This post has nothing to do with Uptown Charlotte real estate, but I couldn’t resist. Yesterday’s game between the Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers was a nail-biter! In case you missed it, our Panthers won in the last few seconds of the game. So, I just wanted to say congratulations to our team, who play their home games in Uptown Charlotte!

With all the development going on in and around First Ward, it should be one of the Wards to watch appreciation rates grow over the next ten years. Not only is First Ward close to the new Epicentre complex, its home to the Time Warner Arena, Reid’s Fine Foods, Levine Museum of the South, and Imaginon. In the not to distant future, there will also be a branch of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, additional residential, and commercial development. All these elements make First Ward a great place to put your money now to watch it grow!

Skyline Terrace is one of the developments in First Ward that I love. The townhomes are three levels with the master bedroom on the top floor, living space and kitchen on the main floor and extra bedroom/flex space on the lower level. Townhomes in this development also have private patios on the back of the home as well as abundant parking for Uptown Charlotte.

This townhome is in great condition with fresh paint and new carpet. If you would like to schedule a time to take a closer look, email me!

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, the uptown charlotte real estate landscape is really starting to improve with the additions of new buildings on College Street. Starwood Hotels is opening one of their boutique “aloft” hotels on College Street at The Epicentre. The hotel, scheduled to open November 1st, will be unlike any other in Uptown Charlotte.

They recently launched a couple of websites to help keep interested parties updated. To see what aloft is all about, you can visit the pre-opening website, blog, or main website.

On Tuesday I posted a quick entry about the new “Center City Green” that is being built in Uptown Charlotte as a permanent fresh market. While we are waiting for that one to be built, there is a great, smaller market across from Reid’s Fine Foods on 7th Street in First Ward. It is held every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through September 6th.

As the Uptown Charlotte real estate market continues to grow, I’m sure all of the new residents and current residents will frequent these fresh markets to gather their weekly meats and produce. If you’re already a resident of Center City Charlotte, come out and support your local farmers!

If you’ve been down College Street in Uptown Charlotte lately, you’ve probably noticed the transformation going on in the commercial real estate market. With Epicentre getting the finishing touches, and Aloft hotel, the new Bank of America building, and Charlotte’s first Ritz Carlton being erected, College Street is definitely changing for the better.

This picture was taken in front of Epicentre looking down College Street towards the Ritz Carlton and future Bank of America building. I can’t wait to see all of this new commercial real estate in Uptown Charlotte finished because it is definitely changing the landscape!

Remember when I mentioned back in April that we might have a permanent farmers market Uptown? Well, it looks like they might have finally started construction on it. I took this picture this past weekend from the Seventh Street Station and it appears that either this area is being used as a staging area for another uptown project or is really Center City Green getting underway.

In case you missed this update on Uptown Charlotte Real Estate, the parcel of land wedged between The Time Warner Arena (formerly Bobcat’s Arena), Imaginon, and the Holiday Inn, is going to be a mixed use development. It will house a parking deck, condos, restaurant, and green market featuring fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit.

To stay up to date on this development and other uptown charlotte condos and lofts, feel free to contact me.

When I arrived at my office today, my 2008-2009 REALTOR membership guide was in my mailbox. This guide provides a REALTOR membership card and an overview of the benefits provided to REALTORS. As I read through it, one of the items that caught my eye was a “Summary of the Articles of the Code.” This is a summary of the promises that a REALTOR makes when they become a REALTOR. As you may have heard, REALTORS are held to a higher standard than regular real estate practitioners. Reading through the summary got me to thinking, ‘Does the general public know the difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR?’

Here is a look at the Summary of the Articles of the Code as shown in the REALTOR Reference Guide:

Duties to Clients and Customers

Article 1: REALTORS protect and promote their clients’ interests while treating all parties honestly.

Article 2: REALTORS refrain from exaggeration, misrepresentation or concealment of pertinent facts related to proeperty or transactions, and do not reveal confidential information except under certain limited circumstances (e.g. when required by court order or to prevent a crime).

Article 3: REALTORS cooperate with other real estate professionals to advance their clients’ best interests.

Article 4: When buying or selling on their own account or for their firms, REALTORS make their true position or interest known.

Article 5: When providing professional services where they have any present or contemplated interest in a property, REALTORS disclose interest to all affected parties.

Article 6: REALTORS disclose any fee or financial benefit they may receive from recommending related real estate products or services and accept compensation only with their clients’ informed consent.

Article 7: REALTORS receive compensation from only one party, except where they make full disclosure to all parties and receive informed consent from their client.

Article 8: REALTORS keep entrusted funds of clients and customers in a separate escrow account.

Article 9: REALTORS make sure that the details of agreements are put into writing whenever possible and that parties receive copies.

Duties to the Public

Article 10: REALTORS give equal professional service to all clients and customers irrespective of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin and they do not discriminate in their employment practices on any of these bases.

Article 11: REALTORS are knowledgeable and competent in the fields of practice in which they engage, or they get assistance from a knowledgeable professional, or disclose any lack of expertise to the client.

Article 12: REALTORS are honest and truthful in their real estate communications and present a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and in other public representations.

Article 13: REALTORS do no engage in unauthorized practice of law.

Article 14: REALTORS willingly participate in ethics and arbitration enforcement actions.

Duties to REALTORS

Article 15: REALTORS make only truthful, not misleading, comments about other real estate professionals.

Article 16: REALTORS respect the exclusive representation or exclusive brokerage relationship agreements that other REALTORS have with their clients.

Article 17: REALTORS arbitrate contractual disputes and specific non-contractual disputes with other REALTORS and their clients.

So that was just a summary of the REALTOR Code of Ethics, but its a pretty good overview.

REALTORS are also required to attend at least 2.5 hours of Ethics Training every four years. Thats in addition to the mandatory 8 hours of continuing education already required as a real estate agent.

While experience and training can often vary among real estate practitioners, the REALTOR Code of Ethics is one common thread with all REALTORS.

Every once in a while I get to see a great deal come along and its fun to see who will jump at it first. With the $10,000 price reduction on this condo in 5th and Poplar, someone is really going to get a lot of condo for the money! So, I’m wondering if one of the people that came through previously will buy it or if now that it is such a good price, if it will pop up on the radar of a new buyer. Either way, it will be a great home for its next owner.

This is one of the very few condos in Uptown Charlotte, that you can walk in or out of right from the street. The only others that are in the area even close to this would be at 400 North Church, and they are quite a bit more expensive. The other distinctive feature in this condo are the high ceilings. They definitely give the condo an even larger feel.

With the on-site Harris Teeter and close proximity to all the restaurants, bars, and culture in uptown Charlotte, I’m sure this condo will sell quickly at this price.

If it isn’t sold by this weekend, I will be holding an open house to help show it off. Feel free to come visit me from 3 to 5 on Saturday afternoon.

Repeal the Transfer Tax

The NC Senate has overwhelmingly approved SENATE BILL 1951 – legislation that repeals the authority given last year to counties to impose a real estate transfer tax if approved by local voters. Now, the bill goes to the NC House of Representatives for consideration. It’s important that we move quickly because budget negotiations are on the fast track and we can’t let our state legislators leave Raleigh without fully considering a repeal of this tax on homeownership.

WE NEED YOU TO E-MAIL YOUR MEMBERS OF THE NC HOUSE AND ASK THEM TO ENCOURAGE THE HOUSE LEADERSHIP TO HEAR THE BILL – SENATE BILL 1951 – REPEAL COUNTY LAND TRANSFER TAX.

Last year, the transfer tax was included in the state’s budget bill along with hundreds of other issues. It has never been discussed as a stand alone bill by members of the NC House. The issue deserves to be heard and voted on.

The North Carolina Realtor’s Association has set up an easy and automatic way for you to send an email to request a repeal on this tax.

I will be holding an open house tomorrow from 3 to 5 pm at my listing at Queens Station. This condo is immaculate and has an excellent floorplan. Even better is the private patio only steps from the community pool! If you missed it on this website, you can see pictures and a map location here: Queens Station, #37

Come out and visit me and see a great condo for the money!