Issue #2 · Friday, October 9, 2026
Please note: The news here comes from public sources listed at the end. Amir’s Takes are my opinion, not legal, tax, financial or investment advice. Projections and plans can change. Always check the details for a specific property before you decide.
Charlotte’s warehouse boom: up 129% in a year
Charlotte’s industrial construction pipeline (warehouses, distribution centers and factories) grew about 129% from a year ago, the biggest jump of any market in the South, according to CommercialCafe’s September report. The largest new project is a 1.57 million sq ft building on Moores Chapel Road in west Charlotte.
More is on the way. The Kings Grant plan near the Cabarrus County line calls for up to 2.75 million sq ft of warehouses plus 488 apartments. And just across the state line, drone maker Powerus made Rock Hill’s Riverwalk business park its U.S. headquarters last Friday and is already hiring.
| AMIR’S TAKE Warehouse and factory jobs land on the edges of the region: west Charlotte, Gastonia, Concord and Rock Hill. Those areas still have more affordable homes, and workers like to live close to work. If you own a rental near I-85, I-77 or I-485, demand from these new jobs should help keep it filled. |
An empty Uptown tower gets a second life
City Council voted 10-1 on Sept 28 to make 301 South Tryon (the old Jefferson-First Union Tower, now vacant) a historic landmark. The new owners, Riverside Investment & Development and Singerman Real Estate, bought it this spring for $36.5 million.
Their plan: turn it into about 275 apartments, a 200-room hotel, offices and street-level shops, and open up the plaza and atrium to the public. The landmark status lets them use historic tax credits to help pay for it.
| AMIR’S TAKE Office-to-home conversions are how downtowns stay alive after people started working from home. More residents in Uptown means more restaurants, more foot traffic and more reasons to live nearby. Condos and townhomes in Uptown, Fourth Ward and Dilworth benefit when the center of the city gets busier. |
Mortgage rates climb to 7.40%
Freddie Mac’s weekly survey put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% this week (Oct 8), compared with 7.28% last week. A year ago it was about 6.30%. The 15-year rate is 6.73%.
That’s the second weekly rise in a row, up from 7.03% two weeks ago.
| AMIR’S TAKE Your monthly payment matters more than the headline rate. Buyers: get pre-approved and compare at least two lenders, because offers differ more than most people think. Sellers: a price that fits today’s payments brings more showings than one you plan to cut later. |
Also this week: Wegmans opens next Wednesday
Wegmans opens its first Charlotte-area store on Wednesday, Oct 14 at 9 a.m. in Ballantyne (11550 North Community House Road): 110,000 sq ft and about 450 jobs, a short drive from Daimler Truck’s new headquarters.
| AMIR’S TAKE Big-name grocers pick spots where they expect growth. Homes within a short drive tend to get extra attention from buyers, and Ballantyne just added another reason to move there. |
What it means for you
| Buying? Look beyond the center of town. Areas near new job hubs often give you more home for the money. |
| Selling? If you’re near Uptown, Ballantyne or a growing job hub, tell buyers what’s coming. It’s part of your home’s value. |
| Investing? New warehouse and factory jobs mean steady renters near I-85, I-77 and I-485. |
Sources: CommercialCafe National Industrial Report (Sept 2026), Charlotte City Council agenda (9/28/26), K104.7 (10/1/26), Charlotte Stories (10/2/26), Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (10/8/26), goballantyne.com.
Disclosures: Behdani Realty Company LLC is a licensed real estate brokerage in North Carolina and South Carolina. This report is general information only. It is not legal, tax, financial or investment advice, and it is not an offer to buy or sell any property. Facts come from the public sources listed above and can change. Projections and forecasts are estimates, not guarantees. Please talk with a qualified attorney, CPA or lender before making decisions. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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