You'll want to check out this great patio home convenient to Wrightsville Beach, shopping, and highways, yet in a quiet neighborhood. Totally redecorated and ready to move in! The owners just re-painted, put in upscale new carpeting, replaced lighting fixtures and cabinet hardware. They even replaced any even slightly fogged windows. On the golf course, private and quiet. 03/05/2009

  On February 26, 2009, the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors Equal Opportunity and Cultural Diversity Committee hosted their first Minority Professional Networking Event. The event was held at the St. Thomas Preservation Hall in Downtown Wilmington. It was a great success!   The Wilmington Professional Minority Networking Group in Wilmington, NC was started by Shann Coleman a Nuclear Engineer at the GE Facility located in Wilmington, NC. The group boasts more than 500 members and is a great place to meet professionals to make both business and personal connections. The Equal Opportunity and Diversity Committee heard about Shann and his group and knew immediately it was something they wanted to learn more about and work and be a part of.   The event included an introduction by... 03/03/2009

Hilary Duff and Toby Keith To Star in Wilmington NC Movie   Wilmington, NC Screen Gems studios announced a new movie will begin filming soon. The production offices open for the upcoming filming of "Provinces of Night" starring Toby Keith and Hilary Duff. There will be a 5 week production schedule. This will support the local film economy which banks on production work coming to town to keep all its staff and people employed. Another bit of good news for the area film crews is One Tree Hill will be extended for another year. That also employs a good crew of people in its production. This is good news for our town... http://www.screengemsstudios.com/nc/ 03/01/2009

What is it?  And do I qualify?   The up to $8,000 (or 10% of purchase price, the lesser of the two) credit does not have to be repaid.   If the home is sold within 3 years of the purchase date, the tax has to be repaid.  It is for first-time homebuyers purchasing a primary residence... first-time homebuyer for this instance means you have not owned a primary residence for the past 3 years.  Married couples earning less than $170,000 Modified Adjusted Gross Income, single people earning less than $95,000 MAGI qualify for some form of the credit. These are just a few of the details.  The best source of information I have seen was put together by the National Association of Realtors. http://www.realtor.org/wps/wcm/connect/f6ee3f004d2465a491f6f526a9949436/government_affairs_homeb_tax_credit... 02/27/2009

The schedule for the NC Azalea Festival is official. Here are the events:April 1Riverfront Park, Water Street Join us as we officially crown the 62nd Azalea Queen and introduce our celebrity guests.Queen's Coronation Trask Coliseum Past American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler at Trask Coliseum, UNC-Wilmington on Wednesday...'Kellie Pickler ConcertApril 2Trask Coliseum Reigning American IdolDavid Cook will be performing Thursday, April 2, 2009 at Trask Coli...David Cook April 3Self-guided tour through various gardens throughout Wilmington. Presale tickets at Festival office Garden Tour "Something Old, Something New" St. James Perry Hall Over 100 North Carolina artists present fine paintings at the Annual Juried Spring Art Show... Juried Art Show Water and Princess Street Christian Concer... 02/25/2009

  The gang of One Tree Hill on the CW network will return for season seven. That is good news for Wilmington NC film crews and location support teams. It takes a lot of people to produce TV shows and this show is no different. You can at times see film crews filming all over town. River Road was recently closed due to filming. THis is good news for the studio employment picture as many people will now know that they will have a job next year during the shooting of this series. That will keep food preparer, stage people, wardrobe people employed. Good news for our area. Posted by WELCOMEtotheBEACH- BEACHES of 02/25/2009

It was recently announced by the Federal Housing Authority that there are new mortgage limits.   FHA has just sent out the attached information that increases the loan limits to the levels that were established in 2008 ( $303,750.00 New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender).  These limits will be in effect until December 31, 2009.  GREAT NEWS !    That is great news for buyers. It will be easier for homebuyers ( and with lower rates too) to obtain loans up to these limits. Hopefully that will get some buyers to commit to new purchases. Come on down to the beaches - we have some great deals for y'all.. 02/25/2009

Here's a list of Things to Do in Wilmington NC on Valentines Day.  10 am - Singing Valentines - The Belle Chords deliver valentine candy and serenades to friends or family at home or work.  $35 donation to Mother Hubbards Cupboard 12:00 noon - Free Valentines Cruise - Wrightsville Water Taxi - (910) 200-4002 12:00 noon - 3:30 pm - Children's Art Workshop - Fast Frame Gallery - (910) 256-1105 6 pm - 9 pm - Dinner & Get Away - Beau Rivage - $75 couple - (910) 392-9021 X2 7:30 pm - Over 50's Valentine Dance - New Hanover Senior Center - Live Music By Tony & Diane 8 pm - Single Adult Valentine Dance - American Legion Post 10 - Family Jams Band 9 pm - Grand Opening Reception - River to Sea Gallery - (910) 520-2673 9 pm - Allen Glaser Project-Songs of Leonard Cohen - Bottega - 208 N Front Str... 02/10/2009

How should a new buyer client / potential buyer client be handled?  Its interesting to witness how different agents operate.  I'll paint the scenario.  An out of town agent sends me a referral.  The buyer is planning to be in town next weekend.  The first thing I do when I get the lead is to contact the buyer, introduce myself, find out more about what they are looking for, what their time frame is, whether they have property to sell, if they have met with a lender, and how familiar they are with the home buying process.  If they have not spoken with a lender in my area I will provide them with a couple of recommendations.  Then, I'll give them the address of our website and let them know how they can browse the entire mls using their own search criteria.  I can offer some helpfull tips... 02/10/2009

Below is a Market Snapshot of the Blue Point subdivision.  There have been no sales yet in 2009.  One property is under contract.  If I can provide additional information, or if you would like to discuss your home's value, call me at 910-617-5244 or email DianeParker@SeaCoastRealty.com   Area Market Survey Listings as of 02/09/09 at 11:37am     Active Listing Price Range  Quantity      Average DOM   $300,000 thru $349,999 3 83   $350,000 thru $399,999 2 234   $450,000 thru $499,999 1 31   $500,000 thru $549,999 1 26   $600,000 thru $649,999 1 205   $650,000 thru $699,999 1 70     9 117     Summary Price Information Minimum  $310,000 Maximum  $659,700 Average  $446,533 Median  $385,000   Pending Listing Price Range  Quantity      Average DOM   $350,000 thru $399,999 1 332     1 332     S... 02/09/2009

The Week in Review .....your Wilmington Connection Febuary 8, 2009 Wilmington Weather...Wow is all I can say. Today in te 70's the beach was just stunning...how could you not want to live here? Let me know if you are planning on making the move I can help make it an uneventful move. This is a great time to buy with interest rates extremely low and home prices the best they have been in 4 years.   The nine changes new city Residents can expect: Monkey Junction Annexation Property taxes The most painful change. City residents and businesses pay city and county property taxes. City's current tax rate is 33.25 cents per $100 of property value. That means the owner of a $250,000 property would pay an additional $831.25 a year in property taxes. Sewer and water Those without public sewer and ... 02/08/2009

Have you seen the new art sculptures in downtown Wilmington?  Through May 2009, Creative Wilmington, the NC Arts Council and the City of Wilmington are sponsoring an exhibit as part of the PedArt series.  The artist is Mike Roig from Carrboro. On display are four pieces of art made of aluminum and steel.  Each has moveable and wind-powered parts. At Market and Front Streets - Portal On Front Street at the Post Office - Watchtower Flo Mojo - Across from the Battleship Celestial Navigator - Near the Henrietta on the Riverwalk With weekend highs predicted in the mid-60's, it's a great weekend to stroll the Riverwalk and see all that historic downtown Wilmington has to offer.  For information on Wilmington NC Real Estate, visit www.TheKeytoWilmington.com 02/06/2009

Twestival is a world wide event happening in at least 120 cities on February 12th. It's all about awareness of the issue and raising money for clean drinking water for peoples on our planet. In the Leland/Wilmington area our event info is available at www.wilmington.twestival.com . If you're anywhere in the area, I encourage you to come join us. Food, adult bev, fun, drawings, and 100% of proceeds go to help people get access to clean drinking water. Yesterday I made a video for www.3rdstreetplaza.com , the local Wilmington social media site that is sponsoring Wilmington's Twestival. Here's the link: http://www.3rdstreetplaza.com/video/charitywater-1   02/05/2009

Yesterday, I found myself at Kure Beach, NC and needing to go Oak Island, NC.  Instead of traveling North on HWY 421 all the way back up to Wilmington, NC, across the Cape Fear River to Leland, NC, South on HWY 133 to Southport, NC to Oak Island, I decided to continue South to the very end of Fort Fisher and take the Ferry down the Cape Fear River to Southport.  What a great deal for $5!  The Ferry was unavailable from December 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009 due to ramp replacement.  I'm glad that I decided to take the Ferry because the scenery was fantastic not to mention it saved me about 45 miles on my truck.  Well worth it! If you are coming to the area and would like to take the Ferry from Fort Fisher to Southport or vice versa, here is a link of the Ferry Departure times: http://www.... 02/05/2009

Disclaimer; both surfing and real estate are very dynamic and have many factors.  Both are difficult to be good at. Reading this article should enlighten you to the similarities and help you put things into persective.  It will not make you good at either.  To do so requires a concsious pursuit of knowledge, and practice.  As any surfer knows, one of the most important factors in the sport is position.  First of all, every beach does not break the same.  There may be great waves at one spot and nothing to ride at all a few miles down.  The same is true in the real estate market.  Depending on market conditions and other economic devlopments in certain areas, there may be a ripe market for deals in some places, but not others, even in the same town.  One segment may be hot, while another... 02/02/2009

Per Jonathan Washburn's request, I have compiled a report from our Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors Board(WRAR) which depicts what is going on with real estate in our local area.  This report includes only single family homes within New Hanover County.  At a later date, I may decide to include land, multi-family, boatslips and rentals but for now I will concentrate on reporting single family homes. For the week of 1/21/09-1/28/09, 125 single family homes went on the market, 3 homes came off the market, 2 homes went under contract and no homes sold. Market Statistics Report Listings as of 01/29/09 at 1:40pm          Single Family            2- Bedrooms          3 Bedrooms          4 Bedrooms          5+ Bedrooms          All Bedrooms          Active     #Units 38 59 21 7 125  ... 01/29/2009

Between Wilmington, NC and Carolina Beach, NC on South College Rd/Carolina Beach Rd is an area locally known as Monkey Junction.  Why is it called Monkey Junction?  Apparently, early in the 1900's, a service station owner decided to add live monkeys to his amenities in the hopes of attracting business from Pleasure Island visitors.  Since the service station was located near the intersection of two main roads, the area commonly became known as "Monkey Junction".  Here is a website that has been dedicated to Monkey Junction:  http://monkeyjunctionnc.com/ Monkey Junction has been getting a lot of attention as of late due to a proposed annexation by the City of Wilmington.  Star News ran an article last week that hit briefly on what all was going on in the area.  If you would like to read ... 01/27/2009

Between Wilmington, NC and Carolina Beach, NC on South College Rd/Carolina Beach Rd is an area locally known as Monkey Junction.  Why is it called Monkey Junction?  Apparently, early in the 1900's, a service station owner decided to add live monkeys to his amenities in the hopes of attracting business from Pleasure Island visitors.  Since the service station was located near the intersection of two main roads, the area commonly became known as "Monkey Junction".  Here is a website that has been dedicated to Monkey Junction:  http://monkeyjunctionnc.com/ Monkey Junction has been getting a lot of attention as of late due to a proposed annexation by the City of Wilmington.  Star News ran an article last week that hit briefly on what all was going on in the area.  If you would like to read ... 01/27/2009

The Week in Review .....your Wilmington Connection January 25, 2009 Back to warmer temperatures...thank goodness the whole city shut down with maximum of 2 inches of snow. Weather is back to normal here. The real estate market has been seeing some big movement. I had 4 showings on just one property and a multi offer on one....is this the real estate market we are hearing about? Hmm I dont think so.   Obama and the Troubled Asset Relief Program As Congress and the new Obama administration consider additional initiatives for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® is continuing its push for a comprehensive U.S. strategy that will stimulate home sales, prevent foreclosures, and restore confidence in the housing market. "The housing sector is at the core of ... 01/26/2009

  Come to theWilmington NC Chocolate Festival at the New Hanover County Senior Center on February 7 and 8. Bring the whole family to sample and purchase tasty treats like Chocolate Bon Bons, Chocolate Crepes, Fudge, Truffles, Cakes, Cookies, Muffins, Pies, Fondue, Popcorn, Smoothies, Ice Cream and much more!! Enjoy spotlight demonstrations by featured exhibitors. Learn how to prepare great tasting treats from area food professionals and see the latest ideas in food and entertaining. Shop the booths for innovative Valentine gift items. Tickets are $5 in Advance and $8 at the door. Proceeds support the Independent Life Services programs provided by the New Hanover County Dept. of Aging. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 798-6400. The admission fee allows you to visit the e... 01/26/2009