My wife and I recently stayed at John's cottage, and we couldn't have asked for anything more. The home was well kept and clean, and just a short (5min) walk to the beach... and yes, the steps to the beach are tough, but well worth it! The beach was basically ours, with few others in sight.
The cottage has a great screened porch which we spent every evening enjoying. The cottage is a short drive to both downtown St. Joe, and a little further to Coloma.
Overall we are very pleased. Reading some of the reviews prior to going, we were worried about the noise from the business next door, and the dog across the street, however neither were a bother.