WHERE TO LIVE IN EMERALD ISLE?
PART ONE
This next series of blogs is all about where in Emerald Isle, NC you want to purchase your second home or vacation retreat. In Emerald Isle we have several real estate zones, if you will: oceanfront, oceanside, soundside and sound front, for example. In choosing a location for your beach home in Emerald Isle, , you should determine how you want to use your second home. What factors are most important? For example, how important is a water view? How important is beach access versus access to stores and restaurants? Anglers may want to be closer to the deep water port of Morehead City. Windsurfers and paddle boarders may want to be closer to Bogue Sound. The best home for rental income located oceanfront may not be the best second home or primary residence inland. I urge all my clients to take some time to write down those factors that are most important as well as those that definitely unimportant and to share this information with me, your real estate coach. This will save both of us a tremendous amount of time in your property search. As me how I know.
Buying a vacation rental property or second home is not unlike purchasing a car or a boat — different models have different features and different price points. I’m in the real estate business so instead of models I will focus on location and I will start on the oceanfront.
Oceanfront
There is nothing like going to sleep listening to the waves wash up against the beach or watching the sun rise over the Atlantic, promising another day full of joy and fun. The beach and the ocean are why most people visit or live on Bogue Banks, and every square foot of oceanfront is precious.
Somewhere in the late 50’s and early 60’s, the first homes were built in Emerald Isle. People back then thought that anyone who chose to build here was crazy. There was no bridge. You got here by boat. There were no roads. You got around by 4 wheel drive trucks. There were no utilities. You fired up a gas generator. Little did these naysayers know that the draw of the ocean would make enduring these pioneering conditions well worth the effort in the years to come.
Oceanfront property is generally more expensive than anywhere else on the island. Besides the proximity to the beach and the views, oceanfront properties provide the highest and most consistent rental incomes. Oceanfront homes book faster than properties off the ocean. Oceanfront properties also tend to appreciate faster than all other island properties.
Oceanfront properties require a higher level of maintenance because oceanfront homes are exposed to constantly blowing winds and moist, salty air. Exterior paint that should last 15 years doesn’t make it past seven. HVAC units rust before your eyes. Deck replacement costs as much as your first home. Windows, doors and shingles tend to have a shorter lifespan closer to the ocean, too And, who knew about the many types of property insurance policies an oceanfront home required? Not only do you have to purchase homeowner’s insurance, but you have to purchase flood, wind and wind-driven rain policies or wish that you did.
Regardless of these additional costs, owning an oceanfront property has its rewards with the fantastic views, the short distance to the water and the tremendous rental income potential. Ask me how I know.
And, when you want more information on Emerald Isle oceanfront opportunities, homes or land, visit my website, www.EIHomesforSale.com for my free Guide to Living in Emerald Isle or text your email address to: 919-308-2292.
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