Auston Woods Apartment Homes Blog

In Charlotte, Oaklawn walks for life! Attention all Oaklawn students, families, friends, and community members. We would like you to participate in Oaklawn’s first annual Oaklawn Walks for Life!!  50% of the profits go toward the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte and 50% of the profits go towards the students at Oaklawn Language Academy.

The staff at Oaklawn, along with the parents and the community are united in our commitment to raise 21st century global citizens. The vision statement concentrates on developing an excellent dual language immersion program to promote bilingual, bi-literate, and bi-cultural 21st century learners.

Enjoy snacks and drinks with friends after the race and have the wonderful feeling of knowing you helped someone in our community. Walk registration ends April 9th , so hurry! The walk is April 14th at 9am.  Ask for contributions from friends, families, and neighbors. We hope to see you April 14th for the the walk/run.

Attention Auston Woods Residents, Employees, and Friends!

The Bobcats hope your 2012 is off to a great start. Below is the next installment of games for our Arena Insider members. As you can see below, there are two (2) more great games to choose from for January, and you can save on up to 48% off just for being an Arena Insider.

Check out these great January games:

Tuesday, January 24 at 7PM Bobcats vs. New York Knicks

• Don’t miss Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire’s visit to Time Warner Cable Arena.

Saturday, January 28 at 7PM Bobcats vs. Washington Wizards

• Adult Jersey giveaway to first 10,000 fans!
• White Winter Hat Giveaway with ticket purchase through your Arena Insider Link!

To order is easy. Simply click on the 'buy now' icon or link and purchase your tickets (prices will include TM fees).

Order early as the best seats will go fast!

Buy Now | More Info

If you live in an apartment in Charlotte, NC and you are looking for something exciting and different to do this weekend, here is the answer; Monster Trucks.

Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® is the world’s premier monster truck series. Monster Jam events in the Time Warner Arena are affordably priced for the whole family with seats starting at $25. Tickets are available at the Time Warner Cable Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000. Be there this weekend, January 20 and 21.
 
The Charlotte favorite, Grave Digger will be there celebrating its 30th Anniversary! Here is a great clip that celebrates 30 years of Grave Digger the monster truck that became a legend! Showing off why he is one of the best of all time, see this video of Grave Digger!



The show will also feature Monster Mutt, High Education, War Wizard, Bad News, Stone Crusher, Instigator and Virginia Giant.

The housing market is stagnating right now and real estate brokers would have potential buyers believe that there is no better time than the present to buy a home. It is true, prices are down and mortgage rates are at all-time lows.

Unfortunately for the real estate brokers, many clients are not persuaded by that logic. Instead, in increasing numbers, they are choosing to rent instead of buy — unconvinced that the housing market has yet hit bottom. Would be buyers also understand that unless you plan to stay in your home for more than 10 years, buying a home may not be the right investment for everyone.

With apartments in Charlotte, NC, located near downtown, the airport and UNC, offering apartment amenities that can’t be found in homes, renting is a great option for many. There is also a broad mix of tenants at Auston Woods Apartment homes: young single residents and families and empty-nesters that no longer have homeownership on their wish list.

For information on beautiful one-, two-, and three bedroom apartments in Charlotte, NC contact  Auston Woods.

One of the most popular home ownership myths in Charlotte, NC is that owning a house is a huge tax break as compared to renting.  I don’t know how many times people have personally told me that they want to buy a home because they NEED a tax deduction!  I just shake my head in disbelief because I have done the math.  

If your mortgage interest and other qualifying expenses such as charity contributions aren’t more than the standard deduction, ($11,600 for joint filers in 2011), there is no tax advantage to owning a home as opposed to renting an apartment in Charlotte, NC.  Assume that you buy a $200,000 house with a 5% downpayment at a 6% interest rate.  Your mortgage interest for the year would be $11,336.  The Standard Deduction for joint filers is $11,600.  

In this example, there is NO TAX BENEFIT.  Even when there is a tax benefit, you most likely paid much more money to maintain the house than you are saving in taxes.  If your mortgage interest is more than the standard deduction and you choose to itemize, there is little to no advantage.  

For example, assume that your mortgage interest in 2011 is $15,000.  You would get to deduct an additional $3400 if you itemize BUT you spent $15,000 in mortgage interest to save $850 on your taxes (assuming 25% tax bracket).    

Don’t forget that you would also have all of the other expenses of home ownership that you would not have incurred when renting an apartment in Charlotte, NC in an HHHunt community.

Looking for things to do outside of your apartment in Charlotte, NC this weekend, well there are plenty of events, both spooky and otherwise. From Ballroom Dance classes to Charlottes Web. But at Auston Woods Apartment Homes, we have decided to share with you some of the more haunting events:

October 27

Halloween in the Garden:

October 29

Spinning Spiders & Creepy Crawlers:

Enjoy Halloween treats and learn about animals that go bump in the night and boo during the day. Children are encouraged to wear costumes. 10 a.m. Included in $6 admission. Charlotte Nature Museum. 704-372-6261. www.charlottenaturemuseum.org.

Zombie Run Challenge:

Sportslink is hosting a Zombie Run Challenge for charity. Proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity and Hands on Charlotte. 10 a.m. $25. Renaissance Park Golf Course, 1525 W. Tyvola Road, Charlotte. 704-499-9160. www.sportslinkus.com

Geek Gala:

The third annual Geek Gala is a charity event that benefits Youth Homes Inc., a local nonprofit that helps troubled kids and their families. There will be carnival-style games, a caricature artist, card readings, trivia and costume contests, more. 7 p.m. $20 online, $25 at the door. Marriott Executive Park, 5700 Westpark Drive, Charlotte. www.geekgala.com.

Oct. 30

Halloween Cookie Decorating:

Fabo Cafe is hosting a Halloween cookie decorating event. Bring children dressed in their costumes for lemonade, cookie decorating and face painting. 1 p.m. $5. FABO Cafe, 2820 Selwyn Ave., Charlotte. 704-900-2430. www.faboparty.com.

Charlotte boasts beautiful weather as well as local events and happenings throughout the year. If you are looking for an apartment in Charlotte, NC be sure to visit us at Auston Woods.

Our unique apartment homes combine convenience, comfort, and technology for today’s lifestyle. We have beautiful one, two, and three bedroom apartments that are designed to optimize the way you live, work, and play.

At Auston Woods Apartment Homes each apartment features unique details.  Our one, two and three bedroom apartment floor plans are beautifully finished.

As a resident of Auston Woods, along with beautiful apartment amenities, you will have a Cyber café with a coffee bar, two cutting edge fitness centers with advanced cardio machines, two executive style business centers with separate conference facilities, and two resort-style swimming pools that include wireless internet, grilling stations, lounge seating and expansive sun decks.

Charlotte offers many diverse neighborhoods and Northeast Charlotte is second to none. With its proximity to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, UNC Charlotte, Carowinds and the Lowe's Motor Speedway, Auston Woods is THE place to be! Contact us.

To everyone who lives in a house or apartment in Charlotte, NC and to all visitors, this is a dream come true! 80,000 square feet of delicious wings!

Charlotte is kicking off kick off the “Road to Buffalo” Tour. This exciting event features the best chicken wings in the Carolinas, and they are all in one place! Join us for over 50 types of chicken wings, over 75 different sauces, great food, live music, contests and family fun at the Carolina Wing Festival on Saturday, September 17, at Metrolina Tradeshow Expo.
 

Charlotte has become the new home for thousands of natives of Buffalo and other northern cities who have brought with them their love of “Buffalo Wings”. It was recently,decided to take the Buffalo Wingfest on the road. This festival is a celebration of America’s #1 appetizer as well as a mission to find the best wings in every region of the country. 

Charlotte is lucky to host the first of several regional Wing Festivals that will take the winners back to Buffalo to compete in the “Super Bowl” of chicken wings - The National Buffalo Wing Festival.

Charlotte came in 8th in the 100 Best Places to Live and Launch. There are some major pro’s for this city: there is a steady influx of young educated workers, a business-friendly banking community, and a lot of local sports entertainment. 

Wachovia and Bank of America have their headquarters here, but the oak-tree-lined city is also a great place to launch and grow a small business.

Regional organizations such as the local Small Business and Technology Development Center, the Inventors Network, and the Central Piedmont Community College's Center for Entrepreneurship supply a mix of mentoring, networking and technical assistance to innovative entrepreneurs, especially those in the finance and technology fields. To help develop the city's biotech industry, a research complex sponsored in part by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is set to open its labs this year to scientists and start-ups involved in health care and nutrition research.

Charlotte's vibrancy and employment opportunities attract young professionals from around the state and help the city retain many of the graduates streaming out of 19 nearby colleges and universities.

For sports entertainment, Charlotte residents can snag tickets to Carolina Panthers football games and Nascar races. The city also features a number of premier golf courses. The Blumenthal Arts Center hosts touring musicians and Broadway shows throughout the year. For those who prefer outdoor recreations, the Great Smokey Mountains offer hiking, rock climbing and white-water rafting, while residents turn to Lake Norman for fishing, sailing and water skiing.

Auston Woods is offering a special to 2010 and 2011 college graduates. So if you are a young professional looking for a new start and an apartment in Charlotte, NC, come check us out.

The Auston Woods Welcome Center will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2011 in observance of Labor Day. We hope that everyone has a safe and happy extended weekend.

Children of all ages come out for a community movie night. We will be viewing “Rio” (2011 - Rated G), the story of a blue macaw, Blu, who is taken to Rio de Janeiro to save his species. With the aid of a colorful group of friends, Blu sets out on an adventure to escape from an evil Cockatoo, Nigel, and his fumbling, bird-smuggling owner.

The viewing will be at 7pm on Friday, September 23rd at the Resident Activity Center. All children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Popcorn and sugar-free Kool-Aid® will be provided while supplies last.