Kure Beach NC Real Estate Includes New Waterfront Homes and Beachside Cottage Living

Carved along the southeastern North Carolina shore, Kure Beach, North Carolina is one of the true remaining beach communities. Adjacent beach communities of Wrightsville, Wilmington, and Carolina Beach, are better known than historically low-brow Kure, but times are changing.

Kure Beach Homes and Lifestyle

Drive south along Route 421 or Fort Fisher Avenue in Kure Beach and every other home you see is a new beachfront construction project. Two to three-story oceanfront homes are colorfully painted, many with wide decks, long boardwalks and numerous windows to catch ocean breezes, sunrise and sunset.

The center of Kure Beach has managed to retain its “old-world” beach ambience— laid-back in character with restaurants and bars and an unassuming string of small souvenir and convenience shops. The Pier remains one of the town’s focal points and right across the street, the Old Pier House restaurant dishes up some of the best seafood specials around for under $10.

Beachfront and New Construction in Kure Beach

In the last few years there has been vigorous interest in Kure Beach. Many experts suggest that factors such as skyrocketing gas prices along with a favorable housing market have combined to make it more fashionable to buy a second or vacation home on the beach. The obvious signs of new beachfront construction along the avenues serve as an accurate indication of the spreading wealth in this Cape Fear coastal region of North Carolina. In the past, Kure real estate was relatively modest, cottage-like, and often seasonal. Now large construction projects with homes priced in the millions and decorated with custom details and vivid colors are everywhere in stages of completion.

And why would one not want to live in Kure Beach? The still extant Bohemian allure is enough to entice those who can afford to live next door to it. Even with the towering designer homes, there are many modest cottages still for sale in Kure. While the location is increasingly expensive, the real estate is considerably more affordable than the upscale homes currently under construction. One can find home prices anywhere from the high $100,000s for a small cottage needing some serious TLC, to a few million dollars for a custom-built Kure beachfront home.