After several years of rapid growth, the Fort Mill SC School District started the 2008 school year with fewer new students than previously expected. While overall the enrollment numbers were up from the 2007 school year, a 6% growth rate, the enrollment was down from the 10% that had been expected.
From the Rock Hill Herald Online:
School officials say the current drop off in growth might signal a slowdown in the number of newcomers flocking to Fort Mill.
Another indicator of that, officials say, is a sudden drop last month in revenue from impact fees.
Fort Mill is the only district in South Carolina that still charges the fees, which amount to $2,500 per new housing unit. Developers generally pass the cost on to home buyers. The school district uses the money to build new facilities.
In July, Fort Mill received $230,000 in impact fees, an amount similar to what it had received in the previous months. In August, however, the amount dropped sharply, to just $57,500.
In spite of the slowdown in growth, the Fort Mill SC remains a very strong real estate market and as more people flock to the Charlotte NC area, it will continue to be. With SC’s lower taxes and slower pace of life, the Fort Mill SC and Rock Hill SC areas offer new comers to the area a great alternative and as a result, our real estate markets will continue to be active.
Filed under Fort Mill SC, Life In the Carolinas, Rock Hill SC by 
Ahhhh, the impact just one play can have. Did you watch the Panther’s game yesterday in which they suffered their first loss of the season? If not, then let me fill you in.
From The Charlotte Observer:
The Panthers held a seven-point lead with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. They faced third-and-8 at their 29.
They could’ve played it safe and called a running play, hoping to maintain their lead at halftime.
They chose a more aggressive approach, throwing instead of running, but nothing too risky.
It came oh-so-close to working.
Instead, it backfired dramatically.
Minnesota cornerback Antoine Winfield blitzed from Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme’s right side and decked him full-force, causing a fumble. Winfield picked up the loose ball at the 19 and ran it in for a touchdown.
Suddenly, the score was tied and the Vikings were on their way to a 20-10 victory.
Needless to say, the whole momentum of the game changed on that one play and as a result, they Panther’s suffered their first loss of the year. Fortunately, there’s still a long way to go and the Cats are tied atop their division with Atlanta and Tampa Bay, both at 2-1 as well.
In case you can’t tell, I’m a HUGE Panther’s fan and LOVE kicking back and watching them play on Sunday’s. Even when the loss comes down to just one, momentum changing play!
Filed under Carolina Sports Beat, Charlotte NC, Fun Stuff by
Have you been listening to the news at all today? Have you read about the proposed $700B government bail out of Wall Street?
To be completely honest, I’m not sure what to make about Washington climbing into bed with business, especially at this magnitude. Especially if it’s my tax dollars we’re talking about here.
Of course, according to the Secretary of the Treasury and the head of the Federal Reserve are both saying this bail out is necessary to keep things afloat, I wonder how smart it is to be making such huge promises to the folks that got us in this mess to begin with.
So, what’s your take on the issue? How do you feel about the government taking $700B it doesn’t have and giving it to Wall Street in order to fix this financial mess?
Go ahead and leave your thoughts below in the comment section. I’d love to hear what you have to say about it!
Filed under Carolina Business News, Interest Rates, Mortgage Rates, Opinions by
The news was reported late last week that Wachovia was in discussions with several potential suitors as they looked to get back on stable ground following the recent mortgage meltdown we’ve been reading about on the news. Well, this morning it was made official, Wachovia is selling their banking business to Citigroup, the country’s largest bank holding company.
While the AP reports say the new combined retail bank will remained headquartered here in Charlotte, one has to wonder if it’s only a matter of time before Citigroup will begin moving operations back to their current headquarters in NYC.
Regardless, a stand-alone company that will retain the Wachovia name will remain here in Charlotte. It will include Wachovia Securities brokerage firm, the Evergreen asset management arm and insurance services.
So, what exactly does this mean for the Queen City and the surrounding areas like Rock Hill SC and Fort Mill SC?
Well, there will undoubtedly be some uneasiness for a time. It is projected that some 20,000 Wachovia employees in the Charlotte area will end up losing their jobs, which is a huge number.
The real estate market will certainly feel some of the after effects of this transaction, but the Charlotte business community remains a great asset to the region. I suspect there will be some reprocutions from this sale and that we’ll see our real estate market remain a strong buyers market.
However, I still expect our market to remain strong when compared to other areas of the country that have been hit hardest with the current financial rollercoaster ride. I think property values will continue to appreciate and if you have a house you MUST sell, while it’s unrealistic to expect the huge amounts of appreciation this area enjoyed 5 years ago, it’s still not out of the question to expect to see a fair amount of appreciation for your property.
As always, it goes back to making sure you have your home priced correctly and that you do as much as possible to make it stand out from the crowd of other available properties.
In terms of buying a house, again, it’s a buyers market right now. You can find some great values if you put in the time and effort required. Or, you could hire a real estate agent that knows the Rock Hill SC and Fort Mill SC markets and what’s available.
Give me a call today and let’s chat about either buying or selling your Rock Hill SC or Fort Mill SC home today!
Filed under Carolina Business News, Carolina Real Estate, Charlotte NC, Fort Mill SC, Life In the Carolinas, Rock Hill SC by
