Spring is right around the corner in Wilmington NC. What a great time to get a jump start on your spring cleaning.  If you are considering putting your home on the market, this might be the time to hire a cleaning professional.

Some of the things you need to keep in mind are:

1. Make a list of things that you would like to have done to the interior and the exterior of the home. 

2.  Do your homework and ask friends for referrals of cleaning companies.  Check out references before you hand over the keys to you home.

3.  Make sure that the cleaning company handles taxes for their employees, has insurance and is bonded.

4. Get an estimate for services and make sure it is detailed.  Your idea of a cleaning might be different than theirs.

5.  Make sure that the company can schedule days to fit your schedule and whether or not they supply the cleaning equipment and supplies.

6.  A professional cleaning job can make your home shine and show well. 

7.  Call us to help you sell your home!

So, start your real estate search today at www.cbbaker.com.  You can find a new home as well as get seller advice.  You can search by price range, map, schools, neighborhoods and more.

Fantastic positive news was released from the National Association of Realtors today.  The news release stated that the historically low interest rates combined with the $8,000 credit for first-time ( or homeowners who have not purchased a home in 3 years) helped raise the pending home sales contracts, for the third consective month.

The Pending Home Sales Index a “pending prediction” indicator based on contracts signed in April, rose 6.7 percent to 90.3 from 84.6 in March,
which is even above the April 2008 index of 87.5.

To get the first time home buyer credit of $8,000, contracts must be firmed up by November 30, 2009 to receive the credit, so we look forward to an increase in home sales.

The Wilmington NC real estate market has also enjoyed an increase in pending sales contract and still is in a a strong postion to continue this trend.

To search all Wilmington NC real estate and find out about the $8,000 tax credit please read more about the Wilmington NC real estate market here.

The Regency at Landfall

The Regency at Landfall is truly a place like no other. With its legendary beauty, old world charm and unmatched amenities, you can truly enjoy luxurious living on the coast of North Carolina.  

Landfall offers golf and more golf… The unsurpassed Jack Nicklaus 27 hole and the 18 hole Pete Dye course are stunningly designed and border glassy lakes, wetlands and dramatic views of the Intracoastal Waterway. And both of these are just steps from your front door at The Regency at Landfall.

In addition, Landfall offers an Olympic sized pool, walking paths, tennis complex, fitness center, two clubhouses and two pro shops.

The Regency at Landfall offers the best of all worlds, being located convenient to the port city of Wilmington, NC and less than 5 minutes to Wrightsville Beach, NC and Mayfaire Town Center. 

The Regency at Landfall offers wooded homesites available now for building and prices range from $250,000. Lenders are offering very aggressive mortgage terms for the remaining homesites at The Regency with up to 95% financing. And there are special incentives for builders, for a limited time only. 

The Regency’s lovely wooded neighborhood is an array of elegant homestyles to Mediterranean. Come enjoy this relaxing coastal lifestyle at The Regency at Landfall.

For more details on The Regency, to search for all homes for sale in Landfall , or Wilmington, NC real estate,  please contact kay@cbbaker.com or 910-497-7325 or www.cbbaker.com .

Figure Eight Island swing bridge may soon be only swinging once an hour instead of twice. Figure Eight Island is a private oceanfront island only minutes north of Wrightville Beach and Wilmington, NC. It is only accessible by a swingbridge. Figure 8 Island is a popular vacation destination for the elite due to little traffic or tourists. You will find miles of pristine sandy white beaches, a yacht club and marina, tennis courts and a boat ramp. Visitors can enjoy swimming, fishing, skiing, birdwatching or just relaxing on the gorgeous beaches.
The change in the swing bridge schedule would make it the same as the one hour opening for the Wrightsville Beach, Surf City and Sunset Bridge.

There are several custom homes  for sale at Figure Eight Island. They range in price from $1,995,000-$4,475,000. Many of these custom homes are located on the beautiful white beaches of Figure 8 Island. There are also homes on the sound front with private boat docks for easy access to the

intracoastalway or the ocean for deep sea fishing. For complete details on Figure Eight Island real estate, please go to www.cbbaker.com or contact me directly at 910-232-0363. You can also text message 44133 textcode 14041 and you will receive mobile virtual tours to your phone!

The timing could not be better than right now to be thinking about the purchase of a vacation or second home. Homes are on sale everywhere; Interest rates are at an all time low; Abundance of inventory gives you many choices; and many sellers are offering incentives. Read the rest of this entry

Google Street View

Well, Wilmington NC has made the news again!  Google has added Wilmington NC  to their list of “Special Cities” for their new “Street view”.  Realistic  360*  views of streets  at eye level.  Last December the google truck was sited in our area, and one of the locals ran outside to take a picture of the truck with google logo and a camera perched on top, and sure enough he is in the google street view online. Read the rest of this entry

Great Time To Purchase A Vacation Home

What a great time to buy the vacation home! You have always dreamed of owning your own cabin in the mountains or an oceanfront home or condo. Well now is the time to invest in this once in a lifetime opportunity. According to the National Association of Realtors the housing market may be already starting a rebound as contracts written in August jumped and home sales are up in popular vacation spots such as Florida and Arizona. Read the rest of this entry

1. Beautiful Beaches and Waterways

Wilmington NC is situated on the southeast coast of NC and is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the west by the Cape Fear River. The beauty and charm of Wilmington and the surrounding beaches equal or surpass any on the east coast. The many pristine beaches that we have to enjoy such as Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Topsail Beach, Oak Island and Ocean Isle Beach are sure to captivate your heart.

2. Boating

The area’s many miles of coastline, rivers and sounds offer a variety of  watersports, boating activities, and quite a few harbors, marinas, and yacht clubs.

3. Fishing

Being located within minutes of one of the most protected inlets on the east coast, Wilmington offers bountiful fishing opportunities within minutes. Masonboro Inlet is located between the Southern tip of Wrightsville Beach and Masonboro Island. Also, the many creeks and bays located off banks channel and the waterways are a fisherman’s dream. You will see them fishing for drum, trout, and  flounder in the fall of the year.

3. Masonboro Island

Masonboro Island is an 8 mile long uninhabited island on the southern North Carolina coast between Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach and is part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve. Masonboro Island, only accessible by boat, is enjoyed by campers, surfers, anglers, and bird-watchers alike. The reserve consists of about 5000 acres, which about 4400 acres are tidal marsh and mud flats. The most northern end at Masonboro Inlet is the most popular area with its sandy beaches and protected waters. Any summer weekend you will see many boaters and campers prepared for a few days on the beach with tents, grills and water toys in tow.

4. Historic Downtown Wilmington NC

Wilmington is blessed with a beautiful and extensive historic district with magnificent and stately oaks, azaleas and oleanders. 230 blocks of downtown are on the The National Register of Historic Districts. The city embraces a lot of history and is fortunate that so much has been preserved.

5. Wilmington NC Real Estate

I cannot speak highly enough about the real estate offered in and around Wilmington NC, from the River to the Sea! Wilmington offers many affordable neighborhoods such as Whitney Pines to move up neighborhoods like Covil Estates with amenities, to luxury gated communities such as Landfall, or golf course neighborhoods like Porters Neck, and waterfront neighborhoods with marinas and boatslips such as Turtle Hall or Shinn Point . The choices are all right here in our great port city of Wilmington NC. Read the rest of this entry

On Saturday, three  Coldwell Banker Realtors held a marketing event at the gated community of Figure Eight Island, NC. Figure 8 Island, NC  is only accessed by a bridge and Open House events are not allowed. For instance, you cannot even cross the bridge without approval from the homeowners, and an event has to be first approved the Homeowners Association. There are no signs allowed, so strategic marketing efforts are necessary. Direct mail to Figure Eight Island homeowners, email marketing to Realtors, interoffice memos, and internet marketing proved to be very successful as the turnout was great! Read the rest of this entry

Affordable Neighborhoods in Wilmington NC

There are numerous affordable neighborhoods in Wilmington, NC and New Hanover County that are peachy perfect for first time home buyers that would like to take advantage of the $7500 tax credit. They range in price from just under $150,000 to $200,000. Just to mention a few that you might want to take a look at: Whitney Pines, Alamosa  Place, Farrington Farms, Hollyfield at West Bay Estates. You can search all of these by neighborhood at www.cbbaker.com. Read the rest of this entry