Island Happenings

Carolina Beach Farmers Market to Open April 24th – Join the Carolina Beach Arts and Activities Committee every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the lake on Lake Park Boulevard in Carolina Beach. Buy local produce, plants, baked goods, fresh meat, cheeses, jams and more from Carolina farmers and producers. There will be local artists and entertainers among the many vendors. Make sure to stop by the information table and pick up a list of local shops providing 10% discounts for market attendees. For more information please email Janet Knott at janetshere@earthlink.net

Kure Beach Street Festival to be Held on April 24th – Head down to Kure Beach for their Annual Street Festival on Saturday, April 24th. The streets will be filled with Arts and Crafts vendors, food vendors the ever popular Kid’s Korner Carnival Game Center, Sun Coast Cruisers car exhibit (with parade stating at 10:45 a.m.) and, of course, live music. The entertainment line-up features the Sandy Bottom Beach Boys, the KB Parks and Recreation Jazz and Ballet Students, the Mako Band, Line Dancing and Sea Cruz Band. The entertainment starts at 11:00 a.m. and continues until the magnificent fireworks display at dusk. Commemorative T-shirts and shopping bags will be for sale. For more information please visit
http://www.townofkurebeach.org/

Michael’s Seafood Restaurant’s 12th Annual Shrimp Open Golf Tournament– On Monday, April 26, 2010, Michael’s Seafood will be hosting their annual golf tournament benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis and Duke University Lung Transplant Research. This tournament is an 18 hole Captain’s Choice with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Following the tournament a Shrimp-a-Roo will be held at Michael’s with an All-U-Can-Eat
Buffet, cash bar, auction and live entertainment. If you are interested in participating or volunteering your time, please stop by Michael’s or call them at (910) 458-7761

Boardwalk Makeover Needs Your Help – The Boardwalk Makeover is scheduling a work day this coming Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. They are looking for people to help paint (touchup) the planters, benches, and lamp posts. They also need people to help stain the walkways. They will provide all the brushes, rollers and paint…all they need is YOU. If you are interested in helping out, please meet the group at the Welcome Center on the Boardwalk which is the red and white building on the front row toward the north end of the walkway. If you have questions, please contact Dan Wilcox at 538-2888.

Pleasure Island Parrot Heads Present their 12th Anniversary Party – On April 30th and May 1st, the Pleasure Island Parrot Heads will have their Spring Phling 2010. On Friday night from 7:00-10:00 at the Lazy Pirate, there will be live entertainment with Latitude with raffles and a silent auction. Saturday from 1:00- 4:00 is their annual boat cruise on the Winner Cruise Queen. Cost for the cruise is $25 per person. This is a BYOB cruise with snacks provided by the PIPH. At 8:00 there will again be entertainment at the Lazy Pirate with Big Fish along with a raffle and silent auction. Proceeds of the Spring Phling will benefit Cape Fear River Watch and Nourish NC. For cruise reservations or other info, please call 392-2663 or visit
http://www.piph.com/

Nourish NC to host Charity Putt-Putt and Shrimp-a-Roo – On May 1st, in memory of the late Ryan McKee, Nourish NC will host a Charity Putt-Putt and Shrimp-a-Roo at Jungle Golf at 906 N. Lake Park Boulevard in Carolina Beach. There will be live music with Daniel Parish, raffles and more. Entry fees are $100/four person team which includes your golfing, t-shirt, shrimp, beverages and music. Prizes are given to most holes in one, team low score and team high score. For more information please contact Kim Karslake at (910) 442-7831 or email putt4nourish@hotmail.com

Sea-Comm Media to host “Strictly Business” – With this economy your network is your net worth. This is an opportunity for sales executives, business owners and managers to meet and mingle with potential clients and contacts at your favorite local establishments. This is a weekly event held every Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. This event is hosted by Joe Catenacci of the Big Talker news. On Wednesday, April 28th, “Strictly Business” will be held at Beau Rivage Golf and Resort located at 649 Rivage Promenade in Wilmington.

Carolina Beach Police Beat: Wanted: Blood Donors – The Carolina Beach Police Department and the Police Advisory Committee have teamed up with the American Red Cross to conduct a blood drive here on the Island. On Tuesday, May 4th from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m., the Red Cross will have their blood draw unit set up in the Carolina Beach Police Training Room. Whether you are a long time donor or considering your first donation, please plan to stop by. There will be cookies and treats when you finish and you will feel good for donating a precious gift. For appointments, please call the American Red Cross at 254-4483. Drop-ins are also welcome.

Pleasure Island Happenings

Third Annual Island Women Yard & Bake Sale – Before heading down to the Chowder Cook Off, be sure to stop by the Island Women’s Third Annual Yard & Bake Sale. There will be home goods, clothing, tools and more. Take home a cake, pie or cookies for dessert. Also, place your order for a composting worm box. All proceeds from the sale are dedicated to making life better on Pleasure Island. The sale takes place from 7:00 – 1:00 p.m., at 206 Fayetteville Avenue in Carolina Beach.

Bingo Bash is Back at the Katie B. Hines Center – On the third Saturday of each month, head out to the K.B. Hines Senior Center for Bingo Bash. There are 17 games with a pot totaling $2500.00. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and the games start at 11:00. All games are included in the pack. Seating is limited however so it is a first come-first serve basis. There is also free coffee and popcorn for the bingo participants. The K.B. Hines Senior Center is located at 308 Cape Fear Boulevard. For more information, please call Dee at 458-6609 or 619-2100.

Kure Beach Street Festival to be Held on April 24th – Head down to Kure Beach for their Annual Street Festival on Saturday, April 24th. The streets will be filled with Arts and Crafts vendors, food vendors the ever popular Kid’s Korner Carnival Game Center, Sun Coast Cruisers car exhibit (with parade stating at 10:45 a.m.) and, of course, live music. The entertainment line-up features the Sandy Bottom Beach Boys, the KB Parks and Recreation Jazz and Ballet Students, the Mako Band, Line Dancing and Sea Cruz Band. The entertainment starts at 11:00 a.m. and continues until the magnificent fireworks display at dusk. Commemorative T-shirts and shopping bags are for sale now at the Kure Beach Town Hall Offices. For more information please visit www.townofkurebeach.org

Carolina Beach Farmers Market to Open April 24th – The very first Carolina Beach Farmers Market will kick off their season on Saturday, April 24th at the Lake in Carolina Beach. The market will run from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. each Saturday for 25 weeks.
12th Annual Shrimp Open Golf Tournament Seeks Sponsors – On Monday, April 26, 2010, Michael’s Seafood will be hosting their annual golf tournament benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis and Duke University Lung Transplant Research. This tournament is an 18 hole Captain’s Choice with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Following the tournament a Shrimp-a-Roo will be held at Michael’s with an All-UCan- Eat Buffet, cash bar, auction and live entertainment. If you are interested in participating or volunteering your time, please stop by Michael’s or call them at (910) 458-7761

Pleasure Island Parrot Heads Present their 12th Anniversary Party – On April 30th and May 1st, the Pleasure Island Parrot Heads will have their Spring Phling 2010. On Friday night from 7:00-10:00 at the Lazy Pirate, there will be live entertainment with Latitude with raffles and a silent auction. Saturday from 1:00-4:00 is their annual boat cruise on the Winner Cruise Queen. Cost for the cruise is $25 per person. This is a BYOB cruise with snacks provided by the PIPH. At 8:00 there will again be entertainment at the Lazy Pirate with Big Fish along with a raffle and silent auction. Proceeds of the Spring Phling will benefit Cape Fear River Watch and Nourish NC. For cruise reservations or other info, please call 392-2663 or visit www.piph.com

Nourish NC to host Charity Putt-Putt and Shrimp-a-Roo – On May 1st, in memory of the late Ryan McKee, Nourish NC will host a Charity Putt-Putt and Shrimp-a-Roo at Jungle Golf at 906 N. Lake Park Boulevard in Carolina Beach. There will be live music with Daniel Parish, raffles and more. Entry fees are $100/four person team which includes your golfing, t-shirt, shrimp, beverages and music. Prizes are given to most holes in one, team low score and team high score. For more information please contact Kim Karslake at (910) 442-7831 or email putt4nourish@hotmail.com

Cardinal Lanes to Offer Summertime Specials – This Summer, kids 18 and under are invited to participate in Kids Bowl Free at Cardinal Lanes. Starting now, you can register your child online at www.KidsBowlFree.com/CardinalNC to receive free bowling passes every week via email. Family Passes are also available. American Pride Summer Leagues will be starting the week of April 26th. Spots are still available if you want to get a team together. For more information, please contact 799-3023 ext. 101

March 2010 MLS Report

David’s Comments

Right now I think Charlie Brown has this world figured out. “Wouldn’t it be nice if our lives were like a VCR (video recorder), and we could ‘fast forward’ through the crummy times?" From the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz. The economy continues to sputter; we get good economic reports and then a bad one. Unemployment is declining but not by large numbers, we still have lots of people looking for jobs. While the Federal Reserve was buying Mortgage Backed Securities we saw 30 year fixed rates stay in the 4.71% to 5.0% zone and now that the Federal Reserve has stopped buying Mortgage Backed Securities, rates have started climbing again moving up to 5.21% last week. There are only 19 more days for buyers to take advantage of the Tax Credit.

We have now seen 7 months of growth in sold units over the same time frame from a year ago, March had a gain of 8.3% over March of 2009. Our average sold price is down 7.1% from last month and up 3.6% over last March. Our pending index is up about 17.4% over last month and is up about 19.5% over 2009 this time. In the month of March we saw an increase of 338 homes in our listing inventory, we have 5,577 homes on the market as of April 1st. This continues to put us in a strong buyer’s market with a listing inventory of over a 15.2 month supply. Our average list price has stayed below the $400,000 range for seven months; we are currently at $380,975. Our rolling 12 months (year over year) shows a gain of 108 units or 2.5% gain. For March we saw an increase in our seller concessions, it is now 27.7%. Our average days on the market remained in the 130’s. The list to sold ratio is 94.1% and is down .1% from last month; this number needs to continue to get better. The number of homes that sold in 15 days or less continues to remain very low, 18.6% of March sold homes. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.21% with an average 0.7 point for the week ending April 8, 2010. We still have the benefits of the $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers is for homes that are under contract by April 30th and closed by June 30th.

Have a great week and let me know what I can do to help you and your clients.
Despite all the media comments about our markets we are still lending money for residential mortgages. If a client has income and credit and some sort of down payment; they can get a mortgage. It goes to the basic three C’s – Capacity, Collateral and Character.

Listing Inventory
In March we saw a big increase in listing inventory of 338 units. We are about 38 units over March 2009. We have 5,577 single family homes for sale in our MLS. The average list price of $380,975 is up by $4,081 from last month. The average list price has increased by 2.0% from January 2010. If you look back over the last three years you will see our low point in listing inventory to be about Dec/Jan time frame.


Monthly Average Sold Price
Our monthly average sold price is down by 7.1% from last month and up 3.6% from March 2009. Our average sold price is down by $17,152 from last month. March average sold price ($224,765) shows a decrease of 4.1% from year end 2009.



Monthly Sold Units
The number of sold homes is up 29.9% from last month and up 8.3% from March 2009. March saw an increase of 28 sold homes over March 2009. This is our seventh monthly increase in year over year sold homes since September 2005. You can notice that all of our big dips seem to occur on or about December. I believe we will continue to see the next couple of months with unit sales over and above the previous year. No doubt in my mind the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit has contributed to this increase in sales units and I would anticipate it to continue over the next several weeks as we approach the deadline of being under contract by April 30, 2010 and closed by June 30th.

Average Sold Price Year to Date
Year over year our year to date numbers have dipped a little.
2003 year end average sale price $ 186,137
2004 year end average sale price $ 210,048
2005 year end average sale price $ 254,080
2006 year end average sale price $ 264,498
2007 year end average sale price $ 273,408
2008 year end average sale price $256,498
2009 year end average sale price $234,379
While our current year to date numbers are lower than Year End 2009 they do show promising signs that our sales are on the upswing. The first quarter of 2010 has a 127 sold unit gain over first quarter 2009. The average sales price is just .07% higher for 2010 than 2009. Our median sales price is just 1.6% behind 2009.

Rolling 12 months
Another bright spot is the rolling 12 month numbers. When we look at April 1st, 2009 to March 31st, 2010 we have 4,492 sold units and when we compare April 1st, 2008 to March 31st, 2009 we have a 108 unit gain (4,384 sold units). When we look at the same rolling 12 months for average sold price we see that we are only down by 6.7%. So the dates of 4/1/2009 to 3/31/2010 we have an average sold price of $234,334 while from 4/1/2008 to 3/31/2009 we had an average sold price $251,139.



Median Sold Price
Our Median sold price is down 5.4% from last month, about $175,000. While we have not dipped as low as the National Median we seem to have turned the corner while the national median is still showing a decrease. We took a big hit this month with our median dipping to $175,000 from last month of $185,000. I would anticipate over the next couple of months to see this median increase.



Pending
Pending Sales – A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not yet closed. Sales are typically finalized within one to two months from signing. I look at the total pending units on a regular basis and this is how they chart out. We saw our pending index turn back to its upward climb about the first week in January. Over the month of March we saw a 17.4% increase and we are 19.5% ahead of 2009 this time. With the current Tax Credit deadline extension I think we will see our pending sales climb thru April 2010, I will be real curious to see how we fare in the month of May.

Market Absorption rate – The number of homes sold in March, 365 divided by the current listing inventory, 5,577 gives us a 15.2 month supply of single family homes. This improved by 3 months from last month. With rates where they are and plenty of inventory; we can get this number down.

List to Sold price ratio – the average list price of the sold properties is $238,889 and the average sold price is $224,765 for March which gives us a 94.1% list to sold price ratio – a decrease of .01% from last month. We have now managed to stay under 95% for over a year.
Seller Concessions – We had 27.7% of sold properties report a sales concession for March, an increase of 3.0%. With the tax credit extended to April a lot of the March sales did not offer as much in concessions as in the past which is why we saw another 3% increase. We want this number to go lower.

Days on Market – The average days on market for the sold properties is now at 139 for March. That is almost 5 + months to keep a property on the market. Only 18.6% of the properties were placed under contract in less than 15 days for the month of March, a change of 2% from last month.

Carolina & Kure Beach
There are currently 538 single family homes for sale and this represents a 34 unit increase over March 2010 and 9.6% of our total WRAR inventory. The average list price is $430,933 an increase of about $2,187 from February. In March there were 25 homes sold, divide that by the homes available and you have a 21.5 monthly supply of homes in Carolina and Kure Beach (this is came down from 33 months because our increase in sales for March). The average sold price for the month of March was $249,072 and is down from last month. In March 2009 we had 22 home sales at an average $292,111. When we look at our rolling 12 months April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010 we have 285 homes sold at an average price of $291,129. While April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009 we had 256 homes sold at an average price of $352,537.

This data was pulled on April 11, 2010, based on information from the Wilmington Regional Association of REALTORS Incorporated, for the period Jan. 1, 2005 through March 31, 2010.

The Market
Bond Yields Push 30-Year Mortgage Rates to Highest Level in Eight MonthsBonds yields push 30-year mortgage rates to highest level in eight months
Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.21 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending April 8, 2010, up from last week when it averaged 5.08 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.87 percent. This is the highest the 30-year FRM has been since the week ending August 13, 2009 when it averaged 5.29 percent.

“Once again, mortgage rates followed bond yields higher amid a positive March employment report,” said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. “The economy added 162,000 jobs, which was the largest monthly gain over the past three years. In addition, revisions raised the January and February figures by a combined 61,000 workers. Excluding government employees, private payrolls rose for the third consecutive month and were the strongest increase since May 2007.

“Following its extension in early November of last year, the homebuyer tax credit is showing some impact on housing market activity, mostly through the use of government-insured mortgages, which tend to be a favorite among first-time homebuyers. Compared to the week ending December 4, 2009, which was the first week after the original expiration date, mortgage applications for home purchases are up 17 percent for the first week in April of this year for government-insured loans, compared to an 11 percent decline in conventional loans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Also, pending existing home sales jumped 8.2 percent in February, well above the market consensus and represented the second largest increase since records began in 2001, the National Association of Realtors® reported. Homebuyers must enter a housing contract by April 30th and close by June 30th in order to receive the tax credit."

Freddie Mac
30 Year Fixed Rates


I offer these key statistics to keep you informed as to how our market is moving. With 20 years of real estate sales and management and finance in my background I am able to evaluate the current conditions and provide you with accurate data. With key information from your clients I can evaluate their needs and offer them the best plan for their current mortgage. Call me today for a quote.

Island Happenings

Huge Sidewalk Sale at Yankee Trader – Yankee Trader will be holding their sidewalk sale again this weekend. Christmas items will be 75% off, Willow Tree, Duck, Assorted Nautical Accessories and Arthur Court are 50% off and Jim Shore Collectables are 35% off. Frame Mart & Gallery will also be offering assorted frames and prints at up to 50% off. Hours Friday are from 10-5 and Saturday from 10-3. Yankee Trader and Frame Mart & Gallery are located in Pleasure Island Plaza at 1009 N. Lake Park Boulevard.

Island of Lights Spring Fashion Show and Silent Auction – Join the Island of Lights April 10th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at Beau Rivage Golf and Resort (649 Rivage Promenade, Wilmington) for their Annual Spring Fashion Show and Silent Auction. Come view fashions from Linda’s Fashions, Unique Boutique, Island Colors and Southern Charm Boutique. Guest speaker will be Elaine Henson on “Bathing Beauties in Vintage Postcards”. Tickets are $22 which includes a delicious lunch, the fashion show, silent auction and raffle. Tickets are on sale at Linda’s Fashions, Unique Boutique, Island Colors, The Checkered Church, Le Soleil, Southern Charm Boutique and Blue Water Realty. For more information, contact Linda Cheshire at (910) 617-5945. http://www.islandoflights.org/

Cardinal Lanes to Offer Summertime Specials – This Summer, kids 18 and under are invited to participate in Kids Bowl Free at Cardinal Lanes. Starting April 1st, you can register your child online at www.KidsBowlFree.com/CardinalNC to receive free bowling passes every week via email. Family Passes are also available. American Pride Summer Leagues will be starting the week of April 26th. Spots are still available if you want to get a team together. Coincidentally, “The Last Resort” team was the winner of the Winter 2009 league. For more information, please contact 799-3023 ext. 101 or visit http://www.bowlcardinal.com/

Island Women in Business Monthly Meeting – On Wednesday, April 21st at 7:00 p.m., come to the Carolina Beach Town Hall, Police Training Room, for the next Island Women in Business meeting. This month’s speaker is Fran Rudolph, M.A., recognized leader, author, educator, and family & life coach. Her topic is My Life is a Choice, Really? She will speak on “The Why and How of Intentional Living”. To confirm your attendance, please email Claire.cates@sas.com or call (910) 458-7667.

12th Annual Shrimp Open Golf Tournament Seeks Sponsors – On Monday, April 26, 2010, Michael’s Seafood will be hosting their annual golf tournament benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis and Duke University Lung Transplant Research. This tournament is an 18 hole Captain’s Choice with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Following the tournament a Shrimp-a-Roo will be held at Michael’s with an All-U-Can- Eat Buffet, cash bar, auction and live entertainment. If you are interested in being a sponsor, would like player information or would like to make a donation or volunteer your time, please stop by Michael’s or call them at (910) 458-7761

Kure Beach Street Festival to be Held on April 24th – The Annual Street Festival is considered to be the Town’s “Rite of Spring”. The streets of downtown Kure Beach will be filled with Arts and Crafts vendors, food vendors the ever popular Kid’s Korner Carnival Game Center, Sun Coast Cruisers car exhibit and, of course, live music. The live music will start at 11:00 a.m. and continue until the magnificent fireworks display at dusk. Commemorative T-shirts and shopping bags are for sale now at the Kure Beach Town Hall Offices. For more information please visit http://www.townofkurebeach.org/

Havana’s Spring Hours are in Full Effect – Havana’s is now open for lunch on Friday and Saturday and they serve a fabulous Sunday Brunch. Dinner is served seven days a week from 5:00 p.m. until closing. As soon as the sun gets a little higher in the sky, Havana’s will be open for lunch seven days a week. Lunch features Crab Cake Sandwiches, Shrimp PoBoys, Oversized Beach Burgers, Wraps, Awesome Salads and much more!! http://www.havanasrestaurant.com/

Ashley High School PTO Seeks Officers – The Ashley PTO is seeking officers for the upcoming 2010-2011 School Year. The only requirements for these positions are that you have or will have a child at Ashley High School and you have a few hours a month to volunteer. The Goal of the PTO is to give back to the teachers and staff at Ashley, assist in any other function which strengthens parent, teacher and student day to day operations. This past year the PTO held various fundraisers, teacher appreciation days, teacher mini grants, and are offering three $500 scholarships to students at Ashley. If you would like to be a part of this organization and help to continue the workings of the PTO, please contact current president, Jimmy Lippard, at 470-6804.

Firework Schedule

Carolina Beach, NC – Any time spent on the beach is wonderful but evenings on the beaches of Pleasure Island are truly spectacular especially with the night skies filled with fireworks!

The Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce this year’s schedule for the Fireworks by the Sea series. Once again the Chamber has joined forces with the Boardwalk Makeover to bring you and your family an evening of entertainment to tickle your senses. Live music will begin at the Boardwalk Gazebo at 6:30 p.m. leading up to the fireworks at 9:00 p.m.

This year there will be eighteen (18) evenings of fireworks including our fabulous Independence Day show. The complete schedule is listed below so be sure to mark your calendars so you can grab your blankets and chairs and head to Pleasure Island for an evening of fun and fireworks.

Date Day
May 27 Thursday
May 28 Memorial Day Weekend FRIDAY
June 3 Thursday
June 10 Thursday
June 17 Thursday
June 24 Thursday
July 1 Thursday
July 3 Independence Day Show SATURDAY
July 8 Thursday
July 15 Thursday
July 22 Thursday
July 29 Thursday
August 5 Thursday
August 12 Thursday
August 19 Thursday
August 26 Thursday
September 2 Thursday
September 3 Labor DAY Weekend FRIDAY

Huge Sidewalk Sale at Yankee Trader – Thursday, April 1st through Saturday April 3rd, head to Yankee Trader to take advantage of their huge sidewalk sale. Christmas items will be 75% off, Willow Tree, Duck, Assorted Nautical Accessories and Arthur Court are 50% off and Jim Shore Collectables are 35% off. Frame Mart & Gallery will also be offering assorted frames and prints at up to 50% off. Hours Thursday and Friday are from 10-5 and Saturday from 10-3. Yankee Trader and Frame Mart & Gallery are located in Pleasure Island Plaza at 1009 N. Lake Park Boulevard.

First Anniversary Celebration at The Last Resort – The Last Resort is having a celebration to mark their first anniversary this Saturday, April 3rd at 6:00 p.m. They are planning an old fashioned Pig-Pic-N with all the fixin’s. They are asking for a $2 donation for a plate of food with the proceeds going to support the local Help Center as many in our community are struggling in this economy. They will also be celebrating the opening the “Love Shack Cabana” with the raising of their new canopy. Bacatacha will be proving the musical entertainment and they will be having great drink specials during the evening. They are inviting all their members to attend as well as any guests. Your hosts for the evening will be Kim, Nancy, Amber, Zack, Terry and Bob. http://www.carolinabeachbar.com/

Beau Rivage offers Extravagant Easter Brunch – On Sunday from 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Beau Rivage will be offering a fabulous Easter Brunch. The “Beyond Basic Breakfast” includes such items as Ciabatta-French Toast liaised with Sambuca & Cinnamon, Strawberry Glazed, Goat Cheese Filled Crepes with Pecan Pralines & Fluffy Omelets will be made to order. The “Light & Sweet” selections include Assorted Breakfast Pastries, Yogurt & Granola, Artisan Breads with Honey Whipped Butter & a Fresh Seasonal Fruit Display. The “Hearty” Lunch selections include Crab & Spinach Lasagna with an Asiago Cream; Veal Madiera with Grilled Asparagus, Fontina Cheese & Sautéed Wild Mushrooms. The Carving Station will feature Rosemary Crusted Prime Rib with a Garlic au Jus & Horseradish Cream or Carved Turkey Breast with a warm Cranberry Compote. The brunch also features chilled displays & salads along with delectable desserts. There’s live musical entertainment & an appearance from the Easter Bunny. Adults are $29.95, Seniors $24.95, Children 4-12 $14.95.
Reservations are required so please call 800-628-7080 ext. 2. http://www.beaurivagegolf.com/

Tangerine’s Offers Easter Day Specials – Sunday from 11-2, Tangerine’s is offering Crab Benedict & Eggs Benedict served with dessert & a complimentary Mimosa for $15. From 5:00 until 10:00 p.m., they will offer Prime Rib with Sweet Potato Mash, Pecans and Asparagus; Rack of Lamb with a Mint Demi Glaze, Sweet Potato Mash and Asparagus or Slow Roasted Fresh Ham served with Rice, Beans and Asparagus each served with salad, dessert and a complimentary glass of Champagne for $20. Desserts include Crème Brule, Tangerine Cheesecake or Key Lime Pie. http://www.tangerinegrille.com/

Havana’s Spring Hours are in Full Effect – Havana’s is now open for lunch on Friday and Saturday and they serve a fabulous Sunday Brunch. Dinner is served seven days a week from 5:00 p.m. until closing. As soon as the sun gets a little higher in the sky, Havana’s will be open for lunch seven days a week. Lunch features Crab Cake Sandwiches, Shrimp PoBoys, Oversized Beach Burgers, Wraps, Awesome Salads and much more!! www.havanasrestaurant.com

Courtyard Marriott Completes Their Renovations – The Courtyard completely renovated with new carpet, vinyl and paint throughout the guest rooms, public spaces, corridors and meeting rooms. The rooms now have 32 inch flat screen TVs and the lobby has a very contemporary design, including a touch screen information board, media stations, a business library and several flat screen TVs. The Courtyard Bistro now offers an array of sandwiches, soups, salads and snacks and they now proudly serve Starbucks Coffee! There is new fitness center equipment in the workout room including private TVs and free weights. www.courtyardcarolinabeach.com

Island of Lights Spring Fashion Show and Silent Auction – Join the Island of Lights on April 10th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at Beau Rivage Golf and Resort for their Annual Spring Fashion Show and Silent Auction. Come view fashions from Linda’s Fashions, Unique Boutique, Island Colors and Southern Charm Boutique. Guest speaker will be Elaine Henson on “Bathing Beauties in Vintage Postcards”. Tickets are $22 which includes a delicious lunch, the fashion show, silent auction and raffle. Tickets are on sale at Linda’s Fashions, Unique Boutique, Island Colors, The Checkered Church, Le Soleil, Southern Charm Boutique and Blue Water Realty. For more information, contact Linda Cheshire at (910) 617-5945. www.islandoflights.org