It’s a common question faced every year. You’re browsing around the websites in Myrtle Beach (or any area really) and you are looking for deals — the “best bang for the buck” as they say.  You are faced with a quandary though. What is the BEST way to save money?  Should I reserve now, 6 to 8 months before our vacation? Or should I wait until it gets closer to time and book with a last minute deal of some sort?

Both have their pros and cons, let’s explore.

Booking Your Rental Early

You’re a planner, aren’t you?  Your quest is to find the ultimate vacation rental in Myrtle Beach for your vacation next summer. You want to make sure your trip is all set up and ready to go so you don’t have to worry about the stress of planning a last minute vacation. You have to make sure your family has scheduled time off work and you are going to have enough funds to pay for it at the time.  Sound familiar?

The pros of booking early opens you up to getting the best selection of availability.  Reserving a condo in Myrtle Beach isn’t like booking a hotel.  Hotel rooms are all decorated the same most of the time, so it doesn’t matter if you get unit 101 or 103.  Condos, however, are all individually owned. Each owner decorates their condo differently. Some take the time to really deck out their condo rental (like our Showplace Rentals), and you see some MAJOR differences between two units in the same building. (Read more about Condos vs Hotels) And truth be told, the best condo rentals book up quickly, every single year because of their “diamond in the ruff” mentality.

However, also keep in mind, that condos in general (no matter what or where) have been more sought after over the years in Myrtle Beach, as opposed to hotels.  So reserving early guarantees you your favorite rental unit.  While there may be no specials, deals or price breaks on early bookings, you ARE guaranteed availability and a booking for peace of mind.

Booking Your Rental Late

There is really only one true pro of booking your Myrtle Beach rental later in the season — discounts.  When it’s getting close to summer time,  there is still some availability left at condo rentals, not much, but it IS there.   Condo owners would rather have SOME income though, at a discounted rate, rather than no income at all, so that’s when specials appear.  Keep in mind though, you are NOT going to get pick of the litter when you wait until the last minute.  The longer you wait, the less likelihood that your condo choice will become available.

Final Thoughts

So, you should ask yourself, “What is more important to me? Price or pick?” Would you rather make sure you have secured and booked your vacation rental for next year? Or would you rather risk the chance of availability in order to get a deal closer to vacation time?  Either way you have it, you can always check our availability live by doing a search or start browsing our condo rentals.

For some, it’s ritual. For others, it might be an experiment. Either way, Myrtle Beach is home to thousands of snowbirders every year seeking out the best deals and condo rentals for their winter monthly vacation to the beach. The 2011-2012 Myrtle Beach winter rental season is no different.

Let’s face it, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are quite peaceful in the off-season. No traffic, nobody on the beach, no lines at attractions or restaurants, but you still get to take in everything the Grand Strand offers! You snowbirders know these little tid-bits, don’t you?  Ok, maybe I won’t spill ALL of your secrets of a successful winter vacation in Myrtle Beach, but even so, for those who haven’t yet tried North Myrtle Beach during the off-season, you’re missing out!

First off,  the term “snowbirders” refers to those who “flock south to Myrtle Beach for the winter” because of the mild climate, area activities and relaxed atmosphere. Some come every year and stay in the same condo, making sure they are booked for the next year before they even leave to go back north.  Some stay for only a month, and others stay from October to March (which is when our condos rent monthly for off-season winter.)   Yet, ALL of them take advantage of Myrtle Beach in the off-season.

The CondoLux winter monthly rates start at $800 for a month for a 1 bedroom condo, and include all the amenities you need to stay for the entire winter. The full kitchens are nice for staying home and preparing meals, and you can always sit on your oceanfront balcony and sip on hot chocolate under a blanket for those romantic evenings where the moon is reflecting on the ocean.

We could go on all day about what makes Myrtle Beach so wonderful in the winter, but wouldn’t your rather try it?  Take a minute to check out all the monthly winter rentals we have to offer in North Myrtle Beach, and if you want to be closer to the attractions in Myrtle Beach, you can view the winter monthly rentals in Myrtle Beach as well..  Who knows, maybe you’ll fly south to Myrtle Beach once a year as well!

Yep, the internet is growing faster than any tech buffs could ever imagine, and with the recent announcement that Myrtle Beach is top Googled destination, it’s no wonder there are so many Myrtle Beach websites out there.  Here are a few you may not even know about!  These websites we picked out were based on INFORMATION only. They may not have the best design out there, but the info is amazing.

Myrtle Beach Remembered

www.myrtlebeachremembered.com

If you like nostalgia, then this is your spot! It’s a simple website with one main page, but is full of everything that Myrtle Beach used to have to offer (and things that are even still around).  It has plenty of information about each of the different attractions and restaurants that used to dot the area. The author put quite a bit of work into this site and it is worth checking out, even just for a minute, especially if you are local.

Fun Beaches

www.funbeaches.com

One of the largest and most thorough directories to EVERYTHING Myrtle Beach that we can find. Wikipedia can’t hold a flame to this site.  The owner still actively updates it with new information as well. You can get lost in here, finding different websites you didn’t think existed. Contains information from lodging to campgrounds to fishing piers to state parks to live entertainment. There is even an article on the best place to find sea shells! Don’t forget to check out the message board as well.

The Digi-tel

myrtlebeach.thedigitel.com

News FOR the community BY the community. If you are looking for an alternative news source for the Myrtle Beach area, this is the ticket.  What makes this site appealing is how clean and easy-to-use it is.  They didn’t try to cram as much information in and put 30 links in their navigation bar.  A simple, unique, modern web design. The best part is how users can interact with the site but submitting news of interest.  It brings the “people” back into news.

City Data

www.city-data.com/city/Myrtle-Beach-South-Carolina.html

If you are statistics kinda person, you won’t find a better source for information about the Myrtle Beach area —  or North Myrtle Beach, for that matter. We are talking basic information from population and medium income to more advanced statistics like temperatures to natural disasters, even air quality, religious designations. At the bottom, it even shows the “most common last name for deceased individuals.”  Granted some of these statistics are a bit old (5 years in some spots), but even so, it’s a very interesting read.

Myrtle Beach Bay

www.myrtlebeachbay.com

Another website like Fun Beaches mentioned above that has a good diverse list of things to do and places to see in Myrtle Beach. It is not a comprehensive list, but you sure will have plenty to do on your vacation here! It contains information on restaurants, mini-golf, pet friendly hotels, and even sandcastles. Be sure to check out the blog too for other little tid-bits.

Myrtle Beach Restaurants

www.myrtlebeachscrestaurants.com

The name is in the title! If there is a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, you better believe this site has a review on it! Amazing user interaction and participation on this website, which makes it a perfect spot for getting honest reviews from PEOPLE. It is very user-friendly as well, breaking down restaurants by food type and area.  What makes it better is that you do not need an “account” to submit a review. You can just pick the restaurant, review it and be on your merry way!

Myrtle Beach Jet Ski Rentals Directory

http://www.myrtlebeachjetskirentals.net

This was a nice hidden gem that we found, during a mission to find a customer some information on jet ski rentals in Myrtle Beach. For vacationers, finding a place to rent a jet ski in the Grand Strand can be a daunting task, but this website not only allows you to see WHICH companies offer rentals, but their current RATES as well. This allows for the visitor to make an informed decision on which jet ski rental company fits them best.

Of course, if you have any other submissions for websites, please comment below and let us know!

You do realize you are vacationing in the “Golf Capital of the World”, right?  Though the Grand Strand may have enticed you with the large plethora of family vacation attractions, from aquariums to sandy shores to shopping, golf in Myrtle Beach isn’t anything to just pass by. CondoLux and our NorthMyrtleBeachGolf.com division books over 80 golf courses in the area, so you are bound to find one near you and within your price range.

So let’s say you are on vacation and you feel like playing a round of golf in the Myrtle Beach area.  Then what?  You think it’s too late. Nope, there are even special last minute golf rates for such an occasion. Or you might realize you can’t play golf without a set of clubs. You can rent clubs, we can tell you where. This supposed to be a “family” vacation? Well, there are courses that have junior rates or even free plays for kids depending on the time of year.  And let’s face it, your spouse might very well want a morning to just sit on the beach and read a book.

So there you are, no excuses.

But how do I choose what course to play?  Well first, you need to ask yourself, do you care about course condition?  Difficulty?  Price?  Maybe you don’t really care, but just want to get out there? Well, we’ve made it as easy as possible for you.

Golf Courses Sorted by Area

North End Golf Courses
Central Golf Courses
South End Golf Courses

Or…  View All Myrtle Beach Golf Courses and sort them by budget!

Or… View all Golf Course Rates.

Don’t feel like looking?   Or maybe you need to find out what is even available at the last minute?  Call the CondoLux golf department at 843-272-2073. Our Myrtle Beach golf directors have the inside scoop on the courses down here and can tell you exactly what is available and will find something for your price range.

There’s been an explosion of golf cart usage in the Myrtle Beach area within the past year. With gas prices steadily increasing, it’s no wonder people are choosing this alternate form of transportation. Before you decide to hit the streets in your newly rented or purchased golf cart, familiarize yourself with the golf cart laws in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.