contributed by Jen Reed


The end of the year can often spark some soul-searching. What happened in your life over the past 12 months—good and bad? What would you like to achieve during the year ahead? Lose weight? Travel? Try something new? Perhaps you want to find yourself a new home?


Don’t wish. Make it happen.


Could you use an extra room, or more space in your kitchen? Does your current place need a new roof or windows? If you’re spending time trying to figure out which walls to knock down and how to make improvements so your home presents a better fit for your lifestyle, maybe it’s time to find a new home that fits your needs.


At KBT Realty Group, we see a lot of people make good on their plans to move out of a home that isn’t their ideal and into one that becomes their happy place. As the year winds down, we encounter determined people who have decided to fulfill the promise they made to themselves to make this dream happen by the n ...

Meet Rebecca Robbins, Broker, Realtor with the KBT Realty Group, and her dog Mazy. Rebecca is new to the KBT Team in Wilmington NC.

Rebecca loves Wilmington, and the Cape Fear area's dog-friendly attributes a are high on the list of reasons she chooses to live here. She tries to take Mazy with her everywhere she goes. From parks, outdoor restaurants, beer gardens, farmers' markets, and even many retail stores, options for dog owners are numerous.

One of Rebecca's favorite places to walk with Mazy is Smith Creek Park, off Gordon Road. Smith Creek Park offers a beautiful dog-friendly walking trail. In the summer, the park trail is particularly inviting in the evening when the temperature has cooled a bit and the sun is ready to set. Smith Creek Park is near Murrayville, and Rebecca loves showing clients homes that any dog would approve of.

Originally from Durham NC, Rebecca moved to Wilmington in 2008 to go to college and fell in love with city. She has been in real estate ...

There is a new bridge in the future of the Cape Fear region, and properties in Northern Brunswick County may be impacted by construction of the NCDOT project, which is currently in the planning and environmental study stage. Home buyers purchasing in Northern Brunswick County, including Leland, Bellville, etc., need to understand the proposed Cape Fear Crossing road and bridge project.

Cape Fear Crossing, a proposal for a 9.5-mile road and a high-level bridge over the Cape Fear River, was developed as a solution to improve both traffic flow and freight transportation from Brunswick County's portions of U.S. 17 and Interstate 140 to U.S. 421. The area of impact on the New Hanover County side of the project is near the North Carolina Port of Wilmington. NCDOT officials say that the project will ease congestion on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, and will improve evacuation routes in the event of a hurricane or other emergency. 

The Cape Fear Crossing project is, as of now ...

Real Estate Market Update for Jan - Feb 2019 | Kirk Pugh, Broker Realtor



This is a cumulative January and February housing update for the Wilmington North Carolina and beaches, most notably New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick counties. National level information comes from the National Housing Report through Morgan Stanley. Local county information is pulled from the MLS.



Home Price Appreciation

The housing market has been great. Prices have been going up and there has been an affordability challenge discussed in the media. The home price appreciation has actually slowed somewhat. It looks like we are on track for about 5.6% for 2019. Granted, we are just into it, so that's from the first two months of the year. 

On a positive note, the median price of a house has actually fallen, just under 3%. At the same time mortgage rates have dropped about 3.5%, so we have actually had a little bit of easing in the affordability crunch. Homes have gotten easier to buy for ...

Breaking Through the Confusion Regarding Home Warranty HVAC Inspections
Armed with clear information on Home Warranty HVAC inspections, many buyers and sellers opt to contract for this service. The upfront payment for an HVAC inspection is usually in the range of $85, and considering the potentially hefty cost of HVAC repairs, clients may find this warranty pays for itself.


Repairing Your Home's HVAC Can Be a Big-Ticket Item
What is an HVAC?

HVAC stands for "Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning." Your home's HVAC is the entire system that regulates the cooling and heating of the interior, making the indoor environment comfortable through the changing seasons.

There are four different types of HVAC systems. The four HVAC systems are designed to suit the size and interior specs of a home or commercial building.

Heating and Air Conditioning Split System

A "split system" has an outdoor unit that houses both the condenser and the compressor, and an indoor unit w ...