Carissa,

You are probably feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the great responses and folks who are looking to give you the assistance you seek. I would like to offer to send you a "Welcome to the Carolinas" package I have assembled for those who are moving here from outside of our region. It includes a map with specific areas (by assigned MLS numbers) and information about both the Charlotte Region and the surrounding communities. Because we are so close to the border of South Carolina we include information about those options, as well.

I will ask my assistant to specifically look into getting you data on the little league and dance troops in our area so that you have points of contact for those as well. Of all the places that you have heard about from the other Realtors who have responded I would say that the Matthews area is the one that comes closest to meeting all of your desired features. There are areas just outside of Matthews and into Union County that are ideal. The city of Indian Trail was named one of the top ten best small towns to live in here in the United States in 2008. The taxes in Union County are lower, as are the insurance premiums. The schools generally rank higher and the proximity to Charlotte makes it a great place to live. Access to all parts of the region is easily to obtain by using the I-485 beltway.

Please let me know if you would like to recieve our welcome package and if there are specific items you would like included which weren't mentioned.

Blessings upon you...
Jan Teel
TEEL Realty
704-641-0267 (cell)
janteel@carolina.com

Here's some great homes with at least 3 bedrooms in Fort Mill:
http://clthome.easystreetrealty-charlotte.com/mcListingResul…

Here's some in Matthews:
http://clthome.easystreetrealty-charlotte.com/mcListingResul…

nate@natewolf.com
http://www.facebook.com/uptownbroker
http://www.myspace.com/uptownbroker
704-858-2345


___________________________________

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Nate Wolf was recently named a FIVE STAR REALTOR by Charlotte Magazine. He is a top producing real estate sales broker, representing both buyers and sellers. He is a member of the National Association of Realtors, The Charlotte Regional Realtors Association and the Carolina Multiple Listing Services. He is licensed in multiple states and serves all areas of Metro Charlotte from Lake Norman to Lake Wylie and Uptown / Center City to SouthPark and Ballantyne.

http://www.natewolf.com
charlotte mls realtor home listings
http://www.CLThome.com

Carissa - just curious where you settled on? Your criteria is identical to mine.

Hi Carissa, here are a few websites to help you make a decision. for crime stats neighborhood demographics, etc visit http://www.spotcrime.com or http://www.homefair.com. For schools visit http://www.schoolmatters.org, http://www.schooldiggers.com, and http://wwww.greatschools.org. For lifestyle choices visit http://www.yelp.com.

Good Luck!

Christopher Pagli
Licensed Associate Broker
Accredited Buyer Representative
GREEN Designated Agent
William Raveis Legends Realty Group
914.406.9023

Good afternoon

Great question. With the description above I would highly consider Union County. There are a few incredible subdivisions to look in. What style and age of homes are you looking for? In Union you have top rated schools, plenty of shopping and restaurants. The best part is the area. You are able to live in a peaceful environment, but close to everything

Hello Carissa, just happened across your question. At Southern Winds Realty we normally recommend people new to the area rent for a period of time to get a feel for the area and then decide where is the right place they want to buy a home. Charlotte is circled with small towns and many neighborhoods also have a small town feel to them.
I see Matthews is of interest to you and I must tell you the Mint Hill / Matthews area is where I live and love it.
It will boil down to what area/town feels right to you.
Public Schools are shifting about as they juggle resources but there are charter or private schools as well. An example would be Queens Grant in Mint Hill, both elementary and High.
Please let us know if we can help you find the perfect area to live in Charlotte.

Jim McNabb
Broker/Realtor®
Southern Winds Realty
Cell 704 502 5848
Fax 704 469 5783 http://www.jimmcnabb.com http://www.ISelltheQueenCity.com
jmcnabbclt@aol.com
Jim@southernwinds.com
MintHillBrokers@aol.com

Hi Carissa!

Well, you are making a great choice in choosing the Carolinas for your new home. I recently help a family move here with extended family as well. They actually chose Fort Mill, SC for the small town feel and all the amenites you request. The granparents actually ended up in a Dell Webb Sun City Community just in Lancaster, SC. These are close to each other.

The Baxter Village Community in Fort Mill is quaint but there are several choices there. In Fort Mill you ill find The Peach Stand at the corner of SC 160 and US 21 which is a favorite for locals to buy fresh peaches. And down the road in Rock HIll, SC the National Little League tournement takes place. It's known fr the famed statue of the character "The Mighty Casey" where many people have their pciture made. In addition there is the anual Come See Me Festival which last for about 2 weeks now and includes a frog jumping contest, parade, and many events around a gorgeous garden called Glencarn Gardens.


Heading NOrth to Huntersville you will find a quaint town that is growing but still offers festivals, a new science museum, and cute shops, cafes and such. I have several clients there the love the charm. And just a few minutes more you will find the cozy town of Davidson which is home to Davidson College, a private liberal arts school that host variety of cultural activities and is open to the public. You can stroll the downtown tree lined streets and shop for antiques, art, and more. Great little league as well.

Another little town heading South on i85 would be Belmont. Its home Belmont Abby College. It has a great little downtown and only 10 minute s to the airport and 20 minutes to uptown Charlotte. Another great area and good value.

CAll me at 704-617-7500 for more info on the area. You can find a wealth of knowledge on my website http://www.allentate.com/joesibielski

I would love to help you !

Cordially,

Joe Sibielski
704-617-7500
joe.sibielski@allentate.com
Broker/ Realtor

Allen Tate Realtors

Awesome post. Lots of info to help with your search. I moved here 20 years ago and love it here. There are several areas that meet your requirements. I've helped several families move South with requirements just like this. One family had 4 families to move-- from New Jersey. There was grandmother (she was in her 60s and bought a ranch home), and the two sisters and one sister-in-law.... of course the husbands came too-- and they loved the quick drive to the local lake for fishing.

They wound up choosing Union County, which is just outside Charlotte Metro, within 30 minutes to the airport. But I also showed them parts of Huntersville and Mooresville (near Lake Norman), and also Fort Mill (just over the border in South Carolina). Both of these areas have excellent schools and the Little Leagues are great. If you want more info on Little Leagues in the area, call me. My nephews and neices play soccer and football and my oother neice is on a swim team. But we also have lacrosse, basketball, tennis and others.

When are you coming to town? We can look at some available homes, there are NEW HOMES in your price range which offer great neighborhood ammenities like pools, clubhouses, ball fields and more. Shopping is always nearby, and you will be amazed at the lack of traffic here! Call or text me 704-858-2345 or check out some Potential Deals on http://www.clthome.com -- it shows properties that have had price drops and special incentives!

Carissa,
As I sit here and read the other responses below from fellow realtors, I couldnt disagree more with them! The one area and town that by far jumps out at me more so than any they have mentioned is Ft. Mill, SC is just south of Charlotte 20 mins, 2nd would be Huntersville, NC which is 20 mins north of Charlotte. These are two fantastic areas, with top notch schools, great parks, lake access, great small town feel, recreational activities, etc....Give me a call today and lets discuss in more depth and like I said a few days ago, dont make the mistake I made 12 yrs ago.
Sincerely,
John Kurtz
john@johnkurtzhomes.com
704-560-1656

Union County is one of my favorite places and they have a great school system. They have that small town feel, yet still close enough to Charlotte. Iredell County is close to Lake Norman, if you like lake living, and have a great school system, as well. Good luck with whatever you choose...I would be glad to show you around these areas!

Thanks, Mechelle Cranford

Carissa,

I spent some time checking out your link to Deleware, OH and I can definitely see why you would like to find a similar community wherever you relocate. In any case, I definitely stand by my initial recommendation that Matthews would be a good fit for everything you are looking for and think you will find it very similar to your hometown. I hope you find the link I gave below with properties in Matthews to be very helpful.

Kind Regards,
Matthew Tringali
Owner of Group 15 Real Estate
704.517.3906
matthew@group15realestate.com

Carissa
As a real estate broker that relocated here 12 yrs ago from Western Pennsylvania I cannot stress to you enough the importance of finding a good realtor so your purchase(s) are not only the type of property you want but in a location that is a proven good investment in the future when it comes to re-sale. I made this mistake 12 yrs ago by purchasing a beautiful home that fit everything I was looking for, but 3 yrs later found that those that bought at the same time in better areas made a profit 3-5 times what I was to make. This was never pointed out to me at the time of purchase and I have regretted it ever since. I would love to talk with you and discuss the important factors that cant be discussd via email, and help you make an educated decision on your next home purchase. Sometimes the best deals turn out to be the worst purchases and I dont want you to go through what I went through years ago by choosing the wrong realtor. Please feel free to contact me anytime and we can discuss further. Best of Luck
John Kurtz
Hines & Associates Realty
john@johnkurtzhomes.com
704-560-1656

I LOVE Union County around Weddington, Waxhaw, Marvin and Wesley Chapel. The schools are rated very high. Lower taxes than Mecklenburg County. I have lived in Weddington for 17 years myself and my children attended the schools in Weddington. You will definitely have that small town feel by living in this area. A lot of people attend the high school football games even if they don't have children in high school. People are very friendly and laid back. Lots of area shopping around Union County as they continue to build new shopping centers around the neighborhoods. Most of the neighborhoods have swim club communities as well. Most of the lots are .3 and upwards from there. You would be convenient to I 485 which is a easy commute to the airport. You could be in uptown Charlotte in about the same amount of town. Waxhaw is a small antique-y type feel with quaint shops and restaurants. Matthews is a great town too with library, restaurants, etc. Matthews has a couple of festivals each year and also has a Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. There are strawberry fields in Union county where you can go to pick your own.
If you want friendly people who have moved from all over the country, a slow lifestyle and community feel, I think you would definitely want to take a look at Union County .
Renee

Lake Norman is the place for you :). Start your search at http://www.SearchNCNow.com. Let me know if I can be of assistance.

Thank you all! Phenomenal suggestions. Matthews is one of the communities we are considering. I've posted a link to our current city below. We're open to any cities within 40 minutes of Charlotte and the airport. Please let me know which communities align most with our current city. I do plan to contact a few realtors within the next couple of weeks and hopefully arrange for a weekend home/community tour sometime in April. My husband and I will be moving with our three kids. Also, my sister, her husband, and her two kids... my mom and dad... and possibly my grandmother... that's four houses! So we will be working hard to find a realtor who recognizes the importance to all of us of settling in a community where we will be comfortable for a long time.

Obtaining a mortgage pre-approval is the first step in the buying process. This is offered as a free service and does not obligate you in any way. Hopefully, you will be so pleased with the service and our attractive pricing that you will let us provide your mortgage when the time comes. Our office in in Charlotte and serves the greater metro area. I have 28+ years of experience in residential mortgage lending. I aim to make the process quick, simple and consumer friendly. Kind regards, Jim Raby, Vice President, NewBridge Bank, jim.raby@newbridgebank.com.

The place you are looking for is here. You just described Union County. I like to say it's "Charlotte's Best Neighborhood". With several small towns and rural areas with great schools and low taxes I think you'll love residing in Union County. Practically everywhere you need to go in the Charlotte area, the airport or downtown Charlotte is easily accessable. We have recreational associations, farmer's markets, great schools with high state accredditations, fresh air and wide open spaces. I am a lifelong resident of Union County and I have raised my children here. I am a Union County real estate specialist, as that is where I live and sell real estate. I could go on and on telling you about Union County, but you can see all you need to know about the area on my website at http://www.ISellUnion.com . On the left sidebar you can read about the schools, towns and just about everything you need to know about the area. I have dedicated the website to providing all the information you might need about the area. Please check it out and give me a call for my personal service!

Hi Carissa,
You should consider Union County, NC in your move. The towns of Indian Trail, Wesley Chapel and Waxhaw all have affordable housing and the small town feel you are seeking. They are all commuter towns to Charlotte and less than 40 minutes to the airport. All of the towns have their own shopping areas, parks, award winning schools and are close to farmers markets. I would be happy to discuss the area with you in further detail and send you some listings that fit your search criteria if you are not working with an agent yet. I hope to hear from you and help you with your relocation.

Mount Holly & Stanley are great towns to consider. They fit the bill as far as what you are looking for. If you would like for me to send you some listings just send me a request at elizabeth@thesourcerealtygroup.com

Charlotte is a big city but we still have area's that are open and have all that you are looking for
Michael Mitchem

My first thought is Matthews and Mint Hill. Little touwns just outside of Charlotte. They have festivals, sports and quaint small uptown. Another is Davidson. It is close to Lake Wylie and is supposed to have great schools plus a University right in the town. These are all lovely places to live. Check out the schools on the internet and see if you agree. When are you coming? Are you self employed?
Nona Thompson 704-365-9727 Re/Max Metro Realty.

I agree with a lot of the realtors here. Matthews is a great area. Small town feel, a little more mature, farmers market. But, there are nice areas that meet your criteria in several areas around Charlotte. I would suggest going to http://www.greatschools.com for info on schools. Just about all areas of Charlotte would put you within 40 min of the airport.

Carlssa,

Matthews, Mint Hill, Harrisburg, Davidson, Huntersville, Waxhaw, Fort Mill, Mooresville, Statesville, Belmont, Indian Trail, Unionville.... for public schools. Private, Catholic, Christian, Jewish, or Arabic schools in Charlotte are EXCELLENT, at least that is what parents tell me. Get the Charlotte Parent Magazine and a realtor to help you relocate your family. There is quite a bit of housing inventory. Jobs tend to be more of an issue for folks relocating than finding a suitable house.

Robin Faison, broker
Keller Williams Realty

Carissa,

I realize you have several answers already and all contain very good advice.

Since you were looking for suggestions, I would like to add the Lake Norman area, just 20 minutes north of Charlotte, as another great area to consider. I definitely suggest you include it during your search and next visit. The area meets all of your criteria.

Since a great school district is important to you, I recommend you visit http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/ to find out as much as possible before you make your final decision.

Additionally, you can visit the below website to access links to the nc report cards site as well as links to Lake Norman websites.

If you have any questions feel free to ask. Charlotte and the surrounding areas have so much to offer you.

Happy home hunting!

Hi-

You have picked a great area to move to! There are several options for you to consider. I was also going to suggest Matthews. I actually live in Matthews, and know the area very well. I am a Charlotte native as well, so I'm familiar with so much of Charlotte and surrounding communities. I think you should also consider Mint Hill, which is close to Matthews. Both of these towns have more established subdivisions with mature trees, larger lots, good schools, and homes $200K or less.

You are going to get a lot of great answers on this site from many realtors! I suggest you read everything, take it all in, and then choose an agent you feel comfortable contacting for further information. You definitely need someone to help you narrow down the location you like best as well as represent you through this process.

I would love the chance to talk with you more about your needs, as well as tell you more about myself! If you send me your email address, I will email you a sample of properties in the Matthews/Mint Hill areas so you can begin to get an idea of what is available.

You need to check out Belmont, NC. Located due west 20 minutes of Uptown Charlotte and 15 from Douglas International airport. Historic Belmont will give you the small town feel and good schools. Our downtown has seen a resurgence with new restaurants and developements. Belmont is also close to Lake Wylie if you like to boat. Home prices range from under $200k to over $1 million. Feel free to visit my website http://www.jeffmoll.com or http://www.mollrealestate.com and check out neighborhoods in the belmont area. I lived in Columbus for a few years so am familiar with where you are coming from. I think this area would be a great fit for your family.

Jeff Moll,
Broker / Realtor
licensed NC/SC/FL
704-913-9330
jmoll@kw.com

Davidson is an awesome community. has a farmers market every Saturday in the Summer, great parks and neighborhoods. Davidson is about 35-40 min from airport just North of Charlotte. there are alot of community activities in Downtown Davidson all year round, including Christmas in Davidson, art on the green etc. please call me if I can answer or help you any further. I am a real estate agent, and specialize in Charlotte and surrounding areas incuding Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville which are all great areas.
Holly MacFalls
hollym@lakenormanrealty.com

Hi Carissa,

You should definitly check out Baxter Village in Fort Mill, SC. It is just minutes from Charlotte and still within your proximity to the airport. Below are a few links for you. Let me know what you think. I would be happy to chat with you.

http://www.fort-mill.k12.sc.us/

http://www.villageofbaxter.com/

Kelly Sniatecki
Connect Realty
704-351-1537
ksniatecki@clearwire.net

Carissa,

Based on what you are looking for matthews might be a good location for you to look. it is a small town in the southeastern end of Charlotte. It has the small town feeling, farmer's markets are held weekly from April through October and every other weekend between November and March.
I moved here six years ago from connecticut and have kids in all three schools. matthews elemetnary school has provided my children with an excellent education as has Crestdale middle school and butler High school.
Shopping and restaurants are in matthews and commuting to uptown Charlotte is only about 20 to 30 minute ride. South charlotte has soem nice restuarants and good shopping as well and is closer.
The airport is on the other side of charlotte. However; with easy access to 485 (which bridges you almost all the way around Charlotte) you can reach the airport in 30 minutes.
other areas to consider would be Indian trail, Weddington, Waxhaw and Wesley Chapel in Union County which are just outside of Charlotte.
Matthews and all those areas offer the activities you are looking for in terms of parks and recreation systems.
If I can be of any help or if you would like me to send you some homes that fit the criteria you are looking for please let me know.

Hello Carissa!

Congrats on coming South. I am from Indiana so I appreciate all of what Charlotte has to Offer. The weather is great here so you will for sure come accustomed to the light winters we have!

There are several areas of Charlotte (and surrounding) that come to mind. I think as far as lot goes, you will probably be looking more towards a 1/4 and smaller in the price point you have mentioned. I would love to be able to send you some Area Searches and maps so you that you can begin to get oriented with Charlotte, the pocket areas, schools and Communities. Could you please email or call me some additional specifics of what you are looking for in home too? Beds, baths, two story, etc?

I would love the opportunity to work with you and make this transition to Charlotte a smooth one. Regardless of what direction you go in, congratulations on your upcoming move to Charlotte!

Best,
Debbie

Debra M. Buck
Realtor
HM Properties
704.421.2107 Cell
debra@hmproperties.com

Ooops... forget the link to the houses in Matthews: http://group15.localhomesearch.net/idx/?op=query&stype=a…

Thanks!
Matt

Hi Carissa. My own three kids are ages six and under with my wife expecting our fourth daughter any day now! So, I definitely appreciate the criteria you are seeking in a house. With what you have described I would consider some places like Matthews or Waxhaw. Baxter Village in Fort Mill, SC is also really great. Here is a link to some properties in Matthews, for example.

I have a few links compiled on my website that might help you evaluate different schooling options: http://www.group15realestate.com/tools/charlotte-area-schools.

As others have suggested, interviewing and selecting a REALTOR to help you refine would really be your best bet. I and my company would certainly love to have that opportunity!

Take care,
Matthew Tringali
Owner of Group 15 Real Estate
704.517.3906
matthew@group15realestate.com

I'm not in your area, but if I were you I would interview a couple of Realtors that you pick.

It is not easy to evaluate who is a good Realtor. The answers you receive here though will help.

They you might want to go to the website below to get helpful questions to ask any Realtor that you end up talking with.

Good luck,

...Craig