PedalerPaddler

Hi all,
I am doing some research for an early summer family reunion in 2008 and very much interested in a beach front house, rather than condos. I assume a beach house would have a homey feeling for all family members. At the minimum, we need a beach/ocean front house that can sleep 8-12 people. Cleaniness is also important. We are open on rental cost. Do you have suggestions of any specific houses that you have good experiences with ? I looked at some websites but don't feel comfortable about the true information about the place (ex: ocean front vs ocean views etc..)

SAnParis

The Outer banks have a number of houses that would fit the bill. Personally, I am partial to the Brunswick Islands between Wilmington & Myrtle Beach. I have posted on here a bunch of times about these islands, just do a search. Check out www.visitnc.com, www.vrbo.com & www.ncbrunswick.com. I have rented from Brunswickland, Alan Holden, Coastal & Oak Island Acc. When you settle on an island, I may be able to suggest a particular cottage as well.

GeorgeW

For Topsail Island, NC, Century 21, Ward's and Bryson and Associates have very nice web sites to view.

Brian_in_Charlotte

Any reputable broker will be very clear about whether a property is ocean front or not.

nohomers

Renting a beach house makes for a great family vacation. There are thousands of homes for rent in the Outer Banks. A beach front home that sleeps up to 12 can cost as much as $10,000 for a week. The same house one lot back can be half the amount. The rental agencies I have dealt with over past decade have all been honest about the location and will tell you distance from the beach if not ocean front. If you rent from an agency the house will be professonally cleaned before you arrive.

cfrieday

We have just rented a Ocean view (150 yards away from beach in Kills Devil Hills. I always use VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner) for my rental needs and have never been unsatisfied. We have rented house in both N. & S Carolina, Fl, Ha, & Paris. Most of places are listed by the owner, however some do use rental agencies. Great site
Good luck

A_Traveller

If you are interested in South Carolina you'll find lots of highend beachfront rental properties at Wild Dunes (north of Charlestown), Kiawah Island, Fripp Island or Hilton Head Island.

glasscrazy

I don't know where in the Outer Banks you are headed but I can recommend Twitty & Co. in the Corolla/Duck area. We rent a house called the "Beach House" which is ocean front with a dune deck and walkway to the beach. It also has a heated pool and hot tub. There are four master bed rooms with King beds, one with twin beds and then two rooms joined by a short hall way with a bath room between (bath room accessible only from the hallway) One room has twin beds and the other has two sets of bunk beds. All the rooms have ceiling fans except for the bunk room. All linens are provided as well as towels, beds are made except for the top bunks. Nice location close to shopping and restaurants. website is www.twiddy.com

FlyingMaltese

As someone who frequently goes to the Outer Banks, I can second Twiddy. Good places to stay are Corolla, Whalehead Club and Duck. Those areas are close enough to restaurants and shops yet have beautiful beach houses.

It sounds like you would be unhappy with ocean view only. Choose a ocean front or semi-ocean front for good water views. I include semi-ocean front because with the ever rising sand dunes in some locations, the semi-ocean front has the same water views as the ocean front at a better price.

Previous posters mentioned Topsail Beach and Brunswick Beach. They are technically not the Outer Banks. They are much further south near Wilmington, N.C.

Carolina Designs is another realtor in the Outer Banks. They seem to have higher end homes.

Other reputable realtors are Stan White and Nags Head Realty.

What I would do is call the individual realty companies. They are most familiar with their inventory and would be able to match a home to your desires. The goal for many companies is to have repeat rentals, so they will be honest in pairing you with a house. Also, take the list of houses they mention, and pour over the pictures and videos of the house available on the realtor's website. If you are worried about water views, the pictures will show what kind of water views the house has.

The place we stay at in the Outer Banks is called Summertime, and is listed as #193 with Nags Head Realty. We like it.

SAnParis

I'm not sure the OP indicated OBX, anywhere ? Also, there is no "Brunswick Beach" to my knowledge, it is the Brunswick Islands. The OP has also not been back...