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WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH
Continuing its climb from the bottom, Wrightsville Beach saw more than $95 million in sales,
which is up more than 47 percent over 2011. Units sold were the best in many years, 129 total, a
strong 45-percent increase.
“It was a good year,” Intracoastal Realty’s Debbie Mitchell says. “It is starting a slow uphill
return.” She held on to her No. 2 spot in Wrightsville sales, and while edging down in the top
agent ranking for New Hanover County, her $26 million sold volume was still stronger than the
previous year. “People are not so nervous about the economy. They don’t think the sky is falling
anymore,” she says.
“Twenty-twelve was a year of realistic sellers and optimistic buyers. The sellers got in sync with
the market pricewise and the buyers realized that ‘bottom feeding’ in most cases was not going to
get them a house at Wrightsville Beach,” Randall Williams says. He is the Broker-in-Charge at team
Hardee Hunt and Williams, the top selling team on Wrightsville as well as the third selling team
in New Hanover County, with $35.7 million in sales, of which $32.65 million were Wrightsville
Beach sales. Williams’ direct wisdom, gained by 30 years of working the same locations, continues
to be dead-on with what is happening in real estate.
“We thought the market might slow up in the run up to the election and it went the other way.
We brokered an oceanfront property on Christmas Eve if that tells you anything about the enthusi-asm
in the marketplace,” Williams says.
Wrightsville Beach saw 26 sales of a million dollars or more. The top sale in the town showed a
modest but hopeful 8.8-percent increase over 2012, with
the sale of 14 South Ridge Road, a 4,890 sf 6-bed, 6-bath
plus 2 half-bath beach home. This was the No. 2 sale in
the county, see the chart page 59.
Of the remaining 25 big-ticket sales, another oceanfront
5-bed, 6-bath home located at 823 South Lumina Avenue
brought its seller more than $2 million, and this bank-owned
sale was No. 5 in the county.
The number of bank-owned, foreclosure and short-sale
properties are drying up all over the county. Foreclosures
and short sales continue to be a factor, but much less so
than in 2011. The year saw just 10 short sales, 47-percent
less than 2011, and 95-percent less than the 2009 low
point. Foreclosures are on the decrease with 9-percent fewer
NEW HANOVER COUNTY
CIVIL FORCLOSURES
2000 513
2006 561
2001 653
2007 720
2002 868
2008 1,017
2003 909
2009 1,483
2004 737
2010 1,881
2005 605
2011 1,559
2012 1,432
LANDFALL FIGURE EIGHT ISLAND PLEASURE ISLAND PORTERS NECK
2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012
$12,931,910 $17,449,687 $20,970,000 $93,645,312 $101,013,164 $120,451,996 $32,298,002 $21,189,345 $25,775,703
6 13 14 336 409 492 61 42 74
$4,000,000 $2,750,000 $3,200,000 $1,175,750 $1,275,000 $1,138,000 $1,724,250 $ 2,350,000 $768,000
158 425 414 186 222 235 173 148 272
$2,155,318 $1,342,284 $1,792,236 $278,706 $246,976 $263,032 $529,475 $ 504,508 $372,498
$2,150,000 $1,237,687 $1,547,000 $250,000 $216,000 $229,000 $480,000 $ 424,950 $378,058
$5,200,000 $6,000,000 $4,950,000 $2,870,900 $2,900,000 $2,795,000 $2,500,000 $ 1,600,000 $2,987,000
37 46 44 402 504 389 43 75 68
1 1 2 19 37 66 8 12 16
n/a 2 0 36 172 46 2 6 3
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