As we have been saying, Myrtle Beach real estate has gotten a huge boost since the first of January. Although there were enough "lookers" in 2008, it seemed that they all intended to wait for something before they made the decision to buy a home or condo in Myrtle Beach. Whether it was the election, Christmas, or just their state of mind, it seemed to come together after the new year.  Retirees and Canadians seem to be coming out of the woodwork now, and the number of foreclosures is dwindling - a good thing for all concerned.

It seems odd that sales of resort condos and vacation homes would increase with the economy getting worse every day.  But perhaps it's because stocks are falling that more people want to invest in real estate instead.

The building industry has a popular website at www.builderonline.com that informs and updates builders about their profession, and they have released a report  listing the 15 Healthiest Housing Markets for 2009.  Myrtle Beach is number 15, proclaiming our area as "remaining one of the hottest markets in the country". They say our prices last year remained steady, falling only 10 percent, with an average price of $174,800 - very affordable compared to most other resort areas.

Wilmington NC was next, followed by Charlotte, Denver CO, Nashville, Fayetteville and others, with the Texas cities of Austin, Ft Worth, and Houston being the final three.

Myrtle Beach vacation rentals are also booking like wildfire for the summer, and it appears that regardless of jobs and the economy, most people are not willing to forego their vacations.  As well, the Myrtle Beach golf industry seems to be thriving and in all, our 2009 looks very promising. Martin Brown, who owns Condolux Vacation Rentals, continues to say this is going to be one of the best years his company has had, both in rentals, property management, and Myrtle Beach home sales.

Check out what our residents say about Living in Myrtle Beach.