Sorry it's grainy...I shot it with my iPhone while taking a stroll on the beach last night.  We are in Carolla for a wedding and it is so quiet and peaceful now that the majority of tourists have left.  If you are not familiar with Carolla, it is located in the northern part of the Outer Banks, the barrier islands of North Carolina.  Our friends rented 2 huge beach houses and everyone is staying here together.  It's been a fabulous time and I'm sure watching our good friends, John and Malesa get married tonight on the beach will be a beautiful, magical moment! 09/12/2009

  Some of the Corolla Wild Horses wanted to remind all of us staying in Carova that this is their home also so please pick up pick up after yourselves and be sure to recycle!       09/08/2009

This is a 10 minute video showing our 2 mile drive from the recycling center to our house. Along the way we saw a heard of the Corolla Wild Horses that had found their way into our new Carova Beach Park. If you want to jump straight to the horses, it is at about 2:30 into the video.Sorry But I don't know how to edit it out yet.     09/06/2009

  My wife and I took a walk to Virginia. It's so funny how we can walk into VA so much faster than we can drive into it. When we came back down the beach into NC it was starting to get dark. I don't know for sure what it is, but up here I enjoy the sun sets on the dune line much more than the sun rises on the shore line. I think it's because we have stretches of dune line where all you see is dune. On much of the paved section on the Outer Banks when you look west from the beach all you see is houses, hotels, & restaurants. Take a look at some of these shots and tell me how you can not fall in love with Carova.       I apologize for the quality, but all I had on me was my cell phone.   09/06/2009

I know that the year is 3/4 over but there are still many good events that go on here in the fall and winter months that people may not know about.  The Whalehead Club Events for 2009 Currituck Heritage Park, Corolla NC     Currituck Heritage Park Winter Educational Series Presentation on Tiffany Glass by Gary Baker.  Location: The Whalehead Club Tuesday, January 13 at 11:00am Gary Baker, former Curator of Glass at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, VA, will present a program on Louis Comfort Tiffany.  Tiffany, unlike his jewelry-making family, became known throughout the world for his innovative and artistic glass-making. Tiffany’s contribution to the Art Nouveau movement will be highlighted through the beautiful examples of his glass-work in the Whalehead Club.  In addition, Mr Baker wil... 09/02/2009

Now here is question that I probably get asked more than any other. A lot of times it's not from strangers either, but people that I know and just seem to keep on checking that I haven't changed my mind on my lifestyle decision. My usual answer is:   "If I could make my money without going onto the pavement, I would be very happy".   And that is actually my long term goal. Not that I don't like going into the world of paved streets and commercialization. I just want to be able to go because I want to and not because I have to. I used to think that getting to the grocery store for food was going to be a real pain, but in reality ti turned out not to be much different from when we lived in a college town. I would call my wife up and say "honey, I'm getting ready to head on home." and she ... 08/29/2009

I get the question asked of me more than any other question by far, both on & off the road. Just driving up the 10 mile stretch of beach and back is no guarantee that you see the Corolla Wild horses. In fact I would give those odds about 20%. The horses are most often grazing, and since there is no grass growing at the shoreline, it is rare to see them out there. Most often you have to brave taking one of the ramps over the dune line and go exploring the back roads. Remember there are about 100 horses and 12,000 acres for them to roam. they do come out on the beach from time to time. I've been told that they will usually do this to get away from the flies, and are most likely to come out when the wind is blowing from the west. During the summer, the best chance of seeing them "on the be... 08/27/2009

This is one that I first wondered when I discovered Carova. Do people actually try to raise children in this type of environment? The answer is YES! And, from what I’ve seen, they do a great job. The parents basically have 3 options to them. 1.       They can drive their children down the beach onto the “hard Surface” road, and from there, the child can catch a school bus to one of the Dare County schools. I know one family doing this and they have to leave the house by 5:40 AM to catch the bus at 6:00. If traffic is good the bus comes back at 5:10, so the kids can get home be 5:30. 2.       They can take their children in across the sound to Knotts Island, and from there, the child can catch a school bus to one of the Currituck County Schools. I know several families that choose this m... 08/26/2009

A lot of people think the the Outer Banks, and especially Corolla, becomes a ghost town in the off-season. Although the population may vary depending on the time of year, we are becoming a 10 month resort thanks to the great off season prices, proximity to the northern states (many can make it here with only one stop for gas), and milder climate (we hit 75 degrees this past Sunday). Because of this, there are still plenty of things to do & places to both eat & shop. Here is a list of who's still open and available for business that was provided by Currituck County. If you would like to know more, you can go to www.VisitCurrituck.com. It is recommended that you call ahead to verify these hours of operation if you are traveling long distances, as they subject to change. Dining Bacchus Win... 08/26/2009

The answer is almost always no. I would say that 90% of the time there is plenty of room to drive on the beach at high tide. There is certainly less room than at low tide. Low tide gives you enough beach for about 10 lanes of traffic where high tide gives you enough beach for about 4 lanes, and the sand is going to be looser. I usually don't worry about the tide when driving. The exeption is if I am going to be towing something behind me like a U-Haul trailer or during the other 10% of the time. The other 10% of the time the tide can come as high as the dune line depending a little on the moon and air pressure and a lot on the wind. When there is a Nor'Easter coming in that's when it is best to time your trips more carefully. 08/25/2009

  It sems to me that there is an abundance of pictures of the ocean and the shoreline but few of the other side of the beach. Maybe it's because at most beaches when you turn around and put your back to the water, all you see are houses and hotels. Not up my way. Althought there are certainly some ocean front houses, there are NO HOTELS and there are some beautiful stretches of beach where all you see when you look West is Nature's Beauty. Here are some pics that I just had to stop and take on my way home the other day.         08/24/2009

The Corolla real estate market continues on it's downward slide. Although the number of sales has leveled off the prices are still falling. It doesn't help when the lenders label an area as "declining" and make it harder to get a loan there than it does for borrowers just on the other side of the county line. And now the banks are dumping their foreclosures at stupidly low prices which just hurts the market even more. If you are in the market for an Outer Banks foreclosure you can steal a property but be sure you have done your homework and are ready to move quickly because they are selling fast. There are still plenty deals available but who knows how much longer before the high prices become the norm again. The statistics below are from the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS.   Corol... 08/05/2009

  First let me give the story behind this question. I had this asked of me one time while trying to help some vacationeers find their way back to ther rental house during a Nor'easter. They had been following me for about a mile when I lost them going over a dune. I didn't want to drive back for fear that we would collide at the top so I had to get out and run. When I got to the other side I saw that they were trying to make it up, but would keep on bogging down about halfway. When they saw me, the driver rollded down her window and said "I can't get enough momentum". I looked at her tires and asked if she had droped their pressure. She said yes. I asked "what did you drop them down to?" and she repied "Thirty". I told her back it down to the bottom of the dune and let's drop them to fi... 07/24/2009

I get this question asked from time to time and the answer is yes....well mostly. We will not get delivery from UPS, DHL, or FedEx; but we do get mail brought up the beach from the good old USPS! The mail does get delivered up here but not to our houses. anyone wanting their mail delivered into Carova can get get a mail box assigned to them across the street from the fire station in Carova Beach. For some residents that pretty convenient, for others living in Swan Beach or North Swan Beach, it is as much as 6 miles in the wrong direction. Consequently many of these residents choose to rent a P.O. Box at the closest post office which is located in Corolla. The Corolla Post Office is located about 1 mile south of the end of the paved road. like most post offices it is accessible 24/7, but... 07/19/2009

  That is very much not right. Then there is also the question “FEMA will not insure houses up there, will they?” This is closer but still incorrect. The NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) does not provide flood insurance to any new houses in the 4WD area.  NFIP is the general public, low-cost, simple-to-obtain federal/FEMA flood insurance. There was a time when FEMA provided flood insurance for the “Off Road” beaches (a.k.a. Carova). Then later on they designated to whole area a CBRA Zone (Coastal Barrier Resources Act) A CBRA zone (pronounced COBRA zone) is an area designated by Congress that prohibits all federal expenditures, including flood insurance, for residential and commercial development in such zones. When Carova was designated a CBRA zone, FEMA did grandfather in any h... 07/09/2009

  Welcome to my Blog. My name is Jean-Paul Peron. I'm a REALTOR® with Sun Realty on the Outer Banks. My wife and I built our dream home and moved to Carova, a 10 mile stretch of non comercialized beach with no paved roads and home to the Corolla Wild Horses. Carova is an nincorporated community in Cuttituck County in the extreme northeast corner of North Carolina. Its three main neighborhoods of Swan Beach, North Swan Beach, and Carova Beach can only be accessed by four-wheel drive, boat, or (if you want to splurge) by helicopter since there are no paved roads connecting Carova to neighboring Corolla of Virginia. There is actually a fence at the state line to keep the vehicles from crossing into Virginia. Living this far from civilization and this close to the ocean is a blessing that s... 07/08/2009

Are you looking to take advantage of this real estate market?  There are some great opportunities in Corolla, for those looking to buy.  Many who are interested in vacation rental income, to offset the cost of home ownership, a short sales offers a way to buy a home at a good price that may come rental ready.  This is in contrast to many OBX bank owned homes, which often require some upgrades before they are in a rental ready condition.  For more information check out, Corolla Short Sales. 06/04/2009

Unless you are building a new home, the Outer Banks home you purchase will more than likely be in a rental program. The Vacation Rental Act of North Carolina says that you must honor any rental agreements entered into by the previous owner for 180 days after you purchase the property. Rental companies usually charge between 18%-25% of the gross rents to manage your property for the season. Each rental management company provides different services for its clients. Make sure you know what services are included in your management fee and what services your management company offers for an additional charge. Most rental agencies offer services additional to your contract al a carte. If you are choosing a new rental company, it is important that you choose one that is active in your neighbo... 04/30/2009

To follow up on the previous post about the prices in Duck & Corolla I wanted to show 2 recent closed transactions. Here is an example of the great deals buyers are getting now on the Outer Banks in Duck & Corolla!! Located in Duck 1 Lot Oceanfront MLS#55721 5 Bedroom 4 ½ Baths 2000sq ft Built 1995 Pool & Hot Tub Fully Furnished $42,000 Rental Income Originally listed on 10/05 for $1,100,000 Sold 6/12/08 for $726,500- $373,500 off original list price!!! Tax assessment on this house was $933,700!!!!! Located in Corolla 6 Bedroom 5 ½ Bath 3326 Sq Ft Built 2005 Almost $50,000 in gross yearly rental income Fully Furnished  Originally Listed $925,000 in 8/05  Sold 6/10/08 $605,000-That's $320,000 off the original list price!!! There are deals like these all over the Outer Banks in all price ... 06/18/2008

Corolla Light:  A Resort VillageCorolla Light Resort has 400 homes, some on or near the ocean and some on the sound, on 250 acres in Corolla, North Carolina.  It's the only resort on the Outer Banks offering activities for your whole family, including an indoor Sports Center, outdoor and indoor pools, tennis, restaurants, and access to the beach.Nearby local attractions include the famous Currituck Beach Lighthouse, The Whalehead Club, and Currituck Club Golf Course.Our ResortQuest office is conveniently located at 1023 Ocean Trail, across the street from the Sports Center.  We have many lovely vacation rental homes located in Corolla Light.  Visit our website or call our reservations department,  800-688-2813, and start planning your Corolla Light vacation today! 04/27/2008