In the past, Outer Bankers have enjoyed empty beaches, extremely light traffic and a slower pace of life after Labor Day. This year has been different. With many people telecommuting and kids going to school virtually, renters have decided to spend more time at the beach. Corolla has usually been the first town to see less activity. Many Corolla restaurants and stores closed their doors after Columbus Day. A recent trip there revealed more homes occupied than not. Traffic is still fairly heavy on the by-pass as well.
Because rental rates are generally lower, we don’t see many of the houses maxed out with vacationers. It’s great to see our visitors enjoying the beach this time of year. This extended rental season has been good financially for both working locals and vacation rental homeowners. Who would have thought six months ago we would be in this position? It will be interesting to see how long our vacation rental season extends this year. Even more interesting is how people’s new-found ability to work and study from anywhere affects future rental seasons.
Jeff Scott, Scott Team Realty