Calabash- Sunset beach retirement. (Carolina Shores, Brunswick: for sale, 2009, rental)

[Cinciguy]

Hello,
My wife and I are looking into retirement in N.C., presently we live in Ohio, but in 2 - 3 years would like to move closer to the ocean, we visited Calabash area and Sunset beach and like it a lot, housing was affordable and town was quiet but 15 min. from Myrtle and we had all the excitement.
Can any one please tell me all cons. and pros. of that area, or should I consider something else.
Thank you kindly.

[Quick Enough]

Bought property here in Calabash 10 years ago. Moved down 1 1/2 years ago. Of all the times we came down to visit until now, everyone I have come in contact with has had the same thing to say, "I wish I coulda/shoulda/woulda moved here sooner.

I love it!

[Cinciguy]

Thanks Q.E.
we feel same way, just wanted to get locals opinion, I noticed on the mls site -a lot of houses for sale at Calabash Carolina-shores subdivision, is something going on ? I heard that old golf course will be shuting down and property will be developed by the builders, is that true ? And what about that pantoon bridge - I like it the way it is , but we hearing that a new one will be built soon. hmm..

[jerseyj]

Cinci- We do not live there, but own property in Sunset Beach with the idea to retire there in the future. We travel down there a couple times a year.

They are building a new bridge to Sunset Beach (the Island) but are keeping the pontoon bridge operational. This has been quite a controversey for several years-http://sunsetbeachncwebcam.com/index.cfm

I have not heard that Carolina Shores golf course is closing but would not be surprised as several courses in the Myrtle/Calabash area have closed and been developed (housing).

As for pros and cons, I guess that will depend on where you are from and what you are looking for.
The weather will be a significant change for you as will (probably) the pace of life in general. Calabash/Sunset are small towns with a large number of retirees. Even in the summer, it is quieter than Myrtle Beach.

Vacationing there is absolutely great and I hope that I feel like Quick Enough when we are ready to retire!
Good luck with your search

[Cinciguy]

Thanks jerseyj

I will definitely rent a condo for a few month before buying property there, but so far - I like it

[Quick Enough]

There are ni more homes for sale here than any where else. The housing market has been bad in most of the country. Brunswick county has not been in the negative yet.

There was rumor of the Carolina Shores golf course being up for sale and the land developed for housing. Won't happen. There isn't enough room for roads to be built between existing houses to get to the new housing.

One of the best deals for rental is Brunswick Plantaton. It is not Ocean Front but very convenient to everything. Check it out on line.

[NCGT]

Originally Posted by Quick Enough

There are ni more homes for sale here than any where else. The housing market has been bad in most of the country. Brunswick county has not been in the negative yet.

There was rumor of the Carolina Shores golf course being up for sale and the land developed for housing. Won't happen. There isn't enough room for roads to be built between existing houses to get to the new housing.

One of the best deals for rental is Brunswick Plantaton. It is not Ocean Front but very convenient to everything. Check it out on line.

The deed restrictions for the Carolina Shores Golf course required that it remain a golf course for a period of 30 years. That restriction expired on 12-31-2008. The owner of the golf course filed for bankruptcy protection on a seperate developement in May 2009. It is certainly his intention to develop the current Carolina Shores golf course land and make it residential home sites now that his obligation for maintaining the golf course has expired. I imagine the bankruptcy filing will delay this but the land is worth much more sold off as individual homes sites than it is as a golf course so I imagine it will eventually happen. All of the golf course land is accessible from a currently established paved road or deeded easement from a paved road. Golf carts access the course daily via existing roads and recorded easements so access to the land is not an issue.

[Cinciguy]

thanks every one for usefull input

[JimF1974]

My wife and I are from Northern New Jersey. We discovered the Calabash area a few years ago after exploring different areas of North Carolina. We live in a mountainous area now and decided we wanted to live closer to the beach. We play golf so this area is paradise for that, we also bike and coming from biking up and down hills it's nice to have some flat land (a little easier on the knees). Since I am retired and my wife is a teacher we decided to spend July and August here to see if we could adapt to the heat and humidity. Our opinion is that it is not significantly different from NJ. We have purchased a lot in Brunswick Plantation and hope to build a home in about 3 years and relocate here in 4 years. I would highly recommend spending some time here to make sure this is where you want to be. Explore different communities. Whether you want to live in a development or purchase a home outside of one of the many developments there is something for everyone. Good luck.

[Quick Enough]

Originally Posted by NCGT

The deed restrictions for the Carolina Shores Golf course required that it remain a golf course for a period of 30 years. That restriction expired on 12-31-2008. The owner of the golf course filed for bankruptcy protection on a seperate developement in May 2009. It is certainly his intention to develop the current Carolina Shores golf course land and make it residential home sites now that his obligation for maintaining the golf course has expired. I imagine the bankruptcy filing will delay this but the land is worth much more sold off as individual homes sites than it is as a golf course so I imagine it will eventually happen. All of the golf course land is accessible from a currently established paved road or deeded easement from a paved road. Golf carts access the course daily via existing roads and recorded easements so access to the land is not an issue.

Thank you for the more knowledgeable info. You have a much better grasp of the info than I do.