What Can You Buy for $200,000? Part 3: Wilmington South

Echo Farms Golf Course Community

The Southern Suburbs

     Part three in my series on what you can buy for $200,000 focuses on the south side of Wilmington.  Here you will find several lovely golf course communities (of course! this is North Carolina, after all); views of the Intracoastal Waterway from homes both grand and humble; some middle as well as high income neighborhoods; a generous sprinkling of manufactured homes; and pockets of new home construction. There's even an airplane community, with homes built around a small airstrip.  (Sorry, you might find a lot here for under $200k, but not a home.)  You'll also find some of Wilmington's best restaurants, tucked away surprisingly in small retail centers -- Cape Fear Seafood Company, Fish Bites, Pine Valley Market, and Niche Kitchen and Bar -- to name a few of my favorites.

"Well-located for a fast getaway to a beach, a short drive to the downtown Historic District or a quick round of golf. "

       For the purposes of this article, I've defined this area as roughly a triangle, with downtown Wilmington at the top left corner, Wrightsville Beach in the top right, and the southern point of the triangle ending just before Carolina Beach.  As you can see on the map below, this is a peninsula created by the Cape Fear River on the west, and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway on the east.  Anywhere in this triangle, you are well-located for a fast getaway to a beach, a short drive to the downtown Historic District or a quick round of golf.  It's popular with homeowners who like a more suburban experience, larger yards, less traffic and who want to avoid the often frustrating experience of crossing Cape Fear River bridges from Brunswick County into Wilmington during rush hour.

A Little History (...because I just can't resist)

     One of the major landmarks on this side of town is an expanding retail/commercial area at the intersection of  S. College Road and Carolina Beach Road.  Known to locals as "Monkey Junction," non-natives more often refer to it as Myrtle Grove after a nearby residential area.  There are some odd stories that have evolved about how it got its name, but here's the real scoop for you newbies to the area. The intersection has been known as "Monkey Junction" since the 1930's thanks to owners of a gas station located there who kept live monkeys to attract and entertain customers from the buses that ran to and from Carolina Beach. The bus driver who stopped at the intersection would announce "Monkey Junction!"  Dina and Jack Spindle's gas station was at Monkey Junction until the mid-1970's. 

What can you get for $200,000?    

So, let me show you a sampling of what you can find south of Wilmington for about $200,000:


     6616 Lipscomb

Just a short distance from River Road Park, where you can launch your canoe or kayak into the Cape Fear River, paddle out to Shark Tooth Island and hunt for -- did you guess it? -- fossilized shark teeth!  This 3bed/2bath home is located in Tidalholms Village.









                                                                         214 Nantucket - Masonboro Golf Course 

In the Cape at Masonboro -- a beautiful and challenging public golf course.  This 3bed/2bath home is also just a five minute drive to Carolina Beach.











       215 Patalanda

With a $200,000 budget, how close can you get to the water?  Pretty darn close, sometimes! This 4bed/2bath home with a screened in porch and separate, spacious deck boasts partial water views of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.








                                                                                                            310 Pettigrew

In centrally located Pine Valley Estates, near Halyburton Park and Pine Valley Country Club (and the delish Pine Valley Market Deli!)  This pretty 3bed/2bath brick has an amazing yard with mature landscaping.








      111 Disney Drive

In one of the most sought after school districts --and in the sweet spot equal distance from Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Downtown.  This 5 bedroom ranch home is on a generously sized lot.








                                                                                                         4630 Whiteweld

Conveniently located near Monkey Junction shops and restaurants, in The Arbors at Johnson Farms subdivision.  This 3bed/2.5bath colonial style home has a finished room over the garage (FROG).






Written by Mary Lynn Blake, Realtor, Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Wilmington and Carolina Beach, North Carolina