I live about an hour north(west) of Charlotte (in morning traffic), In Lincoln County.. might be a bit far to drive depending on what part of Charlotte you're are working in. Gaston County butts up against Mecklenberg.. but I'm not that fond of Gastonia either..
Denver http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Denver,+nc&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=35.342015,-81.03241&spn=0.511933,0.925598&z=10&iwloc=addr
is about 20 minutes or so from Mooresville and has quite a few options as far as housing goes. And Lake Norman is right there. A new Hwy 16 is in the process of being built an will have a straight shot to Charlotte.