Austin and Billie Jo Maack Go Oceanfront in Surf City!!

Austin and Billie Jo Maack of Raleigh, NC finally make their dreams come true with their very own oceanfront home. The Maacks share their experience here on Topsail Island....

"My wife, Billie Jo and I had an excellent experience with the Landmark Reality and Alpha Mortgage Company. Dean Phillips, our realtor, was great! He was extremely knowledgeable about the island and area comparable properties.

Dean was a great resource as far as the island rental market and the history of local property value. Our property was not the traditional purchase, as it was a foreclosure. Landmark was very helpful and familiar when working with the bank and the process to close the purchase of our home was flawless.

Sophia Phillips from Alpha Mortgage was also extremely professional and was excellent when it came to the fine details. Dean did a great job helping us assess the long term value proposition and how we could maximize the rental marketing of our home. We had a wonderful experience and will definitely work with Landmark in the future!

Feel confident that if you are working with Dean Phillips and Landmark you will have an extremely professional and enjoyable experience."

To see the Maack's house inside and out, go to ....... www.vrbo.com/303695

Please call us today and let us help you make your oceanfront dream come true!!!

Robbie Fuller and Family Make Dream Come True at Topsail Beach

We received the following letter from Robbie Fuller.....

February 2010

After a weekend business meeting at Topsail Island, I quickly fell in love with the area. I looked around the island for a couple of days in search of investment property. I quickly realized that I needed an expert to determine if a home purchase would be possible. A friend referred me to Dean Phillips to discuss the opportunity.

I met Dean one morning and he took me around Topsail Island showing me the “ins” and “outs” of the island. The amount of time he spent with me just to determine if a home purchase was a worthwhile investment was invaluable.

I quickly realized that I was dealing with someone understood his business. Dean wasn’t a person that was there just doing his job, he was passionately demonstrating his love for the island. I would honestly say that Dean Phillips was one of the reasons for my decision to purchase a home at Topsail.

I never felt during the home buying process that I was alone; Dean walked me through every step. Dean was able to give me names of individuals with reputable companies that were able to save me money on my appraisal, mortgage, insurance, home inspection and countless other activities that was needed.

Even months after our transaction has taken place, Dean is still there to assist me with any information that I am looking for. He is not only a true professional real estate agent but someone that I would call my friend. If you are looking to purchase any real estate in the Topsail area, you will not find a better person to make that dream into a reality than Dean Phillips.

Sincerely,

Robbie Fuller

Please see Robbie and Donna's house and rental information at www.vrbo.com/277997 .

Steve and Lori Puckett and Family Find Their Place at Topsail!!

I received the following letter from Steve Puckett and family who live in the Greensboro, NC area. Come to Topsail and find out what Steve, Lori, and the rest of the family discovered!

11-30-2009

Dean Phillips
Landmark Real Estate Group
Surf City, NC

Hello Dean,

I would like to express how much we enjoyed the experience of purchasing our beach dream home at Topsail Island. As you know our requirements were going to be difficult to meet since we wanted something that would suit the needs of me, Lori, and two sons along with my father/mother-in-law. It was most helpful that you insisted on showing us the entire island so we could understand the unique differences of the three cities that make up Topsail Island. Your in-depth explanation of COBRA, Federal Flood and CAMA regulations made us feel secure that we dealing with someone who cared about us being informed so we could make the best decision for our blended family. You went the “extra mile” by helping us with financing options, attorney, inspector and other details too numerous to mention.

My father-in-law, George, does not have a high opinion of realtors in general, but you won him over with your “no pressure” personality. You made us all feel that you were more interested in making sure we were comfortable with the entire process of finding the right home than you were of “making a sale” for yourself.

Our family looks forward to being a part of the Topsail community and having you as a trusted friend and neighbor. Thanks again for making our dream come true!

Steve Puckett
Jamestown, NC

A special "Thank You" to Steve, Lori, George, and Hilda for being such great clients! Want to see the inside? It's for rent year-round on a weekly basis! Visit the following sites to get a complete view from every angle!!!.....

http://www.topsailatthebeach.com/ or http://www.vrbo.com/261600

Foreclosures are Hot Items on Topsail Island!

Some fabulous deals are showing up as foreclosures here on Topsail Island. This house has 5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths, and is a reverse floor plan. It was built in 2003, has Hardy-Plank siding, and includes decks on both sides of the house for both floors. It is located on South Shore Drive in Surf City on the section of South Shore that is not the main thoroughfare. There will be little to no through traffic!

The huge back yard will more than accommodate a swimming pool which would make this already attractive property a rental dream! The beach access is directly across the street so you are only about 100 yards from the ocean.

The bank is asking $439,900.00 for this property, and possibly would take less. There is only one way to find out! Since this is a bank owned property, you must submit a letter of credit from your bank or mortgage company.

There is another foreclosure just a little south of this property that is oceanfront. It has about 2800 square feet, and elevator, and 6 Bedrooms and 4.5 baths. The ocean views are spectacular, and you can enjoy the stars from the hot-tub that is positioned on the ocean side of the house. The bank is asking $787,000 for this beauty. If you are interested, i can email you pictures of this one as well.

Stay in touch, and remember, these will be gone very soon!

Foreclosures, Distressed Sales Dominate Real Estate Market on Topsail Island

Foreclosures and distressed sales are currently the primary activity of real estate sales here on the island. Until these type properties are sold, don't expect any normalcy in the market here. It truly is simply an example of economics in supply and demand. Folks who have been watching the market are moving with lightning speed when these properties pop up. The buyers have always dictated the price in real estate, and it has never been more apparent than in recent days.

Properties that are for sale under normal circumstances for the most part are just sitting there, while the distressed sales are happening quite rapidly. Our agency, LANDMARK REAL ESTATE GROUP, has sold more property on the Island than any other company in the last 12 months. I believe this is because our history of being builders/developers and our work ethic has separated us from our competitors. Having experience in both building houses and developing properties has given us insight and rapport with other developers who are struggling to liquidate properties during this adjustment in the market. We truly do understand what is going on!

Please give us a call or email us for the latest and best deals available on Topsail Island. Oh yeah, the important stuff; the King Mackerel have finally shown up right on the beach following the schools of Menhaden. The Speckled Trout bite is good around all the bridges and structure in the sounds and Intracoastal Waterway! Email me for a fishing trip and tour of all the good real estate deals available!

Deep Water Sound Properties Still Holding Up

Deep water sound properties are still holding their values. While many buyers are waiting for those properties prices to fall, the ones that have come out of foreclosure or short-sales have been snatched up almost immediately by savy buyers. I believe that one reason that has kept these properties somewhat insulated from the downturn is that most of these properties have been owned by big-boat owners, and those folks have been less affected by the downturn in the economy.

Having said that, there are some deepwater sound properties available that are definitely bargains compared to 2004 prices. Let me know if that is what you are looking for. I have a couple in mind that would be perfect for your "larger" boats! The sunsets on Topsail Sound are a spectacular bonus too!

Spring of 2009 Has Finally Arrived on Topsail Island, NC!

Spring breezes and sunny days have finally arrived here at Topsail Island, NC! The fish are biting and as the water warms, more and more folks are tip-toeing into the surf!

The Real Estate Market has started to show signs of life again as short-sales and foreclosures have brought buyers back to the table. These adjustments in the market have forced sellers to rethink their prices somewhat, and oceanfront beach houses in the $500k to $600k range are not uncommon now! Thinking back to 2005, you couldn't find an oceanfront lot for that price, much less a lot and house!

I haven't been fishing as much lately due to the increase in business, but that's a good thing according to Marilyn! She spends most of her time trying to keep me organized while chasing Ava around the house!

Last week I went fishing with Ricky Kellum, the "Speckled Specialist" http://www.speckledspecialist.com/, and we were filmed by Joe Albea, producer of THE CAROLINA OUTDOOR JOURNAL. The show should be a good one as we caught and released over 20 nice Bonita, and we also caught about 40 nice Spanish Mackerel! We fished out of Sneads Ferry and were only about 2 miles off the beach right in front of New River Inlet. The Bonita only show up for a couple of weeks every Spring, so you only have a few chances to connect with them. We had a perfect day, light winds, and the show should air sometime this fall. I'll keep you posted!

There are some real bargains showing up on the island right now, so please let me know if you want me to buzz you when one of these pops up. Having built houses here on both the oceanfront, the interior and the sound, we have a good feel for what a "real deal" really is!

Please email or call at any time!!