Charlotte Center City Condos-For Sale Snapshot

May 24, 2008Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady® and Condo CanDo® in Charlotte, NC

Charlotte Uptown Condominiums-For Sale

I like to look at the numbers to see what’s going on condo wise in various parts of our city, Charlotte. Earlier, we looked at two historic districts: Dilworth and Elizabeth. Both neighborhoods close to uptown. So I thought before I completed my circle around the center city giving you a profile of condos are for sale, I would scoot into the center and look at what is for sale 1 million dollars and under. And once again, earlier, we gave a break out of availabilities 1 million plus. And for convenience sake, I have separated for sale condos in price ranges. This report is condos that are for sale in center city Charlotte, NC at this moment, 4:10 p.m. May 24, 2008.

Here goes: Center City Charlotte is Area 99 by our Multiple Listing Service…and you can go to http://www.carolinahome.com/ and search in that area as well. This is the main database for our entire region. Please remember that all brokers use this database as an exchange and can post other broker’s listings on their website…this is the source, so enjoy your searches for everything.

1,000,001 up
Total available for sale 11
Builders either participate minimally or not at all in reporting actives and solds so take this snapshot with a grain of salt.
These figures are averages:
Minimum sq. ft n/a, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, $1,149,900 active for 9 days
Average sq. ft. 1700-2000, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, $1,736,336 active for 104 days
Maximum 2900-3500, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 half baths, 4,450,000 for 263 days.

500,001 to 1,000,000
Total available for sale 43
Builders either participate minimally or not at all in reporting actives and solds so take this snapshot with a grain of salt.
These figures are averages:
Minimum sq. ft 800-1100, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, $509,000 active for 6 days
Average sq. ft. 1500-1800, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, $656,561 active for 133 days
Maximum 2300-2800, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 half baths, 998,000 for 689 days.

225,000 to 500,000
Total available for sale 222
Builders either participate minimally or not at all in reporting actives and solds so take this snapshotwith a grain of salt.
These figures are averages:
Minimum sq. ft 400-600, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, $228,900 active for 2 days
Average sq. ft. 900-1200, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, $339,797 active for 97 days
Maximum 1800-2200, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1 half baths, 449,900 for 917 days.

Under 225,000
Total available for sale 45
Builders either participate minimally or not at all in reporting actives and solds so take this snapshot with a grain of salt.
These figures are averages:
Minimum sq. ft 400-500, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, $158,500 active for 1 days
Average sq. ft. 600-800, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, $194,991 active for 86 days
Maximum 1200-1500, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1 half baths, 224,900 for 359 days.

How would you like the market parsed? Let me know and I’ll give it a try.
Coming up Monday… Charlotte’s Residential For Sale Market a presentation to the Charlotte Regional Realtors Association, May 19, 2008 by Chuck Graham principal of Newton Graham Consultants. Posted as a Power Point Presentation and if you are without Power Point, we also post as .pdf file for downloading.
It’s terrific and Chuck pulls no punches.
Fasten your seatbelts!

Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady® and Condo CanDo® in Charlotte, NC

Your Questions for Condo CanDo

May 23, 2008
Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady and Condo CanDo in Charlotte, NC

Your Condo Questions for Condo CanDo…
The question I most often get is “Why Condos?”. My answer is: Thanks to those condo buyers and sellers of twenty some years ago, my business grew to incorporate single family homes, McMansions, horse farms, some commercial leasing and sales. My clients and I built relationships that transcended one transaction. I started with condominiums because no one really wanted that market. They were obscure. The financing could be tricky. And the streets were most often not on our maps because they were maintained by the associations.I like learning and knowing the nuances.
Another routine question is: When is a condo a condo and what constitutes a townhouse? What are some of the rules and regulations that catch people by surprise?
For instance: drive a pick-up truck? Have a boat? Have a dog weighing in at more than a certain weight? Plan to have a room mate to help with expenses? Plan to paint your front door red? Work at night and want black curtains to keep out the daylight? Smoke?When I say read the documents that is why.
Condos and townhomes are basically community living and that means living within those guidelines set by the governing documents.On http://www.condocando.com/, there is a section especially for all you ever wanted to know about condos: legal descriptions, buying and selling…and some fun questions as well. Like how many condos in Charlotte have the same or similar names? Yes, like Queens and Sharon and Providence, we love naming names in Charlotte.
And quite often, I am asked my opinion about new condominiums. It depends. On the architect, the builder, the contractor and how it compares to what else is in the market or on the market. I believe in options and I think in Charlotte, you have many.
I have posted a list of active condos in both Elizabeth and in Dilworth and will be looking at certain sections, perhaps under a certain price and square footage and actually give you the names of those communities and the prices. That should be both interesting and helpful.
If you have specific questions, please feel free to ask.
Have a good holiday weekend.Thanks for joining us in Charlotte, NC
This is Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady and Condo CanDo

What's Up? Condos in Elizabeth!

May 22, 2008

Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady® and Condo CanDo® in Charlotte, NC

What’s Up? Condos in Elizabeth!
I may or may not have goofed here. I captured all the active condos in Elizabeth today, converted to Excel and tried to imbed it in blogger…you might just get a small image…but…CondoCanDo to the rescue…you can catch it on www.condocando.com...under podcast or blog and link to a readable chart.
I am learning as I go.

And of course, Elizabeth is one of our historic districts and you can see a snapshot: history, map and photos: http://www.athomecharlotte.com/historic/htm/elizabeth.htm

So having said that, here’s more on Elizabeth. Historic, close to Uptown and Independence Park, Central Piedmont Community College ( a real gem), neighbor to Plaza-Midwood in a way, neighbor to Myers Park and Eastover.Front porches, tree lined streets, more funky and a good lead-in to Plaza-Midwood.
Newer condos? Not as much as other districts.
Conversions, yes.Elizabeth Lofts are neat. The Williamson has an inner courtyard. Hawthorne boasts a colorful row of townhomes overlooking Independence and around Oakland, newer flats and as might be expected, dense.
Elizabeth is a hop and a skip from Uptown…we are looking for major changes here as our favored five point intersection is poised for major development introducing density in large proportions as a large apartment complex is slated to dominate the intersection.

Elizabeth. It’s happening.

Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady® and CondoCanDo® in Charlotte, NC
http://www.condocando.com/wpodelizact0508.htm

What's Up? Condos in Dilworth!

May 21, 2008

Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady® and Condo CanDo® in Charlotte, NC

What’s Up?…Condos In Dilworth!
The Trust was fun to talk about and I am looking forward to Part Two…meanwhile, I thought it would be interesting to look at various sections. Today, it’s Dilworth. If you are unfamiliar with this charming, historic district…for a map, a little history and some photos, go to http://www.athomecharlotte.com/, click on AtHomeCharlotte and then to the Historic Index and Walking Tours…on the right, go Dilworth. My maps are a little different because talented artist Gay Grayson custom created all of the maps on our site.Okay, discover Dilworth. Front porches, tree lined streets, East Boulevard with a myriad of restaurants and coffee shops…and it is just a hop and a skip from Uptown.And adjacent to South End.
So…condos in Dilworth. First, if a friend told you Dilworth is in Area 5 …well it is, and also Area 6. In Area 5, there are 74 listed for sale…some are resales and some are newly constructed and some are under construction. In Area 5-Dilworth list prices start at 185,000 for between 500-700 square feet, mid-rise, so this is a flat. Several are on East Boulevard, newer, converted from apartments and recently had a news article on Radon…Older condos…those with 2 or 4 or eight in a building, smaller, more traditional, tend to come on the market and go quicker…they are Monticello Terrace, Arosa, and 1109 Morehead…all 185,000 to 230,000 and then the prices take a quick climb to 2 million plus. And a wide range of styles, parking, and amenities of course. And all the way up to 3200 square feet. Average layout is 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 1300-1600 square feet and average price 474,866…our current time on the market for actives is 106 days.What to watch for…the number of investors in any complex. Read the documents in both older and newer…looking for leasing, parking, and pets primarily. In the older condos, our Legal Beagles tell us to read the minutes. We’ll announce that column when we post it. Oh, yes, we have a whole new section “and Friends”…on TheRealEstateLady.com.
In Dilworth Area 6, 73 are listed for sale. Starting at 129,000 for 500-700 square feet. A good mix of older condos, usually one bedroom with one bath or two with either 1.5 or two. Many new condos. One newer apartment conversion that I can see right off hand. All the way to $759, 230. Average layout 2 bedrooms, 1100-1400 square feet and average price $322,441. With days on the market average for active listings at 126. With Area 6, Park Road is the dividing line if that helps. So slicing Park Road off to East Boulevard takes in the area that is right next to SouthEnd.What would I look for? Investors, read the minutes, read the docs…the newer units more than likely will have more investors. And ask about the builder’s warranty. And who the insurance is with.Have fun in Dilworth. Walk Uptown, to Freedom Park, Latta Park, to Mid-Town and to the Farmer's Market.
Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady® and Condo CanDo® in Charlotte, NC
Pictures in order 1-4:
1. Park Avenue 2. 300 Park 3. Atherton Heights 4. Monticello Terrace

Grass is Green, Grass in Cities, Green Everywhere

Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady and Condo CanDo in Charlotte, NC

So here I go again, healthy tips...and hey! grass is in the cities, around condos, in common areas. So here goes:

Your lush lawn
Before you stretch out on (or let your kids run barefoot through) that green grass, consider that it may be blanketed with toxic pesticides. “The commonly used insecticides are all chemical cousins of the wartime gas sarin, which was used in the 1995 Tokyo subway attack,” says Philip J. Landrigan, MD, chairman of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine and professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
“And the commonly used herbicides are chemical first cousins of Agent Orange, which was used in Vietnam.” So, that “healthy” lawn has the potential to increase your family’s risks of cancer or neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. That’s partly because lawn-care pesticides “aren’t selective killers,” explains Jennifer Sass, PhD, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Washington, D.C. — many can have an impact on your health.

There is good news, though: More and more towns are enacting neighbor-notification laws, requiring residents to issue warnings before spraying so people can shut their windows or even clear out with their kids and pets (the health danger lasts for days for the commonly used insecticides and weeks for the herbicides). If your town doesn’t have this law, ask neighbors to let you know when they’re spraying — and what they’re using.
On your own turf, do only integrated pest management (IPM), a gentler, environmentally sensitive way of preventing, monitoring, and controlling pests. Safer ecofriendly and organic lawn sprays and other nonchemical options — from aphid-eating ladybugs to heat (electrocution) for termites — are surprisingly effective. Caveat: You may not have the most manicured lawn on the block, but to keep your family safe you have to learn to live with a few dandelions.
Your child's toy box.
The main threat here is lead-coated toys. In the past two fiscal years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued 21 recalls of lead-tainted toys, including learning toys and train sets, most of which were made in China (this number doesn’t include lead-related children’s-jewelry recalls).
If you have little ones, consider lead the number-one danger in your home, Landrigan says. In very high doses, lead can cause convulsions and brain damage in young children. But if children are exposed to it in even small amounts, they can have a loss of IQ, a shortening of attention span, and behavioral problems. They’re also more likely to have dyslexia and to drop out of school.
Checking every toy in the house for lead may not help because not all home tests are accurate. Instead, make smart buys. Research toys at www.healthytoys.org before you go shopping. Other ways to protect your kids: Have them wash their hands after playing and before eating, and get them tested for lead.
Your closet
Mothballs are really dangerous chemicals, the vapors are carcinogenic and are also irritating to the nervous system. In fact, if your child swallows one, it can be fatal. Inhaling mothball vapors overnight doesn’t mean you will get cancer tomorrow, but it increases your long-term risk. So use safer moth-repelling alternatives like dried-lavender and cedar products.
And your work clothes swathed in dry-cleaning bags? They harbor perchloroethylene, the most common dry-cleaning chemical, which causes cancer in lab animals, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Heavy exposure to this substance can cause dizziness and confusion, even in adults, so it’s best to minimize your use of dry cleaning. Machine-wash whatever you can on the delicate cycle (not everything labeled “dry-clean only” needs it). Another option: Find a professional cleaner who uses less-toxic solutions, like CO2, or does wet cleaning (a combo of water, biodegradable soap, and steam in special machines).
If you have an item conventionally dry-cleaned, remove it from plastic and air it outside for several hours before hanging it in the closet. This will give the chemicals time to evaporate, reducing the health risk.
Your cat's litter box
Anyone who has changed a litter box is familiar with that cough-inducing dust cloud. It likely contains low levels of crystalline silica, a carcinogen so check the bag or box before you pour it into Fluffy’s litter box. If the warning says to go to the ER if you swallow, it’s safe to assume it’s really toxic. Replace with greener versions made from corn, wheat, alfalfa, cedar, and even pine—all of which work well. You can find natural litters at major pet stores. To give the natural variety an odor-eating boost, mix in a little baking soda. And be sure to keep boxes in ventilated spots such as a screened-in porch.
Your home office
What’s in your home office or cube? Eye and lung irritants from copy-machine toners and fax-machine ink cartridges, in addition to gases from permanent markers, vapors from pesticides, and formaldehyde fumes from particleboard furniture. In the short term, these products—particularly in tightly sealed office buildings — can cause sick-building syndrome, a real illness that’s characterized by symptoms like headache and fatigue. Sick-building syndrome is the result of inadequate ventilation, so if there are no windows in your office, ask a manager to have air exchanges and filters turned on before the workday begins. Your request might fall on deaf ears, but it could also spur change. Why bother? Some of the compounds found in offices are neurotoxic, which means they can cause tingling or numbness and permanent damage to the nervous system over the long term.
At your office, avoid printers and copiers in your immediate work space and take 10-minute walks outside during the day to get fresh air. At home, keep printers and fax machines out of the bedroom, crack windows, and add chemical-removing plants. (See below.)
Plants that help
These three easy-to-find houseplants act as natural air purifiers:
Areca Palm removes xylene (from permanent markers and rubber cement).
Boston fern removes formaldehyde (from fiberboard furniture, glues and adhesives, and permanent-press fabrics).
English ivy removes benzene (from oven cleaners, detergents, furniture polish, and spot removers).
For more information and helpful tips, visit http://www.health.com/

Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady and Condo CanDo in Charlotte, NC

Condos: Two Stop Shopping

May 19, 2008
Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady® and Condo CanDo® in Charlotte, NC

Condominiums: Two Stop ShoppingBuyers are smart. So are sellers. When you enter either mode, you are usually focused on finding out everything you can…gather the information, parse it out, ask questions. As we all know the Internet makes that journey both simple and complex. Google is both our best friend and the tantrum thrower…we can search but we get just everything.

Here are two websites that almost pure in the information. One is our regional realtor associations’ Multiple Listing Service. Now folks, this is the whole database and you can search by single family or condo, by area, by price and you get lots of good information. Not everything we get as members, but enough to start painting your picture. This is the very database that all the broker’s sites pull their information from. All. There is a Broker Exchange that allows us to get listings from other brokerage firms and put them on our own websites. Here is the URL of our main database: www.CarolinaHome.com.That is singular “Carolina” and singular “home”.

The other website is the city-county real estate website. Here you can get a copy of the deed, a picture of the property, the tax bills, the owners, you can play to your hearts content and it is quite easy. Instead of giving you the very long address, just go to Google and enter Mecklenburg(with a “u”) Polaris. When the screen comes up, go to the right hand corner and click on search. Look to the left and you have fields to enter for searching. They do not all have to be filled in…it kind of works on a default so it can be used by the most challenged. This is a great place to see what the neighbor paid, what the lot looks like, if it’s in a floodplain and more.When looking for new construction you can most often enter the name of the condo complex you might be interested in…in Google of course. And remember on new construction, you can have representation by your own agent because the builder will pay the commission and it doesn’t effect your purchase price.
Oh, by the way on CarolinaHome.com, you can also get listing information like high and low prices by area. And there are plenty of maps to help you with areas.

Have a good time and if you need help, I am here.

Lynnsy Logue The Real Estate Lady® and Condo CanDo® in Charlotte, NC