Featured Area Property

Oceanfront On Ocean Isle Beach! 249 W First St

One-half of duplex in premier oceanfront location on west part of beach. Extra wide and extra deep lot.

Completely renovated and beautifully appointed. This is your affordable way to own a gorgeous 4 BR/4 bath oceanfront home and share 50% of the expenses.

Listed with Pope Real Estate – Ocean Isle Beach 800.707.4402

Rock on the deck or sit out on the extra large gazebo at top of dune and watch the dolphins swim by! Has terrific rental income. This is a must-see and is priced to sell.

Let Martha Pope show you this beautiful oceanfront home at Ocean Isle Beach as well as any other MLS listing at Sunset Beach, Holden Beach, Oak Island, Bald Head Island or the mainland golf areas and Shallotte!

This beautiful oceanfront home is situated on a 0.373 acre lot. Its a great rental!

As an Accreditied Buyer Representative I can furnish information and represent you with regard to any properties in the Multiple Listing Service.

For more information on this or any other property anywhere in the area please contact me martha@pope-realestate.com.

Directions Cross OIB bridge onto Island. Turn right (west) at pier and continue down W First Street to #249 on left. Sign on property.

Home Sales Up 65% Nov. 09/08!

According to the latest information published by the North Carolina Association of Realtors (NCAR), existing home sales in Brunswick County increased in November 2009 compared to the previous month and the previous year.
Realtors in Brunswick County sold 181 units in November of 2009, up 65 percent from 110 units in November 2008. That also represents a 3 percent increase over October 2009, when 176 houses were sold.
The average cost of a house also increased between November 2008 and 2009, from $232,147 to $248,291.
According to local Realtor and Accredited Buyers Representative of the National Association of Realtors Martha Pope of Pope Real Estate Company, the end of 2009 was a busy season for the company. January has been very active.
“This first quarter of 2010 looks to be the best in a long time,” Pope said. “This is the time of year when people start looking for second homes.”
“Values are down because of the economy, but everything is showing,” she said. “We feel this is a great opportunity for buyers.”
Pope said that the southern end of Brunswick County does not have as many foreclosures as some people expected, but buyers are actively looking for those deals.
Most of her customers are people looking to relocate to Brunswick County, many of them are waiting for their houses in their home areas to sell before they can buy one here.

RE Prices Bottom – Time To Buy!

Here’s some good news – as of November 25th 2009 home listing prices in Southeastern NC finally appear to have hit bottom!

Interest rates are below 6% on residential mortgage loans but the most likely scenario is that these mortgage loan rates will not stay this low for long so buyers would be wise to be actively looking to buy and take advantage very soon.

A coach and speaker at the NAR (National Association of Realtors) Convention by the name of Rich Levin has absolutely hit the nail on the head!

He says “THE TIME IS NOW FOR REAL ESTATE” and he is 100% correct. All of the factors are lining up for the next 6 to 12 months to be that year and here’s why:

Economist Woody Hall (University of North Carolina Wilmington ) projects that the local economy will grow by 4 percent in 2010.

According to the report by UNCW’s economic prognosticator delivered at an Economic Outlook Forecast at UNCW, the Southeast NC region will see economic growth at a rate faster than either the state of North Carolina or the nation as a whole.

As buyers realize that it is a good time to buy (but not necessarily for sellers to sell) the demand will begin to absorb the foreclosures and short sales and then exceed supply.

Over the next year or two the additional demand may very well even lead to a seller’s market, however gradual it may be.

The signs of this shift are occurring now – the supply of new construction and foreclosure homes are being absorbed by first time buyers, investors, and secure homeowners who are taking advantage of their financial strength.

“This Spring may be the tipping point when market activity flourishes,” Rich says, and I believe it will.

After the first of the year mortgage money should be much more readily available from the banks.

He then refers to inflation as the “X factor” remembering a rapidly inflationary period. For instance, one day you could put a quarter into the vending machine and get a Coke. The next time it was forty cents and the next time it was fifty cents and within five years it was seventy-five cents and so on.

Your money buys less and the cost of what you buy increases.

If you owned real estate during this same period you were probably very happy because the property you owned also doubled in price no matter where you lived.

Who knows if we are on the verge of another inflationary surge – but if inflation does devalue our money…then real estate prices will increase (along with the price of almost all other hard goods) and this year’s buyers are going to benefit tremendously! Regardless, it is time for buyers to get in the market!

At your leisure I invite you to visit my website at pope-realestate.com and click on the local MLS logo to check out what’s for sale currently. I welcome any questions or requests at any time!

By Martha Pope – Accredited Buyers Representative of the National Association of Realtors.
If I can help answer any questions, furnish further information or assist in any way please contact me by phone: 800.708.4402 or email at Martha@Pope-RealEstate.com

To receive a .pdf file of the entire Economic Outlook Forecast Conference at UNCW call or send an email to me.

Featured Southport NC Home

Check out this low country design sitting on nearly 1/2 acre in downtown Southport!

The large stone fireplace and loft area AND the in-law suite make this home in historic Southport North Carolina extra special.

This home also features a beautiful master suite.

Please call me for more information on this or any other property currently on the market.

As a Realtor/Broker and an Accreditied Buyer Representative I can you with any and all properties listed through our local Multiple Listing Service.

For more information on this or any other property anywhere in the area please contact me martha@pope-realestate.com. Visit my coastal NC Real Estate website at: pope-realestate.com

The Time is Now For Real Estate

A coach and speaker at the NAR (National Association of Realtors) Convention by the name of Rich Levin has absolutely hit the nail on the head! He says “THE TIME IS NOW FOR REAL ESTATE” and he is 100% correct. All of the factors are lining up for the next 6 to 12 months to be that year and here’s why:

Interest rates are dropping below 6% on residential mortgage loans – and this is nationally. The most likely scenario is that these mortgage loan rates will not stay this low for long so buyers would be wise to be actively looking to buy and take advantage very soon.

As buyers realize that it is a good time to buy (but not necessarily for sellers to sell) the demand will begin to absorb the foreclosures and short sales and then exceed supply. Over the next year or two the additional demand may very well lead to a seller’s market, however gradual it may be.

The signs of this shift are occurring now – the supply of new construction and foreclosure homes are being absorbed by first time buyers, investors, and secure homeowners who are taking advantage of their financial strength. “This Spring may be the tipping point when market activity flourishes,” Rich says, and I believe it will. After the first of the year mortgage money should be much more readily available from the banks.

He then refers to inflation as the “X factor” remembering a rapidly inflationary period. For instance, one day you could put a quarter into the vending machine and get a Coke. The next time it was forty cents and the next time it was fifty cents and within five years it was seventy-five cents and so on. Your money buys less and the cost of what you buy increases.

If you owned real estate during this same period you were probably very happy because the property you owned also doubled in price no matter where you lived. Who knows if we are on the verge of another inflationary surge – but if inflation does devalue our money…then real estate prices will increase (along with the price of almost all other hard goods) and this year’s buyers are going to benefit tremendously! Regardless, it is time for buyers to get in the market!

At your leisure I invite you to visit my website at pope-realestate.com and click on the local MLS logo to check out what’s for sale currently. I welcome any questions or requests at any time!

By Martha Pope – Accredited Buyers Representative of the National Association of Realtors. If I can help answer any questions, furnish further information or assist in any way please contact me at my website: pope-realestate.com

Buying Real Estate At The Beach

By Martha Pope – Accredited Buyers Representative of the National Association of Realtors

This beautiful coastal and golf area is and always has been an incredible and fun place to vacation and it is also a terrific environment in which to own property. Whether you envision a second home on the Island or at one of the area signature golf courses, the fun factor and the investment potential for you remains strong.

You might be amazed at the rental income one of these homes can generate while you get to vacation here also.

Some of you may have witnessed drops in your own home equity values or may be nervous because you have heard so much, for so long, about soft real estate markets – and you are understandably concerned.

While the market here has slowed somewhat it has held up much better than in other areas of the country. What this means is that as the economy improves nationwide the market in this area is apt to rebound much quicker. This could mean a great opportunity for those looking for a great investment.

Knowing the market where you plan to buy and determining the true value of any property under consideration (based on past sales and not necessarily the current asking price) will assure that you make the right decision and make your purchase at the right price.

Selling real estate at Ocean Isle Beach and this entire gorgeous area for the last almost 30 years has just been a wonderful life and I am truly grateful to have ended up here! If you are looking to invest in real estate in this area I would love to sit down with you and share my knowledge and expertise as an Accredited Buyer Representative of the National Association of Realtors with you.

We can discuss the boundaries of the market, locate the best property for you, purchase it at the best price possible, and finally help you put the correct financing in place by relentless comparison shopping!

At your leisure I invite you to visit my website at pope-realestate.com and click on the local MLS logo to check out what’s for sale currently. I welcome any questions or requests at any time!

By Martha Pope – Accredited Buyers Representative of the National Association of Realtors. If I can help answer any questions, furnish further information or assist in any way please contact me at my website: pope-realestate.com