Both but I wouldn’t own a place at the beach. Too much risk of natural disasters. The mountains are the best of all worlds. Rent at OBX. It is really cheap off season
Yes, I’m too old to run from hurricanes - my family lost a house down there when a storm cut a new inlet.
But I’d like to be a lot closer - from here it’s about a 7-hour drive (if you actually stop to eat and pee :-)