Davidson Lands Conservancy and Runnymede HOA board members gathered on Whale Rock in east Davidson after a signing ceremony May 6 for a deal to preserve more than 50 acres of Runnymede Woods. (Kris Krider photo)

Davidson Lands Conservancy officials and members of the Runnymede Homeowners Assocation board gathered in the Runnymede Woods east of Davidson on May 6 to sign an agreement that permanently protects more than 50 acres of woodlands. Under the conservation easement, the neighborhood keeps ownership and use of the land, which extends for about 1/2-mile along both the Mecklenburg and the Cabarrus sides of the Rocky River east of Davidson.

The agreement calls for the lands conservancy to help manage and protect the ecological value of the property, which contains rich, mature woodlands, a historic mill site and quarry, and impressive rock formations, including the “Whale Rock,” which is believed to be the largest granite outcrop in Cabarrus County.

RELATED COVERAGE AND LINKS

April 29, 2013, “Agreement preserves Whale Rock woods at Runnymede”

Davidson Lands Conservancy website, DavidsonLands.org

Nadine Deason

By NADINE DEASON

You’ve always heard “You get what you pay for.” When it comes to hiring a Realtor this saying is oh so true! The inexperienced, unskilled, and inept will always work for less. Our ever-changing market demands the most experienced, skilled experts to navigate these treacherous waters like navigating Class 4 rapids.

Would you trust your most valuable asset to anyone other than a seasoned captain who has weathered storms of this magnitude a thousand times? Or should you hire your next-door neighbor, who just graduated from real estate school and is a nice person?

After being a nurse for more than 20 years before going into real estate, it would be a no-brainer answer to recommend that you seek the most skilled expert in the industry to treat whatever illness may fall upon your loved one. I’ve heard the most wonderful stories from families over the years how they or their loved ones searched the entire country to hire the very best surgeon or oncologist to treat their loved one with amazing success. Those smart families did their homework and didn’t settle for second best. They know the difference between excellence and mediocrity. So true is this in the Real Estate industry too.

A seller once asked if I would agree to work for a reduced commission. The answer without question is no; why would I? When you offer the very best wouldn’t that be reflective of my inability to even negotiate my own salary? If I can’t even do that how would you expect me to negotiate on your behalf to get the highest dollar in negotiating your home? Do you want a wimp protecting your most valuable asset or do you want a Pit Bull to protect your money to get you the highest dollar?

Brokers who are willing to accept less for their services are actually offering less in value. They have to give their services away to practically work for free. That usually means they don’t have the funds to go nationwide to only the best training seminars, to learn from the top agent across the country, to acquire their “secrets to success.” Those secrets a well trained and seasoned expert possess will save you thousands of dollars if you are willing to listen to them.

Discount brokers will often tell you your house is worth more that it is worth. Most sellers hate to hear their home isn’t worth what they thought it was and frequently overestimate their home’s value. This method of manipulation plays off an individual’s ego. The fact is that a Realtor is virtually worthless if she or he can’t be 100 percent honest with you.

Discount brokers don’t advertise because they have no money. They tell sellers advertising doesn’t work. Well, if whatever they were doing worked wouldn’t it be reflected in some way? Success leaves clues. Discount brokers are usually lone riders … not part of a successful team. They are so busy being Jacks-of-all-Trades that they are masters of none.

The team environment in Real Estate sales supports expertise in whatever task is at hand, from Buyer Agent to Listing Agent, to Closing Coordinator, to Administrative Assistant, to Team Leader. They are experts at what they do, ever vigilant to watch that no detail falls through the cracks.

The lone rider can’t possibly keep track of everything. Years of experience beats the new kid on the block any day. Remember that US Airways flight that made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in 2009? It was masterfully landed by the seasoned airline veteran and flight instructor C.B. Sullenberger. His years of experience and skills saved hundreds of lives that cold January day.

Nadine Deason is a Realtor and broker with Team Nadine LLC/Keller Williams Realty. www.alakehome.com

RELATED LINKS

Find out why it is important to understand the different types of Realtors here in North Carolina, on the N.C. Real Estate Commission website. (“Working With Real Estate Agents” – PDF)

Joining Friday’s groundbreaking at Hyde Park storage were, front from left: Tim Folley, Ryan McDaniel, Town of Cornelius economic development consultant Don Harrow, Lake Norman Chamber President Bill Russell, White Lightning owner Paige Coleman, Hans Armstrong, Kevin Pote, and architect Charles Wilber of Wilber Associates. Rear, from left, developer Jamie Rolewicz, N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Cornelius), and developer Kevin Mahl. (Carol Wilber Bradfield photo)

Developers Kevin Mahl and Jamie Rolewicz have formally begun construction on Hyde Park on Bailey, a complex of “upscale, spacious storage suites” at Cornelius Commerce Park, off Bailey Road.  They and local leaders celebrated with a groundbreaking Friday, May 17, at the site.  The 60,000-square-foot Hyde Park building is the first building on the 35-acre Commerce Park site.

The park also will include a 20,000-square-foot building next to the storage suites. Paige Coleman, owner of White Lightning Tumble and Cheer,  is expanding and adding a second location at the site.  White Lightning’s all-star cheerleading studio will occupy half the new building.

The architect is Wilber Associates of Cornelius. Both new buildings are expected to open in the fall.

NOT YOUR USUAL STORAGE UNIT

The developers say their Hyde Park Storage Suites “challenge conventional knowledge about storage units” with luxury features – climate control, wi-fi, TV, phone, and 50 amp electrical service.

The units are big – from 880 to 3,000 square feet – large enough for an RV or all your home furnishings.  You can even own one of the units if you’d prefer not to lease. The Cornelius site is similar to one the pair developed last year in Daytona Beach, FL.

Some owners are expected to use their spaces to house their small businesses, or as getaways, “whether it is car-collecting, motor homes, woodworking, or just a place to go to get-away,” the developers said in a press release. They even slap the term “man-cave” on the concept.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Visit www.hydeparkstoragesuites.com or by calling 704-895-3503.

SEE THE LISTINGS:

Single Family

18124 Nantz Rd
Subdivision: None
County: Mecklenburg
LP: $660,000
SP: $630,000
Total HLA: 3358
Type: 1.5 Story
Parking: 2 Car Garage
4BD, 5BA
Year Built: 1978
Approx Acres: .55
Sold: 05/15/13
______________________________________________________________________

21143 Harken Dr
Subdivision: Blue Stone Harbor
County: Mecklenburg
LP: $314,800
SP: $310,500
Total HLA: 2292
Type: 2 Story
Parking: 2 Car Garage
4BD, 3BA
Year Built: 1994
Approx Acres: .18
Sold: 05/14/13
______________________________________________________________________

10803 Danesway Ln
Subdivision: Wellsley Village
County: Mecklenburg
LP: $157,000
SP: $142,000
Total HLA: 1600
Type: 2 Story
Parking: 2 Parking Spaces
3BD, 3BA
Year Built: 1988
Approx Acres: .42
Sold: 05/13/13
______________________________________________________________________

Condo/Townhouse

20417 Harborgate Ct
Subdivision: Harborgate
County: Mecklenburg
LP: $290,000
SP: $250,000
Total HLA: 1340
Type: Mid-Rise
Parking: 2 Parking Spaces
2BD, 2BA
Year Built: 1985
Approx Acres: n/a
Sold: 05/16/13
______________________________________________________________________

18873 Vineyard Point Ln
Subdivision: Vineyard Point
County: Mecklenburg
LP: $159,000
SP: $150,000
Total HLA: 800
Type: 3 Story
Parking: 2 Parking Spaces
2BD, 2BA
Year Built: 1989
Approx Acres: n/a
Sold: 05/13/13
______________________________________________________________________

11423 Talleys Way
Subdivision: Vineyard Point
County: Mecklenburg
LP: $124,900
SP: $120,000
Total HLA: 997
Type: 2 Story
Parking: 1 Car Garage
2BD, 3BA
Year Built: 2008
Approx Acres: n/a
Sold: 05/13/13
______________________________________________________________________

Lots/Acres/Farms

17901 John Connor Rd
Subdivision: None
County: Mecklenburg
LP: $799,000
SP: $690,000
Approx Acres: .82
Sold: 05/13/13
______________________________________________________________________

SEE THE LISTINGS:

Single Family

13632 Helen Benson Blvd
Subdivision: Summers Walk
County: Mecklenburg
LP: $285,000
SP: $285,000
Total HLA: 3450
Type: 2 Story
Parking: 2 Car Garage
4BD, 3/1BA
Year Built: 2011
Approx Acres: .19
Sold: 05/15/13
______________________________________________________________________

Single Family

17311 Silas Place Dr
Subdivision: Summers Walk
County: Mecklenburg
LP: $207,000
SP: $205,000
Total HLA: 2855
Type: 2 Story
Parking: 2 Car Garage
3BD, 2/1BA
Year Built: 2010
Approx Acres: .2
Sold: 05/14/13
______________________________________________________________________

While at the furniture market I was able to learn more about one of the best things that has happened with toilets – regardless of what style may suit your interior décor. It’s Geberit, a concealed mounting frame for wall-hung toilets as well as sinks. Its best feature is that you do not see it, but it can have a real impact in any type of bathroom or powder room.

Geberit is composed of a concealed tank and carrier system for toilets that is hidden in a wall and out of sight. Visually what it does is to keep the toilet area more open. Gerberit fits inside the typical 2 inch by 4 inch or 2 inch by 6 inch wall meaning it fits within normal house wall construction. It can be installed at various heights between 15 inches to 19 inches off the floor. This is particularly important if you are planning for an ADA compliant bathroom. It also allows flexibility for users that are taller or shorter in height. Just because it is hidden in the wall does not mean that you cannot access it. The small decorative panel on its front can be easily accessed; no additional tools or work are needed to do this. It is designed so that it rarely needs maintenance.

Geberit is a concealed mounting frame for wall-hung toilets and sinks.

Its space-saving quality is an important benefit, especially when spaces are tight and when you are reconfiguring existing spaces. Because the tank and carrier system are hidden in the wall, the toilet does not extend out from the wall as much, so that instead of having the 5 foot distance rule between back wall and front wall, you can make your bathroom space smaller in distance.

It is designed to fit into a wide variety of interior decors and offers several options for features such as flush options, various activator style options, as well as finish choices.

Geberit is what we call the behind-the-scenes solution for today’s toilets. It is designed to be used with multiple toilet manufacturers including Toto, Villeroy & Boch, Porcher, to name a few.

Teal Michel ASID, is a licensed full-service interior design firm specializing in residential interior design and renovation-remodeling design throughout the Carolinas. Teal has won awards from ASID for interior spaces and furniture design and from the Home Builder’s Association of Charlotte Excellence in Remodeling for remodel design and interior renovation. She has participated in HGTV’s “Designer’s Challenge” and her work has been featured in several books. www.tealmichelasid.com. Read her past columns on DavidsonNews.net.