Living on Topsail Time

Take a look at our new construction in North Shore Country Club in Sneads Ferry, N.C.! 121 Windy Point. Pictured is the Holden II, 1829 square feet, three bedrooms and two baths. Club membership is included in the sales price. Private beach access, tennis courts, swimming pool and a Golf Digest Four Star rated golf course. Still time to select colors! MLS # 89912

I suppose we shouldn't be griping here on the coast of North Carolina, at least not so far as the weather is concerned anyway. Most of the state has experienced true winter weather, either in the form of snow or ice over the past few weeks. More is forecast for this coming week end. We here along the coast in Wilmington, Topsail Island and Hampstead, have not had the pleasure of even a snowflake. At least not that I have seen, anyhow!

Yesterday, we went to Wilmington for the sales meeting and then on to a broker event at Bellingham, a new home condominium community. One of our colleagues at Sea Coast, Buddy Blake and his team hosted the event. Let me set the stage. Yesterday was a miserable, cold, grey and rainy day along the coast. It was pouring as we drove to Bellingham. The temperature was maybe 40 +/-. I would expect that the water temps were in the high 20's, after the severe cold we experienced over the week end. The capper to the realtor event was a plunge into the pool by members of Buddy's sale and listing team for Bellingham. It was just too good to pass up the opportunity to see Buddy (a new Dad, by the way), and anyone else he could cajole into jumping into the pool. Believe me, it was worth the trip. 'Course, we were served some excellent food by the Sawmill Grill (if you have not eaten there, it is located in Hampstead, just up the road from Topsail).

Real estate wise, we have been scheduling a number of showings on our correctly priced properties. We closed three in January and have six slated to close between now and mid March. Our new home communities in Sage's Ridge and our new homes (with club membership) in North Shore Country Club are attracting a lot of attention.

We are having fun here on the coast. Come and join us!

Each Fall, I am always amazed by the changes that take place on Topsail Island and, I would expect, in communities and neighborhoods up and down the coast. School reopens, vacationers head home and Harvest Festivals, county fairs and the North Carolina State Fair become the topics of conversation. It is a great time of year!

Real estate in coastal North Carolina began its recovery starting in November of 2008. Jacksonville and Wilmington have led the return to more normal market levels. Homes priced $300,000. and under move from listed to sold quickly. We continue to work our way through short sales and foreclosures out on the beach, so there are still some excellent opportunities. Our new home community in Hubert, The Highlands at Queens Creek and the homes that we have under construction in Richlands are generating sales and presales. Our community in Holly Ridge, Sage's Ridge has one of the best price points in the area, and is located midway between Wilmington and Jacksonville and only ten minutes from the beaches of Topsail Island. Prices there begin at $154,900. Sales are being driven by the $8000. tax credit, various builder incentives and an increase of military into the Jacksonville/Swansboro/Richlands/Hubert/Holly Ridge area.

So, whatever brings you to southeastern North Carolina, be it service to your country, retirement, relocation, a vacation or second home on the beach, we hope you'll consider us as a resource.

I am sure that you, like the rest of us here on Topsail Island and in Jacksonville are happy to finally see sunshine and warmer weather! This has been a glorious first week end of Spring! Our home on the island looks out over the Intracoastal Waterway. Over the past month, the sun has begun shining through our windows (illustrating, I might add, that those windows need their spring cleaning) and letting us know that spectacular sunsets will soon be visible. We are beginning to see the return of the sailboats and motors to the ICWW, as they make their way back to their summer homes. Bald Head, Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Figure 8 and Topsail are busy ports of call throughout the repositioning of boats and yachts during the spring and early summer.

Our phones are ringing at Sea Coast Realty. Since last November, we have seen a steady uptick in the number of properties going under contract. There has been an increase month over month, an indicator that our market may have reached its bottom four months ago. Combined with the $8000. first time home buyer incentive, the historic low interest rates and the well priced listings currently on the market, it is an opportune time to purchase a home.

Our Topsail Landing Condominiums are 1.5 miles from the beach and only 40 minutes from Jakconville and the same from Wilmington. Pool, clubhouse, business center, gameroom, playground and pet friendly, Topsail Landing offers our residents shopping, restaurants, dentist and doctor's offices within walking distance. Pricing for for a two bedroom, two bath patio home begin at $164,900.

Visit www.topsaillanding.com and take our video tour or call 1.853.0414 and enter extension number 1154.

On Saturday,December 20, 2008, Burchfield Group members (Judy Carlton, Jerry Blackburn, Bob Ramsey, Kathy and Rand Burchfield) of Topsail Island and SeaCoast Realty were at the Food Lion in Hampstead. We collected 1029 pounds (that’s one thousand and twenty nine pounds) of food for the North Carolina Food Bank. The food pantries in four counties - Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender and Onslow will be the recipients of the overwhelming generosity of the residents of Hampstead and the Food Lion store.

95% of the people who took one of our flyers and went into the Food Lion came out with one item, and in most cases several bags of groceries and often, a full grocery cart. Cash, as little as one dollar and as much as $20.00 was donated, so that we also gave the Food Bank $ 135.00 in cash and checks. The kindness of the people of Hampstead was astounding!

Team member Judy Carlton coordinated with the Food Bank and spearheaded the effort, Kathy Alexander did yeoman’s work on the PR and all of us worked with them both to be sure that they had all the information they needed. We have a terrific banner that we will be able to use whenever we do the “Feed the Need” Food Drive again.

What a fantastic day we all had! We delivered the pallets of food to the Food Bank of NC this morning and the director, Mike was amazed that we had collected so much food in such a short time. He said that it was a professional effort and we should be very pleased. We are, of course, but we are more pleased that so many families will have food on their tables and in their cupboards this month.

Well, the third and final parade of the season (for The Rand Burchfield Real Estate Group, anyway) was Saturday, December the 6th. We put a holiday wreath on the front of the truck, lit it up and we were off to Topsail Beach from our main office in Surf City! Joining us were team members Linda Blackburn, Judy Carlton, Bob Ramsey, Dot Cotman and myself and Kathy. Not able to be with us were Justine Warner (our executive assistant) and Bill Hunt, a long time associate and buyer agent. As you will note from the photos, Lilly and Pearl had a grand time, all decked out in the reindeer antlers. Pearl is actually starting to enjoy the limelight a little bit!

Our last event of the year will be a food drive for the North Carolina Food Bank, to be held on December 20th in the Food Lion parking lot in Hampstead. We call it "Feed the Need." This year in particular, there are a great many more people turning to the food banks all over the state and the country, I would imagine. You can help locally by just bringing canned food and dry items (nothing frozen or needing refrigeration) to the collection point. We will transport it to the Food Bank. Easy for you and so helpful to those of our citizens who may find themselves without this holiday season. Please come and help!

We participated in the 53rd annual holiday parade in Jacksonville, N.C. on Saturday, November 22nd. The weather was COLD! The temperature when we left our office in Surf City on Topsail Island was a crisp 25 degrees! Now, we know that for some of you, that may be shorts and T shirt weather but here on Topsail, those temperatures are out of the ordinary for November. Our new office in Jacksonville opened last week and our colleagues there built a float for the parade, which WON Best in the Amateur Division! Pete Barber entered his Cobra and we, the Rand Burchfield Real Estate Group, put the moving truck to good use, as well. This time, Kathy drove (thank goodness, only required to do so in a straight line), Judy Carlton, Linda Blackburn and our Bichons, Pearl and Lilly rode along. Bob Ramsey and I walked in front, so we had a good representation. The parade was huge!!

After the parade, we toured the office at 2445 Onslow in Jacksonville and talked with some of the agents being based there. Then, off to lunch! If you are looking for "home style" cooking and you are in Jacksonville, turn left or right onto Onslow Drive (wave at our newest office, or stop in and say hi) and go two blocks. You cannot miss the big letters on the front of the building that say "HILDA'S". If you are there on a Saturday or Sunday, ask for Arlene to be your wait person. The food is great and the atmosphere, comfortable.

We have been graciously welcomed to Jacksonville by the community and look forward to a long and happy association.

Thanks, Jacksonville for a great holiday parade experience!

The Rand Burchfield Real Estate Group, along with Sea Coast Realty sponsored a float in the Holly Festival parade November 1st. Linda Snow, Pete Barber, Mary Williams, Rand Burchfield, Bill Hunt, Judy Carlton, Bob Ramsey, Kathy Burchfield, Cynthia Moxley-Finch and Dot Cotman were either on the float, in the Burchfield moving truck, or in Pete Barber's Cobra, distributing gifts to the people along the parade route. Throughout the day, members of our Surf City office were part of the festival, filling in as ticket takers, Mistress of Ceremonies for the talent show (Linda Snow) or  wherever a   helping hand was needed.  Like to see more photos? Email us for a photo link!

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!

With grateful thanks to all of our men and women in uniform, both past and present!

We live near Jacksonville, North Carolina, home to Camp LeJeune. Our military men and women are woven into the fabric of our every day life. We see them in uniform, out at sports events, with their families in church, at the post office, in the parks, and out walking their dogs, all of the activities that each of us do throughout the day. The difference is that those men and women, both currently serving and those retired, are called to higher service to their country and  stand in our defense. We are proud to salute them and grateful for their sacrifices.