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We're spending the winter in Surfside Beach (Tupelo Bay) with an eye to looking around for a permanent move. Surfside seems a bit more like an area to live full time, but that's just a guess on my part.
I have a couple of questions: are there many doctors in the area that are accepting Medicare patients? Specifically - internists, cariologists, dermatologists, urologists. I know some doctors are opting out of the Medicare systems. Is Wacamaw the hospital of choice? How is it for medical care. We're healthy now, but would like to know for the future.
Besides Tupelo Bay, what other condo complexes are there in Surfside. Are they nice (do not want oceanfront).
Are real estate taxes based on the selling price of whatever you buy?
Any links and any information would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance to all who answer!!!
Waccamaw is a nice, relatively new hospital which is part of the Georgetown Hospital System. Whether or not it is the hospital of choice usually depends upon your doctor. Both Georgetown Hospital in Georgetown and Grand Strand Hospital in Myrtle Beach are also popular.
Quote:
Are real estate taxes based on the selling price...
Yes. In 2006, SC implemented Point of Sale (http://www.screaltors.com/webinar/Property_Tax_Brochure.pdf - broken link) property assessment, with increases limited to 15% every 5 years. RE agents and developers have organized efforts to revise this law, but nothing has changed to date.
Hopefully, someone else can help with your other questions.
Tupelo Bay is actually Garden City. There are several other condo complexes in the Surfside / Garden City area. I'll DM you a link where you can search. Your property tax is also going to be based on if you will use this as your primary residence or as a second home and if you are over 65 there is also the Homestead Exemption Act. http://www.sctax.org/Tax+Information/property/prop.html
Last edited by Global Friend; 05-31-2009 at 01:05 PM..
Thanks, everyone. One more question (for now): has anyone heard of Deerfield Links condos (duplexes) in Surfside? If so, what's the good and bad news about it. I like that they appear to be duplexes, one floor, and there appears to be a golf course.
Most of the doctors that I've been to in this area with either my son or parents (I'm 56, son is 18, parents are in their 80's). Have been very pleased with the health care here. I like my GP, mom and son have had orthopaedic operations and physical therapy, and mom has had a pacemaker installed.
Waccamaw Hospital is a very new (about 5 years old), modern hospital, part of the Georgetown Hospital System. However, what my family has found is that for most involved procedures, Waccamaw is going to ambulance you to Georgetown, or depending on the severity airlift you to MUSC in Charleston. What they can do at Waccamaw, they do very well. Medical care in this area is in tune with the fact that the majority of residents moving into the area are on, or closing in on, Medicare. That seems to be no problem for most all doctors and hospitals in the area.
Deerfield Links is part of development in an area of Surfside whose developer at the tail end of the 2004-2005 real estate boom in the area decided to close the golf courses to build condos on them. The existing homeowners, as you would imagine, were irate because they were loosing their golf course views to condos. Don't know if the condos ever started being built because of the down turn in economy and real estate, but I'm quite sure that several lawsuits were being fired back and forth there.
Just a suggestion, for nice condos check out Marcliffe West condos at Blackmoor. It's a Murrells Inlet address, on route 707, in a golf setting, but you could get to anywhere in Surfside within 10-15 minutes drive. Best of luck.
I had to go to the hospital at Waccamaw a few weeks ago and I was very pleased. Great service and very helpful. ...from check in until I was released.
There are some great one levels off 707 in Murrells inlet. Park West and John's Bay south just to name two. They both have pools and other amenties...I am not sure deerlinks does.
I am also considering the Pawleys/Litchfield/Murrell's Inlet/Surfside area. I'd be coming from Madison, WI. One thing driving us outta here are the winters and all the gray days, but Places Rated indicates that the Myrtle Beach area has almost as many cloudy and partly cloudy days as Madison. Yet everyone says the weather around Myrtle is "great" and you'll never hear that about Madison. Are they somehow a different type of cloudy day? Lots of dark days would be a deal killer for us at this point. I'm confused. Spending a winter there first is a great idea but not sure I can pull it off. Thoughts?
When the weather is referred to as "great" around the Grand Strand, consider that a good portion of the population here are folks that have moved from other areas, primarily the northeast. So, to those people, not dealing with snow is a huge plus. One of the things I've found here (vs. Maryland) is that the outside temperatures here make it possible to be outdoors, doing outdoor things 8 or 9 months out of the year rather than the 5 or 6 in Maryland. Some of the busiest golfing months here, for example, are March, April, October, and November when temps are still 60's and 70's vs. 40's further north, probably 30's in Madison. One thing for sure is that when we have sunny days (quite frequently) it is a very bright, direct, southern sun. Its very warm and comfortable.
These extra two or three months, where you can golf, walk, garden or "put the top down", can do wonders for your health and sanity. And though my wife and I only go to the beach 2 or 3 days a month, that is a real recharger as well.
So I don't look at it a just a sunny day count, but rather a extension of the number of days you can spend in the great outdoors. Good luck with your plans.
Thanks. It sounds like no snow and good temps are the main weather draw. I grew up in DC and Cincinnati, so had my share of cloudy/rainy days but never thought much about it. After college I went to San Francisco for 9 years, followed by Tucson for 13. I love CA but it's too expensive. The desert is affordable but I hated the long, hot, dry summers. We moved to Madison where my husband's from. At first I was ecstatic - I had come "home" (east of the Mississippi). After two brutal winters and springs, and loads of cloudy days, I may be learning that I'm a westerner afterall - just can't hack depressing overcast days anymore. Pawleys area, or maybe Fla. are the last possibilities before moving west again. I fear Pawleys may be too gray, and that doesn't bother most who are used to that but just wanted to get away from snow and cold. Your input helps.
One thing for sure is that when we have sunny days (quite frequently) it is a very bright, direct, southern sun. Its very warm and comfortable.
We noticed this too. When I am at the pool I want it to be very bright. It takes some getting used to and after 6 years I'm not sure I'd say I'm used to it yet. Get yourself a good pair of very dark sunglasses and don't forget the sunscreen. The first winter will make it all worth it!
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Surfside Beach - Deerfield Links
Weather There?
