Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have been to the Outer Banks (Hattaras and Ocracoke) and love it; my only problem -- well, one of them -- is that I'll be still a young and active retiree and want the best of both worlds: a nice quiet natural beach for me when I'm there, a great tourist attraction for guests when I'm not there, and proximity to a large-enough city to provice amenities and a life when I'm not on the beach. OBX is awesome, but it's really remote. I'm looking from Maine to the USVI -- which obviously covers a lot of ground!
Budget?
I couldn't live on the OBX in the off season; much to isolated and few amenities any time of year. I'd suggest looking at Carolina Beach, just south of Wilmington, as well as Oak Island, Holden Beach and Sunset Beach in Brunswick County. Wilmington is fairly close by, with the amenities of a city, but in the off season they are pretty low key.
Bald Head Island might also interest you. Its only accessible by boat. There is a private ferry that makes regular trips all year. Only a couple of hundred people live there in the off season, but getting on and off can be a bit of a pain. Very expensive and "exclusive".
Up to $400k. But, of course, the cheaper, the better. I would very much like TWO (modest) places: one on the ocean in the south and one on a lake in the north. Are you a realtor? I've looked at some places in Wilmington; one thing I like is their openness to tiny houses, actually prohibited by law in most places. Not sure what it's like as a place to live? I've heard the beaches get a bit rough up near the free RV park!
Up to $400k. But, of course, the cheaper, the better. I would very much like TWO (modest) places: one on the ocean in the south and one on a lake in the north. Are you a realtor? I've looked at some places in Wilmington; one thing I like is their openness to tiny houses, actually prohibited by law in most places. Not sure what it's like as a place to live? I've heard the beaches get a bit rough up near the free RV park!
No, I'm not a realtor. Where is the "free RV park"?
$400K would definitely get something at Carolina Beach or one of the Brunswick County beaches, though not oceanfront.
Freeman's Park. As for cost, there are $100-200k condos on the water (just about everywhere). Still torn between oceanfront condo and cottage set back some, as I say. But aAnyway, looking is half the fun!
Anyone have any experience with Topsail Island in NC? The ocean-front condos are relatively inexpensive and the beaches are wonderful. We're considering purchasing a condo there. Not certain what the returns will be on a 2/2 Bed/Bath. Being close to Jacksonville and the Marine Corp. base, I understand the offseason rent can be good. Thanks for any feedback.
We just returned from vacation with our family in Corolla. Seriously considering purchasing with the following intent:
* investment
* ROI of 4-5% on a home which we can also enjoy as a family. We typically spend around $10,000 our year on family rental homes, one week in summer and one week at Christmas.
Although we stayed on Corolla, we feel it is too far to really enjoy all the OBX have to offer, along with the fact that it takes a ridiculous amount of time to get to the Catholic Church. We figured Duck, and perhaps the Southern Shores would be two good options. We would plan on renting year round and tend to agree that at least 5 bedrooms provide a property that two families could share (save on their rental costs).
After reading this post, we are rethinking our plans. We too live in NJ, and would get far more use from a home on LBI, however, get much less bang for the buck.
Bumping this old thread, delete me if I have committed an unforgivable offense, but it is very interesting to me how some of the guidance in this thread has aged (read: not well) in light of changing vacation patterns due to Covid.
One could argue both sides of the debate over whether patterns have changed permanently or it is just temporary, but the person saying that OBX has 6 months of non-rentable season might be interested to see the books of property owners for March, April, and October of 2021.
Bumping this old thread, delete me if I have committed an unforgivable offense, but it is very interesting to me how some of the guidance in this thread has aged (read: not well) in light of changing vacation patterns due to Covid.
One could argue both sides of the debate over whether patterns have changed permanently or it is just temporary, but the person saying that OBX has 6 months of non-rentable season might be interested to see the books of property owners for March, April, and October of 2021.
Got to agree with you.
We rent once or twice a year at OBX many times in different seasons. The rental agencies have mostly pushed out their reservations 18/24 months to guaranty availability.
We're considering investing in a beach home in Holden/Oak Island/Ocean Isle and have recently started the process. I came here for 'research' and this thread caught my eye. I was reading from the top until I noticed it started in 2012! Lol. Certainly input, opinions and travel trends have changed since then.
I've always wanted a beach property and this might be the year.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Tosail Island? Anyone?
