01/27/17

Surf or Sound Realty Donates to Hatteras Island Food Pantries

Surf or Sound Realty President and CFO Melvin Stone with Ray and Claire Schaaf who run the Hatteras Island Food Pantry

After Hurricane Matthew, many Hatteras Island residents relied on donations from the local food pantries. This, added to the fact that some residents have a harder time finding employment during the winter months, and food pantries are in still in need of supplies and donations. Surf or Sound Realty collected 308 pounds of food to donate to the local pantries and matched the food donation, dollar for pound, with a check for $308 to the Hatteras Island food pantry to help residents in need get through the winter months.

Hatteras Island Food Pantry is a community-wide organization that helps families on Hatteras Island with emergency assistance. 100% of donations are used for this purpose.

“We wanted to do everything we could to help the community and thought that by announcing our matched monetary donation we might increase participation this year, it worked!” said Ann Wood, Vice President of Marketing for Surf or Sound Realty. Surf or Sound Realty’s Avon and Salvo offices also serve as year round drop-off locations for local food pantries. Weekly rental guests are encouraged to donate any unopened non-perishable food at the end of their stay, and many are more than happy to help.

Monetary donations for the Hatteras Island Food Pantry can be made payable by check to United Methodist Men and mailed to Hatteras Island Food Pantry, PO Box 1591, Buxton, NC 27920.

10/17/14

Surf or Sound Begins Collecting Holiday Donations for Local Food Pantries

We’re nearing the time of year when we begin to think especially of nourishing food and giving thanks. We are always grateful for our generous guests, who, throughout the year, donate a TON of unopened non-perishable food to our lobby donation box for our local food pantries. It’s not just one or two cans a week, nearly a third of our guests donate items ranging from canned goods to bags full of items and supplies.

The island’s food pantries continue to need our support during the colder months, and as we have done in years past, our Salvo and Avon offices will serve as a drop off for Hatteras Island’s Holiday Food Drive. Donations from staff, neighbors and island friends will all make a difference in feeding those in our community who might otherwise go hungry during the slower winter months. Donations made to our Salvo office on the corner of Highway 12 and Rampart Street will go to Lifeboat Community Church Food Bank and those made to our Avon office across from the Avon Fishing Pier will go to Hatteras Island Food Pantry.

Thank you for not only visiting our island, but taking time to be a part of the community by helping to sustain those who live here.

Monetary donations for the Hatteras Island Food Pantry can be made payable by check to United Methodist Men and mailed to Hatteras Island Food Pantry, P.O. Box 1591, Buxton, NC 27920. Monetary donations for Lifeboat Community Church can be dropped off at 27563 Highway 12 in Salvo, or by mailing checks to Lifeboat Community Church, P.O. Box 84, Salvo, NC 27972.

01/14/14

Welcome to the new SurforSound.com

Surf or Sound Realty is pleased to announce the launch of our newly rebuilt website: www.surforsound.com. Since 1978, Surf or Sound Realty has offered premier family vacation rental homes to thousands of happy vacationers and homeowners. Now renting one of those vacation homes is easier than ever.

As one of the first vacation rental companies to offer real-time availability, and a few years’ later e-signature leases for seamless online booking confirmation, Surf or Sound Realty has once again positioned itself as an innovator in the vacation rental industry with its new website. It is loaded with a bevy of new features and functionality designed to provide an easy-to-use, interactive experience to discover, book, share, and enjoy the perfect Hatteras Island vacation home.

The new website provides a more robust search and real-time filtering tool for easily identifying the perfect home for your family vacation, supported by quick-photo-viewers, interactive floor plans, narrative descriptions, and satellite and road maps with integrated points of interest to help vacation planning. There is a new custom account area where guests can log-in to view saved beach bag collections, check the status of their reservations, make payments, and share details with friends and family.

The new surforsound.com was engineered by MMGY Global based in Kansas City, Missouri in close partnership with the marketing team at Surf or Sound Realty. “MMGY Global is a leader in tourism marketing and research and was the perfect partner for this redesign,” says Melvin Stone, President of Surf or Sound Realty. “We are convinced that this website with its ease of use and feature-rich functionality will become the leader in the vacation rental home industry.”

View a tour of the new website on Surf or Sound Realty’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/surforsound

Some notable features include:

Streamlined booking engine allows quick online reservations on one page including e-signature lease, flexible payment plans, and multiple payment methods – all making it as easy as possible for you to plan your vacation.
Enhanced search capability provides real-time filtering based upon various amenities including number of bedrooms, cost, features, date of stay, and location. Scroll through house photographs easily, without leaving the search results page.
A “Quick Quote Calculator” shows the final cost of the vacation home including tax, travel insurance, and optional add-ons. The calculator will also divide the cost per guest and per bedroom to enable guests to easily identify each group member’s cost.
Real-time interactive road and satellite overlay maps enable users to view vacation homes in proximity to the water, as well as show which restaurants, shops, and activities are nearby.
Log-in account area allows users to e-sign and print leases, view reservation details, request changes, make payments, and even invite other vacation party members to make their payments on the account – all easily online.
A new “Waitlist” feature enables guests to request notification in the event that an unconfirmed reservation becomes available.
Redesigned home overview pages feature more and larger images of the homes, interactive floor plans, guest ratings, narrative descriptions, amenities, and details.
Enhanced Beach Bag functionality enables users to save collections of favorite homes and share them with family members to vote and comment on their favorites.
PDF Mini-brochures are easy to download and print to share single or multiple vacation homes with family members.

Surf or Sound Realty, proudly in business for 35 years, manages an extensive portfolio of premier vacation homes on each of the seven charming villages of Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and has two convenient office locations: 40974 NC Highway 12, Avon, North Carolina 27915 and 26204 Rampart Street, Salvo, North Carolina 27972. Surf or Sound Realty can be contacted via phone 1-800-237-1138 or email at rent@surforsound.com.

Follow us online at www.surforsound.com; Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Flickr, and YouTube at “surforsound”; Instagram at “surforsoundhatteras”; and LinkedIn at “Surf or Sound Realty” for the latest news from Surf or Sound Realty and our team of Hatteras Island vacation specialists.

01/30/13

Surf or Sound Realty Welcomes New Sales Agent

Surf or Sound Realty is pleased to announce the addition of broker Deanna McDaniel to their dynamic sales team.

“We are excited to have Deanna as part of our real estate sales team. Her background and expertise is a great fit for our organization and will serve our clients well,” says Melvin Stone, President of Surf or Sound Realty.

McDaniel, who has lived on Hatteras Island for 13 years, currently resides in the village of Frisco and has a daughter, Rachael, who attends East Carolina University in Greenville. McDaniel secured her real estate license in 2001 after 20 years of owning her own successful business and assisting her late husband, a general contractor, with his business endeavors. “I have spent a lot of time in the building business,” states McDaniel.

McDaniel has worked as a broker since obtaining her license in 2001 and proudly promotes Hatteras Island real estate. In 2012, McDaniel obtained a Certified Distressed Property Expert designation and serves as a short sale/foreclosure resource.

Deanna McDaniel can be reached in our Salvo office at (252) 987-1444 x115 or deanna@surforsound.com.

11/8/12

So Long Sandy!

If you’ve never been through a hurricane, the feeling is somewhat difficult to describe. There is a heightened sense of awareness. Obviously, Hatteras Island has experienced many devastating, dangerous storms but this storm was not “ours”. This storm delivered the biggest blow to the people of the Northeast; New Jersey, New York and numerous other communities along the northeastern shores. Our heart and sympathies go out to those affected by this storm.

Hatteras Island did not fully escape Sandy’s lashing. However, as storms go, you will hear many locals say, “This could have been a lot worse”. In the wake of Irene, the storm that hit our area just over a year ago, many homeowners and locals alike are grateful that it wasn’t.

The charity that our visitors bestow upon us year after year and storm after storm should not go without mention and cannot be more appreciated. It is such a comfort to know that when stranded out here on the sandbar, there are people on the other side trying with all their might to come to our aid, lend a hand and pitch in to get Hatteras Island back to its former beauty.

Hatteras Island and the Outer Banks community, even though still confronting the challenges of Sandy ourselves, has sprung into action and is sending aid to those friends in the Northeast, that have so many times sent aid to us. This is the very fabric of Hatteras showing her true colors. Gratitude, charity and hard work to shelter everyone from the wind and the rain of times like these. We will continue to offer help as long as it is needed.

Click here to view a collection of our Hurricane Sandy photos!

09/6/12

SURF OR SOUND REALTY CONTINUES TO SERVE AS A DROP-OFF LOCATION FOR ISLAND FOOD PANTRIES

More than a year after Hurricane Irene ripped through the villages of Hatteras Island, two local food pantries are still managing to successfully meet the demand of the island and surrounding areas. Both local food pantries are in continual need of supplies and donations in order to maintain this level of support throughout the winter months. Surf or Sound Realty offices in Avon and Salvo continue to serve as year-round drop-off locations for both the Lifeboat Community Food Pantry in Salvo and the Hatteras Island Food Pantry in Buxton. Vacationing guests are asked to donate any unopened, nonperishable food items or unused supplies upon checking out of their rental homes.

Steven M. Simmons, Pastor of Lifeboat Community Church, mentions that families come from all over to stock up on needed supplies. “We currently serve over 400 families,” he says. LCCFP is in need of nonperishable food items such as canned goods, cereal, and peanut butter. Food items that do not have to be prepared are in high demand due to the fact that many people are still without a means to cook. There is also a need for supplies such as toiletries, toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies. “This is as empty as our cupboards have been,” states Pastor Simmons.

Vacation Specialist for Surf or Sound Realty, Peggy Gray, commented that donations are continuing to be made at a steady rate. “About one third of the guests donate items when checking-out each week.” Donations range from a few canned goods to two or three bags full of items and supplies, per family group. A.J. Baker, Maintenance Technician for Surf or Sound Realty, estimates that around 30-40 lbs. of items are donated each week by guests checking out of Surf or Sound’s Salvo office.

Hatteras Island Food Pantry in Buxton, run by the Cape Hatteras United Methodist Men, also serves the residents of all 7 villages and accepts donations on a continual basis.

Residents in the community and visitors are encouraged to drop-off donated items for the upcoming Thanksgiving Food Drive at either our Salvo or Avon office locations.

06/20/12

Beach Access Legislation Passes in the House of Representatives

With the first day of summer upon us, we were ecstatic to hear that the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4094, a bill to restore reasonable access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area.

The bill, introduced by our Congressman, Walter Jones, was approved yesterday, June 19th, and passed in a 232 to 188 vote. H.R. 4094 was included in a package of bills grouped together under H.R. 2578, known as the Conservation and Economic Growth Act. The bill proposes the reinstatement of the Interim Management Plan that was in place prior to the restrictive consent decree and ORV Rule implemented by the National Park Service.

We can’t get too excited yet because before this can occur, the companion bill in the Senate needs to pass and then President Obama needs to sign it.

The 2008 consent decree imposed rigid and severe beach access restrictions that have hurt the local economy and limited the Superintendent from utilizing an active managment approach that would better help wildlife at the seashore.

Chairman Warren Judge, who testified before a Congressional subcommittee urging the passage of H.R. 4094, stated, “It will provide reasonable recreational access in a way that utilizes science based resource management for shorebirds and turtles.” Judge added, “H.R. 4094 represents a true win-win situation for both people and wildlife.”

A companion bill has been sponsored in the U.S. Senate by Senator Richard Burr and Senator Kay Hagan. Senate bill 2372 will be the subject of a Congressional hearing next week.

We are very grateful to our Congressman, Walter Jones, and all of you who have exerted time and energy to this cause. Thank you!

12/13/11

Surf or Sound Realty Donates to Hatteras Island Food Pantries to Help With Winter Demands

After Hurricane Irene, many Hatteras Island residents relied on donations from the two local food pantries and, as a result, the shelves were quickly depleted. Lifeboat Community Church Food Pantry in Salvo and Hatteras Island Food Pantry in Buxton are in need of supplies and donations to help residents get through the winter months. Surf or Sound Realty, located on Hatteras Island, recently donated checks to each of these local food pantries.

“There are still a lot of people on the island in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and we want to do what we can to help our community,” says Melvin Stone, President of Surf or Sound Realty. In addition, Surf or Sound Realty’s Avon and Salvo offices serve as year round drop-off locations for both food pantries. Weekly rental guests are encouraged to donate any unopened non-perishable food at the end of their stay, and many are more than happy to help.

Lifeboat Community Church Food Pantry (LCCFP) currently feeds over four hundred families. Reverend Steven M. Simmons says, “We’ll feed everybody. We don’t turn anybody away.” LCCFP goes through about two thousand dollars a week in food and relies on monetary donations as well as donations from local grocery stores.

“Our food pantry is having a hard time keeping up with the high demand right now. We sustained a significant amount of damage in the hurricane but still have had our doors open since days after the hurricane,” said Melinda Baker, Associate Pastor for Lifeboat Community Church.

The Hatteras Island Food Pantry is run by the Cape Hatteras United Methodist Men. Walton Fulcher, Hatteras Island Food Pantry Coordinator, asks for continued support and emphasizes that, “one hundred percent of donations, both food and financial, goes to help the islanders.”

Monetary donations for the Hatteras Island Food Pantry can be made payable by check to United Methodist Men and mailed to Hatteras Island Food Pantry, PO Box 1591, Buxton, NC 27920. Monetary donations for Lifeboat Community Church can be dropped off at 27563 Highway 12 in Salvo, or by mailing checks to Lifeboat Community Church, P.O. Box 84 Salvo, NC 27972.

11/10/11

Surf or Sound Realty is Set to Sponsor the Outer Banks Marathon

Surf or Sound Realty Volunteers at the 2010 Outer Banks Marathon

Surf or Sound Realty is set to man Mile Marker 25 once again for the 6th Annual Outer Banks Marathon. It will be held November 13th with more than 5000 runners from all over the country and world running and walking the 26.2 mile stretch of beautiful scenery from Kitty Hawk to downtown Manteo on Roanoke Island.

Mile Marker 25 is near the finish line, and volunteers from Surf or Sound Realty, along with their friends and family, will encourage all of the runners and pass out water and Gatorade to the marathon participants. We have created signs with encouraging statements on them that we will post leading up to our station, and the signs will be paired will pink flamingos! You can rent 12 pink flamingos for a minimum donation of $25 and the funds go to Hatteras Island Meals. HI Meals is a non-profit organization staffed by volunteers that delivers a hot meal to nourish and enrich the lives of homebound and other people in need in every village on Hatteras Island.

The Outer Banks Marathon is one of the events organized by Outer Banks Sporting Events (OBSE). The mission of OBSE is to organize and promote sports competition and healthy living resources, provide financial resources for needed relief and support for education while contributing to economic development for the Outer Banks of North Carolina. 100% of net proceeds are split 50/50 by the Dare Education Foundation and the Outer Banks Relief Foundation.
For more information on races and sporting events on the Outer Banks throughout the year, visit www.obxmarathon.com.

11/9/11

Hatteras Island Girl Scouts Team Up With Surf or Sound Realty to Give Back to the Island

Surf or Sound Realty was a drop-off location for Daisy Troop 4175 in their community project to collect items for our local Hatteras Island Food Pantry. Surf or Sound was one of five locations they chose on the island to be collection spots. It is part of their “Daisy Journeys” project and this was for a community service badge. Once the girls pick up all the donated items, they are going to take it to the food pantry together and get a lesson on how the food pantry works and making the world a better place.

Three members of Girl Scout Troop 4175 collect donations at Surf or Sound Realty's Avon office.

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