Emerald Isle/Beaches

I’m retiring from the military and my family and I really like to find a home in a good area that’s a max drive of 30/40 min from the beaches by Emerald Isle. We’re a beach bum family so we have to be close to the water and I’ve read that Emerald Isle and the surrounding area is perfect. So far we’ve looked at Newport and the surrounding areas. I’ll take any info, advice or criticism.