Outer Banks Featured Home: Charleston Drive, The Carolina Club

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Gordon Jones

This amazing home, located at 109 Charleston Drive in Grandy, features high-end cabinetry, including natural hickory and natural cherry, granite counter tops, cathedral ceilings, 9 ft. ceilings, tray ceilings, and composite decking. Mouldings are exceptional and paint colors exquisite. Extras include a central vacuum system, berber carpet, custom tile and beautiful hardwood floors.

This home highlights a huge master suite with views of the golf course from many angles, a private finished room over the spacious two car garage and an amazing view of the 3rd Tee of The Carolina Club golf course off the back deck.

Relax in an open family room with cathedral ceiling while enjoying the golfers and flip the switch on your gas fireplace. Truly a year round paradise. Observe holes 9 and 18 from your front yard or take a stroll to the community pool, tennis courts or marina.

Live above “par”……or under if you’re golfing outside your door! You are truly living the good life at 109 Charleston Dr. at an amazingly affordable price and only 15 minutes to the beautiful beaches of the Outer Banks.

Open house for this home is February 11 from 1 til 5.

About the Carolina Club: “The Carolina Club features superb bentgrass greens and a picturesque par-3 island green. Five sets of tees allow you to match your game to the challenge, to ensure that all skill levels can have an enjoyable time. All of this, compounded with strong ocean breezes will have you reaching for every club in your bag! The Carolina Club features a warm-up range, putting green, and chipping green to allow you to sharpen your skills. Be sure to visit the practice putting green prior to playing. It is maintained exactly like the greens on the course, so that your practice can be consistent with actual playing conditions. This is all outside your door. You can also practice at the sister course, The Pointe Golf Club. The Pointe Golf Club is home to one of the finest practice facilities in the region. The 30,000 sq. ft. practice tee can accommodate even the largest groups or outings. The short game area includes a large chipping green, practice bunker, and putting green.”

For more information on this listing please contact Teri Tillett with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty.

Outer Banks Featured Home: Dowdy Lane, Kitty Hawk Landing

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Gordon Jones

4164 Dowdy Lane, Kitty Hawk North Carolina

This one-of-a-kind property located on the west side of Kitty Hawk in the beautiful Kitty Hawk Landing neighborhood, cannot be compared. Designed by the owner to take full advantage of the unique site, views and natural environment, this is an architect’s home. This lot offers direct water access to the sounds with a private dock on Avery Pond.

The home offers beautiful views of the Albemarle and Currituck sounds. Located on the end of a quiet street, this home is only three miles from the beach and main highway.

The house has eight levels, each with different and unsurpassed views. Built in 2001, there are three bedrooms and two and a half baths. Features in this home include a sunken atrium with twelve foot ceiling offering views of the sound, wetlands, one-of-a-kind sunsets and night skies; elevator; gourmet kitchen with bar over-looking the great room with dining area; an observation/breakfast room over-looking the sound; custom cabinetry in the great room including entertainment area, bookshelves, and wet-bar with refridgerator; porches and decks off of the guest suite, great room and master bedroom; and a three story elevator.

This home has been well maintained with low operating costs. For more information on this listing please contact Sarah Brown or BJ Neal.

Outer Banks Real Estate Market Report- Q3 2011

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Gordon Jones

The following is a comparison of the first 9 months of 2011 to the first 9 months of 2010. Overall sales year to date have exhibited little change; however, the sale of listings categorized as Potential Short Sales were up significantly (32%) while the sale of listings categorized as bank owned were down (15%). Commercial sales have also picked up (42%).

Outer Banks Market Report Q3 2011- Page 1

Spotlight on the Outer Banks: The Currituck Club

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Gordon Jones

The Currituck Club is located on the Northern Outer Banks near historic Corolla. It is a gated community located between the beautiful, unspoiled, northern Outer Banks beaches and the famous Currituck Sound.

In my latest trip to the Currituck Club, I was pleasantly reminded of the amount of gorgeous homes in this gated community. It had been a while since I had visited the neighborhood and I was truly taken back by the number of beautifully constructed houses.

Not only is The Currituck Club an exclusive private neighborhood, but it is also home to an awarding winning Rees Jones Golf Course. Aside from being recognized as one of the “Top 25 Courses in North Carolina,” the Currituck Club also houses seven tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts, kiddie playground, fitness center, bike trails, lawn games, beach shuttle and more.

With so much going on in this residential resort community, there is no need venture too far. You can ride your bike or take the trolley, everywhere you need to go.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Expands to Elizabeth City

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Gordon Jones

KITTY HAWK, NC (June 10, 2011)- Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty (CBSR) has purchased the Elizabeth City office of Coldwell Banker Professional, Realtors, becoming the premier real estate company to service the Northeast region of North Carolina.

With the purchase of Coldwell Banker Professional, Realtor’s Elizabeth City office, Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty will expand into the Elizabeth City market. CBSR is excited about the opportunity to be a part of this dynamic and growing market.

“It has always been my vision to provide real estate services to the Northeast region of North Carolina in its entirety,” said Gordon Jones, president and founder of Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty. “The purchase of the Elizabeth City office will allow us to expand into the entire Albemarle region.”

There will be great synergy between the two offices because of CBSR’s many connections to the Elizabeth City area and existing clients. CBSR’s agents have well established relationships with Outer Banks vacation homeowners from the Elizabeth City area. Having an office close by will strengthen the lines of communication and open new opportunities to service the entire Albemarle region. The six agents of the Elizabeth City office will join the current 35 agents of the Kitty Hawk office, under the name Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty.

The Elizabeth City office of Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is located at 918-C Halstead Blvd. and services eight counties including Camden and Pasquotank. The office has been in operation for four years. Agents include Pam Evans, Terri Faison, Dianne Harris, Dillas Lorentz, Tina Nixon, Deb Richards and Dee Sprouse. To contact office, please call (252) 384-0566.

The area now serviced by Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty includes the 12 counties of Northeast North Carolina: Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty
Founded in Kitty Hawk, NC in 1990, Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is a dynamic full service real estate company, servicing the entire Albemarle region. More than 50 licensed agents provide both residential and commercial buying/selling assistance in Northeast North Carolina. Offices located in Kitty Hawk and Elizabeth City, NC. More information can be found on the Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty website at www.ColdwellBankerOBX.com.

Visa Spending Report Suggests Large Increase in Travel Spending

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Gordon Jones

In another sign that global tourism is rebounding from the recession, a report released Monday shows a sharp increase in travel spending by Visa card holders. Last year Visa card holders traveling abroad spent 6% more than last year at $31 billion dollars. Interestingly foreign card holders traveling to the USA increased spending 18% from $29 billion last year.

“Despite economic uncertainties, the United States continues to be a major contributor to the global tourism economy, both as a destination of choice and as a critical source of tourism for many countries,” says William Sheedy, Visa’s group president for the Americas.

U.S card holders spent $3.5 billion for Canada travel, making it the most popular foreign destination for Americans, followed by Mexico and Britain. Looks like Canadians returned the favor spending $9.2 billion for travel in the U.S- a larger amount than card holders of any other country.

The most popular U.S. destinations for foreign Visa card holders were Florida, New York, California, Texas and Nevada. Spending by them increased more than 15% in each state.

Foreign Visa card holders spent more last year in 48 of 50 states. States with the biggest percentage growth last year were North Dakota, 39%; Tennessee, 33%; Utah, 27%; and Wisconsin, 26%.

We hope to continue to see increases in the United States tourism industry especially here in our home state. With recent reports of 9% increases in visitor spending in North Carolina we are confident that a real estate market recovery is also beginning making it a perfect time to buy a vacation home here on the Outer Banks.

Outer Banks Real Estate Market Report – Q1 2011

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Gordon Jones

Outer Banks Real Estate Market Report – Q1 2011

Summary – It would be an understatement to say that March was a good month for sales because March was, in fact, a fabulous month. March 2011 sales are at their highest levels since March 2006 and sales are 34% higher when compared to March 2010. It should also be noted that sales on Hatteras Island have shown a 58% increase over March 2010 sales. The number of listings placed in an under contract status continues to rise with sales being up 20% from March 2010. The specifics are detailed below:

: Outer Banks Real Estate Market Report Q1 2011 – Page 1

: Outer Banks Real Estate Market Report Q1 2011 – Page 2

: Outer Banks Real Estate Market Report Q1 2011 – Page 3

: Outer Banks Real Estate Market Report Q1 2011 – Page 4

Outer Banks: Developer Pushes Plan for Commercial Zoning in Carova

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Gordon Jones

Outer Banks - Carova Map

The Virginia Pilot reports that a longtime Outer Banks developer is making another attempt to gain approval to get nearly 26 acres rezoned for business in the Swan Beach community. This is the developer’s third time presenting this request, and he will be going before county commissioners on May 16^th.

There is some contention about whether the area should be considered zoned for business or residential use.

The tract of land in Swan Beach was set aside for commercial use on an original plat dated Sept. 2, 1969, and signed by the chairman of the county’s Board of Commissioners, the register of deeds and the clerk to the board. The four-wheel-drive area was then zoned residential in the 1970s, and some believe that takes precedence over the original plats.

In addition, the area falls under the federal Coastal Barrier Resources Act, which discourages development, and it also falls under the county’s land-use plan, which limits business growth.

Outer Banks residents have consistently been opposed to commercial building in the area, convinced that these developments would take away from the natural pristine environment. To complicate things further, wild horses roam in preserved tracts such as the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge.

Will the developers continue to battle the county for approval? Should there be commercial space where the wild horses run free?

What’s your opinion?

Is Dare County a “Ghost Town”?

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Gordon Jones

Ghost of Blackbeard

Is Dare County really a “ghost town”? Yahoo Finance seems to think so, but I’m not sure I agree with their assessment.

Yahoo Finance recently ran an article about American Ghost Towns of the 21st Century, and they included Dare County at #6 on their top 10 list. Sure, the Ghost of Blackbeard lives here, but a ghost town?!…I beg to differ.

Here’s what Yahoo Finance had to say about Dare County:

6. Dare County, N.C.

Number of homes: 33,492
Vacancy rate: 57%
Population: 95,828

Dare County includes the northern-most parts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The situation in the vacation area is so severe that the “Outer Banks Voice” recently wrote, “If Dare County Manager Bobby Outten was intending to sound an alarm by suggesting that the EMS helicopter and school nurses were expendable in the next budget, he probably succeeded.” His comments are unlikely to be terribly different from those of other executives of counties on the list. Vacant homes and homes which lose double-digit amounts of their value each year irreparably undermine the tax base. And, as services fall, fewer potential homeowners will consider investing in the area.

My first point of contention is that they don’t understand the location of Dare County. They mention that it includes the “northern-most parts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.” This is clearly an error. The northern-most parts of the OBX belong to Currituck County. This could be considered a minor error, but to me it calls into question their research as a whole.

But the bigger issue I have is that despite the fact that they mention that Dare County encompasses the Outer Banks, they don’t seem to understand the relevance of this fact. The Outer Banks is a tourist destination with a large amount of vacation rental and second homes. Yes, there are a large amount of vacant homes on the OBX, but that is because they are not primary residences. We should expect vacation homes to be vacant for a large percentage of the year.

The article seems to argue that the economic/housing downturn has hit Dare County harder than other areas, and as a result, home values are falling, services are falling, and fewer buyers are interested in the area. This seems like a big jump in reasoning. Yes, the housing downturn has affected the Outer Banks (like every other US market), but I would argue that as one of the strongest vacation rental home markets, the Outer Banks is more insulated from the downturn than most areas. We’ve mentioned a few articles on this blog that indicate that the vacation home/2^nd home real estate market is increasing in strength; here are a couple examples:

The article mentions, “Some of the affected regions are tourist destinations, but much of that traffic has disappeared as the recession has caused people to sell or desert vacation homes and delay trips for leisure. This makes these areas particularly desolate when tourists are not around. The future of these areas is grim.”

Wow, quite an alarmist perspective. The Outer Banks has always been quiet in the offseason. The past few years have not been more quiet than usual, and definitely not “grim.” And as for in season, the OBX is gaining strength, not losing it.

As an industry, vacation rentals are making large gains in the travel market, and 2011 is starting very strong for OBX vacation rental homes with significant improvements over 2010…and 2010 was a strong year. We’ve mentioned a few articles that indicate the increasing strength of the vacation rental industry, and here are a couple examples:

This does not indicate a declining real estate market to me, and especially not a “ghost town.” And the March 2011 MLS stats seem to agree with my perspective.

Yes, Dare County has budget issues (like most US cities/states right now), and yes, unemployment is high (like the entire US), but this Yahoo Finance article strikes me as inaccurate. Dare County has a large amount of absentee owners and as a result, vacant homes during a large part of the year, but vacant homes in a vacation market do not necessarily indicate a “ghost town.” Yahoo Finance needs to reach past the statistics to understand the market as a whole. I would invite Yahoo Finance to visit the OBX July 4^thweekend and tell us it’s a ghost town.

Outer Banks Real Estate Market – March Update

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Gordon Jones

The following summary is from the Outer Banks Association of Realtors (OBAR) “Monthly Statistical Report.” March was definitely a strong month for the OBX real estate market.

Sales

o Residential – Up 14% from March 2010 (129 units vs 113 units)

o Land – Up 200% from March 2010 (36 units vs 12 units)

o Commercial – Up 50% from March 2010 (1unit vs 2 units)

Under Contract

o Residential – Up 11% from March 2010 (163 units vs 147 units)

o Land – Up 94% from March 2010 (33 units vs 17 units)

o Commercial – Up 200% from March 2010 (3 units vs 1 unit)

Outer Banks Market Report

News about real estate values in the Outer Banks area

Category Archives: Outer Banks Real Estate