CONTACT US - 704 577 3306 OR CLICK E MAIL NICK@LAKEANDTOWN.COM

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Bryton In Huntersville, Huntersville Homes

Bryton In Huntersville NC (edit/delete)

Huntersville ImageBryton In Huntersville NC still is a go and might begin within a few months. The massive 4000 homes giant 'village' is planned to exemplify the concept on development incorporating the characteristics of the some of the best and most beautiful towns and villages in the country. Initial work will begin relocating the track for the future commuter rail that is planned to intersect the community.
Check out the concept PDF here:




Article form Charlotte Observer 11/22/09

American Asset Corp- Bryton

Monday, November 9, 2009

Real Estate Listing Photos- Charlotte, Lake Norman, Uptown, South Charlotte

Real Estate Listing Photos - Charlotte, Huntersville, Lake Norman Area, South Charlotte, Denver, Concord NC - 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!



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!






Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Home Prices Rose in Most Major Cities in August - WSJ.com

Nice map graphic of 20 major cities

Home Prices Rose in Most Major Cities in August - WSJ.com

U.S. Home Prices Up for a 3rd Month - NYTimes.com

Stability is first step to bottom.

U.S. Home Prices Up for a 3rd Month - NYTimes.com

Huntersville, North Carolina - Information Site, Homes for Sale, Information & Links

Huntersville, North Carolina - Information Site, Homes for Sale, Information & Links 


Huntersville Image


Huntersville, North Carolina Information Page full of links, information and all things Huntersville, North Carolina.
(REPOST THIS IS THE PAGE WE WERE REFERRING TO)

Huntersville North Carolina, the town directly north of Charlotte NC in       Mecklenburg County is one of the premier southern fast growth towns. Huntersville has  a population of approximately 35,000 and growing. It has some strong attributes besides its proximity to Charlotte. Among them low taxes, temperate climate, low housing costs (relatively), Lake Norman, good schools, great shopping and a favorable business climate for corporate relocation.

We have created a blog with a page of links for info and steadily updated news and happenings from the area wihich inclusdes the entire North Lake Region and Charlotte.
http://www.charlottelakenormanhomes.blogspot.com/
Also check out the article form Forbes naming Huntersville the 2nd most favorable place to relocate to:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/07/relocate-relocation-cities-lifestyle-real-estate-affordable-moving_slide_3.html

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Premier to add 300 jobs, move headquarters to Ballantyne, Charlotte, North Carolina

Premier to add 300 jobs, move headquarters to Ballantyne, Charlotte North Carolina


Good move Premier Inc.! Any relos please call us we will offer buyer credit and put money in your pocket, in writing.

Article from Charlotte Observer:

Premier to add 300 jobs, move headquarters to Ballantyne - CharlotteObserver.com

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Huntersville Presbyterian, Carolina's Medical Center, (Charlotte and Concord ) make list of Top 100 Hospitals

Huntersville Presbyterian, Carolina's Medical Center, (Charlotte and Concord ) make list of Top 100 Hospitals in Value Index in Value Index. See Article in Reuters

Hospital Value Index: Top 100 Best in Value Hospitals Released | Reuters

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Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Most Toxic Loans in Commercial Real Estate

The Most Toxic Loans in Commercial Real Estate: "





Not all commercial real-estate loans are created equal.


In Wednesday’s Journal we reported that U.S. banks have been “slow” to take losses on battered commercial real-estate loans, according to a Federal Reserve presentation to banking regulators last month.


So which are the most toxic loans?


The answer will sound familiar to anyone who’s followed the subprime mortgage meltdown. The Fed presentation points to Interest-only loans, held by banks or repackaged into securities, as the most poisoned piece of the commercial real-estate pie.


Interest-only loans allow borrowers to pay only the interest on the loan for a set period of time but no principal. A lot of these loans were made at the market peak, get no benefit from amortization and have seen a decline of more than 45% in the values of the properties backing the loans, the Fed presentation notes.


As a result, borrowers with these loans likely will a hard time refinancing when they come due. From 2010 through 2013, about $175 billion of five-year interest-only loans bundled into CMBS will mature, but that figure would be much bigger when it comes to interest-only commercial loans held by banks. “CMBS dollar amount is low compared to bank ‘IO’ problem,” says the Fed report, referring to interest only.


Another interesting point made by the Fed presentation is that while commercial real estate is continuing to decline, the reason for the drop is shifting. Up until now, values have dropped about 30% from the peak primarily because of the evaporation of capital and a massive recalculation of risk within the industry, it says. Buyers are demanding much lower prices and higher yields to compensate for the risk they’re taking on.


But now, lower rents and higher vacancies also are dragging down values, the presentation notes, predicting another 10% to 15% decline in 2010.




"

Saturday, October 10, 2009

North Carolina / Charlotte / Lake Norman Foreclosed Properties - Paid Closing with New Program from Fannie & Freddie

North Carolina / Charlotte / Lake Norman Foreclosed Properties - Paid Closing with New Program from Fannie & Freddie 

North Carolina / Charlotte / Lake Norman Foreclosed Properrties - Paid Closing with New  Program from Fannie & Freddie Get additional incentives from Fannie & Freddie




Great Program from Freddie and Frannie see Article form the Ny Times with a link to Fannie's website to find homes in your area.

Lake & Town is a registered with HUD to find and represent you with a foreclosure please call or e mail for info!

Help From Fannie and Freddie for Foreclosed Homes

The New York Times

Published: October 9, 2009
HOME buyers are not accustomed to getting much help with their mortgage financing; generally, they’re happy just to get a loan closed.
At least one group of borrowers, though, could get a break. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-controlled companies that buy mortgages in bulk from lenders, are offering financing incentives for buyers of foreclosed homes that Fannie and Freddie own.
Home buyers have until Oct. 30 to apply to take advantage of Freddie Mac’s SmartBuy program, which began in July and offers up to 3.5 percent of a home’s sale price to help cover closing costs.
To qualify, the home must be a principal residence and must be chosen from Freddie Mac’s HomeSteps Web site for its foreclosed properties (homesteps.com/homeshoppers.htm). Loans must close by year’s end. The HomeSteps properties also include two-year warranties on major appliances and electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning and heating systems.
HomeSteps includes relatively few properties in New York City and the surrounding counties, however, in part because Freddie Mac accepts few loans greater than $417,000. Last week, for instance, the site had no homes in Manhattan and five in Westchester County, including a three-bedroom apartment in Yonkers and a four-bedroom home in South Salem, both listed for $300,000. (There were a few more homes in New Jersey and in Fairfield County, Connecticut.)
Nor does the Fannie Mae program, HomePath.com, have many foreclosed homes for sale in the greater New York region. A one-bedroom apartment on West 110th Street, selling for $378,000, was the site’s only Manhattan listing last week. (Thirteen homes were available in Nassau County, by contrast.)
The incentives for buyers in Fannie Mae’s ongoing program are even more aggressive than those offered by Freddie Mac.
Through participating lenders, Fannie will offer mortgages to buyers who make a down payment of 3 percent, and these buyers do not have to secure private mortgage insurance, or P.M.I., as they would when doing business with nearly any other lender.
A Fannie Mae spokeswoman, Amy Bonitatibus, said the company “already owns the risk” on the property. “So buyers can save a couple hundred dollars a month in insurance,” she said.
Fannie Mae will often offer closing cost assistance to buyers, so long as they negotiate for it. Unlike Freddie Mac’s, Fannie’s assistance level is not capped. Under the program, the average homeowner has received payments equivalent to 3.75 percent of the loan’s value.
Until June, Fannie Mae also offered to pay for home repairs during the borrower’s first six months in the property, up to $3,000. The company is considering whether to renew, or change, that program.
Also, in areas hit hardest by the economic downturn that have qualified for federal financing through the National Stabilization Program, which helps distressed communities, Fannie Mae may discount its foreclosed properties by up to 15 percent.
Most of Fannie Mae’s foreclosure incentives are offered to buyers who will use the property as their primary residence, or so-called public entities like Neighborhood Housing Services and other organizations that rehabilitate properties and sell them to owner-occupants.
Banks, meanwhile, have been leery of offering financing incentives on foreclosed homes. But Brad Geissen, the chief executive of Foreclosure.com, which, among other things, posts listings of foreclosed homes, said that in his discussions with banking executives, banks appear ready to offer similar programs.
“We’re starting to see banks loosen up on financing and consider a number of different incentive programs to move their inventory,” Mr. Geissen said. “I know a number of banks who are getting ready to release programs like this, between now and the end of the year.”

Mortgages - Help From Fannie and Freddie for Foreclosed Homes - NYTimes.com

Mortgages - Help From Fannie and Freddie for Foreclosed Homes


Mortgages - Help From Fannie and Freddie for Foreclosed Homes - NYTimes.com

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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Robbins Park Homes, Cornelius, NC

Robbins Park Homes, Cornelius, North Carolina (edit/delete)

Robbins Park Homes, Cornelius, North Carolina will benefit from a great location.


The developing Robbins Park Subdivision, a Simonini project on West Catawba Ave Cornelius,  has what I
believe something that will distinguish from most of its competition. The number one component to real estate valuation and desirability - location location location.
Its situated basically across the street form Lake Normans southeast shore along West Catawba, a road dotted with marinas,  restaurants and retail. This comprises most of the picture as far as location is concerned.
But,  added to that is the community itself featuring new homes in a park like setting. According to plans it will be almost entirely surrounded by a park and nature preserve along with a recreation area nearby featuring ball-fields and other amenities.
If you would like some information or any info regarding Charlotte and Lake Norman shoot us an email or call anytime.
Best Nick
Ps Try our new interactive map search powered by Goole Maps!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

49ers' football campaign passes $3.2 million mark - CharlotteObserver.com

49ers' football campaign passes $3.2 million mark - CharlotteObserver.com

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Charlotte, Lake Norman North Carolina Real Estate News

Charlotte, Lake Norman North Carolina Real Estate News 


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!

Monday, September 7, 2009

What does Lake Norman Greenways Mean to your Home or your Future Home

Established and Planned Greenways In the Cornelius, Huntersville area provide numerous economic benefits to  Mecklenburg County, including higher real property values, increased tourism and recreation related revenues, and cost savings for public services.
Greenways have been shown to increase the value of adjacent properties by as much as 5 to 20 percent.
For example, within a new development in Apex, North Carolina, new lots situated on greenways were priced $5,000 higher than comparable lots off the greenway. In Charlotte, national builders typically charge premiums ranging from  $1000 to $5000 for $120,000-$200,000 homes bordering open space and greenways.
Many home buyers and corporations are looking for real estate that provides direct access to public and private greenway systems. Greenways are viewed as amenities by residential, commercial and office park developers who, in turn, are realizing higher rental values and profits. American LIVES, a Real Estate Research Firm, completed a national study of the top reasons that people choose their new home. Walking and biking paths are viewed as extremely important to 74% of buyers nationally. The Crosland Land Company, Charlotte, NC, surveyed 800 new and older Charlotte area homebuyers in 1993 and found that walking/biking paths that meander was the second most important amenity to buyers across all price points and buyer types. Additionally, greenways in Mecklenburg County can also save local tax dollars by utilizing strategies for managing community storm water and placing into productive use landscapes that would not normally be developed for community uses. The 2015 Plan for Mecklenburg County states that Mecklenburg County  has a strong record of economic vitality and new jobs. Greenways will enhance the quality of life in Mecklenburg County and ensure long term economic viability. Tourism is currently ranked as the number one economic force in the world. In several states, regional areas, and localities throughout the nation, greenways have been specifically created to capture the tourism potential of a regional landscape or cultural destination. The State of Missouri, for example, spent $6 million to create the 200-mile KATY Trail, which, in its first full year of operation, generated travel and tourism expenditures of more than $6 million. Orange County, Florida spent $2 million to create the 16-mile West Orange Greenway and expects to realize a complete return on its investment in the first year of operation through the economic revitalization of the small towns that lie along the trail's route.
Greenway Name Mileage StatusWhat does Lake Norman Greenways Mean to your Home or your Future Home

 Upper Little Sugar Creek 1.1 Existing
Lower Little Sugar Creek 1.3 Existing
Mallard/Clark's Creek 3.7 Existing
McAlpine Creek 4.1 Existing
McMullen Creek 1.3 Existing
McAlpine Nature Trail 1.7 Existing
McAlpine Cross Country 3.1 Existing
SUBTOTAL EXISTING 16.3
Mallard/Clark's Creek III 3.0 Planned
Torrence Creek 2.3 Planned
Irwin Creek 3.75 Planned
Lower McAlpine Creek 3.2 Planned
Lower McMullen Creek 1.3 Planned
SUBTOTAL PLANNED 13.55
TOTAL MILEAGE 29.85

E mail me at  Nick@LakeandTown.com

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Augustalee, Cornelius North Carolina - Augustalee Update 9/3/2009

Augustalee Cornelius NCI have been following the proposed Augustalee development in Cornelius North Carolina for over a year now. There have been some major changes in the past couple of weeks that can change the total outlook of this project.
Recently, the original owners have had some issues with it's lenders and now have lost the opportunity to continue with Augustalee. Here is an article written in the The Herald that explains the lastest news on the project.

The Michigan pension fund that took over the proposed Augustalee project Thursday predicts it can find the new capital and "additional development expertise" needed to "move the project forward."

In a statement released by their Charlotte attorney Friday, Aug. 28, BUILD Fund officials said they also look "forward to working with officials for Cornelius, other state and local officials and Fifth Third Bank."

Fifth Third Bank is the senior lender on the proposed $155 million, mixed-used development, and the BUILD Fund was the second lender until foreclosing on the original developers, Cornelius Bromont and Bromont Investments.

Katten Muchin Rosenman, the Charlotte law firm representing the BUILD Fund, held a foreclosure sale at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at the firms' offices on the 26th floor of 3 Wachovia Center. The BUILD Fund, which already has advanced the development $19 million, was the sole bidder for Augustalee, offering $2.5 million.

Walt Rector and his son, Josh, who own Cornelius Bromont, the original developers, attended the foreclosure proceeding with their attorney, but neither spoke a word.

Cornelius town officials have participated previously in meetings with the Rectors and officials with the BUILD Fund about "how this would proceed," Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte said Friday, Aug. 28. He said those meetings have been "very civil," and he knows that the Rectors and the BUILD Fund are working together on other projects in Dallas, Texas.

Tarte compared the Augustalee dispute to a "quarrel in a family," although he noted that "families sometimes divorce."

Bradley Pearce, the Charlotte attorney representing the BUILD Fund, told the Herald after Thursday's foreclosure sale that BUILD Fund officials have not asked the Rectors to leave the project. Pearce said negotiations between all the parties are continuing.

Earlier in the week, the Rectors sued the BUILD Fund, accusing the pension fund of breach of contract and unfair trade practices. The Rectors contend the BUILD Fund breached its loan agreement to provide an additional $4 million by May 13, triggering the events that led to the foreclosure. The Rectors have asked a judge to order the BUILD Fund to pay damages or the $4 million it promised.

Through a marketing firm, the Rectors have refused to comment. Amy Pritchard Williams, the Charlotte attorney representing the Rectors, said Friday, Aug. 28, that she could not comment on the foreclosure sale or the Rectors' suit against the BUILD Fund. Fifth Third Bank officials did not attend Thursday's sale and have refused comment previously.

In its prepared statement, BUILD Fund officials said they are "optimistic" about moving forward despite Bromont's "failure to satisfy certain milestones and inability to raise additional capital needed to complete the project, including the financing of certain infrastructure and required offsite improvements."

The BUILD Fund describes itself as "a commingled real estate fund that provides, among other things, equity and mezzanine debt financing for various real estate developments and projects around the country."

Once the BUILD Fund, the Rectors and Fifth Third Bank officials have reached some understanding, Tarte hopes the developers will come to a meeting of the town's Board of Commissioners "to share their view of the project."

"They might not want to change a thing," Tarte said. "They might want to scale back or they might want to do something completely different."

But the best outcome for Cornelius, he said, is getting Augustalee built as designed. "What other project could we bring to that 104 acres, or anywhere in North Carolina, that will immediately create 1,000 construction jobs ... and pay for $120 million in road improvements?" Tarte asked. "We need and want Augustalee," he said. "It would be unbelievably tragic and unfortunate," if the projects fails.

At the same time, the mayor said the BUILD Fund still faces an economy in crisis and a minimum delay of at least a year. "There's no magic," he said. "The biggest hurdle is finding the funding, which will pay for the debt service to begin building. No matter who they are, the owners aren't going to see any revenue until something comes out of the ground."