The Farm at Carolina Forest continues to be one of the more active communities for Myrtle Beach Real Estate. Some of the things that make The Farm such a popular community is it's location to everything. It is close to Hard Rock Theme Park, Local Restaurants, Golf, and of course the Beach! The schools for children living in The Farm are Ocean Bays Elementary & Middle, and Carolina Forest High School. Currently there are 93 homes for sale in The Farm. Of the 93 homes listed for sale, 44 listings are under a pending contract. Since July 1, 2008 17 homes have sold for an average sold price of just over $222,000.   Here are all of the current Active Listings as of September 4, 2008.   MLS # Address Price BR FB HB 815189 2076  Haystack Way $160,000.00 3 2 0 816228 423  Carolina Farms Blvd $... 09/04/2008

With the current decrease in Myrtle Beach Real Estate property values, many clients that we have recently met with are left speechless when we share with them a comparitive market analysis on their property.  The reason for their shock is that only two years ago they re-financed their property to get a lower interest rate.  During the process of refinancing, they also were given an option to do a cash out refi and collect several thousands of dollars for all sorts of things. Some used the money to pay off other bills,do renovations on their home, or take a wonderful Caribbean Cruise, finally purchase that fantastic 50" plasma TV, or the shiny new red convertible sportscar.  Ah yes, those were the good times.  Nobody worried about the higher loan on their house because property values we... 09/04/2008

  Yesterday we had our monthly Horry County Foreclosure Sale at the Courthouse.  All the usual suspects were duly present:  the "movers and shakers", the sharks and their agents, "the suits" (the lawyers) and many spectators.  "The Show" was dry, especially now that the Presiding Judge, who is Southern, stopped calling "Deutsche Bank" - "Douche Bag, I mean Douche Bank"...   ...So where's the beef?    Out of 201 properties on the Foreclosure List, The Plaintiffs (the Banks) ended up with 112 of them (55.72%).   77 properties were "Pulled" from the auction (38.31%).  Some got pulled due to bankruptcy, some managed to obtain loan modifications, a few were short sales, but the majority of them will be bid on at next month's Foreclosure Auction.    All in all, only 12 properties (5.97%) were... 09/03/2008

Our Myrtle Beach Hotels Active Rain blog,  earlier posted why we felt Hard Rock Park missed the mark. Today,  Sept. 3rd,  our local paper The Sun News,  has released news stating that the chief investor has completely written off his investment. We laid out key reasons we felt the park failed.  Feel free to read our blog on Hard Rock Park and give us your opinion.  You can do so by hitting the first Hard Rock Park Topic Cloud on your left. Thanks, David Myrtle Beach Marketing 09/03/2008

Myrtle Beach has many different activities/events to offer.  Many think that since Labor Day has passed activities in Myrtle Beach stop.  That is not exactly the case.  In fact there are several wonderful things still taking place. This is just another wonderful reason why to purchase Myrtle Beach Real Estate. Below is a list of some of the many great activities still to take place in Myrtle Beach. 8/20 - 9/7 - Theatre of the Republic presents CABARET www.theatreoftherepublic.com 9/1 -10/31 Pumpkins for Parkinson's Display www.GhostShows.com 9/6 - The 4th Annual Paws Across the Water Duck Race www.humanesocietynmb.org 9/6 - NMB Aquatic & Fitness Triathlon www.nmb.us 9/10 - 7th Annual Caring in Our Lifetime Benefit Golf Tournament www.caringinourlifetime.com 9/12 & 13 - Pamplico Cypress ... 09/03/2008

As Gustav begins to calm down, Tropical Storm Hanna begins to pick up force.  Hanna which was up to a category 2 hurricane and is now a tropical storm is expected to once again become a hurricane before making land fall somewhere along the east coast.  The projected path at 2:09 PM showed landfall anywhere from northeast Florida all the way to North Carolina. Here is a copy of the most current projected path from Weather.com Nevertheless, Coastal South Carolina is expected to receive some heavy rains with strong winds.  With all of the tropical storms this season, it reminded me of an article I wrote a few months back about a great free online product called Insurance Vault.  It is an online program where you can upload photos of your possessions for insurance purposes in case of a natu... 09/02/2008

Here is the market report for Walkers Woods in Carolina Forest of Myrtle Beach, SC.  This report is current as of 9/2/08.  As always with the Myrtle Beach real estate market, this information is constantly changing.  For more detailed and updated information, call David and Kristin Small with Eagle Realty in Myrtle Beach.      Myrtle Beach Real Estate Market Report- Walkers Woods-9/2/08 Current Homes On Market 21 Current Price Range Of Homes On Market $164,900-$249,000 Average Price Of Homes On Market $200,212 Total $ Amount Of Available Homes $4,204,470 Heated SqFt Range Of Available Homes 1000-2300 Current Homes Pending 2 Current Price Range Of Homes Pending $164,800-$229,900 Average Asking Price Of Pending Homes $197,350 Number Of Homes Sold/Closed Since 01/01/08 5 Price Range Of Ho... 09/02/2008

Hunter's Ridge is conveniently located just three miles from the heart of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.     Only minutes from the beach, two college campuses, Myrtle Beach Regional Jetport, as well as Myrtle Beach and Conway hospitals, Hunter's Ridge is ideally located with convenience in mind. There are a total of 8 neighborhoods in this community each with their own distinctive style.     View Larger Map   Here is just a few of the homes currently listed in this great neighborhood.   Property 1 of 34   MLS Number: 808776 Listing Price: $122,900 Town: Myrtle Beach SC 29587 Section / Subdivision: Hunters Ridge Br / Ba: 3 / 2 For detailed information Click Here Property 2 of 34   MLS Number: 733416 Listing Price: $159,900 Town: Myrtle Beach SC 29588 Section / Subdivision: Hunters Ridge B... 09/02/2008

Here is the market report for Avalon in Carolina Forest of Myrtle Beach, SC.  This report is current as of 9/1/08.  As always with the Myrtle Beach real estate market, this information is constantly changing.  For more detailed and updated information, call David and Kristin Small with Eagle Realty in Myrtle Beach.      Myrtle Beach Real Estate Market Report- Avalon- 9/1/08 Current Homes On Market 46 Current Price Range Of Homes On Market $149,900-$300,000 Average Price Of Homes On Market $208,015 Total $ Amount Of Available Homes $9,568,694 Heated SqFt Range Of Available Homes 1000-2800 Current Homes Pending 2 Current Price Range Of Homes Pending $139,900-$169,000 Average Asking Price Of Pending Homes $154,450 Number Of Homes Sold/Closed Since 01/01/08 20 Price Range Of Homes Sold/Clo... 09/01/2008

As a kid growing us in Eastern Europe, I used to make snowmen in the front yard every winter.   For those of you who have never made a snow man, here is how you do it:  you take a bit of snow in your hands, you pack it into a small ball of snow, then you take that ball and roll it around in the snow growing it larger and larger until you form one gigantic ball that becomes part of your Snow Man's body.  It is fun to take those few flakes of snow and "grow" them into a huge ball of snow.  I feel like I've done the same thing here on AR within the past couple of days. It started by my reading a blog that enticed me to write another blog ( AR Going International?  Why Not! ).  That blog became a featured post and garnered many comments.   One of the members suggested that we should have s... 08/31/2008

I have an idea:  why don't we invite some agents from other continents and other countries to join AR?    Terry Kuehn's article about the World Real Estate Market:  "Ireland, Spain, Australia and Britain all beat us" inspired this idea.    I recently wrote a blog entitled:  "Show us Your Market!  Amazing Comparison!!!  You Have to See This!" after my trip to the Hamptons and my introduction to a $ 75,000,000 listing there (Yes, you read right: 75 million dollars!!!).     I invited my readers to reveal what the $ 400,000 budget and the million dollar budget would garner in their respective markets.  Our wonderful AR members, generous as usual, have shared prices and pictures, making the comments escalate the value of that blog from "fair" to "outstanding".    I very much enjoyed learnin... 08/29/2008

This past week my three month old daughter began giggling and laughing at different things.  One of things I have been working with her on is playing peek-a-boo.  Now when I play peek-a-boo and surprise her, her face lights up and she smiles large.  You can see below how much she loves getting surprised by it.     There are other types of surprises we may experience in life that are just wonderful.  Things like a surprise Birthday Party, being surprised you are becoming a grandparent, or someone surprising you with a gift.  However in real estate, surprises are not always a good thing. With the many changes that have taken place in real estate over the past few years, just about every aspect of either buying or selling property has changed.  That is why it is crucial to work with a Real... 08/29/2008

As a Real Estate Agent I hear all types of Horror Stories about deals that have gone bad, and all types of crazy things that have happened.  One of the couples that was helped by our real estate team had one of these stories. They were a nice couple, looking to sell their beautiful home on a golf course.  Home had excellent view, had been meticulously taken care of, and was in "model home" condition.  These people contacted us because they were in a major dilemma and after sharing it with a neighbor who were former clients of ours, urged them to call us immediately. Here is their story: The couple had tried selling their home via For Sale By Owner.  They bought the yard sign, had a little website made up and had instant gratification.  Within two weeks, they were having daily showings, ... 08/29/2008

About a year ago I had a really nice couple that was visiting Myrtle Beach from New York looking to purchase a second home.  We looked at several properties and finally chose a new construction property that had an on-site agent representing the builder.  Things for this deal was moving along very smooth.  We had the mortgage taken care of, had all the inspections done and all the necessary repairs completed.  It was day of closing.  The buyers had come in town from New York, had the amount needed to close wired already to the attorneys office.  However when we arrived at the closing table with the attorney, the amount of the loan was incorrect.  The buyers had gone down to this builders design center and made several upgrades to their properties totaling over $7,000.  So therefore the ... 08/29/2008

WOW!  Incredible!  I am floored!   A few months ago I helped a foreign family settle here.  They needed the help; they were in a bad situation and I helped.   I didn't even think twice; it just needed to be done and I did it.    Within a few weeks they both had jobs, social security numbers and modes of transportation.  They were good, hard working people and it made me very happy to watch them succeed and get integrated here.   I just had the most amazing thing happen: a business proposition I simply can not refuse that will put my firm on the big map within the next 24 months... all as a direct result of my helping this family.  Unbelievable, but true!   Random acts of kindness credo:   •1.     If you can help, always do!  Walking away when you know you can help is a very bad thing f... 08/28/2008

Last night, my family & I had some tickets to go see the Myrtle Beach Pelicans play the Wilmington Blue Rocks at BB&T Coastal Field in Myrtle Beach, SC.  The Myrtle Beach Pelicans, are an Atlanta Braves Class-A Minor League team. They have been in Myrtle Beach since 1999.  My wife & I enjoy going to see the games because the prices are very reasonable at only $7.00-$9.00 per ticket.  However, I can attest, no matter which section your tickets are in, you are going to have great views and a great time.  You can see what the views are like by viewing their virtual seating map here.  Also, there is all sorts of wonderful stadium food to eat.  We shared a delicious order of Boneless Buffalo Tenders with fries.  Since my wife works at BB&T, from time to time they have some of their season ti... 08/27/2008

Myrtle Beach Hotels,  on average,  spend up to and beyond $300,000.00 each on advertising annually.  For a 240 unit condo hotel,  this comes to about 4% to 6% of annual gross income. As our firm is now helping Myrtle Beach Real Estate agents advertise their products,  we are finding that some hotel marketing truths are transferable and some are not.  I am putting this information forward in the hopes that I can get some good feedback from high performing Realtors to determine if the media shift is universal.   Here is what the Hotel industry has learned about where to invest their monies in this changing media age. A uniquely designed, easy to navigate website:  No matter how high your site ranks on search terms,  it is critical that the site have good content and is easy to navigate.  ... 08/27/2008

I am - LUCKY! I think - PEOPLE ARE BASICALLY GOOD, even when they have momentary "hick-ups"... I can - DREAM BIG AND THEN MAKE IT COME TRUE. I want - TO LIVE FULLY.  I have- THE MOST AMAZING KIDS.  I am in awe of them and I've learnt so much from them! I wish - I COULD LIVE 150 YEARS IN GOOD HEALTH. I hate - THE WORD "HATE".  I miss- MY MOM'S COOKING.  Zacusca is simply my most favorite dish in the entire World.  Sarmale, varza cu carne, salata de beof, supa de varza, mici, clatite.  Yum, yum!  Mom, I hope you're reading this... I fear - DYING AND BEING SICK.  I feel - LOVE!  I hear - PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS.   I understand a lot more than the spoken words... I smell - GOOD.  ALWAYS.  My olfactory is like a dog's: I can find things by smelling for them...  Bad odor is very difficult for me t... 08/26/2008

  10 homes have been sold at the Grande Dunes this year.   The least expensive home sold at the Grande Dunes this year was originally priced at $795,000 and sold in April for $625,000.  It was a two year old, 3BR/2.5BA, 3,600 sq. ft. home.  It had been on the market for 275 days.   The most expensive home sold at the Grande Dunes this year was originally priced at $3,600,000 and sold for cash in January for $3,005,000.  It had been on the market for 183 days and closed within 5 days of the accepted offer.    The home had 4BR/4BA/2HBA and it was over 6,000 sq. ft.  The home was brand new and located on the Intercoastal Waterway with its own boat dock.   The average price of sold homes for 2008 at the Grande Dunes was $1,447,700 and the median price was $1,256,000.   Mirela Monte, Your Gr... 08/25/2008

10 Reasons to Visit Myrtle Beach:     •1.     The sand is white and fine. •2.     The Atlantic is warm here. •3.     It is sunny most of the time.  When it rains, it usually doesn't last long •4.     People are so friendly and nice.  No one is in a hurry.  The only "finger" you'll get here is the thumbs up... •5.     We have around 100 Golf Courses. •6.     It's cheap to live here & cheap to visit.  Where else can you buy an oceanfront condo for under $ 70,000? •7.     The Hard Rock Theme Park. •8.     Market Common. •9.     The House of Blues, The Palace, The Carolina Opry, Dixie Stampede, the Alabama Theater. •10.      The Intercoastal Waterway and all the wonderful boating.   See You soon!   Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection                         Join The Optim... 08/25/2008