no, i am serious, i have been counting down the days until may . getting my contract is exciting for a few reasons, me and my family get to talk about vacation, and the cost was not too bad, $1500 total for a big , loaded 7 bedroom house, it is on the soundside, on a big lake, but very close to the ocean in Avon. and spliting it with 4 different couples makes it the best vacation value around...

I know how you feel Lance.....getting the contract for next year makes it all real again and you start counting the days.

I know the feeling Lance. We returned home after 10 days in OBX on Sunday. When we went through our mail we had our contract for June 2004. It was an uplifting reminder that we will be back in 7 months.

We got ours too for next june we split it 3 ways which makes it affoedable and fun for all!!

We reserved our same week for 2004 when we dropped off our keys on the last day of vacation this past year. It makes you feel like all is not lost! Anyway my wife and I decided that a week is just never long enough, so we reserved the following week as well. The scary thing is that you have to wait to reserve a week that is not yours. Our realtor gives you one week to reserve for the same week the following year, after that it is up for grabs. So we waited and called to reserve the second week. My wife could not get through and asked me to try. I got through and could not believe my good fortune that the week was available! I got busy at work and did not get a chance to call my wife back with the news. Later that day she called me and said "I finally got though to the realtor , and bad news... the week before and after ours is reserved". I replied with "sure the week after ours is reserved... I reserved it!" I can't wait to spend two weeks in OBX next year... only 240 days left!

Well not to be a sayer of nay, but getting that notice to pay half up front always grates me a little. We do not go until first week of October, we just got back and already i am paying for something I can't use for 10 months. I have strongly held opinions about how the NC rental law and the collusion practiced by all the companies is stacked against the renters. I won't go into it here, it got me tossed from the old outer banks board i used to go to because they used advertising from realtors and no critical comments were allowed

I havent received a contract(colony realty)They told me in Sept. that I wouldnt receive until Jan. Whats up with getting your so soon?

I'm with you, but then again, our plans fluctuate a little so we don't make our reservations for May until Dec or June.

It would be nice if you could simply pay the reservation fee up front, then pay half and half at say 5 and 1 months respectively. Whatever the case, rental companies must believe this is their best strategy.

Well we just got back on Sunday and we have to wait until Jan 2, 2004. We stay in one the the Cavalier Motels 2 bdrm cottages which is perfect for us so we can bring our pets and don't have to pay all of the fees that the realty companies charge. Now if we had been going to the Cavalier for 25-30 years they would have let us go ahead and reserve when we left. We met a couple who had been coming to the Cavalier for over 30 years and they always rent the same oceanfront room and stay for a month at a time.

We already have our 2 weeks picked out, the first week of April and last week of October 2004. You can't beat the off season rates! So we are going at least every 6 months and trying to slip in a long weekend a few times during the year. I still can't believe my husband made it home on Sunday in 3 hrs 20 min......

I wish I lived 3 hrs 20 mins from OBX. It takes us about 7 and a half hours from Lancaster County PA (Reinholds). You are right about the off season. Not only the rates but the quiet. I would never make the trip in July or August but would still love to live in the OBX area. I check the employment opportunities all the time.

Where is the Cavalier Motel? Do you have a link to their website? Does it have a kitchenette or cooking facilities? I always take my pet to OBX and have to pay from $50 to $100 extra. It would be nice to avoid some of the fees and taxes.

The Cavalier Motel is at MP 8.5 across the street from the Port O'Call Restaurant. Pets are allowed in the 2 and 3 bdrm cottages only. They have full kitchens. Although not the most modern I will post a picture later today of the 2 bdrm cottage we stayed in. We did have to pay $56 for Skippy but no more for our cat, Tony. I think our total for the week was $373.

Sorry typo!

Thanks much for the info on the Cavalier.

Since the family has taken over and done some modernizing the rates have gone up considerable since we were there last.........maybe 4-5 years ago. But is is still one of the best values and friendly folks.