Should I Relocate to the Myrtle Beach Area? (Liberty, North: real estate, 2009)

[Rapture]

It slows down but you can still make money during the winter. I have several friends that work in restaurants and bars here and they do ok. You just have to get a job in a place that doesn't depend only on tourists. There are still thousands of people that live here and eat out in the winter.

[Tinabean]

Hi Shorty Mac.
I've lived in SC all of my life and I just bought a place in Garden City.
My advice to you is to really consider the Charleston SC area over the Myrtle Beach area. Professional jobs are hard to come by in this area and at 28 you will not want to waitress much longer or it will be increasingly difficult for you to make the transition to a profesisonal job. North Charleston is VERY DANGEROUS--one of the most dangerous places in the nation. So stay away from North Charleston. But in Charleston you will have lots of opportunities to work in higher end establishments (much better tips) and you will meet many more "quality" people your age. It is more expensive but I sense that you want to make some drastically POSITIVE changes in your life so please do consider going further South to the Charleston area. Good luck and God bless as you work to create a brand new life.

[Cordbears]

Shorty Mac,
If you plan on moving to this area, make sure you stay away from Myrtle Beach and Socastee when choosing your living arrangements. There is a lot of crime in certain areas. I would live in Surfside, Murrells Inlet or Garden City. These areas are nice. Carolina Forest is nice, but way too overcrowded! The traffic is a nightmare too. Winter time is nice as the tourist traffic is gone, but some of the businesses shut down as well. Most stores/restaurants that stay open will give locals a discount as we are their bread and butter when the tourists are away. Property taxes are really low, but vehicle insurance is through the roof. I moved here from the Washington DC area and my insurance was cheaper there! Plus, I find that a lot of the businesses here still work on the "good old boy" system. You have to know someone to get promoted! No matter where you live, there will be pros and cons.

[sunsetgoddess]

The more I read on the forums the more nervous I get about moving to Myrtle Beach

[acstr]

Don't worry about crime! Most of the reported incidents are toursit related on the Southern end of the beach where you find young students vacationing, minorities, and everything that you would expect to go with that demographic.

Even criminal reports in other areas are minor such as some drunk college kid yelling loudly or getting into a fight late at night in a bar because he and another drunk college aged person looked at the same girl...

As far as work related just have common sense and you will do great! If you are a waitress maybe work at a high grossing tourist spot all summer and then a more stable spot during the winter. They're always hiring.

[Shorty Mac]

Thank you all so much for all the advice! Tinabean, I appreciate your opinion about the Charleston area but I just don't think that's the place for me. I understand the job market would be better but I would rather be around a different environment. However, I have decided to move. Just patiently waiting on my trailer to sale. I have found many apartments in the Surfside area & some in Garden City. I will be in Cherry Grove this weekend for two nights. I haven't really been able to find any apartments in the North MB area. But hopefully I'll be a SC resident by Sept! Oh Cordbears, thank you for the warning about the car insurance. Do you happen to know any place I could possibly get a quote from?

[Tinabean]

Good luck and God bless in your new life!

[Rapture]

Shorty Mac - your insurance is not neccessarily going to be higher. Mine was cut in half when I moved here. Granted, I moved from NJ but you can shop around, it's not expensive.

What do you need a quote for? Apartments in NMB? Did you look on Craigs List for rentals? Also, check The Sun News online.

[rrufast]

Shorty Mac-
I've lived here for 17 years. I consider myself as much a lifelong local as you're ever going to meet here..

Anywho.. I find my car insurance to be affordable. Of course, I wish it was lower, but I'd wish that no matter WHAT I paid..

Crime is relative. We have 14 million tourists a year that are NOT factored into the crime stats. Stats are based on year round population. Yes, crime has gotten worse over the years I've lived here, but the population has also nearly quadrupled in that time frame.. So what would one expect?

Jobs do thin out during the winter, but there are still plenty of locals who dine out and if you are a good server, you'll be able to keep a job during the off season. I'm not sure about the secretarial position. In your particular situation, I'd shoot for a serving job and search for a secretarial position..

Best of luck... there are still plenty of rentals out there that should fit your price range. As others have stated, worst case.. get a roomate for a while...

[Shorty Mac]

Rapture-
Thanks for the insurance info, I was caught off guard when Cordbears said prices were through the roof. Anyway, I was in the Cherry Grove & N MB area this past weekend. Even though I was just there two days I am almost positive I like the South end better. I would like to be closer to Broadway @ The Beach as well. I realize everyone has said not to live in that area so would Garden City or Surfside be better? I haven't been to either of them but have heard good things. And yes I have looked online @ Craigs List & The Sun News, they're both very helpful! One more thing, I talked to a local this weekend & she kind of scared me about available work in the winter. Is there a deadline to get down there & if I miss it, should I wait to relocate in the spring? Thanks again for all the help!!