I hope you are having a great day! This week I wanted to share a market summary for the area. This data is from Trulia.com. If you would like more detailed information, please call or email me anytime. I am here to help!

Carolina Beach -- The median sales price for homes in ZIP code 28428 in Carolina Beach from Jul 14 to Oct 14 was $209,500 based on 55 sales. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median sales price decreased 6.3%, or $14,000, and the number of sales decreased 11.3%. Average price per square foot for homes in 28428 was $235, an increase of 13.5% compared to the same period last year. Keep in mind this includes condos which will typically be at substantially higher prices per square foot that those of homes.  There are currently 244 resale and new homes in ZIP code 28428 on Trulia. The average listing price for homes for sale in 28428 was $420,828 for the week ending Oct 08, which represents an increase of 1.4%, or $5,941, compared to the prior week.

Kure Beach -- The median sales price for homes in ZIP code 28449 in Kure Beach from Jul 14 to Oct 14 was $306,000 based on 18 sales. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median sales price increased 23.8%, or $58,750, and the number of sales decreased 30.8%. Average price per square foot for homes in 28449 was $177, a decrease of 7.8% compared to the same period last year. There are currently 84 resale and new homes in ZIP code 28449 on Trulia. The average listing price for homes for sale in 28449 was $442,748 for the week ending Oct 08, which represents an increase of 0.2%, or $903, compared to the prior week.

Wilmington -- Average price per square foot for Wilmington NC was $129, an increase of 4.9% compared to the same period last year. The median sales price for homes in Wilmington NC for Jul 14 to Oct 14 was $185,250 based on 600 home sales. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median home sales price decreased 2.5%, or $4,750, and the number of home sales decreased 21.3%. There are currently 1,524 resale and new homes in Wilmington on Trulia. The average listing price for homes for sale in Wilmington NC was $298,589 for the week ending Oct 08, which represents an increase of 0.1%, or $396, compared to the prior week. Popular neighborhoods in Wilmington include Landfall and Mayfaire, with average listing prices of $729,946 and $255,953.

(P.S. – if you are looking to sell your home, please give me a buzz. We have buyers looking!!!)

Four key areas to monitor in your home

Routine home inspections can save you a lot of money. While you don’t have to have a top-to-bottom walk-through to spot problems, there are four areas you’ll want to regularly keep an eye on.

A home doesn’t have to be a repair time bomb waiting to go off. In fact, one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to prevent major repair bills is a simple schedule of inspection. Not having basic systems in your home inspected from time to time because you’re afraid of having to make a minor repair is like avoiding going to the doctor because you don’t want to know about a lurking health problem. Which is better: A wake-up call from your physician, or a major heart attack?

A home inspection for routine maintenance doesn’t have to involve the thorough inspection conducted during a home sale. In fact, if you keep an eye on four fundamental areas of your home, you’ll head-off big repair or reconstruction bills in the future.

1. Pest Evaluation (Every Spring)

Depending on where you live, you may have routine pest control to take care of ants, roaches, and other bugs. But it’s a good idea to have a termite and powder post beetle inspection each spring. If undetected, these particular pests can eat away your home’s value.

2.  Roof Inspection (Every Fall)

Before severe weather arrives, be absolutely sure your roof is up to the beating it might take from snow, rain, and high wind. Roof inspection prevents leaks and keeps unwanted creatures from making your house their personal nest.

3. Electrical Inspection (Every five years)

A faulty electrical box, obvious frayed wires, and electrical work that falls out of code are all areas of concern. A fire is perhaps the most devastating event in a home owner’s mind, so periodic review of your home’s electrical system can help prevent a nightmare scenario.

4. Plumbing (Annually)

Water is a pernicious destroyer of homes. From slow leaks that grow mold and attract bugs to sudden pipe failures that can flood a basement, plumbing needs to be monitored. A plumber can spot corroded pipes and other simple fixes.

Home maintenance is about protecting your largest investment. With a smart schedule for keeping up with your home, you can protect your savings and sleep well at night. Need reference for reputable inspectors? Contact Coastwalk Real Estate, we are happy to help!

Bedrooms don’t come with an expiration date, but some really should. When buyers are touring a home, a stale bedroom with outdated style can be a deal-breaker. Problematically, many sellers simply can’t see their own bedrooms honestly anymore. Give your bedroom the “has it gone bad?” test by checking for these common signs of stale design:

Your ceiling has more popcorn than the home theater: Is your ceiling a constellation of dusty, stained popcorn texture? Nothing says “state of the art 1950s design” like the popcorn ceiling. Removal can be a dirty job, and you’ll want to have it checked for asbestos before you do, but getting rid of it goes a long way to modernizing the look.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall. And the closets. And the... ceiling? A little reflected light makes a bedroom look bigger, but if you’re rocking the fun house / journey-into-infinity effect, consider removing some of those reflective surfaces.

Frills, frills everywhere. Check those bed skirts, window dressings, and curtains. Could a Civil War-era southern belle scratch together a formal dress from your assortment of puffy fabrics? Tone it down.

Sorry, captain, the pattern is... retro. Check the paper in your drawers, the shelves of your armoire, and the paper on the walls. Does it feel like felt? Is it yellow like a pirate map? Does it remind you of an 80s prom? Any (or all!) of these are signs you need to update.

Prison ward pillows. Wow, that bed looks... really, really flat. You sleep like that? Clean lines are one thing, an uncomfy bedroom is another. Puff it up and make it cozy.

Formica anything. Does your dresser look like it would make a nice kitchen island in the 1970s? Spring for some staging furniture and replace that laminate wonderland.

But I’ve had that alarm clock / television / stereo for 30 years! Yes, and it shows. Nix the flip-digit clocks, the wood grain television cabinets, and the neon-striped boom boxes. Modernize or put them in storage, stat.

Yes, buyers can modernize a bedroom when they buy the house, but expecting them to see past your bedroom’s past is taking a gamble. Do a few simple things to freshen up that room!

Need someone to evaluate your interior appeal? I’m happy to share my candid thoughts and guide you towards maximizing your home’s appeal!

Expect Results:

Your Real Estate Market Report is provided by Justin Donaton of Coastwalk Real Estate. Any data provided, unless otherwise noted, is courtesy of the Wilmington Association of REALTORS MLS and/or the National Association of REALTORS.

Justin does not just "list" properties, he sells them! To get your home SOLD for the highest possible price, call Justin at 910-352-0998. Justin has SOLD the most real estate on Pleasure Island  since 2007. He has the highest dollar volume of sales, and has had the most number of closings. His business is built on hard work and high-impact marketing. Coastwalk Real Estate has the #1 Sales office on Pleasure Island too. Please visit:  www.CoastwalkRealEstate.com for more info.

Fall is my favorite time of year at the Beach. The temperatures are nice and the water is warm! It’s also one of my favorite times of year to sell homes…buyers looking this time of year are generally well qualified and very serious about making a decision!

This week I wanted to provide a summary of some recent Coastwalk Real Estate sales. If you would like more detailed information or analysis, please just call or email anytime!

SOLD - $424,900 - 1214 Mackerel Lane, Carolina Beach – This is a nice new home built by Ocean Grove Cottages. It has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths.

SOLD - $432,500 – 782 Settlers Lane, Kure Beach – Located in Kure Beach Village, this is a well maintained home on pilings. It has a 2 car garage, storage shed and nice porches!

SOLD - $607,000 – 1043 S Fort Fisher Blvd, Kure Beach – Ocean front home in Kure Beach that needs some TLC.

SOLD – $265,000 - 617 Spartanburg Ave #2, Carolina Beach – New townhome with a garage and a nice quiet setting. Concrete floors and a contemporary interior design.

SOLD – $260,000 - 408 Peninsula Dr, Carolina Beach – Single level home in Pleasure Cay, comes with a boat slip.

SOLD – $270,000 - 321 Pettigrew Dr, Wilmington NC - Great three bedroom home in popular Pine Valley.

SOLD – $925,000 - 426 Oceana Way, Carolina Beach - Beautiful home with beautiful views in Oceana

SOLD – $230,000 - 608 Carolina Beach Ave N, Carolina Beach - 2 bedroom, 2 bath ocean front condo on the North End.

SOLD – $320,000 - 201 Carolina Beach Ave S #207, Carolina Beach. 3 bedroom, 2 bath ocean front condo with elevator access.

SOLD - $165,000 – 353 Kure Dunes Lane, Kure Beach – Nice corner lot home site in Kure Beach

SOLD – $127,500 – 200 S Lake Park Blvd., Carolina Beach – 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo in Driftwood Villas. Nice views!

SOLD - $173,000 – 1508 Carolina Beach Ave N, Carolina Beach – Super second row condo on the North End. Well maintained inside.

SOLD - $370,000 - 1522 Swordfish Lane, Carolina Beach – Nice new home on a corner lot with a distant ocean view.

SOLD – $205,000 - 101 Teakwood Dr, Carolina Beach – Nice condo in Otter Creek with a boat slip!

SOLD – $321,224 - 504 Harper Ave, Carolina Beach – Single level home with 1,600 + sq ft, and 3 bedrooms and 2 baths.

Lots of good activity out there! We are also seeing an increase in activity for higher priced homes, and several currently UNDER CONTRACT.

Have a great week, smile at strangers, and stick your toes in the sand!

Provided by Justin Donaton

waterfront homes wilmington nc

Wilmington offers waterfront homes on the ocean, intracoastal waterway, canals and harbours.

Do you like the beach, boating, or just the views? Or do you like all three?

Intracoastal homes in Wilmington are available typically from the $400,000 to several million dollars. You can find them on the mainland, and also in Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Figure Eight Island.

There are also many canals and marsh fronts in the area. Homes with privacy, and homes in communities.

Houses on the waterfront come in all shapes and sizes, so we are here to help you find the perfect piece of paradise.

Please call Coastwalk Real Estate, or visit our website here:

http://www.coastwalkrealestate.com/icww-front-homes/

Homes with elevators North Carolina Beach

For those requiring easy access to top floors, and for those who want to shuttle groceries and luggage to a to floor without having to use the steps, a home with an elevator is a great option.

These days, many homes are being built with elevators in beach towns across North Carolina.

This is being done for several reasons:

1) The cost of elevators is reasonable

2) Handicap accessibility

3) Inverted Floor Plans (where the main living space is on the top level. This is often done when the home provides water views)!

For some homes, they provide elevator shafts, so you can add an elevator at a later point in time.

We have lots of homes in the Wilmington NC area with elevators. Please take a look at our website to search homes with elevators, or call us at 910-458-9119

http://www.coastwalkrealestate.com/

Provided by Justin Donaton

Ocean Front Homes in North Carolina

Here is a list of ocean from homes in North Carolina

http://www.coastwalkrealestate.com/oceanfront-homes/

Homes on the ocean range from about $500,000 to over $2,000.000 depending on size, location, town, age and amenities.

There are cottages on Topsail Island and the North End of Carolina Beach in the $500,000 range. Nice ocean front homes in Kure Beach can start at $1,000,000. These can include pools and private beach access. There are also nice ocean front homes in Wrightsville Beach and these can easily start over $2,000,000 in price.

If you want more info on North Carolina Ocean Front property or beach homes in North Carolina please call Coastwalk Real Estate at 910-458-9119

Walk to Things in Wilmington NC

More and more interactive home search maps will feature the “walkability score” of a particular neighborhood or home. Have you ever wondered what that really means?

Walk Score is a company which analyzes hundreds of walking routes to nearby amenities. Points are awarded based on the distance to amenities in each category. Amenities within a 5 minute walk (.25 miles) are given maximum points. A decay function is used to give points to more distant amenities, with no points given after a 30 minute walk.”

Additionally, Walk Score looks at pedestrian friendliness, a component which takes into account population density, block length, and intersection density. (Source: http://www.walkscore.com/methodology.shtml).

Rankings are based on a 0 - 100 scale. Here’s how the scores translate to an area’s walkability:

90 - 100: Walker’s Paradise. Daily errands do not require a car.

70 - 89: Very Walkable. Most errands can be accomplished on foot.

50 - 69: Somewhat Walkable. Some errands can be accomplished on foot.

25 - 49: Car-Dependent. Most errands require a car.

0 - 24: Car-Dependent. Almost all errands require a car.

In addition to a Walkability Score, Walk Score also evaluates for Transit Score (how well a location is served by public transit) and Bike Score (whether an area is good for biking).

All three of these scores can help you determine your personal values when you’re buying a home. They can also be useful to profile the kind of buyer who might be interested in a home you’re selling. It’s important to understand that a high or low walkability score is not necessarily bad. It all depends on personal values. (Someone who wouldn’t walk to errands anyway might find themselves bothered by the proximity to a highly-trafficked commercial businesses, for example.)

If you’re curious about your own home’s walkability score, or you’d like to learn about the most and least walkable neighborhoods in Wilmington, Carolina Beach, or Kure Beach, you can search for addresses on the Walk Score website at http://www.walkscore.com/.

Want to see a walkability score in action? We’d be happy to show you some homes in area neighborhoods!

Expect Results:

Your Real Estate Market Report is provided by Justin Donaton of Coastwalk Real Estate. Any data provided, unless otherwise noted, is courtesy of the Wilmington Association of REALTORS MLS and/or the National Association of REALTORS.

Justin does not just "list" properties, he sells them! To get your home SOLD for the highest possible price, call Justin at 910-352-0998. Justin has SOLD the most real estate on Pleasure Island  since 2007. He has the highest dollar volume of sales, and has had the most number of closings. His business is built on hard work and high-impact marketing. Coastwalk Real Estate has the #1 Sales office on Pleasure Island too. Please visit:  www.CoastwalkRealEstate.com for more info.

Provided by Justin Donaton

Wilmington NC Beach Cottages for Sale

Wilmington NC has great homes for sale in all price ranges. You can find cottages for sale at the Carolina Beach for affordable prices.

For example, there is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath beach cottage for sale at 603 Ocean Blvd, Carolina Beach for $208,500 (as of 8-4-14). This home is really nice inside and within walking distance to the beach.

There is also a home at 433 S Fifth Ave in Kure Beach for sale for Just shy of $270,000. It had two bedrooms and is on a nice quiet lot, located outside the flood zone.

If you would like more info on homes for sale or beach cottages, please call Coastwalk Real Estate at 910-458-9119, or visit our website: http://www.coastwalkrealestate.com/carolina-beach-homes-for-sale/

Provided by Justin Donaton

Wilmington NC Real Estate info 7-25-14

I hope you are having a great week! Today I wanted to summarize real estate trends seen on Trulia. Please keep in mind this is not MLS data. For a complete MLS Market Summary, please call or email anytime! Thanks a ton for reading!

Carolina Beach, NC

Average price per square foot for Carolina Beach NC was $231, an increase of 27.6% compared to the same period last year. The median sales price for homes in Carolina Beach NC for Apr 14 to Jul 14 was $232,500 based on 77 home sales. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median home sales price increased 11.1%, or $23,250, and the number of home sales increased 4.1%. There are currently 277 resale and new homes in Carolina Beach on Trulia, including 37 homes in the pre-foreclosure, auction, or bank-owned stages of the foreclosure process. The average listing price for homes for sale in Carolina Beach NC was $344,936 for the week ending Jul 16, which represents an increase of 0.5%, or $1,583, compared to the prior week.

Kure Beach, NC

Average price per square foot for Kure Beach NC was $192, an increase of 12.3% compared to the same period last year. The median sales price for homes in Kure Beach NC for Apr 14 to Jul 14 was $330,000 based on 29 home sales. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median home sales price increased 20%, or $55,000, and the number of home sales increased 26.1%. There are currently 83 resale and new homes in Kure Beach on Trulia, including 9 homes in the pre-foreclosure, auction, or bank-owned stages of the foreclosure process. The average listing price for homes for sale in Kure Beach NC was $511,635 for the week ending Jul 16, which represents a decrease of 3.9%, or $21,031, compared to the prior week.

Wilmington, NC

Average price per square foot for Wilmington NC was $129, an increase of 5.7% compared to the same period last year. The median sales price for homes in Wilmington NC for Apr 14 to Jul 14 was $187,750 based on 732 home sales. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median home sales price increased 1.5%, or $2,750, and the number of home sales decreased 6.8%. There are currently 1,517 resale and new homes in Wilmington on Trulia, including 29 open houses, as well as 182 homes in the pre-foreclosure, auction, or bank-owned stages of the foreclosure process. The average listing price for homes for sale in Wilmington NC was $311,969 for the week ending Jul 16, which represents a decrease of 0.7%, or $2,353, compared to the prior week. Popular neighborhoods in Wilmington include Landfall and Pine Valley Estates, with average listing prices of $743,976 and $214,232.

Expect Results:

Your Real Estate Market Report is provided by Justin Donaton of Coastwalk Real Estate. Any data provided, unless otherwise noted, is courtesy of the Wilmington Association of REALTORS MLS and/or the National Association of REALTORS.

Justin does not just "list" properties, he sells them! To get your home SOLD for the highest possible price, call Justin at 910-352-0998. Justin has SOLD the most real estate on Pleasure Island  since 2007. He has the highest dollar volume of sales, and has had the most number of closings. His business is built on hard work and high-impact marketing. Coastwalk Real Estate has the #1 Sales office on Pleasure Island too. Please visit:  www.CoastwalkRealEstate.com for more info.