OBX Neighborhood

ANOTHER GREAT OUTER BANKS EVENT!

Saturday, October 25^th, is the Second Annual PIGSTEIN BBQ & BEER FEST.  Last year’s event was a good time for all with fine music and great North Carolina BBQ and an extensive sampling of some of the finest Breweries in the world.

  

“Pigstein is a full scale beer festival with breweries from around the world pouring more than 100 beers. It is a celebration of beer, barbeque and the Outer Banks” – to quote the website for the ongoing annual event.

 

October is a beautiful time to enjoy our Outer Banks with mild weather and no summer bustle! There will be a full day of live music, comedy and fun activities for the whole family – and the proceeds go to support the Dare Home Health and Hospice.

 

Representatives from the many breweries will be here to answer questions and serve samples (of course) beginning at 2:00 PM on through 6:00 PM. BBQ pit masters from around North Carolina will start their roasting to be prepared for the judges who begin at 11:00 on Saturday.

 

Tickets for the event are $30 for the General Session from 2:00 – 6:00 PM. If you want the finer approach – a VIP Tasting Session begins at 1:00 PM on through 2:00 PM. All tickets include a Collectible Pigstein tasting glass for the ability to taste 2 ounces of more than 100 beers. BBQ will be sold by the sandwich ($5) or plate ($7). Tickets are required for the Pigstein. They are not required for the BBQ which can be purchased at the event.

 

This is another example of our local business people putting together a wonderful fun event to raise funs for a great and needy cause. My compliments, to Chips Wine & Beer along with their partner -  High Cotton Barbecue for their hard work in bringing this caliber of event to ad to the Fall Schedule of Festivities celebrating the Outer Banks at its best.

 

You need to GET UP, GET OUT and JOIN IN and have some fun, taste some of the best BBQ that NC has to offer and certainly last but not least – an opportunity to learn more and enjoy some of the world’s finest brews.

 

As always, the Outer Banks will not tolerate drinking and driving – nor should they. The event is being held at the Promenade at the foot of the Wright Memorial Bridge in Kitty Hawk. Cabs are at your service and as always “friends don’t let friends drive drunk”!!

PERFECT WEATHER FOR KITE FLYING!

This weekend is the perfect opportunity for you and your family to enjoy some interesting activities at the Wright Brothers Monument.

The 22nd Annual Stunt Kite Competition is being held Saturday and Sunday, October 18-19.  There is a session in the morning where your children can make their own kits and for the more daring, how about a stunt-kit lesson in the afternoon? 

Have fun!

WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND TO COME TO THE OUTER BANKS!

The Outer Banks is truly a wonderful place to live and vacation.  In personally think we are fortunate to have such a special place to call home, whether it is full-time or a couple weeks a year.  The upcoming Columbus Day weekend is always one of the busiest of the year.  Our economy, like most areas today, is soft, but fun and enjoying activities are always here for everyone to enjoy. This weekend (October 11-13) will be alive with opportunity for you and your family and friends to enjoy the fabulous fall weather and community events for everyone! Below are highlights of some of the larger events taking place . . .  

The weekend starts early on Thursday with the annual OUTER BANKS PARADE OF HOMES.  This year there are 31 homes on the tour from million dollar + vacation homes to affordable year round or second homes.  The tour will take you from Corolla to Hatteras.  If you are thinking of building, this is a great time to meet some of our local builders and view their work.  The homes are open from 10-6 from Thursday through Sunday.  Tickets are available at each home or the Outer Banks Home Builders Association. 

Step back in time 400 years at the annual Elizabethan Tymes Country Faire.  This fun family event will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October 11-12 from 10:00 - 5:00 at the Roanoke Island Festival Park.  Tickets are $8  for adults, $5 for students 6-18 and children under 5 are free. For more information and directions to the park, visit Roanoke Island Festival Park. 

Saturday and Sunday 11 is also the 6th annual  OUTER BANKS INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL.  Held at Native Vine Vineyards just across the bridge, this year's festival features great food, live music, local artists and of course wine tasting, all in a relaxing and beautifully presented event for wine aficionados, enthusiasts and those who want to learn more about wines from around the world.  Tickets are available for $30 per person the day of the event or $25 in advance.  Visit The Native Vine for more information.   

Music Anyone?   The Town of Duck is holding its 2nd Annual JAZZ FESTIVALSecond Annual Jazz Festival on Sunday, October 12, 2008. The Duck Jazz Festival will be held on the main stage in the Duck Town Park at 1200 Duck Road from 11 a.m. to dusk. The festival is free and open to the public.  This will be an outstanding opportunity to enjoy som fine Jazz music and fellowship with the local community and visitors. 

After all that activity, you will be hungry . . . we've got that covered!  First Flight Rotary Club's 7th Annual OINK AND OYSTER ROAST is ready to feed you from 12-5 on Saturday, October 11 at the parking lot adjacent to Sunburns Restaurant in Kitty Hawk.  ALL YOU CAN EAT oysters and pulled pork barbecue!  This is the major fundraiser for the First Flight Rotary Club and always draws a large crowd of hungry folks!  The First Flight Rotary Club supports many local organizations with financial support and this year, more than any other, these groups need our help.  Tickets are just $20 for adults and $7 for children (available at the event). Visit http://www.oinkandoyster.org/ for all the details and directions.  

The Outer Banks real estate market is tight, but many are still dreaming and actively looking to find their own special place here.  What better time to come and enjoy!  Great food, great wine, fabulous food and music, and a fair for your children!  Get up, get off the couch, leave the yard work for next weekend and come on down! 

  

  

SHORT SALE??

In the current position some find themselves in The Outer Banks Real Estate Market, a "Short Sale" might be an alternative to foreclosure.  A Short Sale is when the bank agrees to accept less than the mortgage(s) balance in lieu of pressing forward with a foreclosure.  It will cause the lender to lose more money if they foreclose than accept an amount 'short' of the mortgage balance.

First, you should always initiate communications with your lender and be open and honest with them.  Second, you will have to demonstrate a "financial hardship" as well as market the property at a price the property is really worth in today's market.  Not all lenders will cooperate with a Short Sale, but if you are successful, the damage to your long term credit will be less.

To accomplish this, you will need the assistance of a Real Estate Professional who has the experience to guide you through the process and the commitment to be relentless with the lender who may have many borrowers requesting the same. 

For help with this, or any OBX real estate need, just call me.  Don't believe that foreclosure is the only solution!

ONCE IN A WHILE . . . .

Every so often, you see something that catches your eye . . .

Driving down the by-pass one day I saw a bumper sticker.  After some pondering, followed by some laughter, I realized I read it for a reason!  It said, "DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK."

Our housing issues are troublesome at best.  Prices are down, mortgages are harder to get, there are less housing starts, and work is hard to find for many.  And as always, we are inundated by the media that never ceases to report the negative. 

Real estate is selling.  People are buying.  Many are looking for that "great bargain" but the key is they are looking.  Many who were priced out of the market are back as active buyers.

Point being . . . don't let others do your thinking.  Look further and read and listen to the positive -- it is out there!  97% of the mortgages are current!

Fix it, clean it, paint it, lower the price, but make it stand out.  Be noticed.  Allow your true beliefs about your home to stand and deliver.  Don't allow your thinker to fail you.  As the sticker said . . . "DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK!"

FINALLY! SOMEONE IN THE MEDIA SPEAKS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE CRISIS

For years, real estate has been a good long term investment.  Our personal homes are just that, our home.  They are a long term wealth builder for most of us who live in them, love them, and keep them current and improved . . . which, along with the economy and apprecation, help to increase their value over time.

In these difficult times, it seems the media always seems to focus on the negative -- all day, every day.  So what else is new?  Many who are facing foreclosure have borrowed equity from their homes for various reasons.  Some are legitimate, but most are taking money they thought was equity, but really was market appreciation.  Many who are in trouble spent this money on personal choices based on their spending habits.

We are facing a correction.  This correction is an economic correction.  It happens in the stock market, in our retirement and investment funds, and now, most visibly, in the housing market. 

Dennis Kneale on his recent PARTING SHOT segment on CNBC's Business Nation, spoke about the current foreclosure crisis.   I think you need to watch -- he gives an honest, true picture of the real story behind the foreclosure / housing crisis.  It's about time someone took the initiative to do this and get more of the true picture out there.  Once you watch the video I think your perspective will change.

The Outer Banks real estate market is beginning to show signs of reaching the "bottom" so to speak.  Are we there yet? is not just a question children ask mom and dad on their way to the beach!  Our buyers are asking that question every day.  Once the bottom is reached, everyone will know and the inventory of available homes we have will shrink.  Are you watching close enough?  Is it your time?  Have you kept abreast of the many changes in the mortgage market? 

Look for upcoming posts on the new guidelines and trends in the mortgage market.

I always welcome your comments!

THE FORECLOSURE DEBATE IN DC

The reality of the foreclosure problem is hitting many here in the Outer Banks real estate market.  Little help seems to be forthcoming from our Legislature.  One of the writers for Realty Times is well known for his opinions on this subject, and I feel this one is well stated.   Although our foreclosure issues have, in many cases, been brought on by our "over spending" and "consumerism" and the lifestyle "we want to live," there are those who have been lead into this difficult path due to past lending practices.  This article speaks to the need to assist people who believe they have been misled. 

Frankly, the costs incurred by lenders and others in the disposition of foreclosures may be lessened if some help were available to folks who truly want to resolve the issues and keep their homes. 

Read the article by Peter G. Miller . . . . 

The "Fake" Foreclosure Debate in Washington.

LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD!

There is no time like RIGHT NOW to start thinking about our choices in November.  We ALL want the current economic conditions to improve . . . most thinking "Hurry Up and Change Already!" -- kind of an Archie Bunker type of attitude. 

On the Outer Banks, as in most parts of the country, adjustment is a common word we hear as it relates to the Outer Banks real estate market.  Investment properties, building, real estate and development are a major backbone of our local economy.  Over evaluation, over leveraging, under saving, liberal spending and lifestyles have left us pretty much on par with the rest of the nation. 

Things are changing... They have changed! Our economy is beginning to point in a positive direction, or will be soon.  We continue through this adjustment period with our energies focused on doing the absolute best we can for our investor clients, local businesses, families and the communities we all share.  We need to know how our Presidential Candidates are positioned in their beliefs and policies -- we all have a duty to vote, and to make it an educated vote, in November.

Take a minute and read this article Where McCain and Obama Stand on Housing, prepared by a media arm of the National Association of Realtors.  It is a simple read and certainly one that will spark your interest in learning as much as possible as you approach your decision this Fall. 

CALL TO ACTION - SAVE HATTERAS ISLAND BEACH ACCESS!

I am writing today to inform you of an issue that has been brewing and one you ALL need to have a say in . . .

Everyone loves the Outer Banks.  No one loves it any more than those who visit here, grew up here, relocated here, or just passed through our beautiful area.  Many areas on the Outer Banks are protected in one form or another by the Federal Government.  Pea Island, Oregon Inlet, and the entire Cape Hatteras National Seashore fall under the purview of the National Park Service which has always allowed "on-beach" access to everyone, including the privilege of driving responsibly on the beach.  How many times have you driven out on one of the Hatteras Island beaches for a day of sunning, surfing, fishing or just soaking in the magnificence of this special place.  This may all come to an end soon.

In the Fall of 2007, the National Audubon Society, the Defenders of Wildlife, and the Southern Environmental Law Center filed suit in Federal Court against the United States to limit or ban access to many of the primary areas of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore including Oregon Inlet, Cape Point, and most of Ocracoke Island.  On March 13, 2008, the Department of Justice Declined to contest the lawsuit which will be heard on April 4, 2008 in Elizabeth City.  This effectively means that vehicular beach access will be closed -- think about the impact this will have on the local economy. 

We on the Outer Banks are asking for your help.  Go to SAVEHATTERAS.COM to get informed on this issue.  Join our fight and click on the "PleaCast" to send a letter to the lawmakers and politicians who can help us protect access to OUR beaches. 

IF YOU CAN'T SELL IT . . . MOVE IT!

The Outer Banks Real Estate Market is full of properties that are "For Sale."  Many are trying anything to sell them . . . price reductions, incentives, bonuses, cars, boats and even a new Hummer H3 have been attempted (The H3 worked!).   Here's a creative approach to getting rid of an older home - move it!  This home most likely left an oceanfront location to make way for a new home with all the bells and whistles. 

Nothing takes the place of a property in great condition.  This one was in a state of "demolish it" or "move it."  Obviously, someone made the choice to move it.  Homes like this one are usually free to anyone willing to take on the expense of moving it.  A licensed house mover will give you the energy needed and perform the job for a reasonable fee.  The power company will charge you plenty - this one cost $11,000 just to raise wires and other utility obstacles as it moved down the Bypass towards it's new location on the westside of Kill Devil Hills.

After arriving at it's new home, this house will be professionally renovated; brought up to current building codes and hopefully, find a new family!

To sell your home, you will need to make its appearance look the best it can . . . buyers are really critical!  If you cannot attract them from the street, you have lost the battle before you even start.  Another crucial weapon is effective marketing from your Realtor -- great photos, effective marketing campaigns, exposure on mulitple web sites, and the ability to reach a nationwide and even a worldwide audience.