If you google for information about a specific Outer Banks house, it’s highly likely that you'll end up at a zillow or realtor.com web site. These national web sites have the resources and the know how to get their web site to the top of the first page. An Outer Banks zillow search has limited information. Some of it also may be inaccurate. This article will help you understand why local Realtor's web sites are an important part of your OBX real estate searches. First, Not Best Just because … Continue reading...
Outer Banks Beach Nourishment
Recently a client who is thinking about moving to the beach asked me some questions about Outer Banks beach nourishment. This common question deserves some explanation since beach nourishment and erosion has been an issue for so long. Old timers here will tell you about the long walk to the ocean from their Kitty Hawk ocean front cottage. In some parts of Kitty Hawk those cottages were lost to erosion close to thirty years ago. Frank Stick also addresses the movement of the shoreline in his 1958 … Continue reading...
Outer Banks Real Estate Auctions
Over the years, the trend of Outer Banks real estate auctions has come and gone. Lately this trend and marketing tool is making a comeback. Perhaps one reason is that most auctions are on-line. On-line auctions cost sellers less money. Recent Outer Banks homes offered in on-line auctions were first marketed at well below fair market value. This marketing tactic helped to create a buzz about these properties. Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering a bid: Cost: Auction … Continue reading...
Carolina Review Newsletter Fall 2018
I will remember recent months as one of the better fall seasons for summer-like weather. Ocean temperatures remained in the 70's into late October. Being surrounded by that warm water extended our warm days and nights for a few extra weeks. Surfers enjoyed that warm water with one of the longest stretches of good waves in recent memory. Hurricane Leslie stayed hundreds of miles off the coast generating good surfing waves for close to three weeks. Speaking of … Continue reading...
Hurricane Florence Relief
Like most Americans, North Carolinians stick together in times of need. Towns to our south sure could use some hurricane relief right now. Swansboro, NC was significantly impacted by our most recent hurricane. As the crow flies, this small coastal town is only about 125 miles to the south west of the northern OBX beaches. They received over 30 inches of rain and a fairly large tidal surge from Florence. Frequently, towns in this area come to our aid when storms hit us. The town of Southern … Continue reading...
OBX Home Sales Improve
The summer of 2018 was relatively busy compared to recent years. The number of OBX home sales over the last few months has been fairly similar to 2017. Last year was our best year since the boom years of the last decade. Poor weather hampered sales earlier in the year but brisk summer/fall sales are helping us catch up. According to the Outer Banks Association of Realtors’ August report, the number of residential sales for the year is now off just 3% compared to last year. See our full fall … Continue reading...
My Experiences with Outer Banks Hurricanes
Since moving to the Outer Banks in 1989 we have been threatened by hurricanes almost every year. Dealing with these storms is no fun but is worth it to live in such a great place. Years ago when we were looking for a spot to raise our boys Lori and I decided the most important thing was to be in a spot where the risk of flooding would be minimal and where it would be less likely to have wind damage from Outer Banks hurricanes. Yes, there are many places like that on the Outer Banks. We found … Continue reading...
Top Five Beach Home Features
It’s much easier to sell a beach home if you know what today’s buyer is looking for. We've been watching buyers react to different homes over the years and know what beach home features today's buyer favors. Most homes won’t have all five of these features but having at least a couple should result in more interest in your home. A home in a similar neighborhood with three or four of these features is more likely to sell than a home with just one of these features. Enjoy our count down to the … Continue reading...
Five Inexpensive Improvements to Sell a Vacation Home
Selling vacation homes can be challenging. Today’s buyers watch HGTV where home updates are the norm instead of the exception. Often times OBX vacation homes don’t have those updates. If you are preparing to sell or not getting activity on your home then here are five items that will encourage buyers to look and make offers. By doing some of these simple updates you may make your home stand out among all the ones for sale. Tidy yard and exterior: Pruning trees and/or bushes can often be … Continue reading...
Carolina Review Newsletter Summer 2018
It's been a busy summer so far on the Outer Banks. The roads and beaches are full of vacationers enjoying all the Outer Banks has to offer. We've just completed our latest newsletter that should arrive in the mail any day to about 3500 people. Great progress is being made on the new Oregon Inlet Bridge. Here's a picture I took on my way back north this morning after videoing a lot for a client. If you enjoy the ocean then this summer has been one of the better ones. July's surf has … Continue reading...