This is a question that I would often get asked when I had a call about acreage for sale. In the past my answer would usually be "Maybe". Currituck County would normally let you keep horses depending on how many with a minimum lot size of 3 acres. But this month things have changes. The Board of Commissioners have created a new ordinance that forbids any & all domestic horses from entering the are between the end of the pavement and the NC/VA state line. Section 10-55 has been amended to read, “It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, harbor, maintain, possess, ride, walk or bring a horse into or upon that area of the county on the Outer Banks from the terminus of the paved portion of N.C. State Highway 12 to the Virginia state line. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a horse may be us... 12/14/2009

  A question was brought up to me this past week about weather North Carolina power companies allow for “Net Metering”   Net Metering is defined by Wikipedia as ”an electricity policy for consumers who own (generally small) renewable energy facilities, such as wind, solar power or home fuel cells. "Net", in this context, is used in the sense of meaning "what remains after deductions" — in this case, the deduction of any energy outflows from metered energy inflows. Under net metering, a system owner receives retail credit for at least a portion of the electricity they generate. Most electricity meters accurately record in both directions, allowing a no-cost method of effectively banking excess electricity production for future credit.”   I looked and found this posting from the Database ... 12/13/2009

As the warning comes in of another storm coming late tonight and into tomorrow with potential severe weather, coastal flooding, heavy rainfall and gusty winds (get the Power Point here http://ow.ly/HSfW). I thought it might be wise to some tips on how to safely navigate through the high waters that are sometimes found along the Outer Banks.       On The Pavement 1)    Go Slow!   This should be a no brainer, but it never hurts to be reminded of the dangers hydroplaning, losing visibility from water on the windshield, and causing oncoming cars to lose visibility from water on the windshield.         2)    Be Cautious Some sections of our roads are curvy. You might know a puddle exists until you are right in front of it.     3)    Stay High You may not be able to tell just how deep that p... 12/02/2009

December is here, and one wonderful way to welcome the Christmas season is to go to the Whalehead Club at the Currituck Heritage Park in Corolla, NC. Enjoy the beautiful lights, wonderful music & take a tour of the Historic Whaleehad Club as it would have been decorated in it's day.   11/30/2009

  Carova makes #2 on Sherman’s Travel Magazine’s Top 10 most secluded U.S. beaches. Here’s the full list. How many have you been to? 1)     Bowman’s Beach, FL 2)     Carova Beach, NC 3)     Cumberland Island,GA 4)     Dry Tortugas,FL 5)     Enders Beach,CA 6)     Kaihalulu, HI 7)     Orient Beach State Park, NY 8)     Point Bennett, CA 9)     Rogue Bluffs, ME 10)   Sandbridge Beach, VA     11/28/2009

  I had more than a few comments about my tide charts stopping at November. I really did not think there would be that much interest in the winter months but apparently I was wrong. So at the request of the people, I now have the Carova Tide Charts: 2009-2010 Winter Edition. As usual, they will be available at the Carova Beach Volunteer Fire Department, theSun Realty Office in Corolla, and the Currituck County Visitors center in Corolla.  You may also have one mailed straight to your home. Just e-mail me atTideCharts@EscapeThePavement.com and I will get one sent right out to you.     11/22/2009

  Don't miss this rare opportunity to tour one of the oldest homes on the Currituck Outer Banks at night. The Whalehead Club, once the home of Edward Knight, is now part of the Currituck Heritage Park. They have many events held here throughout the year but one of the newest & most interesting is the Moonlight Ghost Tour.   Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight as part of the tour is on the grounds.   11/21/2009

Outer Banks NC Real Estate Sales - the Corolla Market Outer Banks NC real estate sales - the Corolla Market information as of 11/14/09 For additional information including all homes, condos, town homes, and land for sale in Corolla NC, please visit Corolla Real Estate for Sale. Current homes for sale in Corolla     Number of homes for sale - 328     Average asking price - $992,292     Average days on market - 282 Homes under contract in Corolla     Number of homes under contract - 24 Sold homes in Corolla since 1/1/09     Number of homes sold - 88     Average sold price - $653,585     Sale price/asking price - 83%     Average days on market - 224 Do you have questions about specific properties, neighborhoods, or areas?Do you want additional facts about asking price to sold price ratios?... 11/14/2009

  Here is a little history behind the Corolla Wild horses from Karen McCalpin the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.   Colonial Spanish horses (Spanish Mustangs) have been an integral part of the history and heritage of the Currituck Outer Banks for over five centuries. Spanish explorations and colonization began in the early 1500’s around Cape Fear, NC. (A History of North Carolina, UNC Press) Spanish Barb and Arabian horses were left behind when colonization failed or arrived incidentally as a result of shipwrecks. They were also thrown overboard in an effort to refloat ships that had run aground on sand bars. Because the Outer Banks of North Carolina remained isolated for centuries and have been one of the last areas of the state to become populated to saturation, there was little opportunity ... 11/04/2009

Another Mid-Currituck County Bridge Update for Outer Banks Traffic was posted in the October 19 Virginian-Pilot by Jeff Hampton. Our local residences easily get any news, but our out-of-state owners and visitors often don't have access to this information. After all, our out-of-state owners and visitors are much affected by traffic delays and extra time added to their journey. The information below contains quotes from the article in The Virginian-Pilot for a quick read. To see the in depth story go to the Virginian-Pilot article. "A draft environmental impact statement is due out before the end of the year. By February or March, construction could begin on the bridge, with completion expected in 2013." Another MId-Currituck County Bridge Update for Outer Banks Trafficissue is a new opt... 10/30/2009

  Yesterday on my way into town to meet some clients I had the strangest site. First I passed a group of about 6 jeeps all parked and the people doing something that I could quite make out. another 1/4 mile down I passed 3 more Jeeps and people walking aling the dune line with trash bags. another mile and another group. finally as I neared the end of the beach I saw what looked like a sign-in booth set up so I stopped to ask. They turned out to be from KMA Off Road in Virgina. Each year they organize an event to help keep an area that they like to visit clean. This year they were joined by Middle Peninsula Jeepers, and Virgina Beach Jeeps. There are a lot of locals that are of the opinion that the "Day Trippers" that come here show no respect for our beaches & communities, and It is goo... 10/24/2009

   A while back I did a post about how often I get asked if I have make sure it's not high tide when driving on the beach. You can check it out here. My usual response it  I have never been in a situation where I couldn't get down the beach, although I have probably been in a couple of situations where I should have tried. This week we have seen some of those tides. So I thought I would take some video footage to give you a sample of what the beach can be like on those rare occasions. I hope that you enjoy.   10/19/2009

The Virginia Pilot reported today that construction on the Mid-County Currituck Bridge is scheduled to begin in February or March next year. While there are still many details to work out it is seems that after 20 years the bridge will finally get built. Once completed, scheduled for 2013, the bridge will help ease the summer traffic coming onto the Outer Banks for everyone. Those tourists traveling to Corolla will save at least an hour of travel time if not more by using the bridge. For many it will be a huge sigh of relief when this bridge is finally done. To read the article go to "Shortcut To Paradise"  About the author of this blog: Matt Huband is Broker/Owner of Hometown Realty in Kitty Hawk, NC. Working with buyers and sellers from Corolla to Hatteras interested in foreclosures, ... 10/19/2009

10/18/2009

The village of Corolla NC on the Currituck Outer Banks has a very mysterious history of accidents and disappearances. Come to the annual Haunted Corolla Village Halloween tour at the Currituck Heritage Park on Friday, October 30Th and learn about Corolla's scary past. For a printable version click here. 10/11/2009

For a printable form, click here.   10/09/2009

This is a recent question that I had gotten and had to think about for a while. If you enjoy riding jet skies, there are a few places along the sound that allow you to rent them by the hour. There are are none to use on the ocean as the launching of Personal Water Craft (i.e. jet skies) into the ocean from the surf is not allowed anywhere on the Currituck Outer Banks. If you are planning on coming down here with your own jet skies your options become even more reduced by the fact that there are currently no public boat ramps on the 4-Wheel Drive beaches of Carova at this time, and only one on the "hard surface" of Corolla.   That would make the closest place to launch your own jet skies at the Whalehead Club in Cuttituck Heritage Park. On the plus side, while you're there, you can take... 10/09/2009

As the almost mythical Mid-Currituck Bridge comes closer to being a reality, one question that keeps coming up is “How much will the toll be?” I have heard numbers ranging everywhere from $10 to $25. Well, as it turns out, the NCDOT would like to get some input from us before deciding on how much locals and visitors are willing to pay. They have even gone so far as to set up an online survey for the Mid-Currituck Bridge. The survey asks questions about how frequently you cross the Wright Memorial Bridge as well as household income. Oddly enough, it does not ask how much  of a toll you are willing to pay. I guess they have statistical formulas based upon the chare level & purpose of the trip. Anyone interested in participating can go to http://www.nustats.com/midcurrituck/.   10/02/2009

It's great that Corolla is finally getting a bike trail. I see so many people walking and biking along Hwy 12 and it is very dangerous. The roads are curvy with lots of blind spots so this trail will help keep the locals and tourists safe. After all the money the government has wasted over the last few years of bailouts I am glad to see that at least some of it is going to good use. Below is an article from The Daily Advance on the bike trial. Thanks to a $500,000 state grant, Corolla residents will soon have a trail for walking, jogging and biking. Currituck County officials announced Friday that the county has been awarded the grant by the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The $500,000, combined with $500,000 in county funds, will help pay the $1 million cost of constru... 10/02/2009

One of the most beautiful sights on see in Carova is a new foal. It leaves me wondering how lucky this creature is to have been born among the Corolla Wild Horses. I got to see some of the baby horses on the beach and just in time. It was starting to get too crowded there so they shortly decided that it was time to call it a day and go back home. :)     09/21/2009