As far as taxes are concerned, I'm not sure they are a big factor in Horry vs. Georgetown. There are some differences, but nothing major. While Georgetown is a big county, the vast majority of residents are stuffed into the Waccamaw Neck area, a narrow spit of land stretching from Murrells Inlet on the north end to the Waccamaw River bridge on the south end. The "other side" of Georgetown was set to break out with a number of major developments prior to the recent economic disasters. To the best of my knowledge, most of those have been placed on hold.
Several years ago, I would have said that the Neck area was unique as compared to much of MB. IMO, that's not really true any more, as the Grand Strand attitude toward tourism has continually migrated down Hwy 17. The type of development that has come to Pawleys Island/Litchfield along Hwy 17 borders on criminal. Overall, the explosion in growth east of the ICW from North Carolina to the city of Georgetown has far exceeded anything the area is capable of supporting without a significant detrimental impact to both the natural environment and the quality of life. Of course, that's all my opinion, and I'm sure you'll get a different view from others. Many will tell you it's heaven, but for many, the honeymoon ends after four or five years. For those that have lived here awhile, the changes are often hard to watch. Since you're a REA, I won't give you the usual sermon about life in a tourist area, but the Grand Strand is all about tourists, with a season that now spans most of 12 months/year.
You didn't ask about homeowner's insurance, but it can be more problematic than taxes if you live east of the ICW and particularly east of Hwy 17. When you begin to settle in on a specific location, I recommend talking to an insurance agent prior to taking on any obligations. A number of companies have quit writing policies, and those that still do are calling the shots. We live in a small home west of Hwy 17 and east of the ICW. Since 2003, our homeowner's insurance premiums have quadrupled. At the same time, deductibles have risen significantly for some types of risks and the overall coverage has degraded significantly. We have been with the same insurance company for 30+ years, spread over a number of states. When I discussed increases with my agent a couple years ago, his words were polite but thinly veiled to let me know I should be glad I still have coverage. A close friend in the insurance business down here told me the same thing.
What should you do? Probably the same thing as the rest of us - ignore all the doubts and warnings and move on down here.
At least you have the opportunity to buy cheap and probably sell at a pretty good profit after several years if you decide it's a bad move. I recommend giving yourself plenty of time deciding where to buy. Like you said, perspective shifts big-time from a vacationer to a prospective buyer. I had vacationed the SC coast 30+ years before moving here FT. I thought I knew exactly where I wanted to live until I started looking. In the end, it took almost 3 months of searching before we bought.
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