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Good afternoon everyone! Hope you all are enjoying you warmer days in Myrtle Beach. We are expecting more snow again today. We had a solid snow pack here from 12-25-10 to 3-1-11. I am SO ready to see spring get here once and for all.
Here's a question for you. We've found an area we like and a number of houses in the spot that would meet our needs very nicely. Off of 544-Deerfield is the name I believe it goes by. It's the area we've been going to for 13 years and like it because it has everything we need and more. Close to the beach, close to the pier for fishing(for hubby) and close to Murrells too to put the boat in. We've been going to Pirateland campground there and have a very good feel for that end-we prefer it to the Carolina Forrest area-way too crowded.
It's getting closer to the time we are thinking to move. We'll be in good shape-we've got no mortgage anymore and own our home out right, no car payments, no credit cards. We'll both work when we get there-we'll start job hunting prior to jumping ship here-one can stay here and close things up and the other can start working there.
What can you tell me about that development? Do they HOA fees? I see the few places we looked seem to be part of a golf course. And information would be great to hear. Thanks!
We looked at some places in Deerfield. We found them to be very run down, but these were the condos. I can't recall if there are houses there or not. But what we find to be run down and antiquated, you may not.
We almost rented a house in Deerfield and I worked down the street from the development for awhile. The houses are nice but most are older...my guess is probably 70's vintage. There are a few newer houses but no brand new houses. But the house we looked at was nice...just older. The neighborhood was very nice...we met the next door neighbor to the house we were going to rent and he was very friendly. I've been told that when there are heavy rains, there are portions of Deerfield that are subject to minor flooding...you might want to check flood plain maps.
It is a gated community on one end. You can get into the community from a non-gated entrance but it is a longer round-about drive. The gated entrance onto 544 can be difficult to make a left exit especially in the summer. Rt 544 is a major connector to the beach campgrounds and on Saturday afternoons, especially, the traffic backs up from Business 17 nearly back to Bypass 17 (during tourist season). As far as an HOA, I would imagine there is one since it's gated and there is an expense. As far as I know, there is no pool, etc.
Another alternative in the same area is Southwood which is just up the street from Deerfield. I had customers who lived there who just gushed about how much they liked it. You can enter/exit from either 544 or Bypass 17 which can help with tourist traffic. It is NOT gated but does have a pool and the houses are newer...not brand new but built within the past 15 years. There are quite a few houses for sale in the community and we looked at one recently that was very nice.
Both developments (and almost all communities in MB) are near or on the golf course.
Another area you might consider is the Villages at Arrowhead. That's where we currently live. It has an HOA but only about $500/year. Pool, tennis courts, kids play area. Very nice houses built in the late 90's or 2000's.
What can you tell me about that development? Do they HOA fees? I see the few places we looked seem to be part of a golf course. And information would be great to hear. Thanks!
I got lost in there on Saturday hunting for garage sales. It is a combination of houses and condos and I would think it does have HOA fees that vary depending on the property. I don't think, however, that it has a golf course any longer. I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong.
Thanks for all the tips. We had liked one of the houses there-all new and updated recently. But a HOA isn't what we want-rather we'd like to avoid one. We went house hunting the last two times there and all the new stuff was cookie cutter-that's why we were looking for a older place with a bit more character. House doesn't need to be on a golf course either-although my middle daughter played Varsity golf all 4 years of high school-she'd like it. We like the place because it was a one floor ranch. Since shattering my ankle on black ice-I have a hard time with the two sets of stairs we have in the house(cape cod style) and am looking for one floor living.
It was the area we knew our way around really well in Surfside and liked it since it is closer to the pier-but off a main drag. Also not looking for a combination neighborhood with condo/houses either. So I'll be checking out some of the suggestions made and see what I can pull up off the MLS site. Since we know from staying there 3 weeks at a time-544 depending on how close to a holiday it is-how bad the traffic can be too-we come in 544 to turn left on 17 to go to Pirateland. One Easter was very busy.
What I'd really like is a nice property-with about 1/2 to 1 acre. A home of about 2000sq ft(that's what we have now-but only 3 bedrooms this time-don't want the MIL ALOT! ) Not in a HOA, but a nice developed area. We may still have one in school when we get there-high school age or maybe not. Definitely want off the main drag-or roads that cut through to major road ways. We don't live in a development here in Upstate NY now-we live in the center of the Village. And not HOA's can't stand the idea of someone telling me what color my shutters/mail box should be. Next visit we'll be zoning in to other areas.
Last edited by CampingMom; 03-07-2011 at 07:24 PM..
You might want to look at the south side of Glenns Bay Rd. in the Caropines community. They aren't new cookie cutter houses and I don't think they have an HOA. You are probably not going to find a 1/2 - 1 acre lot (ok, I feel it is safe to say you will not), but it is a nice community, and if your goal is to avoid an HOA it might be a good match for you.
From what I have seen, it is hard to avoid HOA around here, but it can be done. There are some realtors on the forum that might be able to help you better than I.
Finding an acre lot on the east side of Bypass 17 is going to be very difficult and if you find one, it will probably be very expensive...depending on how deep your pockets are.
Re the HOA, if you are in a incorporated town (MB, Surfside, NMB), the town regs protect you. But if you are in an unincorporated area and without an HOA, there's nothing to keep your neighbor from putting parking 3 unlicensed wrecked cars in his yard and leaving them there for months. HOA's can be a pain, but they do protect the members too. You should try and find a neighborhood with an HOA that has the restrictions you would like (no unlicensed vehicles, trash must be in a can, etc.) and without the things you would not like (control of house color, etc.). Each HOA has different rules but the HOA CAN protect your property values in some instances. SC is very different from NY especially in unincorporated areas so an HOA is desirable in those areas.
The best thing to do is to hook up with an agent before your next trip here and spend some time looking around with someone who is familiar with the area.
Cimmaron Plantation across Route 707 from the Socastee High School is a nice neighborhood with mature trees and no HOA. There aren't any amenities either, like pool, etc.
Also, along Forestbrook Road (west of the waterway) between Routes 544 and 501 are some nice neighborhoods, some without HOA fees.
Your best bet is to contact a realtor and tell him or her what you're looking for. We had a great tour of the area a few years back with a realtor who took us to about four traditional neighborhoods with no HOA fees. He even took us by the schools and the recycling area (quite an operation).
Finding an acre lot on the east side of Bypass 17 is going to be very difficult and if you find one, it will probably be very expensive...depending on how deep your pockets are.
Re the HOA, if you are in a incorporated town (MB, Surfside, NMB), the town regs protect you. But if you are in an unincorporated area and without an HOA, there's nothing to keep your neighbor from putting parking 3 unlicensed wrecked cars in his yard and leaving them there for months. HOA's can be a pain, but they do protect the members too. You should try and find a neighborhood with an HOA that has the restrictions you would like (no unlicensed vehicles, trash must be in a can, etc.) and without the things you would not like (control of house color, etc.). Each HOA has different rules but the HOA CAN protect your property values in some instances. SC is very different from NY especially in unincorporated areas so an HOA is desirable in those areas.
The best thing to do is to hook up with an agent before your next trip here and spend some time looking around with someone who is familiar with the area.
Right now we live on 1/3 of a acre. If we could be close to half acre, I'd be happy We aren't looking to break the bank-we own our home out right-not bad for being only 45. We built it ourselves-that's why we decided when we do move-we are looking for a home about 200K-we'd like to have a nest egg again.
I don't like HOA's. Never have, never will. I don't want to be told I can't keep my travel trailer at my house-we do quite a bit of camping. We've had antique cars though the years too-don't want to be told I have too many cars either. Not clunkers mind you. I am not interested in a community pool-having my own for 24 years has been fine-and that's what we'll do next go around. I'd be fine outside of the MB area to have some elbow room-just not Conway. Not my cup of tea.
HOA's a good if you like that type of lifestyle-just not for us. Didn't grow up with it and it doesn't bother me what the neighbors do-that's what a privacy fence if for if needed-we've got one here because of the nutty neighbors behind us(4 GROWN kids in their 30's living home with Mom who party too much).
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It is a combination of houses and condos and I would think it does have HOA fees that vary depending on the property. I don't think, however, that it has a golf course any longer. I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong.
) Not in a HOA, but a nice developed area. We may still have one in school when we get there-high school age or maybe not. Definitely want off the main drag-or roads that cut through to major road ways. We don't live in a development here in Upstate NY now-we live in the center of the Village. And not HOA's can't stand the idea of someone telling me what color my shutters/mail box should be. Next visit we'll be zoning in to other areas.
