North Beach Sun Real Estate Holiday 2018

HOLIDAY 2018

REAL ESTATE FROM THE

The Stately

acorn manor

on roanoke island

DECORATING IN BLACK AND WHITE PAGE R14

DRAWING THE LINE WITH VIRGINIA PAGE R22

PERMIT NO. 15 MONROE, GA

@NORTHBEACHSUN

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PAID PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE

N E P • S E S S A L G N U S • S D R E N E P O E L T T O B • S E E B S HAINS • FRI S R E N E P O E L T T O B • S T N WBELLS • TE T A W • S R E V E I L E R S S E R T EPADS • S • S T E L E C A R B • S T H G I L H LES • FLAS E N O H P

• S P U C M U I D A T COOLERS • S A B E T O T

• S L E W O T • S N I SSORIES • P • S D R A Y N A L • S R E T S A O FLAGS • C H C Y E K • S T E N G A M • S N E LASSES • P E B W O C • S R E N E P O E L T BEES • BOT D A P E T O N • S R E N E P O E NTS • BOTTL E L T T O B R E T A W • S R E V E I RESS REL L O O C N A C • S T E L E C A R B HLIGHTS • • S E I R O S S E C C A E N O H P

UM CUPS • T S A O C • S G A L F • S G A B E T ELS • TO G A M • S N E P • S E S S A L G N U YOUR SOURCE FOR PROMOTIONAL ITEMS SARE ARDSON•WE N E P O E L T T O THE OUTER BANKS. WITH THOUSANDS OF OPTIONS B • S E E B S I R • F PRICES, YOU’RE SURE TO GET ATTENTION. SGREAT CHAINAND E N E P O E L T T O B • S T N E WBELLS • T A W • S R E V E I L E R S S E R T S • TEPADS S T E L E C A R B • S T H G I L H S A TLES • FL N O H P

• S P U C M U I D A T S • COOLERS B accessdesignandprint.com • 252.449.4444 • 115 W Meadowlark St, Kill Devil Hills

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

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REAL ESTATE • HOLIDAY 2018

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WELCOME HOME

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TOWN REPORT What’s happening all over the beach

R10 BUSINESS BRIEFS R11 SUN SALUTATIONS R12 D.I.WHY NOT?

Creative house numbers R14 MONOCHROMATIC DECOR

Decorating with black

and white

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

R26 CASTLES IN THE SAND

The challenges of beach building

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R30 CLASSIFIEDS

OH, THE THINGS WE USED TO DO! Outer Banks events of the past

STAFF PUBLISHERS

WRITERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Adam & Cathy Baldwin

Cathy Baldwin Glen Baldwin Amelia Boldaji Dawn Church Steve Hanf Catherine Kozak Katrina Mae Leuzinger Amanda McDanel Meg Puckett Arabella Saunders

Cory Godwin Ryan Moser Elizabeth Neal Outer Banks History Center Kati Wilkins

EDITOR

Dave Rollins

THIS PAGE: Photos by Elizabeth Neal, Kati Wilkins, and Ryan Moser (top to bottom).

R25 REFLECTIONS ON RETIREMENT

Blessings or burdens?

R28 MOOD BOARD

A table by the sea

ART DIRECTOR

ABOUT THE COVER: Located on Roanoke Island, Acorn Manor is unlike virtually any other Outer Banks home. Photo by Elizabeth Neal.

R24 KEEPING THE PAST ALIVE

Preserving the beach’s first

commercial business

R18 HOME SPOTLIGHT

The majestic Acorn Manor

Amelia Boldaji

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R22 IN A HOT COUNTRY

Drawing the line between

North Carolina and Virginia

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Adam Baldwin Dylan Bush

NORTH BEACH SUN 115 West Meadowlark St. Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 252.449.4444 editor@northbeachsun.com

SALES MANAGER

Helen Furr ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Sue Goodrich Tori Peters

The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by Access Media Group. All works contained herein are the property of the North Beach Sun and/ or its contributors. Opinions, responses, and inquiries are always welcome.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

welcome

home THE OUTER BANKS HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION hosted the 26th annual Parade

of Homes this past October over Columbus Day weekend – which gave both visitors and residents alike the opportunity to tour a total of 24 dynamic building projects from Grandy in Currituck County to Roanoke Island in Dare County. Featuring 20 newly constructed homes, two large-scale remodeled homes, and, for the first time ever, two extensively renovated commercial entries, this year’s event was another huge success.

Congratulations to all the winners in each category!

Judges’ Award of Excellence Winners and People’s Choice Award Winners NEW HOMES Dennis Bright Contracting, LLC Excel Contracting, LLC Forrest Seal, LLC Jennings Construction Mancuso Development Neal Contracting, LLC Sea Thru Construction, Inc. REMODELED HOMES Ken Green & Associates, Inc. Pictured above is one of the winning entries by Dennis Bright Contracting, LLC. This modern farmhouse meets beach cottage is located in Kill Devil Hills. Photos courtesy of Dennis Bright.

from the editor “HOME IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS” might be one of the pithiest, clichéd idioms in the English language – and I’ve always loved it all the same.

Feel free to sub it out for its almost endless number of related variants as well. Home is where you hang your hat, there’s no place like home, etcetera, etcetera. As someone who’s called dozens of places “home” over the years, there’s almost no saying along those lines that doesn’t (at least) somewhat resonate with me.

In my experience, most people think about individual structures when they’re discussing the notion of homes, and that’s certainly true of a number of pieces in this issue. From the historically-inspired Acorn Manor on Roanoke Island that’s been generations in the making to the family home

turned grocery store turned museum that currently holds Nellie Myrtle Pridgen’s world-renowned beachcombing collection – certain buildings house memories and recall stories that can span centuries and sprawl well beyond what any four walls can contain.

But whether we’re looking backward or forward at things such as new techniques in homebuilding, which is put on spectacular display every year during the Outer Banks’ annual Parade of Homes, there’s an almost limitless number of things that go into fashioning a home – from the large-scale viewpoint of geographical location down to the very smallest architectural details.

Above all, though, I think it’s important to remember that when we call a place home, we’re more often than

not describing the feelings that a particular space evokes.

Because the place where your heart is (if I may go back to that), is unlikely tied solely to objects and materials, but rather to the memories and stories you gather along the way – and, even more crucially, to the people who help you create them.

So welcome home, wherever that might be and whatever that might mean for you. And, as always, I hope you enjoy this issue!

-Amelia Boldaji

@NORTHBEACHSUN

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REAL ESTATE

Southern Shores

town report

This past September, the Southern Shores Town Council approved a much-debated zoning amendment that allows certain exemptions in lot coverage.

Gravel walkways and open-slatted decks that don’t exceed 25 percent of the footprint and that have pervious material underneath them will be permitted under the new amendment – although those seeking the open-slatted decks will also be required to have an engineering report and a storm water management permit.

The measure was pared down from previous proposals that sought to exclude more items when calculating lot coverage, which town zoning laws currently sets at 30 percent.

COM PI LED BY CATH ERI N E KOZ AK

Kitty Hawk Currituck County

A zoning amendment approved by the Kitty Hawk Town Council in September could potentially make better use of a very well situated property that has been blighted for years now by an abandoned building on the corner of U.S. 158 and The Woods Road.

Currituck County has hired Ben Stikeleather as its assistant county manager, the first person to hold the job in the newly created position.

Stikeleather, who served most recently as the strategic planning and communications manager for Iredell County, began work on October 1. According to a news release from the county, his annual salary is $91,832. He will be working intently to learn the ropes from current County Manager Dan Scanlon, who plans to retire next summer.

The text amendment will permit multi-family developments in planned commercial areas of BC-2 zoning districts, which are located off N.C. 12 and U.S. 158 frontage. It also halves the required lot from 10 acres to five acres. The board did not discuss any proposed construction at the site, which is just south of the Wright Memorial Bridge.

A married father of three, Stikeleather holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a master’s degree in public administration from Appalachian State University.

Kill Devil Hills Commissioner Brandi Rheubottom announced in August that she intends to resign from her seat because she will be moving out of town – but at the Board of Commissioners meeting in October, Rheubottom said that the closing on her property has been delayed from the original date in mid-September, and she was unclear about when it will be rescheduled.

Rheubottom’s replacement on the board is expected to be announced at the upcoming meeting in November.

Duck Town officials have approved a resolution encouraging the town to pursue a grant to conduct a vulnerability assessment of Duck properties, which would identify vulnerabilities as well as potential remediation and mitigation. According to Town Manager Chris Layton, the grant application provides information on specific tools that could be used to analyze the vulnerability of public structures in Duck – including the Paul F. Kellar Meeting Hall, the town hall, the Duck boardwalk, N.C. 12 and the public safety building – and the best ways to protect them.

Nags Head An ordinance regulating the use of drones in Nags Head was amended in September by the town’s Board of Commissioners to prohibit any use of drones (which are defined as small, unmanned aircrafts with a takeoff weight of 250 grams [0.55 pounds] or more) in the vicinity of the Outer Banks Hospital.

Layton said he learned about the grant from Western Carolina University professor Robert Young, an expert on coastal science and shoreline processes. He also said that the $27,000 cost has a high probability of being funded through a Coastal Area Management Act planning grant program, with a $3,400 matching grant from the town.

Since the hospital has a helipad, drone use is prohibited above or near the facility without prior notification to

the hospital. The ordinance also forbids launching and recovering drones and small aircrafts such as model airplanes on town property without prior written approval from the town manager. Drones that carry pyrotechnic devices, that interfere with public safety incidents, or that are used for racing, aerobatics or 3-D purposes are also prohibited, unless it is at an event permitted by the town.

Federal laws have jurisdiction over the use of air space, but local government can regulate the use of aircrafts on town property. So far, only the towns of Nags Head and Southern Shores, and the National Park Service have rules on the use of drones on the Outer Banks.

In a separate proactive measure this past October, the board also voted to ban use of e-scooters – battery operated low-speed motor vehicles – within town limits.

Manteo This past September the Manteo Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to televise its meetings, as well as meetings of the Manteo Planning Board and the town’s Preservation and Architectural Review Committee. Until then, Manteo had been the last holdout among Dare County governments to provide video broadcasts of meetings, with opponents arguing that it would spoil the small-town atmosphere and encourage grandstanding.

A new committee, Manteo Citizens for Open Government, had previously presented the board with a petition with more than 500 signatures that urged televising meetings in order to encourage more informed participation in town matters.

Dare County Following a recent public hearing, the Dare County Board of Commissioners took a first significant step toward addressing housing needs for the year-round workforce with its approval of proposed zoning amendments that could make it easier to renovate existing structures or add units on developed properties. The proposals developed by the county planner and the planning board involve minimum lot sizes for duplexes, multi-family density, accessory dwelling units and cluster lots intended to foster year-round housing in certain zoned districts in unincorporated Dare County.

In other matters, the Dare County Planning and Environmental Health office relocated in October from a site off U.S. 158 in Kill Devil Hills to Nags Head. The new location is located next to the Stan White Realty & Construction building off U.S. 158.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

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REAL ESTATE

business briefs COM PI LED BY CATH ERI N E KOZ AK

Corolla Eatery Nearly Destroyed While Hurricane Florence appeared to be aiming for the Outer Banks and people began evacuating, Corolla Fire and Rescue received an early morning report on September 11 that smoke and fire were seen coming through the roof of the Tomato Patch Pizzeria in Corolla’s Monterey Plaza. By the time the firefighters arrived minutes later, the structure’s roof was engulfed in flames.

The restaurant was unoccupied at the time, and there were no injuries or impacts to nearby structures, but the building was heavily damaged. As of mid-October, the cause of the blaze has not been determined and is still under investigation, according to Corolla Fire and Rescue.

Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Leader Recognized The Carolina Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE) has named Karen Brown, the president of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, the North Carolina Chamber Executive of the Year for 2018.

New CSI Executive Director Reide Corbett (left) working on field studies. Photo courtesy of the Coastal Studies Institute.

New Director Named at Coastal Studies Institute The Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) announced in August that Reide Corbett, a coastal oceanographer and geochemist, has been named the facility’s new executive director.

CSI is a multi-institutional research partnership, which is led under the umbrella of East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, and Corbett has served as head of CSI’s Coastal Processes Program since 2012. Corbett earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, as well as a master of science and a doctorate in chemical oceanography from Florida State University.

Parking Improvements at Nags Head Woods Renovation of the parking lot at the Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve’s visitor center (located at the end of Ocean Acres Trail in Kill Devil Hills) is providing safer options for visitors who previously had to navigate the unmarked, unpaved and poorly lit area to access the woods.

The small lot in front of the wooden visitor center building is now paved, parking spaces are marked and ADA-compliant parking has been added. Drainage and lighting has also been improved, according to information provided by The Nature Conservancy, the nonprofit owner of the 1,200-acre preserve that straddles Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills. The improvements are part of a multi-phase upgrade of infrastructure and trails at the maritime forest.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

As an ECU faculty member, Corbett also helped found the university’s Coastal Resources Management doctoral program, and, in addition to his new post at CSI, he was named ECU’s new dean of integrated coastal programs.

CSI, which is located off N.C. 345 in Wanchese, opened in 2003 as an offshoot of the University of North Carolina system in Chapel Hill, and was later aligned with ECU. Former CSI Executive Director Nancy White, who helmed the institute from its opening, retired in 2017.

Dollar Tree Moves to Larger Location The Dollar Tree store that had been at the Dare Centre in Kill Devil Hills has moved to the former location of the Rite Aid pharmacy on the south end of town in front of the Harris Teeter grocery store. The store, one of four operating on the Outer Banks, opened for business on October 4.

According to Dollar Tree spokeswoman Kayleigh Painter, the new 13,824-square-foot location includes an area with a larger selection of treats and beverages. This snack zone was not available at the former site, which was about half the size.

Rite Aid closed its business in Kill Devil Hills on May 14. The drugstore still has a location in Southern Shores, although the pharmacy now operates as a Walgreens.

Brown was recognized for her effective advocacy for the Outer Banks community during her six years with the chamber. The honor, awarded for excellence in leadership and service to the profession, among other attributes, was announced during the CACCE’s annual management conference held in Blowing Rock, N.C. The CACCE is the professional development organization for the North Carolina and South Carolina chambers of commerce.

Restored Visitors’ Center Reopens Nearly two years after the Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitors’ Center was closed for renovations, a grand reopening of the attraction was held on October 20 at the Kill Devil Hills site. The building, a National Historic Landmark built in 1960, is an example of the National Park Service’s Mission 66 architecture, which was inspired by the Philadelphia School of modern architecture.

The original building, designed by the architectural firm of Mitchell/Giurgola, is notable for features such as the domed roof and an open lobby space that suggests freeflowing forms, but the structure was marred over the years by a leaking roof and numerous patchwork repairs.

In addition to restoring much of the historic integrity of the visitors’ center, the rehabilitation project involved upgrades to the heating and air units, electrical and plumbing systems, and the replacement of the roof, windows, walkways, floor coverings and restrooms.

Exhibits in the museum have been completely updated and now include some never before seen Wright brothers’ artifacts.

No More Free Rides on Internet Sales Tax The North Carolina Department of Revenue is warning that as of November 1 it will start enforcing the state law that requires sales tax to be collected on online purchases made

by N.C. consumers. A ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court this past June allows states to collect sales tax from sellers whether or not they have a physical presence in the state.

The sales tax collection is mandated for companies that sell $100,000 or more or make 200 or more transactions per year.

sun salutations Beach Realty & Construction Beach Realty Recognizes Top Agents Beach Realty & Construction is pleased to announce the top three producing sales agents this year to date. Congratulations to Joanne Kepler (Corolla office), Danielle Taylor (Duck office), and Tammy Russell (Kitty Hawk office). All three agents are consistent top producers and have earned Agent of the Year honors at Beach Realty. Sales Manager Beth Urch says, “These three agents have a few things in common: great customer service, years of experience and a thorough knowledge of the Outer Banks real estate market.”

Beach Realty & Construction is a full-service real estate company offering real estate sales, vacation rentals and new construction and remodeling. For more information contact salesteam@beachrealtync.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Heather VanderMyde Team Named Top Producing Team Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is pleased to announce that Heather VanderMyde, along with team members Will Gregg, Kasey Rabar and Kiirsten Farr, make up the Top Producing Team for the firm. This award is based on closed sales volume through September 30. “Making sure my clients are happy and getting the best service and price possible is my passion. A victory to me is seeing my clients smile and refer their friends and family. That’s when I know I have done my job and earned their trust. I love what I do!” says VanderMyde. Heather can be reached at (252) 202-2375 or hvandermyde@gmail.com.

Brad Beacham Named Top Producing Agent Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty congratulates Brad Beacham as the Top Producing Agent in the Kitty Hawk office. This award is based on closed sales volume through September 30. “I am a full-time real estate professional with 16 years’ experience assisting buyers and sellers on the Outer Banks.

I am committed to giving my clients the best service, representation and resources available,” says Beacham. Brad can be reached at (252) 202-6920 or brad@bradbeacham.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Announces Top Producing Agent for Kitty Hawk office Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is pleased to announce Heather Sakers as the Top Producing Agent in the Kitty Hawk office for the months of August and September. “She was a pleasure to work with. Her knowledge of the business process was amazing. I would recommend her to anyone that I know,” says a recent five-star review. Heather can be reached at (252) 599-6814 or heather@cbseaside.com.

Cameron Mast Griggs Joins Brad Beacham Group The Brad Beacham Group is excited about the addition of Cameron Mast Griggs to the team. Her expertise in real estate sales and marketing brings great value to their customers. The team is growing to offer buyers and sellers the best in service, technology and representation. Team leader, Brad Beacham, can be reached at (252) 202-6920 or brad@bradbeacham.com.

Velinda Young Named Broker-in-Charge of Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Elizabeth City Office Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty congratulates Velinda Young on being named broker-in-charge of the Elizabeth City location. Velinda has been with the firm for more than two years, and she works with both buyers and sellers in the northeast North Carolina areas, including Elizabeth City, Moyock and Camden. “I love helping others through the real estate process. The N.C. real estate laws and ethics need to be upheld, so becoming a broker in charge seemed like the perfect fit for me,” says Young. Velinda can be reached at (757) 672-6165 or velinda@cbseaside.com.

REAL ESTATE

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services The Largest Real Estate Company in the Carolinas Joins Forces with Howard Hanna Allen Tate, the largest real estate company in the Carolinas, joins regional giant Howard Hanna, whose market reach spans the eight states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Michigan. The move is the first of its kind for market leading, privately owned real estate companies in the Carolinas, and it creates an East Coast/Mid-Atlantic/Midwest real estate company with more than 11,000 agents and employees in 326 offices across nine states. Allen Tate and Howard Hanna previously represented the number four and the number one private, family-owned real estate firms in the United States, according to a recent research report produced by REAL Trends.

Combined, the two firms facilitated more than 119,000 home sale transactions in 2017, with a closed sales volume of more than $24 billion.

Howard Hanna Outer Banks Welcomes New Agents Howard Hanna is pleased to announce that Kim DeSocio and Wade Perry have joined the Outer Banks sales team. Kim can be reached at (757) 450-9354 or kimdesocio@howardhanna.com, and Wade can be reached at (252) 916-3022 or wadeperry@howardhanna.com.

Resort Realty Resort Realty Announces Third Quarter Top Producers Resort Realty is pleased to congratulate all the agents that had a closing from July through September. The following agents closed more volume than anyone else in their respective offices: Dave Hoare of the Kitty Hawk office was the Overall Top Producing Agent of the third quarter and top producer of the Kitty Hawk office as well.

From Canada to the Outer Banks, Dave has been a top producing realtor for 33 years. A top agent in Toronto, Canada, Dave had his own company from 1983 until he moved with his family to the Outer Banks in 1993. Dave can be reached at dave.hoare@resortrealty.com or at (252) 207-2336.

Cherie Beacham of the Nags Head office took the Top Producer spot in Nags Head this past quarter. Cherie co-owned a building and contracting business for more than 35 years that specialized in new construction and home remodeling. She obtained her real estate license in 1997, and today she enjoys sharing her knowledge of the area and its many investment opportunities. Cherie can be reached at cherie.beacham@resortrealty. com or (252) 202-6998.

Eric Avery was the Top Producer in the Corolla office this past quarter.

Eric enjoys purchasing properties for his clients to tear down so he can rebuild them. A builder by trade, Eric is a savvy agent who knows a great deal when he sees one. His client list is long, and he is always at the ready to assist them in the purchase of any property. Eric can be reached at eaveryconstruction@gmail.com or (252) 202-2682.

Mercedes Tabano took the Duck office by storm this past quarter as their Top Producer. “I’ve spent 36 years as a tough negotiator and confident problem solver,” says Mercedes. “I was born to be a realtor!” She believes that realtors are the guardians of the American Dream and every time she puts someone in his or her new home, she helps to preserve that freedom.

Mercedes can be reached at Mercedes.Tabano@resortrealty.com or (252) 305-1358.

Sun Realty Sun Realty Congratulates Second Quarter Agents of the Month

Heather Blythe Joins Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty as Marketing Coordinator

For the fifth and sixth time in 2018, the Willey Real Estate Group once again earned top agents for July and September. Working out of the Kill Devil Hills office, Hugh “Scooter” Willey has been building and investing in real estate since 1985. His wife Gerri began her real estate career in 2006.

Together, they are a top-producing team, empowering clients through education, stress-free transactions and excellent service. The Willey Real Estate Group can be reached at (252) 489-8491.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty welcomes Heather Blythe as their new marketing coordinator. A graduate of East Carolina University, Heather was previously a news producer with WITN News in Greenville before relocating to the Outer Banks earlier this year. Heather will be based in the Kitty Hawk office and will work closely with Lacey House and Chad Fournier, the co-marketing directors of the firm. Heather can be reached at heatherblythe@cbseaside.com.

Jackie Ricks Sample earned Agent of the Month for August 2018. Jackie has more than 40 years of real estate experience on the Outer Banks. She strives to provide the highest level of service and is well known for working diligently and honestly for all parties. Jackie earned the Sun Realty 2017 Agent of the Year and was awarded the Career Achievement Award in 2017 from the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS. Jackie Ricks Sample can be reached at (252) 441-8011. @NORTHBEACHSUN

R11

D.I.WHY NOT?

Your Number is Up

By Amanda McDanel

THERE ARE SOME HOME DÉCOR ITEMS THAT ARE WORTH THE MONEY: couches, mattresses, pots and pans, knives, washers and dryers, dining table and chairs. Your cost per use on these items is very low in light of the fact that they’re the workhorses in your home. They’re also the pieces you often spend considerable time and thought on before you purchase them, and they serve your home for years. Every time you sink into the couch and another penny falls from your pocket, consider it a wise investment.

Yet, there are some household items that are insanely overpriced, to the point that you really ponder whether or not you need a shower curtain in your bathroom because the rod is so darn expensive. Ditto shower curtain rods. Shower curtain rings. Knobs and drawer pulls. All of them lining up Pied Piper style behind the greatest offender of all time, the towel rod. Just like the Pumpkin Strata recipe (long story), the IKEA towel rod debacle will go down in the history books of my marriage.

(Short version of the latter? Just picture a hormonal pregnant woman screeching through the airwaves, “What do you mean you didn’t buy the towel rods? I PUT THEM ON THE LIST! They cost 4,500% more at our home improvement stores! TURN AROUND AND GET THE $#@*% TOWEL RODS.”) But once our towel rod dilemma was permanently solved, I moved on to another costly outlaw: house numbers.

Thanks to modern technology, pizza delivery drivers can now find their way efficiently to “near” our home, but they do still have to turn down the radio and look for the identifying house numbers. There are several readily available options in our local hardware stores, from vinyl lettering that sticks to mailboxes to generic metal numbers that attach to the home itself, but they are all just that: generic. Once in awhile you might find a sleek modern font, but that’s not guaranteed to go with every décor. And to add to the insult, your color choices are pretty much limited to silver, gold or black.

But you? You are not one to have overpriced, basic black numbers as the finishing touch on your humble abode. You are a D.I. WHY NOTer! Read on for a few fresh takes on claiming your real estate and displaying those digits proudly – and with some Outer Banks pizzazz.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

Nailed It Either by using a stencil (which you can create by printing your house numbers in your favorite enlarged font on a piece of paper and tracing) or by freehanding the numbers on to wood, create your vertical or horizontal design. Use either roofing nails or long screws to fill in the spaces between the numbers. You can apply a clear coat to seal the finish of the nail/screw heads or you can leave them exposed for a rustic look that will corrode and add character over time.

The Milkman’s Here Old metal milk jugs are fairly easy to find at local flea markets and antique shops. They don’t even need to be in perfect condition, just structurally sound enough to stand alone. Either freehand or use a stencil to paint your house numbers on the jug. You can also paint it a solid color – white with black paint, for instance, or any other custom combo to match your home. For an added touch, you can then place it by the front door with a plant on top.

Hung Out to Dry Using a multi-hanger coat rack, attach floating objects to each hook with a house number stenciled on each one. Various objects can include fishing buoys, wooden plaques, glass balls marked with chalk paint and/or oversized Christmas ornaments.

All Ashore If you’re lucky enough to have an old small boat that’s no longer seaworthy, you can repurpose it by filling it with plants or flowers – and then christen it with both your house number and name painted on the side. In place of a boat, a large anchor, fishing float or a massive piece of driftwood also work great and add a nautical touch to your yard.

Stack it Up Fill a large pot or halved barrel with your favorite low-lying greenery. Using a larger sized wooden dowel rod, stack up any number of objects to coincide with the numbers in your address. I like upside-down old metal buckets, flowerpots, pumpkins, and faux green topiary balls. Either paint or attach pre-made numbers onto the stack.

Snapped and Dinged For the ultimate surf shack touch, use a beyond dinged or snapped board as your canvas. Spray paint it, decoupage it, etc. – let your imagination run wild, and then prop it up beside your front door in order to properly welcome fellow ocean goers.

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R13

OBX DECOR 4

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one of this year’s hottest design trends is both timeless and strikingly simple. Whether you’re drawn to bold patterns or clean, classic lines, decorating outside of the rainbow is as easy as black and white.

1

Accent pieces like this resin coral table topper add the perfect touch of coastal chic. Available at The Cottage Shop.

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Rustic oversized shutter lanterns do double duty by lighting things up and evoking the Outer Banks’ maritime heritage. Available at The Cotton Gin.

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Pick your pattern and run with it when it comes to these highly durable Dash & Albert rugs that come in a variety of sizes and prints. Available at Urban Cottage.

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2 R14

NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

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SOUTHERN SHORES – SEMI-OCEANFRONT – Gorgeous 7BR/7.5BA home with stellar ocean views, easy beach access and terrific rental income! Elevator, game room, private pool area, bright living areas with hardwood floors and high ceilings.

New roof, two new heat pumps, a new hot tub, and fresh paint inside and out!

SSR#8542 $689,000

SOUTHERN SHORES – OCEANSIDE – Enjoy ocean views from this 5BR/4.5BA rental property in Southern Shores! The home has an elevator, a private pool, two hot tubs, spacious decks, a game room, a bonus room, and so much more! Great vacation home with rental income. SSR#8599 $779,500

COROLLA – WESTSIDE – One of the most impressive homes in Monteray Shores!

This former showcase model home was built with state-of-the-art designs, materials and appliances. Elaborate tile work, upgrades, and furnishings throughout.

6BR/5.5BA home with fantastic HOA amenities. SSR#8604 $569,900

MANTEO – SHALLOWBAG BAY – This beautiful 3BR/2.5BA condo was originally a model for the subdivision and has since been gently used as a second home. High ceilings, nice and bright. Andersen windows and doors. Covered decks accessible from all rooms. Lovely water and salt marsh views! SSR#8647 $324,000

DUCK – OCEANSIDE – This 2BR/2.5BA condo in Georgetown Sands won’t last long! Close to the beach – and conveniently located by the community pool and tennis courts – this condo is a great vacation rental. Bright and open unit with a well-equipped kitchen. Parking under the condo offers a convenient dry entry. Enjoy a quick walk, or bike ride, into the Town of Duck and to the community amenities.

SSR#8651 $299,900

DUCK – OCEANSIDE – 6BR/6FB/2HB home with ocean views, a private pool and hot tub, as well as a putting green! The property offers a fully-equipped kitchen and a game/recreation room with a Foosball table and den. New flooring and carpet have been installed throughout the home, the pool deck has been recently renovated and the exterior has just been painted. This is a beautiful property. Price reduced and ready to sell! SSR#8657 $749,000

DUCK – OCEANSIDE – This 7BR/7.5BA home is a vacationer’s dream home! Located within the Four Seasons subdivision, the property offers a private pool and hot tub, seven master bedrooms and a fenced-in yard. Easily walk into the Town of Duck, to the beach and to the community amenities. The neighborhood is gated and offers a seasonal trolley service. $699,000 SSR#8673

COROLLA – OCEANSIDE – This 8BR/8.5BA vacation home has outstanding ocean views! Located within the popular Corolla community of Ocean Sands – and offering a private pool and hot tub, decks galore and spacious living areas – this is every guest’s dream vacation rental! Tastefully decorated and selling fully-furnished, you absolutely MUST SEE this home! $924,900 SSR#8685

SOUTHERN SHORES – OCEANSIDE – Located close to the beach, this 4BR/3.5BA oceanside vacation rental is a must see! The lot is thinly vegetated and offers a fencedin pool and hot tub area; as well as a fenced-in pet area. The upper level boasts an expansive deck and the interior is spacious and comfortable. SSR#8695 $485,000

KITTY HAWK – WESTSIDE – Nice 3BR/2.5BA Saltbox located in the Sea Scape subdivision. The property offers both fairway and ocean views from the home.

X flood zone! Beach access is easy, and the property is well within driving distance to all living needs. Home is being offered furnished. $344,000 SSR#8710

DUCK – OCEANSIDE – This 4BR/2.5BA cozy cottage in Duck is just what you’ve been looking for! Located within an X Flood zone – and only 400 yards to the beach – the home offers the perfect setting for anyone looking to own on the OBX. $439,900 SSR#8711

COROLLA – OCEANSIDE – This 4BR/2.5BA home in Ocean Sands has ocean views, resides within an X flood zone, and is three lots from the oceanfront. Used as a second home, but would make a wonderful vacation rental. Fantastic floorplan. Freshly painted. Selling fully-furnished. $415,000 SSR#8718

252-261-2000 • 800-334-1000 • southernshores.net

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

The Outer Banks Expert LOTS FOR SALE CURRITUCK MAINLAND

SOUTHERN SHORES OCEANSIDE

HIGH TRAFFIC COMMERCIAL SSR#7906 $239,000

KITTY HAWK – SEMI-OCEANFRONT – This 6BR/4.5BA home in Kitty Hawk has outstanding ocean views and is only 65 yards from a beach access! The property fronts the beach road (Virginia Dare Trl.) but feels like an oceanfront home. Private pool, hot tub, both sun and covered decks, and plenty of parking! SSR#8626 $779,000

GOLF COURSE VIEWS SSR#8672 $39,900

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PREMIER OCEANSIDE X ZONE SSR#8298 $79,500 SOUTHERN SHORES – OCEANFRONT – Beautifully maintained, 4BR/3BA home on a gorgeous lot with deep, vegetated dune and panoramic ocean views! Many 2017 upgrades. Perfect location in Sea Crest Village, a wonderful, quiet neighborhood full of live oaks, with a lovely sense of community. SSR#8642 $1,000,000

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PONDFRONT BUILDING LOT WITH GOLF COURSE VIEWS SSR#8581 $50,000

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SOUNDFRONT LOT IN PIRATE’S COVE SSR#8311 $425,000

GORGEOUS, PONDFRONT LOT SSR #8611 $134,900

SOUTHERN SHORES – OCEANSIDE – “Fort Myers” is a well-built – and beautifully decorated – 5BR/4.5BA home in the ever sought-after oceanside community of Sea Crest Village. The home offers a private saltwater pool, is like new and is being sold fully furnished. Enjoy easy walks to the beach, as well as easy bike rides to shopping and nearby restaurants from this home. SSR#8662 $729,900

MANTEO – HERITAGE POINT – Wonderful 3BR/3BA home in Heritage Point. The home was built in 2002 and is live-in ready. Nice hardwood floors, ceramic tile baths, and an open floor plan. The community offers a marina and tennis courts.

SSR#8699 $457,500

NAGS HEAD – SEMI-OCEANFRONT – Immaculate 2BR/2BA semi-oceanfront condo!

Two community pools, slight ocean and sound views from the private balcony, updated kitchen, and NEVER RENTED! Short walk to Jennette’s Pier, restaurants, and all things Outer Banks! $299,900 SSR#8721

DUCK – OCEANSIDE – This 4BR/3.5BA oceanside home is located within the Schooner Ridge subdivision of Duck. Enjoy short walks to the beach, to the oceanfront pool, and to the numerous community amenities that come with owning this home. The backyard offers a private pool and hot tub, while the interior is spacious and comfortable.

SSR#8665 $615,000

SOUTHERN SHORES – SEMI-OCEANFRONT – Meticulously maintained 4BR/3BA vacation home in Southern Shores. Enjoy an ocean view, open living spaces, and a private beach access from this property! Great rental income, and selling fullyfurnished. $549,000 SSR#8709

DUCK – OCEANSIDE – Enjoy all that Duck has to offer from this 4BR/2FBA/3HB home in Caffey’s Inlet Hamlet! Located on a private cul-de-sac just north of Duck Village, the property boasts live oaks, shaded decks, and fantastic proximity to both of the private, community beach and sound accesses. X flood zone; and selling fullyfurnished! $529,000 SSR#8722

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Visit our offices at 5 Ocean Boulevard, Southern Shores and 2005 South Croatan Highway, Kill Devil Hills @NORTHBEACHSUN R17

HOME SPOTLIGHT

THE

ACORN MANOR An heirloom home in Wanchese pays homage to the history of Roanoke Island.

THE TOWN OF MANTEO IS RICH IN HISTORY. From The Elizabethan Gardens to Roanoke Island Festival Park to the downtown waterfront, the nuances of the Old World seem entrenched in this small part of the Outer Banks.

But coast down the crest of the Washington Baum Bridge heading west of Nags Head, take a left at the light toward Wanchese, and you’ll stumble upon another Elizabethan-era masterpiece fit for John White himself.

Officially known as Acorn Manor at Roanoke, this Tudor-inspired estate in Baumtown is home to Philip and Brandy Foreman and their two daughters, Emma and Sydney.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

Photos by Elizabeth Neal • Story by Arabella Saunders

Today, the 20-acre estate includes a roughly 8,300-square-foot home with seven bedrooms and seven baths, a four-car garage and guest cottage, a pool with a swim-up bar, a pool house, horse stables, a family graveyard dating back to the 1700s and an in-home bar dubbed The Philip Hale English Pub after Philip’s grandfather, Philip Hale Quidley, Sr. But the property wasn’t always fit for the Queen.

“My grandfather was really in love with the history surrounding Roanoke Island, and he played John White in The Lost Colony production [in 1977 and 1978, and again in the ‘90s],” says Brew Thru owner Philip Foreman. “He was into real estate and making decent money from that, and he said, ‘I want to build an English home that John White might have lived in during the 16th century.’”

In 1964, Philip Hale Quidley, Sr. – then a Baptist preacher living in Monroe, North Carolina – moved back home to Wanchese to help his mother with the family filling station, Midway Texaco, shortly after his father’s death. Quidley, his

wife and their six children moved in with Quidley’s mother, and they all shared an old house situated on a parcel of Baumtown farmland.

“After living there for a couple of months, my grandmother called my grandfather one day and said, ‘I just want to let you know that we’re all moving into the barn because I’m not living one more night with your mother spoiling our children.’ And she was serious!” Philip says with a laugh. “He talked her down by saying, ‘Look, maybe we’ll turn the barn into a house.’”

Quidley made good on his word, and three months later the family moved into the converted barn. Thus, Acorn Manor was born.

THE STORY DIDN’T END THERE, HOWEVER. Ten years later, after much success in the real estate business, Quidley began planning a massive addition to his family’s home. In 1974 he traveled to London, where he hired renowned conservationist architect, Sir Bernard Feilden – a

man who was so well known that he had been knighted by the Queen herself. With Feilden as his guide, Quidley spent two weeks in England, during which time he traveled the countryside in order to visit a number of 16th century manor homes, make notes, take pictures and draft his plans.

About four months after his return, construction began.

Local workers began laying bricks for the foundation, eight fireplaces and three large chimneys; and acclaimed English landscape architect Lewis Clarke was brought on board to design the formal gardens, ponds and stately landscaping.

With the help of his sons, Quidley even handcrafted colorful stained-glass windows and transformed slabs of oak into intricate trim work etched with delicate roses.

“Phil Quidley was a pure Elizabethan set in a different time period,” explains Lebame Houston, a historian with the Roanoke Island Historical Association and a long-time friend of the family. “He was a perfectionist and extremely enthusiastic about it. If a construction element was not done to his liking, he took it down and had it redone. He was very intent on authenticity.”

That bent toward authenticity meant that construction was a slow moving process, however. Philip and Brandy began dating during this time, and they took every opportunity they had to visit the house together.

“Brandy and I started dating in ninth grade, and during college we regularly came down to visit and see what they’d done in the house over the last couple months,” Philip says.

“One day my grandfather said, ‘I’d really love for you to own this house. I’ll have to sell it to you, but I’ll give you a deal, and I’ll owner finance it because I want it to stay in our family, and I want to see it finished.’”

In May 2000, after Philip and Brandy graduated from college, the high school sweethearts moved back to the Outer Banks, got married that June, and promptly purchased Quidley’s unfinished home a few weeks later.

“In the beginning we just had a tiny side of the house finished, and we were going to live in that,” Philip says goodnaturedly. “But then we decided to rent that and suffer living without air conditioning in the unfinished section of the house instead.”

A sprawling front view of Acorn Manor, including its four-car garage and guest cottage (top left). On right, from top to bottom: The pool table and the fireside nook inside the room dubbed The Philip Hale English Pub; Acorn Manor’s grand dining room; A view of the Foreman’s relatively newer pool and pool house addition.

THROUGHOUT THAT FIRST SUMMER, Philip spent his days working for his father-in-law at Brew Thru and his nights perfecting Acorn Manor. With help from his dad, he installed air conditioning, constructed a banister and whittled away at other odds and ends. And once the newlyweds were situated comfortably in their newly air-conditioned home, they began adding some more modern touches.

“We started watching HGTV and saw a lot of young families buying these old homes in England and making them modern, so we made the decision to do that because we didn’t want to feel as though we were living in The Lost Colony,” he laughs.

But Philip didn’t forget about his grandfather’s vision either.

With a full-size coat of armor presiding over the 24-person dining room table, and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth on hand to greet guests as they walk through the oversized oak front door, Acorn Manor hasn’t strayed that far from its original blueprints.

“My granddad passed away the year after I built the pool [in 2012],” Philip says. “But before that he was always so proud.

He constantly wanted to see what was going on. He might have wanted it a little less modern, but he was still proud.”

After more than 40 years of construction, Acorn Manor has emerged as a true Elizabethan gem. Despite so many HGTV shows depicting young families searching for the perfect contemporary home, Philip still can’t imagine life elsewhere.

“It’s not just a house, it’s more of a family heirloom. It’s my family’s lifework,” he explains. “There’s not anything like it here on the Outer Banks, and that makes it special. The idea of letting it go or of it not being here doesn’t even come up on my radar.” @NORTHBEACHSUN

R19

REAL ESTATE

Oh, the Things We Used to Do! Throwing it Down Old-School Outer Banks

BY DAWN CH URC H

T

he Outer Banks was a lovely, if a bit rustic, seaside resort long before the bypass was fully lined with restaurants and shops. People have come here for the beaches and to hunt the area’s waterfowl since at least the 1800s, but over the years visitors began to long for some other things to do…so locals got busy dreaming up fun events that would keep people coming back.

Here are a few gone – but not forgotten – Outer Banks events that folks have enjoyed over the decades.

Hey, Foxy

Valentine’s Day Fox Hunt Late ‘40s - Early ‘70s

Headquartered at the illustrious Carolinian Hotel, the Valentine’s Day Fox Hunt was one of the first successful attempts to draw visitors to the Outer Banks in the chillier off-season.

Held in February (and eventually in April) and beginning with a blessing of the hounds, the hunt took place in Nags Head Woods and on Colington and Bodie islands, and it included a host of side events such as special breakfasts for the hunters, oyster roasts and even a ball!

Despite fox hunting’s slightly snooty background (and a lack of local horses), ever-resourceful Outer Bankers made it their own by using jeeps and fourwheel-drive vehicles to keep up with the foxes and hounds across beaches and into the woods.

By 1972 the 25-year-old hunt had run its course, however, and for a couple of important reasons.

Animal rights activists increasingly opposed the practice with growing support (the foxes almost certainly agreed!), and since the Outer Banks had become more densely populated by then, there simply wasn’t enough open space to make the hunt practical any longer.

Garçon!

The Waiter and Waitress Race 1980 - 1989

Smart and able-bodied, Outer Banks servers have long been known for their hard work, dexterity and ability to have a good time both on and off the clock, so an ‘80s waiter and waitress race seemed a no-brainer for this beach resort!

The appropriately challenging race pitted as many as 50 waiters and waitresses against each other on a crazy 500-meter obstacle course. Racers had to uncork a bottle of wine, fill two glasses, and then bob, dance and weave their way through tires and tables, up and down stairs and a through a swinging door – all while carrying said wine (and full glasses) on a tray at shoulder height. The winner was the first one to the finish line, with deductions taken for spillage. Winners of the same-sex races then faced off in a final battle, with prize money of up to $100 for the top spot providing plenty of incentive.

The race was held in the parking lot of A Restaurant By George in Nags Head, and at least once in the Galleon Esplanade’s lot. Fans showed up to back their favorite restaurant, while co-workers and buddies showed up to cheer on their racer of choice. Entry fees were collected, beverages and pizza were sold to the crowd, and, after the prize money was deducted, the proceeds were donated to local charities – and eventually to the (then) brand-new Outer Banks Restaurant Association.

Participants in the Valentine’s Day Fox Hunt, circa the 1960s (top).

A group of local revelers celebrate the Pirates’ Jamboree (bottom).

Photos courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

Ahoy, Matey!

Dare Coast Pirates’ Jamboree 1955 - 1964

In the mid-‘50s, some revenue-minded Outer Bankers and the freshly minted Dare County Tourist Bureau thought that a spring festival might be a way to inspire visitors to come to the area before the busy summer season, and boy, were they right. It didn’t hurt that they picked a raucous theme that everyone could embrace: pirates!

The Dare Coast Pirates’ Jamboree was held near the end of April and featured days of just about every kind of activity folks could think up: dances, picnics, jeep races (down Jockey’s Ridge, no less!), fishing tournaments, fish fries, costume contests for young and old, exhibitions and (why not?) balls. Lumberton, North Carolina’s newspaper The Robesonian may have said it best: The Jamboree was “Everything from picnics to frog jumps.”

Outer Bankers (who love a good party) were totally on board. Rumor has it they started prepping months in advance, with ladies making fancy costumes and gentlemen growing their beards out to piratical lengths.

The Jamboree raged on for nearly a decade, with events spread out from Hatteras and Roanoke Island to Kitty Hawk. It proved, in the end, to be perhaps too much of a success. The pirate theme tended to draw a less than family-oriented crowd, and it eventually grew larger than local law enforcement could keep a proper eye on.

The Jamboree was discontinued the year after cannon fire from a mock pirate battle set fire to the marsh across from downtown Manteo, currently known as Roanoke Island Festival Park. Oops!

Everybody Needs Somebody Sometimes…

Best Body on the Beach Contest 1982 - 2004

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why a best body contest would be a good idea on the beach. What could be better on a hot summer day than having a cold beer and watching some bathing beauties and buff dudes show off their beach physiques?

In perfect Outer Banks style, sun-tanned bods strutted their stuff across the Olympic-sized oceanfront deck of the Carolinian Hotel, competing in several divisions that included men, women and kids (yes, kids!) in different age groups. As the Outer Banks was, and still is, a family destination and kids were literally on deck, the competition had rules regarding attire and behavior in an attempt to keep it family-friendly, and they worked (well, mostly).

Cash and prizes were awarded to the contestants, and some years the crowd showed up early to collect free t-shirts from the radio station sponsor. The Carolinian was host to this crowd pleasing affair until the hotel was torn down in 2001, and the last three contests were moved to the Kitty Hawk Pier.

Hidden Outer Banks is the lovechild of longtime local Dawn Church. She reminds locals and visitors alike to explore the rich history and local color that exists beyond the bright lights of the bypass. You can find HOBX at hiddenouterbanks.com, on Instagram and Twitter as @hiddenobx, and at facebook.com/hiddenouterbanks.

Find your place at the beach.

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R21

REAL ESTATE

In a Hot Country When it came time to define North Carolina’s northern boundary, the job fell to a man who made no effort to hide his distaste for Virginia’s neighbor.

By Meg Puckett

IT’S THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA, and it shouldn’t be 90 degrees outside with 90 percent humidity and clouds of biting insects hanging in the air. Any reasonable person, especially one who grew up in woods like these, knows better than to sit outside on a day like this. But like many other North Carolinians who came before me, yellow flies and oppressive late-fall heat don’t scare me. I’ve got a copy of William Byrd’s The History of the Dividing Line Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina, a can of Deep Woods Off, and a barbeque sandwich.

I’m getting inspired, dammit.

Earlier today I drove about 11 miles up the beach, past where the road ends in Corolla, to the North Carolina-Virginia state line. It’s an arbitrary thing that I find infinitely fascinating.

The pine trees on the south side of the line don’t look any different than the pine trees on the north side. The mosquitoes are just as bad. There’s a fence that doesn’t always deter wild ponies, feral hogs, deer and the occasional Carova resident from traveling back and forth between the two states. The state line – or, as Byrd calls it, the dividing line – is a mere suggestion, one that locals have been side-eyeing with indifference and mild suspicion for close to four centuries now.

In the 1600s, a massive chunk of land below Virginia was divvied up and parceled out to eight men who had remained loyal to King Charles II through a nasty spat that removed him from, and then restored him to, the throne. They had familiar names like Carteret, Hyde, and Craven, but only two of them ever actually set foot in what was then known as the New World. These Lords Proprietors ruled North Carolina from across the Atlantic, and they were by all accounts incredibly out of touch with their constituents. They failed to attract new settlers to the territory, and they were ineffective in collecting taxes and tariffs. Civil unrest was spurred on by a poor

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

economy and conflicts with pirates and Native Americans. By the 1720s, the Crown was pressuring the Lords (or their estates) to give up their land in Carolina so that the territory could be established as a colony.

But colonies needed boundaries. And that’s where William Byrd II came in.

William Byrd was a politician and gentleman farmer, the first generation of his family born in the American colonies. He spent most of his early life in England, however, returning to Virginia after the death of his father in 1705. From that point forward, he took over the management of the family plantation, amassed the largest library in Virginia, founded the city of Richmond, and wrote several books.

One of those books, The History of the Dividing Line, details Byrd’s mission to accurately survey and mark the state line between Virginia and North Carolina. There was a dispute over where the starting point should be, and Byrd was chosen to be the commissioner representing Virginia as the two colonies set out in 1728 to settle on the location of the dividing line once and for all.

Byrd spends much of the preface of his book explaining how Virginia was carved up to create other colonies, referring to “lopped off” and “dismembered limbs” as he interprets the shaping of the new American colonies. Byrd was a native Virginian, and while he considered himself an Englishman first and foremost, it’s clear from his writing that he was strongly loyal to the place of his birth, too.

Which may begin to explain why Byrd largely and famously wrote The History of the Dividing Line, one of the earliest colonial literary works, to express his (often) amusing distain for everything related to North Carolina.

FROM THE BEGINNING, WHEN BYRD AND COMPANY ARRIVED IN NORFOLK

in March of 1728, he set out to hire more men to accompany them into “that dirty part of the country, but found that these people knew just enough of that frightful place to avoid it.” They had trouble simply trying to find someone who could point them in the direction of the “Coratuck” inlet, but finally made contact with a “borderer” who was able to draw them a rough map.

Byrd then set off toward Great Bridge in what is now Chesapeake, Virginia, down to the Northwest River, and finally into the Albemarle Sound and North Carolina. He speaks of beautiful plants growing along the shoreline, despite the “dirty soil” of the area. They spent their first night in Carolina in a “miserable cottage,” and, according to Byrd, nearly got devoured by vermin. He found the people to be lazy and not punctual. He bemoans how late the North Carolina representatives arrived at their meeting point, and says that when they finally got there, they “came better provided for the belly than the business.”

Can you really blame them though? If you’re inevitably going to be wet, cold and covered in bug bites, you can at least make sure you’re not miserable on

an empty stomach. Those early North Carolinians knew that. Anyone who’s ever gone camping in False Cape State Park knows that.

Speaking of food, another one of the things that drove William Byrd insane was the amount of pork North Carolinians consumed. He believed it was the biggest contributing factor to their “gross humours,” and, according to Byrd, consuming “swine’s flesh in a hot country” was terrible for one’s health. He also took issue with the way North Carolinians kept livestock, and thought that allowing pigs to roam freely added to their unsanitary nature. Free roaming livestock remained a mainstay of barrier island life for two hundred years or longer though. And pork? Well, pork is pretty much synonymous with North Carolina – which is something that many of us are proud of.

Here I am holding Byrd’s story up by talking about barbeque. Typical North Carolinian.

But back to that first meeting. After breakfast and an hours-long discussion about where the first marker should be placed (Byrd argued for the point to be marked on a low, wet, sandy piece of land, while the North Carolina commissioners tried to explain how tides work and sand moves), the party finally began their work. They headed due west, and Byrd mentions several familiar places such as Bells, Church, and Knotts Islands. He talks about the trouble they faced navigating the shallow waters off the mainland, which would sound familiar to anyone who’s ever been in a similar boat, regardless of the century. “It was almost as hard to keep our temper, The concrete monument that marks where William as to keep the channel,” Byrd II started to draw the North Carolina-Virginia border in 1728. Photo by Cory Godwin.

Byrd writes – a sentiment to which many a modern-day Curritucker can surely relate.

Along the way, their survey lines cut properties in half, and sometimes even moved entire farms from one colony to the other. Byrd notes that the Carolinians were “for the most part apprehensive lest their lands should be taken into Virginia. In that case, they must have submitted to some sort of order and government; whereas in North Carolina, every one does what seems best in his own eyes.” He was further appalled at the lack of religion in the colony, but must not have been surprised by it because he brought a minister along to baptize children and perform Sunday services.

THE SURVEY PARTY CONTINUED DUE WEST, as they had been instructed to by the king, through Edenton and into the Great Dismal Swamp (which Byrd advocated draining from the start – describing it as “a miserable morass where nothing can inhabit”). They made it as far as Isle of Wight County in Virginia before having to pause their spring campaign because of snakes, dense vegetation and insects.

They returned to complete the survey later that fall, but Byrd never did change his mind about North Carolinians. After spending several months slogging through the marshes of what we now call northeastern North Carolina, he could only say, “In short, we saw plainly there was no intelligence of this terra incognita to be got, but from our own experience.”

Yeah, he was kind of a jerk. But there is unintended beauty in Byrd’s descriptions. He paints a picture of people who lived with the land, not just off it. Resourceful, independent people who learned to survive in a pretty inhospitable environment.

If you go to the northernmost end of Carova and then follow the horse fence west, after about 15 minutes you’ll come to a concrete marker with “VA” etched on one side and “NC” on the other. It’s the place where Byrd buried his first cedar post in the sand back in March of 1728. The monument that now stands there today was probably erected in 1887 when the line was surveyed again, and Byrd’s markers were found to be just a minuscule degree of a point off.

As remarkable as that is, some of Byrd’s stories are just as remarkable – and colorful.

Take, for instance, his account of standing at that starting point 290 years ago when he encountered a self-proclaimed hermit living in a hut with a “wanton female.” Neither of them wore clothes, and they only used their long hair to cover themselves.

“Like the ravens,” Byrd wrote, “he neither ploughed nor sowed, but subsisted chiefly upon oysters.”

A way of life that doesn’t sound all that bad actually. Next time I’m up here, maybe I’ll bring oysters with me and toast those original residents of Carova. I have a feeling they would still fit right in.

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REAL ESTATE Left: Owners Chaz Winkler and Dorothy Hope in front of the NMP Beachcomber Museum in Nags Head. Inset: Nellie Myrtle Pridgen, for whom the museum is named (photo courtesy of Chaz Winkler).

Family home.

General store.

Gas station.

Museum.

One structure in Nags Head has seen it all, and its owners hope to keep it around for even more.

Photo by Ryan Moser Story by Katrina Mae Leuzinger

Keeping the Past Alive I

f you drive down Virginia Dare Trail near the Nags Head Beach Cottage Row Historic District, there’s a small, unassuming building on the west side of the street that you’ll likely miss. If it were, by chance, to catch your eye, it would take stopping and examining it more closely before encountering a small sign out front that bears the words Historic Exhibit, NMP, Beachcomber Museum.

For newcomers, that sign is probably the only indication that the building is of enormous historic significance – and for those in the know, the initials NMP stand for Nellie Myrtle Pridgen, local legend and beachcomber extraordinaire, who spent much of her life walking the beaches of Nags Head in search of treasures that range from rare sea glass to cannon balls.

Nellie’s fascinating collection has been featured in books and countless articles, but even though the building that bears her name now houses those items, she’s not actually the reason it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

Instead, the honor for that belongs to Nellie’s mother, Mattie Midgett, who opened a general store in that building at the age of 17 in Nags Head Woods. It was the very first commercial business on the Outer Banks, and it remained the principal business for decades to follow. In terms of capitalizing on the Outer Banks tourist industry, “Miss Mattie” was a good 40 years ahead of her time.

Mattie’s general store also set the mold for what commercial buildings in Nags Head would look like in those R24

NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

early years. Then, more than ever, structures had to be utilitarian to hold up against this area’s tumultuous weather conditions, and locals used what little they had available in the way of building materials. As a result of those early restrictions, the hipped roof, asymmetrical structure remains covered in unpainted, cedar shake shingles, and it continues to be set up on concrete blocks and pilings so that the unpredictable waters won’t wash it away.

When the store was first built in 1914, most Nags Headers favored the sound side of the islands, because that was where the ferryboats dropped off this area’s earliest vacationing passengers. That changed in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s though, when a flurry of construction brought the Outer Banks new roads and bridges that more permanently connected the mainland to the islands. Anyone with a car had easy access to the beach from that point forward, and that soon led to building cottages on the ocean side in droves.

Not to be deterred by the shifting market, however, Miss Mattie simply picked up her store in 1932 and rolled it on logs from its original location in Nags Head Woods to where it now sits on the beach road (which had just been constructed at the time).

With her typical entrepreneurial spirit, Miss Mattie started selling Standard Oil gasoline then, too. She was also the postmistress and her store had the only telephone on the island besides the United States Coast Guard Station.

If someone needed a little cash they’d go see Mattie as well, and she’d mark it down in her meticulous ledger books so she knew what to collect at the end of each month. Every family got a page in those ledgers, and it’s clear from a glance that most families stopped in almost daily, picking up a couple of eggs, a few ounces of bacon, or whatever they planned to eat that day since there were very few refrigerators to take their groceries home to. As a result, the general store quickly became a de facto community center at its new location. People would come in, get their mail or make a phone call, and then grab an ice cold Coke from the cooler in the corner and drink it on the porch while they caught up with their neighbors.

In addition to being a business, the old building also doubled as their family home. For about a year after they moved the store to the beach road, Mattie and her husband, Jethro, lived in the small apartment above the store with their children, Jethro Jr. and Nellie Myrtle. Later, they moved into a more spacious shingle style house behind the general store. When Nellie had children of her own, Mattie and Jethro let her have the bigger place and moved back into the general store, although not before adding a one-story expansion to make the place a little more comfortable.

The two buildings have gone through other changes as well, most of them prompted by the weather. The whole roof blew off the store in 1944. During the Ash Wednesday storm in 1962 both buildings flooded almost to shoulder height, and the store was raised shortly thereafter. Today, the current owners, Chaz Winkler and Dorothy Hope, worry that the next storm could be the one that finally does the old buildings – and Nellie’s irreplaceable collection – in.

Which is why they think that after 86 years it’s time to move them again. Ideally, they’d like to relocate both buildings to higher ground about 150 yards southwest of their present location into what was once known as the old Hallowell cow pasture. There they would have more space to put in a parking lot, handicap ramps and outdoor exhibits, and finally be able to open the museum up to the public fulltime.

It’s a strategy that has worked well for other historic buildings. By operating as a year-round museum displaying Nellie Myrtle’s collection and other historic artifacts, there’s a possibility they could make the buildings functional and profitable again, and ultimately make them self-sustainable.

That type of sustainability is key, but it can also be hard to pull off because of how difficult it can be to convince the ever-reaching arm of progress that two 100-year-old buildings have more value than a brand-new 10-bedroom beach cottage or a flashy souvenir shop.

“There’s so much we’ve torn down, and there’s a real need to save our history,” explains Chaz. “That’s something that Nellie did by putting her stuff on the shelves after the general store closed. She unwittingly repurposed the historic building and gave it a future that we hope to preserve.”

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I LOVE REVELATIONS, AND ONE SURPRISED ME THIS PAST WEEK, leaving me in such high spirits – especially since it relates to the subject of my article. Here’s how it unfolded.

Lately I’ve been reflecting with some gnashing of teeth on the sorting through and disposing of the myriad of things we’ve amassed in our nearly 50 years of marriage – not everything, of course, but at least enough so that our children don’t hate us for leaving them with so much of it. When my friend Pam’s mom died long ago, I clearly remember Pam’s words as she carried carton after carton of non treasures from her mother’s attic: “Don’t ever let me do this to my sons!” Her outcry has haunted me all these years, nudging my conscience on occasion when I’m searching for something and spy the dreaded cartons containing who knows what. So much stuff!

Piles of books and photos, knickknacks, dishes and silverware (some of which belonged to our grandparents, kept for many reasons). They’re now nestled in and crowding our closets, stacked on shelves and shoved into a storage space down by the water heater, probably sharing said space with a few spiders. Added to that stuff is more stuff, some on display: Nana Rick’s oak rocker, desk and recipe books, along with her bookkeeping journal from 1929 to 1933 which lists every penny spent during a year’s time; Grandma Lee’s precious porcelain baby cup; Grampy Bob’s rather risqué journal dating back to his college days more than a century ago; my mother, Cora’s, opal ring and Limoges brooch.

For my husband, Bob, and I, saying goodbye to these objects of days gone by is no easy task. Yet as we’re aging and downsizing, parting ways with things is exactly what needs to happen. Otherwise we’ll end up leaving our three sons a boatload of items they neither want nor need.

But the dispersing of our stuff is more difficult than it was a generation or two ago. I hear friends lament their children’s lack of interest in their family treasures, and I understand their bewilderment. Like them, when we were first married, we delightfully accepted these hand-me-downs from grandparents, parents, even aunts and uncles. Rich in love and education but poor in the pocketbook, we were delighted to receive Grandma and Grandpa’s old bedroom set and Mom and Dad’s bookcases. And once finances enabled us to make our own purchases, sentiment kept us from getting rid of those heirloom gifts, in spite of their meager monetary value.

Our children don’t need much of our stuff these days though; they’re happily collecting their own storage issues. As I was thinking this article through, however, that’s when the revelation came – my own little epiphany. Feeling a bit sad and annoyed with their lack of interest in the baby cup or the journal or the silverware (of course I’ve never really offered them!), I joyfully remembered that our boys have already accepted some “stuff” – some things out of need, but some out of sentiment as well, the second of which delights me so. My mother’s piano and a set of her china, Bob’s childhood train set, paintings by Bob’s dad – all lovingly given and received.

And perhaps someday they’ll want more. Maybe we need to follow the routine of another dear friend whose mother put masking tape under furniture and labeled the names of her children and grandchildren to whom she wanted things passed down. Our friend’s husband was caught outside one day, lying under his mother-in-law’s vehicle, looking for a piece of masking tape. He was hoping to get the Buick.

At any rate, it’s probably wise to part with as much as we can now if we’re sure they won’t want it. Surely they don’t need to feel guilty saying no to what has brought us joy; it just may not be their joy.

As Marni Jameson, author of Downsizing the Family Home says, “The line between bestow and burden is blurry. They don’t need to hold on to your belongings to hold you in their hearts.” Thanks, Marni; I like that thought a lot.

Glen Baldwin is a wife, mom, and grandmom who’s spent the past 45 years as an English teacher, greenhouse grower, and real estate agent. Living here at the beach now, she’s waiting to see what her next career will be. @NORTHBEACHSUN

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REAL ESTATE Photo by Kati Wilkins / Story by Steve Hanf

castles in the

For contractors working on the 4x4 beaches, each day comes with unique challenges

T

rimming out one of the first houses he built on the northern Outer Banks, Alex Long remembers being puzzled by the fact that someone was knocking on the door.

As he made his way downstairs, he discovered a herd of visitors.

Prospective buyers, they were not.

“They were horses on the ground floor of the house, stomping flies,” he says cheerfully.

They let themselves out and Alex got back to work – simply another day of building in Carova.

Just because the highway ends doesn’t mean the construction does, and Carova’s four-wheel-drive beaches have been experiencing something of a building boom recently. But working on the shifting sands of Carova isn’t for everybody.

“It’s another world up there,” says Alex, who built houses in the Baltimore area before teaming with an Outer Banks builder. “I’d never seen anything like it when I first went up. It was definitely a learning curve.”

Three years later, Alex formed Long & Associates General Contractor, Inc. He’s been building in Carova over the past 12 years now, averaging two to three houses a year, and is even working on a home of his own

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

SAND

up there. He doesn’t imagine leaving Nags Head entirely (“I like the restaurants down here,” he comments with a smile), but he’s also looking forward to spending more time in Carova.

As for the thing that makes building in Carova so remarkable? Alex fully credits the scenery.

“I like looking at the ocean while I’m working. And the wildlife. The horses, the guy with pet peacocks, the pigs, coyotes, the bald eagles and osprey,” he explains. “It’s fun up there. There are thousands of acres of space.”

The solitude, of course, also brings challenges for building in that environment. If you forget a tool, or gas, or lunch, you’re losing a day of work unless one of the other local crews can lend a helping hand. Companies like Guy C. Lee Building Materials, Kellogg Supply Company and Kempsville Building Materials make daily runs to Carova, but many builders have to rely on the local network to help in a pinch.

Most of the big deliveries get made in full-size supply trucks that stop to air down before driving on the beach just like everybody else. In some cases, supplies come across via boat from Knotts Island. Alex’s granite crew, for instance, hails from Virginia Beach and takes that route.

Getting labor to Carova building sites is no easy task, either. Some workers don’t like the long commute. And there has to be a constant eye on the tide charts and weather radars in order to make sure workers can get to

the job sites or that they can make their way home before the tide rises and halts beach traffic.

“You’ll be driving up and thinking, ‘I’m not going to work today,’ because you’ll see guys you know who work up there and they’ve already turned around,” Alex says.

Otherwise, though, building on the sand isn’t all that different from building anywhere else. Keeping up with changing wind codes, flooding codes and other regulations is a big part of it, however, along with the knowledge that you’re going to pay more for things like concrete just because of the added travel difficulties.

Duncan Aydlett and longtime crew member For Duncan Aydlett of LightCharles Howland (left to ning Marine Construction, his right) of Lightning Marine foundation crew tends to be Construction have to be ready for anything when the second one on site after the they’re working in the septic guys. Driveways are still unpaved area of Carova. months away from being poured when his team approaches a building site to drive in the pilings that will set the stage for everything to come.

According to Duncan, it’s gotten a lot easier on builders in Carova since he started working there in 1993.

Duncan goes up about 12 times a year on average, and he explains that street signs, GPS mapping and cell phone coverage have all improved drastically, making it a lot easier to get around.

“The longer you work in the area, the more you get to know it,” he says. “The sand’s not that hard to work in.”

He learned little details about preparation pretty quickly too, with pro tips such as supplying your crew with lunches. There’s simply no other option, unless you want them taking a two-hour break. And, like Alex, Duncan stresses the importance of getting to know the locals in case you need to borrow something.

In fact, the biggest jam Duncan found himself in happened earlier this summer. He was on the beach around six a.m. when one of his trucks broke down. He made an urgent call for a tow truck as the tide was coming in.

“That was almost a disaster,” Duncan says. “Larry with A-1 Towing got me out of that bind.”

The everyday beauty of working in such a different environment negates troublesome situations like that, though.

“I enjoy getting up there in nature and feel privileged to drive on the beach to get to work,” Duncan says. “You run into a lot of different people, and so many of them tell you how lucky you are.”

That’s important for Duncan to remember, especially on rainy summer days when his drive home to Kill Devil Hills is lengthened by visiting traffic clogging Duck.

“A traffic jam in Duck is a lot better than one in Washington, D.C.,” he says with a laugh.

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MOOD BOARD

Original sketch and artwork created by Tanya Dulyaba.

A

1

TABLE SEA

BY THE

“START WITH COLORS THAT INSPIRE YOU,” says interior designer and fine artist Tanya Dulyaba. “Then think about what type of mood you’re trying to set. Whether you want things upbeat and stimulating or calm and soothing, different rooms in a home can – and should – inspire you in different ways.”

To create the bold and unique look of this dining room, Tanya started with neutral basics that include light-tone wood flooring (1) and Roman window shades (2), which add a subtle softness that doesn’t detract from more colorful accent pieces such as live greenery (3) and a cozy coral area rug (4).

2

Tanya also likes to point out that design doesn’t have to break the bank. No matter what your budget is, simple details such as faux support beams and a shiplap accent wall that’s been painted a rich, earthy tone (5) are relatively economical ways to create a one-of-akind look that suits your personal style.

She does advise people to bear in mind the size of the room they’re designing, however. Proportions matter, especially in smaller spaces, so selecting less bulky pieces of furniture such as low-back, stain-resistant chairs (6) and a clean-line wooden table (7) will keep things from feeling overcrowded – particularly if you commission a local vendor to handcraft those mainstays to fit the room perfectly.

And as for the finishing touches? A driftwood chandelier (8) and a few examples of custom local artwork (9) can serve as conversation starters that further connect the overall design with a natural, coastal aesthetic.

6 3 5

4

9

“Less is usually more,” Tanya explains.

“But I think it’s worthwhile to upgrade on a few specific items to create a high-end look – much like a nice pair of earrings can enhance almost any outfit.”

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

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CLASSIFIEDS Whalehead Oceanside – 8 BR, 5.5 BA. Newly updated kitchen with granite and custom tile. Ocean and sound views. Pool, hot tub and tiki bar. MLS #102250, $749,000.

Call Joanne at Beach Realty & Construction (252) 4533131.

Corolla Oceanside – 7 BR, 6.5 BA. Third row home located on one acre! Amazing home with 4 master suites, recently renovated, pool, hot tub, game room. MLS #102035, $799,000. Call Joanne at Beach Realty & Construction (252) 453-3131.

Carolina Dunes – Semi-oceanfront. 5 BR, 5.5 BA. Super elevated home overlooking the ocean with breathtaking views. Updated kitchen, private pool and hot tub. MLS #100387, $849,000. Call Danielle at Beach Realty & Construction (252) 261-6600.

Four Seasons Oceanside – 6 BR, 6.5 BA. Updated home in the heart of Duck. Beautifully maintained with pool, hot tub and game room! Tons of community amenities.

MLS #101330, $630,000. Call Ilona at Beach Realty & Construction (252) 261-6600.

Southern Shores Oceanside – 4 BR, 3.5 BA. Quality new construction by Beach Realty. Coastal-style architecture, open-concept floor plan, pool, metal roof accents and HW floors. MLS #101834, $699,000. Call Beach Realty & Construction at (252) 261-3815.

Grandy – 202 Augusta Drive. This gorgeous 3 BR, 2.5 BA home has plenty of mature trees to provide privacy, and is located on the 11th tee box with great golf course views. A spacious finished room over the garage, large back deck, screened porch and an open floor plan makes this the perfect home for entertaining. Offered at $325,000. Call Beth Garcia with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at (252) 207-4484.

Kill Devil Hills – 3214 Bay Drive. Soundfront 5 BR new construction with incredible water views looking out over Kitty Hawk Bay and the Albemarle Sound. This type of property doesn’t come around often. Modern architecture blends beautifully with high-end coastal finishes and is accentuated by abundant windows with tons of natural light. Offered at $995,000. Call Brad Beacham with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at (252) 202-6920.

Kill Devil Hills – 109 Old Holly Lane. Built in 2017 and just like new! Carlyle on the Sound is a serene community on Colington Island with sound access, and this home has one of the best home sites in an X-flood zone on a 19,000-sq.ft. property. The house was designed with attention to detail, including gorgeous reclaimed heart pine floors.

Offered at $419,000. Call Heather Sakers with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at (252) 599-6814.

Corolla – 450 North Cove Road. This 7 BR (2 master suites) 5.5 BA home has expansive ocean views and is only 4 lots from the ocean. Centrally located on a large homesite just steps to a direct beach access and the community pool and tennis complex. Offered at $815,000.

Call Heather VanderMyde with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at (252) 202-2375.

Martin’s Point – 4052 Martin’s Point Road. This contemporary soundfront home in the lovely gated community of Martin’s Point is ready for your imagination and ideas! Open and spacious with lots of room to expand or remodel. Offered at $629,000. Call Mary Ann Palmer with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at (252) 599-2711.

Duck – 1311 Duck Road. Welcome to SeaDuction! This solid rental performer has 6 BR, 5 full BA and 2 half BA, along with stunning sunset views from the open living area on the top floor and sundecks. Offered at $469,900. Call Mike Pringle with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at (252) 722-3242.

Nags Head – 4805 S Virginia Dare Trail. Beach Music is music to every investor’s ears! This exceptional oceanfront home offers 7 BR, 5 BA, and 2 half BA. Its unique perpendicular position to the ocean provides the family room, kitchen, dining room, and master bedroom with expansive, unobstructed views of the Atlantic. Offered at $1,375,000. Call Natalie Dutt with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at (252) 202-0499.

Southern Shores – 187 Holly Trail. An architectural delight with angles everywhere! Must see to appreciate. A custombuilt home with so many interesting features, this house will appeal to different personalities. One-level living with a huge central great room. Offered at $469,000. Call Sheila Williamson with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at (252) 202-4729.

Duck – 101 E Sea Tern Drive. Nestled in one of the Outer Banks’ most charming ocean side communities, this home offers fantastic amenities. Happy Wife Happy Life is located with sound access across the street and the ocean is just 975 feet from the driveway! Offered at $549,900. Call John Leatherwood with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty (252) 202-3834.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2018

Kill Devil Hills Between the Highways – 1719 Bobby Lee Trail. 5BR/3.5BA, 2352 sq. ft. MLS 100507. $549,900.

Great rentals, pool, hot tub, game room, screened porch and 2 beach accesses. A must see! Call Bobby Williams at (252) 207-9075.

Retail Space for Rent – Premium retail space available. St. Waves Plaza unit #1 is 3,074 sq. ft., and was formerly a bank. It’s a turn-key operation with 2 vaults, ATM and security systems, etc. Units 8 and 9 are 2,200 sq. ft. each of prime rental space. Call Carolyn Hickok Bibeau with Elan Real Estate at (252) 562-2485.

Unfurnished Yearly Rentals – University Park Townhomes are located in Powells Point, only 3 miles from the Wright Memorial Bridge. 3 BR/2.5 BA, 1,450 sq. ft., lovely back patio with storage, a community pool with a club house, playground and basketball court. Call Carolyn Hickok Bibeau with Elan Real Estate at (252) 562-2485.

Furnished Rentals – University Park Townhomes are located in Powells Point and offer long-term fully furnished rentals only 3 miles from the Wright Memorial Bridge. 3 BR/2.5 BA, 1,450 sq. ft., with a community pool, club house, playground and basketball court. Call Carolyn Hickok Bibeau with Elan Real Estate at (252) 562-2485.

Outer Banks and Currituck Mainland – Contact Broker in Charge Carolyn Hickok Bibeau with Elan Real Estate Sales at (252) 562-2485 or carolyn@elanvacations.com for all your real estate needs on the Outer Banks. Whether you are looking to purchase or sell your real estate, she is ready to assist you with all the details.

Rodanthe Semi-Oceanfront – 23237 Surf Side Dr. 4 BR, 2.5 BA, updated home with charming décor and unbelievable views and ocean access! $384,000. MLS 101043. Call Mike Siers at (252) 489-3861 or visit OBX4U.com.

Nags Head Oceanfront – 3631 S. VA Dare Trail. 5 BR, 5+ BA oceanfront home. Multiple living areas and amazing sweeping views of the Atlantic! $1,199,900. MLS 101765.

Call Mike Siers at (252) 489-3861 or visit OBX4U.com.

Southern Shores Oceanside – 14 Third Ave. Steps to the beach! 6 BR, 6.5 BA home loaded with coastal charm, outdoor living space, in-ground pool and hot tub! $799,000.

MLS 102208. Call Randy Jones at (252) 202-2573 or visit JonesGroupOBX.com.

Duck Oceanfront – 119 Sea Tern Dr. Wide beaches, recent updates and plenty of amenities – including a theater room, game room, multiple living spaces, pool, hot tub and more. $2,489,500. MLS 100700. Call Randy Jones at (252) 2022573 or visit JonesGroupOBX.com.

Corolla Oceanside – 755 Fisherman’s Ct. 4 BR, 2 BA affordable, adorable upgraded ocean side home in Ocean Sands. Second home use only! $347,000. MLS 102116. Call Randy Jones at (252) 202-2573 or visit JonesGroupOBX.com.

Nags Head Oceanfront – 3013 S. Virginia Dare Trail.

6BR/4.5BA, MLS 99795. $1,199,900. Wonderful location with beautiful ocean views, private pool, hot tub, game room, 2 master suites and bonus bunk room. Moneymaker investment property. Call Shelley O’Grady at (252) 722-2786.

Aydlett – Quiet living at 101 Bayview Drive. 3BR/2BA, MLS 101902. $274,000. Brick home sits on almost an acre with a backyard that’s set up for outdoor entertaining. Storage shed with power and neighborhood access to the sound.

Call Shelley O’Grady at (252) 722-2786 or Tim Moore at (252) 207-7700.

Nags Head Canal Front – 4712 S. Cobia Way. 3BR/2BA, MLS 101008. $364,900. Bring your boat to your own dock!

This house also has options: Live upstairs and rent out the first floor or vice versa. Downstairs is like a mother-in-law suite. Both levels have their own private deck. Call Shelley O’Grady at (252) 722-2786.

Kitty Hawk Semi-Oceanfront Townhouse – 3836 N. Virginia Dare Trail. 3BR/2.5BA, MLS 101710. $325,000. Good views with access to a club house that has a game room, workout area, tennis courts and a large pool. This unit was only used as a second home, but could be put in a rental program. Call Bobby Williams at (252) 207-9075.

Nags Head – 2233 S. Virginia Dare Trail. $1,795,000.

MLS #101573. High end, well cared for oceanfront home with a stable dune and a wide quiet beach. Great rental numbers. Elevator, heated private pool, custom kitchen with top-end appliances and granite countertops. Professionally decorated. Close to shopping, restaurants and more. A must see for your investor friends. 8 BR/7.1 BA. Call Mark Massey at (252) 202-4335 or visit www.resortrealty.com.

Nags Head – 3537 S. Memorial Avenue. $589,900. MLS #102117. Quality built. Single owner. Ocean views from top level and only a short walk to the beach. Large private pool, hot tub, tiki bar, expansive decks and more. Rec room with pool table and high-end furnishings. Large lot that backs up to open space for better views. 5 BR/4.1 BA. Call Michelle Gardner at (252) 715-1911 or visit www.resortrealty.com.

Corolla – 1048 Whalehead Drive. $539,000. MLS #102187. Meticulously maintained home on a corner lot with fabulous ocean views and a direct beach access.

Granite kitchen with stainless appliances, plus a private pool, hot tub and rec room for the entire family to enjoy.

Flat screens and DVD players everywhere! Sun decks to get a tan or covered decks to read. Great rental income in a highly desired neighborhood. 5 BR/4.2 BA. Call Susie VonSuskil at (252) 207-1088 or visit www.resortrealty.com.

Rodanthe – 24246 Atlantic Drive. $339,000. MLS #101793. Sweet little beach cottage that’s a stone’s throw from Rodanthe Pier with views of the ocean and sound.

Enjoy entertaining in the well-equipped kitchen and the open great room with an electric fireplace to use on cool evenings. Enjoy the hot tub after a long day at the beach. 4 BR/2 BA. Call Sheri Ducharme at (757) 407-8268 or visit www.resortrealty.com.

Kitty Hawk – 4024 Tarkle Ridge Drive. $279,000. MLS #101674. Gently used second home that backs up to a protected salt marsh on a dead end street. Fabulous year round or second home neighborhood that’s known as a boater’s dream with activities, boat ramps, docks, picnic areas and deeded ocean access. Dry entry for convenience. 3 BR/2 BA. Call Janis Kuykendall at (252) 489-6696 or visit www.resortrealty.com.

Kill Devil Hills – Canal front home. 3 BR/2 BA located in Colington Harbor. Includes a boat dock, walk-in closet, and a new HVAC system. MLS #101760. $273,500.

Contact Carol Perry at (252) 261-4183 or CarolPerry@ SunRealtyNC.com.

Salvo – Oceanside home. 4 BR/2 BA with a short walk to the beach. Includes new flooring throughout, a rooftop deck, and a hot tub. MLS #100628. $259,000.

Contact Mike Wynn at (252) 995-5821 or MikeWynn@ SunRealtyNC.com.

Point Harbor – Sound front home. 2 BR/3 BA. Renovated and sold fully furnished. Includes 1.5 lots, a backyard dock, and a boat lift. MLS # 99913. $469,000. Contact Karen Etheridge at (252) 261-3892 or KarenEtheridge@ SunRealtyNC.com.

Manteo – 3 BR/2 full and 1 half BA. Includes a large backyard with a storage shed, an outside shower, and a small garden. MLS # 101556. $295,000. Contact Michael Davenport at (252) 441-8011 or MichaelDavenport@ SunRealtyNC.com.

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