The only complaint was the smoke detectors kept going off.

Stayed at this Oak Island beach house and it absolutely delivers - and then some. The VRBO photos are 100% legit. No trick angles, no fairy tales - just a really, really good house.Two stories, five bedrooms, three baths - enough space to lose your group and yell “I’m upstairs!” like it’s a luxury hide-and-seek tournament. The views are beautiful, sunrises and sunsets are legit. Getting to the beach? You have a private boardwalk and path straight to the beach. Fair warning! That sand on the path is so thick, it’ll chisel your quads. The porch is perfect for sipping something cold and staring out at the horizon, wondering why you have Barry Manilow songs on an endless loop in your head. Honestly, this house gives off so much coastal energy, I found myself wandering around like a billion-dollar hedge fund manager… except with a cup of Maxwell House in my hand and no actual money.Kitchen’s fully loaded, including a wok so massive it doubles as a satellite dish. Wi-Fi is fast enough to run Wall Street. And then, the freezer. A mysterious, untouched carton of coffee ice cream. I honored the code and left Snickers Ice Cream bars behind. Beach house tradition, apparently.This place makes you feel rich, barefoot, and slightly delusional in the best way. Would absolutely stay again.