New Builder at Killian Crossing!!!

We have a new builder in Killian Crossing – J. Ken Williams Company!!!  John Williams, President, of J. Ken Williams Company has built several homes in the Hecht Development communities in the past.  He builds a beautiful home and will be a great addition to the community.  

J. Ken Williams Company was started by John’s father and has been in the construction business since 1956.  They mostly built in the Charlotte area until John moved to the Mooresville area about five years ago.  Since that time John has been building in communities around the lake.  He has built in communities such as:  Lakewood, Verdict Ridge, and Pinnacle Shores. 

John will begin a spec house on lot 48 in Phase III within the next couple of weeks.   He will bring a new look to the Killian Crossing community by using more stone and vinyl shake accents on the front of the home.  The first floorplan that he plans to build is “The Newcastle” plan by Donald Gardner.     The home will be 2880 square feet and will have 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a 2 car garage with extra storage space, an oversized bonus room, and a kitchen that over looks the spacious family room, breakfast area and covered patio.  If you are looking for a new home in the Denver NC area, then look no further.  This home will have many upgrades and will be priced very competitively at $379,900.

 Below are pictures of homes built by J. Ken Williams Company in another community.

 

Finding a community that the homes are holding their value…

Over the last year I have noticed that many communities have a lot of homes for sale and the values of the homes are dropping quickly.  For instance, the community that I live in got caught with many new homes for sale when the real estate market started it’s decline in our area.  Many builders were holding several homes in inventory and now they are still for sale or have sold at about 70% to 75% of the original list price.    Many of the homes in the community are now getting purchased at these deeply discounted prices so the inventory is finally decreasing each month.  Eventually the values of the homes in the community will increase again…

As the Director of New Home Sales for Hecht Development Company, I currently market a community in Denver NC called Killian Crossing.  I have been pleasantly surprised over the last few weeks to hear that some of the home values have increased since the original purchase one to three years ago.  Many of the current homeowners are taking advantage of the lower interest rates and have gotten appraisals completed for home loan refinances.    We have had several instances where purchasers are getting higher appraised values at the time of purchase as well.   

With homes priced in the $325,000 to $450,000 price range, Killian Crossing is one of the few communities in the area that has not been as affected by the drastically reduction of home prices…or at least based on the recent appraisals. 

If you would like more information about Killian Crossing, please visit http://killiancrossing.com.

Killian Crossing News — February 2009

Lot 60 Killian Crossing

Lot 6 Killian Crossing — JS Testa Homes

Senate approves $15,000 tax credit for homebuyers!!!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 6:20 PM EST
The Associated Press
By DAVID ESPO Associated Press Writer

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted Wednesday night to give a tax break of up to $15,000 to homebuyers in hopes of revitalizing the housing industry, a victory for Republicans eager to leave their mark on a mammoth economic stimulus bill at the heart of President Barack Obama’s recovery plan. The tax break was approved without dissent and came on a day in which Obama pushed back pointedly against Republican critics of the legislation even as he reached across party lines to consider a reduction in the spending it contains.

“Let’s not make the perfect the enemy of the essential,” Obama said as Senate Republicans stepped up their criticism of the bill’s spending and pressed for additional tax cuts and relief for homeowners. He warned that failure to act quickly “will turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession.”

Democratic leaders have pledged to have legislation ready for Obama’s signature by the end of next week.

While they concede privately they will have to accept some spending reductions along the way, conservative Republicans failed in their initial attempts to force deep cuts in the bill.

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., who advanced the homebuyers tax break, said it was intended to help revive the housing industry, which has virtually collapsed in the wake of a credit crisis that began last fall.

The proposal would allow a tax credit of 10 percent of the value of new or existing residences, up to a $15,000 limit. Current law provides for a $7,500 tax break but only for first-time homebuyers.

Isakson’s office said the proposal would cost the government an estimated $19 billion.

Democrats readily agreed to the proposal, although it may be changed or even deleted as the stimulus measure makes its way through Congress over the next 10 days or so.

Other GOP attempts to change the measure went down to defeat. The most sweeping of them, by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., failed on a mostly party-line vote of 36-61. It would have replaced the White House-backed legislation with a series of tax cuts on personal and business income and capital gains at the same time it made cuts passed during the Bush administration permanent.

“This bill needs to be cut down,” Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said on the Senate floor. He cited $524 million for a State Department program that he said envisions creating 388 jobs. “That comes to $1.35 million per job,” he added.

After days of absorbing rhetorical attacks, Obama and Senate Democrats mounted a counteroffensive against Republicans who say tax cuts alone can cure the economy.

Obama said the criticisms he has heard “echo the very same failed economic theories that led us into this crisis in the first place, the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems.”

“I reject those theories and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change,” said the president, who was elected with an Electoral College landslide last fall and enjoys high public approval ratings at the outset of his term.

Obama did not mention any Republicans by name, and most have signaled their support for varying amounts of new spending.

Even so, the president repeated his retort word for word in late afternoon, yet softened the partisan impact of his comments by meeting at the White House with senators often willing to cross party lines.

His first visitor was Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, a moderate GOP lawmaker. Later he met with Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Ben Nelson, D-Neb.

“I gave him a list of provisions” for possible deletion from the bill, Collins told reporters outside the White House. Among them were $8 billion to upgrade facilities and information technology at the State Department and funds for combating a possible outbreak of pandemic flu and promoting cyber-security. The latter two items, she said, are “near and dear to her,” but belong in routine legislation and not an economic stimulus measure.

Collins and Nelson have been working on a list of possible spending cuts totaling roughly $50 billion, although they have yet to make details public.

———

Associated Press writers Jennifer Loven and Andrew Taylor contributed to this story.

Changes to Common Open Space Uses — PLEASE READ

 

It has been brought to the Homeowner’s Association Board of Directors that we need to address a restricted use of the common open space area.  It is not the intention of the Board to allow motorized vehicles, including ATV’s, Dirt Bikes, etc to ride within the common open spaces of the community.  The Board adopted the following to be included within the Killian Crossing CCR’s:

“No motorized vehicles or equipment of any kind may be taken upon any common open space as defined on the Killian Crossing subdivision plats.  The only exception would be landscaper or grading equipment and in that case only when authorized by the Owner Association Board of Directors or management.”

The common open space is to be enjoyed by all and needs to remain a preserved area that everyone will be able to enjoy.   

 

A Home for a Steal in Killian Crossing!!!

We currently have two completed homes available in Killian Crossing that are priced well below market value. 

JS Testa Homes has the Gabriel floorplan available on Lot 6 for $359,900.  This home has:  4 Bedrooms and 3 Baths, 3 Car Garage with extended Bonus Room, Granite Countertops in the Kitchen and Master Bath, Hardwood Floors in the main living areas on the first floor, wired for Sound System, GE Profile Stainless Appliances in Kitchen, Tile Backsplash in Kitchen, and many more upgrades. 

Pride Homes has the Stanwick floorplan available on Lot 60 for $359,900.  This home is on over an acre lot and has:  4 Bedrooms and 3.5 Baths, 3 Car Garage with extended Bonus Room, Full Brick, Granite / Cambria Countertops in Kitchen & Master Bath, Hardwood Floors in the main living areas on the first floor in addition to the 2nd Floor Landing and the Bonus Room,  Whirlpool Stainless Appliances in the Kitchen, and many more upgrades.

The Killian Crossing model home is open Tuesday to Saturday from 12pm to 4pm or by appointment.  Please contact us at 704-483-4949 or 704-809-2503 if you are interested in learning more about Killian Crossing, the builders, or the homes available.

Reindeer Romp — sponsored by Sherrills Ford-Terrell Rotary Club

I hope that you and your family can attend the First Annual Reindeer Romp at Camp Dogwood on December 13 at 10am.  We will have 1 mile and 3 mile courses for those that want to run, walk, or jog or if you want to just come and fellowship with others in the community, we will also have refreshments and a visit by special guests from the North Pole.    Please visit our website for more information — www.sftrotary.com.

Hope to see you there…

Dog Owner Etiquette…

Some have asked me to write a post about “Dog Owner Etiquette” and picking up after your dog in the community.  I have found a link that pretty much says it all…

Animated Cartoon from ASPCA

I also found this on the web…

Top Ten Reasons to Pick Up After Your Dog

Every responsible dog owner agrees… picking up after your dog is a MUST. No matter where or when it occurs, there is NO excuse for not scooping the poop. So here are 10 reasons why EVERY dog owner MUST be responsible for picking up EVERY TIME.

1. It’s the law.   it has to be a form of littering…  
2. It’s common courtesy.   Cleaning up after your dogs shows respect for our neighbors and our community. Only irresponsible dog owners leave their dog’s poop for others to look at, step in or clean up.  
3. Dog Poop is unhealthy.   Abandoned dog poop can host diseases and/or parasites which can infect other dogs who come into contact with it, or be transmitted to people who accidentally step in it and track it home. Particularly at risk, of course, are children who play on the ground. Disposing of dog poop immediately helps all dogs stay healthier and reduces feces-borne parasites and illnesses. If your dog has diarrhea, and you cannot clean it up, you should not allow your dog to defecate in places where dogs or children may come in contact with it. If your dog has prolonged diarrhea (more than two days), you should take her to the vet.

   All dogs should have a stool sample tested by a veterinarian annually. My vet recommends that dogs who frequent places that are visited by many different dogs should have their stool tested twice a year.

    

4. Dog Poop bio-degrades slowly.   Some people think it’s okay to leave dog poop because it will break down naturally. However, the biodegration process is very slow, and, especially in places where the dog population is high, abandoned dog poop can accumulate faster than it breaks down. In the cold weather, poop freezes and, because poop that is frozen to the ground is almost impossible to clean up, it will remain where you left it for several weeks to several months.  
5. It’s not fertilizer!   In fact, poop impedes landscaping efforts. Leaving dog poop encourages other dogs to mark that spot (by urinating over the previous dog’s scent): poop left on the grass contributes to the problem of “nitrogen burn.”  
6. Dog Poop can pollute the water.   Dog feces, like any feces, contains high levels of nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, which actually pollute the water. 
   

   Dog feces and urine contain relatively large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients feed and stimulate the growth of algae in water bodies in much the same way as fertilizers help lawns to grow. This can cause the water body to become depleted in oxygen, making it less healthy for fish and large levels of growth can impede recreational and aesthetic value of water as well. (”The Scoop on Poop,” Scituate Reservoir Watershed Education Program)

   Cleaning up after your dog is environmentally responsible. And please don’t dispose of dog poop in storm drains: storm drains are a direct conduit to our rivers!

    

7. Dog Poop is unsightly.   Everybody knows that. It’s disgusting. Pick it up. We all deserve to live in a clean city where we can be proud and step lightly.  
8. Dog Poop tops the list of complaints against dogs.  More than dog aggression, nuisance barking or unsupervised dogs, most complaints against dogs are about people not cleaning up after their dogs. This is true for city parks, sidewalks, and your neighbors’ lawns.  
9. Dog Poop makes dog owners look bad.   Dog Poop is the number one reason for negative public sentiment against dogs. Every time you don’t pick up after your dog, you are giving one more reason for others to dislike dogs and dog owners.  
10. Your actions set an example for others.  When you pick up after your dog, you are part of the solution! And your actions will help convey the message that it’s the right thing to do. Many people even carry extra bags to offer to others as a subtle and neighborly hint that cleaning up after our dogs is what responsible dog owners do. More and more people are taking it upon themselves to pick up “orphan poop.” These people are truly ambassadors. You can set a good example, too. If you see orphan poop, pick it up with one of those extra bags you are carrying. I know, I know! Nothing like picking up somebody else’s cold poop, but what a message it sends to others! Your actions will encourage others to do the same, and soon, this will be a non-issue, because everybody will simply pick up without giving it a second thought.

It’s up to each of us to do our part in keeping our community clean and poop-free. Make sure you carry bags with you. In fact, carry extras and offer them to dog owners who aren’t prepared or may not yet be educated about the importance of picking up after their dogs. Spread the word that Poop Destroys Our Good Reputation as Responsible Dog Owners!