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Good evening!
I am trying to set up a trip to the Outer Banks (NC) and Im hoping some of you familiar with the area can make some suggestions. In order to better help me, Ill provide you with some basic information:
*My husband and I and our teacup poodle
*are looking to spend a quiet and relaxing March week
*in any facility (house, condo, etc) with
*hot tub
*fireplace
*attractive décor
*views (and sounds?) of the ocean waves
*for under $1,000 (our meager budget-we are students).
Im interested in walking along the beaches, soaking in the hot tub, hanging out by the fireplace, and star gazing…while walking along the beaches and soaking in the hot tub. All with a glass of wine of course. My husband is interested in laying around all week 
To stay within my budget, I tried to stick with “vacation rentals by owner” websites in an effort to avoid the middleman and the middleman’s fees, however, many times these vacation homes were handled by realtors anyhow. For example, I actually found a great house in Carova but those additional realtor fees pushed me over our budget. (I had found this particular home through www.cyberrentals.com)
I have found many houses that seem perfect except that they are not “oceanfront.” A lot of our time will be spent inside the house so I kind of thought it would be nice to look out and see the ocean. According to one of the realty websites, there are Oceanfront, Oceanside, Semi-Oceanfront, Between the Roads, and Soundfront accommodations (the website, http://www.joelambjr.com/locations.htm, successfully explains the difference between these). Im asking myself: How likely is it that Ill be able to see the ocean from a property other than “Oceanfront?”
Its looking like in order to stay within my budget somethings got to give: I either choose an Oceanfront home with great views and no amenities (fireplace, hot tub, etc) or a non-Oceanfront home with great amenities and no (or little) view. Has anyone had to make this choice?
If I choose the latter (amenities, no ocean view), I was considering Pelicans Rest on Cedar Island. It looks great and the people seem really cool. Has anyone stayed here?
One more tiny thing: Regardless of where I stay, are the Outer Banks beaches such that I can walk along them any time of day or night?
Thank you for tolerating this lengthy post and thank you in advance for any input you are able to provide!
Sincerely,
Carrie in PA
Finding The Perfect Place In The Outer Banks (NC)
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Ocean view can mean a finger's width of ocean .5 mile from your home. And yes, NICE lodging with Ocean front is going to cost you a pretty penny. You'd need a 4wd car for Carova, too. I would expect semi-ocean front would mean second or third tier from the beach.
My experience with walking the beach was that it is safe. OBX is a family oriented place, at least up near Duck and Corolla. The sidewalks are rolled in by dark. The beaches were great. Bring a kite, or purchase one there.
Be specific when you talk to the rental agent. Most listings will tell you exactly how far from the beach you are. We stayed in a lovely house with hot tub and pool, that was a ten minute walk from the beach.
Also, be aware that your beach access may not be just over the hill. The beach itself is public, access to it is regulated to specific areas.
It's a lovely place. Enjoy.
Hi Carrie:
We have been going to the Outer Banks for many years, mainly in off-season because, we too, are on a limited budget. Have you tried Cape Escape Realty? As far as I know, they are the ONLY realty company on the island that does not charge extra for pets. They usually require a $100 refundable pet fee. Their rentals are reasonably priced and I know they have a few oceanfront properties that should fit your budget. We have never had a problem walking on any of the beaches at night. Trust me, you will never want to leave...Good luck!
You might want to try soundfront on Hatteras Island. The island is very thin making it easy access to ocean, but great sunset views. We have stayed in March with our dog at very resonable rates even through realters. You might want to try sun realty and surforsound - both of these have reasonable rentals on Hatteras.
My husband and I have a 2 bedroom oceanfront condo in Avon that is available for rent through Hatteras Realty, but the condo association has prohibited pets from the property. You may want to give Hatteras Realty (1-800-428-8372) a call to see if they know of other condos that allow them. Rates vary based on time of year, but ours is far less than $1000 in the off season so others probably are as well.
I'm not sure I agree that not dealing with realty agencies is a way of saving money by "cutting out the middlemen" but you'll get the best selection by going to www.hatterasvacations.com (Colony Realty) or www.sunrealtync.com or www.outerbeaches.com to name just a few.
I can't be much help, but your question takes me back to 1947 when there were no roads, no electricity (other than that generated on site), and no telephone other than the Coast Guard line. I was stationed at Little Kinnakeet, just north of Avon (where I had my hair cut in a pig sty)...wonder if there is anything left of it.
Ah, those were the days....
Bob Gardner
I live near the OBX and it is a wonderful place to spend a lazy week in March. I would suggest looking for a place in Duck, Corolla or Southern Shores. A previous poster warned that you will most definitely need 4X4 transporation to stay in Carova. I've done it and I had to drive through water to get there. It was private but very beautiful. If you decide to go further south - you can easily add 2+ hours to your drive time. I personally love Hatteras Village and agree that staying on the sound affords you the sunset views that are so dramatic. If you're up for it, take the ferry across to Ocracoke Island. There aren't any oceanfront homes there, just some small hotels/motels/B&Bs in the village, but it is so quaint - very much worth the time. Most of the activity on the OBX is in Nags Head/Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills - more of a concentration of good restaurants and predictable shopping. Manteo is an interesting little sidetrip - a nice art gallery is there and some quaint restaurants that may or may not be open this time of year. Get a map of the Outer Banks before you start talking to a property manager so that you can judge where the houses are - there are little villages between Nags Head and Hatteras that offer various rentals - some nice oceanfront homes are along the way: Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Waves, and Rodanthe. The beaches are wonderful - will you have four wheel drive? You can drive on the beach at Oregon Inlet - it is south of Nags Head. You can also drive on the beach on Ocracoke Island. Sometimes you may be the only person out there and it feels like a totally different world. Beware of the soft sand though!
Our favorite subdivision, Sanderling, seems to be mostly listed by Elan Realty now. We like being in the Duck area, but you will probably find that out of your budget.
A few of the houses take dogs, but not many. Resortquest.com has a lot of houses too. Your requirement for both oceanfront (I wouldn't go any other way) and pets will make it harder and more expensive. You will have to look at all the realtors to find something.
There are not as many houses down there on VRBO as some other places. (And very few oceanfront.) Maybe that's because there are so many management firms there.
Weather can be iffy in March. So plan accordingly. You can walk the beach REALLY far.
Pay the extra money for oceanfront.
How about Semi oceanfront?
Stayed in Duck at Tuckahoe, semi oceanfront - through www.southernshores.com. we were 150 feet from the ocean, and in low season the house with hot tub was 800. I suggest duck/corolla for private beaches. It's really magical. we were there in october, ALL ALONE. best vacation ever!
Several years ago we rented house #047 listed by Joe Lamb Realty. It's located oceanfront in Kitty Hawk. I'm not sure about pets and a hot tub, but the location is fantastic with ocean sounds and views. The house was small but well kept and updated.
Good luck with your search.
Tuckahoe is a nice little subdivision, and semi-oceanfront (or oceanside) there is more oceanfront than most.
Look at this house. It's in a good area nad has everything you want, and the off season price is great! I hope this link works.
http://tinyurl.com/ouedf
That house looks good. I would also recommend the site www.twiddy.com. Twiddy has a really large selection of homes in the northern area: Duck & Corolla. I would also consider soundfront; I really like it over there. If you stay soundfront somewhere north of Duck through Sanderling, you will also be relatively close to the ocean since the island is pretty narrow in that area.
Bobmrg: Have you seen the DVD "War Zone: WWII Off North Carolina's Outer Banks"? I bought that 2 DVD set at Bodie Lighthouse last summer and really enjoyed it. Wonder if you have seen it and what you thought. I see that it is also available on Amazon.com. The Midget family recollections and other first-hand historical accounts were fascinating to me. I hope you have preserved your memories somehow for people (like me) who are interested in Outer Banks history, the lighthouses, the Coast Guard, etc. It sounds like you might have a lot to share in that way. There are historical societies available in the Outer Banks that I am sure would welcome and would love to archive your memories and input.