love
Falling in with an Island… How Our First Time Visitors Become
Neighbors and Friends
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By Julia Batten Wax Owner, Emerald Isle Realty
hen our visitors make that first trip across the bridge and take in our vistas of sand, sea and sky, the neon green of the marsh grasses, or the ripple left by a Boston Whaler cruising up the Intracoastal Waterway, their first emotional response has to be, “I have found my new beach home and I am coming back here again soon!” They dine on the freshest “catch of the day” special or our local Bogue Sound melons and nod their heads knowingly; this is truly an island for those who enjoy the pleasures of a thriving, local food scene. Naturally, they have booked one of the Crystal Coast’s classic Carolina cottages or perhaps a Sandcastle beach mansion to hold three generations. Or is it a couple’s getaway this time – an elegant oceanfront condominium for a romantic anniversary celebration. Like a sport fisherman with the ideal fishing lure reeling in that prize catch, the Crystal Coast has lured another family to our shores – it is always love at first sight for those who decide to choose us for their new island home. Perhaps you are one of our newly smitten visitors or a buyer who has experienced the love of this place and is ready to begin a serious conversation with one of our excellent local Realtors. On Emerald Isle, condo prices from oceanside to ocean view to oceanfront range from charming studios in the $100,000 price range up to $292,500 for our three bedroom condos. The condos include a variety of amenities, depending on which complex. Our buyers tend to enjoy condos for the amenities like swimming pools and tennis courts, as well as the camaraderie of making new friends while socializing at the club house or on the beach. The home owners associations in most complexes take care of the exterior maintenance leaving more time for homeowners to spend their leisure time on the beach. Others have dreamed of owning their own private piece of heaven in the form of a single cottage on the oceanfront. Often considered the ultimate choice for those who love the sea, these buyers want their own personal boardwalk, deck and porches to experience the ever changing and dynamic ocean view and soul refreshing walks on the beach. Our oceanfront homes are pricing from $805,000 to $2,000,000. With the new bike paths and golf cart access on Emerald Isle, many buyers are now choosing the especially affordable oceanside and ocean view homes. Often nestled in maritime forests, these beautiful properties are currently available with oceanside cottages pricing from $200,000 to $728,500 and our ocean view are ranging from $260,000 to $795,000. We are seeing an emerging trend of buyers falling in love with the active adventures available from their soundfront homes and docks. Most of those buyers have a desire to be on the water where they can show off their stand up paddleboard skills, kayak, windsurf, fish, boat, shrimp and clam right off their docks while enjoying the pristine Bogue Sound waters. The most recent soundfront condo, a two bedroom property, sold for $330,000. Soundfront single family homes have sold in the range of $292,000 for the older soundfront cottage, to the custom built, elegantly designed larger home at $840,000. Have you fallen in love with our island? Waiting for the lowest prices since the recession years began lowering first demand and then our prices? Many of our veteran Realtors believe that the time is now for the best pricing we have seen in the last 5-8 years. Our economy is recovering and so has the local real estate market. Prices have stabilized and vacation rental histories are very strong on investment properties. Are you ready to relocate to the Crystal Coast? Develop a relationship with any of our seasoned real estate brokers and let them be the matchmaker to your slice of Crystal Coast, heaven by the sea.
18 | NCCOAST Living