NC Real Estate Trends (Charlotte, Hickory: low crime, houses, neighborhoods)

[NC-here-I-come]

Hey all, I will be moving to the Newton area some time in 2009. I have lived in Colorado and Kansas most of my life. I have been looking at Realtor.com and wanted to ask a few questions from folks who have lifed in the Charlotte / Hickory corridor.

Most of the homes I am seeing in the 100K to 200K range don't seem to have basements. Does that sound right and if so, why is that?

I am seeing a lot of homes with car ports and one car garages. Is that something common in the area? In Kansas or Colorado, 2 car garages are standard and often you will find 3 car garages?

Are fenced yards common? What type of fencing is most common? In Colorado, it was 6' wood privacy fence and in Kansas it is 4' chain link.

Any other things I need to think about? Does that area have a lot of bugs? There are none in Colorado but you do have to worry about expanding soil and prairie dogs. In Kansas, you have wildlife running around all over, Turkeys, snakes and lots of mosquitos. Anything like that of which I need to be aware? Thanks in advance for your replies.

[jaynarie]

Basements=mold.

I think these threads can fill you in on all the reasons:
Why Do So Few Houses have Basements?
Why the lack of basements?

I am not sure about the garages. If I had to venture a guess, people don't see them as a necessity because we don't get mountains of snow here, nor is it too cold. That is my logical answer anyway. I could be completely wrong!

Quantity of bugs is relative. Is it like Florida? No. I find no more bugs here than I did in Michigan. However, the "palemetto bug" is more common

[cynwldkat]

At least in the area we live and it is rural with horses and cattle all around us, I have not had any more problems here then in CA. Actually less mosquitos here if you can believe that. It may just be our area but we have a pond across our dirt road and an lake 2 1/2 miles down the road so it's not the lack of moisture for sure. So far I haven't seen any of those palemetto bugs here either. Seen a few harmless snakes and June bugs--lots of June bugs. I suppose it all depends on what part of NC you are looking at.We also had a problem finding a house with a basement--finally gave up and bought a house without a basement. No garage either but we had a 2,400 sq ft metal building built on our land and use it as our shop and garage.

[MrsSteel]

You might not find as many traditional basements down here, but there are walkout basements to be found in hilly neighborhoods.

[NC-here-I-come]

Thank you all for the info. Appreciate the kindness. Keep them coming if there are more opinions, suggestions or guidance!

[HickoryNCKeisler]

First off, great choice! Newton is a lovely little town just minutes from Hickory. It's clean, full of friendly people, low crime rates, and good schools. My husband and I have lived in Hickory all our lives, and recently moved to Newton, and we love it!

There are plenty of homes between 100K and 200K that have basements! I just did a search on our MLS and found 390 homes that had basements in that price range! So don't give up hope - there are TONS of options!

That's the great thing about Hickory/Newton area - you get a lot of "bang for your buck"!

Most homes in that price range will have at LEAST a one car garage - but from my initial MLS search, there were quite a few that had a double garage. (Naturally, the closer to $200,000, the more likely it had a two car garage)

Most homes do not have fencing unless the owner had/has a dog or children. Around here, many homes use chain link fence, however many subdivisions require a certain "type" of fence that is more attractive and conforming to the neighbors.

Common misconception: That NC has a lot of bugs. It's simply not true - there aren't any more bugs here than there is in any other area! Living in Hickory, NC is probably most similar to living in Kansas - we do have "country land" nearby, and occasionally see a deer or a raccoon, etc.

I hope this helps! Relocating can be very stressful, and we are glad to help!