Q. I want to buy now while the prices are low, but don’t want to build until later. Is this possible?
A. Yes, you can buy now and wait to build. There is no time requirement for building a home.
Q. Do you require a specific homebuilder, or a specific style of house?
A. You can choose your own homebuilder or a specific style of house. Your house plans must be submitted and approved by an Architectural Review Committee before construction. There is a minimum square footage requirement of 1700 feet. No mobile homes or trailers.
Q. I don’t know of any homebuilders in the area?
A. Not a problem. We can provide you with a list of local homebuilders and builders who have built homes in the area.
Q. Are Waterfront Lots dockable?
A. Yes. Before building a dock you must obtain a Dock Permit from Duke Energy.
Q. What type of activities are allowed on the lake?
A. The lake is a fully recreational lake for swimming, boating (gas or electric engines), sailing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boats, jet skiing, water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, etc.
Q. What schools are in the area?
A. Lake Vistas is located in the Burke County Public School System, with students attending Rutherford College Elementary, Heritage Middle School and Jimmy C. Draughn High School.
You can also visit http://www.greatschools.net/ to see information on testing scores for Rutherford College Elementary, Heritage Middle School and Draughn High School.
Within 20-30 minutes are Lenoir-Rhyne University, Caldwell Community College and Catawba Valley Community College.
Q. Are there any yearly HOA dues?
A. Yes. Lake Vistas Home Owner’s Association fee is $500.00 per year.
Q. How’s the weather?
A. You can visit http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?refer=&s=020337 to see statistics on Monthly Average High Temperatures, Monthly Average Low Temperatures, Monthly Average Rainfall, and Monthly Average Snowfall (average 4.8 inches of snow per year over the last 10 years).
Hickory, North Carolina |
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Average Temperature | Years on Record: 47 |
YEAR | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||||||||||||||
°F | 59 | 41 | 43 | 49 | 58 | 67 | 74 | 77 | 76 | 70 | 60 | 49 | 41 |
Average High Temperature | Years on Record: 47 |
YEAR | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||||||||||||||
°F | 70 | 51 | 54 | 61 | 71 | 79 | 86 | 88 | 87 | 82 | 73 | 61 | 52 |
Average Low Temperature | Years on Record: 47 |
YEAR | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||||||||||||||
°F | 48 | 31 | 32 | 37 | 46 | 55 | 63 | 66 | 65 | 59 | 48 | 37 | 31 |
Average Precipitation | Years on Record: 48 |
YEAR | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||||||||||||||
in. | 49.3 | 4.2 | 4 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 4.2 |
Average Snowfall | Years on Record: 10 |
YEAR | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |||||||||||||||
in. | 4.8 | 1.9 | 2.1 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 0.1 | 0.7 |
Q. How close is Lake Vistas on Lake Rhodhiss to ski resorts?
A. Lake Vistas is located at 1000 to 1200 feet above sea level. Ski Resorts are about one hour away.
Q. How close is Lake Vistas to the beach or ocean?
A. It’s about 4.5 hours to Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, NC, and to Charleston, SC.
Q. How much are property taxes per year?
A. Property taxes are about $6 per $1,000 of value. Some examples: A $50,000 lot would have about $300 per year in property taxes, a $200,000 lot would have $1,200 per year in taxes, and a $400,000 home and land package would have $2,400 per year in taxes.
Q. Where can I launch my boat?
A. A free-to-use public boat launch is less than 1 mile away.
Q. How do I find out more information about the Rutherford College/Hickory area surrounding Lake Vistas?
A.
Paradise Harbor is located about 15 minutes west of Hickory on the main channel of Lake Rhodhiss, about 3 miles from I-40.
Click Here to View A Visitor's Guide to the Area - Tons of Information!
Granite Falls and the Hickory area are one of the fastest growing areas in North Carolina, now with more than 300,000 people in the metro area. Centrally located between Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, and Winston-Salem, Hickory is becoming an ideal location for many reasons. From Hickory, you can take day trips to the beach or go snow skiing in the mountains. With an average high temperature of 86 degrees in July, it’s no wonder why this region has become so popular.
In fact, Reader’s Digest called Hickory "One of the 10 best places in America to raise a family". To arrive at the list of the top places to raise a family, researchers went to the source, surveying parents about factors that affect family life. In the Hickory area, parents interviewed cited positive factors including low taxes, the variety of available activities, the quality of the schools, the affordable cost of living, and the sense of a community.
Also Epodunk.com recently rated Hickory "The Best Hometown in North Carolina".
The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton M.S.A. has also been named the 3rd best M.S.A. in the country for Business Costs by Forbes Magazine.
Hickory has been named an "All-America City" three times. The All-America City Award is given annually to only ten cities in the United States. It is a very prestigious award that represents a community's ability to work together and achieve critical local issues.
Entertainment – 14 movie theater screens, Hickory Crawdads AAA baseball, Hickory Furniture Mart, shopping malls, fitness trails, health clubs, museums, live theater, Hickory Motor Speedway, Hiddenite’s Emerald and Gem Mine, local college sporting events, and of course boating activities on Lake Hickory.
Medical Facilities – 3 Hospitals within 30 minutes, with the closest about 12 minutes away, as well as a variety of local clinics. Frye Regional Medical Center, located in downtown Hickory, is the first hospital in the state of North Carolina to win the JD Power and Associates "Distinctive Hospital" award and also is the first hospital to win it two years in a row. The other 2 hospitals in the area are Catawba Valley Medical Center and Valdese Hospital.
Golf Courses – over 20 private and public golf courses, including Lake Hickory Country Club designed by Donald Ross of Pinehurst #2 fame and Rock Barn Golf Club designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Rock Barn Golf Club each year hosts the Greater Hickory Classic Champions Tour Event!
Catawba County Book Club - Meet new people and discuss literature.
Hickory, NC Area Links
Hickory Wins All-America City Award
Golf Courses in Hickory, NC Area
Fun Things to do in Hickory, NC
Children Activites in Hickory, NC Area
Culture and Arts in Hickory, NC
Museums and Historic Sites in Hickory, NC Area
Sports and Recreation in Hickory, NC
Major Employers in Hickory, NC Area
Furniture Shopping in Hickory, NC Area
Q. How about more information on Lake Rhodhiss?
A. Lake Rhodhiss Highlights:
- 3,000 Acres in Size
- 90 Miles of Shoreline
- Regulated by Duke Energy
- Fully Recreational Lake (Boating, Sailing, Jet Ski’s, Water Skiing, Swimming, etc.)
- Fishing tournaments
- Constant water level, clear water clarity
- 6 boat launches
Lake Rhodhiss has over 90 miles of shoreline, totaling over 3000 acres of surface area. The lake offers 6 boat launches and is a fully recreational lake for swimming, boating (gas or electric engines), sailing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boats, jet skiing, water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, etc.
Waterfront lot owners can obtain Boat Docks Permits from Duke Energy. During the summer months you can enter various fishing tournaments as the lake abounds with many species of fish.
There are several things that have made Lake Rhodhiss extremely attractive: the constant water level, water clarity, and the natural shoreline. Because some communities use Lake Rhodhiss as their drinking water supply, the water level remains constant, where other lakes in the Carolinas as well as other states can vary dramatically. Water clarity is another reason why people want to be on Lake Rhodhiss. Unlike most other North Carolina lakes that have a clay bottom, Lake Rhodhiss has a crystal blue color to the water because it has a sandy bottom. The attractive shoreline is one of its greatest assets.
The developed portions of the shoreline display custom built homes ranging in size from 2,000 to 10,000+ square feet, with beautiful docks - many with second level viewing decks.
With boating traffic rated as low to moderate, you can see why so many people describe the natural beauty of Lake Rhodhiss as “breathtaking.”