Coastal Carolinas,Early June rental-best site??

My recently retired brother has been bitten by the "I want to relocate to the Carolinas bug". His wife still will work for at least 5-7 years.He does not like touristy areas or large crowds. He golfs and like myself loves the beach and warm weather.

He has a vacation planned in early June and wants to stay a week somewhere in the coastal Carolinas to begin investigating their options. He does not think he would like Myrtle Beach for the above reasons. I who adore HHI suggested he start there.

I am looking for good rental sites to help him. They have never been to the Carolinas. It is the week of June 4th. They are on a budget.

Thank You and I welcome imput on other N or S Carolina areas.

Check out New Bern, NC. Great golf and boating, about 40 minutes from the beach. Places to stay while visiting...Comfort Suites on Front Street, Holiday Inn Express on MLK Blvd., lots of B&B's, and Fairfield has timeshares/condos that are about 12-15 miles outside of town.

He might also want to checkout Brunswick County, NC, which is between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. Lots of golf and close to beaches. Many subdivision developers offer discount accommodations for people to come tour their properties. There is a company that sets up real estate shows for southern states real estate called "Live South" Looks like you missed the "Live South" real estate show in your area, which was last month. www.livesouth.com

somerville said:

He might also want to checkout Brunswick County, NC, which is between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. Lots of golf and close to beaches. Many subdivision developers offer discount accommodations for people to come tour their properties. There is a company that sets up real estate shows for southern states real estate called "Live South" Looks like you missed the "Live South" real estate show in your area, which was last month. www.livesouth.com

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However, this is a big tourist area. There are some timeshare places in the area. You should check if you belong to II or RCI... Calabash and Ocean Isle beach there is one .

Just about every beach area is going to attract tourists, but the Brunswick County beaches tend not to have as much commercial developments and high rises as some other areas, such as Myrtle Beach. Once you get away from the beach there are a number of planned communities and golf courses.

HHI, SC would also be touristy, but there are a lot of permanent residents. Once you get off island, you find more planned communities, many with a golf course. Also, a little further north is Beaufort.

For timeshare rentals on the NC Outer Banks, the best bet is Outer Banks Resort Rentals in Nags Head

Topsail Island

Just north of Wilmington is a barrier island called Topsail Island. Some great ocean front and ocean view rentals can be had fairly reasonably in this area. Plenty of rental web sites for that area, a few are treasurerealty.com and sanddollarattopsail.com.

We retired to southern Brunswick County from NY and wake up each day in Paradise. Close to beaches, golf, and Myrtle Beach entertainment, without the traffic.
Nicest people in the world live here, we think.

My son relocated to Wilmington about 14 years ago & started in the building industry & has been very successful. My daughter went there 3 1/2 years ago and loves the beaches, the landscape & the weather. Our mutual friend went to Ash in Brunswick County. He absolutely loves it. They are two COMPLETELY different areas. Wilmington is buzzing with a historic district & much shopping. Ash has your farm animals in the next neighbors property. It is very laid back. The neat thing is that you can have either one within an hour. Go for it.

Brunswick County--I suggest St James

WE did the same thing--we looked at quite a few developments up and down from MB to Wilmington. I would highly suggest St James Plantation in Southport. Have your Bro look it up on the web. We were very impressed with the community, gold courses, marina, and beach pavilion. He can book a preview package--or just call St. James and book a condo--they have centralized bookings for private owners--very reasonable. There is also a Comfort Suite and Hampton Inn nearby.
FYI--be sure to check resale lots--sometimes much less than developer--a trick I learned from TUG. Elaine

elaine said:

WE did the same thing--we looked at quite a few developments up and down from MB to Wilmington. I would highly suggest St James Plantation in Southport. Have your Bro look it up on the web. We were very impressed with the community, gold courses, marina, and beach pavilion. He can book a preview package--or just call St. James and book a condo--they have centralized bookings for private owners--very reasonable. There is also a Comfort Suite and Hampton Inn nearby.
FYI--be sure to check resale lots--sometimes much less than developer--a trick I learned from TUG. Elaine

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If your brother is looking to purchase and is on a small budget St James may not be for him. However, there are places that may fit his budget in the area. He will have to pay to join the country club. Then every year he can pick the membership he wants for that year. The beach club is owned by the POA. Plus you have to pay POA every year. Real estate taxas are great. However, insurance for your house is high. Every year it goes up. Oak Island is close by with 12 miles of beach. The summer is loaded with tourists. Traffic can be bad. The area is growing. However, roads not keeping up with the growth. Since the home bust, growth has slowed down. He can purchase a good buy resale right now. However, he may not be looking to purchase for several years. Things change. He has to do his homework.

I started a fledgling yahoo group called Carolina's Carolina that focuses on retirement in NC & SC. I also have a dream to retire to SC from Atlanta when I tire of city living. If I could afford it, I'd buy a home on either HHI or Edisto Island. I love artsy Beaufort too, but now it's "discovered" and pricey.

If your brother would like to be in the yahoo group, PM me.

P.S. Re: exhanging, there are many timeshares in the area. The various plantation resorts seem quite easy to get into with most any kind of trader. I don't think those would have a very touristy feel as opposed to highrise condo resorts on the beaches.

Try Seabrook Island near Charleston SC. Its a mostly residential island, Next to more well known Kiawah Island. We have owned a place there for almost ten years and love it. The two golf courses are seldom busy and the Club Facilities are undergoing a major renovation.

Cheers