I am planning a vacation Sept 2003.

Info: 4 adults, 2 kids under 3 and one dog.

What we are looking for is a house to rent right on the beach with heated pool, hot tub that allows pets. Since we have two young kids and will be driving from Maryland it looks like the cloest places to look at are Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Manteo. A half way decent resturant within a 30 minutes drive time. Maybe some kind of attractions but not necessary. Thanks so much for your help! MB

Back in the spring, just went through this process for next month. It'll be our first time to the Outer Banks.

Though it wasn't germane to our case, I understand that renters are given first choice (within about 30 days,) of renting a property for the same week next year. If accurate, this means it'd be October (for those renting this Sept.,) to be able to get a commitment.

One nice thing is that rental rates in that area start to drop significantly after mid-September. The oceanfront 3BR cottage we're renting for the 3rd week in Sept is half what it's renting for this month. I did notice that rates on the more deluxe properties (which is apparently what you're after,) do not drop as precipitously, but rather fall gently in the post-season period. And, of course, some owners have a problem with pets.

I found the one we'll be renting by going to google and searching with the appropriate terms. I found a list of real-estate agents in that area that specialize in that kind of property. Then I went to the individual web sites and searched through the listings.

Many of them do put out printed books of property listings. Ours did. But they don't come out until sometime in the spring, and by the time they hit a mailbox, the most desirable properties are always rented.

Also, be aware that you'll probably have to pay by check. It's generally half-down, and there will be add-ons. Travel insurance (my daughter insisted,) tax, security deposit, reservation fee. And then there's linens and stuff (which we haven't discussed yet.)

Good luck. Actually, with a little bit of effort, you shouldn't need much luck.

You can try Nags Head, Southern Shores and Duck (Duck will be more expensive)

Manteo does not have a beach, but it would make a nice daytrip, there is a history center and acquarium for those occasional rainy days.

You will no problem finding a restaurant in any of those areas.

September is getting popular, so start early looking for a house. Search the internet for Outer Banks rentals to find companies, many have online home searches.

Hi ... we decided just a week or two ago to head down to the Outer Banks at the end of September this year. There were still a lot of properties left, and we ended up with a very nice place, but if you're starting to look now you should have no problem at all (although the dog might be an issue with some owners). If you go to outerbanksexplorer.com, that lists all the property management companies with links. Most of the sites allow you to specify if you want oceanfront, when you want to come, if you want a hot tub, pool, pets allowed, etc., so that will help to narrow down your choices. I also found a place on 10K Rentals (I think the web site is 10Krentals.com which had, I think, 4 bedrooms, oceanfront, hot tub, pool and it was for rent by owner so you don't pay some of the extra fees that property management companies charge. There's a number of other sites that rent by owner too. If you'd like them, let me know.

You are going to have a difficult time finding a heated pool. They are really really expensive to build, maintain and run.

Try this link. It lists cottages for rent by owner and also links to rental agents.

http://www.obxrent.com/vacationer/search/index.cfm