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...
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...
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...
Negotiating OBX Home Inspection to a Win-Win
We found their OBX forever home. Love the location! Love the layout and lot size! The house obviously needed TLC and updating (paint, flooring, and a new kitchen) but still satisfied almost all of Mr. & Mrs. Buyer’s check boxes. After considering recent sale comps, my clients and I negotiated a fair sales price plus some closing costs. This kept this home within these buyers’ budget. (Did I mention that my clients love this house?) Due Diligence The fun part is over, now the … Continue reading...
What does sold “as-is” mean”?
“As-is” can mean numerous things in an Outer Banks real estate transaction. It could relate to the condition of the home but also it could relate to an encomberance or an encroachment. Most commonly means that the seller will not make any repairs. This frequency of this type of sale waxes and wanes with Outer Banks market conditions. Almost all distressed sales are sold this way. Banks rarely want to make repairs to a property and sellers of short sales don’t have the cash to make any repairs. … Continue reading...
What should I expect when negotiating on a vacation home in the fall?
It's common sense that sellers should be more anxious to sell their house in the fall than in the middle of the busy summer season. Negotiating on a vacation home during the spring or summer eliminates a seller's summer rental income. They also will miss out on using the property during those great summer beach days. With winter around the corner it makes sense that sellers would not be interested in paying the bills for a house they are not using very much. Trying to quantify what would seem to … Continue reading...
When is the best season to buy a rental home?
Conventional wisdom is that the best time to purchase a vacation rental home on the Outer Banks is in the spring or summer. However there are other factors to consider when making a buying decision. Here are some pros and cons of purchasing in the different seasons. Spring: Besides getting instant rental income purchasing in the spring also allows you to use it in good weather. Usually the Outer Banks has great weather in May and June. Also, you may be able to reserve it a week or two by … Continue reading...
Choosing an Outer Banks Home Inspector
Choosing the right Outer Banks home inspector is critical to the success of your home purchase here. Since the Outer Banks is surrounded by water, wind, rain and humidity affect Outer Banks homes more than inland. Therefore, hiring a local home inspector who is familiar with the effects of this environment could save you thousands of dollars. North Carolina has a good brochure available that will help you set expectations. Here are three things to look for in a local home inspector. Licensed … Continue reading...
Why is the OBX Tax Assessment not near the asking price?
Over the last 20 years, more often than not OBX tax assessment values of properties were not equal to their market value. When properties were reassessed in 2013 many tax assessment values went down over 20%. In some cases even more. That’s a huge change in value from one assessment to another! Why is that? Did local property values dropped that much over that onet year? The simple answer is no. The reason for the large change in OBX tax assessment is that neither Dare County nor Currituck … Continue reading...
Why should I use an Outer Banks Lender?
Getting a loan today usually requires a little more time and effort. If you have refinanced or purchased property elsewhere over the last few years then you are familiar with this process. You may want to use your home town lender because they already have your paperwork or they are a friend. The unique aspects of getting a loan on OBX property may be worth reconsidering your decision. Here are some reasons why you should use an Outer Banks lender. Flood Zones Outer Banks lenders are … Continue reading...