Buying Outer Banks Real Estate?

If you love the water and the outdoors, then living or owning property in the Outer Banks is an incredible experience.  The temperate climate and multitude of things to do attracts people of all ages.  Surfing, golfing, fishing, parasailing, hang-gliding or simply walking along the Outer Banks miles of coastline is just a start.  And while vacationers flock to the beaches in the summer months, making outer banks real estate an excellent investment, full-time residents and second home owners enjoy the quiet of the off-season, when the beaches are open and seating at your favorite restaurant is readily available.

How to start your OBX Real Estate Search

Your intended use of the property should be the key driver in your search, and using the advanced search feature will enable you to better streamline your search to find your ideal property.  The primary beaches of Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk all have "vacation" area components as well as communities geared towards year-round living.  Most full-time residents live on the "west" side or sound side while vacation rental properties are normally found on the oceanside, oceanfront, or "between the highways".  The northern beaches of Corolla and Duck lean more towards vacationers and second homes, but you can find primary residences in these communities as well.  You'll find more full-time residents in Manteo on Roanoke Island, although the communities of Shallowbag Bay and Pirate's Cove have a combination of primary residents, second home owners and vacation rentals.  Let the experienced agents at Coastal Outer Banks Realty help you create a focused search by providing you more details about the various communities enabling you to find the perfect location.  We can even create a customized search in your own coastalouterbanks.com account!  Just send us a note at inquires@coastalobx.com telling us your ideal property and we will set-up the search for you.  You'll then receive email alerts either daily or weekly, whatever you choose, when a property meeting your search criteria comes on the market or reduces its price.

OBX Real Estate Shopping Seasons

If you're looking for an Outer Banks investment property, spring is an ideal time to buy.  You'll receive all the rental income for the season and if you're lucky, be able to cover a chunk of your mortgage payments for the rest of the year.  Late fall and winter are a great time to shop, as accessing the properties is easier than trying to work around vacationers.  Of course summer is always a challenge when shopping for second homes and vacation rentals, and you should expect to see properties only on "turnover" day.  Of course fall is one of our favorite seasons in the Outer Banks, with gorgeous weather and open beaches.  Sellers may be more flexible in price, since they will have collected their rents for the season already.

Make sure you enjoy your OBX Shopping Experience

Buying real estate on the Outer Banks should be fun, so don't overdo it.  Try and put a reasonable limit on the number of homes you see in one day.  Of course this number varies by the locations of the homes you want to view, so discuss with your real estate agent what's appropriate.  The reality is that house cramming can be overwhelming and you often can't remember the details of the various homes.