Today’s high…64°!   And, temperature is not the only thing that’s on the rise.  Brunswick Forest continues to welcome new families daily.  We have welcomed over 20 new families this year and over 800 families in the last four years!

Brunswick Forest continually grows because of folks just like you, the first class amenities in place for enjoyment today and sound developer resources.

This year Brunswick Forest looks forward to bringing on three new neighborhoods: the Townhomes at Evangeline, Edenhouse Villas at Evangeline and Park Landing.  These products will offer new styles of living and new price points.

If you are interested in learning more about these new products and why Brunswick Forest is the Coastal South’s fastest growing community, call or email us today!

If you would like to enjoy beautiful Southeastern NC 64° winter weather, consider joining us for a Coastal Discovery Tour.  Click here to learn more or email us today.

888.371.2434
info@brunswickforest.com

Historic Downtown Wilmington, NC is a thriving riverfront town offering eclectic shopping, a vibrant city-life, rich history and a wide array of cultural amenities.  Even better, it is located just 10 minutes from Brunswick Forest, the fastest growing community in the Coastal South. 

If you’re looking to get out and enjoy the town’s history and cultural amenities, here’s what it has to offer. 

• The USS North Carolina Battleship
• The Bellamy Mansion
• The 1898 Memorial
• The Latimer House Museum
• The Wilmington Railroad Museum  

And, those are just to name a few! 

If you’re looking to enjoy the city-life, try these activities on for size. 

• Shopping at the Boutiques:
• Island Passage
• Return Passage
• Edge of Urge
• Lure
• The Henrietta III Riverboat Cruise
• Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
• Trolley Tours
• Plays at Thalian Hall or City Stage
• Dining Riverfront at Elijah’s or Pilot House  

Whatever you’re day, you are sure to enjoy it in Downtown Wilmington, NC…just a hop, skip and a jump away from beautiful Brunswick Forest. 

www.brunswickforest.com
888.371.2434

From Ideal Living Magazine’s Choose Your Ideal Place  www.ideal-living-digital.com 

When buyers have the upper hand due to a large inventory of homes on the market, it’s essential that sellers prepare properly. Taking the time to craft a smart sales plan that involves a little extra effort can yield healthy financial returns, even in a less-than-stellar market. Here are some ways to maximize your home’s profit potential.

Price It Right

In a challenging market, one of the first things real estate agents will encourage you to do is to price your house appropriately the first time. In several surveys, real estate agents agreed that the most common mistake sellers make is pricing too high. Many people incorrectly assume that if it does not sell they can always lower the price. While that strategy works in an a sellers’ market because prices will rise to your list, in a buyers’ market, each day you are further from where you should be and missing the fewer number of buyers, who usually immediately write off homes that are overpriced. The starting point for determining the right price of your home is the recent selling prices of comparable properties in your neighborhood. Many real estate agents will provide complimentary market analyses. If you discover that your asking price differs significantly from an agent’s recommendation, consider spending approximately $500 for a property appraisal. 

Choose an Experienced Agent 

Houses no longer sell themselves, so you’ll need an experienced, hard-working agent that has the time and energy to do everything necessary to sell your home. You’ll want to select an agent who—

•   Is accessible and returns calls quickly.

•   Will promote your property online. (Nearly 90 percent of the nation’s potential homebuyers use the Internet to aid real estate transactions.)

•   Is willing to do open houses for potential buyers (not just brokers).

•   Sells a lot of homes in your area.

Your agent should provide you with a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA), which is based on recently closed sales, pending sales and the number of properties for sale in a similar price range. 

The data pulled should be very recent (less than three months old if possible), and comps should be within a half-mile. However, if sales are sluggish in your area, you may have to go back farther than three months to find comps, discounting your price three to five percent for each additional month. All that data should give you a starting point to decide how to price your home. A good place to start is Zillow.com, where you can track home sales in your neighborhood. Information is compiled from tax reports.  

It is important to know your home’s competition. Your asking price should be based on facts.  Those facts aren’t limited to knowing what the asking price is for homes with similar square footage. You have to know what’s going on inside the home. Has the kitchen been remodeled recently? Are there two bathrooms upstairs versus your one? Details like that are important when figuring out how a buyer is going to compare your house to others. 

Details are even more important now. Your house needs to be the best-looking house out there. It needs to look like a model home. 

Get Your Home in Great Shape  

A clean house is an absolute must, along with some relatively simple and inexpensive improvements that will help owners boost the return on their investment. If possible, the owners should do all of the work themselves.  

Fresh coats of paint and new carpeting not only add contemporary panache, but also help to eliminate odors, the kiss of death for just about every sale. Hardware on cabinets, sinks, and doors are simple ways to update your home, as are new linens on beds and towel racks. 

Clear your home of clutter. Remove furniture, knick-knacks, and pictures. If you have trouble doing this, consider hiring a home stager. 

Make Basic Household Repairs

Sellers can avoid haggling with a potential buyer by ensuring the buyer’s inspector can’t identify many, if any, needed repairs. For about $300, sellers can hire an inspector to check electrical outlets, examine gutters and plumbing, along with other infrastructure. 

Create Good Curb Appeal

A home shopper’s first impression is everything. When they pull up to the curb, they’ll make an instant judgment, and you want it to be positive. Make sure outdoor furniture is clean and freshened with new cushions. Plant seasonal shrubbery and flowers and make sure leaves are raked up and shrubs and bushes are trimmed. Repair external siding and fencing. 

Offer Incentives 

Value-added incentives can help expedite a sale. For example, you could offer to include your appliances, a home warranty, or offer to pay the nonrecurring closing costs—the loan appraisal, loan points, credit report, title insurance, and property inspections. These costs usually run about three to five percent of the cost of the home and can be a major motivation to buyers.

Develop Market Savvy

Amenities such as schools (particularly those with high test scores, which can be identified through the local school district’s administrative offices), parks, shopping centers and transit lines could be powerful selling points. Check with your local police department to find out your neighborhood’s crime rate, and highlight any favorable findings. Leave handouts highlighting unique features for prospects to review. 

www.brunswickforest.com
888.371.2434

Looking to relocate to the Coastal Carolinas?  Or planning a golf getaway with your colleagues?

Then, make a New Year's resolution to visit Brunswick Forest, the fastest growing community in the Coastal South! 

Located just 10 minutes south of Historic Downtown Wilmington, NC, Brunswick Forest offers a lifestyle rich in amenities and a pristine 18-hole Championship golf course, Cape Fear National, recently ranked one of the "Top 10 Best Courses You Can Play in NC." 

To learn more about out Coastal Discovery Tour, call 888.371.2434 or visit www.brunswickforest.com. 

To plan your next golf getaway, visit www.capefearnational.com.

The past year was a very good one for Brunswick Forest. Once again we set a sales record for the most homes and home sites sold in our five year history, becoming in the process the fastest selling community in the Coastal South.

There are now more than 800 families that call Brunswick Forest their home, drawn by our superb location, our amenities and an unparalleled lifestyle that’s the envy of any community in the country.

In the new year we’re introducing a limited release — two new, low maintenance coastal home designs in answer to the evolving needs of the marketplace. Watch for our announcement and be sure to visit. You’re always welcome at Brunswick Forest.

www.brunswickforest.com
888.371.2434

WILMINGTON, NC, December 20, 2011 – Grand opening ceremonies were held last week marking the launch of Josh London State Farm Insurance office at The Villages at Brunswick Forest.

      There for the event was State Farm Insurance staff and officials from the North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce and Brunswick Forest. 

      Housed in a 1,450 square foot office located next to Port City Java in The Villages complex, the agency will offer both personal and commercial lines of State Farm insurance offerings, plus Humana medical supplement policies and wind and hail insurance through the North Carolina Joint Underwriter’s Association.

      “We’re a full-service State Farm agency that can handle virtually any insurance needs our clients might require,” said London, the agency’s sole proprietor.  “Our staff is well-trained, highly knowledgeable and eager to help.”

      London, a former marine and now business executive who has been living and working in the Raleigh, NC area for the past 13 years, recently moved to Brunswick Forest in advance of the opening of the State Farm agency.  His wife, a teacher, and three children will be joining him this summer at the conclusion of the school year. 

      The Villages at Brunswick Forest is a 160-acre complex that will be made up of more than 500,000 square feet of retail and professional establishments.  It is located at the entrance to Brunswick Forest on US Hwy 17 ten minutes south of Downtown Wilmington, NC, a 4,500-acre residential community offering homes, town homes and home sites with extensive community amenities.

      “We’re delighted to welcome State Farm Insurance to The Villages,” said Alan Kerry, president of Lord Baltimore Properties, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lord Baltimore Capital Corporation and the sole developer of the community.  “Clearly the firm recognized our growth and decided this is where they wanted to be.  They’ll be serving our growing community and the surrounding areas for years to come.“

      London said that he choose The Villages of Brunswick Forest for his office after an exhaustive search of the area.  As he put it, “There were many good choices for us, but in the end I felt I could not have found a better location.”

      “Brunswick County continues to grow,” said London, “and Brunswick Forest is setting the pace.  We’re looking forward not only to serving the Brunswick Forest community but all of Brunswick County as it continues to mature and expand.”

      In 2011 more homes and home sites sold in Brunswick Forest than at any time in the community’s five-year history.  According to the development’s closed sales records, more than 160 homes and home sites sales were recorded in 2011, representing a volume in excess of $40 million.   More than 800 families now call the community home.

The Villages at Brunswick Forest

      The Villages project has been enjoying steadily growing occupancy by a variety of businesses drawn to the growing Brunswick Forest property owner base and to the growth of the Brunswick County area in general.

      Most recently, construction work is well underway for a coming Lowes Foods FreshSmart store and a CVS/pharmacy store.

      The two anchor tenants represent approximately 55,000 square feet of additional offerings at the Wilmington, NC community town center. Developers expect the opening of both stores sometime around the middle of 2012 in not before, along with an additional 8,000 square foot retail complex nearby.

        Last summer New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) opened a 40,000 sq. ft. Health and Diagnostics building in The Villages, bringing physicians, technicians and other healthcare providers to serve Brunswick forest and area communities.  Most recently,

Wilmington Health Associates, a multi-faceted medical practice that last summer moved into 5,000 square feet of office space in the New Hanover Regional Medical Center office building, doubled their existing space.

      With a main campus in central Wilmington, NC, recently opened is the Glen Meade Center for Women’s Health, which has nearly 2,000 square feet of additional practice space in the NHRMC office building and has begun seeing patients following several months of upfit work to install state-of-the-art medical equipment.

      Also occupying the NHRMC medical office building are practices that include Atlantic Orthopedic, Morgan Internal Medicine and Urology Comprehensive Services.  In a standalone building, operations have begun at the Brunswick Forest Veterinary Hospital, a 4,500 square foot, highly specialized facility representing one of the most advanced in the area.

      Also already located in The Villages is Port City Java, BB&T Financial Center, Blue Wave Dentistry and a Brunswick County Sherriff substation.  Announcements regarding the start of construction for other major shopping, professional and lodging facilities is expected shortly.

    Brunswick Forest is situated on 4,500 acres of woodlands, creeks, forests and natural areas.  Residents choose from a wide range of prices and lifestyle options, from low-maintenance luxury town homes to home sites and spacious custom homes. Secluded neighborhoods, each with its own distinctive character, are found throughout the community. Residents also enjoy a wide variety of amenities in place today, including an 18-hole Championship golf course at Cape Fear National^®, an 18,000 square foot Fitness and Wellness Center, a Community Commons, a River Club, parks and natural areas and more than 100 miles of paths and trails.

      Home sites begin at $75,000; homes start in the $200,000s.

      For more information regarding The Villages at Brunswick Forest, contact Lannin Kerry, Brunswick Forest Property Management, at 910-341-4224.

      For more information on the Brunswick Forest community, call 910-371-2434; 1-888-371-2434 or visit www.brunswickforest.com.

In the early 1990s, Dr. Rich Zielinski left his home in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, to attend college. After meeting his wife, he moved to North Carolina, where he earned his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from N.C. State. For the next eight years he practiced as a vet in the Piedmont-Triad area, but his in-laws’ home on Holden Beach kept calling to him and his wife. They finally took the plunge and moved to Leland, where Dr. Z, as he’s known to his patients’ owners, and his partner Dr. Patrick Terry opened Brunswick Forest Veterinary Hospital.  

Q:  Why did you choose to start your business in 2011? And why Leland?

“For a while my wife and I wanted to be on the coast,” says Dr. Z. “We visited her parents’ house on Holden Beach and thought the area had a lot to offer to us. On one trip down to visit them, our car broke down and as I was riding to Wilmington to get it fixed, I saw Brunswick Forest. I thought, ‘This is the perfect place for an office.’ So I did a little research and decided to call my partner, Patrick. Together we decided to open here. Opening in Leland was a no-brainer — it’s a growing area and the potential for more growth is huge — but opening in 2011, well, that was just timing.”

Q:  How many employees are there at Brunswick Forest Veterinary Hospital?

“Right now we have two, in addition Dr. Terry and myself. Dr. Terry is only in the office occasionally right now, but in the coming year, we’re planning to grow the practice, hire another part-time employee and get Dr. Terry here full-time.”

Q:  What have been some of the challenges you’ve faced since opening?

“The obvious challenge was the economy. With a slow economy, business was slower to pick up initially, but we’re moving over that hump. Another challenge was advertising. Where do we advertise? What do we say? How do we draw in customers? We had to learn this on the fly. Fortunately, our location in The Villages in Brunswick Forest puts us close to a lot of pets and pet owners and they’ve rewarded us with their business. As our reputation grows, we’re gaining new, happy clients.”

Article courtesy of North Brunswick Magazine

www.brunswickforest.com
888.371.2434

Hello! My name is Patrick Crean, Lifestyle Consultant for Brunswick Forest. 

I spent the first twenty-six years of my life on Long Island, NY, the last four of which, I worked as a police officer for the Nassau County Police Department. After meeting my wife, Naomi, I made several trips to the Wilmington, NC area and had the opportunity to play many of the fantastic golf courses and spend days on the beautiful barrier-island beaches and I quickly came to the realization that if I lived here I would no longer have to endure long, cold winters and bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Long Island Expressway! 

After my move south in 1990, I accepted a cart attendant position at a local golf facility and I thoroughly enjoyed being around the golf course environment and meeting so many wonderful people from all over the world. Fours years later, I completed my apprentice program and received Class “A” status with the PGA of America. I accepted my first Head Professional position in 1997 and I consider myself very fortunate to have been associated with some of our area’s finest golf communities during my golf career. In 2006, I acquired my NC real estate license and since then I have been helping people do the same thing that I did almost 22 years ago – move south!  

I am excited about being a part of the Brunswick Forest family and I look forward to having the opportunity to show you all of the unique benefits that make the Wilmington, NC area and Brunswick Forest the perfect place to call home!      

www.brunswickforest.com
888.371.2434

We are continually looking for folks just like you to help us spread the good news about Brunswick Forest and all it has offer…18 holes of championship golf at Cape Fear National, along with a River Club, Fitness & Wellness Center, Community Commons area, 100+ miles of walking, biking and nature trails, parks and a host of other amenities.  All of these designed for you to enjoy TODAY! 

So whether you’re a Brunswick Forest resident or looking to become one…spread the word to your friends, family and neighbors that Brunswick Forest is the place to be! 

Want to learn why over 800 families have chosen to call Brunswick Forest home?! 

Call us today at 888.371.2434 or visit our website, Facebook page or YouTube page! 

Jon and Kristen Tait

So how do two Tampanians find themselves in Brunswick Forest?  

That was the question on the table when chatting with Jon and Kristin Tait. 

These two love birds met in Tampa after working for the same Raymond James company.  They loved their life there, but the stress of the 13+ hour days became too much. 

They thought of moving to San Francisco or New York, but after a recommendations from Jon's brother and father about the Wilmington, NC area...the investigation began! 

They searched throughout the Wilmington area and settled on Brunswick Forest, located just 10 minutes south of Historic Downtown Wilmington. 

They loved everything Brunswick Forest had to offer from the miles of nature trails, which Kristin enjoys when training for a marathon, to the the club house at Cape Fear National, where Jon enjoys Thirsty Thursdays and Trivia Nights. 

The pair couldn't be happier with their decision to move to Brunswick Forest and said they would do it again in a heartbeat.   

"We believe Brunswick Forest and the surrounding areas will be a great place to raise a family and settle down long term.  We are here to stay!"

 www.brunswickforest.com
888.371.2434