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If privacy and island living is what you are seeking, then Bald Head Island is right for you. As the southernmost island in North Carolinas cape islands, Bald Head Island is a 12,000 acre private island community accessible only by 20 minute ferry ride from Southport, North Carolina.

Luxury homes and villas line the cart paths that wind throughout the islands salt marshes and protected land. With the exception of a few emergency response vehicles, there are no cars on the island. Residents travel via electric golf carts and bicycles.

Graced by 14 miles of white sandy beaches, a championship 18-hole golf course, 2 club houses, state of the art fitness center, tennis courts, swimming pools, a full-service marina, an immense network of walking and cycling paths winding through the island, and a array of stores and restaurants.

The Bald Head Island 18-hole championship golf course is intermingled through a series of marshes, dunes, and maritime forests. Created by designer George Cobb, much of the terrain was left just as it was found.

Active adults will enjoy the clubs four soft-surface tennis courts, fitness center, mens and womens locker rooms, and resort swimming pool. The Shoals Club also has a swimming complex with a lap pool and children’s pool.

The Bald Head Island marina provides boaters with access to the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. The ten acre harbor is equipped with boat slips varying in size from 30 to 100 feet.

If you love food, you can enjoy the casual and formal dining or shop at the islands grocery store for all your supplies you’ll need on your stay.

Bald Head Island has it’s own fire and police department. All the firefighters are certified paramedics, and the fire department has a basic medical treatment room in the case of medical need. If an emergency arises, transportation is available to one of the nearby hospitals on the mainland.

Custom residential homes, villas, and townhouses, and ready to build lots are available for sale through the private real estate agency located on the island. For those looking to build their dream home, a featured builder program offers portfolio homes and custom designs to choose from. Fractional ownership is also available through the a selection of two-story cottages and an affordable co-ownership program, with prices ranging from about $150,000 and up.

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Due to the current economic climate, in recent months, the UK housing market has been in dramatic decline. A staggering 16.6% decline has been seen, to date with a total of 1.3% of that amassed during January 2009.

There are many articles online which give you an idea about the future of the UKs economy. It seems unlikely that any improvement will be seen for some time to come, if anything the condition of the housing market looks set to decline further still.

In fact, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in the UK are predicting that in 2009 we will see a further 10% decrease in the number of homes being sold. They are currently reporting that less than one home is being sold each week, which is the worst condition the housing market has faced in the last 30 years.

Although house prices will begin to rise again in the year 2011 a further 10% decrease is expected this year, therefore people will have to recognize that the price of their house is currently much less than it was not so many years ago.

Although the market is in this weakened state, there are many people who are still willing to buy. For those who are looking to invest in property this may be the ideal time to do so. With house prices still falling and so many people being faced with homes being repossessed, deals are certainly available.

Due to the current economic climate, house repossession is presently at an all time high. People are struggling to meet their repayments and finding themselves in very difficult situations. It has been predicted that a further 34,000 homes will be repossessed, within the UK, this year.

So what are the main reasons why we have seen such a big decrease in the value of properties in the current UK property market?

(1) Mortgage companies are lending less and less, so people are finding it very difficult to find a mortgage.

(2) In order to obtain a mortgage, finance companies require the buyer to provide a much larger deposit. So for first time buyers, being able to get a mortgage to buy their first home has virtually become impossible.

(3) Many people expect house prices to fall further making them hold off buying now.

(4) Although cuts in the banks base rates have helped to reduce how much peoples mortgages cost, this wont actually help to stop the prices of houses falling further. Even with these cuts, the average cost of a mortgage has not altered that much because 2 or 3 years ago people were remortgaging due to great deals being offered. What many of us do not realise is that over time the banks have been increasing their profit margins.

These are challenging times not just for property buyers, but also for builders and estate agents. A lot of these jobs are going because of the down fall, making the UK economy even worse.

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