I think you're absolutely bonkers to be considering investing somewhere you know nothing about. I'll give you my tuppence anyway, based on having been in the city for a few weeks last year.
I don't think that you're going to see great appreciation in a city like Charlotte. When I was there with a local family, I was amazed with the ease at which planning could be claimed. As long as plans were drawn up correctly and were appropriate for the area there's no problem in building. It's not like here were it can take up to a year for premission to be granted. Prices there were quite reasonable, but people don't there don't seem to have the obsession for property that we do.
If you do insist on going ahead, I'd suggest that you buy a plot of land and build rather than buying outright. Another thing, don't buy in an area where there are more African Americans than Caucasians. I personally would have no problems living in a "black neighbourhood" but unfortunately a large number of people there do.