Just for Fun

Guest Guide: We Keep It Simple at the Crystal Coast

August 5, 2025 by Lisa Jeffries Nobling

If you’ve caught VRBO’s hilarious TV spot featuring legendary college football coach Nick Saban, you know exactly the kind of vacation rental vibe we don’t want for our guests.

In the ad, Saban is the ultimate stickler for house rules, blowing a whistle and barking out penalties for everything from early check-ins to kids’ play… and, just about anything that isn’t in the playbook. While it makes for great comedy, it’s definitely not the kind of energy you’ll find at our Crystal Coast vacation rentals.

At Invest in Her Real Estate, our philosophy is simple:

Host guests like guests, not players on the sideline
Offer clean, comfortable spaces for your getaways
Keep our “rules” short and sweet: no smoking, and please respect our homes

That’s it. No scavenger hunts for Wi-Fi passwords, no 42-step checkout instructions, and no laminated signs in every room telling you what not to do.

Vacations should feel like a break from the daily grind—not a test of your ability to follow a playbook. So when you book a stay at one of our coastal NC getaways in Morehead City or Atlantic Beach, know that you can settle in, relax, and enjoy coastal life without the coach’s whistle in your ear.

Want to see the ad that inspired this post? Watch the VRBO spot here.

And if you’re ready for a house-rule-light getaway, explore our Crystal Coast vacation rentals.

Explore Our Portfolio of Vacation Rentals

Why I’m Finally Making Time for Beaufort’s Old Homes & Gardens Tour This Year

June 18, 2025 by Lisa Jeffries Nobling

Every summer, I tell myself this is the year I’ll finally make it to Beaufort’s Old Homes & Gardens Tour—and every summer, something gets in the way. But not this year.

The 64th annual Historic Beaufort Old Homes & Gardens Tour is happening June 27–28, 2025, and I’m putting it on my calendar, front and center. Hosted by the Beaufort Historic Site, this beloved event offers a rare chance to step inside some of the town’s most charming and storied homes—and I can’t wait to finally experience it firsthand.

✨ What’s so special about it?

For starters, this is the only time of year when the public can tour Beaufort’s private historic homes. This year’s tour features:

12 private homes full of character and history
Seven beautiful gardens in full summer bloom
Six historic sites and churches with stories all their own

🏴‍☠️ A must-see highlight? The Hammock House, rumored to have once housed the infamous pirate Blackbeard himself. Whether the folklore is fact or fiction, I’m here for it.

🎶 Adding to the fun are local attractions like a narrated bus tour of Beaufort’s historic district, live music, an antique car show, Sunday brunch, and the charming walkability of the waterfront downtown, and you’ve got the perfect weekend itinerary.

Tour hours are 10 a.m.4 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, and it’s completely self-guided, so you can move at your own pace. Tickets are just $35 and can be purchased at www.beauforthistoricsite.org, by calling 252-728-5225, or by stopping by the Welcome Center at 130 Turner Street.

If you’ve ever dreamed of stepping into the pages of Coastal Living—or just want to take in some architectural eye candy while soaking up small-town charm—this is your moment.

Maybe I’ll see you there?

Waterview-ish: Why the Fine Print (and the Right REALTOR®) Matter

May 29, 2025 by Lisa Jeffries Nobling

Have you ever seen a listing described as “ocean view” but found out it was really “ocean view adjacent“? You’re not alone—Farmers Insurance captured the absurdity of it perfectly in its hilarious commercial, poking fun at real estate lingo. Watch it here for a good laugh.

But here’s the thing: these kinds of half-truths aren’t always funny—especially when you’re the one making a major financial decision.

I was reminded of this last summer while showing a home in beautiful Morehead City. The listing had been marketed for quite some time as offering a “waterview.” And originally, it did! But in the time since it hit the market, an adjacent property owner had built a tall, two-story home that completely blocked the view. The problem? The listing agent never updated the marketing, not even the rider on the for-sale sign.

Details matter.

Whether you’re buying or selling, you deserve a real estate professional who doesn’t just copy and paste but actually keeps tabs on changes, confirms marketing claims, and gives you the full, up-to-date picture so you can make informed choices.

The moral of the story?
✅ Verify everything.
✅ Work with someone who pays attention.
✅ Don’t settle for adjacent if what you really want is an unobstructed view.

When you work with Invest in Her Real Estate, you get professionals who know the market, ask the right questions, and double-check the details—so you can buy and sell with confidence (and not get caught off guard by a surprise wall where the view used to be).

Let’s find your actual dream view—no disclaimers needed.

Let’s Talk: 919-229-9725