23 year old looking to buy after deployment (Wilmington, Jacksonville: for sale, real estate)

[nathan0625]

Good Afternoon,

Just a little bit about myself I am 23 years old, single, and currently stationed in Bahrain with the Coast Guard. I lived in Virginia Beach until I turned 18 then moved down to Currituck/OBX area until I went active. (Divorced parents) After this tour is complete I plan on coming home for a while, staying in the CG though but working from VA to GA for as long as possible. I am looking to purchase approximately one or two acres of land hopefully next to water. I thought it was impossible until I researched on Zillow and found five plus acre waterfront properties for 36k. Leaving here I will be a priority one so I plan on getting Atlantic Beach, Oak Island, Fort Macon, Hatteras, Portsmouth or as a last resort Wilmington. I love the water. I grew up surfing in Kitty Hawk and VB, dad has a Carolina Skiff we used to take out and go flounder fishing next to the Wright Memorial bridge, and I would eventually like to have a slip for a little center console of my own. Years down the road of course. I am
In the early stages of this whole
Property search but I have fallen in love with Beaufort, New Bern area however that is just over the Internet. I do plan on looking at areas with good beach access, good boating recreation, and hopefully a good single life too. I understand that's asking a lot but the furthest south I have been is Hatteras and that was just for a two day surfing trip. Is it possible to accomplish this? And if so do you have any insight on where I should be looking at? Lastly, I plan on sitting on the property and eventually building a tiny modular home several years later. Thank you in advance.

Very Respectfully,
Nate

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by nathan0625

.... I have fallen in love with Beaufort, New Bern area however that is just over the Internet. I do plan on looking at areas with good beach access, good boating recreation, and hopefully a good single life too. I understand that's asking a lot but the furthest south I have been is Hatteras and that was just for a two day surfing trip. Is it possible to accomplish this? And if so do you have any insight on where I should be looking at? Lastly, I plan on sitting on the property and eventually building a tiny modular home several years later. Thank you in advance.

I am less familiar with Beaufort than I am with Sneads Ferry and Jacksonville. I am not sure it is possible to purchase a lot with good water access for under $36K. By that I mean the lot is likely to have marshy and shallow water access. You might be able to launch a canoe or kayak, but not anything requiring deeper water. There are also restrictions on building docks, but I suggest you research them if you would ever want a dock.

Be cautious about land that is part of an HOA. They may have restrictions against building modular homes, and they may require a certain size.

You can probably find something that would give you good views of water. The standard advice is not to buy property to hold for the future. However, if you can afford to tie up the money and it would make you happy, then go ahead.

[LLN]

I would look in Swansboro area, but I too am concerned about water access for that amount. But, if you don't look....

We chose New Bern and over the ten years we have been here fishing has gone downhill every year. I expect a combination of water quality in the Neuse and the insane commercial slaughter of the marine fisheries.

Somewhere, sometime, somehow North Carolina became an entity for the pleasure and fortune of the rich. Hog and turkey farms polluting the water, Duke energy sludge, and a Marine Fisheries Commission that are shills for the commercial sector, and when they do take a stand, coastal legislatures resort to blatant intimidation. If you have heard of the 1%ers, well they have stolen NC right out from under us!

This is NOT The North Carolina you remember.

Having said that, I would recommend strongly looking elsewhere. Pri one should be the state's posture on commercial netting. Secondly, I would get as close to an inlet as I could. Moving water will flush itself and not stagnate.

If you are passionate about the experience you are after, go all in. Every compromise you make will be magnified over time.

My dreams were similar. I made a terrible mistake in choosing NC though I obviously did not know it at the time.

Good luck, you have been warned.

[nathan0625]

Thanks for the quick responses. Will do more research.

[ditchoc]

This probably the least expensive waterfront property you can find in the Beaufort area. That's the up side. I will say that you are young and virtually any water front property will increase in value over time. Maybe by several orders of magnitude over 20 or 30 years.

Having said that, the down side to this property is:
Kinda remote. Not much shopping, etc very close and Beaufort is about 25-30 minutes away through rural countryside.
The front or street side of the property is high and dry, suitable for building but the water side is a couple hundred feet of tidal grassland that does connect to deep water. The deep water is on the mouth of Adams Creek which is part of the ICW and the Palmilco sound which is known for excellent sailing so its not real shallow and you can get to the ocean if you want. You would just have to build a long pier from your high ground, over the wet land to the water. Many have done this in the area but it takes $$. The other part of the down side is the foul weather exposure. In the event of a nor-easter that area gets pounded.

But .. they are 6+ acre lots (probably half wetland), technically on the ICW for less than 40k which is almost impossible to find.

Over time I expect that area to grow and develop more and this property could be worth 200k+ in 10 or 20 years.

The one thing I am not sure of is the Merrimon community. Is it a HOA situation? If so, there may be minimum house sizes and other restrictions.

Good luck and thanks for your service.



Beaufort Real Estate - Beaufort NC Homes For Sale | Zillow