Lake Wylie Realtors

What is an “All Cash Offer”?

July 5, 2021 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

With the market going the way it has been, you keep hearing about homes selling the day they list with an all cash offer for above list price. The trend has been all cash offers winning bidding wars on listings with multiple offer situations. But, what is an all cash offer anyway? Does it mean lugging a suitcase full of bills to closing? Nope. It just means that the buyer can purchase the home without having to arrange a mortgage.

All cash offers are on the rise, with an increase from 15% to 25% of all home purchases over the last year. They are attractive to sellers because they don’t have to worry about a deal falling apart because the buyer can’t secure their funding. They can also get you to the closing table more quickly because you don’t have to wait for a loan package to be put together.

For buyers, they are attractive because they make a stronger offer. This can be especially helpful for buyers who really love a property and want to make sure that they win a bidding war.

Does that mean that all buyers who have all cash offers have to provide all of the cash at closing? Nope, a lot of those buyers will end up mortgaging the property, or mortgaging other assets to pay for the property. There have been a lot of people who have had windfall events like an inheritance, cryptocurrency sale, or other event leaving them with cash as a powerful bargaining chip.

What an all cash offer typically means is that a home contract can have fewer contingencies. Without a mortgage company involved there is no mortgage contingency. An appraisal may not be needed either though it is required for lender financing.

All is not lost if you can’t make an all cash offer. You can still make an attractive offer with tools such as personalized letters, removing contingencies, or offering above list price. Another strong tool right now is leasing the property back to the seller so they have a few months to find their next home.

For more information on buying or selling a home in the Lake Wylie area, call us at 803-831-8588. You can view current listings and create custom searches on our website here.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Catawba Crest

April 23, 2021 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

Catawba Crest has long been a coveted neighborhood for people who want to live on or near Lake Wylie. In the past, around 6 homes changed owners per year. The pandemic halved that figure with just 3 homes sold last year. There is one new construction home currently for sale and one lot for sale and they are both under contract. This demand shows that you have to be ready when one of these amazing homes comes on the market.

Catawba Crest is hidden away on one of the deepest coves on Lake Wylie. Homes here have been designed to take advantage of the lake views with decks, docks, floating docks, boat lifts, and more. For homes without lake frontage, they have two story great rooms, decks, patios, or screened in porches to take advantage of sweeping views from abundant windows.

Most homes were built between 2001 and 2010 but occasionally a lot becomes available for a new construction build. Homes were custom built and typically have well over 3,000 square feet of living space. Many of these homes contain features that are desirable such as home offices, chef’s kitchens, custom storage solutions, sumptuous owner’s suites, media rooms, home gyms and more.

Catawba Crest is zoned to desirable Clover schools, has lower South Carolina taxes, and is conveniently located to be close to everything you need. There are nearby options for shopping, dining, and recreation. Highway access is nearby connecting you with Uptown Charlotte, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and all other points in the city.

In the past year, homes sold for between $425,000 and $500,000 but none of these homes had lake frontage. Those homes typically command a premium and have sold for almost a million dollars, though no waterfront home has changed hands since 2018 so prices will no doubt be higher now.

The market is extremely competitive right now, but we can help you secure the home of your dreams. Call us at 803-831-8588 to get started. You can view current listings and create custom searches on our website here.

November Market Report

December 17, 2020 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

Once again, the trend is continuing that there is not much inventory, and prices are climbing higher. In all of Charlotte, there is just a one month inventory of homes for sale, just 4,554 homes. This is down 52.4% from last year at this time when we thought it was historically low inventory. This year we are really seeing the inventory crunch and when homes are listed, they are practically flying off the market.

The same is holding true when you look just at Lake Wylie. There are just 171 homes on the market in the area, down from 361 at this time last year. This is a reduction of 52.6%. These homes are selling quickly, with just 32 days on average before a sale, down from 55 days last year. This means that homes are selling 41.8% quicker than last year at this time. This is great news for sellers, but is harder on buyers.

Sales prices are climbing as well with the average home selling for $446,518. This is up 10.9% from last year’s average sale price of $402,663. Climbing prices are harder on buyers as well which means if you are in the market to purchase a home right now, you need to be as prepared as possible and could still end up in a bidding war with another buyer.

Realtor.com has ranked the Charlotte area the 3rd best market in the country for 2021 in their predictions. This means that there will probably not be a price correction in the near future, however analysts predict that there will be more homes on the market in the spring as people who delayed listing in 2020 will list in 2021 which could ease some of our inventory woes.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in the Lake Wylie area, give us a call at 803-831-8588. You can view current listings and create a custom search on our website here.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Patrick Place

November 6, 2020 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

Just minutes from Lake Wylie, in desirable Clover, South Carolina, you’ll find a gem of a neighborhood called Patrick Place. This beautiful community is comprised of stately, brick, single-family homes in a secluded feeling wooded setting. The neighborhood amenities take advantage of nature with wooded trails, picnic pavilions, ball fields, and a basketball court. There is also a historic building called “The Cabin” available for private resident use.

Homes in Patrick Place are all custom built so have touches built to suit for each resident. Many homes have chef’s kitchens, media rooms, bonus spaces, home offices and more. Lots are large, between ½ and 1 full acre so there is plenty of room for outdoor sports, pools, lawn games, and socially distanced gatherings.

There is currently one lot offered for sale in Patrick Place. This is a perfect opportunity to build your dream home from the ground up. This lot is sloped so it is perfect for a crawl space or basement style home. You can bring your own builder and really create something special here.

In the last year, just six homes sold in Patrick Place for an average sale price of just over $430,000. Patrick Place is currently a seller’s market, especially compared with the 3 month supply of homes in Clover and the 2.9 month supply in York County.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Patrick Place or would like to learn about any other neighborhood in the Lake Wylie area, give us a call at 803-831-8588. You can view all current listings and create your own custom home search on our website at lkwrealty.com

New Development on the Horizon

September 17, 2020 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

A new development is in the works on Lake Wylie and Little Allison Creek. The proposed project is being put together by Fielding Homes which is a local builder working in the Fort Mill and Lake Wylie areas. Their previous projects include Mason’s Bend and Paddler’s Cove just to name a few.

The new project is called Lakeside Glen and the plans show that it will be a 425-lot single-family residential project. The site sits on 305.7 acres located between Highway 274 and Allison Creek Road.

This project has been in the works for some time, with a preliminary plat originally filed in March of 2015. There have been changes and revisions since the original filing, the most notable has been increasing of minimum lot size.

There are not many more details available at this time so we still don’t know the size or price range of the homes yet. The York County Planning Commission will continue to work with Fielding Homes as this project comes to fruition.

To learn more about this new development, call us at 803-831-8588. Visit our website LKWRealty.com to learn more about Lake Wylie and to view current listings and create custom searches of available homes.

August Market Report

September 15, 2020 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the game for the real estate market in recent months. The monthly numbers from the Canopy Realtor Association report on the Canopy Multiple Listing Service is out and we have the details.

If you look at the entire Charlotte Region, which includes 12 counties in North Carolina and 4 counties in South Carolina, you see that prices are up, homes are selling quickly and that there are fewer homes on the market.

When you look just at the Lake Wylie area, you see that prices are up, homes are selling quickly, and that there are fewer homes on the market. This is the same trend that is holding true.

In August of last year, there were 427 homes for sale in the Lake Wylie area. This year there are only 190, a decrease of 55.5%.

Homes are going under contract in an average of 45 days, 12 days quicker than last year. The average home is sold 100 days after it is listed, down 8 days from last year.

Prices are up as well, the average list price of a home in Lake Wylie is $456,073, up 9.1% from last August. Sales prices are also up, 5.4% to an average of $432,606.

There are 23.3% more pending sales this year than last year which means that we should have strong sales figures for next month as many of these sales close. There were also 25% more new listings this August showing that we should see many of those homes go under contract to keep the numbers strong for the next few months. Colder weather usually slows the market down, but we may see that happen later than usual since the spring bump was pushed to the summer.

If you are interested in buying or selling a home in the Lake Wylie area, give us a call at 803-831-8588. For more information and to search available homes, be sure to visit LKWRealty.com.

Custom Build in The Retreat at Sunset Ridge

September 9, 2020 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

If you are one of the many people who desire the laid-back lake lifestyle, The Retreat at Sunset Ridge might be the place for you. This desirable neighborhood is tucked away and private, but is still convenient to Lake Wylie, Clover, and Uptown Charlotte. The neighborhood features new construction custom estate homes. There are existing homes that occasionally come on the market, or you can build your dream home from the ground up.

Homes in the neighborhood are typically between 2,600 to over 4,400 square feet. They can have anywhere from three to six bedrooms, owner’s suites, guest suites, gourmet kitchens, media rooms, and many more custom features. Homes typically sell in the $500,000’s and land typically sells for $50,000-$85,000 depending on size, topography, and proximity to the lake.

In the last year, only four homes sold in The Retreat at Sunset Ridge. This means that there is not much turnover in the neighborhood which is great if you already own a home there, but can make things tricky if you are trying to get into the neighborhood. That’s where we can help because we know the moment a home is listed on the market, and in some instances, we know before a home is listed and we can help you to be the first to get a sneak peek.

There are currently two homes on the market in The Retreat at Sunset Ridge and both of them are already under contract. There are also 5 lots currently for sale which are perfect for getting a start on your dream home. If you would like to schedule a private tour of homesites, give us a call at 803-831-8588. We can help you get in contact with approved builders for the neighborhood to start you on your way.

You do not want to miss a home in The Retreat at Sunset Ridge, and for more homes available and other great neighborhoods in and around Lake Wylie, be sure to visit LKWRealty.com.

Join the Lake Life

June 11, 2020 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

What better gift can you give your dad this Father’s Day than a new home on Lake Wylie? There are so many to choose from at all different price points. What better way to escape the heat than to join the many people who already enjoy the lake lifestyle?

So, you’ve decided to become a homeowner. What’s the next step? You need a Realtor to help you through the process. They are trained professionals who work just for you to walk you through the largest single investment you will probably make in your lifetime.

The first step they will help you through is to get pre-qualified for a loan. This process can be time consuming as you need to provide documentation of your finances to your loan originator. This will include information about your employment, your bank records, and outstanding debts. This will help you know how much home you can afford.

When you have this information, it is time to circle back with your Realtor to start looking for homes. This will initially be done with a search engine like this one here. Your Realtor has even more search parameters they can set up for you in a custom search so they can narrow down your prospective homes.

Once you have narrowed your search, it is time to go and see the homes in person. It can be hard to tell from photos what the feel of a home is, be sure to pay particular attention to the neighborhood, the location of amenities, the distance to shops and entertainment. It’s a good idea to view the home at different times of day to see traffic to and from work.

The next step is to choose the home of your dreams and work with your Realtor to craft an offer. There could be a few rounds of negotiations, or it could be a done deal the first time. It all depends on how many other people are vying for the same home.

When you have an accepted offer, you need to schedule to have the home inspected to make sure there are no outstanding maintenance issues. If there are, this is time for another round of negotiations where the seller will either fix issues or give you money to compensate you for repairs you will have to do once you own the home.

The next steps are all about getting your loan in order. You will need to provide further documentation to your loan originator, then once all of the paperwork is done, you head to the closing table. You will sign paperwork and the home is yours. Get ready to jump into Lake Wylie as you become the newest resident.

If you are ready to get the process started, give us a call at 803-831-8588. You can view current listings and create custom searches on our website here.