The Pinehurst Country Club and golf resort will be hosting the 2008 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship from July 31 - August 2, 2008, followed by the U.S. Kids Golf World Cup. In addition to Pinehurst, a number of other great local clubs will host competition play, including: Little River Golf Club, Longleaf Country Club, Midland Country Club, Mid Pines Golf Club, Talamore Golf Club, The Country Club of Whispering Pines. The World Cup will be held on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course. Who knows, maybe one of the young competitors will return one day to play in the U.S. Open Golf Tournament at Pinehurst as an adult amateur or professional golfer!

Age Groups begin at 6 and under (boys) and 7 and under (girls) up to 12 year old groups for boys and girls. Qualifying for the tournament is tough and literally takes place all over the world; and tournament champions have come from the US and a number of other countries. Most of the entrants qualify regionally to compete in the event. Some competitors receive invitations based on past performance. In order to make the tournament a true family event, there's even a way for siblings of entrants to receive exemptions to play!

We attended this event last year and it is incredible (and a little humbling) to see how great these young golfers are. Watching children who are not even as tall as your putter hit long drives and chip to within inches on a routine basis is truly incredible. The event attracts families to Pinehurst to enjoy our local hospitality, and the Pinehurst Resort will do a wonderful job for the 3^rd year in a row to make this event one of the best of the year in Pinehurst.

McDevitt Sotheby's International Realty has a limited number of homes available for rent during the week of the tournament. For more information, please contact us at 800-788-8814, visit us on the web at http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com

For more info about the tournament in general, visit http://www.uskidsgolf.com/redirect.cfm?locationID=9401

Downtown Southern Pines is a vibrant walking community full of great restaurants, shops, a theater and parks. With today's high gas prices, living in beautiful downtown Southern Pines can actually save you the time and expense of driving your car. Walk to a restaurant, to see a movie or take your children to the park to play tennis, shoot a few baskets or play at the playground. Most major religious denominations have churches downtown; and Amtrak operates train service from the historic train station downtown with service north to New York and South to Florida. Houses and condos within walking distance of town start in the mid $100,000's and end up in the $300,000's - a great value when you think about all the benefits of living in town. Housing options include historic homes built in the 1920's to brand new condos built in the last few years (some are still under construction). Southern Pines is in close proximity to Fort Bragg, and many of our men and women in the armed services have chosen to call Southern Pines home!! For more info about housing in Southern Pines, please give me a call at 800.788.8814, e-mail me at jamie.mcdevitt@sothebysrealty.com . Also, you can check us out on the web at: http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com

Southern Pines, NC proved once again today what a great place it is to raise a family. The town hosted Springfest 2008, and streets lined with vendors, activities, great food, charitable organizations and much more. It was a beautiful day in one of the best small towns in the U.S. McDevitt Sotheby's participated by having several dedicated volunteers and the Moore County Humane Society Booth. At least 4 dogs were adopted today - and children of all ages enjoyed playing with puppies and picking out just the right pet to rescue. It was great to see children with their friends, parents and grandparents enjoying games, rides, live music - not to mention corn dogs and fresh squeezed lemonade. The vendors brought their arts and crafts and other interesting goods to make for a great day of shopping in addition to all of the other fun. If you are interested in property in the Southern Pines or Pinehurst area of NC, we would love to introdiuce you to the area - just give us a call at 800-788-8814. Or, just visit us on the web at http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com

At McDevitt Sotheby's International Realty, we offer complimentary lodging for 2 nights in a golf front condo while you visit Pinehurst to check out the area and look at homes or land. Pinehurst is beautiful especially in the Springtime. In addition to great values in real estate, low property taxes and an incredible lifestyle, the area offers some of the best golf in the world, great restaurants and shopping and above all, great people from all of the US and the world who have decided to make Pinehurst or Southern Pines, NC home. Give me a call at 910-724-4455. e-mail me at jamie.mcdevitt@sothebysrealty.com or visit us on the web at: http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com

On February 1, 2008, McDevitt Sotheby's sold a horse farm for $2.3 Million, the highest price on record for a non-commercial property in the Southern Pines area in at least 4 years. The property, in horse country is the second $2 Million Dollar plus sale that the Firm has recorded during the 1st Quarter of 2008. McDevitt Sotheby's has a number of other multi million dollar properties for sale in both Southern Pines and Pinehurst. These extraordinary properties are still selling despite projections of doom for real estate everywhere. For more information about our area, visit our site at http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com

If you are thinking of moving to North Carolina, but you don't know much about the State and want to learn more before narrowing down your choices, consider getting a subscription to Our State Magazine. Our State is a great magazine containing articles about North Carolina Places, Events and People - and much more. Naturally, we at McDevitt Sotheby's International Realty think that Pinehurst and Southern Pines are the most wonderful places in the State! But the truth is that North Carolina is full of great places whether you are looking for a new home or just a vacation spot - and there's a special place for every person and every family. We are happy to send you a complimentary copy of Our State to get you started. Just call us at 800-788-8814 or visit us on the web at http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com

Or e-mail me personally: jamie.mcdevitt@sothebysrealty.com

If you are in the market for residential real estate, don't confine your search just to properties in your desired price range. It's important to know what you can get for a little less than your budget and what you would get if you spent a little more. The goal is not to spend more than you can afford or to pinch pennies when you don't need to; but rather, to make sure that you get the best value for the money that you do spend. You may find that you can get what you are looking for in a lower price range. At the same time, you may see features in a higher priced home that are very important to you; and then you can narrow your search to houses in your price range that have that particular feature. Visiting properties in an expanded pricing window will also help you identify houses that may be overpriced or underpriced. Obviously, you want to avoid the overpriced property and locate the underpriced property. If you are like the rest of us, your home is one of the biggest investments that you'll ever make. So, make sure that your real estate agent takes the time to broaden your search a bit in order to give you a thorough understanding of the market. Consult a real estate professional in your market for the best advice. For more information about real estate in Pinehurst or Southern Pines, NC, call us toll free at 800-788-8814, or visit us on the web at: http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com

When choosing a vacant building lot in Pinehurst nc, southern pines nc or any anywhere else, consider these 10 very important things to do or questions to ask:

1. Ask for copies of all existing real estate surveys and consider getting one of your own to make certain that you are aware of any encroachments, easements, etc. on the property.

2. Find out whether public water is available to the lot when you build a new home. If so, what's the tap fee? If not, what is the price range of getting a well drilled? (a range is the best you are likely to get, even from the most reputable companies).

3. Find out if the property has access to a public sewer system. If so, what's the cost of hooking up? If not, what is the cost for constructions of a septic system and what is involved in the permitting?

4. What are the taxes?

5. Are there any homeowners fees or governmental assessments?

6. Are there any building setbacks, restrictive covenants or architectural guidelines that apply to building a new home? Read all of these documents before making an offer to buy. If there is a homeowners' association, don't be shy about calling the association president if you have unanswered questions.

7. What school district is the vacant lot in?

8. What can be built next door to the property?

9. Get a title search and when you buy, make sure that you get a title insurance policy that includes what is called "survey coverage".

10. Find out if there is any pending or threatened moratorium on building new homes. Believe it or not - it happens!

Get all of these questions answered by your real estate broker and by a lawyer who specializes in property and real estate closings. For more information, please also visit us on the web at: http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com or call 800-788-8814.

Jamie McDevitt is Broker/Owner of McDevitt Sotheby's International Realty, a full service real estate brokerage serving the Pinehurst and Southern Pines, NC market.

copyright 2008, McDevitt Sotheby's International Realty

Pinehurst Travel Plans Should Include the 2008 U.S. Amateur Golf Tournament this August. From August 18-24, Pinehurst will host this prestigious event on two of it's famed courses, Pinehurst No. 4 and the signature course at Pinehurst, Pinehurst No. 2. Stroke play takes place on the first 2 days; and match play continues for the final 5 days. So, for 7 days, you can watch the future of professional golf in one of the most beautiful golf settings in the country. During your stay, schedule a round or two for yourself on one of 40 local world class courses, dine in the many wonderful area restaurants, or shop in the vibrant downtown shopping district of historic Pinehurst and trendy Southern Pines. Pinehurst is easy to reach from the RDU Airport, just 60 miles away in Raleigh. McDevitt Sotheby's International Realty is offering free tickets to it's clients who happen to be in town during this wonderful event. For more information, call 800.788.8814 and visit us on the internet at: http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com/

Thinking about visiting the Pinehurst and Southern Pines area? If so, consider making a trip during the first weekend of April. In addition to being a great time to play golf, the 57th running of the Stoneybrook Steeplechase takes place at the Carolina Horse Park on April 5. The Steeplechase is a full day of fun with family and friends, with a chance to see some very exciting horse racing. If you have a trip scheduled in March, consider visiting the Carolina Horse Park on March 15-16 again March 21-23 to see the Carolina Horse Trials and experience the speed and excitement of Eventing. For more information, call the Carolina Horse Park at 910.246.9808. For general information about the Pinehurst Southern Pines area in general, visit us on the internet at: http://www.mcdevitttownandcountry.com