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Just booked a trip to see the area. Most interested in BF, CP and Waterford. Have been to BF twice to play golf at Cape Fear. An acquaintance lives in BF and we stopped briefly, liked what little I saw of the neighborhood and homes. My wife has not seen the area. I'm semi-retired (will likely fully retire once we find a place to our liking) and my wife works from home. From Long Island, looking for an active community. I like the Willmington riverwalk area restaurants etc. Putting together a list of to-do things for while we're down there. We would not buy yet, this is just to see if we think the area is right for us. Any recommendations for what to do outside of checking the amenities/activities in the communites?
Drive down and check out Southport...charming little town with art galleries, shops and restaurants. From Southport you can take the car ferry to Ft. Fisher and learn a little about the Civil War, and visit the NC Aquarium. Drive up and check out Carolina Beach, then head back through Wilmington to Leland, or take the ferry back to Southport.
Drive down and check out Southport...charming little town with art galleries, shops and restaurants. From Southport you can take the car ferry to Ft. Fisher and learn a little about the Civil War, and visit the NC Aquarium. Drive up and check out Carolina Beach, then head back through Wilmington to Leland, or take the ferry back to Southport.
Yes, but who would want to move to Leland after visiting Southport???
Retiring soon and looking for a community on east coast - nc to fl.
Would like to live in a community near civilization - mid to large city with ots of activities/amenities.
Do any of them offer golf as part of hoa fee or do you have to pay extra?
Are you restricted to building one of their homes with their builder? - some are hefty price for what you get?
Do any offer membership in the community/events if you live outside the community?
Any good recommendations from folks on a good place?
thanks
Retiring soon and looking for a community on east coast - nc to fl.
Would like to live in a community near civilization - mid to large city with ots of activities/amenities....
Do any of them offer golf as part of hoa fee or do you have to pay extra?
I think it is nearly universal that golf membership is extra, outside of the HOA fee.
Brunswick Forest would be a good place for you to start looking. However, it's golf club is open to the public (I believe).
Generally speaking, better deals are to be found buying existing homes, compared to new builds. Generally speaking, you can also select your builder.
Retiring soon and looking for a community on east coast - nc to fl.
Would like to live in a community near civilization - mid to large city with ots of activities/amenities.
Since you have not even decided which state you want to concentrate on, I suggest starting with a spreadshhet of what you want as mandatory, optional, etc. EG, is living in a golf community a requiremnt?
The first big variable may be the tax picture. Generally, we found the places in Virginia near cities like Norfolk had property taxes almost as high as we were paying in Montgomery County, Maryland. So, we wrote off Virginia.
Coastal North Carolina has moderate (but not cheap) property taxes. However, the homeowner insurance is likely to be higher than the property tax.
South Carolina has lower property taxes, but check out the services you might require in the future, like medical care. Sun City near Hilton Head has a huge number of retiree homes, but it is lacking the culture of the Charleston area. Which is more important to you?
Florida is lacks an income tax (the last I knew). However the homeowner insurance due to hurricane risk will be a lot higher. The Village in Central FL is a huge retiree community with lots of activities. However, It probably does not have the culture of a larger city.
Coastal Georgia has some attractive communities, but the property taxes seemed higher than North Carolinas.
Other consideratios are proximity to airport if you want to visit family. Where we are in NC, it is a pian to fly north. I frequently wish we had looked at being closer to Charlotte.
Good luck, and stop back if you have specific questions.
...Do any offer membership in the community/events if you live outside the community?...
There are non-resident memberships in the golf clubs at St. James, both for golf and for social memberships. They are fairly expensive, but St. James offers extensive benefits.
Otherwise, are you asking if you can get the benefits of being in an HOA community without paying the full HOA price? I kind of doubt that any HOA offers that. It would raise insurance issues. The other members would resent it because it causes potential over-crowding, etc. Naturally, you could be an invited guest of a member at some social events.
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