Brunswick County Blog

A Down-sized Life

Pulling out of a parking space in downtown Southport, I had to inch my sedan so I could see around the SUV beside me to make sure the lane was clear. No big deal. No annoyance that I couldn't see around the car, no long wait to get into the traffic flow, no impatience whatsoever. Just a quiet morning, a block from the deep blue river, with a couple of people getting morning coffee and a few others on their way to work.

It made me think of downsizing from my much-loved SUV and how it meant the children were moving on and we no longer needed to haul half a basketball team around.  I smiled at the new reality of my life, moving to Southport where all of life is down-sized. Smaller town, less traffic, and a milder winter. More time to smile.

The great part about a down-sized life is that there are wonderful things that move in to fill in the space where all that stress used to be. The greatest of these gifts is time- a half hour on the beach during a workday lunch hour, a homebound commute that takes minutes, or a precious moment to simply sit and think for a while. There are benches and swings overlooking the river here in Southport waiting for you.  The down-sized life is a great place to be.

Thanks for listening.

Pam Quinn, Broker

Building A Bridge To Higher Real Estate Values

Along with "why is the sky blue?" one of those curious child-questions is how a bridge gets built into the water. Okay, maybe it's not just a child's question!  The engineering feat is amazing and more than a passing interest to those of use who live in Brunswick County, NC.

This photo of the "second" bridge was just taken and yes, indeed, the project is right on schedule. What does that mean? It means that great property opportunities for both homes and land near the bridge on Oak Island, making Wilmington and Myrtle Beach even closer when you choose to leave paradise.

It means another access for those who live in Seawatch, St. James, Riversea and other plantations. Now is the perfect time to buy. Why? Because the prognosticators predict a turn-around just as the bridge is finished and the prices will start going up.

And by the way, the blue of a Carolina sky defies description but who cares? It brings such a sense of wonder and well-being that we don't really care why it's blue.

Thanks for listening,

Pam Quinn, Broker

Three Rivers Realty

Leaving the Beach

Leaving the Beach

Beach time is magic time. The first day of vacation, you'll stay through two tide changes, a cooler full of drinks and half of the summer's top beach book. The last day of vacation is a series of resigned sighs. It can take a good hundred miles toward home before the ache goes away. It's leaving a slowed-down life. The soothing push-pull of the waves on nerves.The restoration of your soul that comes from a blue sea and bright sky. It can be easier. A vacation home, a retirement home to visit through the last crazy years of works- it's completely affordable at prices that won't be seen again. Come here for a long weekend to swim in the ocean in October. Come walk the beach on New Year's Day. Leave winter snow to see daffodils in February.  It can be done, and we can help it happen.

Thanks for listening,

Pam Quinn, Broker

Three Rivers Realty in Southport, NC

Gardening in Southport, NC

Nothing adds curb appeal and value to a home more than a beautiful garden.  Gardening in our area is not for the faint of heart.  Every transplanted gardener soon finds that what grows well up North does not do well here at all. We also find that much to our delight, many plants that were either annuals or houseplants in the North are perennials here.  We discover new plants, flowers and grasses that rapidly become our favorites.

Gardens in coastal Carolina are also challenged by deer, rabbits, sandy soil and drought. However, we are blessed by a long, strong growing season.  Monday, we went on a Garden Tour showcasing 11 home gardens that were beautiful and inspirational.

I am already planning my new gardening projects for the weekend. What I do know is that gardeners by nature (no pun intended) understand what we can control and what we can’t…and then work around obstacles until we achieve what we want. Superb life skills!

I have a list of plants that are: deer resistant, drought tolerant, and shade tolerant plants. Let me know if you would like me to send you a copy.

Thanks for listening,
Allyn Heck, Broker/Owner
AHeck@ec.rr.com
Three Rivers Realty
Southport, NC

www.ThreeRiversRealtyNC.com

Let Them Eat Crab Cakes!

 

Southport, NC has made THE list in 1,000 Places in the USA and Canada to See Before You Die. In it, international bestselling author Patricia Schultz highlights a few of Southport's most popular spots. This didn't surprise me, because I've always known that Southport is a must-see for just about everyone!

Schultz writes that Southport is a "richly historic town rife with galleries, boutiques, and a great marina." She also mentions a favorite seafood dive of hers, the Yacht Basin Provision Company -- a restaurant everyone in our office frequents. When there, Schultz writes (and I agree) that you should "grab a beverage from the cooler and order from the bounty of the sea: conch fritters, the best fresh shrimp cocktail, and lumpy crab cakes on paper plates."

Now is the perfect time to visit! Let us know when you're going to be in town, and we'll plan on lunch at the Provision Company.

Have any of you already been to the Provision Company? What's your favorite dish there?

Thanks,
Allyn Heck, Broker/Owner -- AHeck@ec.rr.com
www.ThreeRiversRealtyNC.com
Toll-free: 866.908.4325
611 N. Howe St.
Southport, NC 28461

The Perfect Storm

It just doesn’t get much better than this for buyers of a vacation home, retirement dream, investment or relocation. In fact, we could call it the perfect storm.

Well, the savvy buyers calling Three Rivers Realty every day are looking for the perfect storm -– the combination of large inventory, great prices, great mortgage rates and the knowledge that their investment will soon start to increase in value.

Yup. We’ve got all those factors in play.

In fact,  the bottom of the market has come and gone. We’re seeing a tick upward, and today the Brunswick County Association of Realtors confirmed that sales are 12% ahead of this time last year and that we’re ahead of this time on the calendar in 2004.

The oceanfront dream lot or home is affordable. The golf communities have great prices. The family home is within reach. And it’s all in beautiful Brunswick County, North Carolina where we get an occasional storm -- and the rest of the time it’s perfect!

Pam Quinn, Broker
Three Rivers Realty
Southport, NC

ThreeRiversRealtyNC.com