Wilmington NC Real Estate Blog

Wrightsville Beach came about in the late 1700’s and was divided by an inlet approximately around where the Holiday Inn stands now.  The Northern end of the island now consists of many homes as most of the Island and Shell Island Resort.  The first structure to be built on Wrightsville Beach was the Carolina Yacht Club being built in the mid 1800’s which still a popular Club for its members today.  Eventually came a long a train track to take visitors from the main land to the island for fun in the sun.  One popular landmark still is in place is the Trolley Stop and is well known for wonderful specialty Hot Dogs.  A must visit if you are vacationing here in the Port City.

The most exciting building that was established on the island back in the early 1900’s was the Lumina Pavilion.   It attracted many for its dance floor and entertainers.  It also included a bowling alley and outside theater which was a huge screen placed on the beach for visitors and natives to watch movies.  Unfortunately, Lumina caught on fire and wasn’t rebuilt.  The Oceanic Restaurant now stands where part of the Lumina Pavilion once did.  Many natives know this Restaurant to be Crystal Pier in the late 1900’s.   A majority of the pier was taken away during a hurricane and was not reconstructed back but stands for the restaurants outside dining and weddings!

From the 1970’s to present day Wrightsville Beach has grown immensely.  Vacationers enjoy eating at our waterway restaurants, boating, kayaking and paddle boarding.  That is not even the joy of enjoying sitting on our wonderful beach to obtain the perfect tan.   There are approximately 4 hotels on the beach which consist of Holiday Inn Sun Spree Resort, Blockade Runner, Surf Suites along with several marinas you can dock your boat and enjoy.

It is always enjoyable to take a walk around the 3 mile loop where you will find many active runners and people who love to walk every morning, afternoon or evening to enjoy the sights and salt air.  You will still experience many of our classic beach cottages which have been renovated or replaced but always interested to stop and read their plaques to see the story behind the lovely beach cottages. 

Wrightsville Beach is located south of Figure Eight Island and is separated by Mason Inlet and North of Masonboro Island separated by Masonboro inlet.  Both Islands are very popular boating spots on the weekends and especially summer holidays.  We hope that you plan your next vacation to the Port City and enjoy the life of Wrightsville Beach!  You will never want to leave!

Written By:  BlueCoast agent Cami Marley

When buying a home, especially a resale, there are a lot of unknowns. How do you know everything is working properly?  Sure, you’re going to do your due diligence and get a home inspection done by a certified inspector. But the Inspectors’ job is solely to determine if the homes’ different systems and appliances are working properly at the time of the inspection. The inspector cannot make any guarantees about the working order of them after you’ve closed and moved into the home.  That’s why it may be a good idea to look into a home protection plan or home warranty.

Who provides?...

It is not uncommon for sellers to enroll a home warranty and pay for the protection as an incentive for potential buyers. Be sure to ask your realtor if this is the case when considering a particular property. If not, you can certainly ask for one as part of your offer. If the seller refuses to pay for the warranty, simply ask your realtor how to get one. He or she will be able to provide you with some options and even enroll the warranty for you. Most plans range in price from $300-500 for a one year policy, depending on coverage and trade fee selected, and can be paid for as part of the settlement.

What is covered?....

It’s important to understand the plan. First, you’ll want to know what all is covered, and second, what the limits of coverage are for each system or appliance. For example, most common appliances (i.e. refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher) and systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) are covered. Typically there are limits of coverage (i.e. up to $1500 towards HVAC repairs), and you’ll certainly want to know what those are.  For other systems or appliances (such as pool or spa equipment, well pump, etc), coverage is optional, and may available for an additional cost.

How does it work?...

After you’ve taken possession, if you have an issue, or something malfunctions in the home, always remember to call the home warranty company provider first. They have preferred contractors and will need to schedule the service call for you. Once the contractor is scheduled, they will come and assess the damage or needed repair and send a diagnosis, along with a quote for repair or replacement, back to the warranty company. The plan provider will then authorize the contractor to order parts and complete the repairs. Typically the trade fee, which is the same as a deductible in the insurance world, will be the portion you pay directly to the contractor before any parts are ordered or repairs completed.  With most policies, trade fees range from $50-100.

How can I learn more?...

Keep in mind that your Realtor doesn’t work for the warranty company and, although he may be able to answer general questions about how warranties work, you should thoroughly read over all of the warranty’s terms and conditions, and pose any questions to the plans provider directly.

Happy House Hunting!

Joel Sheesley

910.398.2222

Joel@BlueCoastRealEstate.com

It has always been interesting to me how those three words mean different things to different people.  Personally having three children at home and trying to sell Real Estate is challenging to say the least.  I have been known to pile all three of them in the car to meet clients and show property when I couldn’t find a sitter (what in the world did we do before they put DVD players in cars?!?)  So I have to admit, as much as I love having my “babies” home with me, there is a small part of me that looks forward to uninterrupted phone calls, emails that don’t take an hour to write, and not having to stop and start what I am doing to break up fights, make lunch, heal boo-boos and save the world.

For parents of young children, back to school is exciting, and for some scary.  It means back to the normalcy of daily routine and chaotic days filled with homework and afterschool activities.  One of the most frequently asked questions I get when working with buyers is, “How are the schools?”  My answer is always the same…check out http://www.ncreportcards.org to find what you are looking for.   You can also go to http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs/ to find out more about public schools in North Carolina.  These are 2 useful tools in helping you select areas when looking to buy.

For parents of older children, back to school means something totally different.  Parents of high school students will begin the daunting task of preparing for college.  WAIT! Did you just say COLLEGE?  Just yesterday I was teaching you to ride a bike, and wiping your nose when you were sick!  Now what? Well, for starters you might consider INVESTING in Real Estate!  That’s Right!  Think about it…You are about to send your child out into this cold lonely world…alone…scared…What better way to make them feel at home than to purchase an investment property that they can call their own while they are in college?

My advice would be to run the numbers of the cost of living for 4 to 5 years for your college bound child.  With the help of a Realtor, look what is available for purchase near campus and calculate what a mortgage payment would be in comparison to rent.  BUT WAIT!! Here is the best part! Now ADD an income for roommates that you could rent a room to so your child will have friends to “study” with!  With interest rates at an all time low, and the market making a slight turn in the right direction, NOW could potentially be the perfect time to buy an investment property. See how those numbers stack up and see what works out best.    I already know the answer, but if you need help walking through the process, feel free to call or email me at Tonya@BlueCoastRealEstate.com or (910) 512-6948.

Chances are, if you have lived in Wilmington, or even thought of living in Wilmington, you are already aware of the many attributes it holds.  Beautiful white sandy beaches, adorable riverfront, and close proximity to practically anything your heart could desire, Wilmington is the perfect small town with everything!  What you may not know is that Wilmington is the 2^nd largest film studio in North America (next to California!).  

EUE Screengems is located in the heart of Wilmington and is home to one of the largest underwater filming tanks!  Most people know by now that Wilmington is the home to the infamous “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill”, but many are unaware of some of the big name films Wilmington has held a part in.  Ever heard of a little movie called Sleeping with the Enemy, starring Julia Roberts?  I personally remember driving to the North end of Wrightsville beach past Shell Island and watching them build the big glass house that the couple lived in at the beginning of the movie.  That was actually long before the inlet was there of course!  They built it and tore it down just as fast as it went up.  Quite a remarkable sight!

What about the newly released Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, starring none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.  I was told by a crew member, the movie was filmed entirely in Wilmington minus a handful of scenes.  Pretty crazy when you think the entire thing was filmed on some tropical island, but I learned it all came from “green screen” magic.

There are a whole slew of films that Wilmington has played a part in.  Silver Bullet, Firestarter, Maximum Overdrive, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events, Message in a Bottle, Weekend at Bernie’s, just to name a few.  And if you ask most residents, they probably all have their “star struck” moments where they met a celebrity or got to see a film crew somewhere. I personally saw James Van Der Beek in Port City Chop House while having dinner!  Not to mention one of my more exciting run-ins was with Kelly McGillis (you know, from Top Gun) at the Blue Water Grill at Wrightsville Beach.  Oh! And my favorite was when Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger were still married; they were a few doors down from my Mother’s home in Bayshore Estates having dinner with a childhood friend! Now THAT is big!

I have to admit, I was thrilled to learn that Iron Man 3 was coming to Wilmington.  There have already been tons of celebrity citings of Robert Downy Jr.  I am hoping to be one of those people. And word has it that Gwyneth Paltrow will be in and out of town as well.  The film is set to release in May 2013 and has employed many Wilmington Residents as “extras”.

So all of this to say…Wilmington has loads of small town charm, but with a twist of Big City Attributes!  If you want to know more of why I LOVE living in Wilmington or if you are interested in living here, feel free to email me at Tonya@BlueCoastRealEstate.com.

The Seabreeze is the newest floor plan offered by award winning Cardinal Builders at The Cottages at Southport and The Cottages of Holly Ridge. This four bedroom three bath home boasts an open floor plan with hardwood floors standard in the living and dining areas. The nine foot smooth ceilings, extensive crown molding and 7 1/4" base board molding throughout add a nice finish to this home. The large kitchen comes standard with granite countertops and tile backsplash as well as designer cabinets. This floor plan offers GE Clean Steel appliances standard with the home including the regrigerator. The bathrooms include tile floors and shower with corner seat and soap niche, raised vanity heights and 3/4" thick cultured marble with recessed oval bowls. Oil rubbed bronze door handles and hardware, plumbing and light fixtures all come standard as well the Craft Master Interior door, corvado, two plank door with Classic Shaker style with elegant smooth finish. A gas fireplace with tile or granite surround and hearth is standard or can be replaced with built in shelves at no additional charge.

Cardinal Builders uses the RESNET Energy Smart Construction program with all their homes. Some of the examples of this are Simonton windows with low E and energy efficent glass with argon gas filled panes. The DP 50 rating exceeds the building code wind load requirements. The crawlspace foundation is sealed and conditioned with a vapor barrier and all duct work is inside the crawlspace. The Cottages at Southport offers tankless water heaters standard with every home as well as a 14 SEER Trane HVAC system. The exterior is a James Hardee cement board lap siding and Certain Teed Landmark Designer Shingles. The home comes standard with a custom front porch with choice of handrail and column design, custom rear deck and an extensive landscape package with sod throughout the entire yard, an irrigation system with community water system and beautiful flowering shrubs and trees. The finished two car garage includes storage access with ladder as well as an All Steel Carriage House Garage Door and Chamberlain lift master professional 1/2 HP garage door opener with two remotes. Please stop by one of our Cottage locations for a personal tour.

Written By:  BlueCoast agent Wayne Bigg

Across from Wrightsville Beach, overlooking the mooring grounds where the Intracoastal meets the Atlantic Ocean you’ll find a quaint, upscale boating community on Harbor Island. There are private docks abound, various marinas and public boat access as well.  The streets are sidewalk-lined and residents delight in watching the sun rise over Wrightsville Beach and the ICWW. 

On Harbor Island, all restaurants and retail outlets are just a quick walk or bike ride away and include the infamous BlueWater Restaurant, Causeway Café, Banks Channel Bar & Grill and Lighthouse Beer and Wine Shop where you can enjoy a fantastic microbrew in the Beer Garden after walking the “Loop” and much more.  There’s Redix, one of the absolute best places to pick up beach gear and summer toys.  Each Monday, Wrightsville Beach hosts the local farmers market on Causeway Drive and provides great opportunity to stock up on local produce and goods.  The Wrightsville Beach Park on Harbor Island hosts a free outdoor movie on Friday nights during the summer too.  It’s a great way to spend time with the family.

If you have the opportunity to watch the Holiday Flotilla from a private residence or dock there, it is the absolute best place to enjoy this festival that takes place after each Thanksgiving to kick-off the Christmas Season.  It’s a not-to-be-missed beautiful artistic display of lights and floating holiday decorations.

When thinking about the perfect place to live on Harbor Island, 21 Shore Drive is one of the great real estate opportunities on the market right now.  Located at the tip of Harbor Island, this is a picture perfect four-bedroom, four ½ -bath paradise!  Decorated with bright yet soothing tones, this home is customized with modern-day up-scale fixtures, gourmet appliances, built-in cabinets and luxurious finishes. The layout is spacious and boasts an open floor plan.  With gentle ocean breezes, it’s hard to decide which of the private outdoor balconies is best to spend the afternoon.  Don’t forget about the lusciously landscaped back yard with fire pit that is always a great place to relax and unwind.  This beautiful residence is turn-key and is an exceptional option for a second, vacation home or if you’re really lucky, primary residence! 

For more information on this property or others available on Wrightsville Beach or in coastal North Carolina contact Shannon Andrews at 910-352-2759 or email her sandrews@bluecoastrealestate.com.

For some, the most valuable asset of their home is what’s outside the doors  -  the community in which their home rests.  For those who prefer exclusivity, privacy and security, a gated community would be that asset.   In Southeastern North Carolina, there are many premier gated communities and here are just a few.

Figure Eight Island:

Only a few fortunate beachcombers travel over the bridge to Figure Eight Island.  The barriers to this island are both the water and a guard house.  This 1300-acre island provides home for just over 440 families and prides itself with having no commercial development.   Pristine beaches, tennis courts, pool and yacht club are just some of the amenities offered to the residents.  If you are looking for an exclusive place to vacation, live or retire, Figure Eight Island is the place to escape. 

Landfall:

Landfall borders the intracoastal waterway and is within an eye sight of Wrightsville Beach.  Among the 2000-acre community stands two golf courses which boast 45 challenging holes , 27 designed by master golfer Jack Nicklaus and 18 by Pete Dye.  Additionally, the Country Club includes an outstanding Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center with clay, hard and grass courts. Olympic sized swimming pool and state-of-the-art fitness center are just a few of the features available.  All this is just minutes from Wilmington's Historic Downtown and the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Porters Neck Plantation:

Porters Neck Plantation is an 850-acre community in the northern area of Wilmington, NC.  Within the gates are beautiful homes, mature landscaping and a golf course designed by Tom Fazio.  This 18-hole course has rolling hills, polished greens and well-placed bunkers that create a challenge for even a pro.   Also, Porters Neck Country Club maintains 7 hydro/clay tennis courts, pool and exercise room.    

St. James Plantation:

St. James Plantation is near the historic town of Southport, NC.  Beyond the gates, you are welcomed by live oaks and a community chapel.   If you like a golf cart as your primary vehicle, this is the place.  6000-acres provide miles of outdoor activity.  Some features of this community are 81 holes of golf, outdoor walking and bike trails, marina and beach club.  St. James Plantation offers many activities for retired and active seniors.   There are many affordable homes and condos within the gates and it includes a great lifestyle.

Over 6 million Americans made the move behind the gate and this private modern suburbia will be even more popular in years to come.

Dan Betz/Broker

Save dollars! In this economy every penny counts and one way to help save pennies can start right in your own home. Start by installing a programmable thermostat which is quite easy to install yourself. Make sure drapes and furniture do not block the air flow from the air registers. Raise the thermostat to between 78-80 degrees when you go to bed or leave the house. Keep the fan on your air conditioner to "on" rather than "auto", this helps to circulate the air continuously, keeping the temperature more even throughout the house. Another way to keep the air flowing is to set your ceiling fans properly. The ceiling fan should be set to blow the air down in the winter and up in the summer. Also, keep unnecessary lights turned off in the later afternoon and the early evening and wait to use the oven, dryer and other heat producing appliances till the evening as well. During the winter months if you are using a fireplace, turn the furnace to 55 degrees, if you don't all the war air from the furnace will go right up the chimney, wasting energy and your dollars. Use nature as well, shade south and west facing windows during the hottest part of the day and plant a tree. One well placed shade tree can help reduce your cooling costs by 25 percent. As for the obvious, use the new CFL light bulbs. Expensive, maybe but if you buy them in bulk you can get them for under a buck. How about extra around the house energy saving tips? When buying appliances for your home, look for the "Energy Star" logo. Shop during the off season, many heater and cooling manufacturers offer rebates or charge less for installation. Also when doing laundry, wash only full loads of clothes and don't over dry your clothing. Drying one load of clothes after another keeps the dryer hot consistently. Get rid of spare refrigerators and freezers and if you can't part with them, don't store them in the garage. In the summer months they will run on overtime to keep cool. Remember, when you plan to be away from your home for any extended time, turn off and unplug everything you can as well as to make sure to set your water heater to the lowest setting. These are just of few of the many ways to help save energy around your home; there are also ways to save outside your home as well. When you start your car in the morning, don't leave it idling to "warm up" drive it immediately. Same goes if you know you will be waiting in carpool or other lines turn your car off rather than to keep it running. Also don't accelerate to fast as that is a huge gas guzzler. And, if you really want to help, get involved. Learn about energy conservation in your community and volunteer your time to energy conservation projects.

Written by:  Robyn Fitzgerald, BlueCoast agent

Beau Rivage Golf & Resort is the only “Stay and Play” facility in the Coastal Carolinas that offers an award-winning championship course, driving range, on-site lodging, competitive golf packages, banquet facilities, club memberships and more.  It is a fantastic venue to spend your next vacation or hold a big summer or corporate event where first class service and hospitality are guaranteed.  For more information, visit http://www.beaurivagegolf.com/or call 800.628.7080.

 Masonboro Country Club is a brand new extraordinary, semi-private membership club to consider.  For an introductory period (or until the first phase of the Club House is complete), initiation fees are being waived and all qualified applicants are allowed to join.  Membership dues for resident full golf members are $200/mo. for singles and $290/mo. for families.  Non-resident full golf members are $150/mo. for singles and $195/mo. for families.  For more information, visit http://www.masonborocountryclub.com/index.html.

 The Country Club at Landfall is a very sought after course to play.  Conveniently located close to Wrightsville Beach, the natural beauty of Landfall is legendary and has only been enhanced over the past 25 years.  This 45-hole course includes 27 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus and 18 crafted by Pete Dye.  In addition to the golf course, members enjoy an active lifestyle at the fully equipped, state-of-the-art Cliff Drysdale Sports Center and Olympic size swimming pool. For more information visit http://www.countrycluboflandfall.com

Just North of Wilmington, Porters Neck Country Club is home to the 18-hole Tom Fazio designed golf course that opened in 1991.  In 2006 a major renovation of the course took place that included new greens and bunkers.  Amateurs and professional golfers alike will enjoy this par 72 course.  For more information, visit http://www.portersneckcountryclub.com/

Just West of Wilmington, Magnolia Greens Golf Community awaits you.  With two courses, The Championship Course (18-holes) and The Azalea Course (9-holes) offer something for every golfer.  There are also practice facilities that consist of full-scale practice range and natural grass teeing areas on each end. In fact, some locals will tell you that there is no better place in the area to practice your game.  For more information, visit http://www.magnoliagreensgolf.com/

The newest golf course in the Wilmington, NC area is the Cape Fear National at Brunswick Forest. South of historic downtown, Brunswick Forest has been considered to be the Coastal South’s fastest growing community.  The Cape Fear National was recently named one of the “Top 10 Best Courses You Can Play in NC – 2011” by Golfweek.  To find out more about Brunswick Forest and to book your tee time, call 910-383-3283 or visit http://www.capefearnational.com/

 The Wilmington Municipal Golf Course was designed in 1926 by Donald Ross to provide the public with a quality championship golf course at an affordable price for Wilmington residents and visitors.  In fact in 2009, this course was recognized as #50 in Golf Week’s list of best municipal golf courses in the entire country! Tee times can be booked up to one week in advance by calling 910-791-0558. 

Another course purchased by the City of Wilmington in 2011 is The Inland Greens Golf Course.  Future plans include retrofitting nine holes of the original 18-hole par-3 course and the other nine holes are to be converted to a passive park where you will be able to connect to the Cross-City bike trail in the future.

Echo Farms Golf and Country Club was redesigned in 1998 by renowned British architect, Ian Scott Taylor andis both challenging and enjoyable for all levels of golf skill sets. Each hole offers four places from which you can tee off. For more information, visit http://echofarmsnc.com/

Of course Golfing a complete 18 holes is not for everyone so keep in mind, there is always a good Put-Put Course to find when you’re at the beach!  The Patio Playground Mini-Golf Course at Topsail Beach is a great way to spend the afternoon with your family.  Open since 1955, this establishment offers an arcade, bike rental shop, ice cream shop and of course mini-golf.  It’s been said that ‘knowing how to do a bank shot is a necessity on this course!”

It’s always a good time to go golfing in Wilmington and coastal North Carolina!

As for most parents when the time comes to see their children off to college can be a sad sight, not only emotionally but financially as well. Now I can’t help with the emotions involved but financially speaking parents now have the opportunity to turn this financially draining life event into a great investment opportunity while teaching their newly graduated children responsibility. With our current market conditions being the way they are parents can purchase a condo for their kids to reside in while they attend college for less than you would pay college dormitory housing or renting an apartment. Not only will their be extra tax deductions over the next four years once the students time is up in school you can sell the property and turn a great profit. Rates are still at an all time low so the banks are practically giving away the money. Check out these examples of rent vs. mortgage.

Typical two bedroom two bath rental in Wilmington-$750-850/month. Monthly Principle, Interest, Tax and Insurance on a two bedroom two bath condo purchased for $70,000.00 at a fixed rate of 4%-$550.00. Quite the difference, not to mention a roommate could cover most of those costs renting the second bedroom.

If you have the equity you could pull out of your homes to pay for a condo that is definitely a great way to go about it, but if you don’t FHA has a program out there for this very thing it’s called the FHA Kiddie Condo Loan Program, here is some information and guidelines for it:

FHA Kiddie Condo Loan Program-

This program is offered through FHA and it’s purpose it to assist young adults with the help of their parents to purchase real estate for the first time that don’t have any credit or income to back up a loan. The way the loan works is both the parent and their child apply for the loan, the approval is based mostly on the parents income and debt ratios helping the child to get approved. Some advantages of this loan are you re only required to put 3% down, most lenders this day in age require 20% on investment property purchases (which essentially this is), same goes for the rate typical investment loan rates are much higher but with this program the lowest rate offered to first time home buyers (given you have good credit) is the rate they will lock down for you. This program also helps the young adult attending college to learn about mortgages and it will establish credit for them so when the time comes for them to purchase a home after college they will already have a great mortgage history. Just like with any loan the tax benefits are the same, you can deduct the interest points and even split it up between parents and child this helps parents with a higher incomes to offset some of their tax debt. For more info go to:

http://www.mortgage101.com/article/fha-kiddie-condo-loans-first-homes-young-adults

All in all this is something worth looking into if you have a child getting prepared for college in the near futures.

For more information contact BlueCoast agent Carly Gravely at 910-228-4333