8,000 Reasons for You to Get Off the Fence!

There’s never been a better time to buy a home. Really.
That’s because, thanks to the efforts of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR), Congress is offering $8,000 tax credit to help first-time homebuyers, like yourself, purchase a home.
If you qualify and buy a principal
residence before April 30,
2010, then you’re eligible for
the credit—allowing you to
subtract 10% of the purchase
price of your home up to
$8,000 from your tax bill. Also, the FHA at the urging of NAR has changed the rules to make this money available to you at closing! Visit www.HousingMarketFacts.com for more information.
So, why wait? Please contact me for more information about this can’t-miss

Holden Beach Memories

Have you seen this mailbox before? If you are a regular to Holden Beach, the answer maybe yes (if you know where to look). It is actually located ON the beach. If you take a stroll to the far east end of Holden Beach, keep walking as the ocean meets the ICW, and look up into the dunes, you'll see it.

This mailbox is just what it says "Golden Memories". Open the door and inside is a notebook and pen. Vacationers and locals alike share their memories and experiences of Holden Beach. Anyone is welcome to leave a memory or sometimes the local fishing report. All that is asked is to leave the notebook and pen for the next person.

It's amazing the stories you will find inside this mailbox. Memories of years gone by, love stories, children's first trips to the beach, and stories of locals who call the beach "home".

Next time you are in Holden Beach, be sure to check out this unique memory mailbox and be sure to only leave your footprints and memories.

Devil's Pocketbook found on Holden Beach

On my walk on the beach yesterday, I found several "Devil's Pocketbooks" washed up on Holden Beach. These "purses" are actually skate casings.

The Skate is a wide, flattish, non-bony fish which has “wings” or fin-type projections on the sides of its body. The Skate is almost as wide as it is long, and has a whiplike tail which it uses as a rudder. It can weight up to 100lbs. It is related to the Stingray, and is a bottom feeder, where it eats crabs and other crustaceans, worms, bivalves, and small fish. The Skate itself is a food source for humans.

The Skate egg case is a small (3-4 inches long), leathery, rectangular sort of pouch with long, thin, horn-like projections sticking out from each corner. The egg cases are made of keratin, the same substance of which human fingernails are composed. An egg case forms around each individual skate embryo just before the mother deposits the cases on the sea floor.

The long, curved projections on each corner of the egg case are covered with a gummy material. The “horns” tend to catch on seaweed or other objects, helping to anchor the egg case to the bottom. The horns serve to extract oxygen from the water, and to release waste back into the water. The egg cases are very tough and hard to penetrate, thus detering predators.

Interestingly enough, initially the egg cases are waterproof because the embryos do not have gills until after three weeks of development. Then small holes open in the tips of the horns, admitting seawater, and the baby learns to live as an underwater creature.

When the time comes for the young skate to escape its natal confinement (anywhere from 3-15 months), the egg case splits open at one end and the youngster emerges.

Empty egg cases may wash up on the beach. These dark, blackish containers are sometimes called “devil's pocketbook” or “devil's purses;” “mermaid's purses;” or “sailor's purses.”

Holden Beach Sea Turtle Program

Sea Turtles and their nests are well known on Holden Beach. Each year many mother's return to Holden Beach, lay their eggs and return to the ocean. We are very fortunate to have a wonderful caring group who looks after the nests and helps lead the new arrivals to the ocean.

Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program offers these interesting facts:

•Sea Turtles Predate Dinosaurs and have existed for over 200 million years.
•Sea Turtles have lived to be over 100 years old in captivity.
•Sea Turtles love to eat jelly fish, sponges, algae, sea grasses and crustaceans.
•A mature female turtle (20-30 years) will return to her natal beach every 2-3 years
to lay 1 to 7 nests with an average of 4 nests.
•The temperature of the sand determines the sex of the hatchlings (hotter sand-more females-cooler sand-more males)
•Bright house lights that face the ocean will confuse nesting mothers and hatchlings.
•The population of Sea Turtles are threatened by pollution, poaching, and habitat loss.
•There are 8 species of Sea Turtles. 5 visit North Carolina: The Loggerhead, Green,
Kemp's, Ridley, and Leatherback.
•Mature Loggerhead Turtles weigh up to 400 pounds
•A Fine of up to $100,000 and or 1 year in prison is the penalty for harassing a Sea Turtle or disturbing its nest.

Beach Bums in the Snow!

We have snow!! About 2 inches fell during the night and everything is a winter wonderland this morning. Hope you enjoy the photos.

Beach Bums in the Snow?

Could it be? Snow in Holden Beach? Snow is predicted for Holden Beach tonight into tomorrow morning. Depending on the track the front takes, we could see nothing or 1-3 inches.

Everyone is so excited here. Snow is very rare at the beach, so we all become little kids when they talk about coming our way. Of course no one here really has heavy winter clothes; except for those who moved from the north and haven't tossed them yet. But don't worry, we'll make do and wear layer of swimsuits to battle the cold in order to build a snowman instead of a sand castle.

I'll keep you posted on if we do get the white stuff, I'll be sure to share photos.

Holden Beach is the Best Beach

Facebook is all the rage these days. I'm sure you have a page too and have caught up with all those long lost classmates, boyfriends, girlfriends and even some of those you weren't really crazy about back in the day.

I too have a page for myself where I have done all the same things but decided to take it one step further. I created a fan page called "Holden Beach is the Best Beach". It has taken off quickly with more and more fans joining daily. This is the place is find out upcoming events, happenings, post your vacation photos, experiences, tips. Anything and eveything Holden Beach is here.

Holden Beach seems to draw people in with it's quite, reserved presence and then, gently shows her guests the time of their lives. She may be small and off the beaten path, but the treasures she holds are greater than any other.

If you aren't a fan, join today. Share and experience the atmosphere so many others experience every day or on those annual family vacations. I look forward to seeing you on Facebook.

Shallotte, NC

The Town of Shallotte was incorporated on March 6, 1899. Prior settlement of the area dated back to around 1750 with an earlier reference to the River and the Town as early as 1734. In the early years, residents relied on agriculture, fishing and a bustling waterfront full of flatboats, rafts, and other small watercrafts used to transport goods to and from this rural part of Brunswick County. According to some accounts, the Town received its name from a traveler who crossed the river by ferry and referred to the river as "Charlotte" River. The Charlotte River later took on the name of the Shallotte River. The Town was later called Shallotte.
Today, the Town is commonly referred to as the "commerical hub" of Brunswick County. Shallotte is centered almost directly between Wilmington, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with the commute to either city being roughly 30 to 40 minutes. If the Brunswick County beaches are your destination, Shallotte is approximately 10 minutes from Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, and Sunset Beach. The Town consists of approximately 1,600 residents. While Shallotte is still considered a small Town, it has a lot of amenities that larger cities provide.

Sea Scape at Holden Beach

The land on which SeaScape at Holden Plantation® is nestled was untouched for generations, offering abundant forests of century old oaks and pines, and breathtaking views where the Atlantic Ocean, the Lockwood Folly River, and the Intracoastal Waterway converge. Today, this beautiful 500-acre community remains virtually the same with its interconnected neighborhoods separated naturally by the site’s native amenities. Preserving the quality, character, accessibility, and beauty of the natural environment is the key to the success of SeaScape at Holden Plantation®.
Homes in the community are characteristically reminiscent of the Charleston and New Orleans Low Country designs, and while SeaScape™ offers a variety of architectural concepts from which to choose, all are elegantly southern. These charming and timeless homes grace the quiet tree lined streets of the community and sit comfortably and effortlessly into each individual landscape. In addition, both the natural and planned amenities at SeaScape™ are designed to enhance this exclusive and private environment and have made SeaScape at Holden Plantation® one of the most elegant waterfront communities in southeastern North Carolina.
At SeaScape at Holden Plantation® you’ll enjoy small town living with the convenience of being less than an hour’s drive from the charming port cities of Southport and historic Wilmington, North Carolina, and the exciting entertainment venues of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Here is a great home currently on the market just waiting for you.

A place you'll long to get home to! Loads of extras in this beautiful custom home. Attention to detail w/ hardwoods, cathedral ceilings, custom cabinets, see thru fireplace & more. Large media room upstairs w/ full bath, built in surround sound & built in day beds. Everyday is a vacation w/ a pool & patio pretty as this. If that's not enough,community's amenities include marina, indoor/outdoor pools, clubhouse, & walking trails.

Sunset Beach, NC

Sunset Beach, incorporated in 1963, is the smallest and quietest of three barrier islands which together, make up the modestly famed South Brunswick Islands.
An uncommon coastal scene, this small sequestered island is crowned with a naturally wide, gently sloping, white sand beach and a shroud of undisturbed sand dunes. This unadulterated setting is a natural habitat and nesting ground for the abundant coastal wildlife, including the endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle and beloved Wood Storks.
The Town of Sunset Beach is actually comprised of much more than the island alone. Several square miles of mainland offer a variety of necessities, amusements, and educational activities. Residents and visitors frequent the many local shopping centers, golf courses and dining spots and find comfort in the security of first-rate local medical facilities. Cultural, spiritual, and educational activities are all nearby, including Ingram Planetarium. Calabash, the Seafood Capital of the World,is just a few miles away. Bird Island, which is a natural area and 1300 acre State Preserve on the barrier island, is connected to Sunset Beach and reachable by boat, walking, or biking along the beach and is home to Loggerhead turtles. The shoreline, dunes, maritime forest, and marshland are also an important hibitat and nesting area for various species of birds that are threatened or endangered. One can walk from the public parking area and gazebo at Sunset Beach, along the Bird Island beachfront, all the way to South Carolina.
The Town of Sunset Beach is dedicated to preserving the small-town character of its community. Our fundamental goal is to preserve the tranquility of our coastal environment--which has become the basis for visiting and living in Sunset Beach while improving the overall quality of life through controlled and orderly growth.

Information thanks to SunsetBeach.

Holden Beach Fishing

Many varieties of fish are abundant in the waters surrounding Brunswick County and each of the local beaches has at least one full service fishing pier. Bluefish and spots can be caught in the fall and Spanish mackerel and spots are available in the spring, as well as shrimp and drum which are caught in the spring and summer. The salt marshes offer winter trout, channel bass and croaker, where oysters and clams are abundant along the Intracoastal Waterway and back bay areas. Ocean access through several inlets led to the Gulf Stream where red snapper, grouper, tuna and more are plentiful.
Recreational fresh-water fishing licenses are required by law and you can obtain a license from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at 888.248.6834. For more information about fishing in our area, visit www.ncwildlife.org.
Information thanks to Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce

Holden Beach, NC

Coming over the 65-foot high bridge to Holden Beach takes visitors to one of the most serene beaches in the South Brunswick Islands. With 9 miles of oceanfront, Holden Beach is one of the largest of the Brunswick County islands and is home to just under 1,000 year-round residents.
During the summer, the population increases to more than 10,000. Boating, surf fishing, and hiking are very popular activities and the fishing pier is enjoyed by many. The island is a sea turtle habitat as well.
There are limited commercial establishments on the island, but the road leading to Holden Beach is lined with many stores and shops, including a grocery store. The Town of Shallotte is just 10 minutes away, and Myrtle Beach and Wilmington are both a little over 30 minutes away.


The Town of Holden Beach is located midway between Wilmington, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina -- about 40 minutes driving from each. The Town is situated on an Atlantic coastal barrier island, facing south onto the Long Bay region of Brunswick County. I-95 from the north and south, I-40 from the west and US-17 south from Wilmington or north from Myrtle Beach leads to Holden Beach -- approximately 3 hours from Raleigh, or 4 hours from Charlotte or Greensboro, or 7 hours from Asheville. For more map detail of Brunswick County, go to Brunswick Islands, and then click on "Maps".
Nearly 900 fulltime residents call Holden Beach home; however, the island’s population swells to over 10,000 in mid-summer. With over 8 miles of clean, sandy beaches and a year around moderate temperature, the island attracts many visitors who want to experience a unique quiet family-oriented atmosphere.
Holden Beach has a very small commercial area on the island. That point is considered by many to be a key reason to keep them coming back year after year. While there are limited commercial establishments on the island, everything one could desire is located within a short driving distance.
The causeway leading to the island contains numerous specialty stores and shops, and the Town of Shallotte just 10 minutes away has several chain grocery and department stores that provide all the necessities. Wilmington and Myrtle Beach are only 35-45 minutes away and if you can’t find what you’re looking for there, it doesn't exist.
There are over 125 superb golf courses within a one-hour drive from Holden Beach. Courses range from very challenging to user-friendly for golfers who don’t always hit the ball where they want it to go. The Myrtle Beach area is perhaps the best region in the United States to find a course just right. Seasonal rates vary.
Boating, fishing and hiking the island are very popular activities. Shell hunters can find so many that the kids will fill up the car when they return home. The island is a sea turtle habitat and during the hatching season (May to October) those who don’t mind staying up late at night can witness one of nature’s most interesting pleasures – watching hundreds of small sea turtles "boil’ out of the sand and marching to the ocean.
There is no other North Carolina barrier island like Holden Beach. Low commercial impact, hundreds of beautiful rental homes (many with dockage for fishing and pleasure boating) and a wholesome family-oriented atmosphere.

Caswell Beach, NC

Located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River with long sandy beaches and mild weather, it’s no wonder so many people visit here each year. Named after the historic Fort Caswell located at the eastern tip of the island, Caswell Beach is home to the brightest lighthouse in the United States and boasts a Coast Guard Station reminiscent of the old coastal life saving stations.
Deep dunes and sprawling beach cottages line the oceanside, and marsh side cottages on pilings overlook the Cape Fear river shipping channel. The only souvenirs available at Caswell Beach are the shells collected on quiet low tide walks along this beautiful shore. Besides the Oak Island Golf & Country Club, there is no commercial development, making it a relaxing place to vacation.
The town takes its name from Fort Caswell which was established on the east end of Oak Island by the Army in 1826. During the Civil War, the fort was used by Confederates to guard one of the inlets of the Cape Fear River. After major additions following the Spanish American War, it served as a training post during World War I and a submarine lookout post during World War II.
The most important architectural feature of Caswell Beach is the Oak Island Lighthouse, which started operating in 1958 to warn ships of the treacherous Frying Pan Shoals and guide mariners safely into the Cape Fear River. Known as the second brightest lighthouse in the world, the beacon atop the towering gray, black and white silo can be seen nearly 30 miles offshore.

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Oak Island, NC

Come to Oak Island to spend a week and you may spend a lifetime! Windswept live oaks and yaupon trees grace this beach community which offers both a great place to live and vacation.
Oak Island offers approximately a fourteen-mile stretch of south-facing beaches with quiet surf and moderate tides. This family-oriented beach community offers water related activities for all ages. Two piers, a marina, and public launch facilities make all types of fishing possible.
Enjoy the ocean breezes while golfing at an eighteen hole course within walking distance of the beach. Homes are situated along the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, and Davis Canal plus cottages nestled in maritime wooded lots.
The Town of Oak Island was formed in 1999 when the towns of Long Beach and Yaupon Beach consolidated. This consolidation gave it the distinction of the most populated incorporated town in Brunswick County. Although the largest town in the county, a small town atmosphere is enjoyed by its residents.
Oak Island has over 52 public beach accesses (most with parking), two public boat ramps, several areas to put in canoes and kayaks, an extensive sidewalk system for pedestrians to enjoy, quiet streets for cycling, recreation trails, numerous parks and playgrounds, a full service Parks and Recreation Department, and youth friendly facilities such as the recently completed skateboard park and teen center.

Southport, NC

Located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River and on the Intracoastal Waterway, Southport has long served as a protective harbor for sea-going craft. From the pirate ships of yesteryear to the fishing and recreational vessels of today, Southport’s easy access to the Atlantic Ocean and backwater bays has made it a popular maritime destination.
Just walking underneath the huge sprawling oak trees that line the avenues of beautiful historic homes takes you back to a gentler, friendlier period of time. Although a laid back lifestyle exists, Southport is still a bustling city. Southport has antique shops, historic sites, a Maritime Museum, wonderfully diverse restaurants, fresh seafood, art galleries, a small boat harbor, marinas and relaxing parks.
The most popular park in Southport is Waterfront Park. From the park you can watch large transoceanic ships from every country pass on their way up the Cape Fear River to the State Ports, creating remarkable photographic opportunities. Southport is so photogenic that a number of motion pictures and TV films have been made here, including Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, Crimes of the Heart, Summer Catch, and One Tree Hill.
Although somewhat Victorian in appearance, Southport has a rich history dating well beyond its incorporation in 1792. The Indian Trail Tree in Keziah Memorial Park is estimated to be over 800 years old and was used by Cape Fear area Native Americans as a landmark. Bonnet's Creek was a haven for Stede Bonnet, The Gentleman Pirate, who operated in the area and was captured in the harbor during the 'Battle of the Sand Bar' in 1718. Ft. Johnston, across from Waterfront Park, was completed in 1749 and was the foundation of the town of Smithville, which later became known as Southport.

Real Estate Done Right!

Our experienced team of sales professionals knows every corner of the market and will provide insight and knowledge in every stage of the Real Estate transaction.
Margaret Rudd & Associates, Inc., REALTORS® is a locally owned, independently managed company with world-wide reach. With three office locations serving all of Brunswick County we set the standard for full-service firms in our area. Recognized as 2009 “Best Real Estate Company” People’s Choice Award winner, we are eager to put our expertise to work for you.
As your future neighbors we’ll introduce you to our warm sand beaches, gentle breezes, historic landmarks, favorite golf courses, and fresh local seafood. After all we have been turning visitors into locals since 1981

• 

  Make Your Case for a Property Tax Reduction

  To successfully challenge a real estate assessment and lower your property tax bill, you need to do a bit of sleuthing first. Read
• 

  A Financial Plan for Your Home

  A house is probably the biggest investment you’ll ever make. Create a financial plan that takes into account repairs, upgrades, mortgages, insurance, and taxes. Read
• 

  Create a Home Emergency Preparedness Kit

  Having a plan for an emergency and creating a preparedness kit that’s tailored to your needs could be the key to your family’s safety if disaster strikes. Read
• 

  Homeowners Insurance: Time for an Annual Check-Up

  An annual check-up on your homeowners insurance can result in a healthier policy and a healthier pocketbook. Read
• 

  Your CLUE Insurance Report Matters

  Your homeowners claims don’t disappear after your insurer cuts a check because CLUE reports keep them alive for seven years—and that could cost you. Read

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