Lake Norman Real Estate and Homes for Sale, Estelle Brown

Where is Lake Norman?

Lake Norman is the largest fresh water NC lake and the favorite of all lakes in North Carolina. It's located just 20 miles north of uptown Charlotte NC with 520 miles of shoreline; more than the entire coast of North Carolina! Lake Norman real estate includes some of the most desirable lakefront property and lake homes in NC.

If you are planning to buy a home on Lake Norman or sell a home or other type of real estate in the Lake Norman market you will need to look at the towns that surround Lake Norman; each with its own unique personality.

If you are moving to Lake Norman the first thing to understand is that there is no zip code for Lake Norman; it's just a NC lake; not a NC town or a city. Lake Norman real estate features Lake Norman homes for sale in Cornelius NC, Davidson NC, Huntersville NC, Mooresville NC and Denver NC. To add further confusion, there are four North Carolina counties border Lake Norman and meet in the middle; Catawba County, Iredell County, Lincoln County and Mecklenburg County. Each of the counties surrounding the lake has invested in public parks from which to enjoy the lake.

Lake Norman's Creation & Management

Duke Power created Lake Norman, in 1963. Lake Norman is 34 miles long and eight miles across at its widest point. It is 760 feet above sea level and 140 feet at its deepest point. The "760 line" as the lake dwellers call it is the number used to measure the lake level with 760 being the same as 100 which is considered "full pond". Lake levels and the 760 line are important, especially when you are considering waterfront property. Among other things, it determines whether or not a property is in a Flood Zone that will require flood insurance. The lake levels are controlled by Duke Power.

Duke's Lake Management manages planting new trees, stocking the lake with fish and even controls the mosquito population. Duke Power provided 10 public access areas around the lake as well as 1,300 acres for Duke Power State Park which is currently the only park that currently offers campsites and a public swimming area.

There are three generating plants on Lake Norman: Cowans Ford, the original power station; Marshall Steam Station, a coal-burning steam-electric generating station on NC Highway 150; and the William B. McGuire Nuclear Station near the east abutment of Cowans Ford Dam. The City of Charlotte and the Town of Mooresville rely on Lake Norman for their dependable water supply.

Lake Norman Real Estate in the beginning

In the very beginning, homes, family farms and the entire towns were to end up under water. Some landowners refused to sell their land, instead, trading it for land along the future lake. And if that doesn't make you sick enough, lots were selling for $2,000! Lake Norman mainly had weekend getaways for Charlotte residents on the south side and Winston-Salem residents on the north. Many weekenders put mobile homes on their lakefront property or built rustic shelters, comfortable enough for an overnight. They were more worried about piers, docks and boat houses and ramps.

Lake Norman Real Estate today

Today you can still find a few lots or homes that all of the above mentioned amenities. If you are lucky enough to find them, maintain them and their permits! They are grandfathered, but cannot be torn down and rebuilt. If you are purchasing a waterfront lot or a lakefront home that doesn't have a dock, you should contact one of the dock building companies in the area for estimates on building or adding on to a current one. It might not be possible to add to an existing dock due to restrictions. If you will receive a "deeded" boat slip as a transfer in a real estate transaction, you should check with the community dock committee to find out such things as additional monthly fees and future maintenance.

Today single family homes, weekend getaways, condos and townhouses offer many choices in which to enjoy lake living. Lake Norman offers something for everyone - luxury homes, waterfront and lakefront homes, water view, waterfront communities, and golf course homes - all with a small town atmosphere. Lake Norman is a popular location for primary residences because of its close proximity to Charlotte and has seen some growth in the second home market.