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Help! Thinking about purchasing property in Loris, SC at Woodland Valley. Is there anyone who know this area? I understand it is very rural, but are there any possibilities of things improving.
I spent a good deal of time in Loris when I was growing up as my grandparents lived there. And my mom still lives about 15 miles away - out in the real country. Don't know where you live now - but Loris is VERY rural - think Mayberry rural. There's a couple of banks, a couple of gas stations, 1 chinese restaurant, 1 BBQ joint, a couple of burger joints and a drug store. Several mom and pop type stores for clothes an furniture. The closest city for national chains (Walmart, MCDonalds, Applebees, etc) is in Conway - which has a small mall - but for anything vaguely resembling the average US city you'd have to drive to Myrtle Beach. Don't know if you're working or retired - but there is no job market in Loris - unless you're going to farm on the land you buy. Everyone who doesnt teach, or work at one of the above places (oh yeah and a small hospital) farms. So you'd have to commute to Myrtle Beach everyday to work. I'm 37 and Loris has always been a small country town. It used to get a lot more traffic and business about 15 years ago - because you had to drive through Loris to get to North Myrtle Beach - but about that time they built a by pass 4 lane hwy about 5 miles out of town - so all the tourist revenue dried up and the town has been shrinking ever since. Now that being said - golf courses and retirement villas are getting built further and further out - so some believe as affordable property dries up at the beach - some day - Loris might be hot property. But I cant see that happening in the next 20-30 years.
Think --- Long term planning. It's an opportunity in the making, especially for those folks who are lookg for ACREAGE, as opposed to being in a development of sorts.
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Originally Posted by sgfludd
Now that being said - golf courses and retirement villas are getting built further and further out - so some believe as affordable property dries up at the beach - some day - Loris might be hot property. But I cant see that happening in the next 20-30 years.
OH I agree with that - I wish I was in the position to buy some acreage there BUT I don't want to live there. Some people love it - and it's all they know - in fact I wonder if the high school kids still cruise up and down main street on Sundays - that was pretty much the highlight of my teenagedom. But small towns like that - where everyone knows everybody - and almost everyone is related to each other - are hard to move to - not that they aren't very nice, they are - but it would just be hard transition- I think.
Yes, this sounds like this could be a BIG awaken for me if we moved their, but purchasing the property may be a good thing and sell later. I presently live in Bowie, MD and work in Washington, DC with plans to retire Jan 08. I really appreciate the info. Thanks.
Wow - I did take a look at that - and it sure is a slick ad campaign. The area certainly has a lot of people buying retirement homes or relocating - but this community I think is the first that's actually in Loris. Just give it a lot of thought and visit a few times. You'll find these boards - from all states - with people who fall in love with something from a distance - then before you know it - they've moved back home. Perhaps you can convince some friends to move down with you! Now that would be fun.
As sgfludd indicated, Loris is a very "Mayberry" rural type town. I was born in Loris, grew up in Loris, parents still live in Loris and I still live within the county. I'm not sure when the last time was that sgfludd visited, but Loris is growing (most certainly not shrinking) and has ever since the bypass was built. The area in general is growing by leaps & bounds and the additional of HWYs 22 and 31 have made commuting from the Loris/Conway area to the Myrtle Beach area much easier and faster. Currently the state DOT is trying to finalize this portion of the route for I-77, which ultimately will run from Michigan to Myrtle Beach. If you plan to purchase in the Loris area or inland from there, you definately want to investigate the I-77 route further.
Since mention that you plan to retire in Jan 08, the job market probably isn't of major importance to you. The area is certainly different that what I am sure you are accustomed to in MD/DC. (Although not familiar with Bowie, I have been to Towson, MD and DC for both work and vacation.) Here is some info about this area that hopefully may help you.
Loris now has a total of 4 redlights (haha... I can remember only 1). Restaurants: There are several chain fast-food places (KFC, McDonalds, Subway, etc.) and various other local restaurants ... actually quite a variety for a such a little town. There are no mid-line chains (Applebees, Fridays, etc.) in town, and nothing upscale. Still no Walmart and grocery shopping is limited to a smaller Food Lion, IGA (once a tiny grocery, this one has grown to Food Lion size) and Hills (not impressed). Many locally owned businesses for clothing, furniture, etc. Property values are really beginning to rise and, although I don't see it as a "hot property" kind of town, 5 years ago you could buy land for as little as $5000 an acre but it's now starting to rise up to the $20s and above for a 1/2-1 acre lot. The developers are buying it up like crazy. To get cheap prices on acreage, you have to go out into the really rural farm areas of Gallivants Ferry and Green Sea Floyds... now those place are more like "Green Acres".
Conway is about 18 miles from Loris ... about a 20-30 drive. It is the county seat and is growing very fast. There you will find Walmart, more fast-food, and a growing number of chain restaurants in the Applebees/Friday's genre. There are also some a couple of scattered local restaurants for a slightly more upscale menu... although all (as far as I know) are pretty casual in their attire. If you're looking for something a little larger than the Loris size town, this may be another great option for you to look at. You have many options as far as shopping, grocery, etc., you are within a 20-30 minute drive to the hustle & bustle of Myrtle Beach, it still has a small town feel, and the price of property is still decent. However, the areas are starting to building up quickly (a lot just in the last 2 years) and the price of property is beginning to rise as more and more people move here to be closer to the beach but still away from the tourism.
Myrtle Beach. I moved from Loris to Myrtle Beach in 1995 because I got tired of the commute to work everyday. Last year we bought a small house between Conway & Myrtle Beach. Just to give you an idea - it's down a very quiet dead-end street, approx 1500 sq. ft, late 70s ranch, 1/2 acre lot, no HOA, in the $150s range. I'm 15 minutes from the Myrtle Beach, 10-15 minutes from Conway (for the small-town feel) and 5-10 minutes from anything I wish to do (hospital, Food Lion, Bi-Lo, Lowes, Walmart, Tanger Outlets, restaurants galore). Property in the area varies greatly and the developers are building more condos & more housing developments anywhere they can find enough land to do so.
Most people refer to "Myrtle Beach" but actually mean the enitire coastal area. The term "Grand Strand" actually refers to everything from Little River/Cherry Grove/North Myrtle Beach (at the NC state line), Myrtle Beach proper, and then the south end communities of Surfside Beach, Garden City, Pawley's Island. There is more shopping, more restaurants, and more golf courses that you could ever imagine or possibly visit.
It really all depends on how you envision your retirement. Although it's not perfect in every way, this area gives you so much to choose from and I really can't imagine living anywhere else. I'll be glad to answer any other questions you may have.
...Currently the state DOT is trying to finalize this portion of the route for I-77, which ultimately will run from Michigan to Myrtle Beach. If you plan to purchase in the Loris area or inland from there, you definately want to investigate the I-77 route further..
The highway you are referring to which will be finished from Michigan to Myrtle Beach is I-73. The I-77 highway starts in Columbia, SC and finishes in Ohio.
How much are lots at Woodland Valley and are there any woods actually on the property? I've seen a lot of developments spring up in the past few years around here and they charge a lot more for lots than other privately owned properties located nearby.
I agree with davidguerre42. The developers are going to charge a lot more than if you purchased land from an individual seller. I found the website - Woodland Valley will be an upscale golf community somewhere off of HWY 9 between Loris and North Myrtle Beach. The lots begin in the $70ks and I found a listing on Realtor.com and it was less than a half acre lot for $99k. Sounds like a lot to me when you compare it to a private 1 acre lot for $20k-$30k. I even saw a 5 acre tract with a pond for $100k. With Woodland Valley, you’re paying extra for the lifestyle - for a lot of retirees, that’s a major factor. My in-laws live in a really upscale golf community outside of Savannah, GA and they love it. If you want that style of living and you can afford it, go for it.
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