There's plenty of lodging available on Hatteras, but you have to make several decisions first. How big is your group? What are you coming to do ? Do you want a campsite, motel, bed and breakfast, small or large house ? Where on the island do you want to stay? You should make reservations by January. After that, you'll find something, but it may not be your first choice. For family reunions, corporate retreats or school or church groups, we recommend a large house. For a normal middle class family, we like a small house. There are also "Taj Mahals," or "MacMansions," extremely large and plush castles with correspondingly high rates. These have swimming pools, in home theatres, exercise rooms, pool tables and other amenities. They're great but they're appropriate mostly for corporate retreats or family reunions, where you have 18-20 people to spread the cost.

The Hatteras rental field has undergone a huge change. Two of the three long time companies, Hatteras Realty and Outer Beaches Realty, merged, and the merger was then bought by California corporation Vacasa. Many owners, unhappy with distant corporate management, moved their homes to Midgett or Sun Realty. Vacasa is still in the process of changing Outer Beaches and Hatteras signs over to Vacasa.

When the dust settled, Midgett Realty was left managing 550 properties. It is the only Hatteras owned rental agency left on the island, with over 60 years of experience. Furthermore, the Midgett family goes back to the very beginnings of White settlement on the island. One branch of the family or another has owned the bus line, fishing boats, ferries, stores, restaurants and motels, and they've worked in the rescue services, Coast Guard and Park Service. The Midgetts know the island.

Sun Realty is now the second largest "local" company (the founder is from the Northern Banks), and with 41 years experience, is well established and very professional. It claims to have the largest total number of homes to rent, which is technically true. However, Sun deals with the entire Outer Banks : North, Central and South. Midgett focuses exclusively on Hatteras Island. Midgett has far more houses on Hatterasthan Sun. But you can't go wrong with either company. You have to remember that this is an isolated and high risk island. Hurricanes and Northeasters happen. WiFi goes out. Appliances break down. Power outages occur. When the unexpected happens, you need a company that is immediately responsive, takes care of the problem, and protects your investment. Midgett and Sun have established a decades old reputation for solid customer service.