Coldwell Banker Chicora Blog

Springtime in Myrtle Beach

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:38:40 -0500

It’s Spring Break time and I love the spring! Myrtle Beach comes alive as the days get longer and the warm sun and beautiful, blue sky wakes everyone up from the winter hibernation. I see people out everywhere running, biking and playing on the beach. The local festivals are planned, the artists are setting up street exhibits and the Boulevard is full of people walking the boardwalk, riding the Sky Wheel and checking out the beach shops. I love the energy that springtime brings.

I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to live in this wonderful place. This is why I enjoy working for Coldwell Banker Chicora. It is very rewarding to accommodate others moving to the area. With our superb sales team and amazing rental department, we have all aspects of home needs available to anyone wishing to make Myrtle Beach their home.

How's the Real Estate Market?

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 03:56:08 -0500

As a Realtor for nearly 30 years, the question of how the market is doing is one that has been asked many times, but never so often as it has recently. Everyone wants to know how the real estate market is doing because it affects so many other industries. From construction workers, to landscapers, architects, attorneys, and decorators to plumbers, real estate truly makes the world go around for a lot of professionals.

This became even more evident over the past 5 years as the market tumbled. With a slow, but steady recovery in place, national and local media outlets are reporting on the improving market so naturally, inquiring minds want to know.

It is important for everyone to keep in mind that real estate is local. What the market is doing in Los Angeles has nothing to do with what is happening in New York. Even the Case Schiller report from which so many news outlets share data, only comes from 20 markets. It may be a snapshot of real estate activity in a very broad sense, but it has nothing to do with individual markets unless yours is one of the 20 areas studied.

Here in Myrtle Beach, we continue to see a lot of interest in oceanfront, ocean view and golf course property. So much so, that inventory has dropped to levels that have created pockets of appreciating property as well as multiple offers. The Grand Strand, which encompasses Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Conway, Carolina Forest, Surfside Beach, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, Pawleys Island and Georgetown saw single family homes sales up by 32% in 2012, over 2011. Condominium sales were up almost 12% and residential lot sales were up slightly more than 40%. These are great numbers that have sparked a lot of interest, hence the increased question of: "So how's the real estate market?"

Last month, we saw our inventory continue to stabilize without any increases or drops in inventory. With the Spring golf traffic right around the corner, there will be plenty of buyers interested in property along the beach. Pent up demand is at one of the highest levels I have seen in 30 years and additional inventory will be needed to satisfy these buyer's needs. The recent Myrtle Beach Marathon was a great success with hundreds of participants and thousands of visitors. This spike in traffic created a lot of activity in our offices which resulted in more showings and interest in property for sale. In fact, we have seen activity from as far away as China!

Along with this stabilization and pockets of appreciation, we have seen foreclosures and short sales drop significantly on the Grand Strand. In fact, the distressed inventory for the Myrtle Beach market fell for eight straight months. This phenomenon seems to be echoed in the recent FNC Residential Price Index (RPI) which shows continuing momentum in the U.S. housing market with home prices rising to a two-year high in December.

So the answer to the question of "how is the real estate market doing?" is very simple: pretty good! We expect to see a continuation of the same thing we've witnessed over the last year and this means an improving market resulting from low inventory, a continued drop in distressed property and a lot of pent-up demand being unleashed on this beautiful area we call the Grand Strand.

Why I Love Living on the Grand Strand

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 04:24:40 -0500

There are lots of things I love about living in the Myrtle Beach area, but I have some favorites. I’ll share with you, but not in any order because they are all favorites! First of all I must admit that I’m a gardener, so obviously I love having flowers I could never grow up north. I love having a colorful garden all year round. There’s nothing better than curling up on my porch bed swing on a lazy afternoon to admire my garden with the manicured golf course fairway in the background! No, I can’t take credit for the condition of the golf course, but Wachesaw East does an excellent job of keeping it pristine for the golfers who come from all over the world to play golf at the many courses along the Grand Strand. (lucky me… it’s like a great big lawn that I don’t have to mow)! Another favorite is living in Murrells Inlet, right between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway! I love to wander down to the marina on the ICW for lunch at the restaurant where my friends and I catch up on life and watch the world go by. It’s great fun to see the yachts heading south for the winter, and making their voyage back up North in the spring! Some of those boats are unbelievable. The ICW is not a dug out ditch in this area, but rather a beautiful natural river (the Waccamaw). There is almost always an egret, eagle, or osprey soaring above the tidal water. Another favorite has to be Huntington State Park with its picture perfect beach! Three miles of undisturbed oceanfront. I love to walk along the beach or read a good book with the soothing sound of waves rolling ashore. It’s so peaceful, and to think I get to be there anytime I want! I’ve discovered that winter is the very best time for shelling, but I’ve found some great sand dollars throughout the year. The world-renowned Brookgreen Gardens is a, “do not miss” in Murrells Inlet. It’s the famous outdoor sculpture garden (and so much more), given to Anna Hyatt Huntington by her husband many years ago. There’s always something going on at Brookgreen. Great outdoor concerts in the summer, and there’s just nothing like Nights of a Thousand Candles in December! How can I tell you about favorites without mentioning the Marsh Walk and all the great restaurants that line that walkway! Murrells Inlet is of course, the South Carolina seafood capital of the world…. I’d be hard put to call one restaurant my favorite. I enjoy meeting up with friends at Bubba’s Love Shack for lunch, and to sit in the rocking chairs overlooking the Inlet. When I’m in the mood for absolutely superb dining and service, it’s off to Bliss. And, when I’m longing for a quiet evening alone or with friends on my patio, I stop by one of the great fresh fish markets and pick up something scrumptious to have on the grill. My latest discovery is Hog Snapper. You have to get past the name. It’s a really tasty fish! My friends, my neighborhood, and my home are truly favorites also. I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s all real sometimes. There is a wonderful pool and beautiful landscaping along the walking trail in our gated community. And the sun shines here… A LOT! Leaving the cold dreary north and high taxes behind for this magnificent southern lifestyle has been such a great decision! Real Estate prices have dropped so much and cost of living is so reasonable!

And, perhaps best of all…. my family loves to come to the beach! Guaranteed visits! I don’t need to go anywhere on vacation. I’m on vacation right here at home! I love living at the beach!