Jaclyn Griffith of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has brought her family to the Outer Banks every year since 2009 — but not this year.

Griffith and her family started looking for a rental in February, a bit earlier than she has in the past. They have 11 people in their group and needed the house to be pet-friendly.

“We could not find anything that met those needs and fit within our budget," she said. "I mean, obviously, we could have found something right on the beach that sleeps 20 people, but of course, the cost for something like that is out of our budget."

This year, vacation rentals in the Outer Banks are in high demand and rates are higher than past summers.

"We are pretty well sold out for this summer," said Tammy Kinser, general manager of Shoreline OBX Vacation Rentals. "The only thing we have available are new properties to our program or new to the market. And it’s slim pickings."

Griffith’s family decided to book a vacation closer to home this year but hopes to return to North Carolina.

“The Outer Banks does have a very special place in our hearts, and our memories and our family," she said.

Read more about Outer Banks rentals, including tips to snag one, from our media partners at WTKR.

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