Wilmington, N.C.- There is a popular dream of owning a beach front property. Perhaps it’s one you share. If you close your eyes can you picture yourself sipping the morning coffee from a balcony that overlooks the Atlantic?
There’s a twist on this dream. It too involves owning a home near the beach. But instead of you sitting on the balcony in the morning, it’s a total stranger who is paying you a large sum of money for a short-term stay.
If you fantasize about owning a short-term beach rental one website says you should consider buying in Holden Beach.
Vacasa.com is a site for a property management company. They recently ranked the top 25 cities to buy a vacation property. Holden Beach snuck on the list where it was ranked #25.
According to the article Holden Beach was chosen because investors prefer stand-alone properties and the median price in 2021 in Holden Beach has been $580,000.
Currently there are 21 single family homes for sale in Holden Beach. They range in price from $385,000 to $1.6 million.
“Both Brunswick and Pender Counties are getting more attention from investors,” said Just For Buyers Realty agent Scott Saxton. “People are familiar with the beaches here in New Hanover County and they are still buying up their dream home, but when it comes to investments they’ve been looking in other areas.”
The recognition for Holden Beach comes on the heels of a similar acknowledgement given to Topsail Island. Last year a website called Realtor.com ranked Topsail Island (shared by Pender and Onslow Counties) as the most affordable beach communities to buy investment homes. Currently 20 single family homes are on the market on Topsail Beach ranging from $283,000 to $4.7 million.
“If you’re looking for a beach vacation property, you’re going to want to make sure it’s on a rebuildable lot,” said Saxton. “And ask yourself if you are really landlord material. Are you handy? Can you deal with the stress of dealing with people coming in from out of town and potentially being very demanding. You can hire management companies, if you want to give us some of your profit. But if the dream is still alive, my suggestion is finding a place with a proven rental track record. An experience buyer’s agent can help you find the perfect investment property.”