When I am out and about meeting people it's not uncommon to be asked, "well who would you recommend...".  The above businesses are all people I enjoy working with, I respect and I would recommend to any of my friends and family.Realtors are in the information business, not just the home buying and selling business.  It's our job to make your move to a new area as easy and enjoyable as possible. Through working with a team of different professionals such as these above, I feel I can do that for you!  10/17/2007

Halloween Safety TipsStay in well lit areas and sidewalks.Cross the street at corners and look both ways before crossing.Wear light-colored clothing (if possible).Carry a flashlight with fresh batteries to light your way.Never go into a stranger's house.Have a parent inspect your treats before eating, but don't let them take all the good candy.don't eat candy that is not wrapped.have fun!Stay tuned for Myrtle Beach, Trick - or -Treating times...Amy Whiffen, RE/MAX Palmetto Properties 10/16/2007

     Well, it's that time of the year again.  The Myrtle Beach "Taste of the Town".  The event will take place October 16, 2007 from 4PM-10PM at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.  The cost of admission will be $5 with food tickets being sold for $1 each.  The "ticket" cost of the samples will be from 1-4 tickets.  There will be over 50 restaurants attending so that you can sample their foods.  Myrtle Beach has over 1000 restaurants, so this is a great opportunity to help you narrow down your dining choices while visiting here in Myrtle Beach.  The money raised goes to the local schools, so this is a win-win.  You get to sample some great food, narrow down your restaurant choices, and help the kids.  We will be there...will you?Contributed by David and Kristin Small..REALTORS® with RE/... 10/15/2007

The Bluffs On The Waterway is an Intracoastal Waterway community in the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach, SC.  Instead of one or two builders building all of the houses like a lot of neighborhoods, you can use any custom builder you choose.  All of the houses have to be constructed of cement siding (Hardi-Shake or Hardi-Plank), stucco, or brick.  Vinyl is not allowed as siding on the houses.  The Bluffs On The Waterway consists largely of Mediterranean style homes. As of 10/15/07, there are 27 homes available in The Bluffs ranging in price from $445,000-$1.05M.  There are also 72 lots available ranging in price from $110,000-$559,000.  Please feel free to contact us if you would like any additional or updated information.The amenities of The Bluffs On The Waterway include Intracoast... 10/15/2007

Carolina Waterway Plantation is a gated custom home neighborhood in the Carolina Forest neighborhood of Myrtle Beach, SC.  The neighborhood has direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway.  Carolina Waterway Plantation consists of only custom homes by numerous custom builders.  As of 10/14/07, there are 30 homes available in the neighborhood ranging in price from $399,900-$1.69 million.  There are also 72 lots available ranging in price from $95,900-$549,900.The amenities of the neighborhood consist of waterway access, boat storage area, owner's clubhouse, tennis court, kids play area, and easy access to all that the Grand Strand has to offer.  If this neighborhood interests you, or if you would like to receive updated or more detailed information, please feel free to contact us.Owner's ... 10/14/2007

There are thousands of restaurants in and around Myrtle Beach. It is said that you can dine at a different restaurant every night for 10 years and never repeat. We even have an area of town called "restaurant Row".So, how do you determine where you want to eat, or for that matter, treat a customer to some fine dining?You depend on reviews.But, whose reviews should you trust? Answer:  People that have dined there. I ran across this most excellent web site, chock full of reviews from satisfied (and some not so satisfied) customers of our fine dining establishments.The reviews can be found hereBon Apetit.......  10/14/2007

SouthWood lots and Land/Home Packages for Sale!!Location: Loris, SCBeautiful wooded lots just outside the city limit of Loris, SC. Come build your dream home or buy a package and be just minutes away from all the attractions of Myrtle Beach, SC. FeaturesAcreage: .37Zoning: R-2Sewerage: YesWater: YesSubdivision: SouthWoodSchool District: LorisAgent Name: Scot ThrappBroker: Coastal PalmettoMLS #: 717735Photo GalleryInformationContact InformationScot Thrapp614-284-4608PricingAsking Price: $50,325Flexibility: NegotiableProperty Locationlot 2 Scenice DriveLoris, SC 29582LinksPalmettoSalesTeam websitePowered by vFlyer.comVFLYER ID: 1303216 10/13/2007

Submit site Post content on site relevant to what you are representing Check page rank of link exchanges Blog like there's no tommorrow Keywords must go along with your site List in directories Put website in online ads These are just a few ways you can help your overall numbers! Website content and submission are the true key! I started very low in the index ,but work hard on a daily basis to keep in the searches. Put in key phrases to see what sites are coming up in your area. There are so many free ads to get your name out there. so no more excuses. If I can do it with no college or no computer training,you can too! I taught myself! Feel free to contact me via email info@myrtlebeachhomeandloan.com Chris Webster Island Palms Realty 1091 Redi Mix Road Ste C Little River, SC 29566 Cell... 10/11/2007

I'm definitely not going to point fingers at any one agent, but there are still alot of you that are taking overpriced listings! Be real in todays market and do your seller a favor. Ask if they need to sell right now. See if they can wait until market comes back. Why waste advertising dollars that you DO NOT have! The less inventory we have have the quicker we can resolve our problems of having too much for our clients to choose from. Having 100+ homes in their price range certainly does not help them in choosing. No wonder sales are down! Clients are simply getting too confused and saying that they will see what else comes on market.I know alot of agents got spoiled during the boom and now they are LOST!Price to sell and have numbers to back it up! It will help in the Low~ball game!   ... 10/11/2007

Hello!  I was referred to this site by a colleague of mine.  I need the assistance of the activerain community.  I am seeking other consumers who may be your clientele that are currently caught up in the "preconstruction condo mess" that is occurring in the Myrtle Beach area.  Basically, the contracts were signed in 2005 and the market values are much different now as we all know.  However, mysteriously the developer's preferred appraisers and lenders (only in the MB area) are looking the other way and pushing the loans through.  I am trying to reach others who are in this predicament in order to band together to fight for what is right, what is legal, and what is ethical. Thank you for your help. 10/11/2007

While in the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach, you have quite a few options when it comes to restaurants.  Here are some of the choices you have.  This list is not all-inclusive.McDonald'sPizza HutBojanglesBeef O' Brady'sFirehouse SubsZaxby'sSonicHandley's Pub and GrubOutback SteakhouseDesperado'sChick-Fil-AJimmy's Japanese HibachiGrand BuffetTokyo's ExpressDQ Chill and GrillDuke Sandwich ShopStefano'sJunior's Pizza and PubRuby Tuesday'sWaffle HouseMax and Erma's Chili'sThere are more restaurants on the way as Carolina Forest continues to grow.   As you can see, there is not a shortage of great choices for dining...whether you want sit-down food or fast food.     If you are interested in learning more about Carolina Forest or Myrtle Beach real estate, call David and Kristin Small ..... 10/11/2007

In the Myrtle Beach area, property management fees can be as high as 50%. "On site" property management fees seem to run the highest, whereas an "off site" property management can charge as little as 15% for their services. If you have more than three units managed by the same outfit, you may be able to negotiate rates as low as 12% per unit.While an "on site" property manager is more familiar with a particular project and may show higher earnings per unit than an "off site" property manager, sometimes their higher fees still garner the owner less in rental income. Case in point: At Baywatch, the on site property management gets between 17K-21K per year (for the one bedroom units), with a 45% property management fee, so a net of $9,350-11,550. Another offsite company manages about 95 un... 10/10/2007

What a great market to use your imagination and your honed skills!  The weak ones become the casualties; the smart ones will advance by leaps and bounds...  You just have to open your eyes and see the possibilities...  Here are some BIG IDEAS: Fractional ownership on vacation property.   For a quick tutorial on the whole concept of Fractional ownership, please check out: http://www.ourbeachhome.com/.  I will write more on the subject in the future, since I have been immersed in research on it for several months now.  It certainly is a great vehicle for Vacation destinations, and other second home locations.  It is not a time share, it is actual deeded ownership divided into 13 shares.  Each owner gets a week during each season, and the weeks rotate every year.  That way within 13 years ... 10/06/2007

Myrtle Beach Area Real Estate Sales - Third Quarter, 2007  Overall:Active Listings:                       22,251Sold in the past 3 months:      2,353* 10.57%  of the available listings sold in the past 3 months. Homes:Active Listings:                       6,489   Sold in the past 3 months:      1,170* 18.03% of the available listings sold in the past 3 months.* Least expensive home available: $ 15,000 for a 2BR/1Ba, 41+ yr old single family home in Mullins on a quarter acre lot.  * Most expensive home:  $ 26,500,000 for a 15,500 sq. ft, 41 room, 5 yr. old mansion on 230 acres, with several adjunct buildings, and it's own 17 acre, fully stocked lake in the Johnsonville area (and you thought oceanfront was expensive...) Condos:Active Listings:                       9,290 unitsSold in the... 10/04/2007

This little gadget is my everything now: my watch, my laptop, my palm-pilot, my organizer, my notepad, my phone, my MapQuest, my stopwatch, my alarm, my digital photo album, my camera, my timer, my calendar, my weather watch, my most favorite TOY! 1.  The I-Phone is sleek, modern, compact, smooth, sexy.  One touch and I get an instant glimpse of my most favorite image (whichever one I put there), along with the time & date;  it's quicker than glimpsing at my watch.  I even like the typestyle of the words: simple, easy to read, modern. 2.  One flicker of my finger and I enter the main screen of the 16 icons.  Each one is a cute little picture indicating an ability of this "nano computer".  3.  My calendar.  One touch on the calendar icon gets me into this month, with today highlighted an... 10/04/2007

Here is the current market report as of 10/1/07 for Plantation Lakes of Carolina Forest in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Plantation Lakes is one of the premier neighborhoods in Myrtle Beach.  With over 15 miles of beautiful lake shoreline, it's easy to see why this neighborhood is so desirable.  HOMES Active Homes on Market- 66 with a price range of $428,900-$1.1million.  The average list price is $677,484.Pending- 3Sold/closed since January 1, 2007- 21 with a price range of $415,000-$825,000.  The average sold price is $549,137.LOTSActive Lots on Market- 97 with an average price of $191,661.Pending- 3Sold/closed since January 1, 2007- 34 with a price range of $109,000-$299,850.  The average sold price is $173,127.                                   THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF CAROLINA FOREST Ashley ParkA... 10/04/2007

Here is the current market report as of 10/1/07 for the Walkers Woods community of Carolina Forest in Myrtle Beach, SC.HOMES Active Homes on Market- 16 with a price range of $184,900-$275,000.  The average list price is $223,293.Pending- 0Sold/closed since January 1, 2007- 12 with a price range of $167,000-$258,245.  The average sold price is $215,137.                                     THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF CAROLINA FOREST Ashley ParkAvalonWindsor GreenCarolina WillowsWaterford PlantationPlantation LakesSpringlakeWaterbridgeCanterbury ApartmentsThe FarmCovington LakeBelleGroveCovington Lake EastBlack CreekSouthgateThe Battery On The WaterwayWalkers WoodsThe Bluffs On The WaterwayThe Reserve At Walkers WoodsWaterway PalmsBrighton LakesCarolina Waterway PlantationSawgrass EastBerkshire F... 10/04/2007

Here is the current market report as of 10/1/07 for the Covington Lake community of Carolina Forest in Myrtle Beach, SC.HOMES Active Homes on Market- 24 with a price range of $299,000-$459,900.  The average list price is $355,424.Pending- 1Sold/closed since January 1, 2007- 14 with a price range of $297,500-$449,900.  The average sold price is $345,842.                                      THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF CAROLINA FOREST Ashley ParkAvalonWindsor GreenCarolina WillowsWaterford PlantationPlantation LakesSpringlakeWaterbridgeCanterbury ApartmentsThe FarmCovington LakeBelleGroveCovington Lake EastBlack CreekSouthgateThe Battery On The WaterwayWalkers WoodsThe Bluffs On The WaterwayThe Reserve At Walkers WoodsWaterway PalmsBrighton LakesCarolina Waterway PlantationSawgrass EastBerkshire... 10/04/2007

The Commercial Financing MarketIn general, commercial real estate "follows" residential. First, homes get built, THEN you get a shopping center, for example.But, financing commercial real estate is completely different from residential. For example, with the exception of some 'owner-occupant" loans, such as SBA, the down payments normally range from 30% to 45%. Commercial lenders on the whole are quite conservative. Portfolio lenders, banks, and specialty lenders that fund loans with their own capital, are dominating the commercial lending market. Since they hold loans until maturity, they have avoided the capital markets turmoil. The "secondary market" provided by Wall Street investment bankers no longer "trusts" the loan originators and rating agencies to assure the credit quality of ... 10/03/2007

"Each neighborhood is affected differently by a building project, so knowing the issues surrounding potential building projects is an important part of being a true real estate professional," says Allen Wright, co-author of the new cutting-edge Certified Neighborhood Specialist (CNS) course. During the last century homeownership has grown from 46% in 1900 to 68% in 2007. Along with this growth in homeownership comes the inevitable potential change of value resulting from an outside force such as a building project. These projects range from roads to prisons to schools to airports but not every project has a positive impact on building values in the area. Some that, on the surface, would seem to have a positive impact can actually produce the opposite affect.According to Wright, knowing ... 10/02/2007