Category: Uncategorized

Punxsutawney Phil called for an early spring and the Charlotte housing market was already one step ahead of him. The market is moving and doesn’t show signs of slowing down. Dr. Lawrence Yum, Chief Economist at The National Association of Realtors, recently visited the Queen City and agrees, “You are in a very good Market”! 

Charlotte is one of 10 markets in the country that will outperform the national average for home appreciation in the next five years. And, according to Yum, Charlotte has seen twice the job growth than the national average over the past 20 years.  Not only that, but weekly wage growth has grown by 33% in the last dozen years. That’s a recipe for a strong market! Yum also expects optimism in the stock market thanks to the recent Canada-Mexico Trade agreement and fading discussion about a 2020 recession.

Charlotte’s home market is not without its challenges. In December inventory dropped to 1.7 months, historically low (three months is considered a healthy market), and Millennials continue to put off home ownership as they tackle college debt and postpone marriage. ………And then there are those ugly unresolved national issues including divided government, deficit spending, and affordable housing hanging over housing.

But all problems aside, Dr. Yum expects us to see the return of the Millennials and for Charlotte to outperform the national averages by 5%. He is forecasting improvement in real estate four out of the next five years. Exciting times and welcome news for home Sellers! And, the perfect time to give us a call.  Let’s find a new home this spring!

Housing remains bullish. According to the Home Purchase Index, Fannie Mae found that 58% of Americans say it’s a good time to buy a home, and maybe as importantly 65% say it’s a good time to sell one! These sentiments likely have a lot to do with interest rates that, even though they have been bouncing around a bit, are 1% lower year over year and close to historical lows.

Additionally, rents have reached a national average of $1,465/ month in June, up $45 bucks from this time last year. Charlotte comes in at $1,243 up 5% since last year. Throw in rising consumer credit scores, and it really is a good time to call Wood-Williams Realty, LLC.!

A synopsis of data drawn from South State Bank’s Expert Update published 9/20/19

That said, we wanted to share neighborhoods across Charlotte where we are active and provide some single-family activity data from the last 90 days:

This information was compiled from CMLS on 9/20/2019 at 11 AM. All single-family properties that identified themselves as being in those neighborhoods were used.

This is just a broad look at these neighborhoods. For an expert opinion give us a call. Next month look for a similar survey of condo activity.

Here’s a snapshot of our latest listings. We look forward to hearing from you!

$349,000 none

346 Country Club Heights Rd Tryon, NORTH CAROLINA

3 Beds 4 Baths 3,000 SqFt 4 Acres

$262,500 Active Under Contract

2516 Cranbrook Lane 9 Charlotte, North Carolina

2 Beds 1 Baths 806 SqFt

Hold on to your seats, Mecklenburg County’s next big challenge is its recently announced property revaluation. Mandated by NC state law, Mecklenburg County is required to revalue property every 8 years. In 2011 the county’s revaluation collapsed under the weight of lawsuits and property appeals. It’s hoping this one goes more smoothly. Expect to see your new value by early in January 2019. The early word is that Countywide, median residential values will increase 40%, while median commercial values are expected to increase 76%. Ouch! If these are median values, look for bigger increases in intercity neighborhoods and traditional hot spots like Myers Park, Eastover, Foxcroft, and Cotswold. These are values not taxes. Tax rates will not be available until September 2019. County Commissioners could vote to keep values revenue neutral, but I wouldn’t bet on it. My guess is that as a result those owners can expect higher taxes and sub sequentially renter’s higher rents.

Look for notes on activity in Charlotte’s Regional Market in the next couple of weeks. We have a sense that the market has cooled, but will have November’s numbers by mid- month to evaluate.