I live in Mint Hill, NC and it really looks like the sign man was the winner. Everywhere there are so many signs, who to vote for, the mayors race between Ted Biggers and Jean Bonner must find Jean Bonner in the lead based on the signs. Mickey Ellington has a few supporters around and even Clyde Austin, but nothing like the big two running for Mayor.
Down in Charlotte incumbent Pat McCrory and Beverly Earle have been on TV and in the papers lots of times. But with Pat McCrory base and 12 years leading the city of Charlotte NC how can someone dethrone the King. Mayor McCrory has a great public relations job with Duke Energy, and what could be better public relations then being mayor of the largest city in NC, Charlotte. Mayor McCrory has made a lot of waves and been very good for the growth of this city during his 12 years in office. Even with the Light Rail line he has helped build, he’s done a lot of good things. One thing as the influx of New Yorkers, Floridians, and Californians are moving here he has welcomed them with open arms. I think it only makes sence to keep Pat McCrory as Charlotte mayor as long as he wants the job. It’s best for our city to not have a Park Helms on the city council. And with Beverly Earle that is just what we would have. And Charlotte needs better.

Matthews is haveing a sign war also between incumbent Lee Myers and newcomer Jack Davis. Here again it’s one of those things that after 16 years how are you going to beat Lee Myers, Jack Davis has ruffled some feathers especially when he put his large 4×8 sign on Matthews owned land. Lee Myers did all he could to have it removed but since it was still under a life estate there was nothing that could be done about it. I’m sure the “They took my farm” sign man was very happy to display anybody that might be an opponent of the current mayor and commissioners. Maybe you haven’t drove by his home at the corner of Matthews-Mint Hill or Matthews-Pineville Road near the corner of Idlewild Road. But there are now two big signs , one says they took my farm and the other says Jack Davis for mayor. The funny thing the city of Matthews took the 50 acres but allowed the 84 year old owner to remain on the land with a life estste. Guess Matthews didn’t know much about what a life estate really was and even though they paid $$4 million for the land to someday be used as a park maybe even esquestrian related still the 84 year old man has the right to do what he wants with his land. So he is against Lee Myers for mayor, I wonder why?
More to come
Gary

It’s not really that hard to believe that over 2500 new homes are planned for the Locust area the next 5 years. With Albemarle Road now 4 laned and traveled at 65 to 70 mph and only one stop light it makes Locust and Stanley county a short trip from Charlotte. Several times the past couple of years I’ve had clients want to look in Stanley county, but at what, so they ended up in Cabarrus county and Concord or Harrisburg or Kannapolis near I85. Now this is all about to change and it’s about time. The Villages of Redbridge is pushing dirt around with plans to build over 1100 homes which will double the size of Locust in one quick swoosh!! Along with Craft Homes and Tyson Properties of Monroe you can add another 400 or so homes, there there are 3 or 4 others planning to build another 1500 or so homes to fill the ever growing need to live in the country. One developer is planning a large Equistrian Community called of all things Churchill Downs ( I wonder where he got that name from?) AT this point in time schools are a big issue in Charlotte Mecklenburg and many will be thrilled at the quality of education and discipline they will find in Stanley county schools. Just wait until the Walmart opens just down the road, Locust will become more like Matthews then Locust. Is that good or bad, just depends on where you are coming from, if you live in Locust and don’t own a few 100 acres you are totally against this development, but however if you are moving from out of town and want another great little friendly city to live then Locust is another great destination. Every body can’t live in Ballantyne or on Lake Norman, now can they?

In addition Stanly Regional Medical Center plans to build a large medical campus to serve the growth in the area. This is one of the things many newcomers are concerned about is how close is the hospital. Especially the retirees a hospital and a doctor is so important. Of course you have a new 50 bed Presbyterian Hospital being built at the Albemarle Road and I485 just 13 miles down the road. I live in Mint Hill where the Bridges of Lawyers outdoor mall is being built with over 1.5 million square feet of shopping and stores just about 15 miles from Locust and Stanley county. So there will be lots of shopping and doctors available for all. Just make sure you wave when we meet on Matthews- Mint Hill RD.
See ya
Gary

Here’s an article I’ve linked to that you can read about our area. I think you will like it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/realestate/19nati.html?ex=1345176000&en=c9671e51a5806c4e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Actually it is not the old fashioned dinner on the grounds like we had when I was growing up in Stony Point, NC we had it in the air conditioned multi purpose building. I go to church in Monroe, NC at Shining Light Baptist Church, after 26 years at Bible Baptist Church in Matthews NC I’m now driving the 25 minutes or so to Monroe, NC. I am sure most would wonder why, will it just seemed to be where the Lord moved me after our time at BBC in Matthews. It was a wonderful church in Matthews and Pastor Phillips was a great man of god, but as with all things our ideas and God’s way sometimes allow us to move to different places and areas in life. I do hope as time goes on that the Lord will allow us to move closer to church, maybe to Indian Trail NC, or Stallings, NC or even Weddington NC would be a little closer. I would like to have about a 5 to 10 minute drive to our church off Old Monroe Rd, or in Monroe they call it the Old Charlotte Hwy. Just depends on where you are from. In Monroe things are much closer knit more of a family area, much different from Charlotte where it seemed everyone was from somewhere else. I’ve been at Shining Light in Monroe for 5 years now and it seems every day I find out about someone else that is the great grand daughter or second cousin of someone else there. It’ s really the tie that binds. Not that we don’t have all things in common thru the Lord, but when you have you family here in church with you it really makes a strong relationship even better. If you want to learn more about the Lord visit our church on line at www.slbc.net Our Pastor is Dr. Tim Cruse
Thanks
Gary

Do you believe this headline, keep it in mind as you read the newspapers and listen to talk radio. It will soon come true. The Mayor and town council are in big trouble and will probably loose their jobs pretty soon. I just wonder if Bruton Smith was smart enough to plan this all along, or it just happened and he went with it.
Bruton Smith didn’t become a billionaire from an Oakboro, NC country boy without some smarts. I remember him talking about the giveway of all the money to the Charlotte Bobcats and the Carolina Panthers, and he said he’d never asked for any public money, Why he even paid for part of the road over to the speedway. How nice of him, well guess what he is about to get all his money back and then some. I just heard him talking about how it was going to cost about $200 million or so to remodel the current Lowes Motor Speedway, and if he can build a new place for $300 million it might just be a much better deal. I wonder what the 2000 acres of land is worth the speedway now sits on, let us see 2000 times $50K per acre =$100 million. So he can either stay put and invest $200 million of his own money or move tear down the speedway and sell the land and build a new state of the art facility with loads of government help and maybe pocket $200 million. Not counting the land he will be given to build a new LMS on. He did say he was a business man! I heard him! A pretty smart one at that. I and sure not only Rowan County will roll out the red carpet for him, but don’t you know Iredell is jumping up and down at the possiblity of a new LMS there. It might fit somewhere between Mooresville and Salisbury, Let me think, HWY 70 needs to be upgraded to I70 between Statesville and Salisbury. This way both Iredell and Rowan could invest a 100 or 200 million each in the new facility. With a drag strip, airport, office buildings and land for raceshops and parking and who know what else. I think Concord has laid a big egg, Is it something like killing the golden goose because you are so hungry? I just don’t know but it seems Mr Smith not only went to Washington but he also is going to Fort Knox. I remember not too long ago that our Governor wrecked a car at LMS, wonder if Bruton remembers that little incident. How much money did we give google to move a plant into Lenoir, this deal is at least 50 times bigger than that. How about South Carolina, it’s not too far south is it, or the west side of Charlotte around the airport, would they care about noise there? Eastern Gastonia, I’m sure Burton would build a bridge across the Catawba river to connect with I485, he might even build a couple. If the state don’t beat him to building them first. Wow! What a coup. Once these things start there is no way to stop the snowball from getting larger.
In the end Bruton Smith and LMS and the dragway (should probably name it after the Concord mayor) will be free, completely built with our money (taxpayers) and probably Speedway Motor Sports will sell pernament seat licenses to the grandstands. When the dust settles in a few years Mr. Smith’s companies and families will have at least another billion to add to their wealth.
I can only pray that Mr. Smith takes a little time to read his Bible and will study Romans and find out that God does love us and sent his son to die for us so we would not have to go to hell. God’s son Jesus suffered our hell for us so we could spend eternity in heaven when we die. I’m sure Bruton is at least 80 and he’s in good health, but the time he has left here until he meets the Lord Jesus face to face can’t be that long. I could die tomorrow and of us could. What about it Mr. Smith what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but looses his soul in hell and the everlasting fire and tourment and suffering. I’m sure when Mr Smith dies and if he has not trusted Christ alone to get him to heaven then in 10 seconds after Mr Smith meets hell head on he would give up his entire fortune for another chance.

Bruton I hope somehow you have a chance to read this and think about eternity and find a Bible and Read Romans 3:10 and 3:23 this tells that we all fall short of God’s glory, none of us are good enough. Then read Romans 6:23 and Revelation 21:8 this tells about us all being sinners and that eternal life is a gift that we don’t pay for. When you get a gift it is free, all you have to do is take it. Then Read Romans 10:13 and to call on the Lord is to just call his name Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner and deserve to go to hell when I die, but I know that you sent you son to live and die here on earth to save me and I’m trusting him alone to take me to heaven. And I want turn from my sin and repent. And he will, as long as you remember it is nothing you do, no money you can pay, no church attendance, nothing you can do will get you to heaven no rituals, nothing. Only trusting Christ. Just like the man needed to trust the tight road walker by getting in the wheelbarrow and then being pushed across the falls, he told the tightrope walker he believe he could push him acorss the falls in the wheelbarrow, but when the tightrope walker told him to get in the wheelbarrow he ran, he believed but he didn’t trust, this is how you trust Christ, you have to be willing to let Christ take you to heaven and just trust him, nothing else.
Mr Smith should you do this let me know, it’s important!
Gary Mitchell 704-578-9789
I’ll pray for you until then!

I guess by now everyone knows that both a Home Depot and Lowes are building new stores in Monroe, or actually Indian Trail area. This means there will be a Lowes every three miles down Hwy 74 from Matthews to Monroe. Or just three super Lowes. It has to tell you something about our area, not only has it been growing, but it is getting ready to really explode. The major chains will not invest the dollars needed if they were not sure of a major population growth. In just the last few days the visitors to my web site has over doubled. I’m not sure why, could be that real estate is better then the media want us to believe? What do you think, let me know how, when, and where I can guide you.
Gary

As the national media keeps trying to bring about a recession, our real estate market here in Charlotte remains HOT HOT HOT. There are so many people wanting to live in a great place that I can not keep up with all the requests for Information. Can you imagine, so many people want to move here, and why you say? Well since I’ve lived here for 55 years it could be I know a lot about the area. Let’s see, nice weather most of the year, some times it is hot in the summer (supposed to be hot in summer right?) and it might get cold this winter, even down to 10′ or maybe less for a few nites, and their is a chance we can close down schools when the weather man calls for snow. Have you ever heard of such? Bue we do it here, and of course the grocery stores sell out of Milk, and Bread, I just dont’ know what you can make with that combo, maybe milk toast is a big thing when it snows, Who Knows.

Come visit you will love it.
Gary