Real Estate News
C H A R L O T T E
home design
page 2
“Empty nesters and ‘snowbirds’ are downsizing to townhomes, and first-time buyers and couples are upgrading to townhomes from their apartment rentals.”
dedicated to showcasing charlotte’s distinctive homes
– Giles Barker, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty
Trendy townhomes Where the home-like feelings of a single-family house and the lock-and-leave sensibilities of a condo collide
- story on page 4
real estate news What’s new p2
design instyle Classic Blue p8
design trends
Decking the halls without wrecking your budget p12
straight talk Dying decks p18
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THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14 2019
what’s new? compiled by Whitney Berongi
DAVID WEEKLEY HOMES COLLECTS THOUSANDS OF MEALS, DONATIONS DURING ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE From Nov. 1–15, David Weekley Homes hosted its fifth annual companywide Thanksgiving Drive, bringing together homeowners, real estate agents, vendors, trade partners and team members to collect 150,000 pounds of food for nearly 60,000 people across the country. In Charlotte, David Weekley Homes collected approximately 56,000 pounds of food items and $6,800 in monetary donations during the two-week drive for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina supplies almost 800 non-profit programs feeding people in need across 19 counties in North and South Carolina. In 2017-2018, the Food Bank provided over 54 million pounds of food and essential grocery items to these soup kitchens, shelters, emergency food pantries, low income group homes and children’s and senior programs. The David Weekley Homes Thanksgiving Drive is a volunteer and philan-
thropic initiative of the company’s CARE program, which allows the extended David Weekley Homes family to live out its purpose of “Building Dreams, Enhancing Lives” in each of the communities in which it builds. For more information, visit davidweekleyhomes.com.
Nasty crawl spaces? We can fix it. Email real estate news to homedesign@charlotteobserver.com.
Create a healthier living space and save money on utility bills while avoiding unnecessary repairs. You can even gain extra storage space!
C H A R L O T T E
home design Editor
Symptoms of a Crawl Space Problem: Interior Drywall Cracks • Uneven Floors Foul Odors • Increased Allergy or Asthma Symptoms
Christina Darnell
Coordinator/Designer Melissa Kennelly
Creative Strategy & Real Estate Advertising Buck Brice, bbrice@charlotteobserver.com
New Home Builder Advertising
Suzanne Parker, sparker@charlotteobserver.com
Sales Director
Vic Bowers, vbowers@mcclatchy.com 336-402-4673 Section published by The Charlotte Observer • 550 S. Caldwell St., Charlotte, NC 28202. Editorial material in this section is the responsibility of the Observer Content Studio, 704-358-5185. It did not involve the news staff of The Observer.
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|townhome living
DID YOU KNOW? Townhomes and condos are pretty similar. The biggest difference is with a townhome the buyer also owns the land beneath the building.
by Julie Cooper
EAT
TRUE Crafted Pizza Head to this modern restaurant located in all the action of Rea Road for oven-baked and grilled artisanal pizza pies. truepizza.com
PLAY
The Green Located at the intersection of West 1st Street and South Tryon, head to this charming, worldliterature-themed park for some fun outside amongst various unique sculptures. childressklein.com
EXPLORE
The Liberty Walk Explore Uptown’s history on this self-guided walk to learn about significant events, like the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence from British rule. charlottelibertywalk.com
T
he world is more connected than ever. It’s nothing to travel halfway around the globe on a business trip or catch a flight up north to visit the grandkids. Want to take a last-minute weekend trip to the mountains? It’s well within reach too. The most important factor for a well-lived—and well-traveled—life is home base. For many in the Queen City who consider the world their amenity, the townhome life is ideal. “Townhomes offer the best of both worlds—a hybrid of convenient condominium living combined with a single-family, home-like feel,” says Giles Barker with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “In a townhome community, you can lock up and leave without the worry of yard work.” For some of the population, that’s a breath of fresh air. The lock-andleave benefit provides freedom to come and go as they please. “We see two major sectors of buyers attracted to townhomes at both ends of the age spectrum,” Barker says. “Empty nesters and ‘snowbirds’ are downsizing to townhomes, and first-time buyers and couples are upgrading to townhomes from their apartment rentals.” “I see a lot of professionals who travel for work being drawn to Uptown-area townhomes too,” adds Patty Hendrix with HM Properties. “They just don’t want a yard to take
care of. Most of the time, the HOA will cover the exterior maintenance, including the front yard, to keep it uniform. It’s definitely something to bring up at closing to make sure of, though. You don’t want the hassle of neighbors who can’t keep their part of the yard tidy.” According to Hendrix, the exterior maintenance isn’t the only topic to bring up before buying a townhome. “It’s important for the buyer to look at the HOA,” she says. “They need to know what’s included and check out the financial statements to see if there’s enough in the budget to take care of items like a roof that might need replacing.” “In an up market, there tend to be fewer problems with the health of the financials. But in a recession when builders stop building halfway through a development or when homes go into foreclosure, it puts massive pressure on HOA fee collections,” says Barker. “This can affect the management, upkeep and appearance of the community.” It’s also important to note the rules on renting. Barker says many HOAs put caps on the number of rentals a development will allow. “Homeowners tend to have more pride of ownership in a community, so community management tends to want to limit the number of renters in a neighborhood,” he says. When it comes to selling, today’s
buyers want a turnkey house. It’s important to do some renovations to get top dollar. “If they aren’t updated, it’s going to reflect in the price,” Hendrix says. “People are willing to pay more for a house that’s already done, because, number one, they don’t have the time and number two, they don’t have the budget. They just put down 20 percent on a home, so they don’t necessarily have the extra money to fork out for a new $20,000 kitchen.” In the Charlotte landscape, the townhome market is doing well. Brand new townhouse developments are being erected often, like the luxury Rea Court townhouses, starting at $475,000. A 10-unit boutique townhouse development in the heart of South Charlotte, these homes are flying off the market— which isn’t surprising. “Charlotte is enjoying a boom in construction, and land sales are surging with premium prices being met throughout the city,” says Barker. “Redeveloping areas of single-family homes into more dense townhome developments is an organic step for a growing city. You can fit four or more townhomes on a lot where one single-family home sits. Since it’s more profitable for developers to build townhomes than single-family residences, it’s a trend we’re going to keep seeing as Charlotte continues to grow.”
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ST. AN DR E WS
OPE N SAT 1 2 / 1 4 | 1 2 - 2 pm
1958 McKirkland Court, Matthews, NC 28105 2 B R | 2 B A | 1 ,70 0 s .f. | $ 2 9 9,0 0 0 Immaculate 1 story townhome with gorgeous wood flooring throughout most of the living space. Tiled kitchen & baths. LR & dining area are combined in one great room with vaulted ceilings & a fireplace. The open plan also has a sunroom & study with French doors & closet that could be a 3rd BR. Well-appointed kitchen with plenty of cabinetry. Oversized MBR with a large walk-in closet & roll-in shower. Ramp allows for ease of entry from the two-car garage into the back hallway. Community events, a clubhouse and swimming pool.
CENTRAL PARK 7024 Henry Quincy Way, #33, Charlotte, NC 28277 Price: $430,000 MLS: 3567018 Listing Agents: Jamie Thomas, 704-649-2855, jamie@ hmproperties.com; Jen Bush, 704904-1212, jennifer@hmproperties. com; HM Properties
Pristine all-brick townhome in gated South Charlotte community. Master down with oversized shower. Many upgrades. Three bedrooms up plus family room and large loft. Kitchen with granite, tile backsplash, stainless appliances and island. New paver patio. Laundry on main. Upgraded banister and hardwoods throughout main. Upgraded carpet/padding. Garage with custom shelving. Very nearby are Promenade on Providence and Providence Commons shopping centers. Just blocks from highlyrated JM Robinson Middle School.
Listed by: Sharon Yoxsimer
CE N T R AL PAR K
OPE N SAT 1 2 / 1 4 | 1 2 - 2 pm
7024 Henry Quincy Way, Charlotte, NC 28277 4 B R | 3 .1 B A | 2 , 61 9 s q . f t . | $ 4 3 0,0 0 0 Pristine all-brick townhome in desirable gated South Charlotte community! Comfortable MBR en-suite on main level with oversized shower! 3 Bedrooms, Family Room & large Loft are on the upper level! Many upgrades! Fabulous kitchen with granite countertops, tile backsplash, stainless appliances & opens to spacious Living Room with coffered ceiling. Dining area with wainscoting. Enjoy outdoor space with new paver patio & privacy. Upgraded hardwood floors. Freshly painted main level. Garage w/ custom shelving. Great location near shopping, restaurants & I-485 access!
Listed by: Jamie Thomas & Jennifer Bush JAMIE THOMAS & JEN BUSH
SHARON YOXSIMER Broker | RealtorÂŽ
704-819-2567 s h a ro n@ h m p ro p e r t i e s .co m
Brokers | RealtorsÂŽ
704-649-2855 | 704-904-1212 j a m i e @ h m p ro p e r t i e s .co m j e n n i fe r @ h m pro p e r t i e s .co m
H M P R O P E R T I E S .CO M
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|townhome living COTSWOLD CITY HOMES 1241 Cotswold Place #16, Charlotte, NC 28211 Price: $787,601 MLS: 3506911 Listing Agent: Becca Waybright, Simonini Realty, 704-564-1090, rebecca@simonini.com
Cotswold City Homes is one of Simonini’s beautiful townhome neighborhoods, nominated for Community of the Year. Perfectly located, they are an easy walk to Cotswold Shopping Center, local shops and restaurants. With a short commute to Uptown and less than 2 miles from SouthPark Mall, this community is in the center of it all. This townhome has two master suites on the third level and the option of building a third bedroom or office on the lower level. Bright open floor plan, remote-controlled heat and glo fireplace, gorgeous stone and marble countertops throughout, no slam doors and drawers cabinetry, balcony and small fenced patio, two parking spaces in front of two-car garage. Ask about design incentives and buyer agent bonus for contracts processed by Dec. 31 this year. LOMBARDY TERRACE 1708 Lombardy Circle #B, Charlotte, NC 28203 Price: $814,271 MLS: 3452929 Listing Agent: Becca Waybright, Simonini Realty, 704-564-1090, rebecca@simonini.com
Lombardy Terrace is Simonini Homes newest community located in the heart of Dilworth. These homes are just a block from some of Charlotte’s best restaurants, including Kid Cashew, 300 East, Bakersfield and so many more. Located across from Freedom Park and along the Greenway, homeowners can walk, run, bike ride and attend the many events hosted there year-round. The short commute to Uptown or SouthPark Mall puts these homes in the center of it all. Ask about design incentives and buyer agent bonus for contracts processed by Dec. 31 this year.
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Builder of the Year 2019 $995,000
Enclave at Providence Park 3701 Providence Road Becca Waybright | 704.564.1090 rebecca@simonini.com
1 REMAINING
1 REMAINING
NEW
Heydon Hall
Heydon Hall Circle Angela Butler | 704.906.6729 angela@simonini.com
Quail View Custom
3611 Quail View Road Angela Butler | 704.906.6729 angela@simonini.com
Myers Park Lots
1108 Chollywood Drive #5 Angela Butler | 704.906.6729 angela@simonini.com
$856,000
$1,198,754
Waterfront Lots
123 Potomac Lane Angela Butler | 704.906.6729 angela@simonini.com
$550,000
$425,000
Eastover Lot
1722 Scotland Avenue Angela Butler | 704.906.6729 angela@simonini.com
$899,000
Ballantyne Custom
11931 John K Hall Way Becca Waybright | 704.564.1090 rebecca@simonini.com
AGENT BONUS & BUYER DESIGN INCENTIVE $799,787
$1,155,560
1 REMAINING
$779,000
$50K Buyer Allowance
$5K Agent Bonus $25K Buyer Allowance
$5K Agent Bonus $30K Buyer Allowance
Draper Place City Homes
Lombardy Terrace
Cotswold City Homes
2440 Vail Avenue Weezy Parsons | 704.877.8395 louise@simonini.com
1708 Lombardy Circle Becca Waybright | 704.564.1090 rebecca@simonini.com
Custom Homes | Luxury Neighborhoods | Renovations
1205 Cotswold Place #1 Becca Waybright | 704.564.1090 rebecca@simonini.com
SIMONINI.COM | 704.333.8999 501 E Morehead Street, Suite 4 Charlotte, NC 28202
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|design instyle
A blue chest against blue-and-white graphic wallpaper blends beautifully with a floral accent chair / ballarddesigns.com
Classic Blue
Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year by Vicki Donatelli
I
t is no surprise that this year’s Pantone Color of the Year is Classic Blue. It is a timeless and enduring blue hue, simplistic but elegant. We have been steadily moving toward this color for the past four years. Although a classic blue never goes out of style, it is now being globally embraced.
“We are living in a time that requires trust and faith,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on.”
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Oomph’s Chatham DemiLune lacquer-finished blue tables adorn the entryway of this neutral decor / oomphhome.com
For those who are not familiar with Pantone and why its Color of the Year announcement is so important across design industries, it’s simple—its color selection forecasts global color trends and determines what you will be offered for purchase in the coming year. Have you ever noticed a specific color in a catalogue or showroom and then gradually you begin to see it everywhere? It’s in fashion, packaging, graphic design, home furnishings, wallpaper and paint. That’s the power of Pantone’s influence over design strategy. This year’s Classic Blue is a rich saturation of color that speaks to our desire
for a dependable and stable foundation. Because there is very little pushback on this color, you can embrace it into your décor with as much subtlety or intensity as you want. Painting your walls or hanging wallpaper this color is a commitment, but one that can be easily balanced with light-colored furnishings and accessories. White and gold wall sconces, table lamps or chandeliers create a dramatic pop against a dark wall. If you elect to keep your walls neutral, you can still create a striking décor. Consider painted furniture. Due to Pantone’s influence, Classic Blue furniture
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Blue and white wall paper is accented with white wall sconces and Ballard’s Grace mirror / ballarddesigns.com
A contemporary chandelier showcases Classic Blue / curreyandcompany.com
pieces will be available from many manufacturers as well as paint for DIY decorators. Always a leader in painted furnishings, Oomph’s Chatham DemiLune lacquered tables with brass or nickel trim is a perfect choice. It doesn’t take much. A new chest or a table can have a great impact. Upholstery provides a fun opportunity to adopt Classic Blue. Fabric manufacturers have produced beautiful options. A blue and white floral accent chair is a timeless addition to a neutral décor. You make this work by adding carefully selected accessories. Blue and white porcelain ginger jars, vases and planters are a design
staple. Mixing a few of these pieces into your décor will connect a floral upholstery piece with a blue and white wallpaper or white walls. Dark furniture can be energized with the introduction of Classic Blue. Consider an upholstered desk chair and a new white lamp. The color is malleable and can work wonders. Building a blue focus wall is a fun and affordable decorating project. Start with an anchor piece. Perhaps a sofa table, chest or break front. Hang a blue framed mirror, like the Bamboo Pagoda mirror from Ballard Design, or repaint a mirror you already have. Green and orange are wonderful contrast hues to use with blue.
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Painting your walls or hanging wallpaper this
color is a commitment, but one that can be easily balanced with light-colored furnishings and accessories.”
Colored plates are splendid choices for wall art. Continue to build your display by using blue and white porcelain pieces, books, small gold-framed photos and flowers on top of the chest or table. In a few weeks, we will be putting away all the holiday décor and looking at a blank slate—consider it an opportunity to update and refresh with the addition of Pantone’s Classic Blue.
Vicki Payne Donatelli is an interior designer, project coordinator and popular speaker for renovation and new construction projects. She is the host of the national PBS series “For Your Home.” Visit her blog at ForYourHome.com.
Brighten your home office with a blue upholstered desk chair / ballarddesigns.com
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Photo by Bethany Starin / House of Nomad
|design trends
Decking the halls without wrecking your budget Make your home look like a million bucks this holiday season with these helpful tips from local home designers by Emily Gunn
I
t’s the most expensive time of the year. And while you can easily blow your budget on twinkly lights and expensive wreaths, you can also make your home look like a picturesque holiday retreat without overspending. Use these tips from local designers to design your own budget- and environmentally-conscious winter wonderland. REUSE, RETHINK, REPURPOSE Finding ways to repurpose decorations isn’t just budget conscious, but it’s also an environmentally-friendly choice. Marisa Wilson of local interior
design firm Artful Interiors recommends buying a few different types of glass containers or vases that you can use throughout the year to fill with seasonally-appropriate décor. For instance, the same pretty glass bowl can be filled with ornaments during the holiday season, pine cones in late winter and flowers or citrus during the spring and summer months. The best part? These containers don’t have to be expensive—you can get simple, multi-purpose glass vases at a store like Hobby Lobby or Pottery Barn. If you’re living in a small apartment or condo (or just don’t feel like shell-
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Photos courtesy of Marisa Wilson / Artful Interiors
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Photos courtesy of Marisa Wilson / Artful Interiors
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ing out the money for a big Christmas tree), Wilson recommends checking out a local tree lot near you and asking to take home any of the extra branches or greenery they have on hand. Often, these vendors are looking to get rid of these spare branches, so you can take them home for free and spruce up your home with decorations you won’t have to store all year—instead, you can simply throw the branches out at the end of the season, when they would have been tossed anyway. Wilson loves tying bows around greenery and using them to decorate the mantel, not to mention they make your home smell great. She also loves using magnolia leaves, blossoms and berry stems to add a touch of Southern charm to any holiday scheme.
As far as seasonal colors goes, Wilson has seen a lot of deep reds this year, as well as the same mustardgold color so prominent in fashion lately. She’s seen a lot of hunter green and gold, as well. KEEP IT SIMPLE “For holiday décor, first and foremost, keep it simple,” says Berkeley Minkhorst, co-owner of House of Nomad, a full-service interior design studio in Myers Park. “Our biggest suggestion is to pick a color palette and stick to it.” This can be challenging with so many decorations coming in varying color palettes, from blue and silver to red and green to multi-color-brightand-shiny-everything. But in order to
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Photo courtesy of Marisa Wilson / Artful Interiors
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Photo courtesy of Marisa Wilson / Artful Interiors
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create a cohesive, calming look for your home, sticking to just a few colors can make a world of difference. Plus, keeping your decorations simple will prevent you from overspending on too many items, or having to replace overly trendy items year after year. Minkhorst loves using white, green and one natural element for a simple but classic look. She also recommends keeping your tree trimmings for both your table and your mantel so you can create a cohesive look throughout your home. SETTING THE TABLE As Kelley Lentini, co-owner of House of Nomad, explains, creating a beautiful tablescape doesn’t have to be complicated. “For tablescapes, we like to pick a natural element, such as leftover trimmings from your tree or cut magnolia leaves, and then add in a string of fairy lights and some candlesticks of varying heights—and you’re done!” She recommends keeping centerpieces low profile so you can still enjoy easy conversation at the table.
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If you want to add a bit of holiday shimmer to your table, Lentini recommends steering clear of glitter, and instead using gold, silver or brass—and just sticking to one metal to keep things simple and clean. “We really love brass, so adding in a few brass elements is really beautiful— candlesticks, small bowls or even trays filled with greenery,” she says. One of the best ways to not overspend on holiday decorations is to focus on items that will look great in your home all season long, not just from Thanksgiving to Christmas. “As much as we love festive décor, we also love to think winter instead of holiday. This way, your efforts will last until spring,” Lentini says. “Winter is the perfect time to grab a new throw pillow or two—and think texture.” Adding textures and natural elements to your home will help keep your holiday decorations from looking too cheesy or one-dimensional. And you’ll have created a picture-perfect, cozy home that will outlast the holidays and keep you feeling warm until the weather follows suit.
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Customized Shea plans on your homesite Homesite preparation and/or demo of existing home Modern Design Studio provides thousands of on-trend options Home Warranty Large portfolio of plans to choose from Fixed Pricing Contracts Sales: Shea Group Services, LLC DBA Shea Realty (NC: C21630; SC: 10424). Construction by Shea Custom, LLC (NC: 68244; SC: G116078). This is not an offer of real estate for sale, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, to residents of any state or province in which registration and other legal requirements have not been fulfilled. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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Photo courtesy of Marisa Wilson / Artful Interiors
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|straight talk
Dying decks Trends in new construction homes reveal decks may be an endangered feature by Allen Norwood
F
ewer than one-quarter of the new, single-family homes started across the country last year had decks. Just 22.6 percent to be more precise—down more than a full percentage point from 23.8 percent the year before. And the percentage for our area is even lower. Just, wow.... I was shocked that so few new houses have decks, perhaps because we spend so much time here in the column talking about tending to and living on our decks. Think of all the homeowners who will never know the joys of seasonal debates over peroxide vs. chlorine for cleaning and solid vs. semitransparent for staining. Those who will never build the admirable strength of character that scrubbing and brushing under the summer sun engenders. Also, what about carpenter bees? Why, do you really live in a house in the Charlotte area if you don’t see the
telltale sawdust under the deck railing beside your back door? What do you do if you’re not dodging territorial bees while you’re grilling burgers on your deck in early summer? Just sit still and enjoy the sunset? But I digress. The news about decks was courtesy of the National Association of Home Builders, which tabulated construction survey information from the U.S. Census Bureau. A closer look shows the percentage of homes with decks varies widely across the country’s nine census divisions. Decks are most common in the East South Central division—Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky—where 57 percent of new homes sport decks. Ranking next is New England, where the tally is 56 percent. We’re in the South Atlantic division, where just 18 percent of new homes
started last year had decks. Lowest is West South Central—Texas and three adjacent states—with 4 percent. As the NAHB pointed out, it’s hard to get your head around some of this. Lots of decks in New England, where there’s looming snow on the radar as I write this? And only 4 percent in Texas, where folks on the Gulf Coast can look forward to temperatures in the 70s this weekend? The NAHB didn’t even try to explain why the area with the most decks is right next door to the area with the fewest. I’m sure there are lots of reasons for the dearth of decks. Topography, architectural styles, shrinking lots and soaring construction prices. Maybe this will help us understand: Almost two-thirds of single-family homes started last year have porches. Perhaps porches are replacing decks? Then again, maybe that’s not the answer: The census division with the
most porches was East South Central at a whopping 94 percent of homes. That’s the same region, of course, that enjoyed the most decks. Here in our area, 66 percent of new homes had porches, which places us close to the national average. As the NAHB basically said, go figure. Still worried about carpenter bees, though, and the whole carpenter bee infrastructure. Just this summer I pitched a couple of bee traps I had made from a scrap of treated lumber and empty plastic water bottles. Hated to see them go, even though they never caught a mess of bees. Some folks buy factory-made bee traps, readers tell me. With few decks, what’s going to happen to all those bee trap jobs? Allen Norwood: homeinfo@charter.net
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THE HIGH COUNTRY NC MOUNTAINS
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28TH, 2019
Charlotte’s premier real estate publication viewed by 339,500 readers weekly! Space Reservation: MONDAY, DECEMBER 23RD For more information and advertising options, Contact: Buck Brice | 704.358.5454 | BBrice@CharlotteObserver.com
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KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES. Explore the incredible style and luxury on display at two new communities from Jones Homes USA. Our legacy of building outstanding homes and communities, with innovative designs, outstanding included luxury appointments that are considered upgrades from other builders, and the latest energy features and advanced home technology will open your eyes to what your dream home can truly be.
Luxury Single-Family Homes from the mid $700s
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