The Crystal Coast Blog

Do You Think the TBJ Reads the Crystal Coast Blog?

If you’re like me, I like to read my area’s local Biz Journal. In fact, even in this day and age of RSS feeds, Google Reader and news aggregators, yes I still read the paper. Archaic isn’t it. Because I have a subscription to the TBJ, I receive their daily email updates on “breaking news stories.” Well I received an email today from TBJ and it included a story entitled “Study: Few execs leave the office behind while on vacation“. Wouldn’t you know I had to go leave a comment and gloat a bit. You see, I wrote (dare I say scooped!) a post on a similar topic entitled  “Wireless Web the Most Requested Amenity for Hotel Guest“. Me thinks the writers of the TBJ are reading my Crystal Coast Blog!

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Lately I have been thinking about the direction of topics and information provided in this blog. One key element I teach every blogger is you must know who your audience is and then provide “high-value” content to your audience in your blog. That way, loyal readers will return time and again to read your fresh content.

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How a Blogger Will Benefit You in Your Next Emerald Isle Home Sell or Purchase

The purpose of this post is to convey the many ways an Emerald Isle real estate agent will benefit  you. Yes – believe it or not, an Emerald Isle real estate agent that regularly writes on a blog offers Crystal Coast home sellers and buyers so many benefits. So now that I have you wondering how a real estate blogger is going to help you Mr. or Ms. Emerald Isle home buyers or seller, consider this; real estate professionals who blog tend to be:

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Use the Power of the Internet and Save!

Who in their right mind would simply jump in their car and ride around neighborhoods looking at houses for sale on the Crystal Coast? I’m of the opinion plenty of folks are doing this and you have to ask yourself why? With the price of a gallon of gas on the rise, it just makes good sense to use the power of the web to search for homes for sale on the Crystal Coast before you hit the road. This post will help provide numerous easy steps to help you narrow your Emerald Isle property search plus help you save $$ by eliminating wasted gas and time driving around Emerald Isle looking at listings that will never meet your home buying needs.

Strategies to Use Before You Get Behind the Wheel

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So we are walking toward one of our favorite casual restaurants in Emerald Isle this past Saturday morning on our way for some breakfast, when we see a printed copy of our Crystal Coast Blog!

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Crowds Flock to Emerald Isle to Celebrate Our Nation’s Birthday

In spite of $4 a gallon gas, large crowds gathered at the Crystal Coast town of Emerald Isle. The beaches were jammed, the DQ was filled with those seeking to satisfy their sweet tooth (hats off to Glenn’s team!) and the restaurants had long lines with equally long wait times (Jordan’s Seafood was awesome Saturday night-we did takeout!). Everyone (locals and vacationers) seem to accept the long lines and enjoy this 4th of July holiday.

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One of the simple pleasures my wife and I enjoy when traveling from our vacation diggs to a local Crystal Coast restaurant or maybe a round of putt-putt is reading the names of the many beach cottages along the way. Crystal Coast property owners are so creative with their names of their cottages.

What Inspired Your Cottage Name?

Many beach cottage names are obviously nautically inspired while others are connected to a favorite college or pro sports team. Some property names elude to a favorite past time or maybe evoke a sense of a person’s character (or lack there of). Some are based on the surname of the owners while others are inspired by a breath-taking scene of natural beauty. Here on the Southern Outer Banks, you might find a cottage named after a whimsical place and time. Whatever you call your property, we are looking for your favorite Crystal Coast beach cottage name and digital photo of the sign/property.

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But What About Vacation Rentals?

According to a recent survey conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), hotel guest believe a wireless Internet connection is the most important technology amenity when selecting a hotel. Here is a quick breakdown of leading technology amenities hotel guest rank for importance:

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Because I’m always curious and eager to learn how home buyers use the web when searching for homes for sale in Emerald Isle (or anywhere else for that matter), I came up with a laundry list of questions to ask you. Here are a few of my burning questions for Crystal Coast home buyers who depend on the Internet to search for homes and fact find for area information:

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The other day I actually received a “Google Alert” that a Crystal Coast real estate agent had posted information about the Crystal Coast real estate market on a website. Ironically, this same agent emailed me that day to say he had stumbled upon this site and wanted to discuss how he could have his information added to the Crystal Coast Blog. Read the rest of this entry