Nothing can transform a home quite like a simple seasonal color palette. Whether you want to embrace the fall foliage, some holiday whimsy, or a little winter coziness, you can do all that with a few coats of paint and some well-placed splashes of color. The best part of all? Not only are these color […]
Category Archives: OBX News
Sunrise Seafood by Diane Lea
How often do you hear friends and visitors to Hatteras Island say, “I’d live here if I could figure out how to make a living.” Frequently, I’ll bet. That’s why Mark Martino, proprietor of Sunrise Seafood Market on Highway 12 in Avon, is exceptional. He did it. Mark is a Michigan native who came to […]
What You Need to Know About Low-Maintenance Communities
Picture this: It’s winter. It’s freezing. You still need to clear the last of the leaves from your lawn, but you’re finding every excuse to stay huddled inside your warm home and out of the cold, biting air. More than ever, you’re wishing your yard work would just do itself. Sound familiar? Maintenance and lawn […]
The Hidden Horrors of Going FSBO (For Sale by Owner)
Many home sellers have considered skipping the real estate agent to save on closing costs, but very few have actually succeeded in seeing those savings. There’s a good reason: the average homeowner doesn’t have the rigorous training and real estate knowledge that a licensed agent does. But just what makes For Sale By Owner (FSBO) […]
Cape Hatteras Anglers Club by Diane Lea
The theme of “community,” a word defined as ‘a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common,’ is one that keeps cropping up as I continue to enjoy my years on Hatteras Island. I’ve written about people and places that add to this sense of community, including museums, […]
6 Reasons Why Owning a Home is Awesome
Hatteras Island Market Update
As another summer draws to a close, it’s time to share an update on the Hatteras Island real estate market. This year has provided much positive news in the real estate market as well as for the island in general. The Bonner Bridge Construction continues to amaze all that have had the opportunity to pass […]
How Buyers and Sellers Have Lost Thousands of Dollars to Email Scams
Email scams are as old as, well, email, but as the years go by, these scams have become more and more sophisticated. Recently, several home buyers have fallen victim to specially targeted email scams that attempt to rob them of their closing costs — sometimes up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. These types of […]
Shelly Island by Diane Lea
There is always a summer story on Hatteras Island, a place known for romantic legends, swashbuckling tales and historical happenings that fill our history books and museums. But this season the summer story is still with us in the form of a new island off Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s iconic Cape Point. The island is […]
6 Questions to Ask When Considering a Neighborhood with an HOA
Let’s say you have your heart set on buying a home in a community with a swimming pool, a clubhouse, and maybe even a playground or trails. Having access to these amenities often means living in a community with a homeowners association, or HOA. Generally, an HOA is responsible for keeping the neighborhood looking beautiful […]