The Crystal Coast Blog

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Recently I received this information from Mr. Jonathan Hunt with That Agency about maintaining your Masonite doors and felt it would be beneficial to pass along to Crystal Coast real estate owners about maintaining your exterior doors. As you know, the NC Coastal salt air can wreak havoc on the exterior of your Emerald Isle home causing your wood doors, windows and exterior siding to weather, decay and eventually need replacement. There are steps you can take to keep your doors looking better and lasting longer too.

Creating Outstanding Entryways to Your Crystal Coast Home

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Sand, Waves, Shells, Shopping, Putting and Food!

A typical week at the North Carolina coast for our family means lots of playing in the sand, riding the waves, long walks on the beach, and more time than you could imagine crouched in the shell seeking position. Time must always be allocated for at least one game of miniature putt-putt golf and a trip to the NC Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores. We always try to venture out and explore new areas, interesting shops and yummy restaurants. These are a few of our favorite Crystal Coast beach vacation traditions.

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Taking a Brief Vacation to Go “Slightly” Off-Topic

This post will represent a slight divergent from my normal topics about the Crystal Coast. Since so many of my real estate agent friends like for me to delve into search engine optimization (SEO). I figured it was time to take a short vacation from my musings on all things Crystal Coast real estate.

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And I Did All the Work for You!

I realize some of you just don’t have the time to search for the spring rental and hotel deals on the Southern Outer Banks (or some are just to dang lazy to do it!), but I decided to see for myself if all this “talk” about NC Coast spring vacation rental and hotel discounts was just that - a lot of talk. Well guess what? There are spring beach deals out there but who knows how long they are going to last. Remember - it’s first come, first served!

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I read an interesting article in the business section of the News and Observer this past Saturday. The article implied that people are waiting before they book their vacation rentals and make their hotel reservations for the Crystal Coast. It seems the primary reasons we are “sitting on our hands” is because of the economy, the gas prices and the elusive search to save a buck!

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It seems I’ve been hung up on the whole real estate gig lately. What can I say, it’s a passion of mine. I’m especially enamored with the real estate market on the Crystal Coast. It always gets me thinking as I drive from Emerald Isle to Atlantic Beach just how many homes, condos and lots are for sale here on the Southern Outer Banks.

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In Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of the series on the subject of “Can You Sale Your Emerald Isle Home Yourself“, these post dealt with the many challenges home sellers face when trying to market their own home. Because the issue of pricing your home is so critical, it is important this subject be given the full attention it deserves. When it comes down to pricing your home accurately, it really shouldn’t make a difference if your home is being sold by you the owner or by an agent. Market value is market value. Buyers may want to negotiate with you on that point. More on that topic in a later post.

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Do You Have What it Takes to Sale Your Own Property?

Here is the last installment of this 3 part series of posts on Can You Sale Your Emerald Isle Home Yourself? How you answer these questions could help you decide what’s the smart thing to do - sale it yourself or list with an agent.

1. Be honest, do you have the time to market your home and ultimately manage the process to its successful conclusion?
2. Do you possess the ability to accurately price your property?
3. Do you possess a working knowledge and understanding of the North Carolina real estate transaction?
4. Are you a trained, skillful negotiator?
5. Do have at your disposal dependable, respected real estate industry experts (attorney, title company, lending consultant and so forth) to consummate your real estate transaction?

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With Memorial Day less than 2 weeks away, the peak vacation season at the Crystal Coast is about to begin. Pack your bags and head to the beautiful beaches of the Southern Outer Banks. What better way to spend your summer vacation. Sure gas is expensive but if you’re headed to Emerald Isle be sure to take advantage of the bike paths. Why not park your car in the driveway of your rental and pedal to almost any where you want to go.

Helpful Crystal Coast Rental Agency Websites

Planning your vacation is part of the fun. Go on line and do a search of rental properties on the Crystal Coast. There are several easy-to-use rental property websites from the local Crystal Coast real estate agencies. Each one has it’s own unique features. I suggest you find one that makes your rental search easier and gives you the best results for your family’s needs.

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By following these simple tips, you stand a far better chance of returning to a secure home from your trip to the Southern Outer Banks. The best way to protect your home is by creating the appearance that your home is occupied even while you are out of town. You can achieve this by:

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