UPCOMING EVENT REMINDER
Enjoy Thanksgiving at several of Pleasure Island’s Restaurants – Forget the sweat and tears of Thanksgiving Day preparations. Let these local restaurants treat you to Thanksgiving Dinner: Harbor Masters - 458-2800; Courtyard Marriott - 458-2030 and Old Pier House - 458-8616. Each offers a full menu of Thanksgiving delights at various prices.

Island of Lights –
Lighting at the Lake Celebration - The Annual Island of Lights Lighting at the Lake Celebration will take place on Friday, November 28th at 7:00 p.m. This annual ceremony officially begins the month long Island of Lights Festival. Entertainment will be provided by the Boy Scouts & Carolina Beach Elementary School Chorus and, of course, Santa will be there.

Island Colors Celebrates its Anniversary – New owners, Sue & Gary Coleman, want to thank their customers for a wonderful first year by offering special discounts of 10-80% off select merchandise throughout the store. The sale will kick-off on Friday at 9:00 am and they will have extended hours throughout the weekend. Island Colors is located in the Food Lion Shopping Center.

Mom’s with a Mission Event Hosted by Stroller Strides – On December 3, 2008, Stroller Strides Wilmington franchise owner Jody Smith will host Jump for Kids at Monkey Joe’s in the Longleaf Hills Mall from 10-3. Regular admission is $5.00 with a portion of the proceeds going to the Yahweh Center. From 12-2 there will be free refreshments and great raffle prizes. If you would like to donate a raffle prize, please contact Jody at 800-691-6154.

Island of Lights presents the annual Christmas Parade – Show your holiday spirit by coming out for this year’s Island of Lights Christmas Parade. The parade is on December 5th at 7:30 p.m. and begins at the Lake & head north on Lake Park to the old Food Lion Shopping Center. If you would like to participate in this year’s parade, please contact Francis Massey at 458-5507.

Enjoy Breakfast with Santa at the Carolina Beach Courtyard Marriott – On December 6th Santa will be at the Courtyard Marriott! Bring your little ones down for that special holiday picture with the Big Guy and receive a voucher for a discount on their breakfast buffet. The buffet will be $7.95 for adults and $4.95 for children. For more information, please call 458-2030.

2008 Carolina Beach Fire Department Toy Drive – The CB Fire Department will be holding their annual Toy Drive on December 6th from 10–4 pm at Food Lion and Maxway in Carolina Beach. There will also be drop boxes located at CVS and Dollar General. Don’t miss your chance to put a smile on a face of a special child here in our community.

Island of Lights Christmas Flotilla – The traditional Christmas Flotilla will take place on December 6th at 6:00 p.m. The judges will be watching from Harbor Masters so come on out and show your Christmas spirit by routing for your favorite boat. If you would like to enter a boat in the flotilla, please contact Kathie Winseck at the Checkered Church at 458-0211.

Spoiled to the Bone offers Santa’s Beach Dog Special – Spoiled to the Bone Mobile Dog Grooming is offering a holiday special for your VIP (Very Important Pet). Regular bathing, cut of choice and the works package is being offered for 10% off the regular price. Spoiled to the Bone offers all natural products & TLC galore for that one-on-one grooming experience for your dog. For more information, please contact Terri at 368-7416.

Marine Toys for Tots Foundation Annual Toy Drive – The annual Toys for Tots toy drive is underway. Please bring in a new, unwrapped toy for distribution to needy children in our community. Drop boxes are available at a variety of local businesses including Carolina Beach Recreation Center, Kure Beach Town Hall and the Microtel Motel on Lake Park Boulevard

Holiday Food Drive is underway – From now through December 19th food will be collected and distributed between the Carolina Beach Help Center and the Salvation Army Food Bank. Please drop off your non-perishable items at any of these locations: Carolina Beach Town Hall, Carolina Beach Fire Station or the Parks and Recreation Center.

www.PleasureIslandNC.org November 26, 2008

Real Estate Market Update W/E 11/16/08

Carolina and Kure Beach
Real Estate Update
W/E 11/16/08

Carolina Beach

New Residential Listings for Carolina Beach
302 Canal Drive # 15-B $140,000
302 Canal Drive # 34 $175,000
124 Lighthouse Drive $319,900
1200 Saint Joseph Street # 50 $440,000
213 Silver Sloop Way $325,000
100 Moorefield Drive $299,000
1 Island Palms Drive $269,000
608 Carolina Beach Ave. N # 3-D $315,000
1512 Carolina Beach Ave. N # F-1 $364,900

Pending Sales for Carolina Beach
None

Sold - For Carolina Beach
1505 Swordfish Lane # 2 $299,900
1605 Swordfish Lane # 1 $348,500
502 Ocean $175,000

Total Homes Currently Listed for Carolina Beach
458 Homes Listed between $99,900 and $4,000,000

Kure Beach

New Residential Listings for Kure Beach
117 Dow Avenue $369,000
658 Sloop Pointe Lane $299,900
230 N 4th Avenue $465,000
2206 Surf Rider Court # B $309,900
421 S 5th Avenue $245,900
257 Seawatch Way $510,000
261 Seawatch Way $624,900

Pending Homes Currently Listed for Kure Beach
429 Settlers Lane $362,500
1100 S Fort Fisher Blvd. # 1105 $364,000
1033 S Fort Fisher Blvd. $1,500,000

Sold – Kure Beach
None

Total Homes Currently Listed In Kure Beach
159 Homes Listed between $175,000 and $3,200,000

Lots and Land- Carolina & Kure Beach
New Lot Listing – Carolina Beach and Kure Beach
317 Greenville Avenue $95,000
507 Spartanburg $159,900
505 Spartanburg $159,900
221 Peninsula Drive $785,000
261 Seawatch Way $274,900

Pending Lot Sales – Carolina Beach and Kure Beach
None

Sold Lots – Carolina Beach and Kure Beach
1112 Bonito Lane $65,000

Total Lots Currently Listed
172 Lots Listed between $88,940 and $9,700,000

Carolina and Kure Beach Real Estate
Update W/E 11/09/08

Carolina Beach New Residential Listings for Carolina Beach
1615 S Lake Park Blvd. # 801 $289,900
504 Lewis Drive $239,900
506 Hamlet Avenue $294,900
144 Olde Mariners Way $249,900
110 Georgia Avenue $269,900
1220 Lake Park Blvd. S # 2 $475,000
633 Spencer Farlow Drive # 22 $179,900
633 Spencer Farlow Drive # 30 $184,900
203 Atlanta Avenue # B $289,900

Pending Sales for Carolina Beach
1414 Bowfin Lane # B $247,000
5 Texas Avenue # 2-B $227,900

Sold - For Carolina Beach
503 Ocean Blvd. # 2 $380,215

Total Homes Currently Listed for Carolina Beach
455 Homes Listed between $99,900 and $4,000,000

Kure Beach
New Residential Listings for Kure Beach
852 Settlers Lane $475,000
205 Marquesa Way $849,900
1100 S Fort Fisher Blvd # 2401 $295,000
302-B N Third Ave $349,900
804 Mississippi Avenue $399,800
1713 Spot Lane $448,900

Pending Homes Currently Listed for Kure Beach
None

Sold – Kure Beach
None

Total Homes Currently Listed In Kure Beach
160 Homes Listed between $175,000 and $3,200,000

Lots and Land- Carolina & Kure Beach

New Lot Listing – Carolina Beach and Kure Beach
4 Texas Avenue $2,197,000
1515 Bowfin Lane $239,000
1023 S Fort Fisher Blvd. $899,000
1027 S Fort Fisher Blvd. $1,199,000
906 N Lake Park Blvd. $4,250,000

Pending Lot Sales – Carolina Beach and Kure Beach
805 Mississippi Ave. $195,000

Sold Lots – Carolina Beach and Kure Beach
None

Total Lots Currently Listed
173 Lots Listed between $88,940 and $11,900,000

Fishing On & Around the Island

While I am not a fisherman, I do notice that there are a lot of fisherman on our beautiful island this time of year. I love to walk the beach in the early morning with my dog Razz and watch the sunrise over the water. It is during these morning walks that I see and talk with fishermen from time to time. While I haven't experienced the thrill of casting my line into the ocean and feeling the tug of a flounder or spot, it must be quite an experience to get all the fishermen up at the crack of dawn .

Now I don't know the difference between a Virgina mullet and a red drum, but I do read the paper. Below is this week's fishing report direct from Captain John Carty of Affordable Charters as reported in the Island Gazette: On the piers, a few spot, Virginia mullet, bluefish, flounder, black drum, red drum, blowfish and some small croaker. In the surf the red drum have been very plentiful, even some 25 to 35 pounders at night. Some good catches of speckled trout, flounder, black drum, blowfish, Virginia mullet, bluefish and a few gray trout. Inshore, red and black drum, flounder, speckled trout, Virginia mullet, small croakers, and a few gray trout. Offshore, we have no report due to heavy winds. Fishing tip of the week: Surf fishing has been very good this past week. We went and had large catches of red drum with double hook pier rigs with number 4 hooks and using shrimp for bait. The red drum ranged from 5 lb. to 10 lb and they really put up a good fight on a limber rod. Just remember the limits and don't keep anything you aren't gonna eat.

Well, that about sums up this weeks fishing report. Stay tuned, and I'll try and report what's being caught from time to time.

Election - Update

By now, we all know the results of the elections. Whether your candidate won or lost, the good news is that it is over! HURRAY! No more campaign commercials. Maybe now we can get on with the business of turning this economy around.

First of all, congratulations to our own Les Veach, (blue house at 110 Seawatch Way). Les was running for town council in his hometown of Winchester Virginia. Looks like he won by 2 votes. His challenger will probably ask for a re-count and if he does, the results will not be final until close to Christmas, but regardless, we know he's a winner! Congrats Les, Sabra and family.

While the markets haven't shown it, we believe that regardless of the outcome, things will now settle down and begin to improve. We noticed that interest rates for a 30 year, fixed mortgage are currently at 5.75% to 5.85% as of today, 11/12. How long they are going to remain in the 5 to 7% range is anyone's guess, but we hear that we should begin to see interest rates going up. That makes this a great time to buy. Even if prices were to drop another 5% or so, a 1/2 to 1% increase in interest rates can mean higher payments even if the purchase price is lower.

From everything I have read, we could remain slow in the real estate market for the 4th quarter of '08 and probably the 1st quarter of '09. (Although, we have begun to see a real increase in the number of showings on the island.) We then believe that the market will have corrected, prices would have dropped to the point that buyers will be back. We don't think we will begin to see the prices make any dramatic improvement until late 2011 or early 2012.

Regardless of the rest of the country, we believe that there are great deals here on the island right now and right now is the time to buy!

Halloween

Happy Halloween (A little late.)

Halloween seemed to be pretty big this year at Seawatch. Was it just me, or does anyone else feel that there were a lot more trick-or-treaters this year? It seems like in year's past, we would only have 8 to 10 kids, but this year, I lost count after 24 or so. We almost ran out of candy.



Rumor has it that several of the neighbors were spotted at a Halloween/Costume party at the Van Ham's. Seems like a couple of retired Hooter girls won first prize, Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett were a close second and Jimi Hendrix came in third.



Also seen were several motorcycle gang members, 007, a scarecrow, Maxwell Smart and Agent 99, a rather large woman looking for her dog, a pimp, love and war, Janis Joplin, a ref., a couple of doctors, a cave woman, Shriner Wayne Lee from Lodge 56, a tourist, a warrior princess, a Roman god and goddess, some Jones guy from Indiana, a M-I-C-K-E-Y Karen, and many other characters.



What a great party. Can't wait until next year and have already begun to think about my costume...