Lake Wylie Realtors

The Sanctuary lives up to its name

March 17, 2016 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

Grand estate homes on large lots in a heavily wooded setting is the trademark of Lake Wylie’s The Sanctuary, an exclusive community with just 187 home sites planned on its more than 1,350 acres.

The idyllic Charlotte setting offers both waterfront and interior acreage, with lots ranging from 2 acres to 13 acres. In addition to main homes, the larger lot sizes allow for building additional structures like guest homes and studios.

Amenities include The Camp & John James Audubon Lodge, a 17-acre waterfront area with swimming pools, tennis courts, fitness center and a boating center. The Sanctuary employs a full-time staff to bring neighborhood residents together in social and recreational activities.

The neighborhood is adjacent to Thomas McAlister Winget Park and the North Carolina State Wildlife Landing. It is approximately 5 miles to I-485 at Steele Creek Road. Charlotte-Douglas airport is about 20 minutes away, and a commute to Uptown will take approximately 35 minutes. For everyday shopping, the Steele Creek area is the most convenient from the neighborhood.

There are 15 approved builders for creating custom homes in The Sanctuary. Twenty percent of the land space will remain undeveloped and allows for nearly 20 miles of walking trails, 300 acres of open common space and 7 miles of shoreline on the property.

Currently, there are 9 properties listed for sale in The Sanctuary, one of which is under contract. Seven of the properties are resale homes, and two are pre-construction home plans that can be purchased as land only.

Only six homes sold in The Sanctuary during the last 12 months. Five of the homes were resale and 1 was a new construction home. None was waterfront property.

The average sales price of those 6 homes sold was $811,125 and $168.20 per square foot. The sales averaged 96.6% of list price.

Additionally, there is a unique opportunity to own a waterfront home inside The Sanctuary property that is not governed by Sanctuary deed restrictions.

Built in 1953, the 1,000-square-foot home is in a prime location that includes a boat lift and dock. It is listed at $450,000 and could be occupied as is or torn down and rebuilt. The lot is nearly 1.2 acres. It is a fantastic chance to live within the beauty of The Sanctuary without the steep price or restrictions.

The family-friendly neighborhood is zoned for Charlotte’s Winget Park Elementary School, Southwest Middle School and Olympic High School.

Lake Wylie sales prices up, inventory down

March 10, 2016 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

The year-over-year average sales prices of Lake Wylie homes was up for February, as the housing inventory dips.

According to data from Carolina Multiple Listing Services (CMLS), the average sales price of a Lake Wylie home rose 12.7% to $364,108 from $323,195 a year ago. Median home sales prices were also up to $320,548, a 10.4% increase from year-ago figures.

The Lake Wylie area has just 4.5 months of market inventory. That is a drop of more than 10% from February 2015 but actually up slightly from 4.4 months inventory in January 2016. Inventory of 6 months represents a balanced market that neither favors the buyer or seller. Less than 6 months inventory is considered a seller’s market.

In February 2016, there were 369 homes actively listed for sale, down from 404 a year ago.

The percent of original list price received dropped slightly from February 2015 to 94.4% from 95.2%. Typically, low inventory drives demand and higher closing prices. Theoretically, the percent of list price should come up if inventory continues downward. However, the market does tend to pick up in the Spring months, which may tip the scales toward more of a balanced market.

Days on the market, which is measured from date listed to under contract, for Lake Wylie homes was unchanged at 107 from February 2015.

As a whole, York County year-over-year figures for February were as follows: Average sales price: $231,877, up +0.9%; Median sales price: $190,500, -5.9%; Months inventory, 2.7, -28.9%; Inventory of homes for sale: 940, -21.4%; Days on the market, 69, -9.2%.

February inventory dropped for the entire CMLS region, which includes 8 counties around the Charlotte metro area. There was just 2.8 months of inventory, a dip of nearly 35% from last year.

Neighborhood spotlight: York’s Bethelfields

March 8, 2016 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

The mature neighborhood of Bethelfields located in York has great amenities, location and school zoning.

Homes in Bethelfields were built in the early 2000s by a variety of builders such as Lennar Homes, Don Galloway and K. Hovnanian Homes.

The neighborhood is on the western shore of Lake Wylie near the intersection of highways 55E and 274 (Hands Mill Highway). A small farm separates the neighborhood from the roadway and gives the majority of the homes in Bethelfields some setback from road noise.

It is about 45 minutes to both the airport and Uptown depending on the route and traffic and is convenient to both Rock Hill and Gastonia. Just north of Bethelfields at Highway 557 are many dining and shopping options, a Wal-Mart Super Center and Lowe’s. The local coffee shops, Crowders Creek Coffee Co., is just a 1.5 miles down the road for a cup of fresh-roasted fair trade coffee.

Inside Bethelfields, the amenities include a pool, 3 playgrounds, picnic tables and sidewalks throughout. There is also storage available to residents for boats, trailers and RVs. Lake access is conveniently located 5 miles south at the Allison Creek ramp.

Homes are reasonably priced in the high $100,000s to mid- to high-$200,000s. Most of the homes are size from 2,100 to 3,100 square feet.

The average sales price of a Bethelfields home during the last 12 months is $227,512 and about $86 per square foot.

Approximately 1.4 homes sold each month in the neighborhood during the last year. Currently, there are 4 homes listed for sale in Bethelfields, which given market data for the last year, is 2.8 months inventory.

York has nearly 11 months of inventory, and York County has nearly 7 months of inventory. Bethfields is still very much a seller’s market at its current inventory.

Home sales average just over 97% of list price in the neighborhood.

Bethelfields is zoned in the desirable Clover School District for Bethel Elementary, Oak Ridge Middle School and Clover High School.

Hawthorne: Beautiful homes in historic Belmont

March 6, 2016 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

hawthornepark — Lovely Hawthorne Park is the unofficial town center of Belmont’s Hawthorne neighborhood.

Just a quick walk from historic downtown Belmont is Hawthorne, which bills itself as Gaston County’s first traditional home development.

The land, located between South Main Street and Keener Boulevard, is the original location of the mill homes for employees who worked at Pharr Yarns’ Imperial Mill.

In 1999, the owners of Pharr Yarns began developing Hawthorne with the idea of keeping the close-knit community feeling of the old mill village. With their builder, they created a neighborhood of 26 luxury town homes and 72 single-family homes. The project was completed in 2007.

All the residences include private courtyards, rear-facing garages with access from alleyways, brick construction and porches. Hawthorne Park with its walkings trails also serves as the centerpiece of the community.

Welcome to 100 Cliveden Court — This gorgeous brick home sold in 2015.

Single-family homes originally sold for $250,000 to $600,000. Townhomes ranged from $245,000 to $350,000.

Currently, there are 2 single-family homes listed for sale in Hawthorne. Both homes were built in 2006 and are similar in size at about 2,400 square feet.

In the last 12 months, 7 single-family homes have sold in the Hawthorne neighborhood or an average of 0.6 homes per month. Current inventory for the neighborhood is 3.4 months.
The average for all of Belmont is 4.3 months. Gaston County is at 5.5 months inventory.

The average sales price of a Hawthorne home is $417,200 and nearly $135 per square foot.

Hawthorne is just 20 minutes from the Charlotte Douglas airport and a little more than 30 minutes from downtown Charlotte. Just north on Keener Boulevard is Wilkinson Boulevard and I-85. Both provide convenient access to the city.

Just a quick walk outside Hawthorne is the quaint downtown Belmont area. It is home to local boutiques and restaurants as well as several parks within walking distance. The U.S. National Whitewater Center is just 9 miles to the northeast. Belmont is home to Belmont Abbey College and the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, among other wonderful recreational options and destinations.

The neighborhood is zoned for Belmont Central Elementary School, Belmont Middle School and South Point (N.C.) High School.

Spotlight: The Coves on River Oaks

March 1, 2016 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

The beautiful Coves on River Oaks offers residents large home lots in a peaceful lakeside setting.

Developer May Green Properties planned the 250-acre neighborhood that has just 160 home sites. It is located just north of the intersection of highways 557 and 274. It’s just 2 miles north of the Buster Boyd Bridge.

Aside from the proximity to Lake Wylie and all it has to offer, the neighborhood has walking trails and lots of common area green space. Additionally, it is close to local shopping, dining and restaurants.

Veranda Classic Homes has 6 floor plans to choose from or buyers can choose their own builder for a 3,000-square-foot minimum home size. The homes are priced from the high $400,000s to the $700,000s.

A custom Craftsman-style home that sold in The Coves on River Oaks last year.

Some of the custom builders in The Coves are MJ Palmer Construction Co., Aspen Homes, Beckham Custom Homes and Holmes Construction.

The first 3 phases of the community sold out, and May Green is offering “estate” lots of 4 to 10 acres in size. Even the standard home size lots of 1.4 to 3 acres are large compared to most planned community lots. There are no waterfront lots but many water view lots.

Currently, 8 homes are for sale in The Coves on River Oaks. One home is a 2010 resale home and the rest are new construction. Three are under contract as of March 1.

Only 4 of the 9 homes sold during the last 12 months were resale homes. The average sales price was $582,478, with an average price per square foot of just under $139.

Resale homes sold for an average of 94.5% of list price. The overall sales average was 97% of list price.

Fewer than 1 home sells per month in The Coves, which puts inventory at more than 8 months. Nearby neighborhood The Landing has 9 months of inventory and 9 homes currently listed for sale.

The Coves on River Oaks is zoned for Crowders Creek Elementary, Oak Ridge Middle School and Clover High School.

Eagle Park: Small town, big quality of life

February 26, 2016 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

If you think small-town living means sacrificing conveniences and modern touches then you need to take a look at beautiful Eagle Park near downtown Belmont.

Begun in 2006, Eagle Park is in the heart of Belmont and within walking distance of Main Street’s charming local shops and restaurants.

streetscape-2-gallery — A quaint cottage home in Eagle Park.

Nearby destinations include the Carolina Thread Trail, which is a regional network of greenways and trails; Belmont Abbey College; the U.S. National Whitewater Center; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden and Crowders Mountain State Park.

However, you do not have to go far to find things to keep active. Neighborhood amenities include a playground, dog park, pool, clubhouse and fitness center. Additionally, the community is bordered by Belmont Central Elementary and Stuart Cramer High School, so residents have access to those surrounding trails and fields.

Eagle Park homes were built by some of the area’s finest builders – David Weekley Homes, Brookline Homes, Westwood General Contractors and Simonini Group.

Together, these builders contributed more than 12 floor plans from which to choose and customize. The neighborhood blends single-family homes, cottage-style homes and townhomes. The townhomes were built by Westwood General Contractors.

The homes in Eagle Park vary in size from about 1,700 square feet to the high 2,000s in size.

There are resale homes and new construction single-family homes and townhomes available for sale in Eagle Park.

Only seven homes sold in the neighborhood in the last year, averaging a sales price of just over $240,000. The average price per square foot is approximately $130.

There are currently 15 Eagle Park properties listed for sale, which is about 6 months of inventory (not including townhomes) for the community. Five of the residences are under contract as of Feb. 26. Nine properties listed for sale are townhomes, which range from 1,280 square feet to about 1,700 square feet.

Eagle Park is zoned for Page Primary for prekindergarten to 1st grade; Belmont Central Elementary for 2nd to 5th grade and located adjacent to Eagle Park; Belmont Middle School, serving 6th grade to 8th grade; and Stuart Cramer High School, also adjacent to Eagle Park.

Metro Charlotte is about 20 minutes away, but on a clear day you can enjoy a skyline view of the city without the traffic!

York Co. proposes housing freeze

February 16, 2016 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

A new proposed ordinance would not allow any further building permits to be issued in York Co. communities where there is a concern of the impact of rapid growth, such as the Lake Wylie area.

The York County Council is moving to enforce this is in unincorporated areas of Fort Mill and Bethel townships, according to a Rock Hill Herald report.

In addition to the Lake Wylie area, the land between the Catawba River and North Carolina line would also be impacted by the proposed freeze.

Concern came from residents currently living in the high-growth areas that the areas were being overbuilt and that roadways were not meant to handle the increased traffic more building would bring.

All new construction of single-family and multi-family homes would be stopped until an impact study can be completed.

A detailed outline of the proposed ordinance is expected to be ready for a council vote April 4.

Concern over the construction boom is not a new issue for the Lake Wylie area. A little more than a year ago there were 20 subdivisions planned or under way. Those projects alone would cover 2,000 acres.

While the increased population helps the local economy, it also puts strain on public services, like roads and the school system.

York County Councilman Bruce Henderson last year called for a building moratorium and tighter restrictions on future construction. His effort failed, though the county has made an ongoing effort to change county codes.

It appears the county will revisit this issue again April 18. Population density is definitely a concern for an area and community that prides itself on living a laid-back, lakeside lifestyle.

Builder buys hundreds of acres on Lake Wylie

February 9, 2016 by lkw_df Leave a Comment

Bonterra Builders has purchased a large tract of land near Lake Wylie in southwest Mecklenburg County, according to a report in the Charlotte Observer.

Bonterra, whose homes are also in Lake Wylie’s Heron Cove and Belmont’s Morgan Branch, purchased a 213-acre tract off York Road for approximately 6 million, the report said.

The land is southwest of McDowell Nature Preserve just before the bridge. The southern border of the land purchased abuts the waterfront homes on the north side of Boyd’s Cove.

The report did not give a timeline or a plan from Bonterra for the land.

Bonterra lists 29 communities in and around the Charlotte region it has planned or completed.

It builds homes in all price points from the $100,000s to near $900,000. The homes in Lake Wylie’s Heron Cove are large in size and are priced in the $400,000s.

With Bonterra’s development likely coming to the Boyd’s Cove area, now is the time to get in on a beautiful waterfront home there.

This gorgeous ranch built in 2000 has expansive waterfront views throughout and nearly 5,000 square feet of living space.

The home has been fastidiously maintained and is ready for summer fun and watching sunsets from the porch!