Getting closer to owning a slice of Meck

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I’m almost at the finish line.

Soon, I’ll be a homeowner in North Carolina, officially ruling over my own little piece of dirt in Mecklenburg County.

The appraisal came through this week, after my wife and I waited for about 10 days for the results, so that’s one less source of stress. The loan went into underwriting Wednesday and, tomorrow, we’re scheduled to have the inspection, which is another source of stress. (A source I met with this week warned me that it’ll come back with about 80 findings, the majority of which will be nitpicky.)

Hopefully, everything will go smoothly with the inspection — please, God, don’t let there be any foundation issues or other major problems — and I’ll be making morning coffee in my new digs before you know it.

It’s been an interesting time — a good, interesting time — these past eight months that I’ve lived in Mecklenburg County after moving from New Orleans to become editor of The Mecklenburg Times.

There’s only one thing I can say about the Charlotte area: My family and I love it.

Sure, people here like to grumble about CMS, crime and public officials. But people complain about those things in every town and city across America. Compared with many other cities, we’ve got it good here.

Yes, I’m sold on Charlotte. And that’s not just hyperbole; I’m putting my money where my mouth is, making a huge investment in buying a house here.

Some people might think I moved too fast, that I should have rented for a few more years to see whether I really like it here before plunking down thousands of dollars on a home. Well, what can I say? I fell in love with Charlotte, and I fell hard.

I’ve met so many young and well-educated people here, people who have moved from other states because of opportunities in Charlotte. That’s about as good an endorsement as a place can get.

In some cases, young families have followed their parents, who are retiring here. In other cases, the parents are following their kids.

I can honestly say that I’ve never felt unsafe — ever — since moving here. Perhaps its because I’ve come from a city that’s had the distinction of being the murder capital of the world. I’m sure there are some rough neighborhoods in and around Charlotte, and perhaps I’d clutch my steering wheel if I drove through them. But so far, I’ve somehow never happened to venture into those areas.

I’ve been impressed, too, with the economic growth I’ve witnessed in Charlotte in the short time I’ve been here. I feel proud every time a company moves to, or expands in, Charlotte.

And, if I do say so myself, I’ve been impressed with the work we’ve been doing at The Meck Times.

This week, in our Tuesday issue, we were — to the best of my knowledge, at least — the first media outlet to offer a glimpse into what the results of the 2011 revaluation of commercial property are expected to be.

This month, we bagged six awards from the North Carolina Press Association’s 2010 contest. Of course, I can’t take credit for all of those awards, since I was with the paper for only part of last year.

So, like early Americans who settled in parts of the country where life is good, I’m buying my own slice of real estate here, because, for me, life is good in Charlotte.

Editor Deon Roberts can be reached at [email protected].