Studebaker John

The 16th annual Blues Festival is this weekend.  Everywhere around town, the Blues shall be heard… The kick off party is on the Henrietta III at 7:30pm Friday July 29.  There will be music on the dock by Rick Toby.  Catered heavy appetizer buffet, cash bar and a 2-hour sunset cruise along the historic Cape Fear River.  Tickets are available at Wilmingtontickets. Three different Blues Bands will perform on the cruise.  Post Cruise party at Rusty Nail.   For a full list of events and bands please visit www. capefearblues.org.  The weekend will be fun and eventful. Talent everywhere.

Studebaker John and the Hawks… listen here….

While you are in town, if you see real estate that interests you, let us know.  On your phone text 14059 to 44133 to search Wilmington NC real estate or go to www.cbbaker.com.  Have fun!

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.

The Cost of Living Index measure differences in costs of services and consumer goods for middle class standard of living.  314 urban areas in the US participated in the study.  The study is conducted over a 3 day period, covering 90,000 prices of 60 different items.   The Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce posted the following chart detailing the scores compared to other Southern cities.

Click on chart for larger view.

Purchase a participating home between May 1, 2010 and July 31, 2010 and the seller will refund 3% of the accepted offer price up to $8,000 to you as a credit at closing.  Look for the “Buyer Bonus Program” homes online or call us and we can help you with your search for a new home.  You don’t have to be a first time home buyer to enjoy the credit.  Read more here.

Search online at www.cbbaker.com or TEXT 14059 to 44133 to search on your mobile phone.

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.

Wilmington NC Real Estate

This is great news for Wilmington NC real estate, as this will give our home buyers and sellers a “real” street view of the neighborhood, to compliment the interest they have in a certain home.  Also for sellers it will add another way of marketing their home.  Click on view larger map to view the entrance to Greymarsh Crossing one of our neighborhoods that we have a listing in View Larger Map .  Stroll down the street to 1300 Old Lamplighter, and you will see this fine home.  If you would like to see what the night sky would like like over the house you wish to purchase, just go to google earth and search address and click night sky vision and presto you can see which stars will be above you. The possibilities are endless. Google really has come forth with what they were seeking when they first named “Google”, which is named after the mathematical number “googol” -  a huge number which is the digit 1 followed by 100 zeros. Their mission was to organize an endless amount of information on the web.  I would say that they are fullfilling their promise.  Thank you Google.

Waterfront living in Wilmington NC equals or surpasses any area in the Southeast and If you enjoy boating as much as many of us do in Southeastern NC, you definitely know we have one of the best boating locations in the nation. Wilmington, with the Cape Fear River to the West and the Atlantic Ocean to the East, has it all, from the River to the Sea.

Wilmington NC Boating

And, to top it off we have boater’s paradise at Masonboro Island, an uninhabited 8 mile stretch of beach from Wrightsville Beach to Carolina Beach and Lee Island, another uninhabited i sland between Figure Eight Island and Topsail Island. Where else can you find such calm and protected waters for boating enjoyment? You can take the family and enjoy a cookout or bonfire on the beach or even overnight. Another wonderful joy of boating in the Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach area is waterfront dining. We enjoy taking the boat to some of the best waterfront restaurants on the East coast from the Bridge Tender Restaurant, Airlie Seafood, Bluewater or Dockside restaurants.

Wilmington NC Real Estate

Wilmington NC has so much to offer including mild climate, pristine beaches, protected bays and sounds for boating enjoyment including historic downtown on the river. Wilmington is also one of the best places for real estate investment according to CNN Money. Why not take advantage of owning a little piece of paradise while prices are still low. With all the marinas and waterfront properties with boatslips available in the Wilmington area, what better time than now to buy Wilmington NC real estate ?

Wilmington NC Waterfront Neighborhoods

Enjoy neighborhoods within minutes from Masonboro Inlet, one of the most protected inlets on the East coast, such as Shinn Point with a deep water canal, or Masonboro Harbour with its protected marina and 32′ boat slips for homeowners. We have a wide array of wonderful neighborhoods on the water or near the water & marinas . I have lived on or near the water in Wilmington, NC all my life and I know where the best locations are. So give me a call at 910-232-0363 or email me at kaybaker@seacoastrealty.com today.

Wilmington NC has it all! From the river to the sea, I cannot speak highly enough about my life long home. I have seen many changes take place along the way, such as the completion of Interstate 40 from the piedmont area, Wilmington International Airport, the Film Industry, and of course, now the development of Mayfaire Town Center, and the revitalization of the Historic District.

The Wilmington NC real estate market is a strong and vibrant one and offers investors and homeowners alike a solid investment opportunity. In fact, according to CNN Money, Wilmington is ranked in the top ten cities that are projected to post the largest increase in value by 2011.

Wilmington NC neighborhoods

Wilmington NC neighborhoods and communities surpass any other with homes and amenities in all price ranges from affordable homes in the mid $100′s to move up neighborhoods from the $200′s, luxury neighhborhoods like Landfall or Porters Neck with famous golf courses , to exquisite waterfront communities with protected harbours and marinas with boat slips like Shinn Point , Masonboro Harbour , and exclusive Figure Eight Island.

Wilmington NC is nestled between the Cape Fear River and Carolina’s pristine beaches and has become one of the top relocation destinations due to it’s mild climate, beaches and year round golf. Here you will discover the beauty and charm of Wilmington NC and area beaches. The area’s many miles of coastline, rivers and sounds offer a variety of fishing, watersports, boating activities, and quite a few harbors, marinas, and yacht clubs. With the mild climate, recreational opportunities abound in the area including many golf courses that are playable year round.

Welcome to the Cape Fear Coast!

The Cape Fear region is considered to be 3 county wide from Wilmington NC , Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach in New Hanover County to Leland, Southport and Bald Head in Brunswick County , and Hampstead and the Topsail beaches in Pender County. So if your search includes Wilmington NC real estate, homes in Wilmington NC, Wrightsville Beach homes, Wrightsville Beach real estate, Leland NC real estate, Carolina Beach real estate, Kure Beach real estate, Hampstead, NC real estate, Bald Head Island real estate, Figure Eight Island real estate or New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick Counties, we can assist you.

The Cape Fear region’s many miles of coastline, rivers and sounds offer a wide variety of fishing, watersports, and boating activities. Quite a few harbors are within minutes.

Recreation Wilmington NC Real Estate

With the mild climate, recreational opportunities abound in the area including many golf courses that are playable year round.We know you’ll enjoy life in our beautiful corner of North Carolina. We believe it’s one of the most inviting and friendly areas in the country.

Wilmington NC Historic District

Wilmington is blessed with a beautiful and extensive historic district with magnificent and stately oaks that are draped with Spanish moss. Azaleas and Oleanders abound and many homes have extensive gardens, some of which are opened to the public during the Azalea Festival.

History and architecture have combined to allow 230 blocks of downtown Wilmington to be placed on the National Register of Historic Districts. This city has seen a lof of history and it is fortunate that so much of it has been preserved or restored so meticulously in the downtown area. Some of the buildings are from the 1700s. The architecture represented covers Antebellum, Greek Revival, Queen Anne and periods in between.

Beaches near Wilmington NC

There are many beautiful beach communities that we have come to love and enjoy such as Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Topsail Beach, Surf City, North Topsail Beach, Oak Island, Bald Head Island, Ocean Isle Beach, Holden Beach, Sunset Beach and Figure Eight Island, which front on the always captivating Atlantic Ocean.

Climate Wilmington NC

Wilmington is in a temperate climate zone and the winds off the Atlantic, due the Gulf Stream effect, help keep winter temperatures moderate. However, there are four seasons and their transitions usually are spectacular. Extreme temperatures occasionally occur in both winter and summer, but typically, the average low temperature in January is around 36 degrees Fahrenheit and the August high is around 90.

Wilmington NC Economy

The wonderful climate and proximity to rivers, lakes and the Atlantic seashore are factors in the population growth. Another factor has to do with the location being a natural trade center. New Hanover county is a good location for comfortable living and a thriving business environment. The proof is in the numbers and the population grew from 120 thousand in 1990 to 160 thousand in the 2000 US Census. It is projected to reach 197 thousand by 2010! The city of Wilmington’s population is growing steadily and in 2002 it was 90,000. The 2004 population for the neighboring counties are Brunswick, 84,575; Pender 41,082; and Columbus, 54,703. Although New Hanover is smaller than its neighboring counties, it is much more densely populated. It has nineteen incorporated municipalities, more than any other county in North Carolina.