Frequently Asked Questions
Answers from your Dunes Realty agents on buying and selling along the South Strand.
Ask for comps. Your Dunes Realty agents are your best resource for expert neighborhood information and can provide you with a list of recently sold properties, high and low price ranges, and current active listings.
Subterranean termites and other wood-boring pests love it here, and they especially love an untreated home. Protect your home and your investment with a termite inspection. A Dunes agent can guide you through this process.
Ask your Dunes Realty agent if the property you're looking at is in a flood zone. If so, you'll want to know the zone type, since insurance rates vary with the level of risk involved. It also helps to ask the seller for copies of their flood insurance bills so you know what to expect. A Dunes agent can connect you with a local insurance agent for quotes.
Your home inspection should reveal any problems, but you're welcome to ask sellers if they're willing to provide a warranty — or you can purchase one yourself for added peace of mind.
Much of that depends on your heating and cooling system and how you operate it. If you like it cold in the summer and hot in the winter, your costs will run higher. Ask the seller for electric bills from the past year or two to get a sense of typical monthly costs, and have a home inspector or HVAC technician confirm the system is in good working order.
Santee Cooper serves most of the coastal area down to Pawleys Island. Horry Electric Cooperative serves the rural areas, and Georgetown Electric Utility serves the city of Georgetown.
Horry County has one of the top school districts in the state, with more than 50 elementary, middle, and high schools serving over 40,000 students — eight of which have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence. Georgetown County has a progressive district of 19 schools serving nearly 10,000 students, including ten elementary schools (among them Coastal Montessori Charter School in Pawleys Island), one intermediate school, four middle schools, and four high schools.
It depends on which side of the county line you live on. South of the line, in Georgetown County, children attend Waccamaw Elementary, Waccamaw Middle, and Waccamaw High School in Pawleys Island. North of the line, in Horry County, the schools are St. James Elementary (west of Bypass 17), Seaside Elementary (east of Bypass 17), St. James Middle School, and St. James High School.
Horry and Georgetown Counties assess property at 4% of fair market value for legal residents. If the property is a second home or investment rental, the rate is 6%. You'll also owe annual personal property tax on vehicles and boats, plus tax on furnishings and appliances for rental investment properties.
The Grand Strand offers excellent health care, including Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach (recently designated a teaching hospital), Conway Medical Center, and Waccamaw Community Hospital, with locations in Murrells Inlet and Georgetown. The area also has numerous clinics, outpatient facilities, specialists, and practitioners across every field.
The choice is yours. We find the lending process tends to go more smoothly with a local lender who knows the area.
Ask your Dunes agent. They're familiar with local banks and mortgage lenders and stay current with local lending guidelines.
Your Dunes Realty agent will provide you with a copy of the South Carolina Residential Property Condition Disclosure Statement, signed by the seller to acknowledge any known defects or problems. Dunes also recommends that all buyers hire a licensed home inspector to evaluate the property.
Spring and summer are traditionally the busiest real estate months, but along the Grand Strand we sell all year long. Your Dunes Realty agent can advise you on current market conditions and the best timing for your situation.
That depends on your long-range plans. If you'd like to keep the house to return to after a temporary job elsewhere, or for retirement, annual rental might make sense. If you know you want to sell, talk to a Dunes Realty agent for current expert market advice.
Your Dunes Realty agent will provide a comparative market analysis of your neighborhood, showing how your home compares with similar properties. You'll see recent sales and current listings side by side, giving you a complete picture of the market before you list.
Research has consistently shown that homes sell faster and for higher prices with a real estate professional than without one. Sellers often underestimate the paperwork, personal contact, phone calls, and around-the-clock follow-up involved. Your listing agent is more than a Realtor — they're your guide to a smooth, worry-free closing.
Not necessarily — buyers sometimes want to make their own changes. If the carpet is in rough shape, you might offer a carpet allowance instead. Talk to your Dunes Realty agent for guidance on how best to prepare your home for sale.
Subterranean termites and other wood-boring pests love it here, and especially love an untreated home — so a termite inspection is a must to protect your home and your investment. Keeping your home under a termite bond year-round helps avoid surprises at inspection time.
All appliances and home systems should already be in working order before you list, so a warranty usually isn't necessary. The buyer's home inspection will reveal any problems — but if you'd like to offer one for added peace of mind, you certainly can. Talk with your Dunes Realty agent.
No — utilities need to stay on so agents can show the property and to protect it from damage caused by extreme heat or cold. The cost of keeping utilities running during the marketing phase is minimal compared to the benefit of showing your home in its best light.
Not at all, but it does help to reduce clutter and keep the house clean. Buyers walking through your home will try to picture their own furniture and belongings in the space, so keeping rooms open and neutral makes that easier.
Whatever works best for you. Do you check email frequently, or do you prefer a text or phone call? Your agent will likely use a mix of methods, but let them know your preferred way to reach you for the quickest response.