Experimenting with You Tube

For those of you who have seen my slide shows, these pics may be familiar-- but if not, enjoy the video, our first fun with You Tube.


So what do you think? I think its the future of the internet.

Labor Day Happenings Around Charlotte

What a lineup! What a weekend! Take the family to Matthews Alive--they take over downtown Matthews Friday night through Labor Day Monday for their annual celebration of Matthews, NC. It's a giant family block party, with rides, music, and food. Artists from all over the Carolina come to display their wares. Custom handmade jewelry, pottery, leather works, woodwork- crafts of all shapes and sizes, art from the coast and mountains. Park at Matthews United Methodist Church. We'll be going in our new red toy, hope to see you there!

We've also got a reservation at National White Water Center-- 6 of us will be rafting at 5 on Sunday. You start easy, and learn paddle basics from your guide. After a few runs on the training grounds, you are ready for the class IV rapids out in front of the restaurant. This is a wet roller coaster ride and a workout as you make about 6-8 runs through the course. We'll all come back a little sore, with great stories ready for a beer and dinner.

Next weekend we are off to the Greek Festival on East Blvd--and ALL Charlotte Museums offer free admittance next Saturday- by all means get to the Levine Museum of the New South, the Arts and Crafts Museum, and the excellent Mint Museum of Art.

So How Much Is Enough? A $50,000 Buyer Bonus?

So how much is enough? Take a look at the flyer I received by email today. Suppose the home sells for 1.3M, that is a 39k Buyer Side-- plus 50K, 89K 6.8%-- not the 12% I've heard from AZ but still, loads of dough. Two questions, 1) Is it unethical to show this home even if you make your buyer aware of the agent bonus 2) As the LA, is it unethical to make this offer to increase showings... do you think it will increase showings? I do. The last question I have is a rhetorical one, with offers like this, is it any wonder that the Redfin's of the world want a peace of our business... or that they can suggest we are lazy bums not sufficiently motivated by 39k so they need to bribe us with 50K more?


$50,000 Selling Agent BONUS!
Did you know average price per square foot of waterfront homes in Cornelius is over $300 per square foot???

Offered At: $1,450,000

* Waterfront
* 3 Level Home
* Private Dock
* Year Round Deep Water
* 3 Car Garage
* Large Rec Room with Full Bar and Wine Room
* 5612 HLA with additional 700+ unfinished sq ft for another bedroom/bathroom


COMMENTS:

Custom built waterfront home in Cornelius is listed $300,000 below value(5,612 x 312=$1.75M)! Some agents have not shown this home because of it's proximity to I77. We are giving you 50,000 reasons to show it! This 3-year old custom home couldn't be rebuilt today for under $1,000,000! Just ask yourself - what would a half-acre waterfront lot, with a private dock/pier and deep water in Cornelius cost? $500k?, $600k? the average is $700k just for the land! Bring your buyer now for an unbelievable deal - plus a $50,000 BONUS!

Scarrier yet Zillow ranks us as the 3rd strongest market in the nation... yeow.

The Microsoft Answer

quite funny


who knew the competition awaiting the I phone?

Two Easy Votes

If you believe that Charlotte's best days are in the future, as I do, these two votes in November are easy. I'll be writing more detailed posts in the days to come, but right now I felt the need to get on the record on these two important ballot initiatives, the first favoring the school bond package, and voting No on the repeal of the transit tax.

In the case of the school bonds, this is the first third of a 1.5 Billion dollar building need. Many CMS schools are over crowded in the suburbs, and we need new schools there... and in town, many of the older schools are dilapdiated, and all of our students deserve to be in a structurally sound and sensible schools-- whether is is repairing a rickety outdoor football stadium in town or starting lunches at 10:15 because your cafeteria size is too small for your large over crowded high school, - these are situations that must be addressed for the good of the entire community. It is not an "either, or" situation, both must be done, and will be done, if the community makes that commitment.

There are those who think Charlotte has lost something in its move into the 21st century as a large modern city in the south. To them, CMS reminds them of the bussing of their youth, the White Water Center is just for "elites" and transit- trains, busses and street cars, just scare them... all they can see is a city future they don't like and potential tax increases they like less.

Still the question remains, do you think Charlotte's best days are ahead of them? If so, investing in the future makes sense. Growth is not slowing-- in 2006 more than 100,000 people moved to greater Charlotte. If you believe Charlotte's best days are in the past, then it is time to oppose every investment in the future. It is not that hard to figure out which side each politician sits on. It is also not a time for selfishness-- the political equivalent of a child saying "if you won't play my way I'll take my ball and go home." It is time for leadership and a commitment to this communities future.

Schools, transit and roads, or roads, transit and schools, take your pick, we need all three. More to come...

Sunday Night Steals And Deals

Everyone knows that Charlotte real estate is appreciating in the midst of a nationwide housing downturn... but it is still a buyers market here and there are deals to be had if you know
where to look.

So each Sunday I'll search the Charlotte listings for the best* property in a given class on the market NOW. In the interest of fairness I will exclude any of my own listings. I'll be evaluating "most house for the money" by square feet, features, age (new or newer) and location. On the water I'll add access and water features. Each week I'll take a look the best of South Charlotte, 4000 sf homes for under 400K-- and the best waterfront of Lake Norman, and Lake Wylie.

The Week's Winners

In South Charlotte, compiled from zip codes 28270,28277 and 28278, this home in 28277 has 5 br, 3.5 baths and is all brick with a 1/3 acre lot and finished basement. Children would attend some of the best schools in S Charlotte with McKee Road Elementary, Jay M. Robinson Middle and Ardrey Kell High School. 5 minutes to grocery store, 7-8 minutes to Target, it needs some work, and is being sold as is at 399,900. E Mail Terry (at) TerryMcDonaldRE.com

At the Lakes, best under $800K
In the north, I selected a 3500 sf log cabin in Sherrills Ford on Lake Norman. This open and airy log cabin has 3 levels, the lower leverl has a 2nd kitchen, a view and could easily be a mother-in law suite. Add a terrific dock including good water, a boatlift and slip. Built in 2002, this Old Hickory log home has a wrap around deck and great creek view. Catawba county taxes, .53 per hundred make lake living affordable. Asking 675K, taxes about $2,600 per year. Wow! E Mail Terry (at) TerryMcDonaldRE.com

At Lake Wylie, the smaller but closer lake to Charlotte, I chose a house in South Carolina. This traditional all brick home has over 3800 sf, 5 br, 3.5 ba , a finished basement, a screen porch and a large lot- 2.2 acres, a lot of it fenced! The water is deep, shady slip and boatlift included.
this one is $780K. Well-regarded Clover schools, unbelievably cheap SC taxes. E Mail Terry (at) TerryMcDonaldRE.com

*Best in the exclusive view of your host, based on the data I have, my understanding of the area, and since I'm not the listing agent and may have not seen the property, my opinion may change upon visiting and of course your results may vary! Due to advertising restrictions, I can't show the photos but if you see something you like, just send me an email, I'll send you a Property Report. If you are interested in the property, I would be happy represent you as your Buyer Agent. Remember, transparent real estate is better real estate.

Update on Iraq from the 82nd Airborne

Ever wonder what is really going on in Iraq? I mean what is spin? Optimistic thinking? Reality? Just what is going on...Do you? I know I do, so it was with great interest that I read of a half dozen en-listed and non-com officers who wrote a report about the Iraq they saw. If you are interested on the view from a soldier's level, check it out here, (link may be hidden by subscription NYTimes) it was published on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times Sunday. Regardless if you agree or not, it is a powerful statement of the obstacles faced by genuine American heroes. Also, in full disclosure, I have a son who is an officer in the US Navy.

I know its not our normal Charlotte stuff, but take a minute and take in their view. It could change you. We need to do the right thing. terry

The Real Deal on 2nd Quarter Charlotte Home Prices

Yes I know, Charlotte Home prices are up-- up 7% says the Charlotte Observer today. National real estate powerhouse Zillow , ranked Charlotte third best in the country with prices up 9%--so is that it? Well no, not exactly... not wanting to rain on anybody's parade-- how is Charlotte real estate really doing?

The Observer just asks what the average sales price of a home was-- with no comparison by size, area distribution, or type. (single family, townhouse or condo) I think it is impossible to say how much property has appreciated in 2007 from those numbers. And Zillow? Check their last post on my site, Response from Zillow, to see if you can figure out how they compute their Zestimates, both regionally and nationally. I don't think I get it yet.

So how did I figure the 2nd quarter results you see below? Easy, I computed average square foot price of homes in the area, over the three months of April through June 30, and compared it to the same area, in the same three months in 2006. Its simple division, and the Average Square Foot price of Sold homes increased 4.73% on 7.58% fewer sales.

Here then are the 2nd quarter numbers:

	Charlotte Metro Area, 2nd Quareter 2007
	2006	2007	Inc/Dec %
Solds
Units Sold	14084	13017	-7.58
Average Cost Per SF	110.77	116.01	4.73
Average Days on Market	83	77	-7.23
Expired Listings	1922	2439	26.90

The obvious is that the average cost per sq foot rose 4.73% in the 2nd quarter of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006. But the number of units fell 7.6%, and look at the "Expireds"-- expired listings, those that didn't sell and expired, are up more than 25%.

So then if the number of sales is off less than 8% , but the prices are up 4.73%, that's good, isn't it? In today's market, across the country it is good. While Zillow and I disagree about how good Charlotte is doing, we are in agreement that Charlotte is making it through the national housing decline very well.

There you have the three different methodologies, no prize for guessing which I favor. I like mine because it is based on actual sales, totally objective numbers, that when taken in the aggregate, and averaged based on the heated square feet of a home, should be a representative sample and the leading indicator of how well Charlotte is appreciating. Also, they are easily verified by anyone with access to the MLS.

In the past I've done market reports by zip code, but I'm changing that and I'm working on a list of "bell weather" neighborhoods to keep you posted on-- and taken together, they will provide a unique "value index" not unlike the Dow Jones.

So why can't I just shut up and be happy with Zillows 9% or the Observer's 7%? Isn't that great?As a Realtor, wouldn't I want those numbers to be true? Yes I would and we are doing well, just not that well, and next week I may be sitting in your house, trying to estimate the value of your home to put it on the market. I'm sure you will have seen some of these headlines... and I want your home to sell at the best price, in the shortest time. One thing is certain, transparent real estate is here to stay and only the homes priced right will sell.

I'll post further on these 2nd quarter results as time allows.

tm

A Response From Zillow

Update- Zillow announced yesterday that Charlotte MSA prices were up 9% over last year, 3rd best in the nation... which would be great if true, however my research, easily done with our MLS, indicates otherwise.

Zillow responded in another forum to my question on how these numbers were created:

Hi, it's David from Zillow;

Terry -

Zillow is a database of all homes not just those that are currently on the market and so we calculate Zestimate values for all of the homes in our database. With this database we can report the value trends of all homes not just those that recently sold. The beauty of this approach is that it is not skewed by a change in the mix of homes that are selling - a common problem for the traditional approach of reporting value trends using only an analysis of recent sales

I think I understand that David, but I have two questions:
Your national and local MSA numbers are then the addition of all of your Zestimates, which were created from the extrapolations from actual comparable property sales, correct? Essentially additions of estimates based on comparable sales, right? Then if I took ALL the sales over a longer period of time, and compared them to the same time and place last year, our numbers should be similar shouldn't they? Well they aren't, they are way off.

Your President has stated that as much as 38% of your Zestimates are more than 10% off, why isn't your margin of error compounded in a fast moving market where prices could be going up or down relatively quickly. I'm not a statistician, but it seems that margin of error must go up in these conditons.

While our numbers and yours do correspond in some regards- for example our more expensive homes have taken the hardest hit- your data indicated the medium to large home have taken a harder hit, a pretty similar picture, there is still a huge variance in our actual results from the MLS which while not 100% complete is a good representative sample of non-builder sales.

I've recently done research on two of the top three leading zips, with appreciation based on average square foot prices from the MLS, reports showing them for the 3 month period ending July 31. In one zip code, there was price appreciation 50% below yours, and in the other? Double digit depreciation! The zip codes in question, 28277 appreciated 4.5%, and 28278 depreciated 11.97%--over May, June and July- quite a difference to Zillow's +9%, the actual reports are below for your review.

Why is this important? Because I am sure one of our local papers will pick up the Zillow press release and report it, probably uncritically, and I'll have to face a seller next week who thinks his property has gone up 9% when it might have fallen 10% from last year.

David, I'd like to be able to use your numbers--really I would if I had a sense they were atleast roughly accurate. They are impressive by their sheer volume and I know that a lot of big-time crunching has been done, but I just can't not explain the difference between our methods or why your addition of estimates would be a better measure of my market than the actual data, as long as there are sufficient transactions to be meaningful statistically. Here are my zip code Market Reports
Market Report 28277- July 2007
Market Report 28278- July 2007

Don't get me wrong, I know Charlotte has fared much much better than most of the country, but the headlines need to be right. Your comments are appreciated. terry

Post Options

Charlotte 3rd Fastest Appreciating City 2nd Qtr 2007

In statistics released today, Zillow, the national web based housing valuator, ranked the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill MSA 3rd in the nation with a net 9% increase in total housing market value in a year to year comparison through the 2nd quarter of 2007.

This just smacks us in the face doesn't it? And begs the question, how did they figure it? The key may still be year to year- our numbers showed sales being off, but appreciation in the 2-4% area, see our recent Market Updates. I'll be working to get to the bottom of it. I crave good data, and if accurate, it is a goldmine! IF!

I'll have more later.

The Sky is NOT FALLING Part II

I asked a skilled and thoughtful lender, Olan Carder, his opinion on the sub-prime mortgage mess and the effect on our buyers. Olan is a senior originator for Myers Park Mortgage, the #1 mortgage originator in Charlotte, NC. Here are his thoughts on it all.

“What the Sub-Prime Debacle Means For the Typical Borrower”

First lets get some things in perspective. You never hear anyone talk about how large the subprime market really is, and that is important to understand when considering its overall impact on the market. The truth is that subprime mortgages make up only a small percentage, approximately 14%, of the total mortgage market and only about 13% of those are late on payments, according to a recent article by Jerry Bowyer at Fox News. That leaves us wondering. If the problem is that small why are all these national lenders going out of business?

Let me try to explain this in simple terms. Mortgage lenders make money by funding new loans with someone else's money. They make the loans and then sell the loans to investors for a profit. When the foreclosure rates get too high for a certain kind of loan, none of the investors want to buy them anymore. If the mortgage lenders that specialize in those loans have already tied up all their money with new loans, and then no one will buy them, they don't have any money left to make any new loans. That's when they close their doors.

In the current market, investors have stopped buying subprime loans. They will still buy some of them, but at a very low price that basically costs the mortgage lenders all of their profit. When mortgage lenders can't make any profit on a loan program, you can bet that program is either going away completely or will become outrageously expensive. How does this translate to today's typical homebuyer? Not bad at all!

The typical homebuyer today will not be effected very much at all by these recent changes. Since 86% of mortgages don't fall into the subprime category and traditional mortgage products are priced very well right now, the typical homebuyer should be just fine. Most homebuyers easily qualify for conventional mortgages, but for many who fall below the credit requirements for traditional loans, Fannie Mae has many affordable community lending programs that are fantastic. Another recent change you can thank Uncle Sam for is PMI becoming tax deductible. If you make less then $100,000 per year and take a loan with Private Mortgage Insurance, you can now write-off that monthly PMI payment! (my italics tm)

The overall mortgage market is strong, and many of the lenders and programs that just collapsed were bad for consumers anyway. My advice to homebuyers with credit problems is to find a loan officer that cares enough to help you through repairing your credit and positioning yourself for a quality fixed rate mortgage that you can afford.
To get more information, a rate or payment, visit Olan's Site.

Thanks Olan!

South Charlotte Market Report- 28277 - July

Zip 28277, South Charlotte , is having a sturdy if not all together pretty 2007. Prices are up, the number of sales are way down, and expired listings went through the roof. 28277 is Charlotte's 2nd highest income zip code, and includes neighborhoods like Providence Country Club, Ballantyne Country Club, The Blakeney Area, Ardrey and more. One of Charlotte's most popular zip codes, here are the July numbers, and the 3 month trend ending 7/31/07.

	2006	2007	Inc/Dec
Solds July	155	102	-34.19
3 Months Ending Jul 31	461	366	-20.61
Average Days On Market	46	50	8.70
Expired Listings	562	841	49.64
Average Cost Per SF
July 1-July 31	134	138	2.99
3 months ending 7/31	132	138	4.55

What I found particular interesting was that Average Days on market- DOM, was up only 8% but expired listings were up 50%. July sales were sharply off sales a year ago, yet prices both for July and the 3 month held at an average of 138 per sf.

So what could explain increased pricing in the face of dramatically fewer homes sold, and at almost the same DOM? I think it reveals the popularity and strength of the area, for homes in good to excellent condition. I think we are on relatively safe ground saying that the 102 homes that sold in July, versus the 841 expired, must have been both in better condition and better priced.

So what conclusions could a buyer or seller draw? I think sellers need to have their homes in good to excellent condition, and be realistic in their pricing. It is not 2006.

Buyers? There is a good selection here. Hopefully you could find more than one excellent choice, and still get a great home in one of the best areas of Charlotte at around 138 per square foot. Not bad at all!

All the numbers are taken from the Charlotte MLS and are believed to be accurate but are of course not guaranteed. Builders do not list every home so MLS numbers are better indicators of the resale market. I believe transparent real estate is better real estate.
Enjoy the slide show of Ballantyne below:

The Sky Is NOT Falling

After a week of one bad news story after another about the "Melt-down", "Collapse" and the impending doom within the mortgage industry it might be time to take some IB, have a scotch and calm down.

The "sub-prime" markets account for less than 15% of the total mortgage market.
The number of mortgages in jeopardy? .4% (That is no typo, it is 0.40%)

Why then all they hype? Because Wall Street is crying up a storm, isn't lending anymore at the wholsale level, and we've returned to a mortgage market more similar to 2000, when you need to prove your income, have good credit and a job.

There are loans out there for you to buy a new home if you have a downpayment, good credit and a job. Thats all there is to it.


Technorati Profile

SW Charlotte Real Estate Update- 28278

So we heard last month that the nationwide slowdown in housing has finally caught up with Charlotte in the form of fewer sales in June, with prices (thankfully) and year to date numbers still holding strong. Over the next 2 weeks I'll be posting about various South Charlotte Zip Codes to see how they are faring. This week I'm looking at South West Charlotte, zip code 28278, one of the fastest growing zip's in Charlotte, and a couple of popular new home communities. All of the numbers are taken from the Charlotte MLS, and are believed to be reliable but not guaranteed. Builders do not list every home, therefore every sale is not listed either, and 28278 is all about the new home market. Still the numbers tell a story.

	2006	2007	Inc/Dec %
Solds July	43	54	25.58
3 Months Ending Jul 31	135	156	15.56
Average Cost Per SF
July 1-July 31	142	105	-26.06
3 months ending 7/31	117	103	-11.97

So healthy gains in units sold in 2007 (25% in July, 15% 3 mo average) are somewhat offset by lower prices in 2007. This reflects the substantial discounts being offered by new home builders- in particular the national new home builders- over 2006 prices.

Berewick and the Palisades followed suit.
At Berewick reported sales were 50% higher than in 2006, with average cost per square foot falling from 94 to 89.00/sf, a 5% drop.

At the Palisades, reported sales were 50% higher as well, with average square foot costs falling form $244/sf in 2006 to $221/sf in 2007, a 9% drop.

The drop in average square foot prices for the entire zip is a reflection of the new home market which dominated 28278 which is suffering sharper declines then the re-sale market.

So what conclusions should a buyer make if they like SW Charlotte? Well SW Charlotte is a beautiful area of Charlotte and extremely convenient to Uptown- the increased number of sales are proof of that, but what would the wise buyer do?

1. Buy inventory only, and at a discount. Inventory are homes that are ready now or will be ready within 90 days. Most builders will deal on these, and in this market they would be foolish not to. Insist your buyer agent (hopefully us!) make them an offer for 5-7% less than they are asking. If there is no inventory, don't buy there.

2. Buy in the lower to middle of the price ranges, avoiding the top unless the prices are too good to pass up!

That's all for now!

And Now Homebanc...

Homebanc has stopped funding as of the end of business yesterday... WOW, they were a major player here. Essentially this means all Wall Street funding of mortgages is coming to a close, an end of an era. These company's have had margin calls reminiscent of 1929, both had lots of money on hand, but not enough to get them out of crisis- American Home Mortgage burnt through 1Billion dollars in about 10 days, covering margin calls.

5-7 of the NC branches were bought by Countrywide, including it appears the SouthPark branch here, so if you are working with them for a mortgage hopefully it will be taken over by Countrywide. That's what I hear as of today. The news is still a bit sketchy, and hard to confirm, but I'll keep an eye on it. Apparently the Countrywide people have taken over, moved into, Homebanc's Southpark office. Stay tuned.

Sub Prime Woes Worsen

Just when many thought the sub prime debacle was about done, American Home Mortgaage fired its 6200 workers and went into Chapter 11 Friday, and issued a cease funding order, effective immediately.
AHM,the 10th largest mortgage company in the country traded at 39/share a year ago, and 12/share a week ago, was apparently the subject of multiple margin calls last week. It was a major player around the country and here in Charlotte. A lender friend told me of a closing that had taken place with a local builder, but that AHM wouldn't fund.

This seems an excellent time to share a terrific post on credit, what to do now if you are planning on buying a home in the near future. Rhonda Porter walks you through a step by step guide to getting the best rate, if you are a 1st time buyer, a move-up buyer or are refinancing a variable rate in the next 6-12 months. Here is what you should be doing now, its well worth the read.

Shift Happens

You may have seen this before, but it addresses the education issues facing our nation head on-- its disturbing, and powerful.



This will present a few more questions for Mr. Gorman...

Getting back to blogging

Sorry its been so long since my last post... a family trip to Europe, a very busy real estate year, a move myself, and a son's graduation here in Charlotte's kept me away. But I return with new confidence and determination to write thoughtful posts here about the many great things happening here in Charlotte--or occasionally from... Greece perhaps? The Acropolis at night was breathtaking.

I'll be introducing several new categories or threads here. I'll be blogging on the important communities and developments in and around Charlotte. At last count we were the 9th largest new home market in the US and we have all the national builders here, plus some excellent regional ones as well. Over time we'll look at the various developments, builders and communities with an eye towards helping you find a happy home for yourself. It's corny and a cliche all in one, but happiness is what we are all looking for- and for most of us we find that in community with one another. (Uni-bomber and other terrorists excluded!)

I'll also be blogging about fun things to do in the greater Charlotte area. Just today I went white water rafting at the U.S. National Whitewater Center here in Charlotte. You may have seen it on the Discovery Channel last week , but it's a man made wonder, just 15 minutes from Uptown Charlotte. I got a 2 hour work out, got dunked in the 80 degree drinking water, and all in all had a great time with my family. What a great addition to the Charlotte area.

I'll also be occasionally posting about local politics here. We need to invest in our future, we need more schools, more roads and transit, and we need more political courage to move this city forward. this fall we need to pass the school bond, and keep the transit tax. It may be time to petition the County and state for a road bond to complete some needed improvements. But we are growing at between 60-80,000 people per year. We've got to build more schools and roads, just to not fall further behind!

The Palisades

From time to time I'll write about the extraordinary in Charlotte--

It's fitting my first community post is about Lake Wylie and The Palisades in Charlotte, North Carolina.The whole Southwest Charlotte corridor is bursting with growth- and I find myself being drawn more and more to the water. After relaxing aboard a 28' cabin cruiser in May off and on for a week with friends on the Severn River in Annapolis, I reached a state of mind not equalled since I was a child on the beach. Getting on the water, or getting closer feels just right. So imagine my surprise living in land-locked Charlotte to discover the resort style living available at The Palisades!

Maybe you live in the Washington DC suburbs, NY City, Boston or some other big city suburb; can you imagine a resort community on rolling hills, less than 30 minutes to downtown, or in our case Uptown...with home prices from the 400's? You are just 5 minutes to the lake, 5 minutes to the first hole of a Jack Nicklaus course, 25 minutes to watch the NFL Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and a 30-35 minute daily commute the center of town, the Bank of America Tower. On foot, by bike, or golf cart, you are just minutes to swimming, golf, tennis, an equestrian center or soccer fields. As an Audubon Community, they've artfully preserved green space and natural habitats so you are likely to see deer, the occasional fox, and the plentiful hawk. And you'll see your neighbors too! This isn't a retirement community, though retirees live here. It's an active, amenity rich environment, filled with both nature and modern conveniences... Live in Charlotte, have all the benefits of a major modern city in the South, go to professional sports, the performing arts, world-class shopping- and almost be on vacation at the same time--I am not kidding. Once shopping inside the community is complete, it will be a self-contained walking community where people will know their neighbors.

Prices start in the 400's, custom homes in the 800's-- a total of 21 custom and production builders are here. There are 11 distinct neighborhoods today, with another 5 openning this fall. Homearama visited here in 2005, and will return in the fall of 2008 at The Ranch, a collection of 1+ acre tracts with luxurious custom homes.

In my next Community post I'll write about the Palisades Boat Club- a unique boating experience on Lake Wylie. I'll also write about the country club, the Tim Wilkinson Tennis and Swim Club and the exciting over 30 event this September which will feature Jim Courier, Pete Sampras and Mats Wilander. Plus all the new shopping that has come to Southwest Charlotte in the last year. For more information about The Palisades visit http://www.thepalisades.info. For more information about, lot sales, home sales, new, custom or resale, e-mail me, terry (at) terrymcdonaldre.com, or call me at 704-351-1519. To see a slide show I photographed, visit here. I am a licensed broker and represent Buyers in NC and SC, someone who believes in Palisades personally, and helps folks find the right home and community for them without prejudice. All opinions expressed are my own, all facts and figures are relayed to the best of my knowledge but are not guaranteed or are they an endorsement of any development.