Anyone have information on Carolina Shores? (Wilmington, New Bern: homeowners insurance, homes, taxes)

[marc515]

We are looking to move to NC in about 2 years and have been researching the coastal areas, and were originally drawn to the New Bern area because I was stationed at Cherry Point, NC in the 70's, and fell in love with the surrounding area.

Having said that we are not ruling out somewhere a little south of Willmington.
or the Pinehurst area.

We visited the pinehurst area for a couple of days, about 4-5 years ago, and that area is really beautiful too; reminds us of the Pine Barrens in So. Jersey. No ocean, but still a great area. There are lakes in the area, homes are slightly lower, not in the direct path of hurricanes, and lower homeowners insurance.

We have not been to the ares south of Willmington, but have had some folks tell us towns like Calabash and Shallotte are nice retirement towns; That area in between Wilmington and Myrtle beach looks nice and layed back living, but a short drive in either direction offers plenty to do; Also see that something like Carolina Shores would be a nice fit.

We've got about 2-3 years before we make the move, so still have time to look at the areas noted above. We are hoping to make a trip down there this summer and look around some more.

So, looking for some input on that area. Thank you

marc

[steve_d_bear]

My assumption on reading your post is that you are planning to retire in a few years as opposed to relocating and continuing to work. That is my situation and after doing some research we are planning to relocate to a development in Leland. Some of the factors that went into our decision were Leland's close proximity to the town of Wilmington, within a half hour of a few beaches, good weather, and favorable taxes. Leland is much less developed than NJ but is not as remote as other areas of the NC coast. Leland is a growing community with a number of new developments springing up. A number of businesses are also appearing to service the growing population. So there is a bit of a trade off in having a bit more traffic but also stores, banks, restaurants, etc. nearby as opposed to driving 30 minutes to find civilization. Rt 17 is the road that has most of these stores and developments. We found a development that is a few miles off of Rt 17 that had the things we were looking for (golf, pools, fitness center, walking trails, and more). We checked to make sure this development is not in a flood area and it is at one of the highest elevations in Brunswick county. Wilmington is a nice town with a lot to offer and is only 10 -15 minutes away. Myrtle Beach has even more in terms of entertainment and shopping and is about a 90 minute drive. Another factor we considered is that we would be able to drive to NJ to visit family in 1 day. Different people look for different things when choosing a place to live, so first consider all of the things that are important to you and then visit the area as much as possible until you find the spot that best fits your needs. The spot we chose just felt right for us and we are looking forward to the day when we will be able to make the move.

[kevinsch]

what community are you looking at in Leland?

[steve_d_bear]

Originally Posted by kevinsch

what community are you looking at in Leland?

I don't think the OP mentioned Leland. If you're asking me, the community is called Compass Pointe.

[marc515]

Basically, we're just beginning to look at the area, so not sure where we should concentrate. Just trying to get information on the various towns as we hear of them.

marc

[kevinsch]

We were down there two months ago and we really liked the Calabash, Ocean Isle area. Close to Mrytle Beach and only about 45 mins to wilmington. The beaches were so nice and Rt 17 doesn't seem to busy to get anywhere.