History

Sun Realty is the expert in Outer Banks family vacations and real estate sales, with over 30 years of experience and success. With 7 locations and vacation rental homes spanning from the northern four-wheel drive beaches of Carova to the southern beaches of Hatteras Island, Sun Realty offers the widest variety and largest inventory of vacation homes on the Outer Banks. Sun Realty is the only Outer Banks vacation rental and real estate company whose selection of vacation rental homes and sales agents cover the entire the Outer Banks and its 200 miles of coastline.

The first Sun Realty office opened in May of 1980 in Kill Devil Hills. Paul Breaux, founder and CEO, and Jackie Ricks-Sample, Rental Manager at the time, began selling real estate and providing property management services, managing 35 rentals their first year. In response to the growing demand for vacation rentals and an increase of tourism to the area, Sun Realty continued to expand opening up the Kitty Hawk location in 1982, the Duck office in 1985, the Salvo office in 1987 and the Avon office in 1988. Within 10 years of opening its doors, Sun Realty represented over 700 vacation rental properties with a staff of over one hundred employees and five locations. In 1993,

Sun Realty opened its sixth office location in Corolla, serving the rentals and sales needs of the Currituck Outer Banks.

Sun Realty’s dedication to providing full support to guests and owners includes home services. Each rental office employs a team of

professional housekeepers. Their Harbinger facility is headquarters to Sun Services maintenance operations, Linen Solutions, providing linens services for their vacation homes and Air Handlers OBX, a heating and air conditioning company. The company’s award-winning in-house real estate school, Outer Banks School of Real Estate, is also located in Harbinger.

Each of Sun’s 7 locations has a sales team of REALTORS® assisting homeowners and guests with real estate brokerage expertise. Sun Realty also offers long term and commercial leasing.

Sun Realty employs approximately 130 year round employees, 31 sales associates, over 600 seasonal staff in 7 locations, and represents over 1,100 of the best vacation rentals on the Outer Banks of NC.

The only Outer Banks vacation rental and real estate company covering the entire

Outer Banks and its 200 miles of coastline.

History

FAQs

Where are the Outer Banks located?The Outer Banks of North Carolina are a 200 mile-long string of narrow barrier islands off the northern coast of North Carolina.

Towns/RegionsCarovaCorollaDuckSouthern ShoresKitty HawkKill Devil HillsNags Head

Roanoke Island RodantheWavesSalvoAvonHatteras Ocracoke

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is easily accessible to travelers from all areas. The nearest airports are Norfolk International Airport and Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport.

Short Drive, Long Beach.From Driving Miles Average Driving TimeWashington D.C. 274 4 hours and 56 minutesRichmond, VA 175 3 hours and 19 minutesRaleigh, NC 201 3 hours and 49 minutesColumbus, OH 661 10 hours and 52 minutesPittsburgh, PA 512 8 hours and 52 minutesCharleston, WV 490 8 hours and 8 minutesAsheville, NC 464 7 hours and 45 minutes

FAQs Continued on Back

FAQs

What is a vacation rental?A vacation rental is a fully furnished property, such as a condominium, townhome, or a free standing single/multiple family home rented on a nightly or weekly basis.

Who typically stays in a vacation rental?Sun Realty caters to families and family-groups. However, vacation rentals are great accommodation options for groups of all types and sizes. Every year, Sun Realty vacation rentals host family reunions, girlfriend getaways, corporate retreats and weddings in their vacation rental properties.

What is the price range for vacation rentals?Sun Realty vacation rental properties vary in price for weekly rentals from $595 to $10,225. Rates are dependent upon the size of the rental, the proximity to the ocean or sound, length of stay, available amenities, and season. Peak season rates are June through August. Off-season rates decrease dramatically. Sun Realty offers vacation rentals from one bedroom to twelve bedrooms.

What’s the best time of year to visit the Outer Banks?The Outer Banks is a premier vacation destination year-round. While the Outer Banks is known for their lengthy summer season, May through September, many people take advantage of the area in the fall, winter and spring. Fall is the Outer Banks local’s favorite time of the year. The crowds have gone home, the beaches are still warm and area attractions are still open. Duck Jazz Festival, Wings Over Water, OBX Marathon, and Taste of the Beach are just a few off-season events that draw visitors every year.

What is included in a vacation rental?Vacation rentals include the furnished property. Amenities vary with each rental. Certain vacation rentals also have access to community amenities. Amenities include but are not limited to…

Hot TubPet FriendlyHeated PoolVideo Game SystemsBicycles

KayaksWireless InternetFireplaceFish Cleaning TableDock Access

Media/Theater RoomsBilliardsElevatorsJacuzzi TubsGourmet Kitchens

Basketball CourtsPing Pong TablesMultiple Master Suites

How is Sun Realty different from the other Outer Banks vacation rental companies?Sun Realty is the only Outer Banks vacation rental company that offers homes from the northern beaches of Carova to the southern beaches of Hatteras Island and everywhere in between. With 7 offices representing the best of the Outer Banks, Sun Realty has the widest selection of vacation rental homes in size and price.

FAQs

FactsOuter Banks Facts

The Outer Banks is a 200 mile-long chain of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina.

Every year, five million visitors travel to the Outer Banks.

There are over 10,000 vacation rentals from the northern to southern beaches of the Outer Banks.

The Outer Banks is known as “The Graveyard of the Atlantic,” because of over 500 shipwrecks that have occurred along the shores.

The Wright Brother’s first flight occurred on December 17, 1903 on the sands of what is now known as Big Kill Devil Hill, located just south of Kitty Hawk.

The Outer Banks is home to wild Spanish Mustangs roaming the dunes in Carova and Ocracoke. The horses are descendants of Spanish Mustangs shipwrecked along the Outer Banks in the 1500’s.

The largest sand dune on the East Coast can be found in Nags Head at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.

The central mid-Atlantic location of the Outer Banks makes it a resting point for migratory birds on their journeys north and south and a premier destination for bird enthusiasts.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which stands 208 feet, is the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States.

Blackbeard the Pirate was killed in an inlet off Ocracoke Island on November 22, 1718. Blackbeard traveled to and from the Outer Banks for decades, claiming a homestead on Ocracoke Island.

The first English child born in America was Virginia Dare on August 8, 1587 at Fort Raleigh on Roanoke Island.

In 2009, what is believed to be the oldest shipwreck yet discovered on the Atlantic Coast was discovered in Corolla, NC. The shipwreck dates back to the 1600’s.

Activities

The Outer Banks of North Carolina offer a diverse choice of on-site and destination activities to fit all travelers’ tastes. Activities include but are not limited to the following:

Adventure Activities

Wild Horse ToursCarova and the 4x4 beachesOffshore/Inshore Fishing ExcursionsDolphin ToursSkydivingOBX Air ToursParasailingScuba DivingSpear FishingCrabbing

Beach & Sound Watersports

Sand VolleyballSnorkelingSwimmingBuilding SandcastlesSurfingWindsurfingKiteboardingKayakingPier & Surf FishingSkimboardingStand Up Paddleboarding

Family-Friendly Activities

Miniature GolfMoviesShoppingLocal DiningOuter Banks Center for Wildlife EducationBikingThe Lost Colony The NC AquariumJockey’s Ridge State ParkLaser TagNature Trails

Historical Activities

Wright Brothers National MemorialThe Graveyard of the Atlantic MuseumChicamacomico Life-saving StationCorolla Historic VillageThe Whalehead ClubCape Hatteras LighthouseOcracoke LighthouseBodie Island LighthouseCurrituck Beach LighthouseThe Lost Colony

Activities

Pirates of the Outer Banks

For hundreds of the years, pirates were frequent visitors to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and a few of the most infamous called the coastline home.

The most notorious of pirates calling the Outer Banks home was Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. For years, Blackbeard captured, ransacked and destroyed over 50 ships from the northern waters of Maryland to the Caribbean Sea and retreated to the safety and isolation of the Outer Banks following the raids. The treacherous shoals and inlets off the Outer Banks provided isolation and security for Blackbeard and his men while the constantly changing tides and drifting sands made passing the inlets almost impossible for men and ships unfamiliar with the area.

The isolation and mid-Atlantic location of the Outer Banks appealed to Blackbeard and he built a home, Blackbeard’s Castle, near the southern tip of the Outer Banks on Ocracoke Island. Blackbeard’s Castle was situated close to a deep inlet, which allowed for fast getaways should ever such a need arise. The inlet was remarkably close to a shipping channel providing easy targets for Blackbeard and his crew. Historians believe Blackbeard paid local officials handsomely to maintain safety and security for himself and his men.

On November 22, 1718 Blackbeard the Pirate met his demise at the hands of the British Royal Navy in an inlet off Ocracoke Island. Reports of the attack state it took five musketball wounds, twenty sword lacerations and near decapitation to end Blackbeard’s reign of terror.

The town of Nags Head, located in the central beaches of the Outer Banks, received its name from the pirate residents of the area, who used misleading tactics to capture ships off the coast. At the time, pirates hung lanterns from the necks of Nags* and walked them up and down the dunes at night, simulating a light aboard a vessel rising and falling with the sea. Ships in the area would head towards the light, believing it would lead to safe passage through the treacherous shoals. In actuality, the pirates were luring ships into the breakers and shallow waters, close enough for the pirates to board and commandeer the vessels and its cargo.

For more information about Pirates of the Outer Banks, please visit www.piratesoftheouterbanks.com

*Nag is an Old English term for an older horse.

Pirates

Events

Every year the Outer Banks hosts a variety of events, attracting thousands of visitors. From wine and food festivals to historical reenactments, there is something for everyone.

Taste of the Beach - March 17-20, 2011

For over 25 years, the annual four day seafood and wine festival has delighted thousands of food lovers. In 2010, the festival was named one of the Top Ten Seafood and Wine Festivals in the nation by Coastal Living Magazine. Cooking classes, brew tours, tapas crawls, and much more.

Hatteras Island Wave Jam – September 14-17, 2011

Cape Hatteras is the only domestic stop on the International Professional Windsurfing Tour. Spectators have the opportunity to see the best windsurfers in the world compete on the shores of the Outer Banks and meet competitors at nightly concerts and events.

World Championship Surf Kayak Competition – September 28-October 9, 2011

Surf Kayak competitors from over 20 countries will compete in the week-long World Championship this fall, held in front of the old Cape Hatteras Lighthouse site.

The Soaring 100 – October 21-24, 2011

The international centennial celebration of Orville Wright’s 1911 world record glider flight is expected to bring 8,000 visitors to the site of the first flight in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.

Old Christmas - Annual

The tradition of Old Christmas traces to 1582, when Great Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar, causing Christmas to move up 11 days to Dec. 25. British residents and descendants on the Outer Banks learned of the change almost two hundred years later and many decided to maintain the January celebration. Every January, residents of Rodanthe hold numerous events and Old Christmas celebrations.

Duck Jazz Festival - October 9, 2011

Attracting nearly 5,000 visitors every October. The Annual Duck Jazz Festival is an all day event held on the lawn of Duck Town Park. Attendees bring blankets, beach chairs and picnics and relax enjoying the sweet sounds of jazz musicians from across the country.

Additional Annual Events

Hatteras Island Day at the DocksWings over WaterOuter Banks Bike Week Outer Banks Sand Sculpture FestivalOBX Watermelon FestivalOuter Banks Pirate FestivalBrews and Bluez FestivalOuter Banks Stunt Kite Festival

Rogallo Kite FestivalWright Kite FestivalOuter Banks Parade of HomesOuter Banks MarathonFirst Flight Anniversary CelebrationTriple SSS International Kiteboarding InvitationalOuter Banks Pro - Surf Competition

Events

Your Perfect Outer Banks Vacation Begins with Sun

President Profile

Ali Breaux became president of Sun Realty in 2007, successor to her father, Paul Breaux, founder and current CEO of the vacation rental company. In her current role as president, Ali oversees the management of the 7 Sun Realty real estate sales and property management offices. The company, which was established in 1980, is currently the largest vacation property management company on the Outer Banks as well as a leader in Outer Banks real estate.

Ali joined the company in 1992 after graduating from University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She began as a vacation rental reservationist and proceeded to work her way through each department of the company, allowing her to develop invaluable experience and knowledge of the company as a whole. Her experiences include working in the real estate sales department reservations, maintenance, long term rental management, and Vice Presidentof Marketing.

Ali is an active North Carolina Real Estate broker, as well as holding her CRB (Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager) and TMP (Tourism Marketing Professional) certifications. She has also served on the Outer Banks Association of Realtors (OBAR) Board of Directors as Secretary in 2010.

“I’m proud to carry on Sun Realty’s legacy of representing the best of the Outer Banks. My father worked hard to establish this company and I take the responsibility of

being a second generation leader seriously. I feel very fortunate that the family business is so much fun! Helping families fulfill their dream of owning an Outer Banks home or coming to the beach for their family vacations is a wonderful privilege. The Outer Banks is an exciting and adventurous yet, peaceful pace to live and it’s rewarding being able to share that with others.” – Ali Breaux

Ms. Breaux is also extremely active in the community including; serving as a Board of Directors member of Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce and the North Banks Rotary, and is a passionate supporter of the local SPCA and local food banks. Ali and her husband Peter reside in Kitty Hawk, NC and enjoy traveling, relaxing on the beach, and cooking.

“I’m proud to carry on Sun Realty’s legacy of representing the best of the Outer Banks.