Outer Banks Real Estate

Jealous Again - Cool toys on the Outer Banks

I've had enough.  I thought I had friends on the Outer Banks...

The truth of the matter - I want one of these.  Actually, I just want to borrow Bill's toys.  Fellow Outer Banks blogger Bill Bell has a great video he posted online of his new toys flying over Jockey's Ridge State Park.  For those not familiar with the area - Jockey's Ridge is a huge pile of sand on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. 

My sister in law Lisa (that I love dearly) bought my sons a remote control plane two years ago for Christmas.  I proceeded to fly the plane into the swamp in Smithfield, Virginia in less than two minutes.  I can now say that I will never live that moment down in my life. 

My plea is to Bill - let my children enjoy flight!  Take them for a weekend and teach them to fly. 

Local OBX Blogger - 4WD style

Another local OBX blogger from the northern latitudes. 

The blog is from Jason Summerton who is a Real Estate Broker with Twiddy in Corolla.  Jason's blog is called Carova Corner and it all about the 4WD area of the Outer Banks.  Here is an excerpt from his "Why am I taking on this challenge" "Introduction - Why the blog?"

I finally created this blog after years of receiving emails and telephone calls from property owners and 'potential' property owners who just wanted to know what was going on in the Carova Beach area. I found myself answering the same questions over and over. Online information about the area can be very difficult to obtain, even more difficult is to verify whether or not it is accurate. I spend a considerable amount of time researching issues that directly or indirectly effect this off-road area so that I can provide detailed, objective responses to those who share a similar passion for the area. As most of you know, this is not your typical suburbia and there are a number of potential pitfalls to negotiate to achieve success in the off-road area. It starts with education. Thanks for reading.
Feel free to visit http://www.twiddysales.com/agents/jason-summerton/ to search the entire Outer Banks MLS for current listings.

I think this is a great way to deliver information to those interested in the 4WD area of the northern Outer Banks.  Good luck Jason and we hope to see you at the next Outer Banks Blog Summit this spring.

Another Local OBX Blogger

Duck has a blogger!  Earl publishes Life on the Edge - Living on the edge of the continent, about a thousand feet from the surf's edge in Duck, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina can sometimes be a little different from the way most normal people live. I plan to use this space to express a little bit about the way we live, what we enjoy, and what we (sometimes just I) think about what's going on on our little island and in the world around us.

Welcome to the group Earl.  We hope you can attend our next Outer Banks Blog Summit. 

New Outer Banks blog - OBX Neighborhood

Bill Holt - a local Realtor on the Outer Banks has started a new blog called OBX Neighborhood.  Bill is heading up the MLS committee this year for the Outer Banks Association of Realtors.  I spoke with him earlier about his plans for OBX Neighborhood and he has some great ideas to keep the content fresh and interesting.  This is one to watch.  Good luck Bill. 

Another Local OBX Blogger

I have heard the voice hundreds of times.  Now there is a blog to go along with "The Voice".  Sam Walker does the local news on many local radio stations on the Outer Banks and he is now sporting a new blog - East Carolina Radio News.  On the way to work this morning I heard his news segment and he ended with the new site.  When I heard blogspot.com at the end, I knew we had another local OBX Blog. 

I think this format is going to work well for Sam and his readers.  He appears to be a quick learner on the technology side.  This will be one you want to add to your subscription list.

Negativity in the Mortgage Market on the Outer Banks

There is a new Outer Banks Blog from Greg Cremia titled Outer Banks Community Forum.  Greg is an old school Active Rain blogger that has now switched to an independent platform.  Greg understands the technology and I think he will be a very active local blogger.

Greg has a guest author Bernie from Beach Mortgage.  Bernie is a good guy and a long time lender on the Outer Banks.  He posted an article about the negativity in our mortgage / real estate market.  I believe that Bernie is correct on a few fronts - there is a tremendous amount of negativity in the press about the current mortgage market. 

This is where I differ from Bernie. 

• Loan requirements have tightened - higher credit scores are larger down payments are required today compared to July 2007. 
• It is reported that the mortgage industry has lost 27,000 jobs in the month of August. 
• North Carolina Legislature has passed a bill addressing Mortgage Fraud.  The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2008.   
• Most lenders do not have all of the products they had before the fall.  Just check out the Implode-O-Meter to see who is no longer in business or what products have been pulled from inventory. 
• Existing Home sales dropped to their lowest level since 2001. 
• The press moving onto another subject is not going to fix the problem.

Prices have dropped on most properties on the Outer Banks.  Rentals for most companies hit an all time high this year.  There are some good deals on the market today and there are some very motivated sellers. 

A favorite old boss of mine had a saying that he would share with us on an all too frequent basis - it is what it is - which was voted the #1 cliche of 2004.  Deal with the facts and move forward.  Find solutions for your customers when the rules change.   

Done for the night - time to watch the Rockies try to defy odds and beat those hairy Red Sox. 

Another OBX blog

I don't know how I missed this one - I have been subscribing for quite some time and I just assumed they were already on my local blogger list.  My apologies to Lyndi.

The Beach Bus is a local blog about Outer Banks Weddings and Tour Transportation.  It is a great resource for those considering getting married on the Outer Banks. 

I have been the officiant for two weddings.  My sister in law was getting married out of town and did not have a relationship with a local church.  They were visiting one weekend and the conversation went something like this:

Sister in Law - Hey Ronnie, you would be a good officiant.
Me - Yeah, that would be funny.
Sister in Law - Would you be willing to do it?
Me - Oh Yeah, sure I will marry you.
Sister in Law then pulls out a packet from her bag with all of the details about what I need to do in order to make this happen.  I was joking - she was not.  Wedding went great. 

Tying the knot on the Outer Banks is big business.  Each year we have a wedding expo - the next one will be January 5-8, 2008.  Stay tuned to the Beach Bus - I am sure they will be providing all of the details. 

Outer Banks Blog Scene

The Outer Banks Blog scene has been quite active this summer.  The number of local bloggers continues to grow and covering subjects from charter boat fishing to local politics.  There are a few blogs I would like to highlight - the Ronnie Roach Cliffs Notes version of OBX Blogging.

Paula the Queen of the Surf Pirates - has been spearheading an effort to allow free speech without harassment on our local blogs.  Go Paula!

Bob Muller from View From The Ridge followed up with timely posts about responsible commenting and support for eliminating bully tactics intended to silence the local bloggers.

Outer Banks Republic wrote a very compelling piece about why he supports Beach Nourishment.  I know this topic never seems to go away but I really appreciated the time and thought that was put into this post.  Whether you are for or against beach nourishment, I believe any reasonable person can relate to the points addressed by Monty.  Paula once commented that the pro beach nourishment group needed a better front man.  I believe Monty would be a great fit.

On a lighter note - the folks from Village Realty gave a lesson in "How to speak like a local".  Good stuff.

Bill from Bill's OBX Beach Life has a new toy - a waterproof video camera that he takes while windsurfing.  Pretty cool toy.

I have also found quite a few vacationers that blog about their Outer Banks Experience.  A couple to note -

Fred Black - Found his site when he posted about visiting this summer.

Miles and his Favorites has been documenting their vacation - I thought vacation was a time to relax.  This guy is doing it all.  He will need a vacation when he gets home. 

Being Tagged is not fun

Paula the Queen of the Surf Pirates decided to respond to a meme (mistake #1).  She then decided to throw some locals under the bus (mistake #2).  I tried to pass my gift to another but it didn't work so here are my answers to 8 stupid things most people don't know about me (mistake #3). 

1.  I was illegally adopted - parents were older and wanted a newborn.  Not sure if they got a good deal.

2.  I was an Eagle Scout so I learned how not to burn down a forest.

3.  I used to race sailboats.  Mainly cats and small sloops.  One of the 8 people in the country following the America's Cup.  Wondering how long it will be called America's Cup. 

4.  I don't own any Sammy Gear but I hope offering this information will at least get me a shirt - XL please.

5.  I am a Referee for USA Swimming.  It sure beats watching from the stands.

6.  I sold my wife's car for $100 at a yard sale.  We went out for dinner with the proceeds.

7. Never met Boy George but I did have a drink with Jack Kemp. Met him on a flight and asked him if anyone ever told him he looked like Jack Kemp... I gave him some advice on his VP run but it didn't work.

8.  Good cook - awful at laundry.

Other notable local bloggers that have responded so far are:

Our fearless queen that started this - Paula
Our mystery man blogger - Monticello
Our former Mayor of Nags Head - Bob

Some others I would like to join this ridiculous exercise in futility

Bill's OBX Beach Life
Bloggers from Village Realty
Thoughts and Things

Another Local OBX Blog

Skip Saunders has a blog about cycling and surfing.  Skip said he started cycling in order to stay in shape for surfing.  Now this isn't the type of cycling where you pull out that rusty beach cruiser and ride to the closest bar for appetizers and a pitcher.  These guys like pain.  I have just started to dabble in the sport (if you saw me ride - you would understand why I refer to is as dabbling).  It is a lot of fun and a great workout - the 5:30 AM ride is the toughest part.   Welcome to the OBX blogoshpere Skip.