Days like today remind me that buying a home on the beach is different than buying inland. Hurricane Nicole is off the coast of Florida. When you have that low pressure to the south and the high pressure to our north, the winds along the Outer Banks get extremely gusty. Our marine forecast within 20 miles of the beach is calling for eight to ten foot seas. We might also have gale force north east winds. Buying coastal OBX property is unique for many reasons. This post identifies some of those … Continue reading...
Have we found the market?
A friend recently expressed concern about his vacation home rental income. He told me that he had raised all his weekly rates 15% every year since 2020. In those past years, he was fully booked for the next year by November 1. This year he still has a few weeks available and was concerned. Could he have asked more for those 2020 and 2021 weeks and still booked the entire summer? An argument could be made that he had below market rates those two years since they booked up so quick. This year I … Continue reading...
Outer Banks Vultures
Lately we’ve had a committee of buzzards sitting in the trees near our office in Southern Shores. This is a relatively new phenomenon. Our office has been in this Marketplace Shopping Center location for 20 years and I don’t ever recall seeing this many vultures haunting this locale. The Outer Banks is known for excellent bird sighting but I don't think Outer Banks Vultures are on most birdwatchers' lists of must see birds. The allaboutbirds.org web site states that the Outer Banks is … Continue reading...
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
Driving to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum can be done in less than two hours from the Northern Beaches. Located just beyond the Ocracoke ferry docks, it’s a perfect distance for a day trip. This is a beautiful, at times, spectacular ride that goes to the southern tip of Hatteras Island. It is a perfect spot for an Outer Banks day trip. See a little about this museum and good places to stop in this post. The Island Divided into the Northern Beaches and Hatteras Island, Oregon Inlet … Continue reading...
OBX Buyers’ Closing Process
So you’ve found the OBX home, you’ve entered into an agreement with the seller, the inspections are complete and your loan has been approved. What’s next? This page will help you better understand the OBX buyers' closing process. Utilities Of course, you don’t want your utilities turned off anytime around the closing. Even if the house will be staying vacant for a few days, you don’t want the refrigerator to warm up or for extreme temperatures to affect the house. With a day or two notice, … Continue reading...
Outer Banks Vacation Rental Income
Most Outer Banks buyers want to know about the vacation rental income available with a house. That income helps make homes here more affordable. Good rental income is a critical part of the information needed in most buying decisions. This article will help you better understand Outer Banks vacation rental income. Property Management Companies vs. Self management Most OBX vacation rental owners don’t want to be involved with the day to day management of the property. Local … Continue reading...
Affordable OBX Ocean Front
Frequently in the summer we’ll get calls on the little affordable OBX ocean front homes for sale. Many of these smaller ocean front homes located in Kitty Hawk, northern Kill Devil Hills and South Nags Head appear to be priced to sell quickly. Good weather makes the beaches in front of these houses very inviting this time of year. Similar to most investments the pricing of these homes follow the risk versus reward theory. In short, the more risk involved the more reward possible. This post is a … Continue reading...
Best OBX Buying Information
It’s hard to make a smart OBX real estate purchase without the best OBX buying information. It's surprising how much information my clients find from an Internet research. Buyers finding owners on Facebook is a pretty common occurrence. Some of that type of information is not very helpful in making purchasing or selling decisions. Other information can make a big difference. For example, it is helpful to see actual vacation rental income. Depending upon the time of year you might be able to get … Continue reading...
Why should I get a survey?
We often hear the from Outer Banks buyers, "Why should I get a survey?". It's not necessary to have one completed and they cost a considerable amount of money. On the other hand, having an accurate drawing of your property does have its advantages. Here are some stories and thoughts on why having a survey is important. Land Swap A few years ago, a Kitty Hawk homeowner installed a pool in the side yard setback. Unfortunately, the town does not allow that. Instead of moving the pool the owner … Continue reading...
Sight Unseen OBX Purchase?
A sight unseen OBX purchase was as rare as purple sea glass just a few months ago. Our bridges to the Outer Banks have been closed since mid-March. Prior to the pandemic many out of town buyers were seriously looking at purchasing and collecting the summer rental income. Of course, those plans are over or delayed for most folks since they can not get here to see the houses. Not everyone has stopped shopping here though. In fact, we’ve had three different buyers who have been comfortable … Continue reading...