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Good morning! We have a lot in Winding River which we have not built on yet but are considering doing so soon. We just made an offer on the contiguous lot with a better view and are in the due diligence phase. Each is about .35 acres with additional golf property as a buffer. I am wondering about the pros and cons of combining the lots for real estate tax purposes, HOA fees, and building envelope. It seems like a lot to pay two HOA fees if only one home is built, for example, but I’m not sure that can be changed. Have others bought touching lots and how have you handled it?
Also, these threads on WRP are old and I’m wondering if everyone still is loving living there? It has been 5 years since we first bought there and maybe you could comment on how things have changed since then? Thank you for your input!
Good morning! We have a lot in Winding River which we have not built on yet but are considering doing so soon. We just made an offer on the contiguous lot with a better view and are in the due diligence phase. Each is about .35 acres with additional golf property as a buffer. I am wondering about the pros and cons of combining the lots for real estate tax purposes, HOA fees, and building envelope. It seems like a lot to pay two HOA fees if only one home is built, for example, but I’m not sure that can be changed. Have others bought touching lots and how have you handled it?
Also, these threads on WRP are old and I’m wondering if everyone still is loving living there? It has been 5 years since we first bought there and maybe you could comment on how things have changed since then? Thank you for your input!
We owned a lot in WRP for years, and planned to build in retirement. We love Winding River......the beach house, is what sold us. The river house is just beautiful. Now in retirement, we find those things are just not enough. For one thing, it`s just not warm enough in the winter, for us. Shopping, dining, are to far, especially at night.....very dark, no street lights, traffic is very fast.
This was a hot topic in Ocean Ridge recently. Here, if you own more than 1 lot you pay the full amount of all fees "per lot". Even if they are right next to one another.
Not sure if Winding River is the same but probably is.
sorry....
Quote:
Originally Posted by maroger
Good morning! We have a lot in Winding River which we have not built on yet but are considering doing so soon. We just made an offer on the contiguous lot with a better view and are in the due diligence phase. Each is about .35 acres with additional golf property as a buffer. I am wondering about the pros and cons of combining the lots for real estate tax purposes, HOA fees, and building envelope. It seems like a lot to pay two HOA fees if only one home is built, for example, but I’m not sure that can be changed. Have others bought touching lots and how have you handled it?
Also, these threads on WRP are old and I’m wondering if everyone still is loving living there? It has been 5 years since we first bought there and maybe you could comment on how things have changed since then? Thank you for your input!
Well, we looked at building in Winding River. I did not find the HOA particularly helpful in accommodating special requests. In all other developments I have been in if you own 2 lots you pay for 2 HOA fees. Building envelope? Are you referring to the building setbacks, impervious limit, etc? Again, I'd check with the HOA, but you should be able to go to each of the outer limits if that makes sense. So your house could be wider than the normal setbacks on one lot.
Now since we don't live there I'll let others comment as to whether they like living there, but I will tell you why we decided not to buy or build there. We decided it was just too far away from everyday things for us- grocery store, drug store, restaurants, etc. Traffic driving into Southport can be horrendous. Very dark at night, and tons of traffic even in the off season (is there one now?). We looked at privately buying a house in WR and when we asked them why they were moving it was because they felt WR was too remote. Since we were concerned about that it just reinforced our feeling. So, we ended up buying right in Southport. 2 minutes to a drugstore, 5 minutes to dining, fresh seafood, and grocery stores. And we don't have to deal with the traffic- we can just hop onto our golf cart!! As an aside we were also a bit concerned about the golf course at WR. The clubhouse was beginning to get a bit dilapidated with rotting wood, needed painting, and the clubhouse smelled a bit musty. I don't know if they've made any repairs since we looked there.
I left WRP last fall for Florida; for the warmer climate. I owned a home in WRP for over 5 years. Very nice neighborhood and full of friendly people. You are "out there" and the joke among residents was that we were 25 minutes from everything. The majority of WRP residents like it that way and are glad to be away from the crime and city problems. FWIW: There are problems in Oak Island and Southport and your property tax and utilities are higher in those towns.
To some of the above comments. There is street lighting in WRP and most residents have resisted lighting up the area. If you are older with vision issues, you might want a more urban situation.
Not sure about the "clubhouse" comments but the POC (Property Owners Clubhouse) is in great condition! It is maintained to very high standards. The Golf Course Clubhouse was need of repairs and I understand those issues have been addressed. Remember, WRP doesn't own or operate the golf course or their building/restaurant; it is a separate entity.
The demand for resell homes is high for WRP. Our house sold quickly and we received our asking price. The resale inventory is currently low, only four houses on the market, in WRP. One resale come on the market this week at $600,000. Three other resales are listed at $775,000 (get deal and it has been recently reduced); $899,000 and $1,100,000. Houses are going up and empty lots are being resold. Builders have been buying up some of the empty lots so that is an indication that WRP is popular.
I am fairly certain you would have to pay HOA fees for two lots, but I gave information on that. Before you build or even break ground you must submit your plans to the ARC. Most of major builders in Brunswick County are familiar with the WRP rules and give you guidance on what you can build and how to build it.
WRP is great place to live if you are looking for a more rural or countryside living experience. Maybe that is the reason the residents are so friendly.
Last edited by Mr. Purple 2; 03-09-2021 at 10:21 AM..
I should have been more specific about which clubhouse I was referring to- the golf clubhouse was in need of repairs. Although I realize this is not owned by Winding River, many houses back up to the golf course. Having been in a development previously where the golf course and club folded and home values plummeted as a result of it, I am always a bit hesitant when a property looks a bit worn and faded. As they say, once bitten, twice shy.
I do agree with Mr Purple that all the people we met when visiting there were very nice. But everyone I've met in Southport is very nice, too. It's a friendly area.
I left WRP last fall for Florida; for the warmer climate. I owned a home in WRP for over 5 years. Very nice neighborhood and full of friendly people. You are "out there" and the joke among residents was that we were 25 minutes from everything. The majority of WRP residents like it that way and are glad to be away from the crime and city problems. FWIW: There are problems in Oak Island and Southport and your property tax and utilities are higher in those towns.
Funny you should ask. I have a home there and wondered what "problems" he was referring to. So far I haven't encountered anything major and we've had our home over a year. I will say the water/sewer bills are ridiculously high, but other than that I haven't encountered any issues.
Thank you all for your quick and helpful responses. You offer a reality check on the potential cons of building there, namely long distances to get to any stores, relative isolation from the wider area, and probably paying two HOA fees. I have a call into management about the HOA but I’ve heard the same thing.
As golfers, we think the golf course is very nice and stays dry and playable when so many others in the larger area can’t handle the increasingly heavy storms but I do remember thinking the clubhouse there could stand some sprucing up. The fact that the golf is separate and open to the public does help, though, since the WRP owners will not be on the hook if it has issues. Also, what happened about the store complex that was supposed to be built on 211?
I have also had concerns about building ANYWHERE too close to the coast. It seems though, that WRP is higher than many other places, protected by extensive marsh areas and is in a low risk flooding area, so I go back and forth about that issue.
Before we bought our first lot in 2015, we visited many places along the NC coast (thank you for the help several of you gave me back then in these posts). We felt very strongly that WRP was the place for us because of its size, quiet and beautiful neighborhoods with mature trees and tasteful homes, and the sense that people living there were very happy and friendly. We will be visiting again for two weeks in the beginning of April and are anxious to see if we still view it that way and if we want to take the next step and build.
Again, thank you and if you have additional comments, I’d welcome them. Have a great day!
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