My wife and I have been passively looking to buy a home in our area of the Crystal Coast for about six months now. We're in no hurry, trying to find a really good value in just the right spot. Naturally, we'd love to stay in Emerald Isle, but as you might guess, home prices here in this beautiful location are at a premium, even in this poor sellers market.

The land here is the key often times, as you are paying for the shifting sand that supports your structure. Take this home for example:

Almost $300,000 for a very run down mobile home. This lot is on the West end of town, down Coast Guard Rd.

For stick-built houses, you're going to pay even more.

$460,000 for a moderate-sized 1400 square foot house is pretty normal in this area for homes with little or (usually) no water view.

Of course, if money is no object, there are always the luxury palaces available to buy in the $2 million to $5 million range, like this one coming in at $3.5 million:

Visit Bluewater GMAC to search real estate listings for Emerald Isle and the surrounding areas.

You don't have to go to the Bogue Inlet Pier to have a good day of fishing in Emerald Isle, you can try your hand at fishing from one of the public docks available. Our friend Ginger caught a 7 pound Hatteras Blue from the dock in the Emerald Woods town park on the west end of town. Note that you will need to purchase a fishing license (about $15) even if you are a local resident. Also, the Emerald Woods Park will be closed for a couple of weeks starting this week (May) for renovations.

One of the cool things to do while you vacation in Emerald Isle and the Crystal Coast area is take a short jaunt down the island to Fort Macon, which is on the East end of Bogue Banks, east of Atlantic Beach at the very end of the island. The Fort overlooks both the Bogue Sound and Atlantic Ocean, and sits next to one of the widest beaches in the area. The Civil War era fort is maintained in near-authentic condition, and offers a few spoken histories integrated into the displays. Check out the beautiful views and enjoy a bit of history if you want to do something cool while vacationing in Emerald Isle.




View Larger Map