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Bringing the family down in late June for the week and staying two nights in St James and three on Oak Island. My daughters birthday (31 YO) will be during our St James visit. Interested in dinner dining suggestions both inside St James and one evening in Southport. For the bd dinner and one other evening we are interested in upscale dining. We plan on eating in St James the two evenings while there.
Any suggestions both inside St James and in Southport??
My wife and I ate at Mr. P's Bistro in Southport when we visited this spring. Halfway through our dinner we made reservations for the very next night. It is THAT GOOD.
Moderate prices, moderate décor, great friendly service and superb food. We were stunned-in the best of ways.
Don't skip dessert. They make everything in-house, and the key lime pie was the best I have ever had.
We just bought a lot in SJP on Marsh Point Lane. Flood zone concerns but walking distance to the Marina and Founders Club and kids park across the street put us over the top. I’m confident that we can get the living area 16 feet about sea level, if not more so flooding wasn’t a deal breaker.
I’ve heard someone mention having “flood gates” installed on the crawl space/foundation. Does anyone here have “FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE” of such a set up?
Any other tips for building in SJP would be greatly appreciated. We won’t build for a few years yet, probably closer to 2021.
My single best tip for concerns about low-lying property is to talk to your prospective neighbors. They would know (FIRST HAND) what the situation has been for as many years as they have been there.
My single best tip for concerns about low-lying property is to talk to your prospective neighbors. They would know (FIRST HAND) what the situation has been for as many years as they have been there.
Gatorbyter
Thanks, I do plan to do that but we are 2.5 hrs away with no free dates to go back for the rest of the summer and I have no access yet to the direct neighbors so I figured I’d reach out within the forums and see what I can find out.
Thanks, I do plan to do that but we are 2.5 hrs away with no free dates to go back for the rest of the summer and I have no access yet to the direct neighbors so I figured I’d reach out within the forums and see what I can find out.
Actually …. you can call those neighbors. I reached out to both my prospective neighbors by phone before even buying my properties. If you can't get their phone numbers using info from the Brunswick Tax office, then mail them. Most SJP residents would be more than happy to provide their insight. This is likely a major decision (and investment) for you. Take all steps you can to ensure it works out right!
Chances are, they will be as curious about you as you are about them (and that property)!
We just bought a lot in SJP on Marsh Point Lane. Flood zone concerns but walking distance to the Marina and Founders Club and kids park across the street put us over the top. I’m confident that we can get the living area 16 feet about sea level, if not more so flooding wasn’t a deal breaker.
I’ve heard someone mention having “flood gates” installed on the crawl space/foundation. Does anyone here have “FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE” of such a set up?
Any other tips for building in SJP would be greatly appreciated. We won’t build for a few years yet, probably closer to 2021.
thanks,
Dave
To get 16 foot above sea level that close to the ICW probably means you intend to build on pilings.
There are some building code restrictions within SJP when it comes to finishing areas of the home that are less than about 10 foot above sea level. Some have finished areas underneath their homes and have ended up paying stiff penalties and insurance premiums. I guess if your pockets are deep enough, you don't really care.
As far as flood gates. These are simply vents around the base of the foundation. They are designed to be normally closed but have floats internally that open if waters rise. This allows water to move freely through the space. The idea is, yes things get wet, but it relives the pressure of moving water. If flood waters only exert a few pounds of pressure per inch, the combined cross section of thousands of square inches results in thousands of pounds of pressure. In some cases this pressure can move a house off its foundation, blow out walls etc. Flood gates prevent or minimize this.
One technique in construction is sometimes referred to as "top down" construction. Some services such as electricity enter the house underground but immediately goes up to attic level where every thing distributes from. All outlets etc are serviced from above which limits damage in the event of high water. HVAC can use this same principle. The HVAC unit is placed high, either in the attic or up on stilts and platform and all duct work vents are in the ceiling.
Built on pilings helps with most of these issues. Just do not plan on any bed rooms etc on the lower ground level. It can certainly be closed in, using flood gates. It can be a garage, storage area, out side shower, patio access and so on. It can be lighted and have power outlets higher on the walls. Just don't plan on putting in drywall or finished rooms.
I am no expert. Consult with your builder on all aspects. Building codes can change over time.
Insightful feedback, thanks everyone! we are in "due diligence" now until June 11th so gathering all the info we can from any resource. I do plan on talking to the neighbors as soon as I get contact info. For now hearing back from residents that have built there is valuable feedback. our realtor "John Winter" has lived there for 25 years and said building up on that lot wouldn't present a major issue, center lot elevation is currently 8'8". We plan to build up to 10'/11' with fill and get the first "living" level up to at least 16' per code. It will definitely effect our floor-plan but looking at the rest of the homes on that street and in the area it really doesn't appear to be a major issue. Anything can happen of course but as mentioned there are many precautions we can take. I keep telling my wife we'll have to buy a nice 30' boat "just in case"
thanks again!
Dave
Last edited by LudaDave; 05-30-2018 at 01:33 PM..
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