Myrtle Beach Real Estate

I have always enjoyed the 4th of July in Myrtle Beach.  There are so many July 4th or Independence Day festivities to do in Myrtle Beach. There are usually parades on the water, fireworks shows all over Myrtle Beach, and so much more to do. However to me, I've always looked at this holiday as a symbol of the beginning of Summer.  Time to enjoy trips to the pool, grilling out, and just having fun.  So, tonight I decided to start the holiday a little early. 

Since the in-laws are still in town, we threw some ribeye steaks on the grill this evening and decided to kickoff our festivities with a good cookout. Below is the final result.  Let me just tell you, the meal was delicious! 

So now that we have begun our holiday festivities for the 4th of July in Myrtle Beach, we will continue them tomorrow afternoon by visiting our church for a huge picnic/game night.  Once again, the grills will be on overload as we make hundreds of hot dogs & hamburgers.  There will also be all kinds of games being played including basketball, volleyball, and who knows what else!

Since the heat will probably be in the high 90's here in Myrtle Beach on Saturday, we will hopefully enjoy an afternoon at the pool.  Now that Isabelle has turned 1 year old, she is really starting to enjoy the pool more and more.  She loves being in the water.  Whether she is flying around in her floating tube, or in the arms of mommy & daddy, she is really starting to turn in a big fan of the water.   I am not sure if it is because she really like splashing daddy in the face, or if it is because she knows she is darn cute & always accessorizing her swimsuit. 

I know what some of you are thinking... Jeremy you live in Myrtle Beach!  Yes, the beach is only 10 minutes away from my home, but to be completely honest, I rarely go.  Why?  I hate the sand between my toes.  It drives me crazy!  I know, I am probably weird, but it is ok.  I can live with it.

After the pool, we plan to finish Saturday with dinner out at a nice restaurant and then fireworks somewhere here in Myrtle Beach.  I am not sure yet where we will go.  Hopefully down to the ocean.  Watching a fireworks show on a pier over the ocean is just way cooler than anywhere else.  If you are here in Myrtle Beach, and know of an awesome place to go and enjoy the festivities, please feel free to share them here!

Two more things to cover.  First, don't forget to take a moment and remember those that have made our ability to celebrate Independence Day possible.  Without them, there would be no holiday.  Lastly, while you are celebrating & enjoying the holiday, please do so safely! I don't want to hear any tragic stories on Sunday!

Happy 4th of July everyone!  Make it a memorable one!

I am sure by now that most of the country has seen about the wildfire here in Myrtle Beach, SC.  It started yesterday afternoon and now has consumed over 8,000 acres.  I wanted to take a minute to let everyone know, that my family is all safe, the fires have moved around us.  However there are several others that are Local ActiveRain Members from throughout the county that need your prayers and support.  It has destroyed several homes in Barefoot Landing which is about 10 minutes north of me.  As long as the winds stay calm, hopefully they will be able to get things under control.  If the wind were to shift south though, the fire would be heading right towards my house.

Here are two pictures from my development. 

This was the view yesterday afternoon from my Office Home Office Window

Fire at Night Taken by my Brother

So even if you do or do not know any of the members here, take a minute to either stop by their blogs and send them a quick email to check on them all. I will keep everyone updated of any changes.

As most are aware, there is always some sort of events taking place in Myrtle Beach. Here are a few upcoming events in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Anyone who knows me well is aware of the fact that I can be a rather picky eater.  I am not a fan of salads, and not the craziest about certain vegetables.  On the other hand, I am a huge fan of steak, chicken, pork, and just about any other meat out there.

I think that is one of the reasons I love Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse in Myrtle Beach, SC.  I have eaten there on several occasions and absolutely love it!  My wife and I decided to visit Rioz yesterday for lunch and take advantage of their winter special.  During the months of January & February, they are offering half price on their feast on Sundays. 

When I say feast, I am by no means exagerrating.  For those who have never been to a Brazilian steakhouse before, let me explain how the meal is served.  You start out by enjoying the very extravagant hot/cold salad bar that features everything from fresh sushi, shrimp cocktail, & fresh mozzarella to Black Beans & Rice. 

Once you finish with the salad bar you then let your Gauchos know you are ready for the main course by flipping over your card to show you are now ready for the meats to start coming.  Also, you are served at this time fresh mashed potatoes, cheese bread, fried bananas, and polenta. Gauchos will then stop by your tables offering you fresh hot cuts of all types of meats that they carry on long spears. They have everything from filet mignon to Parmesan encrusted pork and more.  You can see the full list of the 17 different types of meats available here.  The meats will keep coming until you say stop. 

While there are many delicious desserts available including my favorite creme brule, we so full yesterday, that we just finished with a nice piece of fresh toasted pineapple.  The meal for two of us was just under $40.00.  I believe it was an exceptional value.  The service was phenomenal as well.  The General Manager who was extremely busy yesterday even found time to stop by our table, ask how everything was and even took time to comment about how cute our daughter is.  I guess that explains why there was a 2 hour wait yesterday for Sunday Lunch! However, if you ask either myself or my wife, the wait was well worth it.

I just finished watching the Miss America Pageant with my wife on TLC. She enjoys watching the pageant every year.  You know, the big hair, cheesy questions and who could ever pass over the unforgettable evening gowns! I myself haven't been the craziest about the pageant, but it is something I can enjoy with my wife.  

Last year, the Miss America foundation realized that the pageant was losing popularity annually. The committee knew they needed a major overhaul of a pageant that was over 80 years old.  The things that appealed to the public back then were no longer popular.  So, in 2008 the big hair, big dresses and long drawn out pageant disappeared. It was refreshed with a new hip, fast paced, sex appealed evening which would revolutionize the show.  After watching the pageant this evening, I feel they hit a home run on the changes.  The show moved along quickly and kept your attention from beginning to end.

As real estate agents, maybe we could learn a few things from Miss America.  The ways that used to work over the past 10 years of doing real estate is not as effective now.  Here are a few things I have learned over the past year to help increase my business.

• Increase your picture count! I wrote a post yesterday about how listings with more than 21 photos receive so much more attention from consumers.
• Increase online marketing while decreasing your print ads.  The stats don't lie! More than 75% of all buyers search online before even contacting a real estate agent.
• Join the Real Estate 2.0 Revolution.  Blogs and social networking is the way of effectively marketing towards the future.  Sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Activerain are growing daily with the amount of members and readers.  These are all great networks to increase your online exposure quickly and inexpensively.

As a buyer or seller, make sure to ask your real estate agent if they are doing these three simple things to help increase their business.  If not, enjoy the big hair, puffy dresses and cheesy talent round just like Miss America of 20 years ago.

Well, on Tuesday January 20, 2009, the blizzard of the year blew into Myrtle Beach.  Temperatures were down lower than normal and that funny white stuff called snow was falling from the sky.  The snow continued to fall for a few hours and there was some major accumulation on the ground. 

As your local Myrtle Beach Expert, I quickly grabbed my camera and grabbed a few shots. 

Luckily, the blizzard only lasted a few hours and temperatures today are supposed to return back into the mid 60's!  That is why I love living in Myrtle Beach, SC!

I just finished reading an article on AOL that shared the top real estate searches on their website.  Myrtle Beach Real Estate was among the top 5 searched areas.  Other notable cities included Miami, San Diego, and Phoenix.  I was surprised to see that Myrtle Beach Real Estate was searched more times than some others cities like Atlanta, Orlando, & even Austin.

I believe there are a few reasons for this increased interest in Myrtle Beach Real Estate. First, there are many new attractions here. With attractions like Broadway at the Beach & The Market Commons, combined with so many fabulous restaurants & golf courses make Myrtle Beach very appealing.

Another reason people are considering Myrtle Beach is because the great weather we have!  This year I enjoyed putting the outside decorations up in shorts!  If you don't believe me, look here! The temperature that day was in the mid 60's!!!

The final and one of my favorite things about Myrtle Beach is the Beach!  You can relax along the Golden Mile and enjoy watching the waves crash while listening to the seagulls nearby.  The pictures speak for themself.

Here is the latest news from Chick-Fil-A in Surfside Beach, SC:

Come out on January 31st, 2009 for the 6th Annual Surfside Rotary Road Race presented by Chick-fil-A of Surfside. The race begins at 10:00 AM at the Days Hotel at Surfside Pier in Surfside. They are having both a 5K and a 10K. You can run or walk both events. Registration is available at Chick-fil-A of Surfside or online at www.surfsiderotary.com. This is a great event and a lot of fun for the entire family. Come out and join us and the Cows!

So, you are not exactly racing the cows, but it is a great way to get out and support the local community or get some great exercise. This is the last big race before the annual Myrtle Beach Marathon.