Wilmington NC Real Estate Guide

Figure Eight Island, NC

Figure Eight Island, NC is located just north of Wrightsville Beach, NC . It is a private island, only accessible by a swing-bridge with a gatehouse and is bordered by the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. The island consists of 1300 acres and approximately 441 homes. Before the turn of the century,  Figure Eight  was only home to horses roaming on the dunes. Figure Eight Island today is a beautiful coastal community offering the ultimate in privacy and security and just minutes from the conveniences of Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, NC. Figure Eight remains untouched by commercial developments like hotels and shopping centers, although there are many conveniently located nearby. Read the rest of this entry

This winter, give your Wilmington NC home a check-up. Arrange to have an energy-efficiency evaluation by the local utility or contractor. You will find out how you can save on heating and cooling costs, and how much each improvement will cost. While you’re at it, have your heating and cooling systems checked to make sure they’re working at their best.

Another area to check is the house exterior for termites and carpenter ants. And take a look at the roof for shingles or tiles that may be loose or have cracks or bubbles, and for dried or missing caulk around flashing. Check gutters for clogged downspouts, cracks, loose nails and places where the gutters have pulled away from the house.

If you’re planning to sell your home, this check-up will help eliminate surprises when it comes time to have your home inspected before settlement.

For more seller information please visit www.cbbaker.com

The National Association of Realtors have released their “For the Record” Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Real Facts about NC real estate.  Topics covered were Economy, Homeownership and Foreclosures.

NC unemployment rate has dropped steadily with NC being 3rd for declining rates.  September retail sales rose for the 3rd straight month.  Housing starts hit a 5 month high in September, 4.1% higher than September 2009.  Foreclosure rates fell and the NC Foreclosure Prevention Fund assistance will start being available in December to struggling homeowners.  Read more here…

The National Association of realtors has posted that the existing home sales rose again in September.  This affirms that a sales recovery has begun. 

The NAR states that the “existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, jumped 10.0 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.53 million in September from a downwardly revised 4.12 million in August, but remain 19.1 percent below the 5.60 million-unit pace in September 2009 when first-time buyers were ramping up in advance of the initial deadline for the tax credit last November.”

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the housing market is in the early stages of recovery. “A housing recovery is taking place but will be choppy at times depending on the duration and impact of a foreclosure moratorium. But the overall direction should be a gradual rising trend in home sales with buyers responding to historically low mortgage interest rates and very favorable affordability conditions,” he said.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 4.35 percent in September from 4.43 percent in August; the rate was 5.06 percent in September 2009.

The national median existing-home price2 for all housing types was $171,700 in September, which is 2.4 percent below a year ago. Distressed homes3 accounted for 35 percent of sales in September compared with 34 percent in August; they were 29 percent in September 2009.  Ten years ago, the mortgage rates were twice what they are today and the home prices were at least 20% more, making this a great time to purchase Wilmington NC real estate.  Please visit www.cbbaker.com to search all Wilmington NC area homes, land and boatslips.

Rendering by Creative Illustration Media, INC. LS&P Architects

Wilmington NC is going to get it’s own state of the art  Convention Center.  After waiting for approvals and site plans, an opening date has been set for the Historic Downtown Wilmington Convention Center on the Cape Fear River. 

The grand opening is set for Thursday January 13, 2011 at 9:30 am.  The public is invited and there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony with the mayor and other community leaders.  Following the ceremony, there will be a BizTech Expo with technology and business vendors.  On January 15 a black tie event will be held by the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, with proceeds benefiting the Cape Fear Future initiative.  

A couple of big companies have signed contracts to hold their conventions here for the next couple of years.  This will bring added revenue to Wilmington NC and expose our area and all it’s natural treasures and great Wilmington NC real estate opportunities.  

Please explore our website for the most up to date listings of all Wilmington NC real estate and waterfront properties.  www.cbbaker.com or call us and we will personally select properties that will fit your real estate needs or portfolio.

If the low prices and the low interest rates have you wishing you could buy a new home but cannot because of your debt load, there is still time to reorganize your finances to make your wish come true.  Take a realistic look at where you spend your money.  Write everything down and where you spent it.  Is there a $4.00 Latte everyday? Make a budget and try to do away with some of the extras that you buy on a whim.  There are budget tools online, like Suze Ormans expense tracker that will help get you started.   We also have a credit repair company that can help you earn additional points for your credit score, so that you can qualify for lower interest rates.  Before you know it, that new home can be yours.  Be patient and work towards what you really want.  We can help you achieve this.  For all your Wilmington NC real estate needs please visit www.cbbaker.com or www.kaybakerwilmington.com

To view the home pictured please visit www.AskMeAboutWilmington.com

Pine Valley Estates| Wilmington NC real estate: OPEN HOUSE Sunday 12/6 1-4 pm | http://www.relocationwilmingtonnc.com/ via @addthis

Many  consumers are now taking a serious look at the many buying opportunities in the second home real estate market in Wilmington, NC. What better time to purchase a vacation home, retirement home or perhaps a residence that may be appealing to vacationers and possibly create rental income. Second homes or vacation homes can include beach cottages, mountain cabins, or lake homes or condos and downtown or riverfront lofts. Of course, the most popular are beach or seaside cottages. Read the rest of this entry