If you have not heard about it already, Congress has recently expanded homebuyer tax credits.  But time is running out!   To qualify, buyers must be in a written binding contract by April 30th of this year and close on the property no later than July 1st.  Coupled with low mortgage rates and many government insured loan programs (like FHA, VA and USDA) that drastically reduce or eliminate the requirement for funds at closing, the timing could not be better to purchase.   And, it is still a buyer’s market here in Moore County with plenty of great homes, condos and townhomes listed for sale.  So, if you are thinking about buying a home in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines area or anywhere in Moore County, contact me today so I can help you evaluate your options.

Woodlake CC is a gated golf and lake community located in Vass, NC.  Vass is in eastern Moore County, very close to Fort Bragg and a reasonable drive to Pope AFB.  Woodlake offers residents (through membership) the opportunity to enjoy two 18-hole courses on site (Palmer and Maples courses) and its sister course (The Carolina) located in nearby Whispering Pines.  Member residents also enjoy lake activities including boating, fishing and water skiing.  The current transfer fee (fee paid by buyers on properties that have a Woodlake active membership) is $6,720; thereafter members can choose the monthly dues program that works best for them.   They have many monthly membership options, reasonably priced.

You will always find a healthy supply of single family homes in Woodlake, with prices as low as the mid 100′s to about 800 thousand for luxury waterfront homes.  There are also some 2 bedroom condos in the community usually available for the low 100′s.

See All Woodlake CC Listings

Aberdeen, NC is located in the southern part of Moore County, NC.  It has a small town feel and a lot to offer residents.  Many military buyers PCS ing to the are search for homes in Aberdeen because of the reasonable commute times to Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall. 

The downtown Aberdeen area is located right near the intersection of Highway’s 1 and 5. Aberdeen, originally called Blue’s Crossing is very much a historic town; its original residents, the Scottish Highlanders-among the first settlers in all of Moore County-settled the area around 1850. In later years it became well known as a railroad town and for its industry and manufacturing. Today, in addition to homes located in and around the original downtown area, newer homes and townhomes are sprouting up in subdivisions throughout the town. Aberdeen measures a little over 9 square miles and has a population of almost 5,000.

There are several condo/townhome options in Aberdeen including Cedar Brook, Fairway Cove, Finley Pines, Legacy Lakes, Lighthorse Trace, Longwood, Robins Walk, The Pines and The Villas at The Pit.

Current Condo/Townhome Listings in Aberdeen Area 

Approximately 6 miles west of Pinehurst, about mid-way between the village of Pinehurst and Seven Lakes, you will find the rural village of Foxfire.  If you are looking for a private country setting area to live in, and are fine being about 15 minutes away from any shopping options (at least for now), then Foxfire Village may be right for you. 

Residents in Foxfire can join the Foxfire Golf Club, giving them access to 36-holes of golf, East and West, as well as a new clubhouse.  Foxfire membership is very reasonable when compared to Pinehurst CC and many other semi-private club membership options in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines area.  The course’s have had many improvements of late and get rave reviews from local residents. 

Development in Foxfire has been occuring steadily over the last 10 years, and continues in traditional subdivisions that flank the Foxfire courses.  A couple new subdivisions in the area are Grande Pines and Reynwood.  They are equestrian communities that have just begun to develop.  Very large lots, many currently listed for sale.  Once our housing market rebounds, development should pick up in these gated Foxfire communities. 

And plans are underway for a new luxury golf resort community, Stonehill Pines, that will be partially located in the Village of Foxfire.  When completed it will feature two Jack Nicklaus Club courses (north and south), about 1,000 single family homes, villas, shops and a  5-star luxury hotel.  Given the current economic times and the amount of time to get all necessary planning and approvals for this scale of a community, it will likely take quite a few years (10-15) before its four phases are completed.

Though the majority of residences are single family homes, you will find villas and condos on the market.

Foxfire NC Home Listings

Lot and Land Listings in Foxfire

Pine Grove Village is a very attractive single family home community located in Southern Pines, situated between Pinehurst and Whispering Pines off Airport Road.  

Though it is not a “gated” or “golf” community, homeowners dues (under $500 yr. for single family & around $110 per month for the condos) cover use of a clubhouse, pool and tennis courts.  Lot sizes are a little larger and more private than you will find in other local neighborhoods.  It’s also a fairly small community. 

Single family home listings are usually in the high 200′s to mid 500′s.  The 2 and 3 bedroom condos (garden villas) are very reasonably priced, from under $100k to about $130k. 

See All Pine Grove Villa Listings 

If you are a homebuyer seeking a new development or neighborhood to move to in Moore County, I’ve written a separate blog to help you identify options.  It includes general information on the following subdivisions:  Arboretum, Foxcroft, Laurel Commons, Luke’s Landing, Princess Gate, Sandy Springs, Sinclair and Savannah Gardens.  You will also find quick links to current listings in each neighborhood.  Click Here to check it out.

If you have ever had the chance to visit Downtown Southern Pines, you know firsthand why  many home buyers in our area often search listings within walking distance of the many shoppes and restaurants located on both sides of Broad Street.  You also are within a short walk to parks, banks, the post office and many city facilities.  Though there are some newer homes, the majority older and historic homes and many have had partial or total renovations.  There are also several condo/townhome communities within a short walk to Broad Street such as Broad Street Trails, Elk Ridge and Magnolia Courtyards.  

Currently there are 6 active single family listings in the Downtown Southern Pines area, with asking prices ranging from $140k to $510.    Click Here to check out current Downtown Southern Pines listings.

Whispering Pines, a growing town just north or Southern Pines and northeast of Pinehurst, offers home searchers many moderately priced new and resale home options.  The town has an ideal location.   The area has a somewhat rural feel to it, but it is very close to the main shopping areas of Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen.   Harris Teeter, Food Lion and other strip mall stores will be locating in the area very soon off Highway 22, making shopping for the essentials even more convenient.  Many military families gravitate to Whispering Pines because of the relatively short commute to the Fayetteville-Fort Bragg area.    You will find a healthy inventory of resale homes and a growing number of newer and “under construction” homes.  Below are some convenient links (with short profiles) that will show you all the current listings within  some more popular neighborhoods to explore when searching for homes in Whispering Pines.

Arrowstone  -  2007 and newer homes, located just NE of Airport off Hardee.  Mid 200′s to low 400′s 

Princess Gate  -  mid 1990′s to current, located off Airport Rd. E of the Airport.  Mid 200′s to low 400′s. Shorter commute to Fort Bragg.

Queens Cove  -  1999 to current, located just east of Princess Gate on Airport Rd.   High 100′s to high 200′s.  Shorter commute to Fort Bragg.

Royal Woods  -  1999 to 2007, located just north of Princess Gate (same entrance). Mid 200′s to mid 300′s.   Shorter commute to Fort Bragg. 

Whispering Winds  -   late 1990′s to current, located just E of the Airport.  Low 200′s to high 300′s.

Whispering Woods  -  mid 1970′s to current, located just across form Whispering Winds off Airport Rd.  Low 200′s to low 400′s. 

Outside specific subdivisions there are many other homes to choose from, both inside city limits and out of city limits.    These homes were built as early as about 1960 and continue to be built today, but not at the same pace as the above subdivions.     Prices generally range from the mid 100′s to the high 200′s. 

Search all other Whispering Pines Area Listings

By just about anyone’s account, 2009 has been a challenging year for our local real estate market.   Prices have dipped a bit in our Moore County market, and many sellers (particularly w/ homes listed above $250,000) are a bit frustrated about the length of time their homes have been listed.   Many have reduced their list price to spur activity. 

The good news is that year to date sales volume for single family homes is about the same as it was last year; 908 units through 11/09 compared to 905 units through 11/08.   Interestingly, the count for the month of November is quite a bit higher vs. November of ’08; 75 versus 50.   Hopefully we will see this trend continue in the coming months!  

Of course, average sold prices show a decline of about 7% in the last year.  Also worth noting is the increasing list price to sales price gap, from about 4% YTD through November ’08 to about 4.7% YTD in ’09.  So we may see average sales prices decline a bit more before beginning to rise again.   But these recent monthly trends are a good sign for the Moore County real estate market.   For now, it’s a buyers market.  With mortgage rates still at low levels, tax credits available to many purchasers, now is a great time to buy!

Data Source:  Pinehurst-Southern Pines MLS as of 11/30/09

Below you will find some sales statistics for Moore County NC with breakdowns for single family homes and condos, as well as period comparisons for the month of June and YTD for 2007 and 2008.  Yes, YTD sales volume is certainly down: about 32% YTD for single family units and 15% YTD for condos.  Average sold prices remain strong in both categories.  

                                                June ‘08          June ’07             YTD ’08         Same ‘07

 Moore County Single Family

# Units Sold                                 92                   144                     444                  650

Average Price                          $264,452        $266,255            $275,262         $271,922

Avg. Days on Market                133                  123                     141                  137

Moore County Condos

# Units Sold                                19                    28                       106                125            

Average Price                       $227,678          $167,271            $205,035        $170,216

Avg. Days on Market               183                  122                       169                135

Source: Pinehurst-Southern Pines MLS as of 6/30/08; data includes all properties listed in Pinehurst-Southern Pines MLS including some located outside of Moore County.