Having the two units worked out well. Gave each family some privacy and yet we could use larger unit for meals and games. Only problem was getting into lower unit as the key was very hard to find. There should be an easier way to discover the key--put it on the table, counter, add huge key fob, ribbon --something to make it stand out.
We thoroughly enjoyed getting away for a week. The house is nice but it is older. It was clean but the age was definitely showing through. That didn't bother us, and we enjoyed the story of the house on the wall. The layout was a little weird. You could not sit in the house and see the ocean very well. There is a screened in porch but it was not of much use in December.
The house is in two sections. The downstairs is not connected to the top from the inside, so if you plan to use it, plan on adults and not kids down there. There is no ocean view from the bottom part of the house.
The deck is awesome. We were able to use it on the sunny days that we did have.
The property manager was really quick to fix all of the issues we found when we first arrived. (WiFi, missing key to down stairs)
We love Oak Island and the quiet family atmosphere it provides.