| Charlotte
is home to more and more people all the time. As we grow
older not all of us will want to move to the country. In
fact studies show most of us boomers will stay put. Some
will even move closer in to the city.
Charlotte zoning consultant Walter Fields:
"We are on the verge of a large shift in housing patterns
that is unprecedented since World War II."
What empty-nesters want are smaller homes -- often one-story
-- with little or no maintenance requirements. Many are
turning to an urban lifestyle. Sandy Kindbom, who heads
the Center City office for Allen Tate Realtors, says about
half the buyers of uptown condos are boomers with grown
children.
But not all empty-nesters are heading for
the center city or choosing multifamily living. Many want
to stay in the neighborhoods where they have lived for decades,
others want to live near their children and grandchildren,
and some are buying that mountain or waterfront home they've
always wanted.
Whatever choices boomers make, their tastes
in housing have already impacted the local market. "There's
growing pressure on developers to do infill projects,"
especially condominiums on suburban sites that have traditionally
been reserved for single-family houses, says Maia Williams,
president of Builder Services Inc., an arm of Allen Tate.
"We're just seeing the beginning of this trend."
One way developers are responding, she adds,
is through mixed-use developments that offer a variety of
housing options with commercial components.
Such projects require higher density. Fields
says local governments need to respond by changing zoning
regulations. "Builders need to build what the market
is looking for, and we need different kinds of developments.
Right now, going through a rezoning is not always easy --
or popular."
Developers of single-family homes in suburban
locations also recognize the power of the empty-nester market
and are introducing products geared to their needs. For
example, Crescent Communities has introduced a neighborhood
at The Point called Sconset Village, that features homes
that are smaller than those found in the community. Simonini
Builders is building its 40 homes, which will be about 2,300
to 3,300 square feet. Homes elsewhere in The Point range
from 4,500 to 12,000 square feet. Prices start in the $500,000s.
Of the five floor plans originally planned,
only one was ranch style, but a second variation has been
added.
"The demand for ranch plans is on the
rise -- as we age, we don't want to go up those stairs,"
says Crescent's Leslie Mitchell, sales manager for the north
Charlotte division.
The smaller homes at Sconset Village also
have distinctive design features to suit empty-nesters.
"The rooms tend to be less formal, but are designed
for entertainment flow," Mitchell says. "And in
the two-story homes, master bedrooms are on the first floor."
Like their counterparts living uptown, these
lakeside buyers want hardwood floors, high-end appliances
and well-equipped kitchens. "These people want to downsize,
but not give up quality or nice amenities," Mitchell
says.
Elsewhere, three communities targeting empty-nesters
are planned at The Palisades. They will represent a small
slice of the total community -- 58 homes of a planned 2,500
residences. Buyers won't have to sacrifice in size -- homes
are expected to average 3,500 square feet and cost from
$800,000 to $1 million. The communities -- Tree Tops, Westerham
and The Lanterns -- will offer 24-hour security and yard
maintenance.
Developers report strong interest in these
communities from relocating boomers whose children live
nearby.
from Charlotte
Bizjournals
Sconset
Village - Simonini Builders, Inc. is preparing
for the next phase of new homes at Sconset Village ... and
two new floor plans will make their debut. A ranch-style
home and a two-story home with a main-level owners' suite
will be added to the mix.
Other features attracting buyers are the
new enhancements (dormer windows, crown molding and more!),
the gated entry and the opportunity to buy a boat slip.
But, it gets even better … homes in Sconset Village
start in the $500s!
==================================
Southminster Continuing Care Retirement
Community
8919 Park Road, Charlotte NC.
==================================
Raleigh-Durham
Ranch Condos - Cornerstone Homes currently has two maintenance-free
ranch condominium communities located in the greater Raleigh-Durham
area
We focus on communities inside the perimeter.
For surrounding Charlotte cites visit SmallTownRetirement.com
- NC
Best Neighborhoods
in Charlotte For Retiees:
Continuing Care Retirement Community
- CCRCs are so named because they address the entire continuum
of care with healthy seniors moving into independent living
apartments, but having the security of knowing they can
"age in place" thanks to assisted living and skilled
nursing services on site. The number of CCRCs nationally
has risen sharply over the past 25 years from 274 in the
early 1980s to 2,240 in 2005, according to the American
Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
=====================================
Other NC Metro Areas Include:
Asheville, NC
Burlington, NC
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC
Durham, NC
Fayetteville, NC
Goldsboro, NC
Greensboro-High Point, NC
Greenville, NC
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Jacksonville, NC
Raleigh-Cary, NC
Rocky Mount, NC
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
Wilmington, NC
Winston-Salem, NC
|
Charlotte Living
