Happy Birthday Levitown

The article below is from the Charlotte Observer. Levitown, the first American suburb, is turning sixty. The suburb was and is an important housing option, but more and more people are realizing the value of Uptown Living. Charlotte center city living is a viable alternative for more people than ever. We have dozens of great projects being built and even more on the drawing board. There has never been a better time to experience urban living in Charlotte.

PARADE AND CELEBRATION TODAY
`Ideal community' of Levittown turns 60
Long Island suburb built for war veterans was immediate success
FRANK ELTMAN
Associated Press

LEVITTOWN, N.Y. --In 1951, 7-year-old Louise Cassano couldn't imagine a better life than the one here, where she rode her bicycle past rows of cookie-cutter houses, kids held backyard campouts in makeshift tents and nobody locked their front doors.

"It was an absolute ideal community," said Cassano, whose love affair with Levittown never waned -- she still lives in the Long Island town dubbed by some as America's first suburb.Cassano is among the organizers of a huge 60th birthday party for the Nassau County town, set for today and featuring high school bands, floats, local groups, war veterans and the Fire Department. Nearly two dozen original Levittown homeowners will serve as grand marshals.

It was October 1947 when developer William Jaird Levitt opened the first of what became 17,544 Cape Cod and ranch houses rising from blighted potato fields 40 miles east of New York City, handing post-World War II GIs the keys to their American Dream.

It was an instant success, a prototype widely chronicled and duplicated nationwide.
Cape Cods originally sold for $6,990; ranches were slightly more expensive. Each house had four rooms, a bath, an unfinished attic and amenities -- steel kitchen cabinets, Bendix washer, GE refrigerator, Hotpoint electric range.

Charlote Shout - Blues, Brews & BBQ

North Tryon Street comes alive with music, BBQ and beer as the 5th Annual Blues, Brews & BBQ festival invades Uptown. This Charlotte Shout event takes place on September 14 and 15, 2007 on Tryon Street between 6th Street and 11th Street.

This festival celebrates the best of the southern cuisine and southern music. National teams vie for a place in the coveted Memphis in May national Cook-off, while local "Backyard Grillers" show why their home-grown style and sauce is the best in the Carolinas. Blues stage features acts Delbert McClinton, Acoustic Syndicate and many more!

charlotteshout.com

Click here for the event shcedule.

Trinity Episcopal School - First Ward Parking

First Ward residents should be aware that traffic will increase and parking will be tight due to events at Trinity Episcopal School.

Thursday, September 13: 4-8 Open House, 7-8:30pm

Tuesday, September 18: New Parent Reception, 6:30pm

Tuesday, October 2: Parent Education Series, 7-8:30pm

Monday, October 15: Boarding School Fair, 6-8pm

Tuesday, October 16: K-8 Admissions Open House, 7pm

Wednesday, October 24: K-8 Admissions Open House, 12pm

Monday, October 29: Parent Education Series, 8-9am

Choosing An Agent

This article appeared in the September 1, 2007, issue of the Charlotte Observer. This is a well done piece with allot of useful information. In all instances a buyer should have their own agent, as it is crucial that someone advocate only for you. It is legal for the seller's agent to operate as a dual agent but, in my opinion it is not a good idea for a buyer to enter into this type of arrangement. Do your homework and find someone you like and trust to work as your buyer's agent.

The best agent for you
Ready to buy? Experts share tips on finding a real estate professional

KATHY HAIGHT
khaight@charlotteobserver.com

When you're in the market for a home, what's the best way to find a real estate agent to represent you?

We asked syndicated real estate columnist Robert Bruss for his advice. We also consulted columnist Ilyce Glink's book "100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask" and talked with broker Michael Fournier of Helen Adams Realty. Here are some of their other suggestions:

• Ask friends and business associates to recommend buyer's agents.

Any agent can be a buyer's agent. The term just means the agent agrees to represent you in your home search, even though they may represent sellers in other transactions.

If you walk into a model home, the agent on duty represents the seller. You want someone to advocate for you -- and to point out the benefits and drawbacks of the home a seller's agent may be gushing about.

Some buyer's agents are called "exclusive" buyer's agents, which means they never represent sellers. Whichever you choose, make sure the agent has experience with homes in the neighborhoods and price range you're interested in.

• Don't assume you'll save money buying a house without an agent.

With all the home-buying advice available online and in books, you may be tempted to go it alone. It's a bad idea, say Bruss, Glink and Fournier.

You won't save money, and you'll miss out on the wealth of info a good buyer's agent can provide -- including facts about school districts, traffic, and other pros and cons of the house you want to buy.

Sellers usually figure a 5 to 6 percent commission into the price of a home. They're not going to reduce that, says Bruss, just because you don't have an agent. Even when homes are "for sale by owner," sellers usually agree to pay a commission to the buyer's agent.

Another thing a buyer's agent does is prepare a written comparative market analysis (CMA) when you're seriously considering making an offer on a home. This shows recent sales prices of similar homes nearby, which helps buyers avoid paying too much.