Search Tips

Tip #1 - Lake Norman is an area - not a city.  To see listings in the very popular Lake Norman area search by typing in a list of the cities you are interested in.  For the more populated East side of the lake choose from Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson or Mooresville.  For the West side choose Denver, Lincolnton (no lake front), or Stanley.  For the North area choose Troutman, Sherrills Ford, Terrell, Catawba, or (up the river) Statesville.   (Many more tips below.)

Our Search features every NC home "Listed" in the Charlotte Area MLS System - the area we cover.  That is a 10 county area of North Carolina surrounding Charlotte and Lake Norman.  Our search tool has NO BIAS to any real estate listing firm.  You will see ALL listings available that match your criteria in whatever sorting order you choose!

* After testing the Search a bit, you will be Prompted to Register to continue to have unlimited access to all property details.  Once you register, you can then save your searches and favorites, add your comments, and receive automatic email updates when new listings come on the market that match your saved searches.  Simply supply the information requested -once-...we will not call you unless you ask us to.  Log in when you return to search again. Our Goal is to "Win You Over" with exceptional service.  Please take the time to read our client Testimonials.

Additional Tips for Effective Searches:

• Where.  Start by typing either a city, community (subdivision name), street address, MLS# or zip code then choose which one you want from the auto-fill list you see.  Repeat that process for multiple choices.

• Cooling/Heating.  Never check these features.  Having central heating & air conditioning is so assumed in this market that many listing agents often forget to fill in these fields.  If you check these fields you will miss many good listings.

• Schedule a Showing.  Simply click on the "Schedule a Showing" link on the property Details to request to see any property listed on the date of your choosing. 

• Ask A Question.  Simply click on the "Contact Us" at the bottom left when viewing a property's Details to ask any question about any property, community, or area that you may have.  Want to know what the taxes are?  Want to know more about the neighborhood or builder?  Want to know about the schools, commute times, or anything else?  Just click and ask.
  

• Property Type.  Choose to see single family homes, condos & townhomes, vacant land, rentals, or commercial property.
• Property Status.  Choose to see only listings that are Active or choose to include properties under contract also.  Homes you see when Searching will display either  "Active" or "Backup or Contingent Listing" at the top of the Details page under the address.  If a property is displaying "Backup or Contingent" it means the seller has accepted an offer subject to some condition(s).  That condition could be a standard Due Diligence Period.  If the property is a Short Sale, the condition could be approval by the sellers' lender. It can also mean it is contingent on some event happening; such as the sale of another home.  Once all conditions and contingencies has been met, the status of the property goes to "pending."   Pending sales are expecting to close on the scheduled date barring anything very unusual happening.   You can choose to see only Active listings in the search options under "Property Status."  Or, you can choose to also see "Backup or Contingent" listings and/or "Pending" listings.  Your choice. Check the bottom of the Details page for each listing to see the exact "Status."  Contact us if you want to know more about a property's status.
  
• Features.  Select features of interest from the list to search for.  Remember: If you select more than one feature, the results will include only listings that have all of the items you checked.  Try choosing only one or two options at a time.
• Foreclosures & Such.  There is an option to search specifically for pre-foreclosures, short sales and bank-owned listings.  These types of distressed sales are listed in the MLS just like all other properties.  Look at "Special Conditions" in the properties details to see what type of distressed sale it is.  Some properties listed will be distressed sales but not disclosed by the listing agent as such.
• Square Footage Ranges.  The Charlotte area MLS system requires all home listings to show the square footage in a calculated "range" rather than an exact number.  This is their policy and not something we can control. Look in the property Details for "Total HLA Range" which is total Heated Living Area range.
  
• Lot Size options.  Lots are displayed in acres rather than square feet.  If you are more familiar with sizes in square feet, you can make the conversion by multiplying times 43,650.  Therefore, a lot listed as .3 acres equals 13,095 square feet.
• Mark Your FAVORITES. Click on the "Save as Favorite" button on the top right when you see a property you like.  You will then be able to revisit your Favorites as a group with ease.
• Add Notes & Comments. Keep your thoughts organized.  Just click and type in the "add a note" box at the top of the details page.
• Days On Market.  A listings' days-on-market will start over from zero ever time the seller changes agents or pulls and relists the property.  You cannot trust the days-on-market you see on any listings - anywhere.  Contact us for a property's true history.
• Sort Your Search Results.  Click on the drop-down list of over a dozen different ways to sort your search results.  For instance, you can sort them so that the least expensive listings are at the top.
• Manage Your Searches.  After you have saved/named your searches and saved some Favorite homes, click on the Searches & Listings links at the top to see what you have saved and your options.
• Request Email updates.  You can receive automated notices whenever new listings come on the market that match your saved search criteria. When you first register or later under your "Profile" choose if you want to receive updates daily, weekly, or never. 
• Remember:  Add Findahomecarolina.com to your list of "safe senders" in your email account so that your updates don't end up in your junk mail folder.
• Mapping.  You can choose to search only within the map area you have zoomed in on.  Just be aware that not all listings map properly (especially in new construction areas) and you could miss some this way.  Searching by City or Community (subdivision) name is more reliable.  Maps can also be viewed as Satellite or Hybrid images.
• Schools.  You will only see the assigned schools for a property if the listing agent has put that information in the MLS.  Often they leave those fields blank.  Be aware that school assignments change and you should always contact the school administration for the most current assignment information.  New schools are always being built and district lines change often.
• Don't Be Too Specific.  If you are having trouble getting the search results you expect, click the Reset button near the top of the search page and try being less specific.  Add additional criteria one at a time.  Remember that each search criteria is an "and" not an "or."  For a listing to match your search, it must match all of the criteria you select.
• When All Else Fails...  Like all complex programs, there will be bugs and glitches.  If you freeze it up, just refresh the wndow.
  
• Contact Us.  If you have any technical difficulties, trouble finding what you want, general questions about the market, or specific questions about properties you are seeing -- contact us!  Email, call, or use the Chat feature on the web site.  We know this market inside and out and are very happy to help. 
• There's a BETTER Way...Searching on your own is fine if you are early in the process.  When you are seriously ready to find your next home, request a Gateway web site. With a Gateway you'll know immediately when homes that match your criteria hit the market, when the prices change, and when one is no longer available.  You will also be able to request information on the history of the home and neighborhood.  You'll be able to keep all your notes, questions, and answers organized in one place.  We're ready when you are! 
• Just Play With It - Have Fun - You Can't Break It!
  
  Happy Searching!