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To the Editor:

My name is Joe, and my wife is Cynthia. Cynthia has been coming to Southern Shores for over 65 years and at a point in time owned properties on Wax Myrtle and 13 St. We purchased our property in Chicahauk in 2004. It was one of the smallest houses and needed considerable work to bring it back to life, make it fit in the community, and for us to enjoy the serenity and calmness of beach life.

As I had previously overseen building a family house upstate, in Garrison, NY, I knew somewhat how to manage and GC renovations. We retained a Southern Shores architect and builders. We put in a screened front porch, new roof and side decking, and increased the size of our septic system to accommodate a fifth bedroom. We had trees removed for septic and installation of a saltwater pool, finally we put in a one-bedroom apartment under our house, again designed by an architect from Southern Shores. All the above was done legally and in coordination with the Southern Shores building department and DEP. In fact, the building superintendent did work on some of the projects. He also counseled us on the legality of an apartment – not to include a stove and as GC of the job, we could not legally rent for one year’s time. So, we stayed in our little unit, under our house. We spoke with three of our neighbors who were doing the same for many years, to get an idea of weekly rental pricing. In 2021, we moved back upstairs and rented downstairs.

In September 2023 there was a hubbub. I attended, for the first time after 19 years, a CPOA board meeting and learned something new. The HOA had covenants and bylaws that went well beyond what I always thought HOA dues were meant for, that being to maintain what was put in place, e.g. parking lot, tennis and basketball courts, and the beauty of the area. However, one CPOA member put in a complaint of non-compliance against another CPOA member. The issue – allowing a person to rent/stay in their house or adjoining premises whilst the owner was still there. Mind you, in the 50 years since the Chicahauk community was established there were never any complaints about this, let alone enforcement and $100 per day fines. This caused the hubbub as neighbors turned on neighbors ferreting out other homeowners that did the same. The divisiveness this established can only cause to hurt all owners, as potential buyers learn restrictive covenants through social media channels bringing down existing home values and selling prices.

Outside of the obvious need for increased housing for the summer service sector. A responsible owner may want to take in a relative, homecare or community worker or may just need a bit more income on their fixed budget.

In any event, I decided to share with your readers what makes owner-occupied rentals better, in my opinion, than multifamily whole house rentals. An owner-occupied rental brings management (owner) hands-on oversight to one of their most important assets. It maintains continuity of a neighborhood and community. However, most importantly, owners – hosts interact with their visitors. They serve to reinforce the OBX experience, serving as storytellers, advocates on where to go, dine, bringing familiarity, exposure and understanding of our beautiful area. In a real sense, we are marketers and promoters for the lifestyle in OBX living.

I have listed a few testimonials from renters, who visited; stayed with us as strangers, but left as friends who would love to return. My feeling is to keep it real, enjoy other people’s company, and follow the golden rule as indicated by Tim Walz at the DNC, if you cannot agree to disagree with a person’s lifestyle, religion, political thinking, affiliations and it does not harm you …

MIND YOUR OWN D…N BUSINESS.

TESTIMONIALS – What makes OBX great, let’s not lose perspective:

> We had a wonderful stay at this beautiful home with our 2 daughters and Golden doodle! Cyndi was so hospitable, responsive and gave us great recommendations for restaurants and activities. It was a very short walk to the private beach through a scenic private path! The pool was a bonus in the afternoon after hot, sandy days at the beach. It was a very short drive to great restaurants and shopping in Kitty Hawk and the surrounding towns. We can’t wait to come back in the future 🙂

> Cyndi was such a dream of a host! We had been going to the same place to stay for the past few years, so we wanted to change it up but stay in Southern Shores. The home was lovely, it slept three and a dog quite comfortably. Cyndi was great with TV instructions and gave excellent recommendations. I would love to come back again for the wonderful host & location!

> We loved staying at Cyndi’s place! She was so helpful, welcoming and gave us great recommendations for the area. The Airbnb is walking distance to the beach via a private path, and she even had beach chairs and a wagon for us to use. The pool was also a great addition after a day at the beach. Thank you so much! We can’t wait to come back

> My husband and I were obsessed with Cyndi’s house. Everything that you could possibly need was provided, the bed was comfy, the bathroom was spacious, the pool was private and serene, the beach was a short walk away, and the neighborhood was just lovely. It’s close to all the good restaurants, and Cyndi will give you great recommendations if you need it. She was very helpful and kind, we felt right at home, and can’t wait to go back next year!

> This was the perfect weekend stay for our family! Fit the 4 of us perfectly. The owners were lovely, they greeted us as soon as we arrived and were so kind to give us access to their pool as well as having everything we needed. Towels, beach buggies, chairs. The shower is amazing, the bed is comfy. The apartment was squeaky clean! They had plenty of recommendations as well as tips on when to leave and which way to go to stay out of traffic! We will choose their spot when we come back next year.

Joe Menzie

Southern Shores

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