Oak Island (Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Southport: real estate, to rent, house)

[donsabi]

I relocated to Oak Island two months ago. OI is sort of known to be a dog friendly beach resort. I liked that idea until I see the way many people here fail to comply with the rules pertaining to dogs. i.e, I see dogs off their leashes at the beach and walking down the streets. My small dog, on his leash, was slammed by an large lab at the beach. The owner, a woman, could not get control of her dog and others had to assist putting her dog on a leash. A man allows a german shepherd to run free in a park by the intercoastal waterway. One young man plays frisbee with his pit bull on the beach and on the street. There are families with small children almost anywhere and I can just imagine what might happen if a large dog knocks a small child down. Almost on any block on the island you can find at least one dog continually barking all day while left outside in a fenced yard. They do have an animal control department, but almost anytime I pass Town hall the animal control truck is parked. There is a dog waste pickup law, but you will find piles of dog poo everywhere you go. If the township put their animal control person on the street like the police then maybe some of these violations might be curtailed. Overall, if you don't mind listening to barking dogs, stepping in dog poo, or dealing with german shepherds, pit bulls that are running loose then Oak Island is for you.

[thefinalsay]

did you expect something different in brunswick county? didn't you research the area?

[donsabi]

thefinalsay,
Did you mean; did I go to the Brunswick county center and dig into their records looking for misconduct and ineptitude? No. I did ask on this forum and got a totally positive response for Oak Island. I did the research I could do from a distance of 500 miles. However, what I expect from any township and it's enforcement agencies is that they try to maintain an adherence to the laws that they themselves have enacted.
I can only speak for Oak Island and not all of Brunswick county. I gather from your statement that you believe all of Brunswick county to be run inefficiently and possibly corrupt. I would like you to expand on your beliefs of Brunswick county so that others might be aware of what to expect before moving here.
Thanks for you comment.

[Niki]

I used to live in the area and now visit every summer. I don't recall ever seeing dog poop anywhere. I'm not calling you a liar. Not at all. Just saying it can't be everywhere. Do you live along the ICW? Is that where you're seeing the dog poop? I wouldn't like that at all either.

I spend most of my time on Oak Island on the beaches (mostly Caswell Beach; it used to be Long Beach before they tore down the pier ) and haven't seen anything unpleasant there. We were just there in April and did see something that, somehow, I had never seen there before in all my years living there and visiting there - dolphins! That was pretty cool.

Anyway, I hope things improve for you soon.

[rubber_factory]

Originally Posted by donsabi

I would like you to expand on your beliefs of Brunswick county so that others might be aware of what to expect before moving here.

I think there are a few threads covering this.

I know personally, I've said my piece about what a dump I think Brunswick County is - I just don't care to drive the point home repetitively, and be harassed by residents and real estate agents, etc., who think differently than I do.

[donsabi]

rubber_factory,
Thanks for you advice months ago about the sewer treatment plant in Wilmington. I declined to rent that house and recently was driving through that same neighborhood and the stench was enough to gag a mule. Oak Island was highly recommended but in the two month I've been here I have seen a lot I don't like. I think any single senior should steer clear of Oak Island.

[seashellbelle]

Originally Posted by rubber_factory

I think there are a few threads covering this.

I know personally, I've said my piece about what a dump I think Brunswick County is - I just don't care to drive the point home repetitively, and be harassed by residents and real estate agents, etc., who think differently than I do.

Oak Island for sure has it's problems with local enforcement of dog's, but it truly is up to the dog owners to take responsibility for their pets. My recommendation would be to submit a formal complaint to the Town of Oak Island, recommending fines for owners of errant pets.
Southport has a city ordinance against such matters, and the residents see to it, that irresponsible pet owners are held to task.
As far as you commenting on Brunswick county being a dump, I find that highly offensive, it is your opinion, but albeit a very misleading comment.
I feel this forum is more about facts, and opinions should be based on facts. I quite honestly don't care for Wrightsville Beach or New Hanover Counties miscreant taxation and annexation, however, I still keep an open mind and if people choose to seek property there I will reveal to them all the material facts that have been disclosed to me.
No area is perfect, and it does take some to adjust to a new setting, especially if you are relocating from the North. However, I would take this area over any that I have resided in, due to it's proximity to the beaches, lower taxes, and less traffic, as compared to DC or SF.
For those of you seeking to relocate to the area, my suggestion is to visit, stay for a week or two, acquaint yourselves with the various neighborhoods, seek the guidance of an expert, then make the decision to relocate or not.
My favorite quote of all time is " Happiness must be grown in one's own garden."

[thefinalsay]

Originally Posted by donsabi

thefinalsay,
Did you mean; did I go to the Brunswick county center and dig into their records looking for misconduct and ineptitude? No. I did ask on this forum and got a totally positive response for Oak Island. I did the research I could do from a distance of 500 miles. However, what I expect from any township and it's enforcement agencies is that they try to maintain an adherence to the laws that they themselves have enacted.
I can only speak for Oak Island and not all of Brunswick county. I gather from your statement that you believe all of Brunswick county to be run inefficiently and possibly corrupt. I would like you to expand on your beliefs of Brunswick county so that others might be aware of what to expect before moving here.
Thanks for you comment.

what people relocating need to realize is this. plain and simple. beyond your privacy fence is nothing but rednecks. don't like rednecks, don't move to brunswick county.

[thefinalsay]

Originally Posted by seashellbelle

Oak Island for sure has it's problems with local enforcement of dog's, but it truly is up to the dog owners to take responsibility for their pets. My recommendation would be to submit a formal complaint to the Town of Oak Island, recommending fines for owners of errant pets.
Southport has a city ordinance against such matters, and the residents see to it, that irresponsible pet owners are held to task.
As far as you commenting on Brunswick county being a dump, I find that highly offensive, it is your opinion, but albeit a very misleading comment.
I feel this forum is more about facts, and opinions should be based on facts. I quite honestly don't care for Wrightsville Beach or New Hanover Counties miscreant taxation and annexation, however, I still keep an open mind and if people choose to seek property there I will reveal to them all the material facts that have been disclosed to me.
No area is perfect, and it does take some to adjust to a new setting, especially if you are relocating from the North. However, I would take this area over any that I have resided in, due to it's proximity to the beaches, lower taxes, and less traffic, as compared to DC or SF.
For those of you seeking to relocate to the area, my suggestion is to visit, stay for a week or two, acquaint yourselves with the various neighborhoods, seek the guidance of an expert, then make the decision to relocate or not.
My favorite quote of all time is " Happiness must be grown in one's own garden."

I see this logic pushed by real estate agents quite frequently. so while we are comparing apples to oranges (metro area of 5,000,000 vs. small town of 100,000) I'll throw in my two cents. DC traffic is only bad if you live far away from your job and have to commute on 395 or 495. when I lived in NOVA, I lived in vienna, and I worked in tysons. my commute was 6 minutes. a lot of people in NOVA live in PWC and commute into DC. yeah, you do that and it's going to suck. but if you live in the town you work in, traffic is a non issue. my brother lives and works in fairfax. when he doesn't ride his bike to work, it takes him 4 minutes. there are places in wilmington that can take you 20 minutes to get to even if you are staying inside the city limits. trying to downplay the traffic at the beach is a bit absurd. I tried to go to the beach twice this weekend, and couldn't even get close to it because of traffic being at a standstill.

[seashellbelle]

Originally Posted by thefinalsay

I see this logic pushed by real estate agents quite frequently. so while we are comparing apples to oranges (metro area of 5,000,000 vs. small town of 100,000) I'll throw in my two cents. DC traffic is only bad if you live far away from your job and have to commute on 395 or 495. when I lived in NOVA, I lived in vienna, and I worked in tysons. my commute was 6 minutes. a lot of people in NOVA live in PWC and commute into DC. yeah, you do that and it's going to suck. but if you live in the town you work in, traffic is a non issue. my brother lives and works in fairfax. when he doesn't ride his bike to work, it takes him 4 minutes. there are places in wilmington that can take you 20 minutes to get to even if you are staying inside the city limits. trying to downplay the traffic at the beach is a bit absurd. I tried to go to the beach twice this weekend, and couldn't even get close to it because of traffic being at a standstill.

I believe the original post started on this thread regarded a residents disenchantment with the lack of oversight regarding dog poo in Oak Island. You have classified Brunswick County as a dump, which I and others are still waiting on the facts to base your opinion on.
Given the fact that you were unable to even get to the beach and gave up indicates to me you are frustrated with your locale. I was referring to the traffic in the Oak Island area, not the Wrightsville Beach area. It only takes us 15 minutes to get to the beach from Southport, and 30 minutes to get to Fort Fisher or Bald Head Island by way of ferry. Possibly, you should consider relocating yourself.