Distressed properties in Uptown Charlotte NC are not going away anytime soon especially with the volatile banking industry right now. That allows buyers to capitalize on the real estate market and get into some fantastic Uptown Condos and Townhomes.

It is real important to let your Realtor do his homework and to find out how long certain properties have been on the market to determine if it is worth pursuing. To many times people have found themselves in negotiations and have left with nothing but waisted time.

My rule of thumb and some may disagree but to only look at properties that are at least 120-150 days on market. That allows the Realtor who is listing to get all necessary paperwork in order so there will be no surprises. Of course there are many other variables, but do the research and you may be getting a super deal!

 Click below to view all Homes

  Mike Carpino
Owner/Broker
Mike@LakeAndTown.com
704 301-9264

Uptown Charlotte, NC Short Sale Condos for sale.

If you've been on the sidelines waiting for our local housing market to be affordable, now is the time to buy. Today's confluence of low rates, affordable prices and inventory makes right now an ideal time to buy a foreclosed property, a short sale or any of the other bargain homes on sale now. Don't wait -- the best-value homes are selling as soon as they come on the market.

Some buyers and investors find bargain prices on pre-foreclosure sales or at foreclosure auctions, while others find it easier and less risky to purchase bank-owned (REO or "real estate owned") from the lending institutions and government authorities that repossess these homes.

REO homes are very attractive to bargain hunters. They know lenders and government organizations don't really want to own homes and would rather move their "non-performing assets" off the books as quickly as possible. Still, institutional owners will try to recover as much of their investment in a foreclosed home as possible. Negotiating is key to getting a true bargain price on an REO!

Finding an under-valued property and negotiating a low-cost contract are the keys to success in the months ahead. Let us help you navigate the offerings available.

Click here to view all Short Sales in the Charlotte region.

Charlotte, NC Real Estate is beginning to see signs of recovery and Lake And Town Realty is reaping some of the rewards.

Within the past couple of weeks we had a number of closings and our agents are still picking up buyer clients.

Here is a recent article from our local newspaper that has documented a few reasons and stats to the upswing of sales.

Low interest rates, a hefty tax credit, price discounts and pent-up demand helped push Charlotte-area home sales last month to their first gain of the downturn - and a big one at that.

Last month 2,210 houses, townhouses and condos sold in the region, up nearly 20 percent from October 2008, according to results released late Tuesday by the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association. That was the first yearly gain since February 2007, when the national housing slump began to hit the Charlotte area.

The big jump is the most robust signal yet of the local housing industry's recovery but still leaves sales below the 2003 level. The region's housing market held up for about two years into the national decline and also has lagged in the rebound. Existing home sales nationwide, for example, began rising in June compared with a year earlier.

The deadline rush helped push pending sales up more than one-third last month for MLS transactions. That's the second month in a row for a gain in pendings, which are signed contracts that haven't yet closed. They are an important barometer of closings to come.

November looks even stronger with loan closings on track to "be up well over double."

Photography Charlotte, Huntersville, Lake Norman Area, South Charlotte NC Real Estate Listing Photos- LKN Imaging available to Realtors, For Sale By Owners, Banks etc.

Attention Realtors & Home Sellers:

Need Professional wide angle shots for your listing? Please contact kathy@lknimaging.com or call 704 577 6858 or text.

They will provide 20 wide angle 10 mega-pixel shots for $80.00, emailed within a day, MLS ready with a Picasa Web Album available to view online, showing more photos and any other images you would like to add (floors plans) etc. Additional services are available, brochures, flyer's, e flyer's, very well priced. Please inquire.

According to NAR 87% of homes searches begin online, if so, what is the first criteria a prospective buyer is looking at when they begin their search? PICTURES!

They are the first gate your property or listing must pass, and they can make or break the number of inquires or showings if they don't effectively market the property.

Listing photos require staging, lighting and correct angles to promote the structure and the spaces within it, not whats in it. There is a place for that, but its not primary.

Every home and property has strong points and good sight-lines that must be captured to ensure a solid marketing effort.

Don't have a 10 mega pixel SLR, wide angle lenses, and an eye for angles and light? Seriously consider having it done. Depending on the cost it can be a serious bargain when taken into account the influence it has on promoting your property.

Remember a picture tells a thousand words!

Best Of Luck,

Nick

Kathy Stallard:

Art background, NYC's School OF Visual Arts.

As an added convenience with the permission of the owner through their agent I will accompany the photographer with my Supra Key and neither agent or owner need take the time.Call and its done!

Full Service Listing Photos.

Website Coming soon!

Uptown Charlotte Nightlife is still thriving!

One thing is certain: people still want to party, in good times and in bad.

If you're looking to kick up your heels, your first stop should be uptown's entertainment district where crowds of 20- and 30-somethings descend every weekend to sample the best of Charlotte nightlife.

The biggest trend this year? The one-stop entertainment destination.

In its first year of business, the EpiCentre (210 E. Trade St., www.epicentrenc.com) quickly became the go-to hot spot. Stop by Whisky River, owned by NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., on a Tuesday night and you'll find lines of partyers clamoring to get in.

 Suite, an upscale nightclub, is just as popular on Saturdays, drawing local celebrities and professional athletes.

BlackFinn Saloon is the spot to watch Panthers games, thanks to many flat-panel TVs.

Hoping to give the EpiCentre a little competition is the N.C. Music Factory (820 Hamilton St., www.ncmusicfactory.com) on the northwest edge of uptown. The Uptown Amphitheatre, a 5,000-capacity, Live Nation-operated music venue, opened this summer to sell-out shows. The 2,000-capacity Fillmore Charlotte, also a Live Nation-venue, is drawing acts ranging from the Plain White T's to BB King.

 Set to open in October are Wet Willie's Daiquri Bar, upscale lounge Butter and dance club Crobar.

Other popular neighborhoods to party:

NoDa

The arts district north of uptown hosts a monthly gallery crawl the first Friday of the month and many crawlers stick around for a glass of wine at Dolce Vita (3205 N. Davidson St., www.dolcevitawines.com) or live music at the cozy Evening Muse (3227 N. Davidson St., www.theeveningmuse.com).

 South End

Just outside of uptown, this laidback neighborhood boasts a variety of nightlife including ultra-loungy Sunset Club (1820 South Blvd., www.sunsetclubcharlotte.com), casual Tyber Creek Pub (1933 South Blvd., www.tybercreek.com) and gay-friendly Tutto Mondo Lounge (1820 South Blvd., www.tuttomondo.com).

 Plaza Midwood

Play ping-pong at Thomas Street Tavern (1218 Thomas Ave., www.thomas-street-tavern.com). Stop by the Thirsty Beaver Saloon (1225 Central Ave.) for a Bloody Mary on Sundays.

Mike Carpino
Mike@LakeAndTown.com
704 301-9264

Charlotte Hair Salon - Solace Atelier Salon located in Charlotte NC.

I know you are wondering why a man is writing about a hair salon, but I promised my wife Suzanne that I would.

I am always asking her what people look for when moving to a new area and right away my wife being the big trendsetter did not even hesitate and said hair salon.

I sat there for a second and said you are absolutely right. Women are very concerned and sometimes obsessed with their hair. Remember guys it's not just sit down for 15 minutes and have the barber clip away. It's the whole experience.!

Now Charlotte has something more in common with New York, Paris, and London. Exclusive hair care, skin care, body and home products from around the world.

Their team of experts researched the area and looked for the unique products that were missing in the Charlotte hair and skin care market.

My wife says they pride themselves in offering services and products that you can't find JUST anywhere. From the friendly atmosphere to the latest haircuts. I know that she has referred a number of friends and family and believe most are going back.

If you are moving to Charlotte be rest assured your wife will at least know there is a great hair salon for her to go to.

Solace Atelier
901 S Kings Dr
Suite 110
charlotte, NC 28204
ph: 704-334-1007
fax: 704-334-1034
solaceatelier@yahoo.com

Charlotte, Lake Norman North Carolina Real Estate News Columnist Doug Smith recently retired.

This is the last column of Doug Smith, many of us of us in Charlotte, in the real estate biz or not, have followed his "Next Big Thing" pieces for years.

Given his time of writing about Charlotte and documenting our growth so to speak,  a few parting words from Doug are worth passing on.

Before I go, some last words of advice

With Charlotte's outerbelt still at least four years from completion, people already are talking about an outer-outerbelt.

They should squelch that idea right now.

Urban sprawl and traffic already are choking suburban areas in the path of Interstate 485.

As quickly as a new interchange opens, developers are all over it with plans for shopping centers, business parks and subdivisions.

Perhaps during this downturn, public policymakers will give serious thought to how the city can concentrate more density inside the urban core and integrate new development with mass transit.

It's happening to some extent along the Lynx light rail line in south Charlotte.

Managing growth is the dominant theme that comes to mind as I reflect on my nearly 20 years of covering real estate and development in Charlotte.

I have a few other pieces of advice as I officially enter retirement:

Build truly efficient urban villages. Mixing office, retail and residential on the same site was one of the hot trends before the economy hit the skids. What's not to like about a Birkdale Village or a Phillips Place?

The concept is good, but the execution since Birkdale and Phillips Place has sometimes fallen short. In their zeal to promote mixed use, public officials have allowed strange configurations of residences and businesses that do little to meet the goals of compactness, fewer car trips and less air pollution.

Resist over-speculation. Developers who thought the boom of the past five years would never end will pay the price, possibly losing office buildings, shopping centers and business parks to foreclosure.

Many gambled – as developers always do when they start a project – but failed to anticipate the upheaval brewing in the financial markets.

Local people in the industry will tell you the problem was exacerbated by out-of-towners trying to jump in and make a quick buck. But hometown development firms are feeling the pain, too, as homebuyers hold back and businesses curtail expansion plans.

Don't succumb to the herd mentality. When the first uptown high-rise condo project proved successful, everyone else it seems plunged into the market, saturating the center city with proposals.

Latecomers learned a hard lesson as legal battles, foreclosure and lender backlash stymied several projects and made buyers skittish.

Only one tall condo tower remains under construction and plans for 10 are out of the picture. Experts believe it could be three years before anyone resumes building residential high-rises. Note to developers: Know when to hold them, know when to fold them.

Build apartments in sync with demand. With unemployment up and uncertainty in the workplace, there won't be enough renters to fill the estimated 6,000 apartment units under construction in the Charlotte area.

The market will be cutthroat as developers offer renters lucrative incentives to fill new projects while older complexes struggle to survive.

This is one of the most puzzling things about Charlotte real estate. Apartment developers have never built to match consumer demand. The cycle is always boom and bust.

Will it be this way forever?

Allow me one last word. In this sluggish economy, elected officials will be eager to get residential and commercial projects started again. Be careful. People will be tempted to make expedient decisions they might regret later.

Now is the time to respond to citizen complaints about unbridled growth. Policymakers should give priority to development that fills gaps in existing neighborhoods and should discourage more land clearing in the distant suburbs. Stick to the plan, without exception.

My tenure reporting on the phenomenal growth of my hometown has been fascinating indeed.

When I began in 1990, construction was just beginning on the 60-story Bank of America Corporate Center.

The first leg of I-485 had been started in south Mecklenburg, but Ballantyne still hadn't been announced.

There were no mixed-use urban villages or uptown residential towers. No Northlake, Concord Mills or Carolina Place malls.

Charlotte's population was 395,934 compared with an estimated 716,874 today.

I can only wonder from the sidelines what the next 20 years will bring.

Thanks Doug enjoy your retirement!

 Festival in the Park, Charlotte North Carolina will begin Thursday September 24th.

Since 1964, Festival in the Park has been bringing good music, good art and good times to Charlotteans and visitors from around the world. The sounds of "big band music" drift across Freedom Park's lake whose still surface reflects the lights strung from Camelot exhibit tents.

The scents of a variety of food fill the air, as small children with painted faces happily produce their first art work. Others find the many talented artists who can create an original work of art to grace their home or to give as the perfect gift.

First time visitors are taken by the simple, relaxed atmosphere. Old timers marvel at the freshness of each year's offerings, as memories from long ago festivals are revisited. Unlike most festivals our lighting system allows us to continue into the night.

This fun filled event is designed to promote and stimulate interest in the arts. It provides the opportunity for all to see, hear, and learn from over 150 artists and crafts people who actively demonstrate and display their art. Nearly a thousand entertainers provide free ongoing performances at the main band shell and many stages surrounding it.

Festival in the Park has been chosen as one of Sunshine Artists Magazine's 200 BEST festivals. Over 125,000 visitors are estimated to have attended the 2008 Festival in the Park.

The Festival is made possible by many groups and individuals. A sampling of the organizations who actively participate in bringing art and entertainment to the Festival are Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, the Afro American Cultural Center, the Carolina Clowns, the United Magicians' Association, and the Charlotte Folk Society. We welcome them and the many others who help make the Festival possible.

We encourage all groups and individuals to participate and get involved Festival in the Park!!

"My wife and I  have attended for 10 years now and think it is one of Charlotte's Best events held!"

Mike Carpino
Mike@LakeAndTown

Growing up in upstate New York and living near 3 great pizza parlors it has been very hard trying to find someone to duplicate those outstanding pies.

For 10 LONG years now I have been searching the Charlotte/Lake Norman area hoping to discover that restaurant that can satisfy my desire for a great slice of pie.

Well, I have found it! Villa Francesca in Uptown Charlotte.

One of my colleagues informed of this place months ago, but I was sure it was just another wild goose chase. So the other night my wife and I happened to be driving around the city and stumbled upon this quaint little Italian restaurant.

 
                                                                  
Villa Francescais located at the corner of Caldwell and Seventh streets in the First Ward in   the Uptown Charlotte. The restaurant, which opened in August 2008, is like an extension of the owner's, Louie and Marguerite Suppa, family home where customers are treated like guests.

This place will not disappoint!

Print and Cut Coupon                                               

Mike Carpino
704 301-9264
Mike@LakeAndTown.com