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        <title>Resort Realty Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/</link>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/outer-banks-market-continually-strong-over-others.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/outer-banks-market-continually-strong-over-others.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>Outer Banks Market: Continually Strong Over Others</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Theres
no such thing as a sure thing, but about as close to that as you can get is the
tourist industry on the Outer Banks. Of course, thats easy to say (or write),
but investors looking to purchase homes for the rental market need more than
words.


The fact is,
though, that Outer Banks tourism revenue has grown every year since the early
1990s with the exception of 2008 to 2009. Using Dare County gross occupancy as
a bench mark, the loss in revenue was 1.78% during that period, but in the two
years since, revenues have increased more than 7%--and that includes last year
when Hurricane Irene struck during the last week in August.


The almost
3.8% increase in occupancy revenues 2011 vs 2010 is truly remarkable. Because
of Irene, there was no visitation to Hatteras Island for eight weeks after the
storm and the northern Outer Banks lost almost two weeks of visitation at the
end of the peak season.&nbsp;


Hatteras
Island seems to be coming back very strong, and indications from property
managers on the norther Outer Banks indicate another very strong season is
developing.


There are a
number of factors that have contributed to the consistent and continuing
strength of the Outer Banks market. Certainly the physical setting has a lot to
do with it. This is a beautiful place to visit and there is a lot to do.&nbsp;The beauty of
the area alone, however, does not explain its growth--there are, after all, a
number of places that compare very well with the Outer Banks for beauty and
amenities that have struggled over the past few years. Coastal South Carolina,
as an example did not recover to pre-recession figures until 2010 and 2011. The
same seems to be true for much of coastal New Jersey.


What the
Outer Banks has done as well as any other regional market is create a cohesive
marketing plan. Some of that is the direct result of the Outer Banks Visitors
Bureau that is specifically tasked with that in mind.&nbsp;Additionally,
property management companies on the Outer Banks have remarkably high
professional standards--both in marketing and product development.


There is also
a geographic advantage. Of all the major tourist destinations on the eastern
seaboard, the Outer Banks is the most centrally located allowing it to draw
from a day long drive time radius that includes New York City, Philadelphia,
most of Ohio and Atlanta.


There are,
and will continue to be uncertainties in the marketplace--and many of those
uncertainties are beyond the control of any one person or regional market.
However, those elements of marketing, presentation and product development that
can be controlled are being handled professionally on the Outer Banks, and the
results speak for themselves.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 14:37:27 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/real-estate-trends-outlook.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/real-estate-trends-outlook.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>Real Estate Trends &amp; Outlook</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Well
call this one &ldquo;The Numbers Game&rdquo; or maybe, &ldquo;Statistics Dont Lie . . . They
just Change Their Story&rdquo;.&nbsp;


The problem,
of course, with that ever-changing statistical story is at some point in time
no matter how the story is cast, the reality of the numbers takes hold. And
looking for a silver lining in the face of declining real estate values is a
tough job, but there really are some glimmers of hope.


Wondering how
Outer Banks property values stacked up against other resort areas on the East
Coast, I took a look at housing sales over the past five years. Using the
information on City-data.com, some pretty interesting numbers emerged.&nbsp;


First the
obvious. The average selling price of properties fell and fell dramatically
over the past five years--and that drop occurred in every zip code examined.
And the number of units sold also declined--declined even more than the selling
price. Which isnt news to anyone.


The Outer
Banks as a housing market, has held its own compared to all the other markets.
Depending on how the numbers are viewed, the average selling price of a home in
this area either declined a little bit more or a little bit less than the
average. This, bye the way, is where the statistics game comes into play. If
you take out obvious statistical anomalies, things looks slightly better. If
left in, they look not quite as good.


The anomaly?
In the first quarter of 2007 the average selling price of a house in Hatteras
was $1,000,000 . . . at its lowest point, the average selling price was
$150,000. Because relatively few sales are made in that zip code (not Hatteras
Island, just the zip code), one or two large transactions (or one or two
foreclosures) have a disproportionate effect.


The silver
lining in all of this? The decline in the number of properties sold was
significantly less across the Outer Banks than the average for the zip codes
included. The average decline in sales of all properties was 73% overall. For
the Outer Banks--61.5%.


By any
standards, both of those numbers are pretty bleak, but the better number found
in the Outer Banks sales is consistent with a steadily declining inventory.
Allowing for the obvious, predicting the future is a lot like tying your shoes
together and going for a walk--its almost guaranteed that youll trip over
your own two feet. However, healthy inventories are part of a healthy market,
and just like any sales transaction, when there is too much inventory, the
selling price will be depressed.


Looking into
the crystal ball (which is as reliable as predicting the future) that decline
in inventory would seem to indicate a return to sanity in the local real estate
market. That does not mean that property values will start rising in the next
three months or six month, necessarily . . . but they will start rising in the
foreseeable future. It would also seem to indicate that bargain hunters looking
for the best value in a property may wish to invest sooner rather than later.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:30:57 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/outer-banks-economic-forecast1.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/outer-banks-economic-forecast1.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>Outer Banks Economic Forecast </title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Jim
Kleckley, PhD, is the Director, Bureau of Business Research at East Carolina
University and the President-Elect of the Association for University Business
and Economic Research, so when he discusses the economy there is a certain
amount of expertise associated with it. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce,
Dr. Kleckley had been coming to the Outer Banks for the past six or seven years
and putting his two cents in about where the economy is heading-- and for the
most part, hes been remarkably accurate.


So his latest
prediction, coming last Tuesday, comes as a relief.


Growth--sustainable
growth--has returned to the Outer Banks. Nothing spectacular, but it would
appear that the local economies, powered by the strength of the tourism
industry, are poised to expand at around 4-5% this coming year.


The region
took its share of hits during the recession, and the three counties that
comprise the Outer Banks--Dare, Currituck and Hyde--held their own, although
Hyde County, primarily rural except for Ocracoke, did not fare as well as its
northern neighbors. Going forward Dr. Kleckley pointed to a number of factors
that will continue to support a strong tourist industry.&nbsp;


Unemployment
in North Carolina has hovered around 10% for some time and the Dare County
figure has remained above 11% throughout the winter. However, the regions and
states that are the Outer Banks most important markets have some of the lowest
unemployment rates in the nation. Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and
Pennsylvania all have unemployment rates below 8%, significantly lower than the
national average of 8.2%. Virginia, with the eighth lowest rate in the country
at 5.7%, is the primary market for the region, and that figure is skewed by the
extraordinarily low unemployment in the Washington, D.C. area.


There are
other factors that have played into this. Rising fuel costs are certainly a part
of the discussion. Fuel costs disproportionally effect long distance travel
over a drive to location. As an example, if every member of a family of four is
hit with a $150 fuel surcharge to fly to Cancun, the extra $100 or $125 it
costs to drive from Philadelphia makes the Outer Banks a much more attractive
destination.


It was not a
completely rosy picture that Dr. Kleckley painted, however. The unemployment
rate in Dare County especially, remains unacceptably high. And, perhaps even
more troubling--some of the best paying professions have lost employment and
personnel over the past four years. At this point in time, the leisure and
hospitality industry is the largest employer on the Outer Banks and average
weekly earnings of employees in that industry, are the lowest of all segments.


The housing
market has begun the road to recovery, but it is a long road back, and the
national, regional and local statistics Dr. Kleckley presented, made that
clear. Finally, the Outer Banks economy is very much impacted by both national
and international events. Turmoil in the Mideast or the European debt crisis
are far beyond the influence of local policy makers, yet difficulties in those
areas could have a dramatic effect on the what happens here.


Nonetheless,
even with the cautionary notes, Dr. Kleckleys message was the most positive we
have heard in the past three or four years.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:31:18 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/outer-banks-market-update.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/outer-banks-market-update.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>Outer Banks Market Update</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
A reason for optimism in
the Outer Banks real estate market at last!&nbsp;Sales are up. Properties
under contract are up. Inventory is coming down.


&ldquo;The first quarter is now
behind us and it was a good one,&rdquo; Roy Singletary, Resort Realty Sales Manager,
says. &ldquo;There was an 18% increase in number of sales over the first quarter of
last year.&rdquo;


Values continue to be
outstanding, and this may be the best time to buy. The market continues to be
depressed by bank owned properties and short sales, but that inventory is being
sold off. &ldquo;Bank owned properties made up 22% of all sales and short sales
comprised 11% of all sales,&rdquo; Roy says. &ldquo;Buyers are drawn to these properties
because of their less than normal market values.&rdquo;


Prices are still depressed,
but the number of sales is so great that the overall Outer Banks sales volume
has increased dramatically. &ldquo;Sales volume was up 17% while the median sales
price was down by 9% and the average sales price was down by 7%,&rdquo; Roy explains.


There is growing evidence
that the market is poised to begin its rebound. Inventories are coming down,
with residential inventories in particular declining by 6%. As more people
enter the market and sales increase, inventory levels will begin to resemble a
normal market.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 


There are other signs of an
emerging healthy real estate market, as well.


The value of Dare County
building permits is significantly up (28.3%) through February, following a
similar trend for the previous year. What is perhaps most telling, is the
number of permits being issued is down, indicating larger projects--new home construction
as opposed to remodels, as an example.


It is not just sales that
are rebounding. Properties under contract are adding to the overall sense that
the market is ready to make a recovery. Through February, contracts overall
were up 25% with land under contract up a whopping 51% and residential
properties up 15%. Commercial properties were also way, way up, but the number
of units is so small that its hard to say if its statistically significant.


There is still a long way
to go until the market returns to the peak conditions of 2006--although there
is a lot of debate about whether that was even a sustainable market.
Nonetheless, the market is looking healthier than it has in some time, and
there is reason for optimism. &ldquo;Low mortgage rates with a rise in consumer
confidence and an abundance of inventory brings the rest of the buyers to the
remaining&nbsp;market and may be an indicator of a rising market,&rdquo; Roy says.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:55:16 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/st-pattys-day-parade-obx.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/st-pattys-day-parade-obx.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>St. Patty's Day Parade OBX</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
I
think this was the 23rd Kellys St. Patricks Day Parade. Maybe it was the 22nd, maybe the
24th--somehow
none of that really seems to matter when it comes to Mike Kellys showcase
event. Frankly, sometimes Im not sure its even a parade . . .&nbsp; perhaps
more a celebration of the joy and importance of being different.


Oh sure,
theres marching bands, the American Legion, police cars, fire engines and
drill teams. But lets face it, when was the last time you saw any parade where
the drill team performed with beach chairs--and theyre good, too . . . even if
half of them are men dressed as women and the other half are dressed, well,
uniquely.


Theres a
reason why people begin lining the parade route a good hour to an hour and a
half before the official start. For one thing, if youre a family, its
important to be up front because a lot of candy makes its way to the crowd. The
stuff that used to be called penny candy--miniature tootsie rolls, sour balls,
bubble gum, the quantities that come from the floats, the cars and everybody
else that seems to be tossing candy to the kids is astonishing. Ive seen kids
make a better haul on St. Pattys penny candy than they did at Halloween.


Of course the
floats are that one of a kind concept that seems so natural to the parade. Its
a little difficult to know exactly what the theme of most of the floats is
supposed to be. Some of them are very understandable--this years theme was the
10th anniversary
of the Outer Banks Hospital and it appeared as though half the staff of the
hospital was crammed into their two or three floats.&nbsp;


But then
theres the floats where it appears as though the sponsors daughter and her
best friend get to dance for the whole time it takes to traverse the one mile
route.


The past
couple of years there seems to be a bit more politics in the parade. Every candidate
in eastern North Carolina has always made it a point to sit in a convertible
and wave to the crowd, but the Republican Party, Tea Party and Democratic Party
all had floats in the parade this year. I did notice that the Republican and
Tea Party were one after the other. Probably better that the Democratic float
trailed one band and three floats behind.&nbsp;


If it is a
parade, I suppose it would be considered an open forum format. So, in addition
to the four or five marching bands, lots of shiny cars and floats, there is a
rider on a unicycle jumping rope--and by the way, this looks to be an 8
unicycle; people walking their dogs, the dogs, of course painted green. The
best visual though may have been the Kill Devil Roller Brigrade (thats right,
the Outer Banks has a Roller Derby team) skating right at me. Now thats a
memory that wont fade away.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:42:01 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/top-sales-agent-sales-team-for-2011.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/top-sales-agent-sales-team-for-2011.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>Top Sales Agent &amp; Sales Team for 2011</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Randy Jones Named Resort Realtys Top
Sales Agent for 2011


Resort Realty of the Outer
Banks is pleased to announce Randy Jones as its &ldquo;Top Sales Agent&rdquo; for 2011. Jones
was also Resorts 2010 and 2009 Agent of the Year and a consistent high-ranking
top producer in Outer Banks Real Estate. He is a
graduate of the University of Wilmington, as well as The Wake Forest University
School of Law. Jones practiced law for seven years prior to making the
transition into real estate sales and now has over ten years of real estate
experience on the Outer Banks. &nbsp;Jones office is in Resorts Duck location
and he can be reached at 1-800-545-3908.


Linda and Dick Harper Resort Realtys 2011
Top Sales Team


Resort Realty of the Outer
Banks is pleased to announce Linda and Dick Harper as &ldquo;Top Sales Team&rdquo; for
2011. Dick joined the Resort Realty sales team in 1991 and Linda
followed a few years later. Both are long time area residents and have been
active in the community. Dick was a member of the Nags Head Planning Board for
10 years, and served on the Nags Head Board of Commissioners for two terms. Their
combined real estate experience of more than 50 years gives them a unique
vantage point from which to advise their clients, and to guide them toward
property they will enjoy for many years to come. The
Harpers offices are in Resorts Nags Head location and they can be reached at
(800) 268-0152.


&nbsp;
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:11:34 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/obhba-announces-2012-board-of-directors.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/obhba-announces-2012-board-of-directors.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>OBHBA Announces 2012 Board of Directors</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
&#65279;&#65279;Outer Banks Home Builders Association (OBHBA) recently announced their 2012 Board of Directors at the January general membership meeting. Chris Toolan of Resort Realty was among those named to serve the Association and the Outer Banks community this year.&nbsp;


&#65279;


The mission of OBHBA is: "to serve, promote, educate and advocate for members of the local building industry while supporting each other and the local community. With the provision of goods, services and monetary resources, OBHBA members continue to support local food pantries, college scholarships, urgent repair needs of individuals within the community and organized efforts for recovery and relief in the areas hardest hit by last years hurricane."


Resort Realty is proud to support the OBHBA and congratulates Chris Toolan on his contributions.&nbsp;


Pictured (photo&nbsp;courtesy&nbsp;of OBHBA):&nbsp;


2012 OBHBA Board of Directors: From left, Tom Haddon, Haddon Homes; Mike Wiegand, First Bank;Secretary Chuck Hymes, Home Solutions; Associate VP Kaye Brown Jones, OBX Bank/Mortgage;Sam Hagedon, Hatteras Island Construction; President John DeBoy, DeBoy Construction &amp; Remodeling;Treasurer Brian McDonald, Outer Banks Heating and Cooling; Vice President Sam Barker, Seaside Builders;Chris Toolan, Resort Realty; Past President Forrest Seal, Forrest Seal, LLC; Anthony Collie, Mill-End Carpet;and Jay Overton, Albemarle &amp; Associates. Not pictured Director Kenny Pekrun, Atlantic Elevators.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:05:30 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/outer-banks-event-homes.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/outer-banks-event-homes.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>Outer Banks Event Homes</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
The
Outer Banks Wedding Expo was this past weekend, so this is probably a good time
to talk about the business side of getting married on the Outer Banks. There
is, of course, romance and love (hopefully) involved in getting married, but
there is certainly money to be made as well.


Although
specific numbers are hard to come by, a conservative estimate puts the number
of weddings on the Outer Banks (Carova to Ocracoke) at a little over 3000. The
amount of money the industry produces is huge. The average wedding costs
somewhere around $29,000-30,000, and that figure does not include lodging.


It is in
lodging that the greatest opportunity for homeowners lies.


Because the
majority of Outer Banks weddings occur in the shoulder seasons (September/October
and April/May are the most popular times), being a part of the local wedding
scene offers homeowners tremendous opportunity for increased revenue outside of
the summer season.


Unlike a
wedding in a hometown, everyone who is coming to an Outer Banks wedding is
coming from somewhere else, and they need some a to stay. At its simplest
level, a homeowner may wish to make sure their home is available when a wedding
party comes to town. George Bell, event coordinator for Resort Realty, notes
that wedding parties like to be in close proximity to one another and knowing
housing is available makes that job easier. &ldquo;At Resort Realty, weve done a
really good job of keeping everyone together when additional lodging is
needed,&rdquo; he says.


Homeowners
may also wish to include their property in the Resort Realty event home
listings. Although there are additional opportunities for income when a home is
listed as an event home, there are expenses involved as well.


&ldquo;When someone
says they want to be an event home, I walk through the house,&rdquo; George says. &ldquo;I
want to make sure the house can handle 50 or 60 people. We want to look at the
septic system and make sure its adequate. At the very least, the home must be
well maintained. The lawn neat, the walls painted. If we take a picture, it has
to look its best.&rdquo;


&ldquo;It is
important that the homeowners educate themselves,&rdquo; George goes on to say. &ldquo;It
(an event home) comes with additional wear and tear. You might as well not even
stock your house with wine glasses. Theyll either get broken or leave with the
guests.&rdquo;


There is an
event fee that is charged--typically $1500-2500--but much of that fee may be
consumed by maintenance costs, breakage and commissions. Nonetheless,
homeowners generally realize some additional revenue from the event fees,
according to George.


It should
also be stressed that event homes are not solely for weddings. &ldquo;Family reunions
can be just as big. Sometimes bigger,&rdquo; George points out.


There are two
wedding organizations on the Outer Banks. The Outer Banks Wedding Association&nbsp;is by far the largest and has been around for some time. OBXbrides is a newer, much smaller organization. OBXbrides will hold a
wedding show on March 24 at the Sanderling Inn and Resort in Duck.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:12:40 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/2012-real-estate-outlook.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/2012-real-estate-outlook.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>2012 Real Estate Outlook</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Its
hard not to be optimistic at the beginning of a new year, although with real
estate its a little more difficult than feeling good about your favorite
sports team, as an example. The analogy with sports teams seems reasonable though. Their success tends to be somewhat cyclical--some more cyclical than
others--a reasonable guess can be made about their chances for success (or
failure) based on observable facts, but ultimately it is the game itself that
decides how well a team does.


That
comparison, however, doesnt really hold up all that well. No matter how much
we care about our favorite teams, no matter if they win or lose, in the big
scheme of things, it doesnt really matter.&nbsp;The value of
our property, though, the largest investment many American have, that does
matter.


In the glass
half empty, glass half full view of things, the Outer Banks real estate market
has held its own over the past few years and does not seem to have gone through
as much of the radical contraction seen in many markets. Thats the half-full
scenario.&nbsp;The
half-empty pessimist would point out that property values are stagnate, real
estate sales for the Outer Banks are virtually unchanged from 2010 to 2011.
(1.3% more transactions for 1.4% less value through November), and there is
still a backlog of distressed properties.


It is the
distressed properties that may be the biggest hurdle to overcome, according to
Roy Singletary, Resort Realty sales manager. &ldquo;Theres a lot of distressed
properties that may be coming into the market in 2012,&rdquo; Roy notes. &ldquo;These are
properties that were foreclosed improperly. The banks are holding off on them
waiting for a ruling from the court.&rdquo;


Those
distressed properties are at the heart of why sales and property values are not
going up. That backlog has created a buyers market and Roy points out that
property owners who put an appropriate price out there are getting results.
&ldquo;There are buyers out there and&nbsp; . . . they are looking for good deals.
Sellers who are willing to look at our local market and recognize that it is
not the 2004 market will sell their property.&rdquo;


There is
movement in the market. . . and surprising strength. Over half of the real
estate transactions in the Outer Banks market were for three to four bedroom
single family homes. Priced under $400,000 (the average 2011 price is just
above $301,000 so substantially below $400,000.), these are homes that are
being purchased as primary residences or family vacation homes.


Builders have
certainly noticed the trend and there is a bit of a resurgence in new home
construction locally to answer the demand. Although the initial price of a new
home may appear to be significantly more than a distressed property, many of
the foreclosed homes need a lot of work to bring them to habitable standards.
&ldquo;If someone has to invest $40,000 or $50,000 to make a house livable, its
about the same price as a new home and theyll (buyers) go for the new home
with all the guarantees that come with it,&rdquo; Roy says.


So, not much
of a New Years prediction for the Outer Banks real estate market. Or take your
pick: glass half full, glass half empty. Its a good market either way, but you
will need to pick a good team.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:33:22 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/holidays-on-the-outer-banks.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.resortouterbanks.com/blog/holidays-on-the-outer-banks.html</link>
            <author>lori.brooks@resortrealty.com (Resort  Realty )</author>
            <title>Holidays on the Outer Banks</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Set against the ever-changing sea
and the inevitable march to the heart of winter, holidays on the Outer Banks
become a gift to be cherished. To be here during the holiday season
takes a certain acceptance that nature will have its way but the shelter
against any storm is ultimately the family and traditions that are so much a
part of life on the edge of a continent.


Some of those traditions are a little bit quirky, and
certainly unique. Old Christmas, celebrated on January 5 in Rodanthe, is
probably one of the few places left that mark the day. Dating from the mid 18th century
when 11 days were dropped from the calendar to create the modern Gregorian
calendar, the day is welcomed with a stuffed bull (an English tradition) and a
lot of cheer.


There are other traditions as well, many of those remarkably
similar to the traditions in almost any small town--for make no mistake, in the
winter, the Outer Banks becomes a place of small town custom and village life.


Santa seems to be everywhere. Theres breakfast with Santa,
and he eats so many of them, its no wonder hes a &ldquo;fat jolly old elf.&rdquo; And
that doesnt include all the other ways he shows up.&nbsp;It is more than Santa, though. Every year the Elizabethan
Gardens Grand Illumination creates artistry against the dark of night.&nbsp;


Speaking of lighting the night sky--the Poulos house, on the
road to Nags Head Woods, is a holiday creation that has to be seen to be
believed. Passing under a lighted arch in the road, suddenly there appears
dozens of individual holiday scenes (holiday being used advisedly--theres a
Menorah and dreidel scene included), tens of thousands if not hundreds of
thousands of lights, and just an extraordinary feeling of the joy of the
season.&nbsp;It is the gift of one family to the Outer Banks.


It may be that is what creates such a wonderful feeling of
being home for the holidays on the Outer Banks; the sense of generosity, family
and giving can and do transcend any one place, yet they define the meaning home
and holiday.&nbsp;Certainly, it is a gift to have those things on the Outer
Banks as it is a gift to have those things in all of our lives.


Perhaps, then, that is the gift of the season, the sense of
home and holiday that comes with the traditions surrounding us.


From all of us at Resort Realty, we wish you the
very best this holiday season and a wonderful new
year.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:44:50 -0600</pubDate>
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