The NC Outer Banks real estate market has developed into a targeted niche market for some, and a trap for others. Foreclosures and short sales have become the meal of choice for many Outer Banks realty investors looking to snag a good deal in a down market. Whether it’s an Outer Banks beach house or an Outer Banks condo, there are always multiple other properties of equal or better value to make offers on (that are not foreclosures or short sales).

Consume how you may, but going into the game of finding a great real estate investment means going into it knowing as much as you can first. You will only find about 200 distressed properties on our MLS as of February 2010, yet the NC Outer Banks has roughly 3400 total active listings within its geographic territory. Distressed property on the Outer Banks realty market is a great place to start looking at real estate, but it only is around 7% of the total active listings. That other 93% of listings is what you need to consider too. Many Outer Banks oceanfront investors, who do not educate themselves fully on any real estate market, either make poor investment decisions, or they limit themselves to a pool of opportunities labeled as "distressed" property. When you discover that there are only one or two distressed properties in your specific area of interest, you gain little market knowledge from it.

Investigation of NC Outer Banks real estate can be a difficult task when you live several states over, or from around the world. That is part of the reason for polarized of consumer thinking nowadays. A quality contact in the Outer Banks realty marketplace can provide an investor with that "your there" connection of real estate not tangible long distance. You want to find a Realtor with a content rich website with research tools for the marketplace. This is THE place to start when looking for your Outer Banks beach house or Outer Banks condo. What you’ll get from an agent will most likely be reflected in the quality of website they have. An A+ agent will have an intimate understanding the marketplace and demonstrate years of dedication to the Outer Banks oceanfront real estate market. For most long distance investors, you want an agent tuned into the technological benefits they can provide to their consumers for making real estate transactions an easy and tangible thing to do long distance. I can assure that this type of NC Outer Banks agents are not everywhere. You will need to find them. Ask around, browse through the web (most are not ranked on the top pages; you’ll need to dig some). Taking the time to find the right person to work with is as important as finding the right property or getting the best loan.

That Outer Banks beach house or Outer Banks condo you wished you had years ago may be well within your reach today. Outer Banks realty saw its decline starting in 2006. What you can buy today when compared to 2005-2006, is substantially less. You should be on the stakeout if you were looking for the right time to buy an Outer Banks oceanfront property. Keep in mind that finding the right long distant agent will open up your opportunities to consider; especially if you have only considered looking at foreclosures, short sales, and other distressed Outer Banks oceanfront property.