By H.C. “Hutch” Hutchison, Ed.D. The men and women of the United State military devote themselves to ensuring that freedoms are protected, maintaining peace, and providing relief to those that are enduring hardship. Benefits of military service can include training in many diverse fields, pride of serving, civilian education, travel and the opportunity to grow as an individual. One significant benefit that can be derived from military service is the opportunity to obtain an home loan guaranteed by the Veterans Admi... read more

When it comes time to buy a home, most of us don’t have a few hundred thousand dollars waiting around in our bank account with which to make the purchase. Instead, we contact a lender who will set us up with a mortgage. Our friend Jeff Gilley, with local lender, Alpha Mortgage, dropped by to help us understand what that’s all about. What is a mortgage? “A mortgage is an agreement between you and a lender that they will let you borrow a certain amount of money and in return you will pay it back,... read more

You’ve moved into your dream home and everything is perfect; you’re madly in love with every shingle, every molding, every light switch. Then BAM! Your air conditioning unit goes out, and it’s June in Southeastern North Carolina, so it’s approximately one zillion degrees outside. What do you do?  Perhaps the only downfall to homeownership is that you are now responsible for the upkeep of your home’s major systems and appliances. That’s where a home warranty comes in! Our fr... read more

While you may think you know everything there is to know about living the coastal lifestyle, you might be surprised by all Wilmington, NC real estate has to offer. You know about the beaches and you know about the temperate weather, but do you know about the special events and surrounding communities? Whether you visit in early spring or late fall there is always something exciting going on. Watch Wilmington, NC homes fill the sky with color during our annual Kite Festival and be sure you check out the annual Cucal... read more

What determines my home’s value?...This is a common question that Realtors® receive from sellers. Often, sellers confuse a home’s tax assessed value (what they see on their tax bill) with the fair market value, the amount a home will sell for when the property has been exposed to a reasonable amount of buyers in a competitive market for a reasonable amount of time. In actuality, the tax value is based on a formula used by county tax assessors. They take what they believe is the fair market value of ... read more