Born and raised in coastal New Jersey, always living just minutes from the beach. While visiting his brother, Colin, who had already made Wilmington his home Will knew immediately that this was the perfect spot for him. Having fallen in love with the greater Wilmington area, Will planted deep roots in North Carolina’s port city and surrounding beaches.  It soon became even more perfect when he met an amazing woman. Natalie and Will were married under Carolina blue skies and blasting sunshine on March 18, 2022. Adding to their joy was the arrival of their son, Travis.

As a new homeowner, he is excited about his next chapter in Wilmington and ready to help you start your own.

With a nod to the Rolling Stones’ famous lyrics, St James’ home buyers CAN get what they want. Today there are 56 single family homes for sale. With the highest inventory we have seen in quite a while, we are comfortable in offering you an excellent selection of homes in St James Plantation in coastal North Carolina.

Natives of North Carolina frequently say, “If you don’t like the weather, wait.” When we first moved here in 2003, I didn’t understand what that meant but it didn’t take long for me to get it.

Today was a perfect example…
As always, I started my morning walking with my dog, Lucy. It was a bundle-up kind of day with a brisk temperature registering 36 degrees. Our afternoon walk was a pleasant, sunny 55 degrees; requiring just a sweater.

Last week, Lucy and I took a nice long walk on the nearby Oak Island beach. Here we were in the middle of February seeing so many folks enjoying the sun, sand and living their spectacular good life.

All of my children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews all live 600 miles from St James, North Carolina in Monmouth County, NJ. The location of St James on the southernmost coast of North Carolina is easily accessible by car or plane. Here is some expert advice that will help you whether you are going to or from St James Plantation.

Air Travel

With two area airports within easy reach, visiting family is both affordable and stress free. Wilmington International Airport https://flyilm.com/ and Myrtle Beach International Airport https://www.flymyrtlebeach.com/. Both airports offer many airlines and multiple travel destinations.

Car Travel

The best day to travel is on a Wednesday, the exception is the day before Thanksgiving which has the reputation for being the busiest day all year to drive.

The target time to be on the road is between 4-6 in the morning.

Happy Holidays and Safe Travels!

The month of October seems to be everyone’s favorite in St James. The weather is perfectly delightful with blasting sunshine and Carolina blue skies. Temperatures range from 52-72 just about every day.

The gorgeous weather benefits everyone, especially golfers, pickleball and tennis players, cyclists, walkers. The outdoor dining and tiki bar in St James, overlooking the marina, is a top choice for visitors, and residents year-round. Here’s a little secret…October when coats are a distant memory… and we are outside enjoying life…we know we are living our best life.

Restaurants, and fresh fish markets abound to the delight of residents and visitors in St James, Southport and Oak Island, North Carolina. Look for the symbol of the locally sourced seafood, Brunswick Catch created by local commercial fishermen + restaurant owners.

Don’t be surprised that the shrimp, blue crabs, grouper, flounder, oysters, or clams on your plate were in our waters just a few hours ago.

There are many excellent restaurants in our area, go to the Brunswick Catch website for more information. If you wish to buy and cook the freshest seafood: Haag + Sons or Clem’s Seafood on Oak Island or Potter’s Seafood in Southport.

St James Plantation fronts on the tidal Intracoastal Waterway. What you may not know is that underneath the crystal clear, coastline waters there is a highly effective environmental project happening. All Day. Every Day. The St James Conservancy is 120 members strong. It is responsible for placing hundreds of bags of Eastern Oysters along our shoreline. Here’s why …..

The Eastern Oyster sucks in the ICW water, filters out the plankton and detritus. Then the hard-working oysters spit the water back out thus cleaning the surrounding water. One oyster can filter up to 48 gallons of water over 24 hours.

Let’s address the frequent misunderstanding that we live in Southport, North Carolina?

Mystery Solved! There are four towns in coastal North Carolina that have a “Southport mailing address” and share the same zip code 28461. In addition to the town of Southport, the town of Bald Head Island, the town of St James, and the town of Boiling Spring Lakes are all officially known by the US Postal Service as “Southport”. Not sure why the following towns don’t have their own zip code because here are the facts.

Bald Head Island is a true island, accessible only by ferry or private boat. No cars are permitted on the island. The only transportation options here are either golf carts or bikes. The year-round population is reported to be 269 residents, however, in the summer that number swells to an anticipated 10,000. Bald Head Island is the hallmark for serene living, sandy beaches, palm-filled forests and gorgeous homes to buy or rent.

Boiling Spring Lakes has a population of an estimated 5,943 residents. It is the largest of the neighboring towns measuring 23.3 miles. There is a large amount of vacant land remaining, however, most of the single-family homes are built to take advantage of one of the 50 lakes [there is one spring]. Strong, friendly community with a small commercial district. The plan to convert septic systems to sewer has begun.

Southport has been recognized as one of the best seaside towns in the USA by Coastal Living magazine.  This picturesque town has been selected as the setting for many popular films and television shows [Crimes of the Heart, Safe Haven, The Dome and many more]. This quaint town is home to less than 4,000 people but it has an impressive amount of churches [17]. Southport’s shopping district [on Howe and Moore Streets] is a delightful treasure-trove of specialty shops. The many restaurants on the Cape Fear River offer great food and spectacular views.

St James is a planned development and a municipality with a town hall and elected governing body, volunteer fire department, community center and one of the lowest tax rates in North Carolina. According to the last census, this growing town has a population of 6,199 with new home construction and a strong re-sale housing market contribute to this dynamic community.

On Oak Island, NC there is a large group of volunteers that are dedicated to monitoring and protecting the sea turtle population on the island’s beach strand. There are currently 190+ volunteers of all ages from St James, Oak Island, Southport including many summer visitors. The volunteers are responsible for the current total of 114 nests. Volunteers are welcome.

To learn more, visit the below website or call 910-945-8888.

Visit https://okiseaturtle.org to learn more about Sea Turtles on Oak Island.

Moving to St James, Southport or Oak Island, North Carolina will find you in the middle of a thriving art community. There are large groups of artists working in every possible medium, embracing long-time artists to beginners.

Artists or art students will find classes, shops and galleries that will be the perfect opportunity to network with other artists. You will discover original works to buy or to sell your own work.

This July, delighting visitors and residents, local artists’ works have been
transformed into colorful banners, decorating the streets in Southport’s
downtown.

Visit the St James’ Artisans Gallery on Howe Street in Southport. You can enjoy and potentially purchase original items created by very talented artists from St James. Learn more…https://www.stjamesartisans.com/

Franklin Square Gallery, also in downtown Southport, displays outstanding paintings, sculpture, and prints. See something that you love? You probably can buy it! Learn more…. https://www.franklinsquaregallery.com/

Ricky Evans Gallery is found on 211 Howe Street in downtown Southport. The owner, Ricky Evans, is also a well-known, gifted artist. You will be able to view and purchase his works and that of many other local artists. Learn more…https://rickyevansgallery.com/