Hi folks, from what I have heard I like NC but I need help! (Charlotte: for sale)

[search4ps]

Hi
I always wanted to buy a beach front home; I don't like condos.
When I read about outer banks I wonder “aren't people worried about hurricane?” Secondly, knowing you can loose the house, how does the market/prices hold for these properties? How much does the price vary along the coast? What makes a particular coastal area more or less expensive? Which areas are the most expensive, moderate and still low? I really have no clue, but want to move to NC. I have heard it is a beautiful state. I appreciate any and all guidance.
Thanks
Judy

[kareybear]

Originally Posted by search4ps

Hi
I always wanted to buy a beach front home; I don't like condos.
When I read about outer banks I wonder “aren't people worried about hurricane?” Secondly, knowing you can loose the house, how does the market/prices hold for these properties? How much does the price vary along the coast? What makes a particular coastal area more or less expensive? Which areas are the most expensive, moderate and still low? I really have no clue, but want to move to NC. I have heard it is a beautiful state. I appreciate any and all guidance.
Thanks
Judy

Judy,
I only can tell you about Oak Island, NC which is southwest of Wilmington. Oak Island was a over speculated market two years ago and you can still realitively find cheap home on the Island. Yes it is a Island you have to go over the bridge to get here. We have beautiful Oak Trees every where. There are a lot homes being build here. We have a lot of vacation rental homes here as well.
Yes everyone is worried about the hurricane.You also have to remember we get warnings when there is hurricane heading our way. We have enough responds to get out if we want. I would leave if it is Catagory 4 and up. I have been here for two years and never had to leave the island yet. Last the hurricane swoop along our beach and dumpped more inland.Yes we do get flooding but because we live on island that is made of sand. As soon the rain stops it runs off to the Coastal or ocean water.
The beach are never crowded ( believe me I know because I am originally from California) and dogs are welcome on the beach( just make sure to keep dogs on leashes and pick up dog dodoo). It is a great place to ride bikes and use golf carts. If you live on Oak Island you can use the recreation center to work out for a small fee.
If you ever want to buy a home here make sure to get a home on pilings for two reason so you won't have a flooding in your house and since land here is small you get garage buy getting a home on pilings. Now remember it is the buyer market here. Also check out Southport Oak Island North Carolina Chamber of Commerce this is the chamber of commerce so you can read some info about this area. Good Luck finding home by the beach.If you have any more questions you can private message me if you want.

Karey

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by search4ps

Hi
I always wanted to buy a beach front home; I don't like condos.
When I read about outer banks I wonder “aren't people worried about hurricane?” Secondly, knowing you can loose the house, how does the market/prices hold for these properties? How much does the price vary along the coast? What makes a particular coastal area more or less expensive? Which areas are the most expensive, moderate and still low? I really have no clue, but want to move to NC. I have heard it is a beautiful state. I appreciate any and all guidance.
Thanks
Judy

There are any number of reasons why a beach front home might cost $1M or $3M. A lot has to do with the size of the house and the age of the house and what community it is located near and if the community has beach ammenities.

Some areas of coastal North Carolina have faired better with hurricanes than others. There are places where people have lost their homes and still own a lot and have to pay taxes on the lot even though they are no longer allowed to build on the lot. Just ask around and learn how to read flood maps.

If I had to guess, I would say that some of the most expensive home are on the Northern Outer Banks. Beyond that you will find some very expensive homes in the Wilmington area and in Emerald Isle.

There are expensive sand castles in most beach areas.

I do not think there is any inexpensive beach front property in North Carolina. However, there is plenty of close to the beach properties that are reasonably priced given the location.

You should really take a trip and visit the areas yourself and decide what area feels best. Each place is neat in its own way.

North Carolina's beaches go from the fancy beaches of Corolla to more older established beaches in South Nags head to the beaches near the fishing village of Hatteras. Then there is Ocracoke, but living on the beach there is pretty impossible.

After Ocracoke you have the Southern Outer Banks with Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Salter Path and Emerald Isle, then the Topsail area, Wilmington with its Wrightsville Beach. We should not forget Kure Beach, Bald Head Island, and Oak Island.

Each area is going to have its champions and the things which make it special. However, you need to find the right spot for you.

The Northern Outer Banks are not as much a year around community as many of the places along NC's Crystal Coast or the Wilmington area.

What you might want to do is try a long term rental and decide what area you like before you consider buying. There are many long term rentals available in the Emerald Isle area, and I'm sure the other areas have the same.

There are lots of properties along the coast for sale right now, but I do not know of anything which I would class as low priced.

[search4ps]

Thanks, kareybear
It always helps to hear from someone who lives in the area. It would be great to hear from people living on the coast at other locations also. I am planning to drive through Raleigh - Greenville - Wilmington - Charlotte. Since, I am coming to NC for the 1st time, I had trouble figuring out the best way to explore/(drive) Greenville through Wilmington and southern coast of NC.
And advice as to how many days would be enough to get a real good feel for the coast and which places are the best to halt on this segment besides Wilmington. I was also wondering if the newer homes are built to wither the hurricane? My heart is set for single family home and not the condos.
This is for me to live in year round and I am not looking for only investment purpose.
Thanks again
Judy

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by search4ps

Thanks, kareybear
I am planning to drive through Raleigh - Greenville - Wilmington - Charlotte. Since, I am coming to NC for the 1st time, I had trouble figuring out the best way to explore/(drive) Greenville through Wilmington and southern coast of NC.
And advice as to how many days would be enough to get a real good feel for the coast and which places are the best to halt on this segment besides Wilmington. I was also wondering if the newer homes are built to wither the hurricane? My heart is set for single family home and not the condos.
This is for me to live in year round and I am not looking for only investment purpose.
Thanks again
Judy

Any newer homes that are built in storm surge areas are built up on pilings.

The most important thing to do is look at the flood maps as you are looking at property. I have seen sound front property on Emerald Isle where the homes aren't even in a flood zone because of the topography of the lots.

You don't have to get far off the coast to get away from most hurricane danger and still be with ten to fifteen minutes of the beaches.

We find one of the less stressful ways to travel to the coast is to take Highway 421 South from Greensboro until it intersects 64 East and follow it until it hits Interstate 40 around Cary. It lets you miss most of the Durham to Raleigh traffic mess, and it is a mess anytime after 3:30 in the afternoon.

Once you are on I40 and ten miles or so east of the Raleigh beltway, Interstate 40 is a pleasure to drive.

I can highly recommend that you stop on the Crystal Coast.

If you take I40 to exit 373 and then get on Highway 24 east it will take you to Jacksonville and onward to Swansboro, Cedar Point, Cape Carteret, and Morehead City.

You can catch highway 70 in Morehead and go over for a visit to Beaufort where you can park your car and walk to everything which is a nice treat if you have been traveling for a long distance. You can check out my Beaufort travel guide (http://coastalnc.org/beaufortnctravelguide - broken link) for recommendations.

It you go the other direction on 70, it takes you to New Bern.

I would stay a day up in the Beaufort area and then drive down and stay a day in the Swansboro area so you can explore Emerald Isle. I also have a Swansboro travel guide.

From Swansboro you can go back to Jacksonville and catch 17 South to go to Wilmington. There are some places to explore along the way to Wilmington.

You can even catch lunch at the Holly Ridge Smokehouse which has great barbecue.

Then there is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Wilmington, the Dragon Garden.

Once in Wilmington you have to decide what areas to explore. You should be mindful of the new NC Port and factor that into decisions if you are looking in the Southport area.

When you are done in Wilmington, you can take I40 back to 195 or other areas in NC.

Make sure while you are at the coast that you take a boat trip. I often think that the Intracoastal Waterway is the real main street for coastal NC.


http://coastalnc.org/watersnearbeaufort (broken link)

Hope this helps