Joe Foster Realtor

Four stories today. One bigger theme:
The Grand Strand is deciding where we grow, how we grow — and who can still afford to live here.
🏭 Horry County: County Council approved the Industrial Corridors plan, covering roughly 84,812 acres, primarily west of the Waccamaw River.
One important clarification: 84,812 acres were not suddenly rezoned.
This is a future land-use plan designed to guide where manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and other job-producing development may make sense in the years ahead.
My take: Horry County needs places for jobs just as much as it needs places for homes. Deciding where those uses belong before development pressure arrives is a lot smarter than fighting the same battle one rezoning at a time.
🏗️ Georgetown: We’re getting a clearer picture of why the proposed redevelopment of the 66-acre former Liberty Steel site fell apart.
The zoning moratorium mattered — but it wasn’t the whole story. Environmental contamination, potential cleanup costs and project economics were also part of the equation.
That matters because this remains one of Georgetown’s biggest waterfront opportunities.
The potential hasn’t disappeared. The next plan just has to make the zoning, environmental and financial pieces work at the same time.
🏡 North Myrtle Beach: City Council has postponed proposed rules for accessory dwelling units — ADUs.
Think backyard cottages, garage apartments or smaller secondary homes on an existing property.
I like the concept if the guardrails are right.
ADUs won’t solve housing affordability, but they can create more options for aging parents, adult children, caregivers and local workers without requiring another massive subdivision.
📈 Rate Watch: Mortgage News Daily’s latest completed reading put the average top-tier 30-year fixed mortgage rate around 7.56%.
A little better? Yes.
A reason to celebrate? Not quite.
Rates are still firmly in the 7s, and that continues to squeeze monthly payments and buyer purchasing power.
A five-basis-point move might make a headline.
But for most buyers, the better question is:
Does the home, the price and the monthly payment make sense for you?

🏡 Grand Strand Daily Update | Tuesday, Oct. 6
Drones. 84,812 acres of industrial planning. A possible tax shift. Mortgage rates in the 7s.
There’s a lot moving across the Grand Strand today — and every one of these stories could matter to local property owners, buyers and investors.
🚁 North Myrtle Beach: Amazon’s proposed drone-delivery operation is back before the Planning Commission. The plan includes a 13,627-square-foot fenced drone area with six launch and landing pads.
City staff is recommending another postponement, but the bigger story is what comes next: as drone delivery expands, communities will have to wrestle with noise, compatibility and where this technology belongs.
🏭 Horry County: County Council is considering the next step on an 84,812-acre Industrial Corridors future land-use plan, primarily west of the Waccamaw River.
Important: this does not rezone all 84,812 acres. It changes the county’s long-range land-use map.
Why does that matter? Because where a county encourages future industry, infrastructure and job growth can influence development patterns — and potentially land values — for years.
💰 Georgetown County: Officials are holding a Pawleys Island information session tonight on the proposed 1% Local Option Sales Tax.
If voters approve it, 71% of the revenue would go toward property-tax credits.
In a tourism-heavy economy, that creates an interesting tradeoff: property owners could get some tax relief while visitors and shoppers help pick up more of the tab.
📈 Rate Watch: Mortgage rates remain in the mid-to-upper 7% range.
At these rates, the monthly payment can matter just as much as the purchase price. That keeps seller concessions, closing-cost assistance and rate buydowns firmly in the negotiation.
Different stories. Same takeaway:
What gets built, where it gets built, how it’s taxed and how it’s financed all shape the value of owning property along the Grand Strand.

A major Georgetown waterfront redevelopment just fell apart — and that may only be the beginning of the story.
The proposed redevelopment of the 66-acre former Liberty Steel site in Georgetown, South Carolina, is dead in its previous form, raising a much bigger question:
What happens to this property next?
That’s just one of several stories shaping Grand Strand real estate, housing and development today.
Also in this update:
🏗️ Georgetown is putting millions toward redevelopment and infrastructure
🌊 Work is underway at Pawleys Inlet
🌲 A new 2,650-acre state park is officially open
🏘️ A proposed 372-home development near Highway 905 is moving forward
💧 Georgetown County’s water supply is becoming something to watch
🚧 Another project near Highway 90 heads toward Horry County Council
🏠 30-year mortgage rates finished Friday near 7.57%
Each one is a separate headline.
But put them together, and you start to see the bigger picture: where the Grand Strand is growing, where development pressure is building, and whether roads, utilities and infrastructure can keep pace.
Watch today’s Grand Strand Daily Update — Home Edition for the local stories that could matter to homeowners, buyers, sellers and anyone following the Myrtle Beach-area real estate market.

Today’s real-estate news comes down to one big question: How do we grow?

🏢 North Beach Plantation: A proposal would replace a planned 120-unit residential tower with just 14 detached homes — 106 fewer potential residences. I’d rather see more housing choices preserved, especially when younger and first-time buyers already face affordability challenges.

🌧️ Georgetown County: Council is reopening discussion on stormwater rules. Strong standards, proper maintenance and protection for neighboring properties and waterways all matter — and so does giving the public a chance to weigh in before the rules are finalized.

🌳 Pawleys Island area: The Waverly Road/Petigru Drive roundabout is back for discussion. The project is estimated at about $5.8 million, with preservation of a landmark live oak still part of the conversation. Protecting local character can make infrastructure projects more complicated — but that doesn’t make it any less important.

🏘️ Myrtle Beach: Mel’s Cottages would add 52 townhomes in 10 buildings, plus a pool, landscaping and parking. I like this kind of infill growth: more housing choices in an already-developed part of the city.

📈 Rate Watch: Mortgage News Daily ended Wednesday at 7.60% for its top-tier 30-year fixed index. MBA separately reported 7.30% on conforming 30-year applications, while purchase activity fell 4%.
No rate prediction from me — just the numbers and what they mean for purchasing power.

Buying, selling or investing along the Grand Strand? Send me a message if you want to talk through what’s happening in your part of the market.

Full update: joefosterjr.com/news

Today’s real-estate headlines are a reminder that the market is about more than prices.

Property rights. Development authority. Seller competition. Borrowing costs. All four are in focus today.

🏠 Conway: A disputed deed transfer has become a criminal case involving a home, power-of-attorney authority and more than $17,000. The charges are allegations and remain subject to the court process.

⚓ Murrells Inlet: A property owner is suing Georgetown County and a contractor, alleging improvements at a public boat landing crossed onto privately owned property and interfered with future development plans.

🏛️ Georgetown: Three former Planning Commissioners are suing the city over their removal by City Council—a dispute with potential relevance to an already active land-use and redevelopment environment.

📉 Seller competition: Realtor.com reports 20.8% of active U.S. listings had a price reduction in September. That is a national figure—not a Grand Strand statistic—but it is another sign that sellers in some markets are facing more pressure to compete.

📈 Rate Watch: Mortgage News Daily put the top-tier 30-year fixed at 7.58% Tuesday, up from 7.50% Monday.

That’s the market tension right now: buyers may be gaining negotiating leverage, but the cost of financing continues to put pressure on affordability.

Read the full Grand Strand update: joefosterjr.com/news

Joe Foster, REALTOR®
Century 21 Palms Realty

🏡 Myrtle Beach Housing Makes National News
Today’s local stories all point to one thing:
Real estate is about more than the house.
🏢 Affordable housing: A Myrtle Beach housing strategy is getting national attention. Instead of relying only on new construction, some existing market-rate apartments can be converted into income-restricted housing. Latitude at the Commons is one local example being highlighted.
💧 Waccamaw Neck water: Unusually high salinity in the Waccamaw River is affecting Georgetown County Water and Sewer District’s drinking-water production. Customers are being asked to conserve, especially by limiting irrigation.
🌊 King Tides: Low-lying streets in Cherry Grove, Garden City, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island could see tidal flooding.
And for buyers, there’s an important takeaway:
Don’t just ask whether the house has flooded. Ask what happens to the street, neighborhood entrance and route home when the water rises.
🚧 Garden City: Today’s Streetscape groundbreaking ceremony was postponed.
The project wasn’t.
Construction is already underway.
📈 Rate Watch: Mortgage News Daily reported a top-tier 30-year fixed rate of 7.50% Monday, while Freddie Mac’s latest weekly survey came in at 7.03%.
Different measurements. Same bigger story:
Borrowing costs have moved higher again.
Housing supply, infrastructure, flood risk and financing all shape the Grand Strand real-estate market — and they can all affect buyers, sellers and homeowners.
🎥 Watch today’s update and follow the ongoing local coverage at joefosterjr.com/news
Joe Foster, REALTOR®
Century 21 Palms Realty
843-608-1479

A lot is moving in Grand Strand real estate — and not all of it shows up in the home-price headlines.

Today’s update covers a major redevelopment setback at Georgetown’s Liberty Steel site, a proposed 372-home project near Highway 905, Horry County’s property-assessment appeal deadline, a possible Pawleys Island historic district, Garden City infrastructure improvements, major coastal issues, and the future of 3,492 acres on the Waccamaw Neck.

And we close with Rate Watch: Freddie Mac’s latest survey puts the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.03%.

The bigger picture?

Real estate is shaped by far more than sales prices. Development, taxes, infrastructure, insurance exposure, coastal protection, land supply, and borrowing costs all influence what happens next.

Watch the full Grand Strand Daily Update, then get more local real-estate news and analysis at joefosterjr.com/news.

Joe Foster, REALTOR®
Century 21 Palms Realty
(843) 608-1479

🏡 Grand Strand Daily Update | September 24, 2026
A $170 million surf park, two waterfront projects moving today, new flood-protection funding, and more infrastructure investment across the Grand Strand.
Here’s what’s happening:
🌊 Myrtle Beach: City Council approved an incentive agreement for the proposed WaveGarden development near Broadway at the Beach. Plans include a 5.5-acre surf lagoon, 150-room hotel, restaurants, bars and retail. The city could contribute up to $20 million, but the developer must first invest at least $125 million and reach 80% completion.
⚓ Georgetown: River Development is holding a public meeting tonight after its agreement to purchase the former Liberty Steel property fell apart. The International Paper redevelopment remains in play.
⛵ Little River: Horry County is presenting preliminary waterfront concepts today, including walkability, parking, public spaces and better waterfront access.
🌧️ Pawleys Island: $1.5 million in federal funding is headed toward drainage improvements in the Bird’s Nest area.
💧 Georgetown County: A final vote on new stormwater regulations has been delayed while officials work through concerns about how the rules would apply across the county.
🚨 Public Safety: Georgetown County is advancing a new $12.2 million Emergency Services and 911 center.
🏗️ Horry County: Construction employment has grown more than 18% in five years, highlighting the workforce needed to keep pace with housing and infrastructure growth.
The bigger story? The Grand Strand keeps growing — and planning, infrastructure and the workforce have to grow with it.
Full stories and original sources:
🌐 joefosterjr.com/news
Joe Foster, REALTOR® | Century 21 Palms Realty
📞 843-608-1479

🏖️ Tuesday on the Grand Strand — and condo buyers, this one deserves your attention.

You can qualify for the mortgage and still run into a problem if the condo building doesn’t qualify.

🏢 Fannie Mae has ended its limited-review process for certain condo loans

💰 Higher reserve requirements are scheduled to begin in January

🔍 HOA finances, insurance, reserves, repairs, and project eligibility may all come under a closer look

Bottom line: Check the building early — not just the unit.

Also in today’s update:

🍺 $10M brewery project underway near Grande Dunes Marina

🌊 Cherry Grove boardwalk still needs additional funding

📈 Mortgage rates remain near 7%

🔴 No Daily Update tomorrow. We’ll be back Thursday.

More local news + real estate: joefosterjr.com/news

🏡 **More homes. Bigger infrastructure. A changing housing market.**

Good afternoon, Grand Strand!

There's a lot happening across our communities, and today's real estate update connects the dots.

💧 **Water & sewer expansion:** Four projects are being proposed, including a five-million-gallon water tank and a sewer line beneath the Intracoastal Waterway.

🚢 **Georgetown's waterfront:** The county wants your input on the future of its port property. A public workshop is scheduled for October 22.

🏘️ **New housing:** Approximately 90 homes are planned near Highway 905 in Longs, while Lennar is planning 62 homes at Grande Dunes.

🤝 **Buyers and sellers:** Redfin reports that 44.7% of U.S. home sales included seller concessions in August. That's a national figure, not a Grand Strand statistic.

🏦 **Mortgage rates:** Bankrate's Monday morning survey reported a national 30-year fixed rate of 7.05%.

And there's more, including North Myrtle Beach land-use decisions, South Carolina foreclosure activity, and Zillow's fall housing forecast.

**The bigger picture?** More housing matters, but so do the roads, utilities, and financing needed to support our growing communities.

Watch today's update, then explore the full stories and sources:

🌐 joefosterjr.com/news

Joe Foster, REALTOR® | Century 21 Palms Realty