Both of our local papers, the Jacksonville Daily News, and the Carteret Times, had articles today about the holiday throngs being the best crowds in years.
Yet when I worked the duty desk at the real estate office on July 3rd, there were no calls.
New home starts continue to be weak.
- My guess is that this great holiday weekend is a beginning of a recovery for our area of Coastal North Carolina.
Tourism is our lead generator. I would guess that even in the days of the real estate bubble, there were few people who bought in the Southern Outer Banks without visiting first.
Having great weather and plenty of people to enjoy it plants the seeds for people to consider a second home or perhaps to even consider our area for retirement.
We have had just about everything going against us this year except interest rates.
While I continue to work hard at real estate, there is some time to go do a few laps in the pool in the morning before getting serious about work each morning. The real estate market is not going to recover in a weekend.
We still have a market where buyers are looking for a deal but wanting to make certain that they have seen the bottom before they make an offer. While on the other hand, many sellers are not under pressure to sell their homes. In that situation it is hard to get a meeting of the minds.
The market continues to have an over abundance of listings in almost every price range. We have brand new homes from just over $220K to great homes just under $500K to sand castles in the millions. There is no shortage of homes.
I am hoping this great 4th of July weekend and positive presss sourrounding it will help people consider the advantages of our area.
We have a fantastic climate with few cold winter days. Most people think they have died and gone to heaven when they experience winter here.
Property taxes are low, crime almost non-existent, the opportunities for recreation almost limitless, and the area is not very crowded even on the fourth of July. The biggest negative continues to be the job market for younger people. Still we end up looking like a great retirement area and a fantastic spot for that second home.
My hope is that by the next fourth of July that I will only have time for a dip in the pool. This is a great place to celebrate the fourth of July, take a boat ride, enjoy a meal at a restaurant, or just watch the sunset.
Comments(1)