Jeremy | Myrtle Beach Homes | Carolina Forest Homes

Oct 23 2019

Things To Do In Myrtle Beach- Alligator Adventure

The beautiful fall weather has arrived here in Myrtle Beach and it is absolutely magnificent. During the fall, you can expect weather here in Myrtle Beach to range from the high 50’s during the night to mid 70’s/80’s during the daytime. To me this is my favorite weather and I love being able to get outside and take full advantage of things.

So last weekend we decided to take the kids on a trip up to Alligator Adventure at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. We have visited here several times over the years while living here in Myrtle Beach, but this still remains one of kids favorite things to do in Myrtle Beach. One quick tip, ask for the local discount and you will save greatly on the cost of admission.

Here’s a video showing off our trip:

My kids always enjoy the live touch show, where this time they were able to touch a live Pancake Tortoise, a Snake, and also a small alligator. During the show, they share with you a bunch of information on each of the creatures.

Our other favorite parts of visiting Alligator Adventure is seeing the Albino Alligators, Utan the largest Crocodile in the United States, the BOB an alligator without a tail, & also Grandpa, a very old alligator with hardly any teeth left.

We spent the good part of the day there at Alligator Adventure visiting all the different exhibits & seeing two of the feeding shows which you definitely want to see in person.

Here are some photos from our recent trip to Alligator Adventure:

So, if you are looking for a fun thing to do in Myrtle Beach, Definitely check out Alligator Adventure!

Sep 17 2019

Carolina Forest Playground- Palmetto Adventure Land Playground

My main job each and every day is selling Myrtle Beach homes, but when I’m not busy with real estate, I am a father to my 3 three children. Right now, their ages are 11, 9, & 5. The other day after the storm, my wife needed some peace & quiet in the house for an hour or so to do some work, so I loaded the kids into the car.

Now that we live in The Farm at Carolina Forest, we have started to explore all types of new experiences of things do do around this area of Carolina Forest & Myrtle Beach. The first thing that came to mind for a fun outing was a trip over to the Carolina Forest Playground officially known as the Palmetto Adventure Land Playground.

This playground is located in the heart of Carolina Forest behind the Library & Recreation center off of Carolina Forest Blvd. This is literally right in the middle of the area with The Parks Subdivision on one side, Plantation Lakes on the other, and Indigo Bay, The Farm at Carolina Forest, Summerlyn, & Waterbridge across the street.

For fun, I decided on this trip to the playground to take along the camera and let the kids have fun capturing memories and helping me make a video of the playground. Here’s what they came up with:

My kids love running all over this playground on all the different ramps, slides, swings, and more. Some of their favorite parts these days are the tire swing, the climbing wall, and the large slide.

When our children were younger, we always loved going to the Carolina Forest Playground because we could let our children play in the toddler area that is sectioned off from the more intense and larger sections and they could play in a safe environment on things designed specifically for their size & age.

Outside the playground area is a digital game which is also a favorite of my children to play when visiting the Carolina Forest Playground. There are also some covered areas which can be reserved for private events. These areas are covered and would be perfect for a small birthday party.

Here’s a few images:

So in closing, if you are looking for something fun to do with the children, I would definitely check out the Carolina Forest playground!

Sep 11 2019

Where Were You? A Reflection On 2001

Today’s post is going to pretty different from your normal stuff on Myrtle Beach Real Estate. So if you are here looking for content on The Golden Mile, Gated Home Communities in Myrtle Beach, or golf course condos, you aren’t going to find it in this post.

Instead, today we are going to reflect on 9/11/2001. They say everyone remembers where they were on the day it happened, and I know I surely do. On 9/11 I woke up early in the morning and had a tremendous nervous energy this Tuesday morning. Why? Today was the day I was going to be officially announced as part of the Blanton Team and joining my father selling real estate.

I remember the morning vividly as I drove from our condo over to the Myrtle Beach Convention center and entered a room full of strangers with my father. My father at the time was with one of the large companies on the beach that had close to 300 agents at the time and today was their quarterly company wide meetings.

The meeting began promptly at 8AM and honestly, I had no idea what 80% of the information was about that was being shared. I had just passed my real estate exams and got my license. They were talking about all this different stuff and I had no clue what it was about.

Halfway through the meeting, they got to the new agent introductions where they called my name and shared “This is Jeremy Blanton, and he will be joining his fathers team.” I stood for a brief second waved to the crowd and then sat down. After the meeting, a few congratulated me on joining his team and then I left to hurry home.

I was still in college and had to hurry home to change out of the dress code shirt & tie into something more comfortable to get to college by 11AM for my first classes of the day. As I walked into the house, the phone was ringing and I answered it to hear my father frantic on the other end saying

Turn on the TV! Tell us what is going on!

In 2001, social media did not really exist yet, so I turned on the TV to see a plane has just crashed into the World Trade Center. I shared the horror with him on the phone and he told me how he had just hung up the phone with someone in NY who saw it happen out the window of his office.

I remember sitting on the sofa in silence and not moving for probably 25 minutes as I was just left speechless. After a few hours I was able to compose myself enough that I got into my car and drove to college to find that all classes had been cancelled the rest of the day.

This was my introduction into real estate. I remember over the next several months as I began to try to help people buy property here how one of the fears was what if another attack came and this time was here in Myrtle Beach and someone decided to fly a plane into one of our oceanfront hotels. Luckily over time those fears subsided.

So today marks 18 years since this tragic event and 18 years since I began in real estate. It’s hard to believe it has been that long ago as I can remember the events so vividly from that day like it was yesterday. It is definitely an event I will never forget. As you go through today, take time to hug someone’s neck, let them know you appreciate them and tell someone you love them.

Aug 21 2019

Things To Do In Myrtle Beach- Broadway Grand Prix

We recently took our two oldest children on an adventure to Broadway Grand Prix (formerly known as Nascar Speed Park) for a fun day of racing. My son who is almost 9 has been asking to take a trip here for the past few years and so we promised to take him there as a reward if he did well last year in school.

We knew that my 4 year old Miriam would be a little small for this, so we let her go have a fun day with grandma while we headed over for a fun filled action packed day at the Grand Prix.

While they offer an option of purchasing tickets to write the carts, we opted for the wristband options as we knew we wanted to get the most out of the day and ride multiple times. They have some ticket packages that include arcade tickets & rides, but we opted not to get those this trip, we focused just on the racing.

We headed outside and started of easy by taking the kids over to some of the junior tracks to get practice in learning to drive. My kids are 11 & 8 and they have both never driven any type of motorized machine, so I figured it was best to start them out slow.

We spent most of the day enjoying the 8 different tracks as well as spending some time on the fun rides like bumper cars. Jeremiah loved the ability to crash into his sister.

One of the other fun things we did to take a break from racing that was included in our pass was to play a round of miniature golf on one of the 18 hole courses that are in the middle of the park.

The course wasn’t too difficult for my 8 & 11 year old and was definitely a nice break from the racing. Before heading here, we grabbed some drinks from in food court to help cool down. The course had lots of shade which was nice because the day we were there the temperatures were in the mid to high 80’s here in Myrtle Beach.

Here’s a few more pictures from our trip to Broadway Grand Prix from our day there for you to enjoy:

Of course as leaving, the day wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the winners circle for a final picture. Overall, Broadway Grand Prix was a great experience for my family and definitely was a fun thing to do in Myrtle Beach!

Aug 20 2019

Insuring Your Home In Myrtle Beach During Hurricane Season

We are now a little past halfway through hurricane season here in Myrtle Beach for 2019 and I thought it would be good today to share some tips to help you with purchasing a home in Myrtle Beach during hurricane season. If you follow these tips, it will make your home buying process much easier during this hurricane season.

Buying a home in Myrtle Beach comes with making many decisions, but one of the most important ones has to be the property insurance. You are obtaining a huge asset and often taking a mortgage to purchase. So, insuring the property and covering the debt are not just required by the lender but should be taken very seriously by the buyer. When buying a home, here are 7 important tips to remember when buying a home in Myrtle Beach during hurricane season:

Choose an experienced local Myrtle Beach insurance agent.
Obtain quotes prior to contract.
Don’t just go with the cheapest quote.
Watch for tropical storm and hurricane warnings during the purchase.
Consider binding insurance as soon as possible.
Discuss The Addition of Flood Insurance, Even When Not Required
Perform a walk through right before closing.

Choose a Local Myrtle Beach Insurance Agent Early

Do your homework and discuss insurance coverage, exclusions, and premiums early with a local Myrtle Beach agent. Even if there isn’t a property chosen yet, get educated on the process, terms, and products. As mentioned, consider flood insurance even if not in a high risk area.

A local insurance agent can discuss this and all other insurance related areas areas. Also, one of the most common delays just before closing is waiting on the insurance binder. This happens typically, when someone wait until the last second to decide on coverage or even tell the agent about the purchase. Don’t be that buyer because lenders will not approve your loan until you have insurance in place and your closing will be delayed!

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Obtain Insurance Quote Prior to Contract

Knowing the costs up-front could make or break a purchase. The insurance premium(s) are part of a housing and closing expense. So, it will effect the mortgage payment and the cash to close. Depending on the area and the property, the insurance cost could vary widely. For example, there have been buyers who find that a particular home requires $3,000 per year in flood insurance when it was only expected to be about $500.

That is a major factor in making a decision and could prohibit you from qualifying for the loan! I’ve seen many deals in the past fall apart because the buyer cannot afford the insurance premiums at the price they originally were approved to purchase at because the home required a high insurance premium.

Don’t Just Go With the Cheapest Quote

Of course, the premium and payment are very important, but do not sacrifice coverage for a super discounted premium. If a buyer cannot easily afford to pay an insurance claim shortage, why pay for coverage that won’t rebuild the home adequately? Foremost, make sure the property is covered against perils with a quality company and then get the premium as affordable as you can.

Pick a company that has been established and is familiar with Myrtle Beach area to help you so that if there is a disaster, they will be able to help you fix any damage quickly and get you back into your home. If you are having trouble finding a reasonable quotes, you can always ask your agent to contact the listing agent to find out who the sellers have their insurance currently with.

Tropical Storm and Hurricane Warnings

Be aware when a named storm is approaching Myrtle Beach. Once a named storm is within a certain distance of the coast, insurance companies will not bind or increase insurance coverage. So, with an imminent storm during hurricane season, insurance companies know the risk is much increased.

Thus, no insurance will be written until the property is out of harm. So, buyers need to be proactive and know the options, potential issues, and process early.

Consider Binding Insurance Early

Typically, insurance companies will bind an insurance policy very early with an effective date of the closing. “Binding insurance” means to put the policy in force or to have an effective date. This can be particularly helpful in times where storms are on the way. Keep in mind once the insurance is bound for a certain date, you cannot close prior to the insurance effective date. Make sure to stay in constant communication with your mortgage lender, closing attorney, REALTOR®, and insurance agent on binding the insurance.

Nothing is worse than having a proposed closing date coming and you have to delay everything because the buyer has not yet secured financing. If the binder has been written before the storm is named, they will cover you and you can close on your property on time.

Discuss The Addition of Flood Insurance, Even When Not Required

While many areas of Myrtle Beach do not require flood insurance to close on the home, it is always my recommendation to consider purchasing flood insurance when buying a home as an added level of security.

Back several months ago, I did a quick interview with a local insurance agency regarding flood insurance:

Perform a Walk Through Prior to Closing!

Yay it’s closing day! I know you are so excited and ready to move into your new home. You have made it through the purchase process and all you have to do is sign the paperwork. But, don’t forget to do a final walkthrough.

Just before closing, it is so important to check the home out again because there are so many things that could happen. We have seen movers damaging the home moving out the sellers, broken water lines damaging the home, flooding, and more. Once the home is yours, there are usually not many options for a remedy. Make sure you or at least your buyer’s agent checks it out thoroughly before signing the papers.

I hope you find these tips to buying a home during hurricane season in Myrtle Beach helpful. If you need help buying a home in Myrtle Beach, feel free to reach out!