I recently came across an article on AOL real estate section about the 10 Red-hot Spots for New Homes and guess what.... Charlotte, NC is listed at #3.

"Charlotte, North Carolina
If you'd like to be in the mountains or at the beach in less than two hours, Charlotte is the great location- equidistant between Myrtel Beach, S.C, and Asheville, N.C. In fact, if you live in Charlotte, you can reach about half the nation's population within just one hour in a plane or one day in a car, according to CityData.com.

Because Charlotte is the center of the largest consolidated rail system, it's transportation hub, adding to its reputation as a regional financial center (home to Wachovia and Bank of America). An inland port facility and foreign trade zone also make the city appealing to foreign companies who want a U.S. presence. The Charlotte area also has attracted several large contractors that do business with the nation's Defense Department.

The average resident is 32.7, and the median household income is about $47,000. More than 55 percent of residents are white, while 32.7 percent are black.

In 2005, the average new or previously owned house cost $159,900. The median property tax then was $1,765. Today, new homes are priced from $107,000 to $350,000, with a smattering more priced up to more than $1.1 million.
That bottom price will net you a three bedroom, two-bath, 1,100 sq ft single-family home near I-85 in West Charlotte. For about $200,000, you can pick up a three bedroom, two and a half bath, 2,200 sq ft home in the pedestrian friendly, neotraditional community of Ayrsley, in South Charlotte. The upper end can get you a four bedroom, three and a half bath, 4,000 sq ft home near the Mint Hill section of southeastern Charlotte."

Reprinted from Aol Real Estate News