I recently had an opportunity to travel 60 miles off the Wilmington, NC coast to the Gulf Stream.  We left at 3am and were fishing by 5:30am.  It was really calm that day and the weather was perfect.

We had heard reports of people catching Mahi and Wahoo.  By 7am we had no fish and no bites.  I have to admit I was getting a bit discouraged, but all of a sudden things changed for the better.  It was almost like an alarm went off and the fish suddenly got hungry.

By 8:30am we had more Mahi than we could fit in the coolers.  One of which weighed in at 40 lbs.  If you want any information on fishing charters out of Carolina Beach or Wrightsville Beach let me know and I can fill you in.  As summer progresses you won’t have to go as far out as the Gulf Stream to catch nice size fish.

It’s the day before closing and the buyer is ready to close on their first home.

Everyone is excited and ready to move forward but wait……. The home inspector reports back that the items the seller agreed to fix were either over looked or were not repaired properly.

What happens next?

Unfortunately this happens more often than you think.  My first piece of advice is to always pay the extra money to have your home inspector (usually $75)  do a re- inspection to make sure all items are repaired correctly BEFORE YOU CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY!

If you find out things were done in an improper way or if they were over looked don’t panic!  The buyer needs to delay closing until all items are addressed or have the closing attorney hold money in escrow until all items are repaired.

Once the items have been repaired correctly the buyer can notify the attorney to release the money held in escrow so everyone is happy and can be on their way to the next phase in life.

That’s one of the most common questions I get from clients these days.  So what’s the right answer?  Prices in the Wilmington, NC area have seen a major rise and fall since 2004.

We experienced a peak in the market in 2007 and prices have been falling ever since.  I recently sold a home to a couple who paid the same amount as the previous owner paid in 1998.

My prediction is that prices will fall a bit more before we finally bottom out.  There are a ton of foreclosures and short sales that are about to hit the market.  This will keep prices down.

So what about interest rates?

Those are predicted to go up slightly.  This leaves us with the question on when to buy.  Should you take the leap now or wait for prices to fall a bit more but stand the risk of interest rates being higher?

I believe 2010, 2011, and 2012 will prove to be great years to have purchased real estate.  I think there is still plenty of time to find a great deal.

If you find something you like go ahead and make an offer on it.  If it takes you another year or so to find what you like that’s fine too.

All in all I believe in years to come the people that purchased between 2010 and 2012 will be very happy with the price they paid and even if interest rates do rise they are still historically low compared to what they have been over the past 40 years.

I hope this helps relieve some stress in your purchasing decisions.

This is one of the biggest events in Wilmington each year.  If you have never attended Azalea Festival its definitely worth checking out.  There is a parade, street fair, pageantry, concert, parties galore, and more.

Spring is one of the best times of the year in the Wilmington, NC area. The azaleas are in full bloom and things are happening.  The local real estate market is active, people are out and about, the weather is perfect, so come on out.

I usually attend the Garden Party in Airlie Gardens and end up at Dockside on the Intra Coastal Waterway.  Tell me you read my blog and I will buy you a drink.  Hope to see you there!

For the past 6 or 7 days we have been fortunate enough to experience unseasonably warm temperatures in the Wilmington, NC area. Last week we had consistent 70 degree sunny weather. On average we are normally around 59 degrees in February so the above normal temperatures have been nice after the cold winter we have just gone through.

The Wilmington housing market is also heating up. Personally I have received offers on 3 different listings within the last 10 days and I have helped 2 different buyers make offers on properties this week. The interest rates are still extremely low and with the nice weather around town it seems like buyers are coming out of the wood work.

Let’s hope this is a sign that things are heading in the right direction!

They are located at 604 North Lake Park Blvd. in the heart of Carolina Beach. When you visit you will find a restaurant with an amazing menu of very tasty and reasonably priced food located on one side of the building. On the other side you will find a cool surf shop selling clothes, jewelry, Stand Up Paddle Boards and Surf Boards.

The Surf House is open 7 days a week and they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On Friday nights they offer FREE beer tasting from 7pm to 9pm and this winter they have been offering FREE Hot Chocolate tastings. On Saturday nights starting at 7pm they show different surf movies on the big screen. So be sure to check out The Surf House next time you are in Carolina Beach.

I recommend the Turkey Cuban Sandwich with Sea Salt Black Pepper Chips. Find them at www.surfhousenc.com

Harris Teeter IS coming to Carolina Beach. When? Not really sure on that one, but I have heard it should happen in the next 3 years. This is very good news to the residents and visitors in Carolina and Kure Beach.

At this time we have a Food Lion grocery store that has recently been renovated and The Sea Merchant grocery store on the island, but Harris Teeter will give people another option when it comes to shopping around.

The location will be right on the main strip at 1000 North Lake Park Boulevard. Lake Park is the main road that leads you into Carolina Beach. The 6.5 acre site use to be Jubilee Park which consisted of different amusement park rides and a water park. During the real estate boom in 2005 the parcel was purchased by a local developer who had plans to make it a mixed use neighborhood with commercial and residential units.

Due to the down turn in the real estate market and economy the project never got off the ground. I think I speak for most people when I say Harris Teeter will be a definite bonus on the island. After all, you are never too old for a free cookie and Harris Teeter makes a tasty free cookie.