Own Luxury Homes®
Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest & Grande Dunes SC — Grand Strand Buyer's Guide 2026
Myrtle Beach / Carolina Forest / Grande Dunes SC Grand Strand (third SC silo — completes portfolio): Grande Dunes (2,200-acre luxury MPC Intracoastal Waterway Myrtle Beach; 2 championship golf courses Resort + Members Club; private Grande Dunes Ocean Club; 126-slip marina; tennis/fitness center; $550K-$2M+ SFH; layered HOA master + sub-community HOAs + optional club memberships $200-$600/mo; many sub-communities restrict STR; 2026 median per agent data). Carolina Forest (inland 10-15 min from beach; Carolina Forest HS A-rated SC DOE; volume new construction: Trieste at Bella Vita Ashton Woods early 2026/Waterbridge DRH+Chesapeake over $700K; $280K-$700K+; lower insurance than oceanfront). Market Common (former MBAFB; walkable mixed-use; $350K-$600K; restaurants/boutiques/cinema/lakeside; active adult + lock-and-leave seasonal). Oceanfront condo core ($150K-$1M+ STR permissive but highest insurance). Murrells Inlet (authentic fishing village; $350K-$800K; boating). Coastal SC insurance: premiums +20-35% since 2023; material upgrade costs $25K-$40K/home vs inland; always get actual quote before offer. 20M+ Grand Strand annual visitors. Modest SC price appreciation 2-3% projected 2026.
Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest & Grande Dunes SC — Grand Strand Buyer's Guide 2026
Grande Dunes: 2,200-acre luxury MPC, two golf courses, 126-slip marina, private Ocean Club, $550K–$2M+. Carolina Forest: inland, A-rated schools, volume new construction, lower insurance. Market Common: walkable mixed-use. Coastal insurance truth-telling included. The third SC silo.
The Grand Strand Market Map
| Area | Character | Price Range | Insurance Risk | Best For | STR Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grande Dunes | Luxury gated MPC; golf; marina; Ocean Club; Intracoastal | $550K–$2M+ | Moderate-high (Intracoastal) | Luxury retirees; golf lifestyle; lock-and-leave | Many sub-communities restrict STR |
| Carolina Forest | Inland master-planned; A-rated schools; volume builders | $280K–$700K+ | Lower (inland) | Families; retirees seeking value vs coast; volume new construction | More STR-permissive sub-communities |
| Market Common | Walkable mixed-use; former air force base; urban lifestyle | $350K–$600K | Moderate | Active adult; walkable lifestyle seekers; STR investors | Varies by property type |
| Oceanfront Core | Condo towers; resort; highest STR rates; highest costs | $150K–$1M+ (condo) | Highest | STR investors; vacation home; part-time seasonal | Most permissive STR but highest insurance |
| Murrells Inlet | Fishing village; authentic; seafood; boating | $350K–$800K | Moderate | Authentic coastal lifestyle; boating; away from resort density | Varies |
| North Myrtle Beach | Quieter resort; Barefoot Landing; slightly lower prices | $250K–$700K | Moderate-high | Families; retirees; second-home buyers | Varies by community |
Grande Dunes — The Luxury Anchor
Grande Dunes is Myrtle Beach's answer to Hilton Head's Palmetto Bluffs or Sea Pines — a comprehensive luxury master-planned community that delivers a complete coastal country club lifestyle in one development. The 2,200-acre site along the Intracoastal Waterway features two championship golf courses (Resort Course public-accessible and Members Club private), the private Grande Dunes Ocean Club (beach access, resort pool, oceanfront dining), a 126-slip marina, a tennis center, and a fitness club. Sub-communities range from the Intracoastal waterway estates and golf course villas to 55+ active adult neighborhoods. Median price $550,000–$2,000,000+ for single-family homes. The HOA structure is layered: a master HOA covers the community, with individual sub-HOAs for specific neighborhoods, and separate optional memberships for Ocean Club, Golf Club, Tennis Center, and Marina.
Carolina Forest — The Family and Value Tier
Carolina Forest is the Grand Strand's most active inland master-planned submarket — positioned approximately 10–15 minutes from the beach with meaningfully lower insurance costs than oceanfront communities. Carolina Forest High School holds an A rating from the South Carolina Department of Education. Active 2026 development: Trieste at Bella Vita (Ashton Woods, coastal-charm modern homes, early 2026 move-in, future amenity center); Waterbridge (DR Horton and Chesapeake Homes, waterfront luxury, some over $700K). Buyer profile strongly bifurcated between families (school-driven) and retirees (low-maintenance lifestyle without the coastal insurance premium).
Market Common — The Walkable Lifestyle Address
Market Common is Myrtle Beach's most distinctive residential product — a walkable mixed-use development on the site of the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, with restaurants, boutiques, a movie theater, green space, and lakeside living all within a walkable framework unusual for Myrtle Beach's otherwise car-dependent geography. Price range: $350,000–$600,000 for most single-family and attached product. The walkable design appeals most to active adult buyers and lock-and-leave seasonal homeowners who want retail and dining accessible without driving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ryan Brown — Principal Broker & CEO · FL BK3626873Myrtle Beach buyers need the insurance conversation first, the HOA structure conversation second, and the STR rules conversation third — before they fall in love with any specific property. Grande Dunes delivers the full coastal country club lifestyle but restricts STRs in most sub-communities. Carolina Forest gives you A-rated schools and inland insurance rates. Market Common gives you the walkable lifestyle. I know all three cold, and I lead with the insurance conversation every time. Call me.
"The introduction Own Luxury Homes® makes is to a specialist with documented closing history in your specific market — not the county, not the metro, the submarket you're actually selling or buying in. That's the standard we verify before your name goes anywhere."
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes® (FL License BK3626873)