How to find housing in Surf City area (Sneads Ferry, Holly Ridge: real estate, rentals)

[Upstate91]

Hey good afternoon all... So I am currently living in Western New York and was wondering what the best way to find a beach house is? With sites like craigslist, it can be hard to hone in on the Surf City area because so many listings also include Holly Ridge and other nearby areas. I've looked at several real estate agency sites but they have few Long Term Rentals and I get the impression that those are geared towards "off-season" rentals. Sites like Zillow, Trulia, Forrent, etc. also are offering very little. So my question is what is the best way to locate beach houses in the Surf City area? Thanks for any insight you can offer. I have two friends who are living near Snead's Ferry and we are looking to get a place together when their lease ends at the beginning of July. Obviously they will be looking for a house, but I was hoping to do some research from my comfortable chair in upstate NY. Thanks again,

Tyler

[Lucky Dawg]

Here's a 3 br listed on C'list:

Beachfront Townhome - 3BR/3BA

And another:

http://wilmington.craigslist.org/apa/5482510781.html

If you type "Surf City" into the search box its weeds out other areas. Beyond that, I'd call the real estate companies that handle seasonal listings to ask if they know of anything.

I suspect the reason you aren't finding much is because there isn't much to find. Not a lot of people want to live in Surf City year around, and owners can make much more money by renting seasonally.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Upstate91

So my question is what is the best way to locate beach houses in the Surf City area?

I assume you want a year-round rental at a reasonable rate. Another place to try is Militarybyowner.com . There are many in Sneads Ferry, but maybe a few are actually on the beach.

I will also DM you the name of a real estate firm that does many rentals (both seasonal and year-round.) They have about a dozen long-term rentals currently, ranging from $600 to $1495/month. Some are sound-view, some are ocean-view.

I hope you and friends can give good references, and are willing to be non-smoking.

[Upstate91]

@Lucky_Dawg - Thanks for the response, I've contacted one of the rental agencies already and will continue to do so. Thanks for the links as well.

@Goldenage1 - Thanks for the response. I will definitely check out Militarybyowner.com... And I have checked out the agency that you DM'ed me about, they seem to have the most LTR at the moment. Friends and I are not smokers, and they will have good references. They are currently renting in Snead's Ferry through a property management group, so perhaps they will find something through their current agency.

Thanks again for the quick and helpful responses.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Upstate91

And I have checked out the agency that you DM'ed me about, they seem to have the most LTR at the moment. Friends and I are not smokers, and they will have good references. They are currently renting in Snead's Ferry through a property management group, so perhaps they will find something through their current agency.

Good luck. As the other poster said, most owners can make a lot more money by renting only in the summer. If it is available year-round, there may be something less desirable about the house, such as the eroding beach and sand-bags mentioned in one listing. BTW, the erosion affects North Topsail, but not the Surf City portion of the Island (at least not yet.)