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Terry McDonald Real Estate.com LLC
8604 Cliff Cameron Dr ST 110
Charlotte NC 28269
704-393-0048 Office
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704-464-3955 Fax
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Charlotte Magaxine 2008,2009

The Friends School of Charlotte

Friends Schoolof Charlotte

The Friends School Of Charlotte- Next Open House February 4, 9:30-10:30 am

The Friends School of Charlotte is a  K-3 learning community in southeast Charlotte, an independent private school within the Friend’s tradition, a tradition established by the Quakers more than 300 years ago.

Friends Schools have a tradition of excellence, and are recognized around the country as providing some of the  the very best independent education in the world.  Friend’s Schools believe in the dignity of each person, that literally there is a “spark of God” within each student, and believe in experiential learning, learning by doing. Students of all faiths and no faith are accepted. Tolerance is another key virtue. All Friends Schools are based on the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and service.

The most recognized Friends School is Sidwell Friends in Washington DC, where many of Washington’s elites send their children… past -Presidents and the current one, President Obama, chose a Friends School, from the many quality private and public schools available.  A Friend’s education is  recognized as offering much more than just small “e” education, it educates the total child.

What is a Friends School?  What is their “model” of education?

Why would you be interested in a Friends School of Charlotte for your TK to early elementary child?

To me the answer has many layers, but it begins with the Quaker philosophy. The Quaker school of Charlotte  then borrows effective precepts from various teaching models. It is guided by  the Quaker belief there is God in everyone, and that means each child will be a treasured part of the learning community. There is a culture of respect and caring.  If you want your child’s mind cultivated, his/her freedom to express her views celebrated, and want him/her to be a lifelong learner, this may be the place.

The school uses the North Carolina Standard Course of Study as it’s core curricula, a “roadmap of learning goals and objective… but not just a surface understanding, students will be encouraged to to seek, dig deep, analyze and interpret.”

Your childs’ education at Friends School of Charlotte will be inquiry based, experiential learning. There is a strong consensus that children learn best by doing, questioning, analyzing and interpreting their learning.  Educators call it “constructivist”, learners “construct” their own learning, facilitated and guided by the teacher.  Inquiry is the base mode of learning, the interdisciplinary nature makes it relevant to their lives. Studies have repeatedly confirmed students learn best when the construct their learning- they learn if for themselves, and the  learning is relevant.

Your kids won’t be learning tons of little factoids, and tested and tested… they will be loved, inspired and treated with dignity they deserve.

Go meet the wonderful teachers and Head of School at the Friends School of Charlotte.

Written by Terry McDonald | Discussion: No Comments »

Bank Of America Chooses New CEO, Electrolux HQ Moves Here

It was a big news day in Charlotte, NC. Early in the day, the big news was

Electrolux, USA  is relocating to Charlotte.

Governor Bev Perdue announced  Electrolux would be moving its North American headquarters in the first quarter of 2010,and more than 700 jobs (over several years)  to Charlotte from Augusta, Georgia. The Swedish home appliance firm is consolidating their North American operations at the former First Charter facility in the University City area, and will be home to more than 700 employees, most of whom will be relocated from around the US to Charlotte. Governor Perdue cited North Carolina’s well trained work force and pro-business climate. We in Charlotte real estate like the sound of 700 families moving here!

Charlotte had two big advantages, Charlotte’s airport has given Charlotte an advantage among international companies seeking to locate in the south for a decade. Then last August, another Swedish firm Husquavarna, a former Electorlux division, now independent, relocated here…   That and over $10 Million in incentives from city, county and state resources didn’t hurt either.

Still, the incentive package was small by most regional comparisons- they wanted to be here. All good. Then late in the day,  it was announced that

Bank of America had named Brian Moynihan as the bank’s new CEO replacing the retiring Ken Lewis.

Moynihan was quick to point out he will be based in Charlotte and that the bank’s headquarters would remain in Charlotte.  This settles a few months of uncertainty since Ken Lewis made his announcement. Combined with the early re-payment of the TARP money, this offers Bank of America a new start in  a nee decade and can begin the work of  rebuilding its reputation.

A number of Bank of America’s Board sought a business relocation to NYC, making many around here, lets say,  uncomfortable. Fifth 3rd Bank announced as part of the Electrolux deal they’ll move their headquarters uptown, GMAC  has expanded their operations and are moving uptown, US Bank established their Southeast office here in July, all seeking to capitalize on the talent let go by the old Wachovia.

Kudos to our excellent Chamber and city government for putting together the package that made this work.

Written by Terry McDonald | Discussion: No Comments »

Congratulations Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

North Carolina, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Measure Up in Newsweek’s Top 1500 High Schools In America

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools placed two high schools in the top 200, and an additional 9 high schools in the survey of Top 1500 Public High Schools conducted annually  by Newsweek Magazine Online.  The Top 1500 represent the top 6% of US High Schools, and the CMS 11 pl;us 1 from Union- Weddington HS,  represent 23% of North Carolina’s total of 53 high schools that made the Top 1500.

Jay Matthew’s at the Washington Post and Newsweek devised a simple formula, not without its critics, a few years back: Rank them by “the number of Advanced Placement, Intl. Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2008 divided by the number of graduating seniors. All of the schools on the list have an index of at least 1.000; they are in the top 6 percent of public schools measured this way.”

So it is the number of AP or IB tests taken per graduating senior for each school, (not passed) with a minimum “score” of 1.0, so to get on the list- if you had 400 graduates  then a minimum of 400 tests take (seniors and juniors) would equal a score of 1.0, likewise 600 tests taken for 400 students 1.5 etc. While not a perfect measure, it is a measure of how many of the schools’ children are actively engaged in college preperatory classes, it is relatively easy to calculate, allows small schools to compete with large schools, and I suspect most high school Principals would be glad to see their school on the list. It is also a modest measure- yet only 6% of the nations’ high schools make the list.

The List does not include many terrific magnet and charter schools- those schools are purposeful in their attraction of elite students, and so, they’d need to be evaluated using a different standard, paraphrasing  Matthew’s. Do you have a question on why or how he did the work? Here is his FAQ page for details.

Myers Park led Mecklenburg County at #44 on the list with each graduating senior taking an average of 5 AP/IB tests. Providence was # 189 on the list, with each senior taking an average of 3 AP Tests… but do not forget the other 10!  These can be seen at the bottom of the post.

If you’re school is on the list,  it means they believe in the power of  AP and IB,  and the administration is encouraging the  course work and test taking– a very imortant indicator of future success in college.

So 1500 schools represent the top 6% of public high schools in America, according to this formula.  Mecklenburg County has by my count, 12 schools on the list.  Interestingly, many of these CMS schools (5) had 40% or more of their students n Free and Reduced lunches, that is good work at those tough schools, promoting a culture of excellence. Check out the vide in the Newsweek link below, and hear about inner city children being offered plane tickets to interview at MIT and Standford.

Here is the Newsweek link, indexed by State, but a handful of results are below:

Wake County- someone from that region should check me but I’m counting 4.

Lets compare Charlotte area’s 12  High Schools, NC’s 53 high Schools to a few… states.

North Carolina had 53 high schools make the list- so CMS had  23% of those.

New Jersey has 53 High Schools make the list.

Tennesee had 12 high schools make the list

Conneticut had 17 high schools on the list.

Delaware had 6 high schools on the list.

South Carolina had 20 High Schools make the list, somewhat surprisingly none in the Upstate region near Charlotte, 3 each in Greenville, Columbia and Charleston.

The South in general, outside of NC, SC and Georgia, didn’t fare too well.

Alabama-9

Arkansaw- 10

Missisippi-2

Louisiana-2

So- 11 of CMS’s 31 High Schools fall into this top 6% national category, the same system that recently announced it has 51% of its student’s living in poverty. Obviously this fact doesn’t mean all is well in CMS- it just means CMS is doing better than a lot of people think, a message often lost if all the “clutter” we call conversation about Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Ane for all that talk about great nearby South Carolina Schools and Union County Schools? One school made the list between them- one school emphasizes AP on the high school level. Wow.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Union County on Newsweek’s Top Public High Schools

RANK SCHOOL LOCATION STATE INDEX SUBS. LUNCH E&E
1517 Weddington Matthews N.C. 1.04 5 50
189 Providence Charlotte N.C. 3.08 7 64
269 Ardrey Kell Charlotte N.C. 2.73 11 46
338 North Mecklenburg Huntersville N.C. 2.5 21 30
441 Butler Matthews N.C. 2.26 21 51
544 Hopewell Huntersville N.C. 2.08 24 n/a
44 Myers Park** Charlotte N.C. 5.01 26 60
664 Renaissance at Olympic Charlotte N.C. 1.93 40 n/a
1092 School of International Studies and Global Economics at Olympic Charlotte N.C. 1.45 42 n/a
605 Math, Engineering and Science at Olympic Charlotte N.C. 2 47 31
516 Harding University High School of Mathematics, Science and Technology ** Charlotte N.C. 2.14 47 33
351 East Mecklenburg** Charlotte N.C. 2.45 49 37

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As most readers know I make my living in real estate, but I have a passion for education, and  a passion for educating every child in the US. It is the promise of America, and it is in our national interest to educate every child to compete in this inter-connected world.  For those of you who don’t know, I’m also a father of 4, my grown children were educated in private primary schools,  and graduated from a public high school on this list here in Charlotte.  I’m married to a longtime teacher who is now a Professor of Education at a local college.   I’ll be writing more on schools that “Get it” in the Charlotte area in the coming months.

Written by Terry McDonald | Discussion: No Comments »

Charlotte Tax Rates

Here’s how to figure NC taxes, below are the most current rates

2008-09 Combined Property Tax Rates (Jurisdictions where Mecklenburg County collects all ad valorem taxes)
Location Rate
Unincorporated County 1.0175 per $100
If Inside City Of Charlotte 1.2973 per $100
If Inside Town of Cornelius 1.1137 per $100
If Inside Town of Davidson 1.2037 per $100
If Inside Town of Huntersville 1.1287 per $100
If Inside Town of Matthews 1.1712 per $100
If Inside Town of Mint Hill 1.1137 per $100
If Inside Town of Pineville 1.1587 per $100
2008-09 Property Tax Rates
Location Rate
Charlotte 0.4586* per $100
Cornelius 0.275* per $100
Davidson 0.365* per $100
Huntersville 0.29* per $100
Iredell County 0.445 per $100
Matthews 0.3325* per $100
Mecklenburg County 0.8387 per $100
Mint Hill 0.275* per $100
Pineville 0.32 per $100
Police Service District 0.1788 per $100
Stallings 0.219 per $100
Union County 0.665 per $100
Real Estate/Personal Property Interest date is 1/6/09. Taxes must be paid prior to this date to avoid interest.

We can of course check the actual taxes paid on any given home. But this should help get you started.

South Carolina uses a completely different formula, but is quite low, running .55 to .7% overall.

Written by Terry McDonald | Discussion: No Comments »

Fall Pictures From Charlotte’s Neighborhoods

Charlotte North Carolina

I really think spring is Charlotte’s best time of year- the city is so greeeen,  it is lush and verdant… but some prefer fall and it is easy to see why. The colors have been great the last 2 years, these photos taken from Dilworth, Myers Park and across South Charlotte, and a pic from Lake Norman too… do you have one to add?

Charlotte, The Queen City,  The Heart of the New South

a Dilworth street homes Charlotte NC Brilliant Colors South Charlotte

Sanctuary Estate Homes at lake Wylie Beverly Crest Blvd south Charlotte

Sanctuary Street-estate homes 20 minutes to Charlotte

Lake Norman NC Fall day

All the above photos were personally taken and are available free of charge with attribution

©Terry McDonald 2008-2009

Written by Terry McDonald | Discussion: No Comments »

Economy GROWS 3.5% in 3rd Quarter- Music to My Ears in Charlotte

Charlotte NC. This is Great Economic News. Great.

The US economy in 2009- 1st Quarter 6.4% loss, 2nd Quarter 0.7% loss, 3rd Quarter 3.5% gain

Inflation was annualized 1.6%. that is outstanding as well.

What’s left, we are done on the economy, right?

No, not done, not even close with more than 10M jobs lost, and over 12 M unemployed, and a Still shaky financial system.

It is ALL about Creating new jobs. Obama said it, and I couldn’t agree more. Waiting on those unemployment numbers to trend DOWN.  Details here at the New York Times

But in Charlotte we are making progress:

If you saw my last post you know Charlotte IS creating new jobs, 20% ahead of the pace in 2008, and unemployment is falling in Charlotte and Charlotte real estate prices have risen in 4 of the last 6 months, and homes sold were up 23% in August over a year before…

Still, if we want the good times rolling here in Charlotte, we have to create jobs- jobs for May grad’s, for mid-level managers, in finance, in manufacturing, in the service sector…

Question of the day? How can Charlotte, and North Carolina Grow more jobs here? Without the cross-state bribery going on in South Carolina?

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NC State Fair| A Day at the NC State Fair In Raleigh

Raleigh, NC

Raleigh is just a quick 2.5 hour drive from Charlotte, so with in a days trip for special occasions. I visited the North Carolina State Fair Saturday for the first time in my 17 years in Charlotte NC. It was an impressive event stretching over a large area in suburban Raleigh, out near the veterinary school of NC State University. It was quite a site, a huge event, and crowd, even on this rainy Saturday…Fried Oreo’s anyone, or my favorite the chocolate dipped frozen Twinkie… you’ll see one of those, plus prize pigs, cows and calf…


NC State Fair Raleigh NC
Uploaded by CharlotteRealEstate. – Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Sometimes I”m asked, “What is the New South?” The short answer is it is an industrial south that industry was willing to invest in post-segregation. But the State Fair? That’s a look at the Old South, the way things used to be in NC…

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