Taking Your Tuna For Granted

Lisa, Vampires are make-believe, like elves, gremlins and Eskimos. -- Homer Simpson

The current issue of Coastal Living magazine has a feature article titled Coastal Dream Towns. The article starts off by saying that they found the best places to live at the shore (I grew up in New Jersey, so I know the shore means the beach).

Coastal Living's pick for the Southeast? You guessed it -- Wilmington, which the article describes as a cultural gem. The magazine cites the following "allure factors" -- a symphony, theater groups, plenty of live-music clubs, and festivals, celebrating jazz, blues, and film. It says that the downtown Riverwalk is a model of adaptive reuse, with shops and restaurants bringing a faded commercial district back to life. I've been here since 1984 and lived in the Historic District for over 19 years; the "fade" has been gone for quite some time!

Here is another tidbit from the same article. It says that Wilmington will soon be home to the world's third-largest sound-stage. The EUE/Screen Gems facility, under construction, incorporates the largest water tank (for filming underwater scenes) outside of California.

So, the next time that you and the rest of the school of tuna are slowly swimming up Military Cutoff Road, remember, you're living in a cultural gem.

Wanna live at the beach? Sleep with the fishes? (no, wait, that's New Jersey talk). Looking for a great deal in the Wilmington real estate market? E-mail or call me. Our market has really come alive this Spring. Great inventory, great prices and great interest rates -- a real estate hat trick!

Scoot

If you don't know where you're going, you'll wind up somewhere else. -- Yogi Berra

This coming weekend you could wind up in an REALTOR open house because it's the Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty Open House Spectacular. As of today (Tuesday), Sea Coast agents plan to host 132 open houses. For the locations and times, click HERE.

This coming Saturday afternoon (1-4) you'll find me at 409 Knollwood Drive in the Cross Creek neighborhood in Hampstead. Sunday (1-4), I'll be in town in Devon Park at 3729 Winston Boulevard. If you have questions about these or any other properties, please contact me.

For the most current and comprehensive source of Wilmington, NC properties for sale, check out SearchWilmingtoAreaHomes.com

Don't forget, if you are a first time home buyer or have not owned a home in the past three years, you are eligible for an $8,000 tax credit courtesy of your Uncle Sam. Even if you don't qualify for this credit because you owned another home, you can still take advantage of the fantastic mortgage interest rates.

For more information about Wilmington, including helpful links to area information go to RussMay.com

And finally, if you're a USAA member, you may be entitled to a cash bonus when you purchase your next home through me. Contact me for details at russ@russmay.com or (910) 619-1501.

That's A Lot Of Tuna

There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity. -- General Douglas MacArthur

Right now, there's a great opportunity available for first time homebuyers. Essentially, if you have not owned a home in the past three years, you are eligible for an $8,000 tax credit if you purchase and close on a primary residence by December 1, 2009. This tax credit DOES NOT have to be repaid! You can find the details at GetYour8000.com

As of this writing, mortgage interest rates are below 5%. Home prices are the best (lowest) they have been in several years. And, the government wants to give you $8,000! That's opportunity. If you have not spoken with a mortgage lender to see what this means for you, let me recommend that you contact Grace Bass with Alpha Mortgage, the Wilmington area's premier mortgage lender. You can reach Grace at Grace.Bass@AlphaMortgage.com

There is currently a great selection of available homes for sale. You can search for all currently available homes on my website RussMay.com