THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 12, 1996 TAG: 9605090179
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 29 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Real Estate
SOURCE: Chris Kidder
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
Cyberspace correspondents have been keeping my in-basket full since we added an e-mail address to my column. Most of the questions can be easily answered on-line but here, for those of you who prefer to get your information the old-fashioned way, is a sampling of what inquiring cyberminds have been sending over the phone lines.
From a Norfolk reader: ``Sitting here this A.M. reading the first two paragraphs of your (April 13) column made me want to jump in the car and head down. May do that this afternoon just to watch the sunset!''
The message went on to say, ``I hope you will write some columns about the advantages and disadvantages of living on the Outer Banks after retirement. I am particularly interested in the medical, cultural, volunteer and part-time employment aspects.''
A good place to start looking for this kind of information is in the ``Outer Banks Relocation & Investors Guide,'' published early each year by the chamber of commerce. You can get a copy by writing the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1757, Kill Devil Hills, N.C. 27948, or calling 919-441-8144.
The 1996 guide doesn't include a section on volunteer opportunities but the Dare Voluntary Action Center serves as a clearinghouse for volunteers of all descriptions.
Dare County has made services and programs for its senior citizens a priority. The Thomas A. Baum Center in Kill Devil Hills and the new Fessenden Center on Hatteras Island both offer an assortment of classes, activity and recreation groups and arts programs for seniors.
The biggest drawback to retiring on the Outer Banks may be medical care. The Outer Banks Medical Center is open 24 hours a day, but the closest hospital is an hour or more away. Doctors covering a variety of medical specialties come to the Outer Banks but only on rotating schedules; some come as infrequently as once a month.
Dare County does provide residents with excellent air and ground ambulance service. Although there have been discussions about charging more for these emergency services, at the present time they are very affordable.
Another reader wrote: ``Do you have any information regarding purchasing land north of Corolla? Is it true that two lots must be bought for drainage fields? Are there minimum specifications for the houses built there?''
Land north of Corolla is land in limbo. No one knows what will happen up there. While it appears the state and county will not increase services or improve road access to the north anytime in the near future, the growing number of full- and part-time residents and renters, along with a hefty increase in day-trip traffic, may force changes that few really want.
The off-road communities are akin to the Western frontier. They appeal to owners and vacationers who don't want or need the county sheriff cruising the streets or a grocery store at the corner or HBO on their television sets.
A paved road - or any type of road improvements or restricted access - would probably increase property values. A road would bring additional county services which, in turn, would boost values even higher. Some buyers have made their purchases based on hopes that this will happen.
I don't know of any real estate agent who endorses an off-road investment based on potential appreciation. The sales pitch is ``buy off the paved road only if you like the unregulated lifestyle and the undeveloped beauty of the beach.''
Currituck County has no rule that says you must buy two lots for a septic drain field. The county does require that you have enough land to accommodate adequate drainage for your home's maximum potential waste water production. And your septic system must meet minimum setbacks from property lines.
Many of the subdivisions north of Corolla were platted in the 1960s, before the county began serious land use planning. Many of the lots, adequate for the average two-or three-bedroom, one-bath beach box of the day, are small. Depending on the size of your lot and the size of the house you want to build, you may need an additional lot to meet county health requirements for your septic system.
As to minimum building specifications, all houses must meet or exceed the construction standards of the North Carolina Uniform Residential Building Code. Houses built along the coast must also meet additional standards for wind resistance.
Any other building requirements are set out in the restrictive covenants of a subdivision. Typically, covenants north of Corolla are among the least restrictive on the Outer Banks. Your real estate agent should be able to provide copies of covenants for any property in which you are interested.
If you're not dealing with an agent, you can look up recorded covenants in the county clerk's office. MEMO: Chris Kidder covers Outer Banks real estate for The Carolina Coast. Send
comments and questions to her at P.O. Box 10, Nags Head, N.C. 27959 or
e-mail to realkidd(AT)aol.com
by CNB