New Years Eve - Uptown

New Years Eve – Uptown Charlotte is a host to many events tomorrow night – something for all ages!  Check-out a list of events to plan your evening.
 
*WBTV’s First Night Charlotte:  Located at Romare Bearden Park on Church Street.  The event is alcohol free and open to everyone.  First Night is focused on art and music.
*McDonald’s First Night Kids:  Also located at Romare Bearden Park, this kids’ event begins at 1pm.  There are many performances, including Sol Fusion performing from 10pm-12:30am.
*3rd Annual Gold & Black Ball: The Westin is hosting an array of parties tomorrow night – DJs, latin music, and exclusive VIP lounge that includes a champagne fountain.
*Back to the Future Bash:  Flashback to the 80s and 90s at The Roxbury  – confetti blast and champagne toast at midnight!
*Studio 54 at Whiskey River:  $35 includes a champagne toast and Studio 54 party favors.
 
If you would like to go out to dinner before the New Years Eve festivities, be sure to make a reservation.  Plenty of restaurants in uptown will provide a New Years menu and some may even host a small celebration.
As always, be safe and plan ahead!

New Years Eve - Lake Norman

 

Do you need plans for New Years Eve this year?  Lake Norman has many events available if you are still looking celebration ideas:
*Galway Hooker:  An all-inclusive party including food, alcohol, DJs, live bands.  $75 per person at the door.
*Catawba Queen:  Queen’s Landing’s original party boat will leave at 9:00 pm and include the following menu – Prime Rib, Chicken Marsala, Salmon, Collard Greens, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Apple Cobbler, Tuxedo Cake, Salad, and Bread.  Includes a DJ, Champagne Toast, Party Favors. $75 per person and includes cover to Mavericks Country Bar once the boat returns.
*The Lady of the Lake:  Queen’s Landing second boat leaves at 9:30 pm, featuring a different menu – Nacho Bar with all the toppings
Chili, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, olives, jalapenos, pork and chicken skewers, cheese balls, crackers, fruit and dip.  Also wings, meatballs, pigs in blankets, salmon, and a dessert table.  Comes with a DJ, champagne toast, and party favors. Plus entrance in to Mavericks Country Bar for free after the cruise.  $85 per person and includes cover to Mavericks Country Bar once the boat returns.
*Mavericks:  Queen’s Landing features a new country bar!  The Trey Calloway Band will perform – along with a champagne toast at midnight.  $10 cover, doors open at 5pm.

Good Samaritans this Holiday Season

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny, winter day..perfect to see all the good things going on in our community that we sometimes don’t even know are happening.   My friend, Lindsay, with Ryan Homes invited me to the Helping A Hero Groundbreaking for wounded veteran, SGT Drew Mullee, USA (Ret.) and his wife Jennifer, and 1 year old son, Easton.  Drew and his family will have a new home in the Kellswater community in Kannapolis.  The developer donated the land and Ryan Homes will be building the home for Drew and his family, equipped with custom features to make life for Drew a little easier.

Patriot Charities donated over $100,000 towards the Mullees’ new home as well.

 
 
 
When I got back to the office, I walked in and saw all of the wonderful bags of toys for the Salvation Army Angel Tree.  There were several bikes, dolls, clothes and other toys waiting to be picked up and taken to the Christmas Center for parents to pick up later this week.   This year, 12,000 children will be served by the Salvation Army in Charlotte, it has been a great tradition for our family and we look forward to next year!

A Huntersville Christmas

It’s that time of year again!  Huntersville’s largest community event, Huntersville Christmas starts this weekend: Friday, December 13 through Sunday December 15.  Huntersville Christmas boasts activities and entertainment for the whole family.  There will be food, ice skating rick, pony rides and of course……Santa Claus!!!!  This weekend’s schedule is below:
 
Friday-
Ice Rink Hours: 10am-8pm ($6 Skate Rental Fee)
Inaugural Annual Huntersville Tree Lighting: 6pm
K104.7 Broadcasting Live, music, games, hot cocoa and Christmas elves
 
Sunday- 
Ice Rink Hours: 2-6pm
North Pole: Visit with Santa Claus, Face Painting, Santa’s Elves, Balloon Creations and Letters to Santa
*Huntersville Presbyterian Church Live Nativity*
 
Winter Wonderland: Ice Rink, Polar Express, Ferris Wheel, Photo Booth, Rapid Slide, Magic Show and Live Entertainment.
Candy Cane Lane: Story time with Mrs. Claus, Merry-Go-Round, Bounce House, and Huntersville Police Department.
Santa’s Workshop: Pony Cart Ride, DJ and Holiday Shopping.
 

 
Parking is available:
Huntersville Elementary (200 Gilead Road)
Huntersville Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church (201 North Old Statesville Road)
First Baptist Church of Huntersville (121 North Old Statesville Road)
Town Center Parking Garage (105 Gilead Road)

Christmas in Davidson

The countdown is on to Christmas in Davidson!  Downtown Davidson turns into a version of the North Pole for three nights this week – December 5th, 6th, and 7th from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm.  Santa kicks-off Christmas in Davidson when he arrives on Main Street at 6pm on Thursday!Main Street is closed while horse-drawn carriage rides transport you from one end to the other, a live nativity scene is in front of Davidson UMC, an ice-skating rink provides wintry fun, many vendors provide great holiday goodies for gifts, and even Santa & Mrs. Claus attend each evening!
While you are shopping, please be sure to check out the decorated trees on the Davidson Green.  You can vote for your favorite and help the Davidson Rotary Club raise money for charitable causes.
Christmas in Davidson is a really unique, family-friendly event.  Make plans to bring the whole family for hot cocoa, Christmas carols, shopping and telling Santa your wishlist.  If your family feels fashionable, make plans to enter the Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest on Saturday!
Downtown Davidson can get very crowded, so be sure to research the best places to park.  A trolley is running from near exit 30 to downtown with multiple stops along the way.

Black Friday Shopping

As you prepare your holiday shopping lists, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Black Friday deals.  Many stores are starting deals early - on Thanksgiving Day.  Many families will enjoy their turkey, dressing, and pumpkin pie while perusing the sale papers and online ads, creating their holiday shopping list.  Black Friday is creeping earlier into the holiday, so many shoppers will carb up at Thanksgiving lunch and then hit the stores!
Below is a list of stores that are opening Thanksgiving Day:

• 9:00 am - 4:00 pm:  Old Navy (then reopening at 7pm for 29 hours straight)
• 5:00 pm:  Toys 'R' Us
• 6:00 pm:  Best Buy, Walmart
• 8:00 pm:  Kohl's, Target, Macy's, JC Penney, Northlake Mall, Concord Mills Mall

 
You can strategically plan your day of shopping, eating and napping!  While most stores are offering great deals on electronics, clothes, toys - do your homework.  Sometimes prices drop closer to Christmas, even lower than Black Friday prices.  Also, remember to be safe.  Never keep your purchases visible in your car, keep them locked in your trunk.  It is easy to get caught-up with the frenzy of the holiday, but keeping yourself safe is most important.
Throughout the week, The Charlotte Observer is updating its Black Friday Central page - to ensure shoppers are aware of the best deals.

Share with us what is on your shopping list this holiday season, plus your 'can't-miss' deals!  What is the best deal on Black Friday?

Happy Shopping!

Duke Energy offers discounted CFL & LED bulbs

Duke Energy customers in North Carolina and South Carolina can take advantage of a program to purchase deeply-discounted CFL and LED bulbs for their home.    Current customers can click here to log-in and select which bulbs they would like for their home.  The web site offers many styles of bulbs:  candelabra, capsule, globe, relflector, and spiral.

The bulbs are discounted and the customer is offered a Duke coupon, reducing the price even more.  These additional discounts come from customer’s monthly Energy Efficiency Rider charge.  Each customer pays this rider charge each month, found on your bill.

Duke Energy indicates offering these discounted rates is a benefit to the company.   Per a report on WFAE, customers are also saving Duke Energy money by being energy efficient – it postpones the need for building a new power plant for a few more years to meet the demand.

Popular Location in Concord Gets New Community!

M/I Homes of Charlotte is expected to begin construction this fall in Brookvue; a new subdivision in Concord.  The land consists of 175 acres, and is located at the intersection of Poplar Tent and Huntersville-Concord Road.  This booming area of Concord has significantly grown over recent years, due to the fact that the location gives easy access to both I-85 and I-77, Huntersville, and Davidson.

 

M/I Homes plans on building 250 homes on the 175 acres, while keeping the rest of the land natural, backing up to the Rocky River.

 

Brookvue will offer a variety of options to homeowners, including 20 different floor plans.  Homes will start in the mid $200,000s, and will range from 2000 square feet to more than 3500 square feet. 

 

Currently, Brookvue is located in the Odell Elementary, Harris Middle, and Cox Mill High School District.

Trunk-or-Treat in Lake Norman!

It’s hard to believe it is already November!  We are still finishing our candy from Halloween and all of the fun we had at this year’s Trunk or Treats!  If you don’t know what a “Trunk or Treat” is, they are a lot of fun for kids and parents alike.   All you need is a parking lot, a trunk and candy…for those more creative types, decorated trunks make for even more fun.   For kids like mine who want to rack up on some quick candy, Trunk or Treat is a good alternative to Trick or Treating in the neighborhood (which we did that too).   This year, Kay Fisher and Associates participated in two Trunk or Treats….one with Lake Norman Mommies and one with Gateway Academy.

Our first one with Lake Norman Mommies, also included hosting apple bobbing.  Kim and I ran the game and it was a lot crazier than we thought and we hoped to get some good pictures, but we were too busy swapping out apples as the kids did a good job with the “bobbing”.  We did dry apple bobbing, in which we took rope and tied a drywall screw to the end and attached the apple to the screw.  Thanks to a smart Lake Norman Mommy and Daddy for giving us this genius idea!    The winner of our Target Gift Card Raffle is Michelle Mills!


Our second Trick or Treat was with Gateway Academy, where my kids go to school.  Maddie was a fairy princess (like many of her friends in her class) and Noah was Spider Man.  It was fun to talk to the other parents there and see their little friends dressed in all of their costumes.    The kids loved it!   We also learned from the director of their school, Natasha Peterson, that all of our clients are offered three days of FREE CHILDCARE at Gateway Academy for one day of showings, on closing day and on moving day!   We are so appreciative that Gateway Academy has offered us this exclusive service for our clients- making their home search a little easier.

Please give us a call today at 704-363-5120 to see how we can help your family search for the perfect Lake Norman Home for Sale!

By Kay Fisher
www.myhuntersvillehome.com
www.kayfisherandassociates.com
Tags: Brian Fisher, kay fisher, kay fisher and associates, LKN Mommies, Trunk or Treat

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 6th, 2013 at 8:05 pm and is filed under Blog, Davidson, Huntersville, Kay Fisher and Associates, Lake Norman, Lake Norman Area. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Charlotte - next American Girl Doll Store location!

 

It was actually before I was even a mother when I learned about American Girl Doll® and it’s “brand.”  My daughter is 3 and has turned very girly over the last year- wanting to be a princess, wear jewelry and have “pose offs” with strangers in Target like Barbie does in “Life in the Dreamhouse”, so I know it is only a matter of time before she becomes obsessed with these $100+ dolls with accessories like $12 footless tights (for the dolls)! 
In the state of North Carolina, we are required to take 90 hours of post licensing classes and one of the classes is on commercial real estate.   My friend and I signed up together four years ago expecting a lot of lecturing and some stories from the teacher’s experience.  What we got instead was a project on American Girl Doll®.  We were to research the company, scout all of Charlotte looking for the ideal location based on demographics, anchoring stores and even traffic flow and parking.  Then our team was to give a presentation to the head of American Girl Doll® (aka- our instructor) as to why American Girl Doll® should select us as their commercial real estate agency to represent them in moving into the Charlotte market.  Almost every team was clear that South Park was the obvious choice….I don’t know how many of these presentations our instructor heard (but I know my husband’s class two years later had the same project)…hmmm, conspiracy theory…Now American Girl is coming to Charlotte- SouthPark in 2014.   Great for Charlotte, Great for American Girl, and Great for the Girls of Charlotte!

Halloween - Fun for Everyone!

This weekend kicks-off Halloween festivities in the Lake Norman Area!  Check-out our list below and let us know where you are celebrating!

Downtown Davidson offers its Halloween March on Friday, October 25th.  Kids can enjoy games starting at 4:00 pm on the town green, followed by the Halloween March at 5:00 pm.  Children can wear their costumes and march down Main Street - while merchants pass out candy.  The Halloween March begins at Town Hall and progresses down Main Street to the College Bookstore.  After the march, there is a concert on the town green.

The Lake Norman Mommies Network is hosting a Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday, October 26th in Cornelius.  Join the LKN Mommies Network to learn more information about this event.  We will have a bobbing for apples booth there, so come and see us!

Huntersville's Carolina Raptor Center is hosting a Hoot and Howl on Saturday, October 26th from 10am-3pm.  The festival includes science experiments, games, face-painting, and jack-o-lantern contests.

Trick-or-treating in downtown Mooresville happens on October 30th from 3pm-5pm.  Kids can wear their costumes and trick-or-treat down Main street.

Concord's Candy Crawl will take place from 3-5 pm on Halloween on Union St. in Downtown Concord. Here, children can enjoy trick or treating by going to all the shops and restaurants. Family friendly activities such as bean bag toss and basketball are also on the streets for some more fun!

Birkdale Village offers a scavenger hunt on Halloween from 5-7pm.  You can find clue sheets at the fountain that will lead you on a Halloween themed hunt!

Also, The Speedpark at Concord Mills transforms into The Scarepark every evening. Take a shot at “18 Holes of Horror Haunted Mini Golf," ride the Haunted Hayride, climb the spiderweb, and more! Admission is $5 per person, or free with purchase of Haunted Mini Golf or the Hayride.

Happy Halloween!!

 

 

Government Shutdown Ends

Government Shutdown Ends

October 16, 2013

Late Wednesday night, the House of Representatives passed a bill ending the shutdown of the federal government. The bill was passed by the Senate earlier in the day. President Obama has signed the bill into law.
Under the agreement reached, a continuing resolution funding government operations through Jan. 15, 2014 is enacted. The measure also raises the debt ceiling to a projected date of Feb. 7, 2014. The Senate will also consider another separate proposal to instruct House and Senate negotiators to reach accord by Dec. 13, 2013 on a long-term blueprint for tax and spending policies over the next decade.
Although the legislation reopens the federal government immediately, there could be residual delays in programs as workers address issues caused by the 16 day lapse.
REALTOR.org will keep the shutdown information available over the next several days as government operations return to full capacity.

Copyright NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Reprinted with permission

Houzz: Living Room Lay-outs - how to maximize your space!

Lay Out Your Living Room: Floor Plan Ideas for Rooms Small to Large

Architects, interior designers, and more ∨

Consider a versatile murphy bed when looking for guest beds, find the perfect office chair, and work with a contractor in your area to create a fun yet functional home office.
Work with a home decorator when choosing area rugs or hanging new window treatments in your home.

The Carolina Renaissance Festival Celebrates 20 Years!

The 20^th season of the Carolina Renaissance Festival opens this Saturday October 5^th, and is located near the intersection of Highway 73 and Poplar Tent in Huntersville, NC.

With over 20 acres filled with shops and vendors, entertainment, food, and hundreds of costumed characters roaming throughout, this festival has something for everyone.

There are 11 stages spread throughout the festival. Dancing, music, and comedy shows play all day long, and most of them are interactive. Of course, one can not leave until seeing the jousting knights at the King’s Tournament Arena.

The Renaissance Festival is lined with over 100 charming little shops. Here, vendors showcase their unique handmade items such as leather goods, jewelry, and the popular lotion candles. You can even watch an artisan make blown glass! Various homemade rubs and spices are also sold, and quite often make great Christmas gifts.

With all the interactive entertainment and shopping, you are bound to get hungry! Giant turkey legs are a big hit, as well as the various soups, stews, and chowders served in bread bowls.

Some of the special events taking place this year are “Two Tickets for the Price of One Weekend”, “Kids Free Weekend”, and “Brewfest Weekend”. For a list of all the special events taking place, click here.

The Carolina Renaissance Festival will be open every weekend from October 5^th – November 24^th, 10am – 5:30 pm – Rain or Shine!!