A balance of suburban and country living right by a Marine Corps airfield
Cherry Branch has carved a verdant nook for itself on the banks of the Neuse River, its homes sitting on spacious lots surrounded by timbers and creeks, with the shopping and dining of Havelock just 10 miles to the southwest. “It’s kind of like being in the country, but at the same time, we’re close enough to town in case you need anything last minute,” says Shannon Brenneman, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage who has lived in Cherry Branch for 15 years. “We have lots of great amenities like two pools, tennis courts, pickleball courts, two playgrounds, a clubhouse and horse stables.” Residents also have easy access to the Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach Ferry, which runs across the Neuse River twice an hour. Cherry Branch’s proximity to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point is another huge draw for many buyers. “A lot of people, probably 75% or more, are military personnel or military families,” says Kyle Graham, a broker with Re/Max who has been selling homes in Craven County for 24 years.
Sizable lots near a river with a relatively low flood risk
Cherry Branch is entirely located within a proclamation area of Croatan National Forest, with the Neuse River forming the northern boundary of the neighborhood. Land here is still privately owned, but Congress has permission to buy it from willing sellers to add to the national forest. Most homes were built from the 1990s through the early 2000s, but there are some that were constructed from the 2020s on the east side of the community. Homes built during the turn of the century tend to follow Colonial Revival designs, whereas recent builds tend to be New Traditionals. Most houses sell between $275,000 and $350,000, with the median lot size falling above half an acre. Riverfront homes don’t enter the market often, but their prices typically range from $500,000 to $1 million. “There are no private docks, as the water’s not deep enough, but some people fish from their properties,” Brenneman says. Riverfront homes are for the most part at a low flood risk because of the elevated shoreline. However, homes by the neighborhood’s namesake creek are at a somewhat higher risk because of the area’s flatter terrain. “As long as I’ve been here, most of the neighborhood hasn’t been considered a flood zone,” Brenneman says. “We’ve gotten to the point where it was close – there was lots of water during Hurricane Florence – but we haven’t had flooding out here.” Cherry Branch has a CAP Index crime score of 1 out of 10, well below the national average of 4.
Havelock High offers a robust career and technical education program
Roger Bell New Tech Academy serves elementary school students, earning an overall C-plus from Niche with an A in diversity. Each student gets to use an iPad for classes. Kids can then move up to B-minus-rated Havelock Middle, but over the next two years, plans are underway to merge this school into the A-minus-rated Tucker Creek Middle, ranked by Niche as the best public middle school in Craven County. At B-plus-rated Havelock High, students can participate in a robust career and technical education program. Fields they can study include horticulture and woodworking, and they can participate in internships with local businesses.
Nearby Marine Corps airfield can get noisy
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, a Marine Corps airfield and a major employer, is about a 10-mile drive from most homes. However, prospective buyers should be aware that jet planes routinely fly in and out of the base. “We have a closure that people have to sign to show that they’re aware of the noise,” Graham says. “You don’t hear it every day, but it is an issue. We call it the Sound of Freedom.” U.S. Highway 70 is also about 10 miles away, heading 18 miles south to Morehead City and 18 miles north to New Bern and Coastal Carolina Regional Airport. To get across the Neuse River, commuters can take the Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach Ferry. The voyage lasts about 15 minutes and is free, leaving Cherry Branch every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Shopping and dining in Havelock
Many residents head into Havelock for shopping and dining, and U.S. Highway 70’s service roads are lined with local restaurants, fast food joints and stores of all sizes. Walmart Supercenter, Dollar Tree, Dollar General and other businesses keep locals stocked with everyday essentials. La Casa Del Patron, also known simply as Patron, serves up Tex-Mex favorites including chimichangas, tortas and sopes. The establishment also offers a reservable party room that can host up to 90 people. Other popular eateries include Musashi Japanese Steak, Big Apple Pizza Bistro and Good Vibez Coffee and Wine Café, known for their upbeat atmosphere, comedy shows and light lunch fare.
Neighborhood amenities for residents only, plus a national forest
Residents have access to private pools, playgrounds, racket courts and a small, rocky riverfront beach managed by the homeowners association. “People like to fish, swim, or hang out in the sand there,” Brenneman says. “We also have three equestrian trails and a stable, though the stable is often at capacity.” A bevy of marinas can be found across the Neuse River at Oriental, earning the town the moniker “the sailboat capital of North Carolina.” There’s also Bishop’s Marina just a few miles east of Cherry Branch, which offers 100 slips. Hiking trails and additional bridle paths can be found in Croatan Forest National Forest’s Pine Cliffs Recreation Area. Hunters with the proper licenses or permits can also hunt deer, bear and turkey on designated game lands, including the nearby Neusiok Trail. For golfing, residents can choose between the Sound of Freedom Golf Course near the Marine Corps airfield and Minnesott Golf & Country Club across the Neuse River. Both courses offer 18 holes of golf.
Homeowners association active in events planning
The Cherry Branch Homeowners Association typically organizes several events throughout the year. “We do movies in the pool during the summer and movies in the park in winter,” Brenneman says. “We do a Christmas parade with golf carts, ATVs and sometimes horses. We try to do as many neighborhood events as we can.” Nearby Havelock also holds a few festivities of their own, such as a fireworks show each Fourth of July, which also typically brings out food vendors and live entertainment.
