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Moving from Ct in a few years, but starting to look now. Looking for a short walk to the Ocean Beach for the Wife.....Gated Community is fine, need to be able to store RV on site, small town feel is important to me....no city lifestyle for this guy. Active Retirement is fine. Budget (as of today....will go up slightly yearly) is approximately $2,200 monthly Mortgage and Taxes.....sound feasible ???....any recommendations on where to look
What is your budget expressed as an actual purchase price? $2,200 per month means nothing, given the many variables involved (interest rates, down payment, term, etc.) Define "short walk". One issue to keep in mind is that virtually all NC beaches are barrier islands...narrow strips of land. Thus, almost every house in beach communities is within a 15 minute (plus or minus) walk of the beach. This means there's not a huge dropoff in price once you get away from the "first row" (oceanfront).
I arrived at that number based on my current situation, and my understanding is that NC is much more affordable. I've been using Zillow for my search, but would rather hear from someone who has their feet on the ground. Without getting into too much detail, currently holding a note over $300,000, and taxes getting close to the $7,500 mark, plus a Benefit Assessment (Sewer Line) of $1,500 yearly.....not to mention Personal Property Tax on Car, Truck, RV and Boat. Like Sinatra once said (although about NY...where I'm originally from)...."If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere"....and I'm hoping Coastal NC will be the place.
I arrived at that number based on my current situation, and my understanding is that NC is much more affordable. I've been using Zillow for my search, but would rather hear from someone who has their feet on the ground. Without getting into too much detail, currently holding a note over $300,000, and taxes getting close to the $7,500 mark, plus a Benefit Assessment (Sewer Line) of $1,500 yearly.....not to mention Personal Property Tax on Car, Truck, RV and Boat. Like Sinatra once said (although about NY...where I'm originally from)...."If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere"....and I'm hoping Coastal NC will be the place.
Again, what is your budget (purchase price) for a house in NC? What do you consider a "short walk"?
$300,000 max.....2 Bedroom minimum, 2 Bath, 2 Car Garage.....10-15 drive to Beach
The budget is feasible, but there are very few gated communities with enough room to store an RV on site. Further, most HOA's do not want them on your property. I live at Mimosa Bay in Sneads Ferry where there are houses for sale starting at $279K. We are a 15 minute drive to the North Topsail Beach. We have a corral for boats and RV's but it is full. Some of the builders put on a third garage bay for extra storage. If that would work for you, look us up with Google.
BTW, you will see condos for less than $300K on North Topsail Beach, but be very careful. The beach is vulnerable to the next hurricane.
Thanks, I'll give it a look see. Do you have any input on Beaufort, Edenton or New Bern areas ???....some folks have mentioned these as best places to look...also mentioned Southport
Thanks, I'll give it a look see. Do you have any input on Beaufort, Edenton or New Bern areas ???....some folks have mentioned these as best places to look...also mentioned Southport
Beaufort is a nice town on the ocean and Southport is a short drive to Ocean Isle Beach. Edenton and New Bern are good for retirement, but they are on rivers, and at least 45 minutes from the ocean.
I wanted to mention that the property tax in Sneads Ferry runs about $2000 per year on a house worth $300K, and our HOA dues are about $800/year for a gated community with a pool, workout room and clubhouse. We feel it is a good deal for the money. Sneads Ferry is very much a small town with one grocery store and a few restaurants. You can probably find similar pricing in Beaufort, and Southport may be more expensive.
You should also plan for homeowner's insurance with wind and hail coverage. In our case it is $2300/year based on the location and options on the house. Flood insurance might be needed at less than $800/year.
Last edited by goldenage1; 01-12-2015 at 12:00 PM..
Do you specifically want a small town? $300K will probably get you a condo in Wilmington within 15 minutes or so of the beach. Other places to consider would be Morehead City, Kure Beach, the aforementioned Topsail Beach, and any part of Brunswick County just inland from the beach communities. You'll generally find taxes to be about 30 to 50% of what you're paying now. Boats, cars, rvs are also taxed as personal property.
Beaufort is a nice town on the ocean and Southport is a short drive to Ocean Isle Beach. Edenton and New Bern are good for retirement, but they are on rivers, and at least 45 minutes from the ocean.
I wanted to mention that the property tax in Sneads Ferry runs about $2000 per year on a house worth $300K, and our HOA dues are about $800/year for a gated community with a pool, workout room and clubhouse. We feel it is a good deal for the money. Sneads Ferry is very much a small town with one grocery store and a few restaurants. You can probably find similar pricing in Beaufort, and Southport may be more expensive.
You should also plan for homeowner's insurance with wind and hail coverage. In our case it is $2300/year based on the location and options on the house. Flood insurance might be needed at less than $800/year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinadawg2
Do you specifically want a small town? $300K will probably get you a condo in Wilmington within 15 minutes or so of the beach. Other places to consider would be Morehead City, Kure Beach, the aforementioned Topsail Beach, and any part of Brunswick County just inland from the beach communities. You'll generally find taxes to be about 30 to 50% of what you're paying now. Boats, cars, rvs are also taxed as personal property.
Homeowners Insurance is something I'm gonna have to watch....everything else is so much more affordable
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