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| Hatteras Island Real Estate: Market Perspectives Tom Hranicka writes that at a recent real estate conference, professionals who are at the center of the national real estate community have a very conservative view of market expectations for the next few years. They are not shy about pointing out that the market for primary residences (although not our second home market) has been supported during the past few years by artificial credits. They are also quick to see the opportunities that exist in today’s environment of low prices and low interest rates for those with the financial resources to take advantage of these conditions. ....Read more |
| Ocracoke Real Estate: Buyer activity is beginning to pick up Columnist B.J. Oelschlegel says she doesn’t want to jump the gun, but she is seeing a pattern of increased buyer activity on the island. New folks are walking through the door and clients, who have made previous inquiries, are returning with more serious intentions. ....Read more |
| Lowe’s unveils plan for a new store in Kill Devil Hills Lowe’s has submitted a site plan to Kill Devil Hills for a 159,000-square-foot home improvement store on U.S. 158 between West First Street and West Landing Drive. The plan was delivered Tuesday afternoon and is the first step in a town review of the project. Commercial zoning is already in place, and it’s possible that no major action other than site plan approval will be necessary for the project to move forward. But it is still early in the process. By Rob Morris in The Outer Banks Voice. http://outerbanksvoice.com/2010/07/21/lowes-unveils-plans-for-kdh-store-at-landing-drive/ |
| Hatteras Island Real Estate: Frequently asked questions Each year, during the summer when the island is most active, columnist Tom Hranicka likes to publish an updated version of an article that addresses some of the most frequently asked questions that he hears from prospective buyers and sellers. Many of the issues remain unchanged, but occasionally a new question will make its way into the list. As an example, for the past two years, inquiries about foreclosures and short sales have become more noticeable. ....Read more |
| Ocracoke Real Estate: Owning your own business With the flood of tourists each summer, it looks easy and profitable to open a business. However, the reality can be quite different. A legitimate business has multitudes of hoops through which the owner must jump. The hoops range from regulatory issues to accounting to employees. ....Read more |
| Hatteras Island Real Estate: Signs of Recovery Hatteras Island real estate columnist Tom Hranicka writes that perhaps the excitement and anticipation of a new season is causing him to be overly optimistic, but he believes that the worst of the recent market cycle is behind us, and the island’s real estate market is on the road to recovery. ....Read more |
| Ocracoke Real Estate: It’s déjà vu on the fire tax “We’ve been here before,” writes columnist B.J. Oelschlegel. She says that “in the place of having the opportunity to take the bull by the horns and make hard choices for the benefit of our community,” the choice has again been inaction, rather than taking the positive steps to harness the power of the village. ....Read more |
| Ocracoke Real Estate: The Grieving Process The five stages of loss are denial, then bargaining, sadness and regret, resentment and frustration, and, finally, acceptance and resignation. I can hear you wondering why I would be bringing up the stages of loss when I customarily write about real estate. The answer is that I am coming to the conclusion that these five stages are applicable to our current market and the players involved. You might think that buying and selling real estate falls strictly in the category of “business.” If you stop to think about it, all business is about relationships. Successful businesses are ones which have formed good working relationships with customers. People buy and sell houses, therefore the human element comes into play. ....Read more |
| Hatteras Island Real Estate: The 2010 market off to a good start Recognizing that the first quarter is usually one of the slowest times of the year in the annual cycle of the Hatteras Island real estate market, it is encouraging to see that 2010 is off to a good start. While the final first quarter numbers for this year will not be available for a few weeks, the preliminary sales data for both residential properties and unimproved lots are well ahead of results for the first three months of last year. ....Read more |
| Ocracoke Real Estate: Why a ‘fire tax’ is needed on the island Ocracoke’s Volunteer Fire Department needs a new home and other upgrades. Real Estate columnist B.J. Oelschlegel writes about why island property owners should support a “fire tax.” ....Read more |
| Hatteras Island Real Estate: What is happening in the market for unimproved lots? Looking back at the buyer’s market that began on Hatteras Island during the summer of 2005, it would be hard to find a sector that has been harder hit than unimproved lots. After peaking in 2002, the number of lot sales on the island has declined for the last seven years. During 2009, only 30 lots were sold on the entire island – the lowest number recorded since I began keeping records in the mid-1990s. ....Read more |
| Hatteras Island Real Estate: Top stories of 2009 Each year, several unique aspects of the real estate market seem to define and to summarize the multitude of statistics and trends that play out on the island over the 12-month period. Last year was no exception to the rule. In many ways, the top stories of the past year were uplifting in their underlying messages. Here are real estate columnist Tom Hranicka’s top stories about the Hatteras Island real estate market in 2009. ....Read more |
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