carteret county: Looking for something more than just a house - 08/11/10 04:51 PM
It helps to think back to your own experiences when trying to help others find that right spot to live.
We have been through a number of significant moves in our lives. The ones that I remember the most were when we went from Halifax, NS to Columbia, Maryland and from Columbia to Roanoke, Va.
Our moves were focused around our three children.  We left Canada so our children could spend more time with their grandparents, and so they would have a better chance at finding good jobs.  We could have gone to Toronto or Alberta for the jobs, but the … (0 comments)

carteret county: Still choppy waters out there - 02/26/10 02:53 AM
While we have noticed some increased interest in properties, the sailing is still far from smooth. 
We still have plenty of inventory on the market, and there is a subset of the inventory that is still significantly over priced.   Sellers in this category seem to be hoping that one particularly dumb buyer with a clueless real estate agent will fall into their lap.
Then we have a few foreclosures which continue to put pressure on prices but only manage to satisfy a small percentage of the buyers who are looking for a "deal." Just to make life interesting we have a … (1 comments)

carteret county: Recovery will require more than most people think - 11/21/09 04:08 AM
I have been fortunate to be involved in a number of endeavors over the years which have taught me some lessons that I will never forget.
One things that I have learned is that when you are in a tough spot, you often have to invent new ways to achieve success.  The tougher the spot the more likely it will require significant innovation before you can recover and move forward.
I am completely convinced real estate is in a very challenging period in Carteret County.  However, I am also convinced that our challenges are not necessarily the challenges faced by other … (0 comments)

carteret county: Things are not always as they seem - 03/31/08 09:48 AM
I have spent a lot of time in the last three months working with clients who are interested in having a place where they have access to the water.
In our area of Carteret County that generally means finding a "water access" community.  Here on the Southern Outer Banks, that usually involves a place which has a boat ramp and access to navigable water.
My wife and I have been boating down here on the coast for about a year.  We have had to figure out a lot of the boating information for ourselves so it is still fresh in our memories.
That has … (3 comments)

carteret county: What we are selling is worth selling - 08/27/07 03:22 PM
The product that we are putting in front of customers does not suffer from what often causes an industry to go into a tail spin.
I worked for Apple Computer during their dark days in the mid-nineties.  The products were unfocused and unfortunately they often broke and sometimes the customers had a very bad experience.
Housing prices usually take into consideration location and condition.  During the boom that we recently had here on the coast, location was all important and some people carried away by the boom did not care a lot about condition.
I saw the same thing in the Northern Virginia market … (3 comments)

carteret county: Water Front Property on Broad Creek in Carteret County, NC - 05/02/07 08:26 AM
We just got a great new listing which has been completely remodeled with many nice touches.  It has a wonderful back yard view of Broad Creek from a fantastic 22X16 screened in porch which in the climate here in coastal North Carolina is like having another room on the house.
The interior has just a little more painting and trim work to be finished before we take the final interior shots and do a complete virtual tour.
You can check out the complete listing information and all the photos we have taken so far at the 290 Rollingwood site that I created.
The home … (0 comments)

carteret county: Do you buy stocks based on newspaper editorials? - 03/19/07 04:46 AM
 I recently wrote this post in response to yet another newspaper trying to help their circulation with a "Real Estate Bubble" article.
 I thought a shortened version is worth repeating.  The full version can be found at my Coastal NC Blog.
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I pose the question of "Do you buy stocks based on editorials in the newspaper?," because Sunday, a local newspaper published an editorial entitled "The real estate bubble."I am a newcomer to the area so I have no axe to grind with the paper. I have become a relatively faithful reader of their paper.
I have spent the last … (4 comments)