May 2023

Less Than 1% of Agents Are Power Agents

Mike Childs

Your Grand Strand Real Estate Expert

10 Awesome Family Friendly Activities

to Celebrate Spring

Whether you’re looking for something low key or more adventurous, there’s plenty of fun things do during the month of May:

Explore the Farmers’ Market — Not only is this an opportunity to pick up fresh, seasonal produce, but it’s also a great way to explore your town, meet new people, and support small businesses.

Paint Flowerpots — whether you keep them to decorate your own garden or patio or give them away as gifts, this is a great way to indulge our creative sides while making something practical.

Build a Fairy Garden — these adorable miniature scenes are easy to make and placing them in your yard can surprise and delight guests when they see them.

Get Out Into Nature – This is a great way to connect with each other while enjoying the beauty of our natural surroundings. Make sure you bring along plenty of water, snacks, and bug spray, as well as proper attire for any kind of weather.

Head to the Zoo or Nature Preserve — nature preserves often have guided tours and educational programs that are perfect for families who want to learn more about their environment.

Explore Your Town Like You’re Tourists — From new restaurants or boutiques that recently opened in your area to special events happening in your community—spend some time discovering what makes your town unique!

Go Camping — Many campgrounds offer amenities such as running water and electricity so that you can enjoy all the comforts of home.

Go For Bike Ride — Spring weather is perfect for biking or cycling around your neighborhood or on a local trail or path. Rent bikes or bring your own, and go exploring with your family. Make sure everyone is wearing helmets and bring water and snack if your going to be our for awhile.

Have a Family Barbecues — Fire up the grill and host a family cookout with friends and neighbors. Cook up some burgers, hot dogs, chicken, steaks, and skewers with veggies. Kids will love playing games like cornhole or horseshoes while you chat and relax.

Go on a Scenic Drive: Take a scenic drive to enjoy the beauty of spring and the changing landscape. Pick a route with plenty of natural beauty, like a coastal drive. Pack some snacks and drinks for the ride, and make plenty of stops along the way to take in the views.

Did You Know?

…. that Maypoles were originally used in the Gaelic festival of Beltane, now called May Day? The maypole is decorated with flowers, and ribbons, and people dance around it to mark the beginning of summer and bring good fortune and fertile land.

Spring Cleaning Tips

For People That Hate Cleaning

Weird but True

… President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy passed in 1933 to improve relations with Latin American countries and paved the way for Cinco de Mayo to become a more mainstream American holiday (and now it’s bigger here than in Mexico!).

Make a Plan – Tackle your home room by room and have a check list for each room. Make sure you determine all the supplies you are going to need and get them ahead of time, so you won’t have to run to the store mid-cleaning to get anything.

Clear Out the Clutter – Make 4 piles as you sort through and organize your rooms: trash, give-away, put into storage, and put away. Take the trash out ASAP before your kids decide they still want those broken toys, and either host a yard sale or take the give-aways to your local charity.

Put the Whole Family to Work – As they say, many hands make light work (unless you have a toddler) so get the whole family helping to make the job go faster, and to spend time together tackling a project. Get some music going and create incentives to get the job done in a timely manner.

You Don’t Have to Clean the Whole House in One Day – Time is a factor in our busy lives, so break the spring cleaning up into more manageable chunks. Work room by room, or spend 15 minutes a day, or take a specific section of the house like the bookshelves or kitchen cupboards

Clean Your Home Top to Bottom (Literally!) — Start your cleaning at the top, like dusting light fixtures and the tops of cupboards and work your way to the floor. This prevents the need to clean things twice.

Use the right tools and supplies — Make sure you have the right tools for the job. This can include a good vacuum cleaner, microfiber cloths, and cleaning solutions that work for your specific surfaces. Consider using “green” cleaning supplies.

Focus on high-traffic areas — Focus on high-traffic areas of your home, such as the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. These areas are used more frequently and can benefit from regular cleaning.

Hire a professional — If you really don’t like to clean, consider hiring a professional cleaning service. This can take the burden off of you and ensure that your home is cleaned to your standards

Reward yourself — Reward yourself after completing a cleaning task. This can be as simple as taking a break to read a book or watch your favorite TV show.

Myrtle Beach Area Real Estate Market Conditions

Closed Sales decreased 19.7 percent for single-family homes and 28.8 percent for condos.

Pending Sales decreased 7.0 percent for single-family homes and 14.6 percent for condos.

Inventory increased 99.9 percent for single-family homes and 115.3 percent for condos.

The Median Sales Price was up 3.4 percent to $358,000 for single-family homes and 11.6 percent to $240,000 for condos.

Days on Market increased 13.2 percent for single-family homes and 39.1 percent for condos.

Months Supply of Inventory increased 158.3 percent for single-family homes and 187.5 percent for condos.

Monthly sales might have been even higher if not for limited inventory nationwide. At the current sales pace, there were just 2.6 months’ supply of existing homes at the beginning of March, far below the 4 – 6 months’ supply of a balanced market.

Inventory remains suppressed in part because of mortgage interest rates, which nearly hit 7% before falling slightly again in recent weeks.

Higher rates have continued to put downward pressure on sales prices, and for the first time in more than a decade, national home prices were lower year-over-year, according to NAR, breaking a 131-month streak of annual price increases.

All data comes from the Coastal Carolinas Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service. Provided by South Carolina REALTORS®.