Feburary 2015 Zip Code Report

Great numbers are in again for February 2015 home sales in the Wilmington, North Carolina and surrounding areas. Of the 11 primary zip codes being all of Wilmington, Leland, Hampstead, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach only 3 had less sales than Feburary 2014. The zip codes that had increases in sales in February 2015 over 2014 were: 28401 (16), 28403 (23), 28405 (34), 28409 (47), 28411 (51), 28412 (59), 28451 (39) and 28428 (22). Wrightsville Beach (28480) had 5 home sales in Feb 2015 which was down slightly from 9 sales in Feb 2014. Hampstead only has one less sale in Feb 2015 (34) compared to 2014 (35). Kure Beach also had 4 sales in Feb 2015 compared to 6 in Feb 2014. Overall, February 2015 was a great month for sales in our region.


The lowest home sale last month was $29,900 in downtown (1013 S 6th Street Wilmington, NC 28401). It was a 1255 square foot 3 bedroom, 2 bath home on .13 acre that was built in 1922. It was a foreclosure sale and sold for $23.82 per square foot. It was on the market for 42 days.


The highest home sale last month sold for $1,250,000 at the beach (530 Waynick Boulevard Wrightsville Beach 28480). It was a 3786 square foot 4 bedroom, 5 bathroom home on .22 acre that was built in 1926. It has multiple boat slips and deeded water rights on Banks Channel. This house sold for $330.16 per square foot. It was on the market for 310 days.


It is interesting that these homes (the highest price home sold and the lowest home sold)  were built 4 years apart however; what a testament to location! Sure, the homes were different square footage but the ages of the structures were very close to one another.


Keep location in mind when you are considering a new home purchase. What will your new home offer that others don't? Amount of land? Water rights? Luxury features? Uniqueness?  Walkability to shopping? This is the most important item to pay attention to above everything else. Location, Location, Location!

Downtown Wilmington

I love the architecture and the history that our beautiful city of Wilmington, NC has... especially downtown. These are just a few of my favorites of the more famous landmarks or just random buildings I think are noteworthy. Enjoy!

{photo credit: Shannon Lee}

Super Bowl Dip

I found an awesome recipe on Pinterest this evening as I was thinking about wanting to try a new appetizer for the Super Bowl tomorrow. It sounds great and thought I would share. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients:
2  (8oz) blocks of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup Kraft mayonnaise
1 cup Kraft shredded Mexican cheese
1 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
1 (4oz) can chopped jalapenos
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter melted
Salt
Pepper
Dried parsley (optional)

Directions:
Preheat 375°
Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Mexican cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, green chilies, jalapenos, pinch of salt, dash of pepper. Do not drain the peppers or chilies. Put in casserole dish. Mix panko bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture over the dip. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite crackers.



 

7757 Cypress Island Drive Wilmington NC 28412

This beautiful brick home is now for sale in the Cypress Island Community. It has been immaculately maintained and is tucked in to quite cul-de-sac lot in the back of the community. This home has wonderful open floor plan that lends itself to entertaining. Large kitchen breakfast bar is open to the dining and living areas and is complete with updated stainless steel appliances. Neutral paint colors and upgraded flooring make this home move in ready. Large sunroom/library off the living room and master create great flow throughout this home. Enjoy your morning coffee on the sunny back porch overlooking your fenced backyard. Come enjoy the carefree lifestyle this home provides with close proximity to Carolina and Kure Beaches'. In addition to close proximity to the beach, this community features golf, tennis, pool and clubhouse for a low $110 monthly HOA fee. Offered at $242,000 you will want to take a tour of this lovely home. Call Shannon at 910-512-5399 or email shannonlee@seacoastrealty.com to schedule a showing of this incredible property.

Who pays for what?

Buyer & Seller Costs in a Real Estate Transaction

What are my closing costs going to be? How much is a survey? What do I have to pay for?


Every transaction is unique however this is a list of typical cost(s) and responsible party in a transaction. Of course, your Realtor and lender can help you with more accurate estimations as the transaction progresses. Hopefully someone will find this list helpful with estimated cost(s) projections.

Estimated Cost(s)

Seller pays for:                                                           Approximate amount:

Commission                                                               5-10% of the purchase price

Deed Preparation                                                      $95-150

Revenue Stamps                                                        $2 per $1000 of the purchase price

Release of Sellers Mortgage                                    $35-45

Federal Express                                                         $35-40

Home Warranty                                                         $400-500

Buyer pays for:                                                           Approximate amount:

Earnest Money                                                          typically 1% of offer price

Appraisal                                                                    $400-500

Credit Report                                                             $30

Home Inspection                                                       $350-450 (based on square footage)

Origination Fee                                                          1% of the loan amount (can vary)

Discount Points                                                          a % of the amount/type of loan

Attorney Fee                                                               $500-600

Termite Inspection                                                    $75-100

HVAC Inspection                                                       $85-100

Survey                                                                           $300-700 (depending on size)

Flood Certification                                                     $12-30

Recording Fee                                                             $90-125

Title Insurance                                                            $2 per $1000 of the purchase price

HOA Dues                                                                    Prorated from date of closing

Federal Express                                                          $35-40

Commitment Fee                                                       $450

Document Preparation                                             $75-100

DefyGravityWilmington is now open

I couldn't resist to post about the newest family friendly attraction in the Wilmington Area, DefyGravity. Since opening a few weeks ago, I have been with my sons several times. It is awesome! Here are a few tips I have learned that I thought I should share:

1. Be sure to reserve your flight time ahead of schedule (do not just show up and hope to jump especially on a Saturday) because they do sell out. www.defygravity.us/Wilmington       
2. Dress as you would if you were going to the gym. I was much overdressed for my first visit and I didn’t jump (just helping my kids out of the foam pit and overseeing them learning the rules was enough to break a sweat). So, even if it’s cold outside you might want to dress in comfortable layers you can peel off if needed.
3. No shoes on the floor, they prefer that you jump barefoot (it's just safer than sliding on the trampolines).
4. You are required to sign a waiver (either online in advance when you book your flight time or when you arrive) prior to jumping. They actually do have 3 kiosk machines that you can sign your waiver(s) as you arrive prior to jumping if you forget to do it online in advance.
5. Parking is a little problematic but keep in mind the flight times run on the hour and half hour; so if you are patient and keep that in mind with your arrival time a space should open up from someone leaving soon.

I also think the best deal that they offer is the KidJump, Monday-Friday 9am-12pm where kids 6 and under (which mine are) jump for $8/hour and 1 accompanying adult jumps for free! Overall... I rate this new family friendly attraction to Wilmington 5 stars. It’s clean (hopefully they keep that up, since it is brand new), the staff is very friendly/helpful and its good clean fun! So far during 3 trips the music is appropriate for all ages as well. Which as a mom, I really appreciate! So, go try it out and hopefully these tips are helpful to someone!  Enjoy!

The address is:

Defy Gravity Wilmington

6431 Market Street

Wilmington, NC 28405

The phone number is:
910-444-1002

The website is:
www.defygravity.us/wilmington 

2014 End of Year Real Estate Recap

The annual market report was recently reported from the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors new president Sherri Pickard and I found it to be extremely positive news that I needed to share.


Overall, our average sales price has increased 4.6% when comparing 2014 to 2013. Only one zip code showed a decrease in average sales price. The average number of days on the market also slightly decreased in comparison.

Here is the breakdown of average sales prices per zip code:


28401: $132,649
28403: $212,842
28405: $300,789
28409: $308,567
28411: $289,741
28412: $196,712
28451: $224,523
28480: $743,370
28428: $261,366
28449: $374,272
28443: $259,299

The Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas are showing improvement almost 100% across the board which is very positive news. This is a nice indication that our housing market is healthy and getting stronger.

Feel free to email me at shannonlee@seacoastrealty.com for any questions about this post. Thanks for reading!