Thanks to a tweeter on twitter, I found nice article about the Grand Strand area in U.S. Airways Magazine (yea, I know, odd).  I, for one, have not seen a U.S. Airways magazine in the past, even though I have flown with them on many occasions.

Even so, it’s not just one article, but a few good ones about the different aspects of Myrtle Beach, from golf to business to a “best of Myrtle Beach section”.  Let’s start with the fun stuff, shall we?

The named the Best Golf Hole as “The Gambler”. It’s at MBN’s Kings North course. Par 5, designed by Arnold Palmer. They say the best route is just a roll of the dice.  Best Ice Cream? Despite a mixture of good and bad reviews on the Myrtle Beach Restaurants website, Painters Homemade Ice Cream in North Myrtle holds the title for excellent ice cream.  Best Souvenirs? The Gay Dolphin on the ocean drive section of Myrtle Beach. And Collector’s Cafe brought the title for fine dining.

Now I have to throw facts out at you about Myrtle Beach. Some of these are pretty staggering.  The Grand Strand area has more than 47,000 hotel ROOMS, 1,700 restaurants, 1,800 golf holes, 15 million annual visitors and 60 miles of beaches.  Pretty nifty huh? There were also 3,387 marriage licenses issued in 2008 from Horry County, according to the article.

New Boardwalk

One of the articles even touched on the new Boardwalk that should open next summer. It will be 1.2 miles and connect the two piers in the downtown Myrtle Beach area.  The boardwalk will be broken down into three sections, a) a nature trail, b), a “nostalgic reverie with mom-and-pop shops and restaurants”, and c) the promenade, which will have larger areas for special events and concerts. This new boardwalk should add another who dynamic to the Myrtle Beach vacation. And since it is close to many Myrtle Beach hotels and condos, access to it will be quite easy for the tourists.

Some Pavilion History

Ready for a Myrtle Beach history lesson? Did you know the Myrtle Beach Pavilion was lost in a fire, not once, but twice? The first in 1920 (rebuilt in 1925) and then again in 1944.  Then in 1948, Burroughs and Chapin rebuilt it for the third time, but used reinforced concrete walls. The park was host to 40 seaside rides, including a carousel that was 1 of 15 in the United States. It also included South Carolina’s tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster.

Like I said, these articles covered quite a bit in the Myrtle Beach area and were well written. It’s good to see Myrtle Beach noted and on the map.  We don’t  just have Myrtle Beach condos and hotel rooms, but a history of golf, games, amusement and much more.

There are several ways to cut down the expense of insuring your vacation home in Myrtle Beach. Here are some great tips from our local  insurance agent, Scott Todd of Todd Insurance Agency, Inc.

1. Get a longterm customer discount – If you’ve had homeowner’s insurance with the same company for years, think twice before moving to a new carrier. You may be getting discounts for having that policy for a long time. Do the math and see if moving to a new company will save you money. (Many companies grant the same discount if you’ve been with a prior company for a long time)

2. Combine your vehicle, boat or motorcycle, and homeowners insurance policies and keep them with the same company. This is one of the biggest discounts you can have.

3. Try to purchase your home nearby to a “paid” or city fire station. Volunteer fire stations will help, but your best discount is being near a city organization. Try to make sure you have a fire hydrant within a mile of the house for even more of a discount.

4. Add a security system to your home. Make sure you keep well-maintained fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, carbon dioxide detectors, even an alarm for radon gas. Don’t forget to notify the agent when you’ve done this. Neighborhood Watch communities can help, too.

5. Don’t own a typically vicious dog or dangerous animal. Any type of dog like a doberman, rottweiler, or pit bull can increase your homeowner’s liability insurance. Resist the impulse to get that new “wild” cross-bred cat, too.

6. Keep pools, hottubs, or trampolines behind a locked fence, and maintain guard rails on any outside stairs. Many times these fall under city ordinances as well.

7. When figuring your appraised value, deduct the amount that would cover land only. You want to insure only the home or structure, not the rocks and grass!

8. If purchasing, choose a newer home. Most insurance companies charge more for older homes due to repair rates.

9. Stick to a well-known national insurance company and choose a higher deductible. You may find a lower rate with a fly-by-night company, but if you have to make a claim, they may have flown!

10. Keep a high credit score, or choose one of the insurance companies that don’t count your credit rating in your premium charges. If you’ve got excellent credit, find a company that rewards it. Taking the time to do a little homework can help your insurance expenses whether it comes to SC homeowners insurance or cheap car insurance in Myrtle Beach.

Also, if you’re in another state and have your car insurance with a company, you can insure your condo in Myrtle Beach with the same company and get the same multi-policy discount. Todd Insurance Agency, Inc is fully licensed for any city in the states of North and South Carolina. Todd Insurance can protect your car, home, motorcycle, boat, provide renters insurance, and much more..

Contact them for details!

Todd Insurance Agency, Inc.
1515 Hwy 17 South
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
(888) 288-8713 (Toll Free)

www.carolinapolicies.com

Although receiving unfavorable comments from locals on the story, the Sun News (Myrtle Beach’s leading newspaper) reported that the area had a 97 percent occupancy rate for the Fourth of July weekend, a number not reached since 2005. Furthermore, according to reps from the Clay Brittain Jr. Center for Resort Tourism at Coastal Carolina University, the Myrtle Beach area should have about a 90 percent occupancy rate for the rest of July.

Good news? Yes and no.  While there may be more people actually HERE in Myrtle Beach, because of the tremendous discounts offered by the hotels, condos and other lodging businesses, the profit margins are very thin. According to the article, the Myrtle Beach Chamber even spent more money this year in advertising, using money from the 1 percent tax increase.

It’s not just the accommodations industry though, but people are simply watching their money in general, which is why the promotion for the Freestyle Music Park on July 4 went over so well and lots of people are taking advantage of our Myrtle Beach condo deals at CondoLux.

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On another note, if you happen to be interested in real estate deals, we just updated the Myrtle Beach oceanfront condo foreclosures list.  We try to keep this list updated as much as possible so that you can take advantage of the changing real estate market.  Bookmark the page and check back!

Webcams, webcams webcams! Plenty to choose from in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. Some good, some bad. The most popular are the ones overlooking the beach. These are usually attached to Myrtle Beach condos up high so they get the best view. We have visited and rated the most popular! Which will YOU spend the most time at?
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According to a story in the Sun News yesterday, tourism for the 2009 season may prove to be a very challenging year for the Myrtle Beach area. Lisa Fleisher spoke with Brad Dean, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, where he said the “number of trips taken will be down next year, and hiring levels will be much lower”.

Most of those in the hospitality industry will agree that tourism did take a blow for the 2008 season. Of course, this all depends on what particular industry you are in. I even remember a story a few months ago when even Hamburger Joe’s Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach was taking a hit. And now with bike week bikers being bummed about the new ordinances for bikers, the spring bike rally probably won’t bring as much money as it has in previous years. So yea, 2009 might be quite tough!
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