Midwood Mania - THIS WEEKEND - May 1 & 2

Midwood Mania returns for its annual home tour and celebration May 1-2 in the Charlotte Plaza Midwood neighborhood.

Find inspiration in Plaza Midwood’s finest homes and gardens! The home and garden tour begins the evening of Friday, May 1 with a candlelight home tour beginning at 6 p.m. The tour continues on Satruday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See the lineup of homes and gardens for 2009.
The fun continues Saturday with the Midwood Miles 5K Race, a pet parade, live music, fun activities for kids, and more. All Charlotte neighbors are invited to come out and enjoy this yearly treat.
For more information, visit plazamidwood.org.

New Teen Environmental Club in Dilworth

Recently there has been a Teen Environmental Club started in Dilworth. We meet at the Sykes Center. As one of our first events, we are organizing a clean up of Little Sugar Creek at Freedom Park, where the water quality is currently "degraded." It will be 4:30 -6:30 on April 30---meet at the tennis courts at Freedom Park and we will provide trashbags. We could really use all the help we can get! Great for community service hours. To register to help, email craig.colistra@mecklenburgcountync.gov.
If you have any questions or want a flyer to pass around, email me at henryandeliot@yahoo.com or call me at 704-335-9996.
Thank you!
Henry Schoenhoff

Art and Soul is this Weekend!

Art and Soul of South End is back and better than ever! This weekend, April 25-26, the Charlotte community festival returns with some of the finest artists and craftsmen in the nation. This two-day arts fest also includes: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools‘ Art Activities and Dancing in the Streets. Come along and enjoy the excitement while supporting your community.For more information, visit the Art & Soul Website.

100 Best Places to Live and Launch a Business - FORTUNE Small Business

And the winners are...
FSB scoured the country for towns that combine a great business environment with alluring leisure offerings. We looked at economic conditions such as local tax rates alongside natural beauty - and easy access to museums, hungry gamefish, and more. More
1. Bellevue, WA
6. Portland, OR
2. Georgetown, TX
7. Denver, CO
3. Buford, GA
8. Charlotte, NC
4. Marina del Rey, CA
9. Fort Worth, TX
5. Bethesda, MD
10. Franklin, MA
• See the top 100

Charlotte Tailgait Farmers Market Opens this Weekend, April 25th

Opening day for the 2009 Charlotte Tailgait Farmers Market is Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. at 100 West Park Ave. in South End. You won’t find resellers, chemicals, or pesticides here. Only local growers and producers, committed to sustainable agriculture and educated consumers.
If you are a local farmer, grower, or artisan committed to sustainable practices and have an interest in vending during the 2009 season, please contact at info@charlottetailgatemarket.com.
For more information, visit charlottetailgatemarket.com.

Art and Soul is this Weekend!

Art and Soul of South End is back and better than ever! This weekend, April 25-26, the Charlotte community festival returns with some of the finest artists and craftsmen in the nation. This two-day arts fest also includes: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools‘ Art Activities and Dancing in the Streets. Come along and enjoy the excitement while supporting your community.
For more information, visit the Art & Soul Website.

Market is Improving!!!

Inventory is down from 6 months ago, and more importantly, "under contract" listings (as a percentage of overall) are up! Over the past 6 months, the average percentage of listings (houses + condos) under contract has been 12.87%. Today, it's over 14%!
It will get better for everyone in Charlotte. We have to maintain the course and keep our outlooks up and positive.

6 Resons Why It's Still a Good Time to Buy!!!

The housing market is looking healthier. Here are six reasons why now is the time to jump into the market.
1. Uncle Sam is willing to help. First-time buyers (defined as anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years) are entitled to a maximum $8,000 tax credit; interest rates are at record lows; and the Federal Reserve is doing its best to make mortgage loans available.
2. People have to live somewhere. About 800,000 new households are formed each year in this country, ensuring that the housing market will tighten, even if the economy doesn’t soar.
3. Borrowers leverage their investment. If you put $10,000 into the stock market and it earns 10 percent, you’ve earned $1,000. If you put $10,000 down on a home and its values increases 10 percent, you’ve made $10,000.
4. When prices come back up, you’ll have instant equity. In parts of the country where foreclosures have driven down prices, better times will mean the price of the home you buy will rise rapidly.
5. Mortgage costs stay the same. If you get a fixed-rate mortgage, the monthly payment stays the same – while everything else, including rent, goes upward.
6. You own it. There is something comforting in the notion that your home is your own. You can paint it any color you want, let the dog run in the back yard and hang a swing for the kids in the front.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, June Fletcher (03/27/2009)