ft Mill. If anyone wants some RE help in the Ft Mill/Indianland/South Charlotte area, hit me up with a PM and I'll get you hooked up.

* the HS is rated good, not great right now. I believe there will be some re-zoning soon and a lot of the more rural areas of the county will be transferred to Lancaster HS, which would then make Indianland HS comparable with the best of Ft Mill.

Does she work with/for Cooley?

 

[Sabertooth]

How is the job growth? Must be pretty good as the population keeps rising. I have two degrees (Bachelor's) one in IT (hate IT) and one in Business Management. Wife has same Business Management degree and currently works in a factory job she doesn't like. It doesn't fit her at all. She loves the sunshine. I haven't held a full time gig since 2006. I was laid off, went back to school and got the MGT degree then started flipping houses full time for the past 5 years. That's where my heart lies to be honest. Love the game of house flipping. I was thinking of potentially getting my General Contracting license for NC or SC before moving.

I relish the opportunity to ply my trade in a good market. I live in a terrrible market. I have done the trial by fire and it didn't kill me. But I guess I have lived here my whole life and I don't know the first thing about relocating. I think I'd be pretty employable with the IT background and also knowledge of the trades. Wife would ideally work somewhere too. She'd averse to change, doesn't want to leave our little town. I figure our kids will be grown in 10 years and gone (8 and 11) so why waste those years here in an area with no jobs, meth and crime encroaching and terrible weather when we can relocate. Both of us prefer hot to cold weather and we didn't even get out jet ski in the water last year because Lake Michigan never go warm enough. Also our school isn't great. Our daughters are both at the very top of their classes (miracle I know) but both complain of not learning anything new because classes got bogged.

Any general advice would be appreciated.

 

[moleculo]

Yeah I am in finance so will most likely be working downtown or uptown or whatever it is called. Commute is a factor. Right now I am on the crap Lirr (half hour delay as I speak) so am used to an hour commute and longer on way home. Ideally if I get off at five would like to be home by six.

I have tried to educate myself a little with the school systems. Union county concerns me aittle not because of the quality but the potential high costs in the future. I know overcrowding is an issue as will be legacy costs. Like the idea of CMS being able to draw tax rev from business in Charlotte much like NYC schools can. Union and Iredell county may have trouble absorbing these costs much like Long Island and suburbs up here. Also going forward I imagine traffic worsening so the further out you are the worse it might get. And then I like buyng a house where less land is available for future development.

Anyway just kind of getting a handle on it. Any help or opinions are appreciated.

Mooresville is a nice area, but the commute to Uptown is from hell. 1 hour plus, and worse in the summer going home when everyone is traveling to Lake Norman. I-77 is a parking lot going north on Friday during the summer.

Union County (Weddington/Marvin/Waxhaw) is nice and the schools are very good. Don't worry about the potential costs. The taxes are lower in Union County vs Mecklenburg county. But the commute from Union County to Uptown is a tough as well.....usually 50 min plus.

I live right on state line in SC just south of Ballantyne. Ballantyne is a very nice area. For me it's 30-40 minutes going to Uptown, about 40-50 min coming back. Commute is a lot better now that they added a lane to I-485. Most areas in South Charlotte are pretty good, with a reasonable commute Uptown in your 400-600K price range. You won't be able to afford the nice neighborhoods really close to Uptown, so expect a commute of at least 25-30 min if you want a decent size house.

I would be fine with that type of commute. This is basically where I started looking online. Ballantyne east to where my buddy lives in providence cc and north to hembstead. Any feedback is appreciated. Pros cons of where you live or where I am looking.

providence CC is within a mile of my office. Great area, growing quickly.

A note on Union County schools: with all of the growth, they have been struggling with re-discticting over the past couple of years. Kids that were in a great school (Weddington, for example) got sent to one of the lower rated schools further away from town. Because the appeal of Union County is great schools, that re-districting killed property value. I've heard estimates of 30% losses over night.

If you want to be in Union, try to be between the county border and the school you want to be in - doubtful they would ever re-district you such that you drove past one school to go to another.

Frankly, if you are in the $400k-$600k price range, I'd look to stay in Meck county and look for something in the Providence HS area, if you wanted to be in this part of town. There are some great neighborhoods around here.

 

[moleculo]

I'm in an area called Indianland, which (I believe) is where fightingillini is as well. It's just across the state line from Ballantyne in SC. I think this area is the next Ft. Mill - that is, primed for a lot of high growth. We have a lot going for us here - easy access to Ballantyne/Marvin/Blakeney/Providence areas of south Charlotte, low taxes, great schools*. the US521 corridor has a number of new retail shops in the works, including a large movie theater and possibly a Target by the same developers that did Blakeney. traffic isn't as bad here as Ft Mill, but I expect it will get worse soon. Getting to uptown is a little worse than Ft Mill because I-77 isn't quite as accessible.

Let me also put in a shameless plug - my wife just got her real-estate license and is kicking ###. She is with Keller Williams out of the Baxter office in Ft Mill. If anyone wants some RE help in the Ft Mill/Indianland/South Charlotte area, hit me up with a PM and I'll get you hooked up.

* the HS is rated good, not great right now. I believe there will be some re-zoning soon and a lot of the more rural areas of the county will be transferred to Lancaster HS, which would then make Indianland HS comparable with the best of Ft Mill.

Does she work with/for Cooley?

same office, but not on his team.

 

[The Commish]

I'm in an area called Indianland, which (I believe) is where fightingillini is as well. It's just across the state line from Ballantyne in SC. I think this area is the next Ft. Mill - that is, primed for a lot of high growth. We have a lot going for us here - easy access to Ballantyne/Marvin/Blakeney/Providence areas of south Charlotte, low taxes, great schools*. the US521 corridor has a number of new retail shops in the works, including a large movie theater and possibly a Target by the same developers that did Blakeney. traffic isn't as bad here as Ft Mill, but I expect it will get worse soon. Getting to uptown is a little worse than Ft Mill because I-77 isn't quite as accessible.

Let me also put in a shameless plug - my wife just got her real-estate license and is kicking ###. She is with Keller Williams out of the Baxter office in Ft Mill. If anyone wants some RE help in the Ft Mill/Indianland/South Charlotte area, hit me up with a PM and I'll get you hooked up.

* the HS is rated good, not great right now. I believe there will be some re-zoning soon and a lot of the more rural areas of the county will be transferred to Lancaster HS, which would then make Indianland HS comparable with the best of Ft Mill.

Does she work with/for Cooley?

same office, but not on his team.

I was wondering....he seems to be a gigantic doosh.

 

[stbugs]

Yeah I am in finance so will most likely be working downtown or uptown or whatever it is called. Commute is a factor. Right now I am on the crap Lirr (half hour delay as I speak) so am used to an hour commute and longer on way home. Ideally if I get off at five would like to be home by six.

I have tried to educate myself a little with the school systems. Union county concerns me aittle not because of the quality but the potential high costs in the future. I know overcrowding is an issue as will be legacy costs. Like the idea of CMS being able to draw tax rev from business in Charlotte much like NYC schools can. Union and Iredell county may have trouble absorbing these costs much like Long Island and suburbs up here. Also going forward I imagine traffic worsening so the further out you are the worse it might get. And then I like buyng a house where less land is available for future development.

Anyway just kind of getting a handle on it. Any help or opinions are appreciated.

Mooresville is a nice area, but the commute to Uptown is from hell. 1 hour plus, and worse in the summer going home when everyone is traveling to Lake Norman. I-77 is a parking lot going north on Friday during the summer.

Union County (Weddington/Marvin/Waxhaw) is nice and the schools are very good. Don't worry about the potential costs. The taxes are lower in Union County vs Mecklenburg county. But the commute from Union County to Uptown is a tough as well.....usually 50 min plus.

I live right on state line in SC just south of Ballantyne. Ballantyne is a very nice area. For me it's 30-40 minutes going to Uptown, about 40-50 min coming back. Commute is a lot better now that they added a lane to I-485. Most areas in South Charlotte are pretty good, with a reasonable commute Uptown in your 400-600K price range. You won't be able to afford the nice neighborhoods really close to Uptown, so expect a commute of at least 25-30 min if you want a decent size house.

I would be fine with that type of commute. This is basically where I started looking online. Ballantyne east to where my buddy lives in providence cc and north to hembstead. Any feedback is appreciated. Pros cons of where you live or where I am looking.

providence CC is within a mile of my office. Great area, growing quickly.

A note on Union County schools: with all of the growth, they have been struggling with re-discticting over the past couple of years. Kids that were in a great school (Weddington, for example) got sent to one of the lower rated schools further away from town. Because the appeal of Union County is great schools, that re-districting killed property value. I've heard estimates of 30% losses over night.

If you want to be in Union, try to be between the county border and the school you want to be in - doubtful they would ever re-district you such that you drove past one school to go to another.

Frankly, if you are in the $400k-$600k price range, I'd look to stay in Meck county and look for something in the Providence HS area, if you wanted to be in this part of town. There are some great neighborhoods around here.

The growth in Union has been tough. Redistricting wasn't fun, but we have some friends that got moved to Sun Valley with a lower rating and everyone seems to be OK with it now. They are going to be renovating the school as that is a big issue with it. I think after redistricting the population of the school is now better, i.e. kids who were going to Weddington/Cuthbertson are now there. We live right across from Cuthbertson, so no worries for us. Personally, I love the area (Weddington/Wesley Chapel - lots of houses in that price range), but wouldn't be opposed to a slow down in growth as long as they keep adding a few more restaurants here and there. Moleculo and I, along with one other guy in our FBGs Charlotte area league hit the local Hickory Tavern up a couple times to watch some games. We need to do it more often!

That said, school wise, Union County is really good. The good high schools, Marvin, Weddington and Cuthbertson, are ranked 5, 6, 7, and 14 in NC and the middle schools, Cuthbertson, Weddington and Marvin, are ranked 13, 14 and 19 in the state. Sun Valley is actually ranked 21st, so not bad. My oldest is in Cuthbertson middle and he is doing really well and it is a great school.

Commute I can't help you with because my wife and I work from home, but quite a few folks in my neighborhood commute uptown. They did widen 485 to 77, so the traffic has been a lot better. It is rough going in during the morning and coming back at night, but I've noticed coming back from the airport at rush hour is way better now. Let's just say I lived in DC and when people say traffic around here, they aren't talking DC/NYC type traffic.

 

[NYCelt]

Oh and probably looking to spend $400,000 to $600,000. Again I have three kids ages 4-10. So they are my main concern in a move like this.

I live in Fort Mill, SC. I know you mentioned commute being a factor but an awful lot of folks wh work for the banks live here. Lower taxes, great schools, yada, yada. This is a cool spot http://www.baxtervillage.com/in town but they are building about 8000 new homes in the area right now so don't limit yourself to just here. Plenty of options.

What's a good area with houses more in the 200k range?

South Carolina

See above, Baxter is out of your price range but plenty of homes in the area can be had for that price, new builds and existing.

I have been looking at Baxter village a bit. I like the idea of having a small downtown you could walk to. That whole pool complex looks great. In lower end of my price range and lower taxes. All pros.

Concerns: don't get the Advantage of NC colleges for my three kids. Afraid of traffic worsening as it is built up. Redistricting. if I am reading the school website correctly kids would go to the middle school four miles away instead of the one less than a mile away.

Same thing with union county. My older son will be going into his first year of middle school when we plan to move. This is a big concern for me as he is very shy and takes a while to get into the mix. Once he gets settled he is fine but the love will be toughest for him. Don't want him to go through this big change and then have to switch schools again when lines are redrawn as population increases. But yes this was another place i have been poking at. Anyone here live in Baxter village?? Thanks

 

[NYCelt]

is NC a requirement?

Not necessarily but I have the concerns listed above in Baxter village discussion. I could be overstating them and maybe understating the benefits though.

 

[Slapdash]

Cotswold - may be able to find something in your price range, and you want to be north of Fairview if you are working uptown. Dilworth, Sedgfield are good options also. Traffic would be the main factor in staying away from anything north or south - but a lot of people come down and see how much more house they can get for the same money and wind up lIrving further out. Depends on priorities.

I think the schools assigned to this area would be an issue. Also willing to move a little south of east for best schools and access to playing fields and parks. Don't need a tone of land but a yard where kids can run around a little or have a birthday or communion party.

Schools are actually the selling point of Cotswold relative to the other neighborhoods near Uptown. I have many co-workers who live out there for that reason.

If you're looking for the very best, just move beyond Ballentyne and brace yourself for the ####ty commute.

 

[Slapdash]

is NC a requirement?

Not necessarily but I have the concerns listed above in Baxter village discussion. I could be overstating them and maybe understating the benefits though.

Maybe look closer to Lake Wylie so you can drive up Tryon street to the interstate/town?

 

[The Commish]

is NC a requirement?

Not necessarily but I have the concerns listed above in Baxter village discussion. I could be overstating them and maybe understating the benefits though.

I moved from Baxter Village an exit south to Rock Hill, so if you have any questions about it let me know..Was even on the HOA for a bit I think the only legit concern you listed was the build up. It's growing like gangbusters up there. As far as the colleges, there are pros/cons to each. It all depends on what you're kids are interested in.

 

[moleculo]

For the record, my wife says houses in Baxter sell like hotcakes - as in, they are under contract before you get the sign in the yard.

 

[BassNBrew]

With that type of budget you should be on the lake in Cornelius or Denver. Spend every evening in your summer vaction home.

 

[NYCelt]

With that type of budget you should be on the lake in Cornelius or Denver. Spend every evening in your summer vaction home.

Sounds nice but how long would it take me to get into the city and back every weekday?

 

[NYCelt]

For the record, my wife says houses in Baxter sell like hotcakes - as in, they are under contract before you get the sign in the yard.

I've noticed that as I have been following houses on zillow for the past year. I plan to go down in the fall probably. She works in that area?

 

[NYCelt]

is NC a requirement?

Not necessarily but I have the concerns listed above in Baxter village discussion. I could be overstating them and maybe understating the benefits though.

I moved from Baxter Village an exit south to Rock Hill, so if you have any questions about it let me know..Was even on the HOA for a bit I think the only legit concern you listed was the build up. It's growing like gangbusters up there. As far as the colleges, there are pros/cons to each. It all depends on what you're kids are interested in.

I have monitored houses in BV for a while now. Seems to be the only place houses appreciated so hopefully you made some money on the move. I like the set up there. Houses are a little closer together than I would want but not a huge deal coming from Long Island. One thing I noticed today and I could be wring but BV was redistricted for middle school. Instead of going to Gold Hill basically around the block thy have to go four miles away to Bank Trails. Again the one I am concerned about most in this move is my ten year old son who would be starting middle school when we move. So was a little bit of a disappointment.

Also I am concerned going forward on how these towns,villages HOA will handle infrastructure needs, traffic congestion, legacy costs and muncipal planning. Bond payments and pension costs add up quickly and as we see up here relying on residents to foot the bulk leads to property tax problems. Charlotte-Meck county. May cost more in taxes now but in ten years I see it balancing out and reversing after that. This is what happened up here ,compare nassau county to the five boroughs. Tax burdens flip flopped because of tax base ratio of biz and residential. Also places closer to the city are built out a lot more than those experiencing current booms. So quality of life issues like traffic and congestion will worsen in those areas.

But you would know much more about BV than I would. Are my concerns valid? Living up here I have seen the ugly side of poor municipal planning and management. Just don't want to experience it again after escaping it.

 

[NYCelt]

is NC a requirement?

Not necessarily but I have the concerns listed above in Baxter village discussion. I could be overstating them and maybe understating the benefits though.

Maybe look closer to Lake Wylie so you can drive up Tryon street to the interstate/town?

Will look into it. Wonder about the Commute though

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Yeah I am in finance so will most likely be working downtown or uptown or whatever it is called. Commute is a factor. Right now I am on the crap Lirr (half hour delay as I speak) so am used to an hour commute and longer on way home. Ideally if I get off at five would like to be home by six.

I have tried to educate myself a little with the school systems. Union county concerns me aittle not because of the quality but the potential high costs in the future. I know overcrowding is an issue as will be legacy costs. Like the idea of CMS being able to draw tax rev from business in Charlotte much like NYC schools can. Union and Iredell county may have trouble absorbing these costs much like Long Island and suburbs up here. Also going forward I imagine traffic worsening so the further out you are the worse it might get. And then I like buyng a house where less land is available for future development.

Anyway just kind of getting a handle on it. Any help or opinions are appreciated.

Mooresville is a nice area, but the commute to Uptown is from hell. 1 hour plus, and worse in the summer going home when everyone is traveling to Lake Norman. I-77 is a parking lot going north on Friday during the summer.

Union County (Weddington/Marvin/Waxhaw) is nice and the schools are very good. Don't worry about the potential costs. The taxes are lower in Union County vs Mecklenburg county. But the commute from Union County to Uptown is a tough as well.....usually 50 min plus.

I live right on state line in SC just south of Ballantyne. Ballantyne is a very nice area. For me it's 30-40 minutes going to Uptown, about 40-50 min coming back. Commute is a lot better now that they added a lane to I-485. Most areas in South Charlotte are pretty good, with a reasonable commute Uptown in your 400-600K price range. You won't be able to afford the nice neighborhoods really close to Uptown, so expect a commute of at least 25-30 min if you want a decent size house.

I would be fine with that type of commute. This is basically where I started looking online. Ballantyne east to where my buddy lives in providence cc and north to hembstead. Any feedback is appreciated. Pros cons of where you live or where I am looking.

providence CC is within a mile of my office. Great area, growing quickly.

A note on Union County schools: with all of the growth, they have been struggling with re-discticting over the past couple of years. Kids that were in a great school (Weddington, for example) got sent to one of the lower rated schools further away from town. Because the appeal of Union County is great schools, that re-districting killed property value. I've heard estimates of 30% losses over night.

If you want to be in Union, try to be between the county border and the school you want to be in - doubtful they would ever re-district you such that you drove past one school to go to another.

Frankly, if you are in the $400k-$600k price range, I'd look to stay in Meck county and look for something in the Providence HS area, if you wanted to be in this part of town. There are some great neighborhoods around here.

The growth in Union has been tough. Redistricting wasn't fun, but we have some friends that got moved to Sun Valley with a lower rating and everyone seems to be OK with it now. They are going to be renovating the school as that is a big issue with it. I think after redistricting the population of the school is now better, i.e. kids who were going to Weddington/Cuthbertson are now there. We live right across from Cuthbertson, so no worries for us. Personally, I love the area (Weddington/Wesley Chapel - lots of houses in that price range), but wouldn't be opposed to a slow down in growth as long as they keep adding a few more restaurants here and there. Moleculo and I, along with one other guy in our FBGs Charlotte area league hit the local Hickory Tavern up a couple times to watch some games. We need to do it more often!

That said, school wise, Union County is really good. The good high schools, Marvin, Weddington and Cuthbertson, are ranked 5, 6, 7, and 14 in NC and the middle schools, Cuthbertson, Weddington and Marvin, are ranked 13, 14 and 19 in the state. Sun Valley is actually ranked 21st, so not bad. My oldest is in Cuthbertson middle and he is doing really well and it is a great school.

Commute I can't help you with because my wife and I work from home, but quite a few folks in my neighborhood commute uptown. They did widen 485 to 77, so the traffic has been a lot better. It is rough going in during the morning and coming back at night, but I've noticed coming back from the airport at rush hour is way better now. Let's just say I lived in DC and when people say traffic around here, they aren't talking DC/NYC type traffic.

So now I'm just "another guy" to you?

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Live in Marvin. Love it, but there is a lot of growth. Schools are still great and probably won't have to go through re-districting since we're so close to the county and state lines. Not sure about the uptown commute though. Wife works in South Park across from the Mall and gets annoyed by her commute but Uptown would be worse. I work in Ft Mill across from Baxter Village and it's more or less a breeze. Lots of growth along 160 though, so it may get worse.

I don't think you're really going to find better municipal planning and management here though, to be honest. NC doesn't have a law that developers help pay for infrastructure when they build. The name of the practice escapes me at the moment. It was brought up again in the State Legislature a couple of years ago and failed. It seems like lots of the local government officials are in the pockets of the big developers. So if you want to keep the schools and infrastructure top notch, you'll need to raise taxes. Of course a larger tax base will help that to a degree.

As far as SC vs. NC, my wife is a UNC grad so we had to be in NC so our girls can go there (if they can get in). SC is cheaper and the schools are almost (in my opinion) as good, but I don't think the colleges are as good as in NC and I think a lack of taxes will actually cause more issues as they cycle through the explosive growth period than it will in NC. But we'll see. I sure don't mind driving a mile over the state line to get cheaper gas.

All in all, great place to live, but will experience some growth issues like any city in a similar situation.

 

[BassNBrew]

With that type of budget you should be on the lake in Cornelius or Denver. Spend every evening in your summer vaction home.

Sounds nice but how long would it take me to get into the city and back every weekday?

45 minutes on average with a range of 30 mins to please kill me. Plus side is you have a 10 minute commute from your garage to your dresser to the ignition switch on your boat.

I guess I'll throw in a competing plug for the north side of town. As a BIC I can get you connected with a a top caliber agent at my company.

Let's assume Charlotte continues to grow. You have waterfront homes 20-25 miles from downtown and they aren't make anymore lakes. Where do you think the biggest appreciation opportunity is?

 

[ConstruxBoy]

With that type of budget you should be on the lake in Cornelius or Denver. Spend every evening in your summer vaction home.

Sounds nice but how long would it take me to get into the city and back every weekday?

45 minutes on average with a range of 30 mins to please kill me. Plus side is you have a 10 minute commute from your garage to your dresser to the ignition switch on your boat.

I guess I'll throw in a competing plug for the north side of town. As a BIC I can get you connected with a a top caliber agent at my company.

Let's assume Charlotte continues to grow. You have waterfront homes 20-25 miles from downtown and they aren't make anymore lakes. Where do you think the biggest appreciation opportunity is?

Always selling...

 

[stbugs]

Yeah I am in finance so will most likely be working downtown or uptown or whatever it is called. Commute is a factor. Right now I am on the crap Lirr (half hour delay as I speak) so am used to an hour commute and longer on way home. Ideally if I get off at five would like to be home by six.

I have tried to educate myself a little with the school systems. Union county concerns me aittle not because of the quality but the potential high costs in the future. I know overcrowding is an issue as will be legacy costs. Like the idea of CMS being able to draw tax rev from business in Charlotte much like NYC schools can. Union and Iredell county may have trouble absorbing these costs much like Long Island and suburbs up here. Also going forward I imagine traffic worsening so the further out you are the worse it might get. And then I like buyng a house where less land is available for future development.

Anyway just kind of getting a handle on it. Any help or opinions are appreciated.

Mooresville is a nice area, but the commute to Uptown is from hell. 1 hour plus, and worse in the summer going home when everyone is traveling to Lake Norman. I-77 is a parking lot going north on Friday during the summer.

Union County (Weddington/Marvin/Waxhaw) is nice and the schools are very good. Don't worry about the potential costs. The taxes are lower in Union County vs Mecklenburg county. But the commute from Union County to Uptown is a tough as well.....usually 50 min plus.

I live right on state line in SC just south of Ballantyne. Ballantyne is a very nice area. For me it's 30-40 minutes going to Uptown, about 40-50 min coming back. Commute is a lot better now that they added a lane to I-485. Most areas in South Charlotte are pretty good, with a reasonable commute Uptown in your 400-600K price range. You won't be able to afford the nice neighborhoods really close to Uptown, so expect a commute of at least 25-30 min if you want a decent size house.

I would be fine with that type of commute. This is basically where I started looking online. Ballantyne east to where my buddy lives in providence cc and north to hembstead. Any feedback is appreciated. Pros cons of where you live or where I am looking.

providence CC is within a mile of my office. Great area, growing quickly. A note on Union County schools: with all of the growth, they have been struggling with re-discticting over the past couple of years. Kids that were in a great school (Weddington, for example) got sent to one of the lower rated schools further away from town. Because the appeal of Union County is great schools, that re-districting killed property value. I've heard estimates of 30% losses over night.

If you want to be in Union, try to be between the county border and the school you want to be in - doubtful they would ever re-district you such that you drove past one school to go to another.

Frankly, if you are in the $400k-$600k price range, I'd look to stay in Meck county and look for something in the Providence HS area, if you wanted to be in this part of town. There are some great neighborhoods around here.

The growth in Union has been tough. Redistricting wasn't fun, but we have some friends that got moved to Sun Valley with a lower rating and everyone seems to be OK with it now. They are going to be renovating the school as that is a big issue with it. I think after redistricting the population of the school is now better, i.e. kids who were going to Weddington/Cuthbertson are now there. We live right across from Cuthbertson, so no worries for us. Personally, I love the area (Weddington/Wesley Chapel - lots of houses in that price range), but wouldn't be opposed to a slow down in growth as long as they keep adding a few more restaurants here and there. Moleculo and I, along with one other guy in our FBGs Charlotte area league hit the local Hickory Tavern up a couple times to watch some games. We need to do it more often!That said, school wise, Union County is really good. The good high schools, Marvin, Weddington and Cuthbertson, are ranked 5, 6, 7, and 14 in NC and the middle schools, Cuthbertson, Weddington and Marvin, are ranked 13, 14 and 19 in the state. Sun Valley is actually ranked 21st, so not bad. My oldest is in Cuthbertson middle and he is doing really well and it is a great school.

Commute I can't help you with because my wife and I work from home, but quite a few folks in my neighborhood commute uptown. They did widen 485 to 77, so the traffic has been a lot better. It is rough going in during the morning and coming back at night, but I've noticed coming back from the airport at rush hour is way better now. Let's just say I lived in DC and when people say traffic around here, they aren't talking DC/NYC type traffic.

So now I'm just "another guy" to you?

LOL, I didn't want to out you. You aren't just another guy.

 

[NYCelt]

With that type of budget you should be on the lake in Cornelius or Denver. Spend every evening in your summer vaction home.

Sounds nice but how long would it take me to get into the city and back every weekday?

45 minutes on average with a range of 30 mins to please kill me. Plus side is you have a 10 minute commute from your garage to your dresser to the ignition switch on your boat.

I guess I'll throw in a competing plug for the north side of town. As a BIC I can get you connected with a a top caliber agent at my company.

Let's assume Charlotte continues to grow. You have waterfront homes 20-25 miles from downtown and they aren't make anymore lakes. Where do you think the biggest appreciation opportunity is?

Don't disagree. But looks like the issue there is the schools. Also I am not a boat guy. And most likely my kids will be heading back to eastern Long Island in the summers to spend the with July parents work at the beach clubs as they get older.

 

[beer 30]

I have been looking at Baxter village a bit. I like the idea of having a small downtown you could walk to. That whole pool complex looks great. In lower end of my price range and lower taxes. All pros.

Concerns: don't get the Advantage of NC colleges for my three kids. Afraid of traffic worsening as it is built up. Redistricting. if I am reading the school website correctly kids would go to the middle school four miles away instead of the one less than a mile away.

Same thing with union county. My older son will be going into his first year of middle school when we plan to move. This is a big concern for me as he is very shy and takes a while to get into the mix. Once he gets settled he is fine but the love will be toughest for him. Don't want him to go through this big change and then have to switch schools again when lines are redrawn as population increases. But yes this was another place i have been poking at. Anyone here live in Baxter village?? Thanks

Wouldn't sweat the schools down here, they are all good (actually the best in SC but take that with a grain of salt). Baxter is right on an exit for 77. The congestion is bad and will likely get worse long before it gets better but I'd challenge you to move anywhere in the area and not have the same problem. I was in Baxter last night for the St.Patty's celebration.

 

[BassNBrew]

With that type of budget you should be on the lake in Cornelius or Denver. Spend every evening in your summer vaction home.

Sounds nice but how long would it take me to get into the city and back every weekday?

45 minutes on average with a range of 30 mins to please kill me. Plus side is you have a 10 minute commute from your garage to your dresser to the ignition switch on your boat.

I guess I'll throw in a competing plug for the north side of town. As a BIC I can get you connected with a a top caliber agent at my company.

Let's assume Charlotte continues to grow. You have waterfront homes 20-25 miles from downtown and they aren't make anymore lakes. Where do you think the biggest appreciation opportunity is?

Don't disagree. But looks like the issue there is the schools. Also I am not a boat guy. And most likely my kids will be heading back to eastern Long Island in the summers to spend the with July parents work at the beach clubs as they get older.

http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/

http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/schDetails.jsp?pYear=2012-2013&pLEACode=600&pSchCode=312

 

[moleculo]

For the record, my wife says houses in Baxter sell like hotcakes - as in, they are under contract before you get the sign in the yard.

I've noticed that as I have been following houses on zillow for the past year. I plan to go down in the fall probably. She works in that area?

yup. Her office is in Baxter, she focuses mostly on the SC side of the line - Ft Mill and Indianland.

 

[moleculo]

the lakes are nice, no doubt about that. BnB makes some compelling points about lake Norman. I have some friends that live near Mountian Island Lake and Huntersville that seem to like it there.

Of course, it's probably worth pointing out that Lake Wylie is in SC also, Tega Cay is right there. I've been told the traffic from Tega Cay to I-77 can be pretty bad, so if that's a problem...

One other thing in the south ends favor - the light rail only runs between Pineville and uptown. I've got a buddy living in Rock Hill that takes it uptown for work every day, he seems to like it - better than driving, anyways.