Scooter Sharing in Charlotte

07/18/2018 by Debe Leave a Comment

Scooter Sharing in Charlotte

First, it was dock-less rental bikes. Now, it’s motorized two-wheeled scooters from Bird, Lime and Spin. They’re appearing under a pilot program that’s running parallel to the dock-less bike trial that is already underway and has been a bit hit for in-town Charlotte residents thus far. Showing property in Uptown this week, I found them all over the place! Most were in use and most were following the safety (with the exception of using helmets) and parking guidelines. This is a new and exciting ‘spin’ on Charlotte transportation – just another jewel in the Queen City’s crown when it comes to being an inviting city that caters to her residents’ needs.

What is e-scooter share?

A new electric scooter share model is emerging in cities across the country, including Austin, DC and now, Charlotte. E-Scooter share allows users to rent an e-scooter from virtually anywhere through a smart-phone application, and park it when their ride ends.

The city has compiled rules for a five-month trial and will monitor the program, ultimately deciding in October whether to tweak the permits. The scooters are part of efforts by the city to expand transportation options.

Just like the dock-less bikes, you pay for the scooters with a smartphone app. They are $1 to unlock, plus a per-minute charge. For now, the city is treating scooters like bicycles — you can ride on roads or bike lanes. When you’re to your destination, you park them – as long as they don’t block the road or sidewalk.

How does e-scooter share work?

Download the company’s app you are interested in renting from (available on IPhone and Android devices)
Use the company’s app to find and unlock a e-scooter near you
Park and re-lock your e-scooter when you finish your ride

Download the Scooter-Share app(s)

Through Google Play (Android Devices):

Lime

Bird

Spin

At the Apple Store (iPhones):

Lime

Bird

Spin

Where can I ride my e-scooter?

Riders must obey traffic laws and are strongly encouraged to wear helmets, although I have yet to see a rider with a helmet on.

Where can I park my e-scooter when I finish my ride?

When you finish your ride, make sure you park your e-scooter upright, in a location that does not impede a pedestrian walkway.

When parking your e-scooter, do NOT block:

bus stops
loading zones
accessible parking zones
curb ramps
driveways
greenways/multi-use trails/rail trails
Charlotte B-Cycle rental kiosks

Do not park your e-scooter on:

private property
county parks
LYNX light rail platforms
in a vehicle travel lane or bicycle lane.

Enjoy your ride & be safe!

Thinking of moving to Charlotte’s Uptown? Let’s talk! Call (704) 491-3310.

SEARCH UPTOWN HOMES FOR SALE

Finding, Prepping and Presenting an Airbnb – With Style

07/15/2018 by Debe 1 Comment

Finding, Prepping and Presenting an Airbnb – With Style

The Find

The secret to finding a great spot for a home to use as an Airbnb is finding a community that has no regulatory HOA. Some, although they may currently approve use of homes/condos as an Airbnb, still stand the chance of the HOA changing their minds and disallowing use of personal residences as Airbnbs in the future.

Owning an Airbnb or several of them, can be a full-time job. In the case of this client, she makes it not only a job but, she takes great pleasure in welcoming her guests to the area and is an incredibly lovely host to each and every guest that she hosts.

As her Charlotte real estate agent, I had the pleasure of showing Liz and her husband several homes in the area that they were targeting for purchase. This home had previously been a rental home and of course, we dealt with tenancy issues during showings and all of our Due Diligence appointments.

The nearly-century-old house was in ill repair and really needed a lot of work – including removal of an opossum family residing in the unlocked crawl space! (*Don’t worry – the crawl space is now locked!)

Closing & Prepping

The paint was atrocious and the interior was truly in ill-repair as well. During the Due Diligence period, we had contractors of all kinds in to assess and give estimates for repairs & renovation. By the time Closing time came, appointments were set with all of the wonderful contractors doing their respective work, including the owners who have experience renovating historic homes that we’ve bought and sold together in recent years. They know what they are doing and how long each and every step of the process will take.

Lots of loving labor went into restoring this historic bungalow to its splendor and seeing the completion of the restoration was incredibly exciting!

They’ve been sending me photos along the way and before we could arrange our calendars to meet at the house, the guests were already booking nights to stay! Liz finally blocked off a day so that she could host an open house for those who had helped in the process of locating the home and renovating it.

The Presentation

Most buyers, thinking of using their property as an Airbnb, are not as well-versed in Airbnb as Liz is! She and her family love traveling and they do enjoy staying in Airbnbs across the nation. One of her favorite things when visiting a new city is learning about the area. Airbnbs that provide information on the area are more appealing to her.

The home is filled with information on Charlotte, maps and even historic information that some visiting new cities are very interested in learning about. Liz also provides that TLC that guests love – not hovering but, just right!

Airbnbs that are clean and well-hosted are also more appealing to her – she’s not just there to spend the night or the week; she enjoys a little TLC as a guest! She KNOWS what is appealing to Airbnb guests and she provides that…all of it!

Being a chef by trade, Liz not only provides packaged items for her guests on the go but, she also prepares a light breakfast and delivers it to each of her guests! Cold beverages are left in the refrigerator and the kitchen is fully stocked for those who love to cook as well as pre-packaged snacks being re-stocked daily.

Liz’s Airbnb is located in the Wilmore/South End area of Charlotte, North Carolina.

The ‘classic urban cottage’ is a short walk to the light rail as well as some great restaurants, breweries, Latta Park and Atherton Market.

The neighborhood is incredibly walkable and has plenty of fun things to do and see in the area There are bikes situated all over the South End area that are available rent and the light rail is easy to access and taxis and Uber are available also.

And, if you’re still not sure if you’re going to love this lovely urban cottage Airbnb in Charlotte, you can read testimonials online…and in their guest book when you arrive in the home. You simply can’t beat the comfort, style or service! To rent this wonderful cottage in Charlotte, visit the host page on Airbnb.

Thinking of buying a home to use as an Airbnb? I can help! Not only can I assist you in finding the perfect home to serve as an Airbnb but, I can guide you through the renovation process and have wonderful contractors that will serve you well. Call or text (704) 491-3310 and let’s talk!

12838 Hunting Birds Lane Charlotte NC 28278 – Spacious Ranch with Open Floorplan in Popular Creekshire Estates! – OOPS TOO LATE, SOLD!

07/13/2018 by Debe Leave a Comment

Spacious 4br, 2ba Ranch Home in Popular Creekshire Estates

$318,000

SOLD*

UNDER CONTRACT IN JUST TWO DAYS!!

MLS #3412182

View a Virtual Tour of this Beautiful Home

Another Maxwell House Group – Re/Max Executive Listing UNDER CONTRACT

Sorry you missed this lovely home! If you’re thinking of selling your home, visit www.ListMyCharlotteHome.com, call (704) 491-3310 or email CharlotteBroker@icloud.com for other available homes for sale in this area or give us a call and we’ll put you on our ‘hot list’ for instant notification when a home in this area comes available–as SOON as it comes on the market!

Tired of Stairs? Well, this house is the perfect solution for you! Ideally situated in Steele Creek’s highly sought-after Creekshire Estates community, this finely appointed, beautifully designed home delights at every turn. Picture-perfect setting with covered porch beckons you into the foyer with soaring ceilings, bright, sunny, wide hallways gleaming hardwood floors (throughout) leading to lovely, open floorplan. The large breakfast extension, fabulous kitchen with upgraded cabinets, granite counters, stainless appliances, enormous sitting island & pantry. Luxury bath & 2 large closets in master. Large secondary bedrooms with lots of closet space in every room. This beautifully designed, one-of-a-kind, private backyard features private sidewalk trails through fabulous wooded space on the largest lot in the community. You’ll love the nature that accompanies this wonderful space, updated systems inside & out & you’ll know this is the perfect place to call home the moment you arrive!

Check out our Charlotte Properties App – you’ll find more information on this lovely home and the community here.

View A Virtual Tour Of This Beautiful Home

Debe Maxwell, CRS, Realtor®/Broker

RE/MAX Executive
2901 Coltsgate Road, Suite 100
Charlotte, NC 28211
Mobile: (704) 491-3310

Email: charlottebroker@icloud.com

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©Debe Maxwell | RE/MAX Executive Real Estate | 12838 Hunting Birds Lane Charlotte NC 28278 – Spacious Ranch with Open Floorplan in Popular Creekshire Estates!

How Long do Homeowners Stay in Their Homes in Charlotte NC?

07/10/2018 by Debe Leave a Comment

How Long do Homeowners Stay in Their Homes in Charlotte NC?

Charlotte Homeownership Tenure Has Increased

Past data historically shows that most Charlotte residents lived in their homes for 4-5 years. With Charlotte being such a large financial, technology and healthcare city, those jobs tend to involve more relocation needs than others. Hence, the transient nature of Charlotte’s population.

However, The Great Recession changed all of that! Those fortunate enough to maintain employment during the recession were absolutely not interested in selling their homes – at all! This went on for 4+ solid years. Imagine living in a home too small or too large for you for that amount of time.

Hence, the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) historical data on the median tenure of homeownership (same home) has changed dramatically. As the graph below shows, over the last twenty years (1985-2008), the median tenure (nationally) averaged six years. However, since 2014, that average is almost ten years – an increase of almost 50%.

Why the dramatic increase?

While Charlotte’s average is probably two to three years less than the national average, we are still seeing a considerable increase. The fall in home prices during the housing crisis left many homeowners in a negative equity situation (where their home was worth less than the mortgage on the property). Also, the uncertainty of the economy made some homeowners much more fiscally conservative about making a move so, ‘staying put’ was their best option.

With home prices rising dramatically over the last several years, that negative equity has turned to 95.3% of homes with a mortgage, now being in a positive equity situation, according to CoreLogic.

With a much improved economy and wages on the rise, many Charlotte homeowners are in a much better financial situation than they were just a few short years ago.

One other reason for the increase was brought to light by NAR in their 2018 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report. According to the report,

“Sellers 37 years and younger stayed in their home for six years…”

Homeowners, who are either looking for more space to accommodate their growing households or for better school districts to do the same, are likely to move more often (compared to typical sellers who stayed in their homes for 10 years). The homeownership rate among younger buyers, however, has still not caught up to previous generations either.

The Bottom Line

In Charlotte, a large portion of homeowners are not in a house that is best for their current circumstances. Whether it be baby boomers living in an empty, four-bedroom colonial, or a millennial couple living in a one-bedroom condo, planning to ‘grow’ their household.

These Charlotte homeowners are ready to make a move but, with the lack of housing inventory, they are facing a major challenge in the current housing market. When inventory begins to rise, we will likely see homebuyers taking the plunge.

Queen’s Feast Charlotte – SUMMER 2018 – July 20-29

07/02/2018 by Debe Leave a Comment

Queen’s Feast Charlotte – SUMMER 2018 – July 20-29

In this summer season of the best culinary experience in all of Charlotte Metro, 125 restaurants will be participating in Charlotte Restaurant Week® | Queen’s Feast Charlotte. We know you’re going to want to try at least one of them! It’s difficult to limit yourself to one evening out when there is just so much from which to choose! Now is the time to experience some new as well as your ‘old’ favorite restaurants while you enjoy a divine dining experience at an incredibly reasonable price.

For only $30 – $35, bring a friend, your family or simply treat yourself to three courses of culinary delights. Charlotte Restaurant Week, has become a huge hit, bringing many Charlotte residents out for dining this week (regardless of the high temperatures) to sample some of the finest fare in the city. The number of restaurants participating in Queen’s Feast has more than DOUBLED since the inception of Charlotte Restaurant Week in 2008.

Prix fixe price is $30 or $35 per person; all menu items are per person unless otherwise indicated.
Prix fixe special is available for DINNER ONLY, July 20-29, 2018.
Menus are subject to change without notice, based on product availability.
Coupons may not be accepted at some restaurants during Charlotte Restaurant Week®. Please check with the restaurant and/or refer to coupon restrictions for redemption policies.
If you are unable to keep your reservation for any reason, PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE AND CANCEL your reservation as soon as possible to give other diners and the restaurant the opportunity to fill those seats.
Please check with the individual restaurants in advance to inquire if they can adjust certain items on their Queen’s Feast menus to accommodate dietary restrictions.

For the complete list of participating restaurants, their location, menu, and reservation information, visit CharlotteRestaurantWeek.iheart.com.

It’s our birthday in July! ??Reserve now to celebrate 10 delicious years of #queensfeast with 10 days of delectable dining! #cltfood #cltdining #clteats #cltfoodie

A post shared by Charlotte Restaurant Week (@queensfeast) on Jun 29, 2018 at 7:04am PDT

Some of our favorites include:

Bonterra Dining and Wine Room (Dilworth)
5Church (Uptown)
Ruth’s Chris Steak House – SouthPark (or Uptown)
Carpe Diem Restaurant and Caterers (Elizabeth)
The Melting Pot (Arboretum & Lake Norman)
Dean & DeLuca Wine Room (SouthPark)
The Pump House (Fort Mill)
Upstream (SouthPark)
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House(SouthPark)
Ilios Noche (Quail Corners/SouthPark)
O-Ku Sushi (South End)
300 East (Dilworth)
Napa on Providence (Myers Park)
Pisces Shshi Bar & Lounge (Midtown)
Vine American Kitchen (Ballantyne)
BLT Steak (Uptown)
Luce Ristorante e Bar (Uptown)
Firebirds Wood-Fired Grill (SouthPark, Northlake, Stonecrest)
Riverview Raw Bar (Belmont)
Union Street Bistro (Concord)

Enjoy celebrating Charlotte’s 10th year of this popular semi-annual event!

Charlotte Restaurant Week® (Queen’s Feast) JULY 20-29, 2018 – Participating SouthPark Restaurants

07/02/2018 by Debe Leave a Comment

Charlotte Restaurant Week® (Queen’s Feast) JULY 20-29, 2018 – Participating SouthPark Restaurants

Experience some of the best food the metro Charlotte area offers during Queen’s Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week®

Dine at some of Charlotte’s premier restaurants and enjoy 3 course meals for only $30 – $35 per person! You’ll enjoy delectables at over 125 of Charlotte’s finest restaurants. Cuisine includes the freshest of sushi to the juiciest of steaks at an unbelievable price!

During Charlotte Restaurant Week, over 125 restaurants participating in the Queen’s Feast (Charlotte Restaurant Week®) will be welcoming Charlotteans and guests from across the nation. Why not try one each night? You simply can’t beat the price!

For only $30 – $35, bring a friend, your family or simply treat yourself to three courses of culinary delights. Charlotte Restaurant Week, has become a huge hit, bringing many Charlotte residents out for dining this week (regardless of the weather) to sample some of the finest fare in the city. The number of restaurants participating in Queen’s Feast has more than DOUBLED since the inception of Charlotte Restaurant Week in 2008.

Prix fixe price is $30 or $35 per person; all menu items are per person unless otherwise indicated.
Prix fixe special is available for DINNER ONLY, July 20-29, 2018.
Menus are subject to change without notice, based on product availability.
Coupons may not be accepted at some restaurants during Charlotte Restaurant Week®. Please check with the restaurant and/or refer to coupon restrictions for redemption policies.
If you are unable to keep your reservation for any reason, PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE AND CANCEL as soon as possible to give other diners and the restaurant the opportunity to fill those seats!
Please check with the individual restaurants in advance to inquire if they can adjust certain items on their Queen’s Feast menus to accommodate dietary restrictions.