c/charlotte-real-estate

Can we talk about these new home inspection requirements?

Back in 2020 when I bought my first house in Charlotte, the inspector spent maybe 2 hours total and gave me a 10 page report. Now I'm selling that same house and the buyer's inspector spent 4 hours here last week, checking every outlet and taking photos of the attic insulation. Has anyone else noticed home inspections getting way more detailed over the past few years?

PSA: Check your closing costs line by line, I got burned by a $2,800 fee that should have been zero

I closed on a house in Matthews back in February and was just reviewing my settlement statement last week. There was a $2,800 'administration fee' tucked in there that I never questioned at signing. My realtor friend looked at it and said that's almost always a junk fee the lender adds as pure profit. I called up the mortgage company and they said it was standard, but then they couldn't explain what it actually covered. After I pushed, they refunded $1,200. Has anyone else had luck getting these fees waived before signing?

Unpopular opinion: Ballantyne is overhyped and South End is getting too crowded for the price

I was at a local coffee shop last week and overheard two realtors arguing whether $450k for a 1-bedroom in South End is actually worth it or if you'd get more space in Ballantyne for the same money. So which side are you on, are we paying for location or just hype right now?

Warning: don't trust the Zillow zestimate on a house in Plaza Midwood

I saw a fixer-upper listed at $350k with a zestimate of $420k, so I figured it was a steal. Got the inspection done last week and found out the foundation is cracked bad, needs $30k in repairs. Anyone else had a zestimate make them almost overpay for a total money pit?

Question about how to handle multiple offers in Charlotte right now

I listed my 3 bedroom house in Plaza Midwood last Tuesday and got 7 offers by Friday. One was cash with no contingencies and another was a conventional loan that was 15k over asking. I ended up going with the cash offer because the buyer said they could close in 14 days. Has anyone else dealt with a situation where the highest offer wasn't the best one to take?

I had a listing agent tell me my inspection report was 'just being picky' last week

I was doing a pre-offer walkthrough on a house near Plaza Midwood, and the seller's agent literally said 'nobody else is gonna care about that' when I pointed out a junction box with no cover. He acted like I was being difficult just for doing my job. But then three other buyers backed out after their own inspections found the same stuff. So is it better to be upfront and risk losing a deal, or let things slide and hope nobody notices? What's your take on how much detail to push for in this market?

Got a lowball offer on my house and almost took it before my agent stopped me

Last Thursday I listed my 3BR in Plaza Midwood for $435k. First night, some couple came through and the next morning their agent texted mine with $380k cash, close in 14 days. I was stressing about carrying two mortgages so I seriously considered it. My agent pulled comps for the last 3 months and showed me four similar homes in the neighborhood that sold for $410-425k. We countered at $420k and they walked. Three days later a different buyer offered $415k with a conventional loan and we close next month. Anyone else almost get spooked into accepting way less than market value?

Just had a weird conversation with an inspector about old pipes in Dilworth

I was at a house off East Blvd last week and the inspector made a comment about how the galvanized pipe in that 1950s bungalow was actually a selling point, not a problem. Said he's seen more issues with the new PEX installations in cheap flips than the old stuff that's been holding up for 70 years. Threw me off because everyone says to run from galvanized. Has anyone else heard inspectors say something totally opposite from what you'd expect about a specific house feature?

South End condos are way different now vs 2018

I lived in a 1 bed off Camden Rd back in 2018 and paid $1,100. That same unit just rented for $1,800 last month. It's all those new high rises near the light rail that pushed prices up like crazy. Has anyone else seen their old complex jack rates that fast?

My realtor told me I was overpricing my flip by $18k and I almost ignored her

I had this 3br in Plaza Midwood that I was dead set on listing at $425k because I put $40k into the kitchen alone. She showed me comps from the last 60 days and proved the ceiling was actually $407k based on square footage, not my granite countertops. Has anyone else had to swallow that kind of pricing reality check from their agent?

Question about listing photos: Should you stage a room or just shoot it empty?

I just listed a house in the Elizabeth neighborhood near 7th Street, and I spent hours moving furniture around to make it look "lived in." But then a friend who sells in South End said she gets more clicks on empty rooms because buyers can actually picture their own stuff. Now I'm wondering if I wasted a whole Saturday. What's your experience with staged vs. empty photos in Charlotte?

Talked to an old neighbor about what houses cost in the 90s and it hit me different

Took me 6 weeks to figure out why my house wasn't selling

Had my place listed in Plaza Midwood back in April. Showings were steady but no offers. After 2 months I finally asked a buddy who flips houses to walk through. He pointed out my kitchen backsplash was this busy mosaic tile that clashed with everything. Swapped it for simple white subway tile and got an offer within 10 days. Anybody else had a small change make that big a difference after waiting forever?

Finally admitted I was overpaying for my realtor after 3 years

My neighbor sold his house in 2 weeks using a flat fee broker while I was paying 6% commission to my agent on a $450k sale that sat for 3 months. What finally convinced me was seeing the actual paperwork on his deal and realizing my agent wasn't doing anything special for that extra 3%.

Picked a townhouse in NoDa over a single-family in Matthews. Regretting it.

Bought a 3-story townhouse near 36th Street last spring for $425k. Now I'm dealing with upstairs noise from neighbors above me every night. Anyone else wish they'd gone for a yard instead of walkability?

Tried the 'list it at a weird price' strategy on my Dilworth condo and got zero showings for 2 weeks

Took me 4 months to close on a house in Plaza Midwood

I found a place back in March that seemed perfect. Small bungalow, decent yard, not too far from the action. The seller kept dragging their feet on repairs from the inspection. Then the appraisal came in 15k low and we had to renegotiate. By the time keys were in my hand it was late July. Has anyone else dealt with sellers that just take forever to respond to inspection requests?

Listed my rental house 20% under market value on a Thursday and got 37 showings in 48 hours

I figured I'd test out pricing it low to start a bidding war, but I didn't expect two offers to come in $15k over asking with cash by Saturday morning. Has anyone else tried listing way under comps just to see what happens?

Stuck between a flip house in NoDa or a fixer upper in Plaza Midwood

Had to choose between a cheap 3 bed in NoDa that needed new everything - wiring, plumbing, the works - or a slightly pricier bungalow in Plaza Midwood that just needed cosmetic work. I went with the NoDa place thinking I'd save on purchase price and put the money into renos. Six months later and I'm already 15 grand over budget on electrical alone, and the kitchen still looks like a bomb went off. Anyone else regret chasing the lower purchase price over move-in ready?

Tried staging my living room with fake plants from a dollar store...

I put up 12 plastic ferns in my South End condo to save money for photos, and the realtor told me it looked like a dentist office waiting room. Not one offer came through until I swapped them out for real greenery... has anyone else had staging backfire like that?

Last month in Charlotte I sold a house in 4 days and everyone told me I priced it too low

I listed a 3 bedroom ranch in Mint Hill for $285k and had multiple offers by Wednesday, but neighbors kept saying I left money on the table. The appraisal came back at $292k so I actually did fine, why is everyone so obsessed with squeezing every last dollar out of a sale?

Warning: our brand new HVAC system failed after 3 months in our Ballantyne rental

We put in a high end Trane unit last October and the compressor just died last week. Cost us $1,200 for the emergency service call and partial repair. Has anyone else had issues with newer HVAC units in Charlotte new builds?

My buyer's inspection on a house in Dilworth turned up knob and tube wiring with active cloth insulation

I was walking through a 1920s bungalow near East Boulevard last month and the seller's agent had the nerve to say it was updated electrical when the inspector found the original fuse panel still spliced into the breaker box, so I made sure my client got their earnest money back and we moved on to a better property in Plaza Midwood, has anyone else dealt with sellers lying about old wiring in those historic homes?

That $600 home inspection I paid for missed a leaky roof

I bought a house in Charlotte last spring and the inspector gave it a clean bill of health. Three months later I found a slow leak in the attic that cost me $2,800 in repairs. Has anyone else dealt with a bad inspection report that missed something obvious?

Hit 15 house sales in one year and still didn't make what I thought

We just wrapped up 2023 and I counted up the houses I saw move through our neighborhood in Charlotte. 15 sales, which felt like a lot for our little area off Providence Road. But the prices people got surprised me, some went for 20k under asking after sitting for months. Has anyone else noticed the market around here slowing down more than the news says it is?