The vibe is your quintessential California beach cabin, and for the most part, it works. There were a lot of great things about this home, which I'll start with:
The location could only be better if it was on the beach, which of course, you're not going to get at this price point. The street it's on is a quiet one, a mere 1 block + 2 houses from the stairs down to the beach. The neighborhood itself is also great for walking, with very low traffic. It's also a short walk from multiple restaurants, with many more within a very easy 5-10 minute drive. Downtown and the boardwalk, an easy 10 minute drive away. Even during what would normally be rush hour the drive was far from unpleasant.
One of the most important things when traveling is a comfortable bed, and it delivered in this department. My wife and I, and our two kids (19 and 22 years old) were all comfortable and slept great!
The home is also not short on amenities. The kitchen has all the small appliances you could need. Newer model washer and dryer. Excellent hot tub (though it could use a touch more anti foam - just an observation, didn't detract from it at all). Cable TV (caught some March Madness!) and great wifi. I found a couple beach chairs and an umbrella on the ground near the front of the deck that after they were cleaned off were perfect for an evening catching the sunset. A bunch of interesting books to page through over a morning cup of coffee as well as a random assortment of somewhat current magazines. The upstairs and back decks offered unlimited amounts of peace and quiet. The BBQ also looked pretty much brand new and worked great!
The not so great is that there were aspects of cleanliness that drew away from the great qualities of the home. This home would benefit greatly from a top to bottom deep clean. Things like dead bugs in light fixtures, cob webs + dead bugs in corners around the ceiling and front door, visible mold/mildew in the shower. There is a comment in the guide book about putting food in to a plastic bin in the pantry and not leaving it on the counter for critters, which did not inspire much confidence, never mind that there was no plastic bin in the pantry (we used the microwave and oven). I think addressing the area around the outside of the front door would go a long way, since you see this area every time you come and go, so it's hard to ignore.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay, and I think most others would as well. As they say, location, location, location, and in that this home is hard to beat. With a little bit of polishing, this place would be an absolute diamond.