1616 E Dolphin Drive

Set on an extraordinary 3rd row, 50x200 homesite just moments from the sand, this Oak Island retreat offers something increasingly rare at the beach... room to breathe. The depth of the property creates a feeling that lingers long after you arrive. Mature coastal trees stretch and bend across the backyard like old friends gathering close, offering natural shade, quiet refuge, and space for stories to unfold after long summer days by the ocean. A portion of the backyard is fenced with access gates on both sides, creating ease of access to the outside shower & flexibility for pets, guests, beach gear, and easy movement throughout the property. Tucked in ground level is a ground-level storage building, perfect for bikes, fishing gear, tools, and everything that comes with island living. Facing south, the ''Red Roof Inn'' welcomes changing light from sunrise to sunset, while all four bedrooms are thoughtfully placed on the second floor to capture ocean views and a feeling of being in the clouds above it all. The primary suite opens to a private covered deck where mornings begin with painted skies and distant waves, while evenings settle softly across the horizon. One guest bedroom overlooks the backyard canopy and carries the unmistakable feeling of a treehouse hideaway. The flow of the home was designed for gathering. Covered outdoor spaces invite long dinners, quiet coffee mornings, and the kind of conversations that only seem to happen near the water. Beneath the home, shaded seating areas and open space create another layer of living that naturally extends outdoors. Lovingly maintained and updated, the sellers have continued improving the property over the years with interior and exterior painting (2020), refinished hardwood floors on the main level, new upstairs bathroom vanities and flooring in 2023, a beautifully updated primary bath shower in 2023, front porch floor replacement, exterior security cameras, updated outdoor shower plumbing and hardware, reinforced HVAC platform, downstairs HVAC replacement in 2025, backyard fencing, and updated appliances including washer, dryer, and refrigerator in 2019. Offered furnished with only a few owner exclusions, the home is also an established vacation rental with income information available in the documents section. This is more than a beach house. It is the kind of place where memories return years later in fragments... warm summer nights and summertime thunderstorms coming across the ocean, late-night stories under the trees, and mornings that begin slowly with coffee and ocean air drifting through the porch railings. Please note: the keyless entry system is owned by the property management company and does not convey with the sale. So.....make the call, book the showing, giggle on the way to the house, realize that there is just something about this property. Something poetic in the inner twinging of trees to create a seat just for your adventures. Seller is doing a 1031 Like Kind Tax Deferred Exchange.