
Courtesy of Don Gomez
Buying a home in this seller’s market is a whirlwind, and these home buyers took us along for the ride. This is The Chase, a new series featuring real Charlotteans and their house hunting stories.
Charlotte newcomers Sarah and Jon Ramberg started their home search in March for a house under $450K. Here’s how it played out.
Who: Sarah (45) and her husband Jon (39) moved to Charlotte from Greenville, S.C. in June 2020 for Jon’s work. She’s a blogger/author, and he’s a senior network engineer. They rented a house in Steele Creek for several months and started to look for a place to buy in March.
The house: Sarah and Jon were looking for a 2,000-square-foot house under $450,000 on the west side of Charlotte and close to the airport.
- An easy commute to the airport, low HOA fees and natural light (for Sarah’s photos) were their top wish-list items.
- A 3-car garage and interior storage were on their would-be-nice list.
They spent about a week looking before making a decision. These were their top 3 picks.
Option 1: Belmont new build
Price: $394,950
Neighborhood: Belmont (the Gaston County town)
Specs: 3 beds, 3 baths, 2,099 square feet
Why it made the cut: It’s comfortably below their price point, checked off their top wish-list items, and it’s on a quiet street.

Courtesy of Meritage Homes
Option 2: Bidding war brick
Price: $395,000
Neighborhood: Coventry, northeast Charlotte
Specs: 4 beds, 3 baths, 2,994 square feet
Why it made the cut: With four bedrooms, wood floors, lots of natural light and great curb appeal, this one really caught their eye.

Courtesy of listing agent Gregory Winter at Velocity Properties LLC
Option 3: The Palisades 3-bed
Price: $425,000
Neighborhood: The Palisades, southwest of Charlotte
Specs: 3 beds, 3 baths, 2,532 square feet
Why it made the cut: This one’s the right square footage, and it’s in a convenient location for Sarah and Jon.

Courtesy of listing agent Don Gomez at C-A-RE Realty