History - sunrealtync.com

History

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

The only Outer Banks vacation rental and Corolla, serving the rentals and sales needs
real estate company covering the entire of the Currituck Outer Banks.

Outer Banks and its 200 miles of coastline. 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.

FAQs

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/Regions Roanoke Island
Rodanthe
Carova Waves
Corolla Salvo
Duck Avon
Southern Shores Hatteras
Kitty Hawk Ocracoke
Kill Devil Hills
Nags Head

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 Time
4 hours and 56 minutes
Washington D.C. 274 3 hours and 19 minutes
3 hours and 49 minutes
Richmond, VA 175 10 hours and 52 minutes
8 hours and 52 minutes
Raleigh, NC 201 8 hours and 8 minutes
7 hours and 45 minutes
Columbus, OH 661

Pittsburgh, PA 512

Charleston, WV 490

Asheville, NC 464

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 Tub Kayaks Media/Theater Rooms Basketball Courts
Pet Friendly Wireless Internet Billiards Ping Pong Tables
Heated Pool Fireplace Elevators Multiple Master Suites
Video Game Systems Fish Cleaning Table Jacuzzi Tubs
Bicycles Dock Access Gourmet Kitchens

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.

Facts

Outer 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

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 Family-Friendly Activities

Wild Horse Tours Miniature Golf
Carova and the 4x4 beaches Movies
Offshore/Inshore Fishing Excursions Shopping
Dolphin Tours Local Dining
Skydiving Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
OBX Air Tours Biking
Parasailing The Lost Colony
Scuba Diving The NC Aquarium
Spear Fishing Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Crabbing Laser Tag
Nature Trails
Beach & Sound Watersports
Historical Activities
Sand Volleyball
Snorkeling Wright Brothers National Memorial
Swimming The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
Building Sandcastles Chicamacomico Life-saving Station
Surfing Corolla Historic Village
Windsurfing The Whalehead Club
Kiteboarding Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Kayaking Ocracoke Lighthouse
Pier & Surf Fishing Bodie Island Lighthouse
Skimboarding Currituck Beach Lighthouse
Stand Up Paddleboarding The Lost Colony

Pirates

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.

Events

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 Rogallo Kite Festival
Wright Kite Festival
Hatteras Island Day at the Docks Outer Banks Parade of Homes
Wings over Water Outer Banks Marathon
Outer Banks Bike Week First Flight Anniversary Celebration
Outer Banks Sand Sculpture Festival Triple SSS International Kiteboarding Invitational
OBX Watermelon Festival Outer Banks Pro - Surf Competition
Outer Banks Pirate Festival
Brews and Bluez Festival
Outer Banks Stunt Kite Festival

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