By Mike “Moose” Smith Normally in January realtors and others associated with the business of real estate get to take a breather. Sales would have cooled off, much like the weather. Those thinking about selling in early spring are getting their properties ready and inventory is ramping up. Not this year! January unit sales were [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

As we approach the end of 2020, I think we would all agree that this has been an unusual year to say the least. We saw the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic start in January followed by the closing of Dare County to visitors from March 15 to May 16, accompanied by a series of [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

It is hard to know exactly where to start when so many records are being broken in the OBX real estate market. First and foremost, we have surpassed the 2005 record YTD total volume sold, having seen an astronomical $1.18 BILLION. October saw the highest monthly units sold at 456 which is an 104% increase [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

Homeowners insurance rates along the Outer Banks and throughout northeastern North Carolina could increase by 25 percent next summer under a proposal submitted by the industry to state regulators. The request was announced exactly one week after state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey won a second term over former commissioner Wayne Goodwin. Causey, a Republican, announced [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

The Outer Banks real estate market is hot. It’s part of a national trend, but what is happening locally goes beyond the strong national trend. What realtors with experience in the Outer Banks market and longtime observers of local conditions are seeing exceeds anything they have seen before. “It’s been absolutely nuts,” said Jeff Scott, [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

Here’s more evidence of the strength of the tourism boom this summer. The July 2020 occupancy revenue numbers released from the Sept. 17 Dare County Tourism Board meeting show $152.3 million in occupancy revenue that month. Not only is that a huge 37% increase from the July 2019 numbers, it is a single-month record for [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

Westlake Ace Hardware now carries Benjamin Moore premium paints in its 138 stores nationwide. Since 1883, Benjamin Moore has remained a top premier paint brand for do-it-yourselfers and professionals alike, offering customers high quality and more than 3,500 premium color options. As part of the partnership with Benjamin Moore, Ace Hardware is now the largest independent hardware retailer [...] Real Estate |  Full Article

The real estate market on Hatteras Island this year reminds me of Dorothy’s famous line in The Wizard of Oz – “Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore!” In this article, I would like to share some facts and some anecdotal observations about what we are seeing and what some of the emerging [...] Real Estate |  Full Article