Resort Realty Outer Banks review: Avoid resort realty and moongate 1

We stayed at a Resort Realty property and while the home has a lot of potential, our experience was unfortunately overshadowed by major cleanliness, maintenance, and health-related issues.
What We Appreciated:

The floorplan is spacious and well-designed, making it easy for our group to enjoy the space.
The location is excellent, just steps from the beach, and the private bathroom hut near the beach access was a standout convenience.
The country club pool access was a nice bonus.
All of the Resort Realty staff we interacted with were friendly and courteous, and some maintenance issues (like leaking faucets and pool debris) were addressed during our stay.

What Went Wrong:

The house was not clean upon arrival. It wasn’t just dust in corners — hardwoods, carpets, and tile floors clearly hadn’t been mopped or vacuumed. Our kids’ white socks turned black within hours, and we ended up cleaning the floors ourselves.
Sinks hadn’t been wiped out, and the dishwasher filter was filled with mold, corn, and about two inches of debris. Many dishes and utensils were visibly dirty in the cabinets.
The bathrooms and basement smelled strongly of mold, and every vent had visible mold growth. We had this tested and confirmed it was black mold, which was crawling out of vents and walls — despite being told by Resort Realty that “mildew is common.”
We found plastic shot glasses left behind in the basement and pool area, white pet hair throughout the house, and blood stains on one of the bedspreads.
We encountered ants throughout the kitchen, which got into our food, and killed three cockroaches during our stay.
While Resort Realty offered to send a cleaning crew and pest control, this should have been done before our arrival — not something guests should have to manage during a high-cost vacation.
Most disappointing was the lack of follow-up. We requested a partial refund (at least for the cleaning fee) after our stay and received no response. It felt like the priority was protecting the homeowner’s asset, not ensuring a quality experience for paying guests.

Final Thoughts:
Moongate 1 has a great layout and location, and the amenities are solid. But unless Resort Realty addresses the serious cleanliness, pest, and mold issues, we cannot recommend this property. Guests deserve a clean, safe, and well-maintained space — especially at this price point. Resort Realty also does NOT post reviews on their website, so we would not have seen honest reviews if just looking at the Resort Realty website (look elsewhere as well).

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