North Carolina Parade of Lake Homes, Lake Hickory, NC

Come Experience North Carolina Lake Living

Parade of Lake Homes - Saturday, March 28th, 2009

To get a true sense of what lake living is like here, you are cordially invited to an exclusive Tour of Custom Homes at Lake Hickory, North Carolina on Saturday March 28th.

It will be a fun and relaxing weekend! Come and view beautiful homes, explore the area, and join us for a boat cruise around the lake. This is the best way to experience North Carolina Lake Living!

RSVP at 800-517-5899. We look forward to hearing from you!

Photos and Views of Parade of Lake Homes - Providence Home Builders has joined an elite list of builders by becoming a Certified Green Professional (CGP) Builder, one of the first in North Carolina! This is just a sample - make your reservation today to see much, much more!

Welcome to Hickory North Carolina! Hickory is located an hour northwest of Charlotte in the Blue Ridge Mountains, an hour east of Asheville, 1.5 hours from Winston-Salem/Greensboro area, 2.5 hours from Raleigh, and 45 minutes from Blowing Rock and Boone. Reader's Digest called Hickory "One of the 10 best places in America to raise a family", and Google's East Coast Operation Center here is now open and hiring!

We'll also have a list of available lots to build your own dream home, available lake homes, and custom floor plans.

Note from an owner "....a lot of things about life are uncertain - economic times, political times and many others but there is one thing that is definitely certain. That's how fast our kids are growing up. This place is like a magnet to attract our kids and future grandkids. We are so happy to get involved now!"

The Key is Thinking With Clarity In This Uncertain Time

Given the current economic landscape, many folks today are trying to navigate through all the economic malaise that has caused stock prices to drop significantly over the past 5+ months. Once again, scandal has hit both Wall Street and Washington and many people we talk to feel both entities are out of touch with Main Street. It is important not to get caught up in the hype of it all but to look at the facts so you can make good choices now for your financial future going forward. Let's look at what these are and by doing so, hopefully you can make good choices and perhaps use this volatile time to take advantage of abnormal pricing in this current real estate market.

Now that real estate has seen a correction in pricing, is this the right time for you to purchase? Let's examine what we do know...

Interest rates are at historic lows - If your credit is good and purchasing property is financially within your means, this is an excellent time to borrow money at very attractive rates.

There is a large supply of good quality real estate in the marketplace - as well as not so good real estate! Due to the downturn in the economy, many who own properties are being forced to sell their prized second home as they can no longer afford it due to the downturn in the economy. There are also those that purchased property as an investment and some of these investors have walked away from these lots and homes and their obligation to pay on them. Due to this, there are some excellent buys in both desirable and less desirable properties.

There are excellent values in the current market if you know how to find them - and they are not only short sales and foreclosures. NClakefront.com Realty concentrates on real estate in North Carolina - specifically lake property. These areas are off anywhere from 10% to 50%. If you were looking at a particular city or a specific property or development before the downturn, you have got to like where prices are at now! Add to that, developers and sellers are motivated to work with a qualified buyer so the concessions and conditions they are offering to the buyer are generous in this market.

Investors feel at a loss to get accurate information on their stock holdings and some will turn to investments they have more 'control' over - such as real estate. Due to this, investable funds will once again turn to real estate as people are frustrated with the unpredictability and inequity of the stock market. This includes corporate executive excessive compensation and the scandal of mismanagement of funds by both corporations and money managers who were managing the accounts of many investors. Real estate is an investment, regardless of the current value; that can be enjoyed while owned. Take the second home that a couple has purchased for their entire family to enjoy. Even in a downturn, that home can represent a place where memories are made, family gatherings are held and traditions established. These are attributes that have nothing to do with money. As assets such as stocks and real estate return in value, people who have been jarred by owning blue chip stocks for safety, income and moderate conservative returns may decide to re allocate some of their funds to a hard asset such as real estate.

Baby Boomers, 78 million of them, started to retire at the age of 62 in 2008 and this waive has just begun. These retirees will consider whether or not to relocate now that they can. Let's do the numbers...half of the Baby Boomers polled say they will relocate 3 hours or more away from their primary home at retirement. That is 39 million people. Let's cut that number in half to be conservative and that is still 20 million people. That right there is a lot of real estate activity! It is estimated that 43% of retirees will choose the Southeast United States for their retirement location so this area of the U.S. will noticeably feel the migration pattern of this demographic shift. Most importantly, per Live South Magazine, North Carolina recently passed Florida as the most popular place in the southeast to retire.

Taxes and weather; these two factors despite the economic landscape, are continuing to fuel peoples' decision to move southward at retirement. Folks can't afford or justify the taxes they are paying living in northern cities. Add to that, the winters are harsh. A dear friend of mine said, "You know you are a northerner when you describe the seasons where you live as winter, almost winter, still winter and not winter". So true! People have grown tired of the rigors of the cold and snow and when they talk to their friends who have moved southward upon retirement and hear of the gentler climate that affords them the lifestyle to be outdoors and lead a more active lifestyle, it is just too alluring not to join them and hang up their snow boots and discard their snow shovels once and for all.

Current home values have fallen and there are those that want to wait for their home to appreciate in value before they sell. Hindsight is always 20/20. What would have been the best financial move for folks who knew they wanted to retire was to sell their home a few years ago while the market was up, even if they had to go into temporary housing before they relocated down south. Then as the market dropped, they could have bought now on the tail end of the downturn. For folks that say they want to wait for their home to go up in value, they need to be aware that chances are if their home price appreciates (especially in the north), so will the real estate where they are heading. In the meantime, while they wait, they aren't getting on with their lives and they will continue to pay the high taxes and will endure further frigid winters where they are.

The real estate areas that will recover the best in this downturn are where two things are present; job growth and housing demand. Look to see where jobs are being created. Where employment is strong, that is where housing will lead out of this setback (Google and Williams Sonoma recently opened operations centers in our area). Where migration patterns are directing is where housing will recover the fastest. I know very few folks out of the 78 million Baby Boomers who are moving northward at retirement. Most folks I know are moving southward whether it is to Eastern Tennessee, the Carolinas or to Florida or anything in between. These cities and regions will see real estate demand increase which will positively affect pricing. Second, where jobs are being created and some of these jobs may be second careers for retirees, this too will positively affect pricing.

Bottom line - People need to think through this life step and:

1. Write out their goals of what they want to find;
2. Which community amenities are important;
3. What can they realistically afford;
4. And identify the "must have" city conveniences.

REMEMBER to purchase a property, whether it is a home or a lot in a community that has amenities complete and operational. In this market where concessions are being given on the best properties out there, why would you do otherwise? Do not buy in a start up community that has proposed amenities as there is too much risk in this economy. Buy into a community that has finished all their amenities or the bulk of the amenities are complete. If amenities are not important to you, then purchase in a community that has basic amenities where properties are generally less expensive. Do your homework or call upon NClakefront.com Realty who does this due diligence for our clients.

Get to know the area you are considering purchasing in. Learn about the tax structure of the state of which you are looking to relocate to. Know what is taxed and what is not. Find out about the medical care available through the local hospitals. Know about airport access, university opportunities, locations of restaurants and shopping centers, volunteerism and activities the area is known for. Your agent at NClakefront.com Realty has reports covering topics such as this and would be happy to furnish upon request.

The Parade of Homes on March 28th is an excellent opportunity for you to 'try on' the property for size for a weekend. There is a special Weekend Discovery Package on March 28th too - call for details. While you are here, meet others who live in the community, take a leisure cruise on the lake aboard our boat, get to know the area and envision living here and enjoying the North Carolina Lake Lifestyle.

In an economic storm such as this, the silver lining is opportunity. Know the facts, know your financial budget and have a plan. This is a time to see the forest through the trees and make smart decisions now that will lay a good foundation for you and your family going into the next decade.

RSVP at 800-517-5899. We look forward to talking with you today!