I visited Cancun a few weeks ago, and got to eat Mexican food for breakfast, lunch & dinner.  (Pure heaven for me!)  Upon return, I figured I had to go through withdrawal slowly, so I called in an order for take out at Rey Azteca.  One of my favoirte meals in Cancun included a delicious fish soup, so I tried Rey Azteca’s shrimp soup.  Delicious, and enough for two meals!  Especially considering the ample portion of chips & salsa included in the take-out order.

When I’m in the mood for heartier fare, the Chile Poblano is fantastic, especially with a bit of fresh cilantro sprinkled on top.  The fajitas are great-eat-a’s, and the Pollo con Crema (chicken w/ cream sauce) is a mild and delicious entree.  The service is fast and fiesty – - lots of fun. 

If you’ve lived around Lake Wylie for any length of time, you’re sure to run into friends and neighbors at Rey Azteca.  And if you HAVEN’T been in Lake Wylie very long, it’s a great place to meet new friends!  Every day is a fiesta.

Thanks for reading my blog.  Visit Lake Wylie Information for more restaurant reviews, general lake resources, and Lake Wylie Events and Activities.

Looking at sales activity for waterfront homes on Lake Wylie, we’re right on pace thru February vs last year, with a couple of notable differences:

• Average price of waterfront home selling is around $500,000 – - considerably lower than last year.  Last year this time we’d already seen the sale of a couple of million+ dollar homes; this year none have sold at that level, and none are pending yet.
• These lower priced homes, for the most part, are “real houses” – - not intended for weekend cabins at the lake, but will be used for primary homes.  Some foreclosures, originally priced in the $700’s, sold in the $500’s.  Add in to that mix a couple of older homes, moderately priced.
• Distressed properties continue to be a huge factor – - 5 of the 8 homes sold to date were foreclosures or short sales, and about a third of pending sales are in that category.
• Seventeen home sales are “pending” on Lake Wylie.  If all close in March/April, that would put us about 40% ahead of 2010 sales.  That is cause for optimism!

 Last year, the first vacant waterfront lot sale was reported at the end of March.  Thus far in 2011, we’ve had two lots close, both in January.  Other waterfront lot news:

• 12 lot sales are currently pending: two are considered “premium” lots (over $300k), and the remainder are foreclosures, etc. for under $150k.
•  Quite a few bank-owned properties are flooding the market of waterfront lots.  A large group of lots (several with docks) have been listed at Somerset in Autumn Cove for $150k and below. 
•  There are almost 200 waterfront lots currently available for sale on the lake; almost half are under $250,000.

The number of “pendings” and increase in calls by buyers for lots is an encouraging sign.  I think sales for 2011 will begin to outpace 2010, and am very optimistic about this year.  Please visit my website to see details for Waterfront Sales on Lake Wylie and other helpful Lake Wylie real estate resources.

It is always a treat to visit and photograph a home belonging to a builder. When a builder designs a home for his personal residence, you know it will be solid, great quality, and full of innovative features. My husband is in the HVAC industry, and our “mechanical room” resembles the cockpit of a 747. I kid you not. We have four HVAC heating and cooling zones in our house, and we DON’T have a big house. It is equivalent to having a $15,000 sound system in a Hyundai. But I digress.

Let’s go back to 5370 Commodore Place in Lake Wylie. Off of Lake Wylie Road, it has an excellent location: Clover school district (of which I am personally partial!), main channel lot with a glorious view.

The home itself is beautiful. Not too fancy (real people can live there), but very elegant. It has four bedrooms & baths. The master suite has a panoramic view of the lake, and a beautiful high ceiling with elaborate trim. It was a challenge to photograph – - couldn’t really fit the ceiling and view in a still shot, but it did stitch together nicely for a panoramic in the virtual tour.

I absolutely love the kitchen. Cathedral ceilings with exposed beams, looking out towards the lake and seeing stone columns for the covered porch. It presents a lovely transition from the inside to the natural beauty of the outside.

As nice as the interior is, the strongest appeal of the home is the outdoors. The view is tremendous. There’s a screened porch, covered porch, deck, and inground pool to enjoy a variety of outdoor living areas.

Bells and whistles? The pool has a remote control for lights, etc. The home is a “smart home” – - wired and ready to run a small business with mutliple phone lines, multiple computers, acronymns that made my head spin. Quite an impressive control panel!

Wonder how many HVAC zones HE has??

Thanks for reading, and be sure to visit the Lake Wylie waterfront property page to see the visual tour.

For more blogs on Lake Wylie real estate, Lake Wylie information, and living in Lake Wylie, visit www.TheLakeWylieMan.com.

I was very happy to hear that David had listed three waterfront condos for sale in Emerald Point.  I visited Emerald Point during the summer, and photographed some general community shots.  It was a gorgeous summer day, with a blue blue sky that really made the water look nice.  Emerald Point is located on a very lovely part of Lake Wylie, with lots of natural shorelines and beautiful scenery.

Sometimes the timing of a new listing, or the schedules of the sellers, don’t exactly match the best part of the day or week for photography.  Unfortunately, this was the case for the properties at Emerald Point.  Bright sunny days have been few and far between lately, so I had to deal with some overcast skies when photographing the condos for sale last week.  Luckily, I had my photos from the summer to blend in for the visual tours and listing shots. 

Each of the three condos had been renovated, and were a pleasure to photograph.  I love to ask the sellers what drew them to the property, and the answers were quite similar – - the lifestyle!  As they described coming home from work, going out on the lake for a boat ride, watching the sun set over the water, I could imagine what was so appealing about the resort-like lifestyle.  One seller said that he went out wakeboarding almost every day during the summer!

Most of the residents are either young, single, newly married, or retired.  Most of the condos have 2 bedrooms, so are not designed for large families.  A few of the condos are larger, but the majority are under 1500 square feet. 

Emerald Point was built in the late ’80′s and early ’90′s, so the condos are around 20 years old.  Prime time for updates!  I was very impressed with the renovations in the Lake Wylie waterfront condo at 7324-4 Lakefront.  The seller had removed most of the wall at the entry, and had really opened up the kitchen area.  He had installed a work island, and had put in new cabinets and granite countertops.  All of the flooring was updated, and it is really nice!

The seller at the Lake Wylie waterfront condo 7340-7 Lakefront was quite meticulous.  He had also done quite a few upgrades, with tile in the bath, new cabinets in the kitchen and baths, and black granite counter tops.  As I was leaving, he came outside and called me back.  He wanted to remove the shower curtain so I could re-photograph his glass enclosed tile shower!  He said he had the shower curtain to make it easier to clean, but wanted to show the shower in the pictures without the curtain.  When I encounter a seller that is particular like that, it indicates to me that he really cares about his property and takes good care of it!

The property at 9817-8 Emerald Point has new flooring and some new appliances.  While all three of the properties have deeded boat slips, this one also comes with a lift.  This one is also located  with a northern exposure, which means it will have both sunrise and sunset views.  (That appeals to the photographer in me, of course!)

All in all, very nice choices for someone who would like a low-maintenance lakeside lifestyle.  The monthly dues are in the low $300′s (depending on the unit), which covers pool & tennis, exterior maintenance of the homes (new roofs, exterior paint, etc.), landscaping and care of the common areas, and water/sewer.  While $300/month certainly isn’t cheap, it really is reasonable considering the items covered.  It’s a whole lot less than $300/night that it would cost to stay in a resort!

Thanks for reading.  To see more Lake Wylie real estate, visit The Lake Wylie Man’s site!

Listed for $965,000 in Lake Wylie’s HarborTowne neighborhood, I had high expectations for this home.  I knew it would be a pleasure to photograph, with lots of big lake views.  I was not disappointed.  The home is located on a beautiful part of Lake Wylie, surrounded by other lovely homes. 

I was greeted by the seller, who gave me a tour.  I asked him what drew him to the home when he purchased it several years ago.  Without hesitation, he said the views and location.  The home was built to capitalize on the lake views; big picture windows are in every room except the bathrooms and bonus room.

The great room has huge cathedral ceilings, with windows all the way to the top.  The upper window are tinted, which cut down on heat and excessive light.  I didn’t notice the tinting until I downloaded the photographs.  That was a bit of a challenge with the pictures!  Sometimes the camera picks up things that my eyes do not notice. 

The master bedroom is on the main level, and and a huge walk in closet.  It reminded me of a closet I photographed in another house about a year ago.  In that one, the owners had actually hosted a party INSIDE their closet after the remodeling was done.  Neighbors were gathered around a center island, enjoying wine and cheese in the closet.  Quite memorable!

In this home’s closet, there is a center island cabinet that houses 100 pairs of shoes.  “97 for her, 3 for me,” quipped the seller. 

One of my favorite features of the home was the library loft above the great room.  It was loaded with built in bookshelves, and lots of places to curl up with a good read.  And, naturally, it overlooks the water!  To see this house, visit the property webpage: Lake Wylie Waterfront Home for Sale.

Let me know what you think.  And have fun counting the shoes!

Thanks for reading.  To see more Lake Wylie real estate, please visit our website.

When I arrived at the home to take pictures for this new listing, I was greeted warmly by the seller, a man with a delightful sense of humor and most helpful.  It didn’t take long for me to determine that the homeowners were very creative and artistic.  Their home has many details that are whimsical, yet very tasteful.

Occasionally I see marks of individuality on a property that would not appeal to the masses, in fact, might deter most buyers.  This was not the case at 12735 Withers Cove.  The home was inviting and interesting and quite lovely!  Take a look at the property webpage: http://www.thelakewylieman.com/Lake_wylie_real_estate_withers_cove.html

My favorite feature in the home was the kitchen/dining area.  The builder used columns to define the dining area, giving it a very intimate feel in an otherwise open area.  A sitting area next to the dining table opened up to the second floor.  The seller had hanging plants (on adjustable cables, for easy watering!).  It reminded me of a mini-atrium.  Quite lovely!  Take a peek and tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading!  To see more Lake Wylie Real estate, visit The Lake Wylie Man’s featured properties!

Last night my husband Tony & I impulsively decided to go to Concord Cove for supper.  Of course, when the entrees average about $20, it is probably better to refer to it as “dinner”!

We go to Concord Cove about four or five times a year, one of our top choices for a “nice” restaurant.  It is closer to our home than any other eating establishment, including fast food or even gas station diners.  We live off of Allison Creek Road, which is about 8 miles from anywhere. 

Concord Cove is located on Concord Road, close to the Catawba Power Plant on Lake Wylie, SC.  It is in the building that used to be Granny’s Kitchen, a place I was always scared to go!  Granny’s was known for country music and cold beer, so how it was transformed into a place with a real chef, I’ll never know!

Nevertheless, inside Concord Cove, you’ll find a quaint restaurant that is reminicient of an Italian cafe, several rooms with arched doorways, warm lighting, and murals that transform you to a European village.  The menu has seafood, pasta, chicken, beef, and vegetarian selections (two!) ranging from $12 to $30 or so.  Everything I’ve ever had there has been supurb, and I generally get something different each time.

Last night I ordered one of the specials, Veal Picatta, which was encrusted in a pecan breading, topped with lemon, capers and pecan pieces.  It was fantastic!  I’m not sure how much it cost, though.  Tony paid! 

I hate it when the waitress describes the specials in detail, but doesn’t mention the price.  Usually I’m scared to order, and I would NEVER ask how much it is.  Quite honestly, I’d order the specials more often if I had full disclosure.  I mean, what if it were $80 bucks or something?  That’s a little too special for me. 

I suppose the veal was reasonably priced.  Tony didn’t break out in a sweat or make a face when he got the bill.  Of course, it was nice that the waitress didn’t charge for our drinks.  She felt that the dinner was a bit long coming from the kitchen, and wanted us to be completely satisfied.  (Of course, we were in no hurry, and were having a perfectly lovely time munching on the warm bread with flavored butters, but who were we to quibble?).

So – - out of 5 stars, I give it a 5 for last night’s dinner!

Taste – 5

Service – 5

Presentation – 4 (nothing special, but nice)

Price – 4 (good for the money, but on the pricey side nonetheless)

For more restaurant reviews, visit www.lakewylieinformation.com.  Thanks for reading!

One real estate agent in our office, who loves to keep us up to date on fun, helpful, and sometimes silly diversions via email, sent a link to Google’s Virtual Turnpike. This is a site where you can type in any address in the U.S. (and several other countries as well), and see a photographed street view of the location. You can see traffic conditions, surroundings, etc. as you pan around and even do a virtual drive-by.

I thought it would be cool to add this link to my property web pages for Lake Wylie Real Estate for Sale, until I typed in a few addresses of my listed properties, just to take a look. Many of the lake properties (especially in more remote areas, as some lake properties tend to be), the Virtual Turnpike has not photographed yet, so I was out of luck on those.

Those that did have photographs, however, were subject to lighting conditions, timing, and things that weren’t always optimal to portray the property accurately. For instance, one address was taken when there was a new house being built across the street. The road was muddy from construction vehicles, and the Port-a-John in the scene did absolutely nothing to highlight the charm of the half-million dollar home I am trying to sell!

Another property had pictures taken not long after the home was completed, and lots of bald patches in the lawn (since grown in thanks to the irrigation system and landscaping efforts of the seller!) didn’t present the property in the best light.

Yet another home had a shot on the street of a pickup truck driving by. The truck was probably 20+ years old, had rust spots and looked pretty rough. Not typical of the neighborhood, mind you, but there it was, marking the area’s personality until an update is done, whenever that might be! One address had pictures taken on garbage pick-up day, and trash cans (with white trash bags sitting atop, no less) graced the curbs . . . again, not the prettiest picture!

So – - virtual drive by’s – - a fun diversion, a handy tool for a slice of life . . . but one to be taken with the realization that the photo may capture things that are not permanent fixtures! Of course, in real estate photography, we do attempt to show a property in its very best light. We try to take pictures when the sun is “just so”, lighting the best angle (though that’s not always possible). We sometimes move the trash cans out of the way, if they’re in the shot. We really, really try not to have any Port-a-John’s in the photo.

Bottom line, though a vast majority of people shop for real estate on the internet, very few BUY real estate without first visiting the property in person. I can’t imagine that changing! And as you will realize, that ACTUAL visit makes all the difference.

Thanks for reading my blog on Lake Wylie real estate. For more blogs about Lake Wylie waterfront and living in Lake Wylie, visit my website.

The reason for the switch is to prevent disagreements that sometimes come up after the sale is negotiated.  Some buyers want credit if there is even a slight discrepancy.  While square footage is a factor in the price of a home, it is not the only factor, or even the most important one in most cases.  Amenities, level of finish, condition, and location can create a difference in price for houses that are otherwise very similar in age and size.   For waterfront properties, square footage of a house is even less of a factor in price determination.  (See What to Look for in Lake Wylie Waterfront Property)

Also, measuring square footage is hardly an exact science, especially when considering modern architecture with some areas open to the next floor, living spaces with sloped ceilings, bay windows and various other nooks and crannies.  While there are guidelines for measuring (see my blog Understanding Square Footage), rarely will two people come up with an identical number when measuring some of the more challenging floor plans.

Liability has become such an issue that some real estate agents hire measuring services to calculate square footage.  Under the new practice of the Charlotte MLS, the range listed for square footage will leave a bit of room for minor variations in measuring, thus reducing chance of arguments and lawsuits. 

While the new method will no doubt frustrate those buyers who carry calculators to make precise comparisons, it will allow the buyers to place more emphasis on the comparison factors that are not as precisely measurable, but may be more important in their overall satisfaction with the property.

For more information and resources for buying and selling real estate in Lake Wylie, please visit my website, TheLakeWylieMan.

So what is it with these new modular homes?  Modular homes are built and assembled in a factory, then shipped in sections to its site.  The industry is becoming more and more popular as people learn the advantages of modular homes. 

For one thing, they are more economical to build:

• Material is bought in bulk, shipped to the factory instead of to numerous home sites.  Quantity discounts are significant.
• Material waste is much lower. 
• Job site theft is reduced.
• Since the factory allows homes to be built indoors, weather delays are not a consideration.
• Labor efficiencies result from full-time construction staff that can move from one job to the next with no travel time.
• Faster construction time means less interest costs on construction loans!

Modular homes are built with the same materials as site built homes.  In the climate controlled environment, many of the houses are built from the inside out – - drywall, then insulation, then sealed with the exterior.  There are no worries about rain or weather damage, no risk of wet materials being used, and greatly reduced possibility of mold on the lumber.  The work area (and therefore the home itself) is much cleaner.

Modular homes are built to the same building codes as site- built homes.  Inspectors comply with codes and regulations set by the state where the house will be located. 

Cottage Living magazine’s 2007 Idea Home was a modular cottage that was constructed right here in South Carolina (Haven Custom Homes), then shipped to New Orleans.

About 90% of the work on a modular home is completed inside the factory.  When a modular home is ready to leave the factory, it travels in sections on tractor-trailer trucks.  Sections are lowered by a crane onto the foundation.  The roof is then installed, and final touch up work is done. 

Modular homes should not be confused with “manufactured homes” (formerly referred to as mobile homes or trailers).  A manufactured home is built on a non-removable steel chassis, is transported to its destination on its own wheels, and is not necessarily attached to a permanent foundation.  Manufactured homes are usually more difficult to finance, and generally decrease in value over time.

Well built modular homes, on the other hand, have the same longevity as site-built homes, and generally increase in value over time (same as site-built.)

Modular home construction is also a consideration for additions to existing homes.  Plans can be customized as needed.  If you consider modular construction for your new home or addition, be sure to check with neighborhood covenants and restrictions. 

Lake Wylie Real Estate

Visit my website for Lake Wylie real estate property searches, helpful information for waterfront residents, Lake Wylie links and community information.