Outer Banks Real Estate

It is time for a change...

Tired of McCain, Obama, Biden and Palin.  If you have not heard, some friends have asked me to step in as an independent party leader...

Now for a running mate - since the other candidates are picking complete opposites of themselves, maybe I should do the same.  That means I need an older grumpy guy to be my "Number 2".  Any ideas? 

Ten things I will miss about living on the Outer Banks

Our family recently finished the move to Cary N.C.  We leave behind a great community and some great friends.  I thought I would post the top ten things I will miss about the Outer Banks.

1. Friends - The Outer Banks is a small community.  35,000 year round residents make the place feel like a small town for 7 months out of the year.  You really get to know your neighbor.  Our family developed so many friendships over the last five years - we will see if they are still friendly when we want to crash at their house over the summer...
2. Family - We do have family on the Outer Banks but we didn't get to see them as much as we would have liked.  What we did see were the family members from out of town.  They liked vacationing on the Outer Banks and we benefited.  It is great catching up with folks at less stressful times than Christmas and Thanksgiving. 
3. Outer Banks Swim Club - USA Swimming on the Outer Banks.  The club is made up of a great group of parents, coaches and swimmers.  If you live on the Outer Banks and have a child between 5 and 18, check out the program. 
4. Outer Banks YMCA - I became involved with the YMCA almost immediately after moving to the area.  The organization is top notch.  Great leadership - Great members - Great board. 
5. The Beach - I didn't make it to the beach as much as I would have liked in 2008.  Career changes and this thing called "moving" had quite a bit to do with my farmer's tan.  We now have more beach gear (surfboards, body boards, fins, wetsuits and beach chairs) than anyone in Cary.
6. Internet Connections - this one is a little hard to splain.  I have met some great people through the internet.  Sounds strange but it is true.  From the ex-Mayor Bob Muller,  the anonymous Monticello, Paula the Surf Mom, Bill Bell, the folks from Village Realty and too many others to mention in one post - these online identities became close friends in a short period of time. 
7. Friends in the Real Estate Business.  There were over 1,000 Realtors, a lot of Mortgage Lenders and Builders when I moved to the Outer Banks.  The numbers have shrunk considerably but there are some good ones sticking out the slow season.  If you want some names of people I would recommend, give me a call or send an email.
8. Beautiful night skies.  Seems like a small thing but going out at night with almost zero light polution is awesome.  Great place to view meteor showers and celestial events. 
9. Fishing - Great activity on the Outer Banks.  One of my favorite fishing trips was on the Swordfish - they caught a 1,000 pound Blue Marlin a month before our trip.  The Captain and crew are great - we caught 5 Marlin that day and also loaded the cooler with dolphin and tuna.  I would highly reccommend their services.
10. Fresh Seafood - buying seafood at Harris Teeter just doesn't seem right.  Hopefully we can find a great fresh market close to home. 

Enough of the warm and fuzzies.  If you are mentioned or linked in the list above, expect a call when I am looking for a place to stay for the long weekend.

Links to Outer Banks Blogs

I have added direct links to some Outer Banks Blogs on my menu to the right.  If I missed your blog, send me a note and I will add it to the list.  Quite a diverse group of authors if I may say so...

Google launched their own browser today - Chrome

Today, Google launched Chrome - their version of the web browser.  You can download a copy for free from Google.  The tech site Lifehacker which is one of my regular reads has been hot on the trail of the new browser with an in depth analysis and comparisons to Firefox, Opera and IE. 

I downloaded the browser and took a test drive this evening.  It has a clean look and feel.  Pages seemed to load quickly and it had some pretty cool features.  I did notice that the posting window for Typepad (blogging software) did not display properly but I am sure that is something that will be worked out quickly. 

While there are some options with firefox that I am not willing to leave just yet, this product is probably one to watch.  I have been very pleased with the Google Apps to date and I can't imagine them doing anything half baked. 

Nags Head discusses Beach Nourishment

The Town of Nags Head discussed Beach Nourishment at their August 20th meeting - you can read all of the details in the article by The Outer Banks Sentinel.  I know this is a touchy subject for many, but there are medications that can alleviate some of the symptoms associated with beach nourishment discussions...

Fireball on the Outer Banks

Last night while rolling back into town, I saw my brightest fireball to date.  It happened at 10:00  while driving north towards Southern Shores on the bypass.  It might have been an early start to the Perseids Meteor Shower which will happen over the next 10 days.

The Outer Banks is such a great place to view Meteor Showers - the lack of light pollution and the fact that you are on a beach makes viewing that much better.

Fireballs are much larger and brighter than a typical meteor.  Many might mistake a fireball for fireworks - not last night's version.  It looked like a flare shot from above towards the beach.  Hope everyone has a chance to view the heavenly show next week. 

Outer Banks Real Estate Stats

I like statistics.  Always have.  Jeff Scott from Scott Team Realty is great about posting Outer Banks Real Estate Sales Statistics (follow link for full report).  They might not be pretty but I admire him for posting the truth.

Thanks to Jeff for sharing the data.  Based on the graph - the slowdown really did start in late 2005. 

What not to do with a bullet proof vest

Seems Eastern North Carolina might have an entry for this year's Darwin Awards.  Here is a synopsis of the event.

• Guys get off work and buy beer
• One guy owns a bullet proof vest and decides to pull it out after a few
• Guy dons vest and asks beer swilling buddies to "stab him"
• Friend tries to stab dude in vest and the knife bounces off
• Guy wearing vest decides to try to stab himself to prove how tough the vest/he is
• Guy dies 20 minutes later at hospital

You can read the dry details from the Daily Reflector article. 

What the Outer Banks really needs

This article has nothing to to with current issues such as Beach Nourishment (which we need), a Mid Currituck Bridge (which we need), Beach Closures on Hatteras Island (which we don't need).  I wanted to address the economic viability of our community during the soft years.

The Outer Banks is a small community.  Fluctuating anywhere between 30,000 and 35,000 permanent residents.  Our market is all about the housing and servicing of people.  Part of that service is selling properties.  Look in your home town - does anyone have numbers close to this. 

• 1 out of 30 people that live on the Outer Banks are Realtors
• 1 out of 100 are tied to the sale of property (mortgage lenders, attorneys and support staff for those industries)
• I would guess that 2 out of 30 people are tied to the rental industry (maybe even more).  Reservations, maintenance, Housecleaning, IT, Admin etc.
• Then add the other services that solely cater to the vacationers - Restaurants that are only open during the season, Beach Rental Companies, Charter Fishing, Cooks that shop and cook your meal, putt putt golf courses - the list goes on and on.

So out of the 35,000 folks that live here - I would be willing to guess that it would add up to 25% to 40% of the total workforce caters to folks from out of town.  That is what many would call having too many eggs in one basket. 

What are the solutions?  It is a tough question and even a tougher answer.  Most solutions cost money - and many Counties and Cities don't have a lot of cash laying around to spend.  Many are operating very lean as it is. 

If I were King (King Roach doesn't sound so good), I would focus on our strengths first.  We are in the people business and we are great at what we do.  Build some infrastructure to bring bodies down in the shoulder and off season. 

• A nice convention center would be a start and cater to businesses that want an alternative place to host their meetings.  Many major cities have these but we have something they don't - that beach.  You ask any company in Virginia - would you like to host our meeting, our users group or sales meeting on the Outer Banks?  I bet the overwhelming answer would be yes.
• Build the competitive pools that Dare County is considering.  We have about 1,500 swimmers in Tidewater Virginia.  Those swimmers (and especially their parents) would love to spend a long weekend between October through March.  700 families coming once or twice a month would not hurt anyone's feelings.   
• Host weekend sports tournaments - Parks and Rec have great facilities.  Friends we know that come down can not get over the quality of our fields. 

I am sure there are many other alternatives and I would love to hear your ideas.  Comment away.

ORV access hearing today on Capitol Hill

The Energy and Natural Resources Committee of the US Senate will hear from two sides about the ORV beach closures on the Outer Banks.  Listed below are the details from the committee website:

National Parks Subcommittee Hearing: to receive testimony on pending legislation (SD-366)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
02:30 PM

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 1816, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a commemorative trail in connection with the Women's Rights National Historical Park to link properties that are historically and thematically associated with the struggle for women's suffrage, and for other purposes; S. 2093, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a segment of the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers in the State of Vermont for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; S. 2535, to revise the boundary of the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, and for other purposes; S. 2561, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a theme study to identify sites and resources to commemorate and interpret the Cold War; S. 3011, to amend the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site Act of 1991 to expand the boundaries of the historic site, and for other purposes; S. 3113, to reinstate the Interim Management Strategy governing off-road vehicle use in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina, pending the issuance of a final rule for off-road vehicle use by the National Park Service; S. 3148, to modify the boundary of the Oregon Caves National Monument, and for other purposes; S. 3158, to extend the authority for the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission; S. 3226, to rename the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in the State of Kentucky as the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park; S. 3247, to provide for the designation of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park in the State of Michigan; and H.R. 5137, to ensure that hunting remains a purpose of the New River Gorge National River.

Witnesses

Panel 1
The Honorable Carl Levin , US Senate
The Honorable Hillary Clinton , US Senator
The Honorable Elizabeth Dole , US Senator
The Honorable John Dingell , US House of Representatives

Panel 2
Daniel Wenk , Deputy Director for operations, National Park Service, Department of the Interior
Joel Holtrop , Deputy Chief, National Forest Service

Panel 3
The Honorable Warren Judge , Chairman, Dare County Board of Commissioners
Derb Carter , Director, Carolinas Office, Southern Environmental Law Center
Coline Jenkins , President, Elizabeth Cady Stanton Trust
William Braunlich , President, Monroe County Historical Society

For those that don't have the senate channel, you can watch streaming video from the following site.  Just select live webcast from the left menu bar.