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Hello all, thank you in advance for your help. I have read all I can find on this forum and researched real estate online extensively but hope to find some more insight. I have a job opportunity in Georgetown and need to make a decision soon. My wife and I have 3 children 9,6, and 4. We currently live near St Louis in a subdivision we love, alot of kids, friends that come out each night to socialize in our cul-de-sac, a lot of young families. We really like it here but have always dreamed of living near the beach. My wife stays at home and is very active with the kids, moms club, PTO volunteer, day trips for the kids to waterparks/zoo/ fun stuff, she is a busy body and the kids are lucky to have her.
I would be working in Georgetown and need to stay fairly close to 30 minute commute. It is important that my family is happy, I don't want to chase a dream and us be miserable. We currently have a pool and my kids love it. We would like to live in a subdivision with plenty of families that is reasonable with restrictions, I read one post that said her HOA complained due to her kids using sidewalk chalk on their driveway! To me that is ridiculous. The idea of a community with a pool and amenities sounds attractive. Need to stay below 275 for a home. I really like the look of prince creek development, in particular palm bay. Also ricefields in PI looks like it has potential. We would like to be near the beach, is flooding a concern? I have read of poorly built spec homes, would hate to buy a house only to have it blow away, are hurricanes a major concern?
There are so many opinions on this post and would highly value any additional input you can offer. Need to have realistic expectations for a big decision, thanks!
Before buying in any area with a HOA association, make sure to obtain and read the regulations very carefully. Some are minimal and some can be very impossible to live with. Your choice.
As for hurricanes and floods, yes on both accounts, - yes, of course, you're choosing a barrier island type area on a coast.. There won't be a serious hurricane every year, but there will be hurricanes every now and then, no doubt. Depending on severity, there can be mandatory evacuations.
The state has on line it's mandatory evacuations routes. Even without a mandatory evacuation, getting brushed by a hurricane can be annoying. Power can go out for days, any food you have in your freezer and refrigerator will be lost. School and work time will be lost, etc. There can be any kind of damage from minor to serious to your home, any plantings, trees on your property. Your homeowner insurance policy may or may not cover the mess. They don't pay for tree removal, for example, unless the tree is in your house.
Flooding will depend exactly on where you live and your elevation. If you purchase your home for cash, you'll have the option of whether to buy flood insurance. Dumb not to IMO but some people will roll the dice. If you take out a mortgage, your lender will require it if you're in a flood zone. Flood insurance is separate from home insurance. Flood maps for the area are also available on line.
This all comes with " living near the beach". Remember, visiting or vacationing near the beach is different from living near the beach. Hurricanes and floods are just part of year round life anywhere on the Gulf or Atlantic coasts. If you choose to live on the coast, you take your best precautions, be prepared to roll with ever comes your way. Good idea to have a decent sized generator on hand, just in case. If such things are worrisome, then better to live 100 miles inland and day trip or vacation to the beach.
By the way, newer homes, say built after 1990 or so, are study and generally will withstand all but the most severe hurricanes as long as they're built to code.
That's a virtually impossible question to answer. Fewer and fewer companies are even willing to write policies along the coast but you can still find insurance.
Your insurance rate is going to depend a great deal on exactly how far from the water your house is, the square footage, age, condition, quality, whether you are also in a flood zone, etc. It will also depend on what deductible you decide to take.
Although I would warn you that some some companies will mandate a very high deductible , sometimes in the $ 12,500 range for the hurricane portion of the coverage if you're a mile or less to the water. Some companies want you take standard homeowner insurance and then do a separate hurricane policy.
Really too many variables to give you an answer. It might be best to take a look at properties online. Pick out a few you are interested in . Then call a couple of local insurance agencies ( find online ) and ask what the coverage would be on those homes and what your insurance options could be.
I live in a single family home (very close to your price range) that is 6/10 of a mile from the ocean. Our insurance is very affordable and I had no problem finding companies that were (and are) willing to insure us. Our deductible is $1000,00. We have complete replacement coverage on everything.
I see so many posts on here where people are talking about the high rates and how it is "impossible" to get coverage sometimes............. I don't know why people say this.......
Hurricane coverage is actually called "Wind-Storm-Hail" coverage and you can find out more about that on google. Again, very affordable.
Call an insurance company and ask them about general pricing and SC statutes. If you want the name of the company I deal with, send me a message and I will tell you. I have dealt with them for 3 years and never had a problem and they are wonderful. I would post the name on here, but that might be considered advertising, which is not permitted. I have absolutely no affiliation with them or any other insurance company.
To the OP; Windstorm and hail coverage is not the same as " named storm " & hurricane coverage. Seriously, rely less on this form and talk to several insurance agents and make sure you understand the difference between, " wind storm and hail, " hurricane" , " named storm" and " any other peril " coverage . You do not want to find yourself under insured should you decide to move to the coast.
You'll want to understand each type of coverage, and what are the " triggers" that cause each type to kick in.
Vexy nailed my exact experience. Call several companies and had no issue with getting affordable quotes
from each one. All are well know national carriers. On well know company(green lizard) would write only the home owners and I would of needed to get wind and hail from the state pool. My experience showed there can be a very large differnce between deductibles ($1000 to 12500 )with various companies. I also was told that down in Pawleys ,east of 17 will have much higher premium than the area west of 17 to the Waccamaw river. Flood zones are clearly mark on fema maps and your home owers company will let you know when they give you quote if you need it. Even if flood insurance is not required it can be purchased for around $350 a year.
I really do not know of how much poor construction there is right now but I do know that building codes are
more stricter in the coastal areas for new construction . Also in this day and age mortgage companies are not to keen in holding notes to questionable properties. Prior to any purchase I strongly recommend a reputable home inspector. It will be the best $200 to $500 you can spend. Again to agree with vexys post. I had no issues in getting home owers and believe it was for a reasonable price. Good luck on your research and the poster here are the best .
Regardless of the neighborhood, I think you'll encounter a much higher mix of retirees than you'd normally find in real-world locations. That's not necessarily bad, but it definitely influences the neighborhood's flavor. You'll find some friendly folks down here, but probably not a lot of "...come out each night to socialize in our cul-de-sac." Other than early morning and early evening strollers, most folks tend to migrate inward. An awfully lot of the residents have arrived from other climates (I tried to say that nicely), and are not big fans of coastal SC's heat, humidity, and bugs. Screened porches on the back side of houses are very popular, but are not conducive to social communities.
We have found HOA's around here to be oppressive. It's our first HOA and, God willin', will be our last. Most are run by old, bored, unhappy OCD retirees who feel compelled to meddle in and control other's lives. Our HOA is convinced beyond a doubt that uniform, standardized mailboxes are absolutely essential to national security. Our board members are given an opportunity to renew on the board when their term ends, so it often becomes a lifetime assignment. Our president has "served" for over 12 years, and will give up the post only when they pry the non-compliance letter forms from his cold, dead hands. I'm sure it's not like that in every community, but I've heard enough similar comments from other neighborhoods to know it's also not the exception.
I don't know anything about Prince Creek. We have some friends in Ricefields, a nice community but beginning to show its age. It's probably worth considering, although it may be difficult to find a home for 5 under $275K. Still, many of the homes have been on the market for awhile so there's probably wiggle room in the prices. They have a nice pool, but most yards are very small and there are no other play areas at all. Most of the kids seem to entertain themselves driving golf carts or riding skateboards in the neighborhood streets. Just a swag, but maybe 70/30 retiree/family ratio, which is a lower retiree ratio than many areas. You might also want to check out Pawleys Retreat and Traditions, just to throw a few others into the mix.
Hurricanes are rare but a fact of life. The last big ones were Hugo in '89 and Floyd in '99. Considering how the area has grown, the next big one will be devastating in cost, and will chase off many more insurance companies. We've had a few brush the coast since then. Most folks would tell you they were an inconvenience, but we have a neighbor who would differ. He decided to evacuate during one of them; a large limb broke loose and penetrated his roof and living room ceiling, causing extensive water damage. The overwhelming population growth has made the South end of MB poorly prepared for evacuation. The next time a major storm approaches, by the time an evacuation is ordered, it will be too late to leave. I figure we could probably get almost as far as the bridge into Georgetown before total gridlock sets in. The reality is we must leave early or ride it out.
BTW, Georgetown is a neat little town. I can understand why you would not choose there to raise your family, but it is a friendly, laid-back place with a wonderful small town feel. It is also one of the few remaining places along the SC coastline that has not been severly impacted by a "tourism dollars at any cost" mentality.
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