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Yes. I would say as long as you don't leave them in the garage or out all night barking like others do, no problem. Have tags on them and walk them with a leash, not just let them out the door. Thats some of the problems I've seen. There are some HOA's with nice size lots but doubt you will get an acre or it will be hard. I suggest looking for a corner lot, they usually have more space. Also, like I suggested...ask to see the by-laws in advance. If you are buying and house doesnt already have a fence, make sure they will allow one and the type you plan to get. Most allow a fence but want a certain type. You just have to fill out an application to allow it installed after you move in and some HOA's will allow you to apply ahead of time so you can get it right away. Look into the town Longs. Reason I say this is because it's just west of NMB and I know they have some neighborhoods with larger yards. shops and beach not too far.
I did a reply but not sure if I did it correctly, and it went through. I have received e-mails from a few realtors from sites I've visited, but am not committed to one. May I tell you what I'm looking for?
I am retiring on Oct.1st, hoping to sell my house in Mass, which is paid for,and and moving to Myrtle Beach. I've been researching the area for over a year online. I have family and friends who have either visited, or lived there, I unfortunately have never been. I'm attracted to the climate, the OCEAN, and lower cost of living and homes. Of course, I'm planning to come down,hopefully this spring to visit, and see how I like the area. If all goes well, I want to relocate. At first I was sure I wanted the Little River area,because of the beach, but I'm put off by HOA's. My lifestyle is not golf and condo's. We live quietly. We have 4 dogs, and am afraid of all the potential restrictions. I also like Conway,Summersville, Longs, etc, because they seem to offer more house for the money. I only have between $1300.00and 140,000 to spend because of moving and closing costs. Is this enough?
My must haves: SAFE neighborhood,Move in Ready@ fenced in yard, lots of storage, 3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths close to beach, stores, town. No septic systems. Bonus would be: garage, gas fireplace, screened in porch, not too close to neighbors. This is for my daughter, granddaughter and myself. So, do you think you can help me?
Since you have never visited the area, I would strongly recommend that you find a house to rent for the first year or so until you determine whether you are really going to like it here. We moved here from CT and love it. But, SC is quite different from MA in just about every way imaginable. Yes, taxes are significantly lower and the weather is much warmer. But the summers are much hotter (imagine the 2 hottest most humid weeks in MA except it lasts from June through August). The politics are the opposite of MA, government services that you take for granted in MA are not always provided here (trash pickup, recycling), it's a more transient area, there are no hills, the grass is apple green rather than deep green, and produce quality is not as high as in the NE. These are a few of the differences and I'm not trying to disparage SC because, as I said, we love it here.....you just have to realize that it's different. I know several people who moved here and all they do is complain about how they wish it was more like wherever they moved from or how much they dislike certain things about the area.
Finding a rental house that will take 4 dogs will be difficult but not impossible. If you decide to go ahead and buy, I think you'll find that fulfilling everything on your wish list on your budget will be difficult and you'll definitely have to be 30 minutes or so from the beach to fill most of the things on your list. You can definitely find houses in that price range with 3 bedrooms...4 will be little harder. A large yard will depend on what you consider large...most houses are built on 1/4-1/2 acre lots with about 20-30 feet between houses. Conway and Longs will be your best bets. Summerville is in the Charleston SC area...not MB. Settle on a real estate agent to help you. Folks like me on this board can only be helpful to a certain extent because we haven't explored every neighborhood and can only point you in a general direction based on our experiences.
I have a relevant question. Looking to possibly move to MB this summer. I am a car guy. I like working on my own car. My car is a '76 Gran Torino land yacht and it's not pretty (think of the one Jeff Bridges drove in The Big Lebowski except it's white and much less "rust coloration"). I have no trouble keeping it registered/inspected/insured/running/driving but I want to work on it at home like I do now. It doesn't leak fluids but it is loud, heavy, scratched and dented up, and I like it that way. The problem I see is it doesn't fit in the garage so unless the home we rent/buy has a deep garage it won't fit easily.
We have two other vehicles, an inherited grandma fresh Cutlass Ciera and a family Suburban. I would likely be keeping the Torino beater outside in the driveway, and the Suburban as well since it's as long as the Torino. How much trouble can I expect from a typical HOA? Are they going to tell me I can't adjust my carburetor on a sunny Saturday afternoon? Will they force me to garage it (hey, maybe it'll fit at an angle or I could take the back bumper off as needed...*sigh*) and put my grandmother's Olds outside instead? Will the officers go out of their way to single my house out for any possible violations just because I drive a rough old cob of a car? I'm sure it is subjective to the neighborhood and even the individual street as far as paranoid or snooty types of homeowners, but in general, does owning an old car make you a target?
If your asking if someone will point you out for having too many animals or wanting to work on your car in the driveway, a HOA is not for you.
I could never live in a HOA, and yes it is the home owners association but the ones on the Board are in control and get power hungry. Don't tell which tree I can cut down or not, don;t tell me I have to have a certain color flower pot and no flag may fly on my house.
I think I might want to stick with renting for the first year or so, and ensure the rental is NOT covered by an HOA. I plan to buy a pickup truck as well, so there's no sense even considering an HOA neighborhood. Just read a long thread on a car forum about one guy's problems keeping a show condition classic car in his garage.
Let them keep their Priuses and CR-V's and matching yard ornaments.
Lizamy, I have lived in Little River since 1992 and love the little community I am in. I do not live in an HOA community and have never regretted living here. I live exactly three miles from the beach and love my neighborhood. Our neighborhood is called Green Acres and it is very safe and quiet and affordable. Until you sign a buyer's agreement with a realtor, you are free to shop around with any realtor and company you would like. I would suggest finding one who will work with you as a customer at first (as opposed to a client who has signed an agreement) and e-mail you automatic listings from the MLS based on the criteria you are looking for, so you can see what is out there and available. Eventually, they will want you to sign the buyers rep agreement, but by then you should have a feel of whether or not you want to work with them. There are still really good deals out there, but the market is coming back and prices are set to keep rising, so I hope you can narrow your search and find the perfect neighborhood and home soon. Good luck!
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