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...
Spring 2018 OBX Real Estate Conditions
Real estate conditions on the Outer Banks are improving. Both average sales prices and median sales prices are higher than they were for the first quarter of 2017. According to the Outer Banks Association’s MLS system average prices are up 7% over last year and median prices are up 1%. Another indicator pointing towards appreciation is the sold price per square foot. You can see that trend in this report. It’s interesting that these indicators point towards appreciation even though the number of … Continue reading...
Southern Shores Semi-Ocean Front
Semi-ocean front homes of this quality are hard to come by even in Southern Shores. Scott Team Realty is honored to market such a beautiful property. Even though this home was originally built in 1989, there's very little that was not updated or renovated. Sandmark Construction, one of the Outer Banks' finest builders, completed this project in 2010. Every detail from the mature coastal landscaping to the rope inlaid cabinetry is thoughtfully designed and executed. There are additional … Continue reading...
Drones in Outer Banks Real Estate
Often today you can look at a bird's eye view of Outer Banks real estate in the listing agent's listing description. Seeing how far the house is from the ocean is a great marketing tool. It also gives a buyer a better perspective on what they are buying. The most successfull agents use drones in real estate to capture the best images. Not just anyone can take drones pictures Buyers are looking for this perspective and sellers should seriously consider asking an agent to provide this type of … Continue reading...