Welcome to my first edition of Sandhills Home! My goal is to provide our community with a ‘Guide’ to information on our local real estate market, seasonal community events, and business spotlights that make this area so special. Every newsletter will feature a
comprehensive real estate market update aimed at informing homeowners about the current conditions in their local area. I will provide articles with valuable tips and strategies to help make your home selling or buying more successful and less stressful! I am thrilled to collaborate with local businesses and shine a spotlight on the unique benefits they offer to our community. You can also expect articles on community events and calendar updates to ensure that you don’t miss out on all the exciting local activities offered.
Sandhills
Bobby Costello’s View of the 2024 Paris Olympics
Southern Pines has plenty of reasons to be proud of Bobby Costello, (pictured left) a resident of the town since the early 1990s.
His major accomplishments include an 8th place individual finish at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and winning team gold for the U.S. at the 2003 Pan American Games. In 2022, he was hired as full-time Technical Advisor/Chef d’Equipe for U.S. Eventing Team in advance of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“My personal experience at the
Olympics was in 2000 when I competed in Sydney on a great horse called Chevalier,” he says. “I went there with many other Americans and as luck would have it, I did end up competing. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced, being surrounded by the best athletes in every other sport. It was uniquely positive with everyone so honored and happy to be there. Obviously, it’s intense and the pressures is pretty great, but everyone that competes realizes how fortunate they are.”
of natural obstacle – ditches, water hazards, banks – all negotiated a very high rate of speed. After the rigors of the second day, the third day tests whether the horse can come back and be listening to the rider and have the stamina to execute tall show jumps. The history of this goes back to the military, to see if the horse could rebound after a day of battle and still be fit and alert and careful on the third day.”
The 2024 Paris Olympics is scheduled to take place in France from July 26 – August 11, 2024.
According to Costello, selection for the 2024 team is based on experience, consistency of result and the ability to bring home a medal for the United States. “Our strategy is for everyone to produce a personal best performance in all three phases,” he says. “If we do that, we should be successful.”
He says the sport of eventing is essentially an equestrian triathlon with three distinct phases. “The dressage phase occurs on the first day,” he explains. “This tests the basic training and responsiveness between the athlete and horse through a series of very prescribed movements. You could liken it to the figures that figure skaters used to do. Cross country comes on the second day. That is the heart of the competition, about four miles over the countryside. In the upcoming Olympics this phase will take place on the Versailles Palace grounds over every kind
In terms of the logistics of getting horses and riders there safely, he says the athletes will all be taking passenger planes, and the horses will travel out of JFK in New York on a special aircraft. “It’s pretty standard for horses,” he says. “They usually do very well on a plane. It can be quite hot in Europe in the middle of the summer but that can be to our advantage, since most of our horses are coming from the Mid-Atlantic to Southern states and they’re very used to the heat.”
“Obviously, the people that are at Versailles will witness a beautiful spectacle,” says Costello. “I’ve seen some computer mock-ups of the main arena with the backdrop of the Palace. For the television audience, I think it’s going to be the most stunning competition that we’ve ever seen in equestrian sports. So, it’s going to be great viewing whether you’re there in person or watching from the comfort of your home.”
SOUTHERN PINES OWN CHEF d’EQUIPE BOBBY COSTELLO by Ray Owen
Team USA: Will Coleman, Boyd Martin, Caroline Pamukcu, Elisabthe Halliday (reserve). Below, Chateau de Versailles, Paris, France
Bethesda Pines brings you a new place to call home in the heart of “the Pines” in Aberdeen, NC. Neighborhood amenities include sidewalks, trails, and a playground. Located down the road from the popular Malcolm Blue Farm, home of local festivals and gatherings, and a short drive to downtown Aberdeen boasting charming locally-owned shops and restaurants - you’ll find everything you need conveniently close by! For military folks, Bethesda Pines is just over 30 minutes from the Longstreet ACP at Fort Liberty.
To learn more call Audrey Wiggins at 910-315-3032.
Listings provided by:
2024 US Kids Golf World Championships
by Ray Owen, photos by Rip Charbonnet
Each year, the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships host golfers ages 5-12 in the Pinehurst area – the community coming together to produce the world’s largest junior tournament, providing a stage for the next generation of golfers to shine. The schedule consists of a Parade of Nations, Parent-Child Tournament, Trackman Demo Days, three rounds of championship play, and a Closing Ceremony. Following the three-day championship, Pinehurst No. 4 hosts the Van Horn Cup, a one-day best ball tournament featuring the top 12-yearold boys and girls.
The mission of U.S. Kids Golf is to help children have fun learning the game of golf and to encourage family interaction that builds lasting memories. Millions of young players have been impacted through their efforts in training coaches, developing kidfriendly programs, organizing over 1500 tournaments annually, and educating the golf industry on best practices for bringing kids into the game.
Keegan Ryan is a young champion from Holly Springs, NC, who competed in the 2023 World Championship by winning a special one-day qualifier hosted by the Veteran Golfers Association. He hopes to gain entry into the 2024 Championship by participating
in the same one-day qualifier. “I liked the parade and meeting the other kids,” says Keegan. “The course was hard with a lot of bunkers, but I still liked playing. I’m nine years old and I’ve been golfing since I was one or two years old. I started out with my mom and dad, and it was pretty fun. At my school, I don’t have friends that play golf. I’ve made a lot of friends from other places that play. The players I like most on the PGA Tour are Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler and Rory Mcllroy.”
“When U.S. Kids chose to come here 19 years ago, they understood the history and tradition of Pinehurst,” says Peter Stilwell, whose company, Tarheel Communications, is a promotional agency for U.S. Kids Golf. “They knew that families around the world would identify with the brand of Pinehurst as one of the top three golf destinations. In terms of kids like Keegan Ryan, Stilwell says, “over a third of the players in the recent U.S. Men’s Open are alumni of U.S. Kids Golf. That stat is pretty similar for the U.S. Women’s Open. You can basically say that today’s PGA Tour players have grown up through U.S. Kids Golf.” The 2024 World Teen Championship dates are July 25-27 and U.S. Kids World Championship dates are August 1-3, both tournaments held in the Pinehurst area.
Above left, Keegan Ryan playing a recent round in Pinehurst. Right, the Ryan family enjoying a round and some fun family time.
Selling Your Home Benefits of Staging Your Home
There is nothing I love more than walking into a professionally staged home, it truly enhances a buyer’s experience and vision for the property. As a listing agent, advice and guidance on home staging and prep for photography and 3-D marketing is quite possibly the most important service that I provide my sellers.
For some properties, in-home staging is possible, where one can rearrange, remove and sometimes replace furniture and personal decor items to better showcase the home. This process can be as simple as decluttering and rearranging with existing furniture or as extensive as bringing in all new ‘staging’ furniture and decor. A colorful rug to brighten a room, adding lamps for additional lighting, and using different furniture to redefine a unique space are all ways one can make their home show best.
But what if in-home staging is not possible due to budget or lifestyle needs? Never fear, Artificial Intelligence is here! Technological advances in the photography industry have allowed for Virtual Staging and Image Enhancement. This is an easy, noninvasive way to stage a home in whatever style that suits - from farmhouse chic to mid-century modern and everywhere in between.
This process is beneficial with my new construction, vacant and semi-vacant homes. The ability to stylize a vacant home or redefine a unique space virtually provides vision for buyers that is helpful to their decision making. It’s even possible to remove or add furniture and decor to semi-vacant homes!
Image enhancement can take interior photos even further. For instance with older homes with low ceilings and limited lighting, virtual enhancement platforms can add light and brighten a room. For exterior photos enhancements can be made to the sky or lawn, you can light up the windows and even change the setting to sun up or sun down.
The purpose of these enhancements is not to misrepresent but rather show what updates and improvements can do for the home.
We all know a photograph is worth a thousand words and that rings true for real estate marketing. A staged home, either virtually or otherwise, provides a better opportunity for buyers to visualize the space. Today’s buyers are digitally savvy and spectacular photos are necessary to capture their attention, otherwise they will simply swipe right and pass the home by.
Successful marketing takes expert advice and a team of professionals that truly understand how to make your home stand out from the rest and to showcase the lifestyle the property provides.
-Audrey Wiggins
Virtual Staging provides a realistic and immersive view of the interior spaces.
Above, Exterior Photo Enhancement provides a practical solution when weather or exterior conditions are less than ideal, or you want to showcase the home in a different s etting. Left, Virtual Staging adds depth and brings a potential design to life.
Photos/images by Rip Charbonnet, Greening Way Productions
Local Services
Artistic Kitchens and Baths will customize cabinets for your kitchen, bathroom, office, tack room - whatever you need. We can design cabinets to fit your space and maximize your storage. We work with kitchen vendors to complete the project, finishing with custom countertops, paint, appliances and more, making renovating or building a new home in the NC Sandhills easy!
dwilson@artistic-kitchens.com 683 SW Broad Street Southern Pines, NC 28387
Rip CharbonnetBusiness Spotlight
I started in front of the camera over 40 years ago, hoping to make my mark in Hollywood, but while working on a project I picked up a camera and for fun started filming behind the scenes. The scene and action of the actors through the lens changed my career direction. I bought a camera, some lenses and a few lights a month later. I built my skills by starting at the bottom, working with other photographers starting as a gofer, then a photographer’s assistant, darkroom tech and so on.
A couple of years later I opened my photography studio. My portfolio was product advertising and corporate marketing. I eventually added film and video production to my services. That grew my client base and project opportunities that took me to California, where I ended up opening a full service production company.
My work is about telling a story, and there is a story behind everything. So, I approach projects more like lifestyle moments to make them relatable to the customer and viewer. And whether I’m on a
set, inside a business, home or standing in a field with a horse, I start with design, lighting, detail and sometimes emotion, to capture an image that grabs the viewers imagination.
Like I mentioned I’ve been doing this for some time. I’ve honed my skills. I’ve got a good eye, I’m comfortable working with and directing people. I’ve worked with big clients, small businesses and individuals. I even got the opportunity to produce at 6 Olympic games. But it was always about the story the picture conveyed or the video told.
Do you have a story that you need to tell, to been seen? If you do let’s get together and figure out the best way to get it produced and out there.
SANDHILLS AREA EVENTS
JULY – AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2024
July 12-14: Sedgefield at the Park, NCHJA
Hunter Jumper C Show at Carolina Horse Park
July 18-28: NC Peach Festival / Peach Week
July 20-28: Carolina Polocrosse Club / World Cup, Durban Shongweni Club, Kwa-Zulu Natal South Africa
July 24-Aug 28: 44th Annual Fine Arts Festival, Arts Council of Moore Co., Southern Pines
July 24: Picnics & Ponies Show Series at Heather Ridge Farm, Raeford
July 27: Dressage & CT Show at Buckhorn Farm, July 25-27: US Teen Golf World Championships
Aug 1-3: US Kids Golf Championships
Aug 1-3: Robbins Farmer’s Day
Aug 2: Opening Reception 44th Annual Fine Arts Festival, Arts Council of Moore Co.
Aug 3-4: WarHorse schooling day & horse trials, CT, Dressage at Carolina Horse Park
Aug 14: Picnics & Ponies Show Series at Heather Ridge Farm, Raeford
Aug 16-18:Sedgefield at the Park, NCHJA
Hunter Jumper C Show at Carolina Horse Park
Aug 16-18, 23-25: Shakespeare in the Pines, Pinehurst
Aug 30 - Sept 1: Pinehurst BBQ Festival
Aug 30 - Sept 1 Sedgefield at the Park, Greensboro Hunter Jumper Classic USEF A Show at Carolina Horse Park
Aug 30 - Sept 1: CoolDown Dressage at Pinehurst Harness Track
Sept 2: LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
Sept 6-7: Five Points Horse Trials, CT Dressage at Carolina Horse Park
Sept 7: USNETO & TREC at Heather Ridge Farm
Sept 14-15: Harvest Moon NCDCTA Championships at Carolina Horse Park
Sept 18: Picnics & Ponies Show Series at Heather Ridge Farm
Sept 27-Oct 20: AG+Art Tour Moore County, Self-guided farm/market/art tour
Sept 28: Flutterby Festival, Pinehurst
Nov 22: Carolina Horse Park presents Casino Royale fundraiser event. For tickets, call 910-875-2074
Y OUNGS R OAD
$1,450,000
16 Acres - 4 Stall Barn with Lounge and full bathroom. Detached 4 Car Garage with oversized bays, sink, laundry space and stairs to the second floor storage area.
222 C ROSS C OUNTRY L ANE
$3,295,000
3 BR / 2 BA / 2,886 sq. ft. 30 Acres - 12 Stall Center Aisle Barn with guest apartment, Auxillary Barn with 4 bays for equipment and horse trailer, and a 5,000 sq. ft. unfinished Hay Loft. All Realtors are not the same.
