StarNews Report: More People Choosing Wilmington Over Florida

Host: Okay so, Buddy, I gotta ask you about this StarNews article that's been going around, about people choosing Wilmington over Florida. Did you see that?

Buddy Blake: Oh yeah, it's been floating around a lot. And honestly, I've been selling real estate here since nineteen ninety-eight, and I still get a little charge outta seeing our town written up like that. It's a good reminder of why so many people end up calling this place home.

Host: Right, it's kind of a nice ego boost for the whole town, huh? So what do you make of it? Like, why do you think a story like that even gets written in the first place?

Buddy Blake: Well, newspapers don't run stories like that for no reason. When a local paper notices people picking Wilmington over another state, it usually means something's shifting. Maybe it's word of mouth, maybe it's people who visited once and just couldn't stop thinking about the place. Whatever it is, when outside interest in a market grows, it's worth paying attention to if you own a home here.

Host: Now, I imagine you don't know every number or every reason behind that article, right? Like you didn't write it.

Buddy Blake: No, I didn't, and I'm not gonna pretend I know every detail or guess at stuff I can't confirm. What I can tell you is what I see on the ground every week, working with sellers across Wilmington and the surrounding area.

Host: Okay so let's get into that. If more people are looking this direction, what does that actually mean for somebody who's thinking about selling their house here?

Buddy Blake: So when more people are looking this direction, that's demand. And demand is one half of the equation that determines what your home is worth. The other half is how well your home is presented, priced, and marketed. I've watched plenty of sellers assume that because people want to move here, their house is just gonna sell itself. It doesn't work that way. A home still has to show well, price right for its condition, and reach the right buyers.

Host: That's such an important distinction. Because I feel like a lot of people would read a headline like that and think, oh, my house is basically gonna sell itself now.

Buddy Blake: That's exactly the trap I don't want folks falling into. Interest in a market and a home actually selling are two different things. Homes still expire, or get canceled without selling, every year in this area, even in a market people are excited about.

Host: Wait, really? Even with all this buzz about people moving here?

Buddy Blake: Yep. A good story about Wilmington is great for the town. It's just not a substitute for pricing your home correctly and presenting it well. If you want to see what's really happening with listings right now, not just headlines, we've got a Wilmington market insights page linked in the show notes that shows the real picture of how listed homes are performing.

Host: That's a good gut check. So, real quick, this is also why you focus just on sellers now, right? Not buyers?

Buddy Blake: Right, my team handles buyers, and I focus every bit of my attention on getting a seller's home ready, priced correctly, and marketed the right way from day one. That's kind of become my whole thing at this point.

Host: I love that focus. Now, you mentioned people aren't just looking at Wilmington, they're comparing it to towns around here too. What's that look like?

Buddy Blake: Yeah, if folks are choosing Wilmington over other states, they're also looking hard at the towns around us. I get calls all the time from people comparing Wilmington to Leland, so I actually put together a guide on Leland versus Wilmington that lays out what you get for your money in each spot, and that's linked in the show notes too.

Host: Oh that's helpful, because I bet people don't even realize how different those two can feel.

Buddy Blake: They really are different, and our area covers a lot of ground beyond that. If you're weighing where your next chapter might be, we've got a communities page that covers every neighborhood we track, and you can browse homes across New Hanover County and the wider region too.

Host: So for you, personally, how do you keep from just reacting to one article and getting swept up in the hype?

Buddy Blake: I like to check our monthly market reports to see how things are trending month over month, not just react to one article. A single piece in the paper tells you something is happening. The market report tells you how it's actually playing out in pricing, inventory, and pace.

Host: That makes so much sense. So what's your bottom line for somebody reading this stuff and thinking, hmm, maybe it's time to sell?

Buddy Blake: Stories like this StarNews piece are good for our town's confidence, and I think that's a fine thing. But if you're getting ready to sell, my advice stays the same as it's always been. Get the home ready, price it honestly, and let the marketing do its job. That's what actually moves a house, article or no article.

Host: I really like that, it's simple but it's true. Alright Buddy, if somebody saw that story too and it's got them thinking, what should they do?

Buddy Blake: Give me a call or text at nine one zero, three nine five, one thousand. I'm happy to walk through what it might mean for your specific home. And hey, the full article's linked in the show notes if you wanna read it yourself.

Host: Perfect. Buddy, thanks so much for breaking this down, this was great.

Buddy Blake: Thanks for having me, always fun talking Wilmington real estate.