Best place to live close to the Coast (Charleston, Hilton Head Island: apartment, rental)

[shannamark2011]

Hello,

My husband and I are thinking of moving to SC as soon as he retires. We currently live in Florida 3 miles to the beach and a mile away from the boat ramp. We still want that luxury moving up there. What are the "good" cities to look at? Low crime? Housing market cost on a 3 bedroom? Any info would be great....we are middle aged so we definitely do not want a retirement community.

Thanks in advance!!

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by shannamark2011

What are the "good" cities to look at? Low crime? Housing market cost on a 3 bedroom?

Here are some quick generalizations. Charleston is a great city for it's cultural and historic amenities, but the desirable neighborhoods are pricey. You may find what you are seeking in surrounding towns: Mt Pleasant, Summerville, etc. Please read search the Charleston forum for comments on crime rates and costs.

Myrtle Beach has great recreational amenities, but it goes crazy in the summer-- you probably read about the shootings during bike week. I would consider living in the nearby towns of Little River, Conway, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island or Litchfield Beach, where I think the crime level and congestion are more acceptable. Prices range from reasonable to expensive depending on the distance from the ocean, age of homes and amenities in the community.

Then there is the cluster of towns in the south: Beaufort, Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. There is again a range of prices depending on distance from the ocean and amenities. You can search for comments on the specific communities in the general SC forum. The crime level in Beaufort and Bluffton are high than average, but you could certainly look for gated communities. Hilton Head Island is obviously the most expensive community.

You will find more useful comments if you specify what you are willing to pay for a house and the kind of amenities you want.

[shannamark2011]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

Here are some quick generalizations. Charleston is a great city for it's cultural and historic amenities, but the desirable neighborhoods are pricey. You may find what you are seeking in surrounding towns: Mt Pleasant, Summerville, etc. Please read search the Charleston forum for comments on crime rates and costs.

Myrtle Beach has great recreational amenities, but it goes crazy in the summer-- you probably read about the shootings during bike week. I would consider living in the nearby towns of Little River, Conway, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island or Litchfield Beach, where I think the crime level and congestion are more acceptable. Prices range from reasonable to expensive depending on the distance from the ocean, age of homes and amenities in the community.

Then there is the cluster of towns in the south: Beaufort, Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. There is again a range of prices depending on distance from the ocean and amenities. You can search for comments on the specific communities in the general SC forum. The crime level in Beaufort and Bluffton are high than average, but you could certainly look for gated communities. Hilton Head Island is obviously the most expensive community.

You will find more useful comments if you specify what you are willing to pay for a house and the kind of amenities you want.

Thank you so much for the reply GoldenAge1! My husband is a police officer and I am in Property Management so we will definitely check out all these areas first. We LOVE boating and saltwater fishing so we need that hobby to be a short distance from wherever we live

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by shannamark2011

Thank you so much for the reply GoldenAge1! My husband is a police officer and I am in Property Management so we will definitely check out all these areas first. We LOVE boating and saltwater fishing so we need that hobby to be a short distance from wherever we live

My personal choice would be Murrells Inlet, but I am a retiree. However, if you still have kids at home, you might prefer Conway or the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach as the Coastal Carolina University is near there.

[shannamark2011]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

My personal choice would be Murrells Inlet, but I am a retiree. However, if you still have kids at home, you might prefer Conway or the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach as the Coastal Carolina University is near there.

GoldenAge1.....Our kids will be heading off to college at that time! One wants to go to Alabama and the other two are still undecided unless we can persuade them of any great colleges/universities in SC. I will also want to stay in Apartment Property Management so I will need to be close to a town that has apartment communities too.

[Iam4USC]

Georgetown would give you the proximity to the ocean you need and just up the road about 15 miles is probably the largest concentration of rental properties in the state.

Mt. Pleasant is equally convienent and lots of rental properties to manage. But a pit on the pricey side.

Myrtle Beach is a zoo, but that is my opinion. You may like it. Depending on how you feel about crowds and heavy traffic, it may suit your needs.

James Island is another option. It is on the other side (South) of Charleston from Mt. Pleasant.

Beaufort is still a decent little city. The crime mentioned above is very concentrated in certain neighborhoods and is mostly committed on each other. What I mean by that is that it isn't usually random violent crime. Usually the perp and the victim know each other and it's primarily over drugs or robbery. There is a Marine Air Base there so there should be plenty of rental properties needing a manager.

[sonofaque86]

I love Beaufort....

[Fripper]

I love the Beaufort area also. There are several developments that have their own marinas in the area. And some have ocean access, otherwise Hunting Island State Park has a beautiful beach.