Lauren Ponder

Dr. Yun stated that sales have increased for two straight years and inventory is falling. He says that’s a good indicator that the housing market is finding an equilibrium. “By this time next year, provided there is a continuing job addition in the economy, the housing market is set to return to healthy status,” said Yun.

Dr. Yun says that improvement could be derailed if two things happen. First, he says new home construction needs to improve. He says current building is at a stand still because banks aren’t lending to builders. He says the new home inventory is at a 40 year low. He says the lack of inventory could cause a housing shortage and prices to spike.  Second, Yun says Washington lawmakers are considering a proposal to raise required down payments for some home buyers to 20 percent. He says the proposal is intended to avoid another housing bubble. Yun says the legislation could stall or damage the housing market.

Please visit the Channel 14 website to see the full coverage of this story.

Video includes Helen Adams Realty’s Lauren Ponder working with a buyer.

In the past two years the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association MLS area has seen the number of new listings decrease 21%, and the number of homes under contract increase 12.7%.The decrease in new listings and the increase in sales has caused the months of supply of inventory of homes to drop to 7.3 months of supply today from 12.1 months of supply of inventory two years ago. Please reference the related charts attached above.

A six month supply of inventory has historically been considered a balanced market. As our supply of homes for sale on the market approach this six month level we are beginning to see home prices firm up. And in the meantime, as we can see from the units under contract chart, demand for buying homes has continued to steadily increase over the past three years.

Attached above is the 3 year history of showings of our company’s listings. The number of showings of our listings has increased steadily. For August 2011 our listings were shown 629 times vs. 427 showings in August 2010 vs. 464 showings in 2009 (when the first artificial stimulus, first-time, home buyer credit was offered).

For the 12 months ending August 31, 2011 our showing traffic is up 15.6% from the period September 1, 2009 thru August 31, 2010. An increase in our showing traffic is a good predictor and indication that our sales for September will increase as well.

Despite the August debt crisis and despite the August downgrading of America’s credit worthiness, the American people, or at least those in Charlotte, were out shopping for houses in August in ever increasing numbers….a trend which has continued almost every month for the past 3 years! Uncertainty about the future of the national economy, it seems, does not mean that home buyers in Charlotte can’t recognize a good opportunity to buy when they see one.

Please take a moment to glance at the newspaper articles from the Charlotte Observer and Wall Street Journal. The Observer quotes Standard and Poor’s David Blitzer as saying, “This month’s report showed mixed signals….which suggest that we are back to regional housing markets, rather than a national housing market where everything rose and fell together.” Take this thinking a step further and consider the 13 zip codes our company primarily operates in and you can easily see that these zip codes have outperformed our entire MLS area.

The Case Schiller graph shown in the Wall Street Journal article shows the trend line of home prices of the 20 largest cities/MSAs from January, 2003 through June, 2010. Charlotte’s price trend line has one of the smallest bubbles, and our price change from the peak to the trough ranks us as the 4th best market among these 20 cities. Home buyers in Charlotte understand this.

Happy selling and listing,

Jeff

A few words from Dot:

Dot Munson

Dot Munson -  I have been licensed since 1981 and active in  Real Estate since 1984. I have sold, managed 4 different brokerages as the BIC and sales manager as well as owned my own company.

In the most recent past I served as President of CRRA/CMLS and HOF in 2007 and 2008. I have served on almost all commitees of the CRRA and served a total 10 years on the Board of Directors of CRRA as well as several years on the Boards for NAR and NCAR.

I have most recently served on the forms committee of NCAR and the Professional Standards.

I was chosen the “Realtor of the Year” in 2009. Selected as one of the Business Journal’s top 25 “Women in Business” in 2008. Attended Leadership Charlotte in 2006 and was nominated in 2009 as one of the most influential women in business.

As a hobby, I make pottery both on the wheel and hand built. I also serve on the Board of Directors for Clayworks (a non-profit devoted to the enrichment and instruction of the arts).

I have 2 Cairn terriers named Happy and Lucky who live with me and my husband (Harry) who is also a Broker with Helen Adams Realty.

My only granddaughter (Destinie) graduates in a couple of months from Applachian with a degree in Criminal Justice with intentions of continuing her education in law school.

A few words from Lucy:

Lucy Drake

I have extensive experience with local municipal government with Planning and Zoning, Land Use Plans and working with builders and developers in both commercial and residential fields.  I enjoy placing my clients in the right home, in the right area at the right price!  Call me and let’s Chat!!!

Lucy Drake – Personal Info:
Born in Iredell County, North Carolina
Resident of Stallings for 34 years
Married to a Vietnam Veteran
Have three children (daughter a dolphin trainer; son in law enforcement and son employed at Union West Library & Snug Seat in Stallings)
Five grandchildren
Four Term Mayor of Stallings from 1997—2005
Advocate for special needs children (proud mother of an autistic son)

Education:
Graduated Mooresville Sr. High
Executive secretarial and legal courses at various community colleges
Continual educational classes and computer classes
N. C. Real Estate Broker classes and continual Broker classes

Professional:
Presently employed as Broker/Realtor with Jamison Realty, Matthews, NC
Prior:  Consultant with D. K. Pressley Development
Prior: Legal assistant to James L. Roberts, Thomas Cummings and Fred McPhail, Attorneys at Law
Corporate Headquarters Secretary at McDevitt and Street
Credit Secretary at Carolina Tractor and Equipment Company
Port City Electric Company – Girl Friday

Organizations:
Ten year Board of Directors of PBH (five county area Mental Health Board); Board Chair 2007—2008
Friends of the Library
Republican Forum of Union County
Sweet Union Republican Women’s Club
Charlotte Offshore Fishing Club (Secretary for 3 yr currently Vice President)
Cole Memorial Methodist Church
Autism Society
Eight year member of Mecklenburg Union Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO)
Charlotte Regional Realtor Association
NC Association of Realtors
National Association of Realtors
SFR Certified
National Rifle Association

Hobbies:
Boating  -  Family has an offshore fishing boat for king mackerel fishing and a smaller bass boat for enjoyment in the Intercoastal Waterway in North Carolina
Riding in Mustang convertible with grandkids
Being grandmother to three beautiful granddaughters in Anson County and two handsome grandsons in Florida

A few words from Tammy:

Tammy Manning

I am a Charlotte native so I am very knowledgeable of the area.  I am dedicated and aggressive when it comes to helping my clients with listing as well as purchases.  I am also very active with investors.
If you are planning a move either locally or relocating, I understand it can be a time of excitement, anticipation, and sometimes overwhelming, but that’s where I can help.  I will guide you through the entire process by keeping in contact with you and always paying attention to your needs and interests.
I am currently engaged to Dr. Bryan Woodward and I have two children.  My son is 20 and attends Montreat College and my daughter is a Junior in High School.
When it’s time for your next move, let me help you by taking the guess work out of it.

Awards and Designations

Licensed NC Broker
Member of the National Association of Realtors  (NAR)
Member of the NC Association of Realtors  (NCAR)
Member of the Carolina Multiple Listing Service  (MLS)
Member of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association  (CRRA)
Home Builders Association of Charlotte
2007 Gold Mame Award Winner
Multi-Million Dollar Producer

Contact Tammy Manning at 704-641-1669 or visit www.helenadamsrealty.com

The 10th floor of The AVE boasts a grande common area, featuring an oversized pool, a large kitchen, outdoor fireplace, flat screen TV (both indoors AND out!), a gas grill and a computer/office area.  Don’t forget about the fitness center and the 24-hour concierge are added bonuses for residents at The AVE.

Favorite restaurants nearby include Alexander Michaels (known by the locals as “Al-Mike’s”) and Starbuck’s;  enjoy the Bobcats, Checkers or a concert at the Timewarner Cable Arena or catch the Carolina Panthers playing at the Bank of America Stadium.  Get ready for football season coming up–enjoy The Avenue’s famous tailgate parties on the pool deck.  The Avenue condos  in Charlotte NC are a great place to live, work and play.  Here are two fantastic condos for sale in The Avenue Condominiums that you won’t want to miss–get in before football season begins!

Grade school children attend Providence Springs Elementary, ranked the
#1 elementary school in NC. Crestdale Middle School is among the few public schools in NC to achieve a “`10” rating, according to Great Schools.org. High school students attend Providence HS, the highest performing high school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s school system.

Neighborhood amenities include Providence Plantation Racquet and Swim Club. Membership is very affordable and offers residents of the community a great way to meet others who enjoy similar activities.

Approximately 3 miles away you will find The Arboretum. A popular destination for shopping, restaurants, movies, and live outdoor music. Home to popular chain stores, as well as merchants unique to the area.

Sightings of wildlife, passing through, can be seen both day and night. It is not unusual to see a family of deer cross your path. During the spring and summer, rabbits can be regularly spotted, much to  the delight of young children.

Looking for a wonderful community with good resale value, home prices to fit many budgets, miles and miles of walking paths, tennis and swim club,easy commutes to the most popular spots and great schools? Check out Providence Plantation!

View over 29,000 Charlotte area home listings (and 7900 new listings) on www.helenadamsrealty.com.

Over 17,000 Charlotte area homebuyers were surveyed to judge their real estate agent’s market expertise, technical skills and knowledge.  Homebuyers were asked to evaluate their agent based on nine criteria:  customer service, communication, finding the right home, integrity, negotiation skills,  marketing of the home, market knowledge, closing preparation and overall satisfaction.

Before selecting the winners of this year’s Five Star awards, the candidates were also reviewed by a blue-ribbon panel of industry experts including professional and trade association officers, real estate company owners and executives in housing-related businesses.

The resulting Five Star winners, like Lynda Dobbins, are an elite group, representing less than 4 percent of licensed agents in the Charlotte area.  Only 532 top-scoring real estate agents made this year’s list.

Join us in congratulating Lynda for this outstanding achievement.

What also makes Park Crossing special is the character of the neighborhood.  It’s an established neighborhood, lush with fine, professional landscaping, where residents show the pride of their home and where they live.  Streets are wide where residents can comfortably walk.  While cul-de-sac lots may be a rare fine in some neighborhoods today, not in Park Crossing. There are abundant here and half acre lots you will find is the standard too in sections of the community.  And if you think “established” means old looking. Think again, 10208 Kilmory Terrace has spacious rooms and the kitchens has 42″ cabinets in the and granite countertops, dual staircases, his and her closets in the master, bonus rooms, screened porches, and more can be found there too under $500K in a prime area of Charlotte.  Moreover, the neighbors are extremely friendly. They sponsor events throughout the year and the clubhouse, tennis court, and playgrounds just make socializing that much easier in neighborhoods like Park Crossing. There’s a gem to be found in 2010.

I would love to hear your comments on what makes a neighborhood a Charlotte gem to you too, write  sbrown@helenadamsrealty.com or visit my website.