Topsail Island, NC

Day 75: The Belle of Topsail....just across the swing bridge...don't miss the 55 foot replica of an 1880's riverboat. You can cruise on the intracoastal waterway and sound at Topsail Island. ... Watch the sunset or just enjoy the peace and serenity of the picturesque area of Topsail Island. Check out the Labor Day schedule at http://www.belleoftopsail.com/

Visit our live (snow) cam on the beach in surf city on Topsail Island!

http://surfchex.com

It doesn't happen very often, but Topsail Island has snow!!! Once a decade is about it. Oh, it won't be around long, the rest of today and most of tomorrow, 'cause the temperature's dropping into the 20's. The roads will be icy tomorrow morning. Southerners get very few opportunities to watch snow fall from the warmth and comfort of their own homes and places of business. As a native North Carolinian and a "villager" (yep, that's what they call folks born and raised in Pinehurst) my wife Kathy relishes those flakes of snow and any opportunity for a "snow day." I'm from upstate New York originally and the idea of closing schools for an inch of snow (or less) is so funny. Oh, I know why they do it, the obvious safety issues and lack of driving skills in this type of weather. Smart planning, but I'll share an observation that a friend of mine from Pittsburgh made this a.m. - that the only time they closed the schools there is when it burned down and that was only for three days!

Looking forward to being in front of the fireplace and working for the remainder of the day from the home office.

Wherever you are, I hope you are warm and comfortable!

Each year around October or November, the tourist are gone home and the children are in school. This is when the home owners of Topsail Island begin making their list of things to do to prepare for next summer rental season.

Winterization is one of the first things to consider and removal of the hurricane panels and turn the heat on to prevent pipes from freezing. You may want to consider taking this opportunity to add a screened porch, extend that oceanfront deck or add one to maximize ocean and sound views. Put a fresh coat of paint inside and have the home spring cleaned...this is very appreciated by your guests.

Next, look at the deck rails and steps, will they withstand another rental/vacation season? What about those appliances? Do you need to replace any of them? Have you considered a Home Warranty plan?

Here's to a great summer for 2009.

Thankfully a lot of the inventory on the Island has sold or been taken off the market. What is left is opportunity for a new lifestyle or investment. The few building lots on the island are sitting with no one buying. Why? Are buyers waiting for the bottom of the market? I heard someone say recently, "you won't know you're at the bottom til the prices begin to rise". If you've ever dreamed of owning on one of North Carolinas most beautiful islands, now is a great time to buy.

You can build later or if purchasing for investment, sell later when the market returns. My dad always said, "they aren't making anymore land".

When you do buy that lot and decide to build that dream home for your family, I hope you will visit my website and let me tell you what my company can do for you. We build homes the way they should be built. We can use green building techniques or not, whatever you request. I do my best to listen to the customer.

If you simply want to add on to your home or do remodels during the off season, we do that too.

Jerry

www.jerryblackburn.com

Wow! I hope that wherever you are, the weather was as glorious as it was on Topsail Island today! I heard from a couple of our Facebook friends that it was crisp and clear in many places around the United States.

We have temperate weather in Surf City through most of the year, as our thermometers rarely reach the freezing mark. Now, that is not to say that we never have that kind of weather, just that it happens at points so few and far between, that we forget!

There are a lot of events coming up through the holiday seaon! We need at least a little cold weather to put us into the spirit. The Rand Burchfield Real Estate Group participated in the Holly Festival Parade on November 1st with a float and our moving truck. We sponsored the talent competition, one of the most popular segments of the fest. There are a number of very talented young people in our area! We gave each of the three winners a $ 200.00 cash prize. This was our second year of sponsorship and we are already looking forward to next year's festival.

Next Friday, November 22nd, we will have our team members and our moving truck in the Jacksonville Holiday Parade. Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty is opening their new office in Jacksonville next week, so all of the agents and company members from that office will be on a float or marching with us! Topsail Beach has its parade on December 6th and we signed up for that one, too!

Our "Living on Topsail Time" newsletter has a complete calendar of events for the month of November and the first part of December. If you would enjoy reading November's issue, please just click here. Want to receive a copy every month? Just email us with your request!