HELP! Need info on Murrells inlet area!!! (Charleston, Myrtle Beach: for sale, real estate)

[NP2B]

Hello all!
We have been considering a relocating from NYC to SC for a while. We had settled on the Charleston area (Mt. Pleasant/James Island were the areas we had settled on) but I was just contacted by a headhunter for a promising job in Murrells Inlet. The job sounds like exactly what I want to be doing so I'm excited about that, but I'm concerned because I know NOTHING about the Murrells Inlet area. It sounds nice and looks nice online, but I have no real info!

Perhaps I should tell you all a bit about us so you can tell me things you think would be important to folks like us...

We are in our late 30s, I'm an NP and my husband is a manager at a large financial corporation and we just started our family. Our darling daughter is 3.5mos old, so schools are important, but not that important yet. What is important now is availability and cost of daycare! Any info on daycare facilities in the area and/or cost would be greatly appreciated and what school district should we be looking to be in when we buy a house?

What's the healthcare like in the area? What are the major hospitals/health systems?

We were both raised christian (catholic & baptist) and celebrate christian holidays and traditions, but are not really church-going people. Is it going to be difficult developing new friendships with new neighbors/co-workers/kids in the neighborhood for my daughter, etc.? Is the area strongly church-going?

We would probably rent when we first arrive. I would not be comfortable trying to buy something without being there to see everything through, plus I'd really like to get to know the area/subdivisions first to make a more educated decision where we'd like to focus our search. Do you know of any nice apartment communities in Murrells Inlet? What would be an average monthly rent for a 2 or 3 BR apt in Murrells Inlet?

Can someone describe what living in Murrells Inlet is like? Shopping- basics like groceries, clothing, etc. Restaurants/entertainment? Recreation? What are the pros and cons? What do you love, what do you hate, etc.?

Is MI more or less affordable than the Charleston area?

I know this is long and rambling, I'm so sorry. This headhunter has thrown me for a loop! I have no research on Murrells Inlet and I don't want to go too far in the interview process without having a basic idea of whether it's a place we'd like to live or can afford! Please help!

Thank you all so much in advance for your assistance and info!

[NP2B]

Wow! Lots of lookers, but nobody's replying! I know you all must get sick of relocation questions, but I couldn't find the info I was looking for in other posts. Please, can someone help me out?

[Summering]

NP if you put Murrells Inlet in the search area that you see in the bar above you should get a bunch of information.
There is not usually a big industrial area, nor a ton of corporations. It is really a tourist area, and Murrells has a fishing fleet, town area. Fantastic restaurants......
Traffic is pretty bad in the summer months. OK otherwise......
The Inlet home communites are very nice and in a less traffic area. International Club, Blackmoor,
Island Green, nice golfing, swimming communites.
There is plenty of shopping in the new Coastal Mall. Theaters are there also.
Soccastee has a great school system, and also a wonderful library and is close to Murrells.
There in the new hospital the Garden City area. There is also a huge trauma hospital in Myrtle beach, with heart care.
Plenty of doctors and the like.
There is Giants foods, Lowes foods, and a Krogers amongst others in the area.
Homes are affordable. Rentals you can probably obtain by going to the section of the local realtors for renters.
Renting at Socastee, Murrells Inlet, Garden City in that area would most likely suit your needs.
I can't think of a store that is not available to you in the general area.....
Best of Luck.

[baylovers]

OK, here we go... alot of information. If there is anything you don't understand or I glossed over please ask me.

Murrells Inlet (zip code) is rather large. It runs from just north of Huntington Beach State Park/Brookgreen Gardens all the way up to the areas known as Garden City & Socastee. It falls into two counties, Georgetown County of the south side (roughly just north of Hwy 707) into Horry County. There are differences but they are difficult to describe without experiences.

The storied "fishing village" are is along Business 17 and is lined with seafood restaurants. The area is peppered with some really nice homes along with some double-wide trailers. It is a strange feeling coming from NY, but folks seem to get along well. The nicest community may be Wachesaw East but there are a ton of new developments along Hwy 707.

If you live in the Georgetown side the kids will attend the Waccamaw Schools, probably the best in the county. Waccamaw High School won the best overall HS in the state last year. But with a 3 mo old that is a long way off! Horry side will go the St. James schools. I don't a whole bunch on them except that they have a pretty good reputation.
There is also a Catholic School (St Michael's) in Garden City and a couple of private schools in Pawleys Island (Low Country Day School, The Chrstian Academy & the Montessori School).

What's the healthcare like in the area? What are the major hospitals/health systems?

Waccamaw Hospital is right in the middle of MI. I have been there a couple of times & it is new, clean, and professional. There are a ton of medical offices in the immediate area & you shouldn't have a problem finding a specialist. Plus, you are close enough to Grand Strand Hosp in Myrtle Beach and about 80-90 minutes from the Medical University of Charleston for the more serious conditions. I am retired from the NYPD so we have had some issues with our NYC health insurance which we are still working through.

Is the area strongly church-going?

We are in Pawleys Island and there are no less than a dozen different denominations and varying churches. While folks certainly are church going, I haven't found people keeping tabs. We belong to the Catholic parish in Pawleys, Precious Blood of Christ. You also have St Michael's in Garden City. The biggest congregation in MI is Belin (pronounced Blaine) which I believe is Methodist.

Do you know of any nice apartment communities in Murrells Inlet? What would be an average monthly rent for a 2 or 3 BR apt in Murrells Inlet?

Most of the apartment communites in MI are so-so... be careful. You would be much better off renting a house. Get a good real estate agent, let them know you are looking to buy eventually & they will take care of you. Personally, I prefer the Pawleys Island area over MI and it is less than 10 minutes to MI. There is an apt complex there that is OK called Litchfield Oaks. Peruse the local paper, The Coastal Observer or the Georgetown Times, for real estate listings and other items of interest.

Can someone describe what living in Murrells Inlet is like? Shopping- basics like groceries, clothing, etc. Restaurants/entertainment? Recreation? What are the pros and cons? What do you love, what do you hate, etc.?

MI is a fairly small town but big enough that it offers some diversity. It is close enough to MB that you can pretty much get anything you want (although my wife craves a Macy's). Large mall near Hwy 501 called Coastal Grand, 2 different Tanger outlets, The Inlet Square Mall is kinda small but offers a Kmart, Books-a-Million & a muti-movie theatre, etc. The New Market Commons is very nice & upscale. Food shopping: Piggly-Wiggly & a Food Lion, both good brands. Pawleys also has a Food Lion, Bi-Lo, "The Pig" & is expecting a Lowes Foods & Fresh Foods to be built in the future.

- Tons of restaurants... you won't be able to get Wo-Hop or a Gyro at 3AM but there is a variety.
- Folks complain about traffic but is nothing compared to NYC, so don't fret it.
- There are kids recreation fields behind the hospital, the organized sports is getting better for the kids. They just started an adult softball league at Precious Blood. Most folks seem to stay busy with the golf, fishing (both the river & the ocean/creeks), boating/kayaking & hunting. This is an awesome place if you enjoy the outdoors.

I cannot compare Chas. to MI exactly, but my guess is that housing & other necessities are cheaper in MI. Maybe someone else could offer a better comp.

We enjoy the area alot, we were just commenting tonight what a nice life we have made for ourselves here. We still have a young daughter who has a bunch of friends. It has been amazing how many people we have met that have relocated from all over the east coast & are in a similar position. In a way it reminds me of Long Island of many years ago before it became crowded & rude. People are very polite & accomodating, which was refreshing.

OK, alot to digest. Let me know what else you may need to know.

[Coasters]

That part of SC from the NC line through Myrtle Beach is called the Grand Strand. Below that is the South Strand starting with Murrells Inlet. MI is also the beginning of an area which lies between the Waccamaw river and the ocean. This is called the Waccamaw Neck and it is residential as well as having golf and beach resorts
One of the nicest places to live is just south of MI in Litchfield. Its about 6 miles to the Waccamaw Hospital which is in sort of the center of MI.
For under $1000/month you can rent a nice home or large condo in a golf community. These are all negotiable because so many second homes were purchased during the bubble and then the first home up north could not be sold, or they speculated or whatever. Even real estate agents are sitting with 2 homes.
I must say that Mt. Pleasant is much more like Connecticut or NY. It has a vibrant economic base and more young affluent familiies. MI is a retirement haven. To them it is a golf and fishing and boating paradise as well as a tax haven.
In Litchfield check out the new schools, which for SC look extravagant.
You will probably feel more at home in Mt Pleasant but visit them both. If you have a great opportunity in MI you will be between the fun of both Myrtle Beach and the events and attractions of Charleston. You really can't go wrong they are both attractive.

[southernbychoice14]

I live in Murrells Inlet in the Prince creek at the TPC area.I love it.Many nice Homes and condos.I rent a brand new 1500 + condo for under a thousand with many amenities and extras.My neighborhood is mostly owners so it doesn't feel like a "apartment complex". I think the cost of living is pretty good. I like my area because I can get anywhere I need to be fast but I feel away from it all in my neighborhood. There are many things to choose from....houses, condo ,or apts...I looked at over 30 different choices in the two days I came to secure a place to live.
I also see many families like myself ...mid 30s with a child...I am very happy that my husband took the transfer...good luck!

[NP2B]

Thank you all soooo much for all the wonderful info! I'm still waiting to hear about the job. I have another question....

Could we survive in this area on about $85,000/year? Would that be a sufficient income to buy a house and cover taxes, regular living expenses, and still have a bit leftover for savings?

[baylovers]

Absolutely, I know many people who are doing ok with alot less than $85k. But I guess it all depends on the housing you choose & the lifestyle you live. When you choose to buy, property taxes will based on the purchase price of your home. Something in the $250k range will probably be in the area of $1800 a year(?). Depends on the millage rate of the county you buy. Gas in Georgetown is around $2.25 a gal (one place is at $2.15!), Pawleys & Murrells Inlet is down to $2.45.

My wife says that groceries are about the same as in NY but I think that clothing, etc is a little less expensive. Energy costs are much lower than Con Ed & LIPA as is auto insurance. Homeowners insurance is more expensive being so close to the ocean. Large ticket items such as electronics can be bought at a decent price if you watch for sales, but I think online shopping offers the best savings anyway. The big thing for us was getting out from under the large property taxes, also the timely & stressful commutes.

[usc_gal98]

Love Murrells Inlet. There are alot of retirees living there now. The best thing about living there would be all the great seafood places to eat.

[Quiency]

We have been considering a relocating from NYC to SC for a while. We had settled on the Charleston area (Mt. Pleasant/James Island were the areas we had settled on) but I was just contacted by a headhunter for a promising job in Murrells Inlet. The job sounds like exactly what I want to be doing so I'm excited about that, but I'm concerned because I know NOTHING about the Murrells Inlet area. It sounds nice and looks nice online, but I have no real info!

Murrells Inlet is great. A wonderful Southern Town with lots to do. Great Health Care and good schools close by.[/font]

Perhaps I should tell you all a bit about us so you can tell me things you think would be important to folks like us...[/font]

We are in our late 30s, I'm an NP and my husband is a manager at a large financial corporation and we just started our family. Our darling daughter is 3.5mos old, so schools are important, but not that important yet. What is important now is availability and cost of daycare! Any info on daycare facilities in the area and/or cost would be greatly appreciated and what school district should we be looking to be in when we buy a house?[/font]

In MI Belain Methodist Church has the best day care around and in the future St. James school district is really good also. The best in the area.

What's the healthcare like in the area? What are the major hospitals/health systems?[/font]

Georgetown hospital systems just expanded their already new hospital. Lots of specialists around too.[/font]
We were both raised christian (catholic & baptist) and celebrate christian holidays and traditions, but are not really church-going people. Is it going to be difficult developing new friendships with new neighbors/co-workers/kids in the neighborhood for my daughter, etc.? Is the area strongly church-going

The best way to meet friends out of church is to go out on "The Point" in Murrells Inlet. A lot of people hang out there. In you age range too.

We would probably rent when we first arrive. I would not be comfortable trying to buy something without being there to see everything through, plus I'd really like to get to know the area/subdivisions first to make a more educated decision where we'd like to focus our search. Do you know of any nice apartment communities in Murrells Inlet? What would be an average monthly rent for a 2 or 3 BR apt in Murrells Inlet?[/font]

There are a few places to rent in MI. No recommendations though.[/font]

Can someone describe what living in Murrells Inlet is like? Shopping- basics like groceries, clothing, etc. Restaurants/entertainment? Recreation? What are the pros and cons? What do you love, what do you hate, etc.?[/font]

Laid Back-Relaxing. Great Restaurants. Polos and flip flops. Cons-Winter To Cold to hang out at the point.[/font]

Is MI more or less affordable than the Charleston area?[/font]