Here is some more information on North Stone:

North Stone is a well-established, planned golf course community (http://www.northstoneclub.com/) located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Huntersville, North Carolina.  This P.B. Dye golf course is on 237 acres of challenging, fun terrain.  In addition to great golf, the North Stone Club offers a dining room, four pools, 3 plexi-pave tennis courts, a children’s play center, a picnic area, summer camps, junior golf and tennis clinics, and swim team and lessons.

Located off a country road surrounded by horse stables, white fences, and pastures, living in North Stone feels like being out in the country while still being close to Downtown Huntersville and charming Davidson.  It’s convenient to Uptown Charlotte, Lake Norman, I-77, the hospital, schools and shopping.  The neighborhood itself features gorgeous brick homes, with many cul-de-sacs offering more privacy or bringing neighbors together.

My coach, Linda McLean, advocates this way of thinking, and I’ll be meeting up with her in Jacksonville these next two days, at the Real Estate Masters Guild Conference for the nation’s top producers.  I am really looking forward to networking with other realtors, learning some new tools to help my clients, and figuring out better ways to run my business.

In Linda’s new book, “Next Level Living, Today’s Guide for Tomorrow’s Abundant Life,” she has printed a quotation by Oprah Winfrey that I really like: “The more your praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”  I try to live this every day, and I feel it shows in everything I do.

Each night, I take time for daily reflection, as a way to center myself after a busy day.  I get to focus on the great things that happen each day and think about ways to improve the not-so-great things.

I thought I’d share Jill's recipes so you can try them at home:

You just can’t beat beets for giving you that spring in your step! And for beet haters this salad is so delicious you won’t even know you are eating beets!

Beet Salad to Beat

Makes 4-6

4 beet roots with greens if possible

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ sweet onion cut into wedges

1 large garlic clove

4 cups baby spinach leaves

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 cup goats or feta cheese crumbles

1 tsp thyme leaves fresh

Shelled raw pistachios for garnish

Remove greens and plunge in cold water. Chill until using. Top and tail the beets and with a veggie peeler, peel and cut them into wedges. Toss them and the onion in coconut oil in a baking pan and roast at 375F for 20-30 minutes until soft and lightly crisp.  Remove from the oven and set aside.  Blend in a blender the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, and thyme until combined.  To serve, toss spinach and beet leaves in a bit of dressing to coat and then add in onion, beet, nuts, and cheese to serve.

Make them big or little, these little gems will fill the spot and get you rave reviews without so much as a bead of sweat on your brow!

Cheesy Herb Flan Tarts

Makes 2 dozen

1 pkg wholewheat pie crust or homemade

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or whole milk

4 large eggs

1 cup garlic and herb goats cheese (8oz.)

Cut and press pie crust into mini muffin tins and up sides thinly.  Place milk, eggs, and cheese in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.  Set aside to settle, then pour into tart cases and bake at 375F on the bottom rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes until mixture is just set.  Remove and serve warm or room temperature.  Decorate with dried cherry tomato halves.

Easy peasy, and such a crowd pleaser, especially when the asparagus is tender and fresh from the field. 

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Shavings

Makes 1 bunch

1 bunch asparagus

1 knob of parmesan regianno

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Break off ends of asparagus to remove woody parts and rinse.  Place single layer in a baking dish and bake at 375F for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the stems. Always better to under do then over do!  Remove and toss in oil just to coat then using a veggie peeler, shave parmesan over.  Serve at room temperature. 

Avocado and chocolate are not your first thoughts for dessert combos but you have to try this and you won’t believe the results it will have on your tastebuds and your bikini body! 

Choccie Coconut Mousse Tarts

Makes about 2 dozen tarts

1 medium ripened avocado, pit and skin removed

4 dates, stones removed

¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil

100g (3 ½ oz) dark chocolate 70% or above 

1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

1/3 cup warm water

1 pkg whole wheat pie crust or homemade

Soak the dates in 1/3 cup water for at least 30 minutes to soften them. Meanwhile, heat the oil until warm and then add in the chocolate and stir until just melted. Press the pie crust thinly in mini muffin pans and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes until crisped.  Remove and set aside.  Place in a blender the date mixture, avocado, vanilla paste, and melted chocolate mixture and blend on high until completely smooth.  Add in a little more water if you need a looser consistency.  Spoon into tart shells, cover and leave out for a couple of hours for best flavor. Serve room temperature.  The choccie mixture can be eaten as is too.

Strawberrry Coulis

Serves 3-4

1lb. organic frozen strawberries, thawed

3-4 St. Dalfour strawberry jam

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Water or sparkling wine to thin, if necessary

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until thoroughly combined.  Thin with water if necessary.  Serve room temperature. 

We are happy to be members of the Y, and appreciate all they do for the community!

Take a look at this piece from the Charlotte Observer: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/30/3137638/donald-trump-purchases-point.html

I wonder what this means for The Point?  Will more people start to move here because of the publicity?  Will Donald Trump and other celebrities play the course?  Will more residents want to join the new Trump National Golf Club, since Trump has promised improvements to the course, tennis courts and more? 

Charlotte is still a growing area, and The Point in Mooresville certainly is a desirable place to live.  I currently have a listing at The Point, so feel free to contact me with any questions about the area.

Of course, you can always check out my website at www.mayesharrisrealty.com for my latest listings, my monthly newsletter highlighting real estate trends and news, and my blog aimed at giving you information on real estate and other useful tips.  You can sign up for my monthly newsletter, sign up for a Market Snapshot report that analyzes the market in your neighborhood, and enter your home information to determine its worth – lots of valuable tools are at your disposal.

Check this out:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/22/3117994/a-guide-to-real-estate-websites.html#storylink=misearch

Take a look at www.Grimmy.com starting on Monday, March 5^th through Saturday, March 10^th.

Peters, Mike. "Mother Goose & Grimm." Comic strip. Grimmy.com. King Features, 9 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2012.

This comic strip from Thursday, March 8th got me to thinking about the concepts of reverse mortgage and “being upside down” which is implied with the image of the dog house being upside down.  The character is talking about a reverse mortgage, and I just thought I’d point out that these are two very different concepts.

A reverse mortgage is a type of mortgage in which a homeowner can borrow money against the value of his or her home. No repayment of the mortgage (principal or interest) is required until the borrower dies or the home is sold.  After accounting for the initial mortgage amount, the rate at which interest accrues, the length of the loan and rate of home price appreciation, the transaction is structured so that the loan amount will not exceed the value of the home over the life of the loan. 
Often, the lender will require that there can be no other liens against the home. Any existing liens must be paid off with the proceeds of the reverse mortgage.

“Being upside down” is having negative equity which occurs when the value of an asset used to secure a loan is less than the outstanding balance on the loan. In the United States, assets (particularly real estate, whose loans are mortgages) with negative equity are often referred to as being "underwater", and loans and borrowers with negative equity are said to be "upside down".

People (and companies) may also have negative equity, as reflected on their balance sheets.  A fall in the market value of a mortgaged house or condo is the usual cause of negative equity. Negative equity in the owner-occupied market sometimes occurs when the owner obtains second-mortgage home-equity loans, causing the combined loans to exceed the home value. If the borrower defaults, repossession and sale of the property by the lender will not raise enough cash to repay the amount outstanding, and the borrower will both have lost the property and still be in debt.

Now that I’ve gone over a little “Mortgages 101” with you, take a look at this strip that might lighten the mood:

Peters, Mike. "Mother Goose & Grimm." Comic strip. Grimmy.com. King Features, 10 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2012.

Check out the video embedded with the article, too!  http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/08/3079212/video-donald-trumps-visit-to-charlotte.html
 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces very fresh (sushi-grade) white-fleshed ocean fish, such as grouper, wahoo, sea bass, or red snapper
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely diced serrano pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely diced yellow bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon good quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 (3-inch) plantain chips
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

Cut the fish into 1/4-inch dice. Place in a glass dish with the lime juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, peppers, onions, and garlic, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the cilantro, olive oil, and salt. Fold gently to mix. Serve ceviche in martini glasses and garnish with fried plantain chips and lime wedges.

Yield: 4 appetizer portions

Here’s the link:  http://www.emerils.com/recipe/7080/Ceviche

Do you like ceviche?  Give it a try and let me know what you think!  What Lake Norman restaurants serve good ceviche?