The celebrations of Mardi Gras vary in different cultures but it's safe to say the most famous celebration in the U.S. occurs in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Other places famous for Mardi Gras celebrations include Rio de Janeiro, Columbia, Quebec City and Mazatlan Mexico.

How did Mardi Gras get to the U.S.?  Well, in the 17th century King Louis XIV sent his people to defend their claim to the territory known as Louisiane which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.  By 1723 the colonists who settled in these areas of the South brought their customs and they were embraced by residents, even those not of French or Catholic heritage. 

When did baring breasts for beads come into the picture?  It has no cultural significance and is only a "tradition" since the last decade of the 20th century.  This is practiced mostly by tourists, not locals and in a very small amount of celebrations like in New Orleans. 

Laissez les bons temps rouler!  (Let the good times roll).

Implemented by congress in 1879, it wasn’t until 1885 that it became a federal holiday to celebrate Washington’s birthday.  It was the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen.  Much later, during the 1980’s, President’s Day was created under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and incorporated the celebration of both Washington and President Lincoln’s birthday. 

While today may offer some great shopping deals it is more importantly a day to honor our American Presidents, veterans and Purple Heart recipients.  Happy President’s Day!

Nearly 30,000 of the 648,000 households in the Charlotte metro area, earn more than $200,000 annually.  That is 4.6 percent of households in our city.  So which state is number one?  Connecticut, where 16 percent earn more than $200,000.

These continued low rates have been a factor in boosting the housing market especially here in Charlotte where as we reported last week, home sales in Charlotte went up by 9.2 percent since January 2011.

Myers Park is conveniently located just minutes from Uptown Charlotte and is one of the city’s most sought-after neighborhoods.  Historian Tom Hanchett with the Levine Museum of the New South has called Myers Park "Charlotte's finest planned suburb.”  Although the planning for this nationally registered historic neighborhood began in 1905, Myers Park hasn't lost its original appeal.  

Gorgeous homes of all styles can be found here, on streets like Queens Road West and Selwyn Avenue, nestled under a giant canopy of the some of the most famous willow oaks in the world.  Homes are comfortably setback with expansive sidewalks providing a chance to get out and experience the beauty while visiting with neighbors.   Easy access to popular Freedom Park offers residents many opportunities to stay active, and the campus of historic Queens University provides a beautiful backdrop to the community.

Whenever someone visits us in Charlotte, we always make it a point to drive them through Myers Park.  It is a neighborhood that should make every Charlottean proud!  Today's available homes in Myers Park range from $249,900 to over $2 million.  Click here to see the available homes or call us for a tour today.

Here are some helpful links if you'd like to learn more about Myers Park:

Myers Park Homeowners Association  http://mpha.com/index.html

Festival in the Park   http://www.festivalinthepark.org/

Park Rd. Shopping Center  http://parkroadshoppingcenter.com/

Levine Museum of the New South  http://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/

Myers Park Country Club  http://www.myersparkcc.com/Club/Scripts/Home/home.asp



Sunday, 2/12 1pm - 3pm

See Virtual Tour

The average price of homes sold has remain relatively unchanged, a small dip of 0.1 percent resulting in $187,785 from January 2011's average sales price of $187,971. The median sales price has increased by 2.4 percent in the last year from $143,127 last year to the current $146,550.

Another sign we are headed in the right direction is distressed property sales are way down, by 35.9 percent in fact.  This is all great for Charlotte and we are excited to see things continue to improve.

Each week we feature a great community in the area.  If you love your neighborhood, let us know where and why, and it may just be next week's featured neighborhood.  This week's neighborhood is Dilworth.

The Dilworth community is conveniently located just minutes from Uptown Charlotte and through the decades it has retained its charm while embracing commerce- local cafés, galleries, restaurants, and popular boutiques continue to make Dilworth one of Charlotte's most sought after locations.  Dilworth has a rich history as Charlotte’s first street car neighborhood, and it’s now nationally registered as a historic neighborhood. You can find out more about the history and the neighborhood by checking out www.dilworthonline.org.

Dilworth’s tree-lined streets feature many styles of homes in all shapes, sizes, and price-tags including inviting bungalow’s, hip condos, stately mansions, and lots of unique architecturally designed homes.   Easy access to Freedom Park and Latta Park, two of Charlotte's most popular public parks, helps promote an active and healthy lifestyle to Dilworth residents.  Today's available homes in Dilworth range from $144,900 to $1.6 million.  Click here to see the available homes or call us for a tour today.

The list is dominated by warm weather locales although Chicago, Denver and Seattle have also made the list.  This is the second year on the list for the Queen City.  Click here to check out all top 10.

Andrea Roether

a wonderful birthday!

By: Andrew Hill @ New Home Source

Things have changed since the days when your parents/grandparents applied for a mortgage loan. It was a simpler time, involving less stringent requirements and a better chance of getting a good rate and a smaller down payment. Much has changed since then. Today, you must be considerably more prepared than those who came before you when going to apply for your loan.

The first thing that you should consider is your credit score. If you have a high score, you should have nothing to worry about. If you have a low score, you have two main options: you can delay buying your home for a few years and improve your credit score or you can apply for an FHA loan. FHA loans often have much smaller down payments and agreeable mortgage rates.

In addition to your credit score, you must have a realistic expectation of how much you can afford. Your mortgage payment should be no more than 1/3 of your monthly income. Preferably, you should be paying a little less than 30%.  Start preparing for this by estimating the mortgage payment for your future house, as well as utilities and maintenance costs, and save that money for a few months. If you can still live comfortably, then you are looking at a good fit.

To find the best mortgage rate, be sure to shop around online. With a variety of websites that let you shop lenders and mortgage rates anonymously, this is a very handy tool for homebuyers. Plan on meeting with a minimum of three lenders from your search.

The next thing you need to research is loan types. If you plan on staying at your current job and/or living in your new home for at least the next five years, a 30-year fixed rate mortgage will normally be your best option. If your income is stable but fluctuating or can see yourself moving within a few years, you should look at other options. Be sure to ask your lender about all of the loan types available.

Finally, you need to be building a nest egg for your down payment and the closing costs. You should expect a down payment anywhere from 3-20% of your house’s total cost. Often forgotten, the closing costs must also be considered, so be sure to talk to your agent about these.

It’s that simple! Just follow these steps and you’ll have the extra edge over your mortgage and house hunters alike.

This movie already has lots of fans since it is based on Suzanne Collins' bestselling trilogy of novels but Lionsgate just announced that "The Hunger Games" will get a one-week exclusive engagement in IMAX theaters beginning March 23rd, the same day the film opens nationwide.  We can't wait, can you?

Regardless, it gives people a reason to celebrate.  Modern customs of the holiday are celebrated in many places but the largest celebration is in Punxsutawney Pennsylvania where crowds of over 40,000 have gathered to celebrate since at least 1886.  The celebration started as a German custom throughout southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries.

This morning, this year's groundhog named "Punxsutawney Phil" saw his shadow so I guess it's six more weeks or winter.  For us in Charlotte, we've been wondering if winter has even started yet.  How well can a rodent predict the weather?  The National Climatic Data Center has reported the prediction accuracy is around 39 percent.

The Madison Park community is in nestled in the heart of South Charlotte, between Park Rd. and South Blvd, only minutes from Uptown.  Convenient to the historic Park Road Shopping Center, the bars and nightlife of Montford Drive, and the light rail, this has remained one of Charlotte's most popular communities.  This is a quiet neighborhood with tree-lined streets featuring cozy brick ranches, spacious split levels, and mid-century moderns.  Friendly residents take an active role in preserving their neighborhood with a "neighbors helping neighbors" approach, which is just one of the reasons Madison Park was named 2008's "Neighborhood of the Year".  

Today's available homes in Madison Park range from $100,000 to $300,000.  Click here to see the available homes or call us for a tour today. 

Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft also referenced a report that existing home sales rose 5 percent at the end of 2011, signaling the largest increase since May 2010.

Even Warren Buffett's secretary, Debbie Bosanek, who was thrown into the national spotlight by President Obama's State of the Union address last week, is going public with her "private" advice from her boss.  Buy your future retirement home now while the mortgage rates and home prices are still rock bottom.  She did just that and purchased a second home in Arizona with the hopes of convincing her 82 year old boss to retire some time in the next 10 years so she can retire also.

Sunday, 1/29 1pm - 3pm

See Virtual Tour

Saturday 1/28 2pm - 4pm

Sunday 1/29 1pm - 3pm

See Virtual Tour