2012 In Review

On behalf of the best real estate and custom home design teams on the east coast, Nancy Boston, Pat Coye, Court Terhune, Haley Wilson, Christopher Columbus Creekmore, Patty McGrath and myself Doug Terhune, wish for each of the 30,000+ recipients of our monthly eNewsletter a wonderful 2013!

2012 got off to a slow start for just about everyone in real estate here in Coastal NC, but by April we started clicking on all cylinders and finished with a very strong three quarters. For six years running, Carolina Plantations Real Estate increased our sales vs the previous year. We were very pleased with record sales of $14,032,915 as we welcomed over 100 families! That is an increase of 10% over 2012 and places us as one of the Top 20 Real Estate firms in Brunswick County, NC. Total MLS sales in the county also increased and here are Residential Home Sales in Brunswick County over the past 5 years:

Over the past six years, Carolina Plantations has established itself as the #1 Relocation Specialists in Southeastern North Carolina. Our company philosophy is different from every other firm in Coastal North Carolina, as our clients are almost solely living in points due north of us and are looking to retire or purchase a second home here. We list quite a bit of property but our forte is assisting those that are considering Brunswick County as a second home or place to retire to. In fact, here is how we ranked in a handful of local plantations in 2012.
I would be kidding you if I didn’t say that we are really proud of this accomplishment but more importantly, we are thankful that we had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful clients again this year. And btw, a good portion of them found that Coastal NC worked for them but, a few others found that it didn’t – and that is fine with us because unless you get down here and look, how will you know?

If I were to describe our typical clients, they own snow shovels, have built up considerable equity in their homes, want a fun community with lots of activities, don’t want to spend a lot on memberships, are budgeting between $250,000 – $400,000 for their Dream Home, don’t want to live somewhere remote and are 1-2 years away from pulling the plug on their careers and hopefully selling their homes.

In Southeastern NC, a typical Realtor usually has a small geographic territory (3-5 miles) that they work within. The old adage of working within one’s comfort zone is very apropos here. At Carolina Plantations, our Brokers are extensively trained and continually schooled weekly on understanding ALL options that our clients might throw at us. We must be proficient on ALL of Brunswick County – including intimate knowledge of Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. However, in order for our clients to really experience all their options, they must plan a day or two with us just to learn the lay of the land.

And FYI, our tours of Wilmington and Brunswick County are legendary as we focus on beaches, golf, shopping, dining, medical, entertainment and more shopping! 🙂

In Brunswick County there are over 20 plantations, and for one person/couple to drive in each one of them, meet the onsite sales representatives and spend 3-4 hours looking at homesites and spec homes would honestly take over a week. Our Brokers (who are also Realtors), once they learn about what you are looking for, will immediately reduce the number of plantations in half if not even more. Then when it is time to visit us, in one day we can provide you (for example) with a very thorough and personal tour of St James, Brunswick Forest, Ocean Ridge and Rivers Edge. All the while though we are listening and better understanding your needs, which by the way, often change once you come down and see your options firsthand.

Our business plan, which is continually evolving, looks something like this:

 

To the thousands of you that have already worked with us, we appreciate your faith in us as we are truly honored to have been part of your search. To those of you who have begun or are thinking of beginning your search, we hope that you provide us with that opportunity and we will work hard to gain your trust. (also see www.TheRetirementHandbook.com for tips on retiring)

2012 was a very good year as we reduced our inventories considerably (especially Bank Owned Properties) and welcomed thousands of new families. Therefore, prices will begin moving upwards in 2013 as we have already begun to see this occur in several plantations. Interest rates are still at historic lows (but might not be for long) and the economy continues to expand. 2013 will be a stronger year – so call us today at 910 755-7557 to arrange a visit before we get back to a Seller’s Market!