2014 US OPEN RENTAL PROGRAM in PINEHURST NORTH CAROLINA

The U.S. Men’s and Women’s Opens will be held in Pinehurst in 2014. This event will provide an exciting, money-making opportunity for qualifying, local homeowners. Read further for all the details.

June 2014 will be an exciting time in Pinehurst…and it’s only two years away. It all starts with the Men’s U.S. Open Championship, June 9 through June 15, 2014. Following immediately after the men’s event, the Women’s U.S. Open will run from June 16 to June 22, 2014. During the Championships, Moore County will welcome well over 25,000 visitors per day, including a multitude of spectators, the players, their caddies, the event’s corporate sponsors, lots of sports retailers and, of course, the national and international press core and TV crews.

All these folks will need somewhere to stay! Our local hotels, which have more than adequate resources for Pinehurst’s normal, golf-mecca needs, will not have the rooms required to accommodate all the people attending these special events. Therefore, alternative accommodations will be sorely wanted in the Pinehurst area. This need creates opportunity for you, Pinehurst’s local homeowners. You can rent out your home during the men’s Open, the women’s Open or both. Here’s how…


Prudential Gouger O’Neal & Saunders Real Estate is committed to helping you through this unique rental process. Our dedicated website for this event is: http://www.usopenrentalproperties.com/

The following is a brief outline of Prudential’s services:


Prudential will offer you a limited service rental program and a full service program.

• Limited Service
• Full Service
• Renting FAQ’s

Before you decide to rent, Prudential will:

• Review your home
o Discuss the physical home requirements
o Your possible investment to meet rental standards
o Determine your home’s rental price
• Review the rental contract

After you have made your decision to engage our services -

• Market your home to corporate clients and sponsors, national/international press, golf fans, etc.
• Take necessary pictures for the Internet marketing of your home
• Advise you when preparing your home for rental
• Collect all monies, including rental and security deposits
• Be here all week to keep watch on your home.

Important information: IRS facts about renting your home. From Publication 527 -

"Property rented less than 15 days. If a property is rented less than 15 days, it's primary function is not considered to be rental and it should not be reported on Schedule E (Form 1040). You are not required to report the rental income and rental expenses from this activity ." That is, if you use the property as your primary home and you rent it less than 15 days during the year, that time is not treated as rental activity and you do not include any of the rent as income for the year and you cannot deduct any of the rental expenses. Not a bad perk!

Internal Revenue Service Fact: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc415.html


Though there are many months before the event, plans are already being made by the USGA concerning everything from transportation, road closings, tents, and many other areas. A very high percentage of needed sponsorship for the event has already been purchased by major corporate sponsors and many of them will be looking for places to stay. Now is the time to begin marketing your home for rent.

Let us do the work for you.

CONTACT US by e mail or Call us at 910-692-2635.

Southern Pines/Hollywood Connection

by John Condit

Like all of us who grew up watching old movies—and I mean the really old ones, we probably got our notion of the perfect little town from our memories of those films. For some, it might have been Andy Hardy’s Carvel. For others, it was George Bailey’s Bedford Falls, so memorable in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” No matter which town, from which movie, we all created an idea of the town where we’d like to live…if we could. Southern Pines, North Carolina is the kind of place that evokes those movie memories.

Like in the movies, Southern Pines has a broad avenue--in fact, Broad Street--with a tree-covered green running down the center and where you park diagonally, so no one has to trouble with parallel parking. On Broad Street, it’s great to stroll past the old theater, which actually still operates as a theater…marquee and all. Most of the buildings are a hundred years old and built of brick and charm. Behind the vintage storefronts, the shops and cafes have friendly people, just the right stuff to buy and certainly great things to eat and smell. Yes, Southern Pines could easily remind you of Carvel or Bedford Falls--only it’s real.

A couple I met recently told me a story that proves my point. They were traveling by rail, passing through Southern Pines in the middle of the night. When the train stopped in town, they woke up and peered out. Looking to them just like the “town” set of an old movie, they first saw our time-capsule depot and the Sunset Theater. What they saw from their train window that night hooked them. When they got home, they jumped in their RV and immediately made the trip back to North Carolina. Within a week of their return, they bought a house here…and that was two years ago. And all because Southern Pines reminded them of an old movie, they now live in their movie town.

Southern Pines certainly has unique appeal…unique enough to touch you like Hollywood once did.

Lake Pinehurst

Lake Pinehurst
Though located only a mile and a half from the Village, Lake Pinehurst is almost hidden away, like some big Pinehurst secret…a really big secret. With a surface area of over two hundred acres, Lake Pinehurst is concealed down some of the Sandhills most circuitous lanes. In fact, aside from immediate residents, locals often have a difficult time finding it. And only the occasional Pinehurst Resort visitor will accidentally discover it. Consequently, lake residents benefit from a kind of chance seclusion.

Besides being secluded, Lake Pinehurst residents enjoy the pleasure of living on the shores of a beautiful recreational resource. First dammed in 1972, few realize the Army Corp of Engineers created the lake at the request of the Pinehurst Resort primarily as a reservoir for golf course irrigation. Today the lake still irrigates the courses, but also offers many forms of aquatic recreation. Whether sail, pontoon, kayak or canoe, most lake-front residents own a boat…and keep it tied to their own docks. Adding to lake activities, the Pinehurst Resort operates a beach club and marina where its members and resort guests can enjoy all forms of water diversions. But key to the lake’s general serenity is a lake covenant(?); only electric motors are permitted as boating power. It really makes a big difference.

The Lake Pinehurst Homeowners Association was created in 1982, chartered to protect the interests of its property-owner membership. It voices consensus opinions on projects and challenges affecting property value, recreation and the wildlife of Lake Pinehurst. The success of their efforts is obvious. Owners frequently spot heron resting on their docks, coots diving for their dinners and mallards parading with their chicks. And in the lake, many varieties of fish can be seen swimming and lots of turtles abobbing. Enjoy the view with a glass of wine…sublime.

Like the curative powers described in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, the secret of Lake Pinehurst is the revitalizing lifestyle it offers its residents and the special asset it is to the community. Living here is unique among Pinehurst’s many great neighborhoods.

This Month at www.PrudentialPinehurst.com

The Boomers are Coming!


What are they looking for in their Pinehurst home?


Reports from the National Association of Realtors indicate that approximately 18.2 million Boomer-Age individuals will be looking to relocate in the near future. These folks are looking for a different life-style than their parents. Activity is the key. An active, purposeful life is the goal. Read more.


Making a Decision to Move?

If you can't decide - take our quick quiz:

You may be faced with a job relocation or just looking to change your surroundings. Whatever the case, your decision should be made after careful study of your personal needs and desires.

Read our 10 point list of reasons to move to help you make this decision. Your reason could be as “moving” as a job transfer or as minor as the desire for a different paint color in the living room. Don’t let impulse drive you out of your home if it isn’t necessary but do understand the important factors to consider to make the right choice.

These questions will help you decide whether you’re ready for a home that’s larger or in a more desirable location. If you answer yes to most of the questions, it’s a sign that you may be ready to move.

1. Have you built substantial equity in your current home? Look at your annual mortgage statement or call your lender to find out. Usually, you don’t build up much equity in the first few years of your mortgage, as monthly payments are mostly interest; but if you’ve owned your home for five or more years, you may have significant, unrealized gains.

2. Has your income or financial situation improved? If you’re making more money, you may be able to afford higher mortgage payments and cover the costs of moving.

3. Have you outgrown your neighborhood? The neighborhood you pick for your first home might not be the same neighborhood you want to settle down in for good. For example, you may have realized that you’d like to be closer to your job or live in a better school district.

4. Are there reasons why you can’t remodel or add on? Sometimes you can create a bigger home by adding a new room or building up. But if your property isn’t large enough, your municipality doesn’t allow it, or you’re simply not interested in remodeling, then moving to a bigger home may be your best option.

5. Are you comfortable moving in the current housing market? If your market is hot, your home may sell quickly and for top dollar, but the home you buy also will be more expensive. If your market is slow, finding a buyer may take longer, but you’ll have more selection and better pricing as you seek your new home.

6. Are interest rates attractive? A low rate not only helps you buy a larger home, but also makes it easier to find a buyer.

7. HAS THE SIZE OF YOUR FAMILY CHANGED RECENTLY? Have your children moved back home or have your parents moved in – either or both? You may need to adjust the size and floorplan to accommodate your “permanent guests”, and that may not be practical.

8. ARE YOU ABLE TO CARE FOR THE PROPERTY – INSIDE AND OUT? Perhaps some health issues have made it difficult for you to do your outside maintenance. A townhome may be the right solution for you to enjoy the home without the worry about the landscaping.


9. HAS YOUR EMPLOYER MADE YOU AN OFFER YOU CAN’T REFUSE? You may feel that a job opportunity is more important that staying in your neighborhood.

10. HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR DREAM HOME AND IS IT AVAILABLE? We all have a place we call perfect – either the home or the location. If this home becomes available – you can make your move.


How to Increase your Home Value with Improvements.

What works in a challenging market?

Upgrades to your home may make all the difference in how you live in the house or how quickly you sell your house. Read more.

The Pinehurst Real Estate Journal is a review of the latest real estate information in the Moore County area with special emphasis on residential properties in Pinehurst, Southern Pines, and the surrounding communities.

At Prudential Gouger O'Neal & Saunders we strive to present our local community to a global market. This resource will be up to date and driven by the latest market information and offerings.

Join us here for the breaking news in our industry with the newest listings, local real estate trends and valuable market information.

Area Information

Quality of life

Moore County is an area that is synonymous with the phrase "quality of life." Our beach-like, sandy soil and gentle rolling hills are why we're called the Sandhills.

We are blessed with long-leaf pines which tower majestically over 45 golf courses of championship quality. Pinehurst, "The Golf Capital of the World," and our championship golf courses are not our only claim to fame.

Local horse country offers the pleasures of horseback riding, polo matches and harness racing. Families visit and move here from all over the world. They come for all the right reasons...location, economy, events, climate, amenities, conveniences and natural beauty.

Fabulous Places to Dine in Pinehurst

The Magnolia Inn, in the heart of the Village of Pinehurst, is under new management! Dan and Jackie Berry are the new owners and are putting a shine to the "old dear". The Magnolia Inn is a turn of the century inn with accommodations for overnight guests with 11 suites and dining for over 80 on the premises. The new chefs are from Kingsmill on the James, Virginia, and have recently patio dining their their offerings. You can also enjoy porch dining, private dining and the main dining room - all beautifully renovated by the Berrys. Lovely to look at and the food is divine.

The Ironwood Cafe is another dining establishment under new management! The Continenza family brings many years of successful restaurant experience to our area, from Michigan, and it shows. September 18th was the grand opening of this establishment under the management of Vince Continenza with culinary skills by son, Nathan. The food was superb and a record turnout toasted to their success. This restaurant is open for evening meals and has both a bar menu and fine dining. Delicious!

Both of these properties and owners were represented by Prudential Gouger O'Neal & Saunders.

Try both of these restaurants soon!