Robert's Blog

Georgetown Farmers Market is a local gem

2008-07-02T11:13:33Z

Every Saturday from late Spring through early Fall, farmers and vendors from the area converge on the Live Oak-shaded grassy patch of land on North Fraser Street that is the home of the Georgetown Farmers Market. The hours are 9AM through 1PM, but get there early for the best selections. Local favorites like raw peanuts, boiled peanuts, local shrimp, and fresh beets tend to run out before Noon. There are live performances on occasion and the atmosphere is casual and friendly. Terrific breads and pastries, smoked cheeses, fresh flowers, seafood, and the most incredible produce are just some of the treats in store for market shoppers. Meet old friends and make new ones at the Georgetown, S.C. Farmers Market. You'll wonder why you waited so long.

Flounder size and catch limits raised in South Carolina

2008-06-14T08:34:23Z

The minimum size limit for Flounder has been raised in South Carolina from 12 to 14 inches. That may not sound like a lot but every inch helps in the fight to keep our Flounder population numbers up. We are lucky in South Carolina to have such low size limits. In the state of Delaware the minimum size limit is 19.5 inches! Bear in mind that we have 3 Flounder species found in our waters: the Southern Flounder is predominant, the Gulf Flounder, and the Summer Flounder. Male Southern Flounder typically do not grow beyond 14 inches in their lifetime, while other flounder species and female Southern Flounder grow larger. Female Southern Flounder reach sexual maturity at 16 inches and 2 years, sometimes sooner, and spawn in the Fall so it is important to protect the smaller females and allow as many as possible to spawn offshore at the end of the year.

In South Carolina Flounder may be caught on rod and reel or by gigging. Gigging is spearing the fish in shallow inlet waters. It is usually done at night using powerful lights to reveal the silhouette of the fish on the bottom. Giggers need to be mindful of size limits because once you gig it, it's yours.

What will happen to Morgan Park?

2008-06-03T08:28:38Z

Morgan Park in Georgetown, S.C. consists of 10 acres, 70% of which is high ground and the remaining 30% is marshlands. Morgan Park is adjacent to the 53 acre East Bay Park that currently accommodates recreational fields and a boat ramp not to mention that it is a gorgeous waterfront location. Since the city announced that the recreational facilities will be moved and the boat ramp will be made obsolete by the new Campbell Marine Complex on the Sampit River, many people are wondering how the land will be used? Although Morgan Park can never be sold by the city, East Bay Park could be sold.

What happens to the land at East Bay Park will be decided by City Council after they hear input from the public and the Keep Georgetown Beautiful Committee. The accessibility and landscape of Morgan Park will largely depend on what happens to its larger neighbor, East Bay Park.

Harmony Township in Georgetown, S.C. has a new owner.

2008-06-02T07:22:49Z

Harmony Township is a 779 acre development with a marina and frontage on the Sampit River and Turkey Creek. The plan for Harmony Township is to create a mix of residential and commercial locations giving residents the convenience of downtown without ever leaving their community. The new owner of Harmony Township is Harmony Development LLC, purchasing the project from Harmony Holdings LLC and Spanish Moss Development LLC and assuming the current debt and mortgages.

So far, there are approximately 30 homes built in Harmony Township with a total of 1,710 homes permitted on the property. Harmony Township is located between Georgetown and McClellenville, S.C. and is convenient to both Myrtle Beach and Charleston. It may take some time to fully realize the potential of this property but smart investors and retirees will be buying lots, boat slips, and existing homes in Harmony now.

Is your boat a safety hazard?

2008-05-17T14:49:06Z

Find out if your boat meets all current safety regulations and registration regulations BEFORE you get a ticket. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division will be conducting courtesy safety inspections at some public boat landings this Memorial Day weekend. For specific times and landing locations visit the DNR website www.dnr.sc.gov/boating/index.html

Boat owners in violation of registration or safety regulations will not be ticketed during this courtesy inspection.

This is a good idea for boaters in any state. See you on the water!

Shocking Home Fire Photo from Debordieu Colony, Pawleys Island, S.C.

2008-05-17T13:53:33Z

Luckily this multi-million dollar beachfront home in Debordieu Colony, Georgetown, S.C. was vacant at the time of this conflagration last week. Imagine the heat that this fire generated. Several other homes in the area were damaged by heat and flying, burning debris. The cause of this fire is still under investigation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the owners of this home and no amount of insurance can replace the beachfront memories that this home held. We are thankful that no owners, guests or emergency personnel were injured or killed in this Debordieu fire tragedy.

Myrtle Beach’s “urban village” Market Common leaves parking meters out.

2008-05-16T13:18:23Z

Market Common, built on the site of the old Air Force Base in Myrtle Beach, takes the best of the city and leaves the worst out. Parking meters will not be installed at least for one year. The "urban village" concept combines retail stores, restaurants, parks and residential housing in the same complex. It is a sight to see and is stunning. Fortunately the developers and the Myrtle Beach City Council decided to leave out the parking meters. If you want walking distance access to Market Common without living there look at Seagate Condominiums. These are the original Air Base houses converted into condos. Some are single, detached homes just like a regular neighborhood and some are duplexes. Condo fee covers all exterior maintenance including paint among other things.

Myrtle Beach State Park (think long walks on the beach) and a dog park are both within walking distance.

Follow the infrastructure

2008-05-16T05:16:35Z

If you want to know where future growth will happen, follow your local infrastructure: Roads, Water, Sewer, Power. Here in Georgetown County, South Carolina we are watching the corridor of Highway 701 that runs north out of Georgetown, South Carolina to Conway, South Carolina. From the recent Plantersville zoning meetings to the continued speculation about where a future road will cross the Waccamaw River and Intracoastal Waterway to connect the Waccamaw Neck to Highway 701, this area is changing.

One entity to watch carefully is the Georgetown County Water and Sewer District (GWSD). Don't be fooled by the name, this is a private water company and must make a profit to survive. In other words, they expand in areas that promise a viable customer base. One such area is Plantersville, S.C.

GWSD has applied for financial assistance from the federal government to continue their public sewer system from Georgetown, north across the Black River and into an area encompassing most of Plantersville. An environmental assessment must be done for this project and copies of it have been made available to the public.

As real estate professionals it is our duty to constantly educate ourselves and discover material facts about areas, neighborhoods, and specific properties. Knowledge and experience are how we add value to a transaction, never stop learning.

Bike the Neck Bridge completed.

2008-05-05T15:35:51Z

The bridge connecting the bike lane along U.S. Highway 17 in Murrells Inlet and the recently constructed bike trail along the edge of Huntington Beach State Park has been completed. It is a beautiful wood bridge that connects to a trail leading all the way into Litchfield, SC. The Huntington Beach State Park trail is paved and meanders through gorgeous wooded and wetland sections of the park. This trail provides a wonderful and much safer alternative to cycling on U.S. 17.

New Boat Landing coming to Georgetown, S.C.

2008-04-28T19:46:08Z

Earlier this month there was a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Boat Landing on the Sampit River in Georgetown, S.C. The Landing will be named the Carroll Ashmore Campbell Marine Complex in honor of Carroll Campbell, South Carolina's Governor from 1987-1995. Carroll Campbell died in 2005 and is buried in Pawleys Island, S.C.

The landing is scheduled to be complete in June 2009 and will feature six boat lanes for putting in and taking out boats and 200 public parking spaces. The need for this new marine complex was sparked by the increasing popularity of fishing. Increased boat traffic has made the current public landing at East Bay Park congested during the peak season. The Sampit River is freshwater at the location of the proposed landing just south of the Sylvan Rosen Bridge in the Maryville section. However, saltwater access is just around the bend in the Winyah Bay. See you on the water!

Pawleys Island, S.C. Lifeguards in the near future?

2008-04-28T08:05:36Z

Some residents of Pawleys Island, S.C. are spearheading a movement to fund and employ lifeguards on Pawleys Island Beaches during the Summer months. Currently the only lifeguards in Georgetown County can be found on the beach in Huntington Beach State Park. Other Georgetown County beaches are "swim at your own risk." That's not so bad if you understand where you are and how the currents typically flow. However, one problem area year after year is at the south end of Pawleys Island where the tidal flow of Pawleys Creek meets the Atlantic Ocean, creating strong and unpredictable currents. This is also the location of a public parking lot and public beach access bringing many beachgoers straight to what may be the most dangerous area of Pawleys Island to swim. Swimmers are rescued every year and unfortunately, some of them have also drowned. I hope residents, the city and the county can come together to find a workable solution for funding seasonal lifeguards before another life is lost.

A Yankee guide for moving to South Carolina.

2008-03-27T22:28:13Z

Just a couple of quick tips. As a semi-Yankee (Maryland) now residing in South Carolina, let me share just a few quick tips to help you assimilate if you're making a permanent move to South Carolina.

Consider yourself a guest in South Carolina, remember you chose to come here and were not officially invited. Act as you would if you were visiting the home of a good friend.
Give yourself 18 months before you decide to run for a seat on your Home Owner's Association. Better yet, NEVER run for a seat on your HOA. Leave the power trip in the past and enjoy your life here in sunny South Carolina. If you must put yourself in some position of authority, remember these words: "I don't give a damn how you did it Up North!" you'll be hearing them a lot.
If you want to meet your neighbors, YOU must take the first step. Walk around your neighborhood and take the time to say hello and introduce yourself to everyone you meet. Keep it short, sincere, and humble (refer to tip #1) and I promise you'll be rewarded.
When you meet someone that was born and raised here, do your best to be a friend. These are the finest people in the world and I have forged a few great friendships with my neighbors that have never lived anywhere else.

I hope never to live anywhere else and I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds by "officially" inviting you to join us here in South Carolina.

Must be the end of the month.

2008-03-25T23:12:36Z

No, I'm not talking about all the cops on the road. It's Prudential Source One Properties Open House Blitz! Pawleys Island, S.C.,Georgetown S.C. and Murrells Inlet, S.C. properties will be featured. The biggest challenge is finding agents to sit the open listings. Anyone want to fly to Myrtle Beach this weekend? Last month, as a result of our open house blitz, we had 75 showings and 2 contracts in 2 days and we're looking to SHATTER that record this Saturday and Sunday.
I will post an update so stay tuned.

Annual South Carolina Plantation Tours April 4th and 5th.

2008-03-25T08:00:40Z

If ever there was a day to see how Plantations of South Carolina operated and how the residents lived it is on the Plantation Tours. Homes and historic sites included on the schedule are: The Rectory at Prince George Episcopal Church, Kaminski House Museum, Federal Building and Customs House, The Rice Museum, Calk-Havens Atelier, Benjamin King House, Prince Frederick Summer Chapel, Exchange Plantation, Prince Frederick Ruins, Arundel Plantation, Springfield Plantation, Weymouth Plantation, Black River House, Mansfield Plantation, Rural Hall Plantation, Rosemont Plantation, Arcadia Plantation, All Saints Church, Waccamaw, Old Church and Churchyard, Waverly Plantation, Hampton Plantation, St. James Santee Brick Church, The Oaks Plantation, Rice Hope Plantation, Wicklow Hall Plantation, Millbrook Plantation, Pine Grove Plantation, Esterville Plantation, Belle Isle Plantation, Friendship Plantation, Silver Hill Plantation, Friendship Village at Hobcaw Barony, and Winyah School.

Tours are Friday April 4^th and Saturday April 5^th. More information is available at www.pgwinyah.org

Tastes at Pawleys-2nd annual Pawleys Island Food Festival

2008-03-22T10:07:06Z

Tastes at Pawleys 2008
4 to 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Parish Life Center
Precious Blood of Christ Church
1633 Waverly Road
Pawleys Island SC 29585
(843) 237-3428
Pawleys Island

SHRIMP N' GRITS
From the Tastes of Pawleys website - www.tastesatpawleys.org/

Come join us at Tastes at Pawleys 2008 where your favorite Pawleys Island-Litchfield restaurants will once again be bringing out their best recipes for appetizers, entrees and desserts for your dining pleasure. Attendees will purchase food tickets in increments of $1 to buy items at each booth.

Admission tickets at $4 each will be on sale from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in the lobby of the Parish Life Center during the weeks of March 24, March 30, April 7 and April 14. During the week of April 21, tickets will be sold in the lobby from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. Limited tickets at the door will be $5. Children 12 and under will be admitted free.

In only its second year, Tastes at Pawleys is already a popular community event that showcases our great restaurants while benefiting charities that feed the hungry and nourish the lives of many in our Waccamaw Neck area.

Last April's inaugural food festival attracted over 2,000 young people and adults who sampled the 20 restaurants' fares, sipped a glass of wine or beer while they listened to entertainer Bil Krauss and had a great time with their friends and neighbors. With the help of our sponsors, participating restaurants and many volunteers, the inaugural Tastes at Pawleys donated $67,000 to Father Pat's Lunch Kitchen, Outreach Farm and Baskervill Ministries' Food Pantry. (See Beneficiaries page for a description of the 2008 charities.)

There's plenty of parking with attendants to help you find a spot and volunteers to take you from your car to the festival in our golf cart limos.

Be sure to check out the door prizes-4 32" LCD HDTVs.

This year we'll have tents on both sides of the Parish Life Center.

Bil Krauss will be entertaining in the tent on the right. The tents on the left will let parents eat out of the sun while keeping an eye on their children in the playground.

Our Young Families in Faith organization will have its Build a Sundae booth near the playground.

Zoning of Georgetown County, S.C. marches on

2008-03-21T15:01:18Z

Believe it or not, large sections of Georgetown County, S.C. remain un-zoned. Georgetown County covers 814 square miles or about 512,000 acres. More than 430,000 acres in the western part of the county have yet to be zoned. Plantersville is the next part of Georgetown County to be zoned and a public meeting on a proposed zoning ordinance is set for March 31^st , 7PM at the Plantersville Elementary School. Housing densities ranging from high, three homes per acre, to low, one home per twenty-five acres may be considered depending on the needs of different sections of the county.

Brookgreen Gardens Annual Festival and Sale on April 5th and 6th, 2008

2008-03-20T21:17:03Z

Brookgreen Gardens is combining its annual "Diggin' It Spring Garden Festival" and "Plantacular Sale" on April 5^th and 6^th, 2008 from 9:30 AM to 4 PM. Speakers will host seminars and discussions on: Evergreen Azaleas, Perennials, great gardens of England, plant diseases, and floral designs.

Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark, originally founded by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, located on U.S. Hwy 17 between Murrells Inlet, S.C. and Pawleys Island, S.C. and is open daily to the public. For more information visit their website at http://www.brookgreen.org/

Georgetown County, S.C. has six of South Carolina’s 50 best golf courses.

2008-03-20T20:57:05Z

The Waccamaw Neck, a stretch of land from Murrells Inlet, S.C. through Pawleys Island S.C., boasts six of South Carolina's best golf courses. The list is compiled every two years by the S.C. Golf Course Ratings Panel. Courses are rated on the flow from hole to hole, variety, strategy, fairness, aesthetics and the overall golfing experience.

Here are Georgetown County's six golf courses that made the list: Caledonia Golf and Fish Club (Pawleys Island) No. 17, Wachesaw Plantation (Murrells Inlet) No. 21, The Reserve Club (Pawleys Island) No. 30, DeBordieu (Pawleys Island) No. 34, True Blue (Pawleys Island) No. 42, and Pawleys Plantation (Pawleys Island) No. 50.

Brookgreen Gardens CEO will serve on the National Sculpture Society board

2008-03-20T07:26:14Z

Brookgreen Gardens' president and CEO, Robert E. "Bob" Jewell, has accepted a three year appointment to the Board of Directors of the National Sculpture Society (NSS). Brookgreen Gardens, in Murrells Inlet, S.C., and the NSS have had a relationship for as long as both organizations have existed.

The founders of Brookgreen Gardens, Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, were active members of the NSS and shared a common vision for sculpture in America. The NSS is headquartered in New York City and is the oldest association of professional sculptors in the U.S. Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historic Landmark located on U.S. Hwy 17 between Murrells Inlet, S.C. and Pawleys Island, S.C. and is open daily to the public. For more information visit their website at http://www.brookgreen.org/

Lowcountry cookbook is named among the 3 best in the nation.

2008-03-19T21:00:37Z

Each year McIlhenny Co., think Tabasco, judges regional cookbooks in the annual Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards. "Plantation Tours and Tastes," produced by the Church Women of Prince George Winyah Parish, won third place this year. Proceeds from the book and the $750 prize money will go to the upkeep and restoration of the historic church in Georgetown, S.C. The church dates back to 1721. Cookbook entries are judges on layout and design, title, theme, storyline, incorporation of regional culinary traditions, recipe content, and the organization's fund-raising efforts.

Angler trumps new state record for White Grunt, SC Game Fish

2008-03-19T13:15:41Z

The White Grunt record took 6 years to set and 37 days to break.

A mere 37 days after the first state record for a white grunt was added to the S.C. Saltwater Marine Gamefish record list, it was trumped by a Mt. Pleasant angler.

Jason N. Edgerton caught a 5-pound white grunt on March 10th off the coast of Charleston on the Y73 - Reef. The new record beats the initial state record, set by Sean Murphy of Myrtle Beach on February 2nd by two pounds.

Edgerton, 30, headed off shore with owner and captain of Purpose One Charters, Rick Reddick, on his twin engine 26' Mako Center Console boat. The crew, including Ben Floyd and Wes Covington, had a great day catching their limit of black seabass, vermilion snapper, and red porgy's. One last set for the day landed Edgerton into the record book for his prize white grunt. Using an 8-foot Shakespeare "ugly stick" rod paired with a conventional Penn reel and using a whole cigar minnow for bait, he reeled in the fish in about two minutes. Only after being convinced by friend and fishing buddy, Mike Hightower, did Edgerton decide he better have the fished measured and weighed. Mike Able, owner of Hadderell's Point Tackle and Supply, and rod and reel repair technician, Steve Baysinger, weighed the white grunt on their certified scale the following day. Edgerton then brought the fish to the Marine Resources Center at S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Amy Dukes, fisheries biologist and State Record Marine Game Fish Program Coordinator verified the new state record. Paulette Mikell, DNR fisheries biologist with the MARMAP project, determined the white grunt was male, and took genetic samples from the fish to determine the age and maturity.

Founder’s Club public golf course opens in Pawleys Island, South Carolina

2008-03-17T08:14:26Z

The Founder's Club golf course and clubhouse is built on the site of the former Sea Gull Golf Club and boast thoroughly modern facilities and design. It was conceived in 2006 but final construction was delayed by last year's drought. Founder's Club is the first new public course to open in Pawleys Island, SC in the past 5 years. Founder's Club and TPC in Scottsdale, AZ are the only two courses in the U.S. to use Emerald Bermude grass on its greens. This new strain of grass withstands Summer heat better and requires less water than other grasses. Founder's Club is the latest addition to the Waccamaw Golf Trail that also includes Blackmoor, Caledonia, Heritage Club, Pawleys Plantation, River Club, True Blue Plantation, and accommodation providers Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort and Pawleys Plantation in Litchfield, SC and Pawleys Island, SC respectively. For more information visit www.waccamawgolftrail.com

Sheepshead Game Fish Record Falls in South Carolina.

2008-03-16T19:17:14Z

Jimmy Widener, of Hanahan, SC, landed a 16 pound 6 ounce Sheepshead in March on the Wando River breaking the state record by 10 ounces. Douglas Hover of James Island, S.C. was the previous record holder. Widener was fishing the Wando River with Captain Steve O'Neil of Summerville when the record Sheepshead struck the weighted Blue Crab Widener was using for bait. His Penn rod and reel combo sealed the deal as they remained anchored in Berford's Creek.

For a current list of South Carolina's State Record Game Fish, visit the DNR website at www.dnr.sc.gov/fish/saltrecs/record.html

South Carolina Game Fish, White Grunt, Record Set.

2008-03-16T14:03:25Z

Winter fishing has its rewards in Georgetown County, South Carolina as anglers hit pay dirt. Sean Murphy, of Myrtle Beach, SC, landed a three pound White Grunt on February 2^nd, 2008. This fish species was added to the S.C. State Record Marine Game Fish list in 2002 and the record remained unclaimed until Murphy snatched it with his 3 pound White Grunt. Three pounds is the exact minimum weight that is accepted as a state record. Murphy made his catch at the Bill Perry artificial reef site about out 30 miles offshore from Murrells Inlet, SC. Murphy was using shrimp pieces on a J-hook weighted bottom rig. At first Murphy wasn't sure what he had caught as he had never seen such a big White Grunt. David Player from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) identified the catch and reported the record to the Marine Resources Division in Charleston.

For a current list of South Carolina's State Record Game Fish, visit the DNR website at www.dnr.sc.gov/fish/saltrecs/record.html

Bike the Neck pathway links Murrells Inlet, SC to Pawleys Island, South Carolina

2008-03-16T13:19:51Z

The final link in the Bike the Neck chain of South Carolina Bike trails is being forged to bridge the section in Murrells Inlet, SC. Although vehicle traffic will be re-routed and even stopped at times during the construction of the bike bridge, residents and seasonal visitors will have one sweet ride when it is finished. The bridge will connect the bike lane along U.S. Highway 17 in Murrells Inlet and the recently constructed bike trail along the edge of Huntington Beach State Park that connects to a trail leading all the way into Litchfield, SC. The Huntington Beach State Park trail is paved and meanders through gorgeous wooded and wetland sections of the park.