SumnerBaird SeaGlass Properties

05/30/2026

Great place to stay in Ocracoke, in the heart of the Village!

05/28/2026

Please join us welcoming Ashley James to SumnerBaird | Sea Glass.

Ashley brings an incredible blend of energy, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and relationship driven service to our growing coastal real estate platform.

Originally from Texas and a graduate of East Carolina University with a degree in Business Marketing, Ashley quickly built a name for herself in the Charleston market through hustle, authenticity, and a genuine ability to connect with people. In her first full year in real estate, she surpassed $6 million in sales and was recognized by Charleston Real Producers as a “Realtor to Watch” in 2022.

Building a life and business in Washington without knowing anyone would be daunting to most people. Ashley, however, thrives in new environments. Her rapid success in one of the Southeast’s most competitive real estate markets speaks to her work ethic, outgoing personality, entrepreneurial mindset, and relentless drive to succeed.

“I genuinely love what I do,” Ashley says. “Helping someone with one of the biggest investments of their life is incredibly rewarding. When I get to call a buyer and tell them they got the house, it never gets old.”

Having moved more than 20 times throughout her life, Ashley understands firsthand both the excitement and challenges that come with buying or selling a home. That perspective continues to shape the way she serves clients today with empathy, strategy, and a highly personalized approach.

Ashley specializes in first time buyers, dream homes, custom homes, and investment properties. Beyond traditional brokerage, she has also built a reputation as a real estate entrepreneur through her work in luxury staging, redevelopment, and residential investment projects.

Through James & Co. Staging, Ashley brings a strong eye for presentation and design, helping properties stand out in today’s competitive marketplace. She has also developed a passion for identifying opportunity and transforming homes through thoughtful, high-end redevelopment.

Ashley shared that joining SumnerBaird | Sea Glass felt like a natural fit because of the firm’s collaborative culture, entrepreneurial mindset, and deep commitment to community.
“Washington is such a special place right now,” Ashley said. “More and more young people are recognizing it as a place where they can grow their families while also building businesses and pursuing their entrepreneurial spirit. That energy really drew me here.”

Ashley’s fiancé, local entrepreneur John Whitley, has also been part of the couple’s growing connection to the Washington community and its expanding business landscape. John is a partner in SeaRock alongside Patrick Mayo and William Tate, further deepening the couple’s passion for entrepreneurship, redevelopment, and the continued growth of the greater Washington region and Eastern North Carolina lifestyle markets.

While joining the Washington office of SumnerBaird | Sea Glass, Ashley will continue maintaining her South Carolina license.
At SumnerBaird | Sea Glass, we believe real estate is ultimately about people, relationships, community, and helping clients build the life they truly want to live, and Ashley embodies that philosophy perfectly.

As the Sea Glass network continues expanding across some of the country’s most desirable coastal and lifestyle driven markets from the rocky shores of Maine to the Carolinas, Florida, and beyond, we’re actively connecting with agents who value independence, professionalism, collaboration, and authentic community.

Why Sea Glass?
• A boutique brand with a growing national presence in luxury and lifestyle real estate
• A powerful affiliate network rooted in local expertise and connected through shared vision, resources, and relationships
• Access to Sea Glass Connect powered by Sea Glass BoldTrail, including CRM, automation, marketing tools, and agent websites
• A culture centered around integrity, entrepreneurship, thoughtful growth, and doing real estate differently

At Sea Glass, we believe the future of real estate belongs to locally rooted professionals working collaboratively to serve the communities they genuinely love.

For clients, that means having an advocate who truly cares.

For agents, it means being part of a collaborative environment built around authenticity, entrepreneurship, and meaningful long-term growth.

Outside of real estate, Ashley enjoys spending time with her fiancé John and their dogs, King and Kobe, while embracing the coastal lifestyle and the growing sense of creativity, opportunity, and community shaping the greater Washington region and Eastern North Carolina lifestyle markets.

We’re excited about what’s ahead and proud to have Ashley as part of the team.

Rooted Locally. Powered by Sea Glass.

Glass Glass

05/28/2026

Just Sold in Moss Landing Harbor Homes ✨
315 E. Water Street is officially sold.

Excited for my sellers as they begin a new chapter at St. James and equally excited for the buyers making the move from New York to waterfront life here in Washington.

Grateful to buyer’s representative Evie Wicker for helping bring it all together. Partnership and professionalism always matter.

The demand for lifestyle-driven waterfront communities like Moss Landing continues to show.

If we can help you make a move whether buying, selling, or investing along the coast give SumnerBaird | SeaGlass a call.

John R Jesso
Stephanie S. Hickey
Ashley James
252.833.0684

05/25/2026

On this Memorial Day, we pause beneath the flags, the quiet skies, and the freedom so many gave everything to protect.

Today is not simply the start of summer. It is a moment of remembrance for the sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, friends, and neighbors who answered the call of service and never returned home.

Their sacrifice lives on in the communities we cherish, the families we hold close, and the everyday freedoms too often taken for granted.

From Eastern North Carolina and along the coast we’re proud to call home, we honor their memory with gratitude and respect. 🇺🇸

Wishing you and your families a peaceful Memorial Day!

In observance of Memorial Day, our office will be closed Monday and will reopen Tuesday.

05/24/2026

There’s something special about places connected to the water.

Maybe that’s why communities like Martha’s Vineyard and Little Washington tend to leave such a lasting impression on people. Different in scale and pace perhaps but similar in the way they value lifestyle, walkability, boating culture, local businesses, and authentic community connection.

It’s the kind of charm you simply can’t replicate.

Proud to see our friends Portfolio Properties | SeaGlass continuing to represent the island with the kind of professionalism, authenticity, and local knowledge that truly matters in lifestyle-driven markets like the Vineyard.

From Martha’s Vineyard to Little Washington’s waterfront, these are the kinds of places people don’t just visit…
they return to.

And sometimes, they decide to stay.

05/22/2026

Positioned almost halfway between Marthas Vineyard and Miami, Moss Landing Marina places boaters in the heart of one of the East Coast’s most connected waterfront corridors.

We’re grateful for the trust and confidence the Smithwick family has placed in our team. For years, the Smithwick name has represented quality, integrity, and a long-term vision for Washington’s waterfront, and we’re proud SumnerBaird | SeaGlass has been retained as the exclusive firm representing the new slips at Moss Landing Marina.

As a firm specializing in luxury waterfront and lifestyle real estate, this opportunity aligns perfectly with the coastal communities and boating lifestyle we’re passionate about serving.

Whether you’re securing your first slip, upgrading your current boating setup, or looking for a strategic East Coast home port, Moss Landing Marina offers more than dock space it offers protected harbor access, a connected boating community, and direct access to the Pamlico River, the ICW, and open water beyond. From weekend sunset cruises to long-range coastal adventures, this is boating the way it was meant to be experienced.

With slips ranging from 25’ to 60’, now is an excellent time to explore availability in one of Eastern North Carolina’s premier waterfront settings.

Rooted Locally. Powered by SeaGlass.

Portfolio Properties
MidcoastHome by SeaGlass Properties
Sea Glass North Carolina
Sea Glass South Carolina
Sea Glass Gulf Realty
Sea Glass Florida Properties

05/21/2026

Just Sold in Moss Landing 🏡✨

301 Moss Way is officially closed.

Congratulations to my seller on a successful sale, and congratulations to the buyer on coming home to one of Washington’s most unique waterfront communities.

From harbor views and downtown walkability to the lifestyle that makes Pamlico living so special, Moss Landing continues to be one of the most compelling addresses on the Inner Banks.

Big thank you to Denise Hare for helping bring everything together and keeping the process smooth from start to finish.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling along the Washington waterfront or anywhere across the Inner Banks, let’s connect.

Rooted Locally. Powered by SeaGlass.

05/21/2026

05/19/2026

Lifestyle driven markets don’t always move according to headlines.

Interest rates are only one part of the equation. Smart buyers are also looking at walkability, waterfront access, community, quality of life, and the long-term value of owning in places people genuinely want to be.

That’s what continues to make coastal and waterfront communities from Washington to Beaufort and throughout the Inner Banks so compelling.

At SumnerBaird | SeaGlass, we help clients look beyond the noise and focus on the bigger picture lifestyle, opportunity, and lasting value.

If you’ve been thinking about making a move, investing in the coast, or simply exploring what the Pamlico lifestyle could look like for you, give us a call. We’d love to help you navigate it well.

Rooted Locally. Powered by SeaGlass.