THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 13, 1996 TAG: 9607110303
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHRIS KIDDER, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: 139 lines
Pirate's Cove is an island within an island, its homes linked by roads of asphalt and water to Roanoke Island and to the Outer Banks.
The morning sun rises across the barrier islands, bringing brown pelicans and porpoises to the Roanoke Sound as reminders that the ocean is near.
The evening sun sparkles on deep-water canals that thread through the community's eight neighborhoods while casting a golden glow across the marsh that isolates each house from a wider world.
Isolation. The romance of water. The power of the promise to relax and enjoy life. Those are the things that bring people to a community like Pirate's Cove. Those are the things that keep them coming back.
Bob and Evelyn Hall have owned property at Hilton Head, S.C., in Virginia, Michigan and Florida. When Bob retired, they bought a motor home and thought they might spend most of the year on the road. And then, two years ago, they found Pirate's Cove.
``We love it,'' says Bob. ``This place is incredible.''
From the Hall's soundfront home at Sailfish Point, it's easy to see why.
``I can sit on the porch with a cup of coffee , look out, and all I see is beautiful water,'' he says.
Bob and Evelyn have made Pirate's Cove their year-round home, something that less than 15 percent of the community's 278 homeowners have done. Those who have include retired couples like the Halls, white collar singles and young families with children.
And this is the second house Bob and Evelyn have owned at Pirate's Cove. Their first purchase was a condominium in Buccaneer Village. They liked the idea of simplifying their lives; of leaving the landscaping and maintenance to someone else. They didn't need the 6,000 square feet of living space they'd left behind.
Actually, says Bob, the condo had enough living room for the two of them; but after 47 years of marriage and a family that now numbered 22, counting sons, daughters, their spouses, grandchildren and great grandchildren, they needed more storage space.
Sailfish Point, a neighborhood of 56 single family homes, proved to be a better match. Their new two-story house was modified to include an elevator and Evelyn's custom kitchen. It has plenty of storage. The homeowners association handles yard maintenance.
Pirate's Cove is one of the few developments on the Outer Banks to offer a variety of housing choices. Its 542 dwellings will be split 50-50 between single-family homes and multifamily condos and townhouses. All but 20 of the community's homesites are waterfront or have direct access to deep water canals.
Only 128 of its 609 acres will be developed. The remainder - broad expanses of coastal marsh on the development's west side - will always be a buffer between Pirate's Cove and the world at large. The community's north and east boundaries are the Roanoke Sound with its boating channel that leads to Oregon Inlet, 20 minutes to the south, and the Gulf Stream beyond.
Pirate's Cove property owners enjoy one of the better amenity packages on the Outer Banks: miles of boardwalk along the canals, a swimming pool, two lighted tennis courts, playground, five freshwater ponds stocked for fishing, seasonal recreation programs for adults and children, and a full-service marina. A ship's store and restaurant at the marina are extra conveniences.
Amenities are a powerful draw for vacationers who enjoy being on an island but don't need the ocean at their doorstep.
Howard London, a doctor from Greensboro, N.C., discovered Pirate's Cove years ago. ``My kids love the beach,'' he explains, but Pirate's Cove provides a quieter getaway for the entire family. ``It's a small isolated community on a busy beach,'' London says.
The Londons stay at Pirate's Cove at least two times a year. They've stayed in almost every neighborhood, says London, but he prefers the location of the house he's renting this year. ``We can walk to the pool, the playground is nearby,'' he says. His son, Michael. 5, says he likes the fishing - right off the porch.
At the very end of the Hammock Village road, jutting into the marsh along a canal, London's large vacation home with a captain's watch and wrap-around decks provides postcard-perfect views of Shallowbag Bay. The home's three bedrooms and den accommodate his extended family.
``It's a nice boating community,'' says London. ``We'll come here again.''
Approximately 40 percent of the houses currently built at Pirate's Cove are in a rental program. Weekly in-season rents range from $695 for a one-bedroom, one-bath Buccaneer Village apartment sleeping six people to $2,250 for a four-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath Hammock Village house sleeping 12. Most properties include a dock for the family boat right outside the back door.
Boats are central to the ambience of Pirate's Cove, even though many of the community's property owners don't own boats. Yet. In addition to five miles of canal-front docks, a 200-slip marina accommodates yachts up to 65 feet and serves as home port for dozens of charter fishing boats.
Bob Hall says he's owned boats but he's not a boater; he doesn't fish. He just loves living on the water. It's really the people that sold him on living at Pirate's Cove, he says, ticking off the names of Pirate's Cove staff and neighbors. ``Friendships are important,'' says Evelyn.
``It's like we've been here all our lives,'' says Bob. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
Chris Kidder
Deep-water canals meander through the eight neighborhoods that make
up the Pirate's Cover resort community.
Housing in the Dare County development ranges from beach houses to
condos.
Photo by CHRIS KIDDER
A pool is among the amenities offered to those vacationing or living
at Pirate's Cove. Tennis courts and a marina are also available.
AT A GLANCE
Map
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Public schools: Manteo Elementary, Middle and High schools, all part
of the Dare County school system.
Utilities: Underground. Manteo town sewer and water.
Shopping: Ship's Store at the Pirate's Cove marina carries boating
and fishing supplies and some necessities. Full service restaurant
at marina; several others within two miles. There are a number of
shopping areas within a 10-minute drive in Manteo and Nags Head.
Twenty-four-hour medical care is 10 miles away. The closest hospital
is in Elizabeth City.
Recreation: Community facilities include full-service marina,
swimming pool, tennis courts, playground, boating access to Roanoke
Sound, stocked freshwater ponds. Eight-mile Roanoke Island path
begins at entrance to Pirate's Cove. Golf course, water sports and
other recreational facilities nearby.
Property Owners Association: Mandatory. Fees include 24-hour guard
service and maintenance of common areas and recreation facilities.
Some neighborhoods include yard maintenance and other services.
Monthly fees range from $92 to $233.
FOR SALE
In Village Landings, a four-bedroom, three-bath, soundfront home
listed for $311,500.
In Sailfish Point, a four-bedroom, three-bath canal-front home
listed for $269,000.
In Buccaneer Village, a three-bedroom, two-bath, soundfront
condominium apartment listed for $179,900.
SOLD
In Ballast Point, a four-bedroom, three-bath waterfront house
including furnishings, under contract in June for $491,500.
In Buccaneer Village, a three-bedroom, two-bath, waterfront
condominium on third floor with elevator, sold in May for $187,000. by CNB