Coldwell Banker Chicora Blog

I Love Myrtle Beach!

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:36:54 -0500

Spring is here!! The birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and the temps are rising! What's not to love?! I absolutely love living in Myrtle Beach! Having the ocean in my backyard is such a blessing and one I take advantage of as often as I can. We see many visitors come through our area between Easter and Labor Day. I love hearing stories about families/retirees/graduates who come to visit and decide to move here because they love it so much! What I love even more is when I get to help them make that move.

As the Relocation Director for Coldwell Banker Chicora, I have the ability to help anyone who is buying or selling ANYWHERE in the world, not just in Myrtle Beach. If someone needs to sell his home in Ohio because he wants to move here, I can help find an agent in OH. If someone wants to purchase a vacation home here, I can help find an agent here. I can even help if Myrtle Beach is NOT part of the equation. Say you live in PA and decide you'd like to downsize and purchase a smaller home in the same area. Guess what? I can help you sell your home and purchase a new one! Because we are a member of the LARGEST Relocation Network in the world, I have the ability to help anywhere. I have built relationships with other Relocation Directors all over the country who are as eager to help you as I am.

Please call me if you have any questions about moving, regardless of where you are moving to or from. I would love to have the opportunity to help you! It's what I do!

Wendy Martin

843-233-8000 x132

relocate@chicora.net

AROUND THE WORLD OR DOWN THE STREET, WE HELP MOVE EVERYONE WE MEET!

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.

Get Active in the New Year!

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:26:30 -0500

Happy New Year!

Some view a new year as a time to set new goals, or revisit the ones made from the previous year! J One of the most popular resolutions people make is to lose weight. Making healthier choices is a great thing. You feel better about yourself, have more energy, and set a positive example for those around you, but don’t stop there! According to the Mayo Clinic, adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. If exercise isn’t your thing, try to think of ways to make it more fun for you. Go for a brisk walk, play tag in the front yard with your kids, or find an exercise partner. Having a friend help keep you accountable works wonders! Sometimes setting goals for yourself gives you the motivation to work hard each day. Lucky for you, I have just the thing!

The 16^th Annual Myrtle Beach Marathon will be held February 14^th-16^th. This event continues to grow each year. The important thing to remember is this event is not for experienced runners only! There will be many events held that weekend such as: Ripley’s Family Fun Run, 5K, half marathon, and marathon. Talk about a sense of accomplishment! Imagine how wonderful you’ll feel when you cross the finish line!! Click on the link above to learn more. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

RELOCATE to Myrtle Beach

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:13:54 -0500

I have so many wonderful childhood memories that center around growing up in the
Myrtle Beach area. I can remember running from the waves as they would crash on the shore, visiting the historic Myrtle Beach Pavilion again and again, and battling with my brother over the most intense 18 holes of mini-golf you’ve ever seen!! We had such a great time not only during the summer, but year round.

Now that I’m grown with kids of my own, I want them to have the same wonderful memories as I do which is why I continue to call Myrtle Beach home. They LOVE living near the beach and plead with us over and over and over (those of you with young kids know what I mean) to take them to Family Kingdom to ride rides.

Myrtle Beach is so much more than a vacation destination. Don’t get me wrong…it’s an incredible place to bring your family, but perhaps you’ve been toying with the idea of making it your permanent destination. Or maybe you’re thinking now would be a great time to purchase an investment property…a place you could rent out when you’re not using it yourself. If this is something that has crossed your mind, but something has been holding you back, don’t wait any longer!

As the Relocation Director for Coldwell Banker Chicora, I want to help make your dreams a reality! My love and appreciation of our beautiful area drives me to assist you with your real estate/relocation needs. It is my job, but even more than that, it is my personal commitment to help make your relocation process as seamless and stress free as possible. Coldwell Banker Chicora has a team of dedicated REALTORS® who are eager to help find the perfect property for you.

Not only am I able to assist with your real estate needs in our area, I’m also able to help anywhere in the world. Coldwell Banker Chicora is a member of the #1 global relocation network. I have built relationships with other Relocation Directors and their commitment is the same as mine…to offer trusted guidance for every move you make. We take great pride in our commitment to you.

Please give me a call or send me an email if I can help in any way!

Wendy Martin
Relocation Director
Coldwell Banker Chicora
(P) 843.233.8000
(F) 843.233.8900
relocate@chicora.net