According to an article published by the Sun News in Myrtle Beach, homes are now selling faster since the decline in prices over the past six months.  Homes spent an average of fewer days on the market during the first half of this year than the same time last year in the Grand Strand area.  202 days vs 225 days

Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean there were MORE home sales (actually they were down 29.3 percent, according to the article.)   The same with condo sales, where the median price dropped 11.1 percent from last year’s first half.

So what does this mean to me? The average home buyer?   It means I should have waited six months to buy my house. But who would have known. I read that others are waiting for the market to hit rock bottom before they buy, so they can get an even better deal.  Other than that, its just interesting to see where the Myrtle Beach real estate market is going. Excellent investment opportunities are out there for condos.

Many do not realize that Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are two separate incorporated cities. North Myrtle is not just the northern section of Myrtle Beach, but rather a different area all its own. Keep in mind, there is no South Myrtle Beach either. The southern section of the Grand Strand consists of Surfside Beach, Garden City, Pawley’s Island and Murrells Inlet.

SO, where should you stay? These quick tips may help you make your decision. As always, feel free to check out the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and the North Myrtle Beach Chamber for additional area information and calendar of events.

1. North Myrtle Beach is “quieter.” Although quiet is a subjective term, there generally isn’t as much hustle and bustle in North Myrtle Beach. Less traffic, and a much more maneuverable Ocean Blvd. It does stay busy though, especially during Saturday mornings to mid afternoon when all the tourists arrive. However, all the local-oriented stores, like Wal-mart and Lowes, are like ghost-towns compared to Myrtle Beach. It’s a different kind of traffic in North Myrtle and there are still bumber to bumbers in both places.

2. Beaches. It wouldn’t be a top vacation destination without a good beach, right? Both Myrtle and North Myrtle, and actually, all of the Grand Strand, lends itself to a good set of beaches. So whats the difference? Many say that North Myrtle Beach has “wider” beaches, as in the space between the dunes and the ocean water. Of course, this is depending on where the tide is at - AND which beach we are talking about! Myrtle Beach has state parks that have very nice, maintained beaches, some of which are just as wide as North Myrtle. In my opinion, both beaches are very nice and will be lots of fun. Parking is another story though. Both Myrtle and North Myrtle have public parking next to beaches, but the state park in Myrtle lends itself to a more relaxed parking search. Sometimes the public parking is so full, you drive around for a bit looking for a space.

3. Buildings. North Myrtle is a newer area than Myrtle, so many of the condos are newer and have a bit more luxury attached to them, depending on where you stay.

4. Attractions.  Visit our Myrtle Beach Attractions page for a full list of attractions. Chances are, no matter where you stay, you will visit both cities. They both have a large list of things to do and places to eat, so don’t base your decision on where to stay based on how close they are to attractions, unless you have a very specific itinerary.

Hope this helps! Comments are welcome.