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By Ted Williams |
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Hello Thursday. Each year, we take our 3 kids to the Speedway Christmas drive-thru light show.
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At $46 per car, itâs an unreal cash cow â and thatâs before you include their Christmas Village, sponsorships, or the $92 fast pass upsell (up $17 from last year).
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My advice is to go early on weeknights, otherwise you'll hit traffic (lots of grumpy online reviews).
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It's open from late November to early January. Let's just say on average it does 1,500 cars per night at $46 per car, that's over $3M in car revenue alone!
đźÂ Hot Job: VP, Brand & Communications at Bankrate ($220K – $310K, plus equity). Oversee content and editorial strategy. Part of Red Ventures. 401k match. 20 days PTO.
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Number: 67%. Portion of retirees with at least $500K who haven't shared with their grown children what theyâll inherit. Don't forget, $124 trillion is projected to go to heirs by 2048.
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đ¨Shout-out: Brandt Bronico, Charlotte FC midfielder, for documenting his Airbnb projects on Instagram. He and his wife, Rebecca, just debuted a new $90K tiny home in Plaza Midwood listed at $130/night.
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MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE
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S&P 500 |
6,886 |
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Nasdaq |
23,654 |
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BULLISH
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Seaboy hits "No. 1 Hidden Gem" restaurant status in Charlotte area, OMG so tasty
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Seaboy, located 30 minutes away in Cornelius
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Blown away: Seaboy knocked my socks off. Truly outstanding.
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Background: The 9-month-old restaurant describes itself as a "small, chef-driven spot that feels like a cozy beach house getaway."
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Shocking 5 out of 5-star rating after 212 reviews on Google, which is unheard of in the restaurant world.
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Congrats to chef and owner Jonny Cox, who previously led kitchens for John Dresslerâs restaurant empire and did time in Sorrento, Italy.
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Vibes: With just 20 tables and a cozy 6-seat bar across from an exposed kitchen â it feels like a small town dinner party inside of a Beef âN Bottle-like house.
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Must order: Grilled Oysters ($4/each), Yellowfin Crudo ($20), Crab & Chorizo Croquettes ($16), Mushroom Toast ($17), and Grilled Yellowfin Tuna ($39).
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PRESENTED BY KEESEE REAL ESTATE
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New built with "resort-styleâ pool asks $3.25M in Lansdowne
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Soaring 11-foot ceilings, chef's kitchen, 16×33-foot pool
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For sale: Dapper Development new built just hit the market for $3.25M in Lansdowne, near Foxcroft!
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5 bedrooms, 6 baths, resort-style pool, two-car garage, and bougie glass-encased wine cellar.
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Open house this Saturday from 3-5pm with Sweet Lew's BBQ and Santa (for real).
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Listing agent: My friend Jordan Keesee, who just launched Pinnacle Realty Advisors in Charlotte, one of America's fastest-growing firms.
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CAREER PIVOT
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Ex-Wells Fargo VP Mike Calcara hits 150 clients paying him $1,000 to buy their car
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Mike, Former EY and Wells Fargo exec, Wake Forest grad
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Growth: This year alone, over 150 people will skip the hassle of buying a car and pay Mike $1,000 to save them time and money as their personal car buying concierge.
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Idea: "After years of helping busy friends untangle awful dealership experiences, I realized there was room for a buyer-side advisor," Mike told me.
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Mike's services start at $1,000 with varying levels of support based on your needs.
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"Savings nearly always exceed the fees," explained Mike, who estimates saving clients a total of $300K.
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Misunderstood: "A deal has so many moving parts; between rebates, discounts, interest rates, trade-ins, and warranty packages, buyers often walk away paying more than they should even when they think they scored a deal."
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MONEY TALKS
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40-year-old marketing director job-hops 5 times in 5 years to hit $150K
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Flower Child, this marketerâs go-to restaurant
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Money Talks is a weekly series showcasing how real people in Charlotte approach money. Participate.
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Living situation: âOwn. I rented for years, but I bought right before the pandemic. By 2023, the value increased 58% ($200K). I sold it and used the cash for the down payment on my current house.â
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Job: âMarketing Director. $150K salary, plus 10-15% annual bonus.â
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Salary journey: âI started out making pennies! I think it was $27K. I didn't start making real money until my 30s when I job-hopped 5 times in 5 years to reach a salary of $95K.â
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On your mind: "I have one child who I co-parent with the father. This is the last year before my child starts public school. I'm beyond excited. Daycare and private pre-k has been expensive.â
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Work-life balance: âIncredible. I'm ready for a new challenge, but also cautious. Since becoming a Mom, being present for my child far outweighs my desire for pay or title.â
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Net worth: â$700K. All from savings over my career. Save while you're young, don't get into unnecessary debt, and if you get legally married, have a prenup.â
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Rich in Charlotte: âThe ones you'd never guess because they don't feel the need to show it off. Charlotteâs ânew money richâ are the obnoxious people that have an annual income of over $550K.â
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Full story:Â 40-year-old marketer making $150K breaks down her 401(k), IRA, and high-yield savings
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MONEY SNACKS
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5 other financial headlines Iâm snacking on
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Beach golf putting brand for sale asking $220K. Shark Tank finalist. 13K followers on Instagram. $101K revenue. $50K cash flow.
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Gravity Pizza debuts popular $8 soup in pizza bread bowls. Chicken Enchilada this week. Broccoli and Cheddar sold out last week.
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Old Town Club in Winston Salem moves up to No. 80 in Golf.com's course world rankings. $50K initiation fee according to Reddit.
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LâOstrica brings back popular $85 Surf & Turf dinner on Sunday. Prix fixe menu. Shrimp cocktail, farm salad, filet, and chocolate lava cake.
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LoSo entertainment concept for sale asking $3.6M. Bowling. Arcade. Restaurant. Revenue $4.2M. EBITDA $930K. 8 FTEs.
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HOUSEKEEPING
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Former Belk CEO opening 34,000 square foot indoor slide park on South Blvd
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Featuring their new "Riptide" slide with the steepest drop yet
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Opening hype: Former Belk CEO Nir Patel and his wife Jen will debut North Carolinaâs first Slick City franchise within the next 7 weeks.
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My besties at Axios posted the news on Instagram, which generated 13K likes and 18K DMs â their No. 1 most liked post this month.
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11 slides, 2 air courts for basketball and dodgeball, a toddler area, cafe, arcade, and party area.
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Price is $30 for 90 minutes or $35 for 120 minutes.
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Economics: Nir and team declined to share investment details with me, but Iâm guessing itâs in the $4M range.
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Happy Thursday! Iâll be busy this weekend coaching my sonâs U10 church league basketball (switched from zone to man-to-man) and attending my daughterâs Christmas pageant at Christ Church!
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– Ted
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MONEY POLL
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Best new restaurant that opened in 2025?
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Last weekâs poll results: Is your total housing cost more or less than 30% of your income? (11,997 subscribers)
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