If you’re in town this weekend, check out the Beach Boogie & BBQ Festival !  This annual festival features family-friendly entertainment and events, including live music, the official barbeque competition of South Carolina, a classic car show, competitive BBQ sandwich eating competition, a HUGE kids’ area, boat rides on the lake, arts and crafts vendors, a car giveaway and so much more! All of the details are here. It’s fun for everyone!

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — People worried about the high cost of keeping warm this winter will draw little comfort from the Farmers’ Almanac, which predicts below-average temperatures for most of the U.S.

“Numb’s the word,” says the 192-year-old publication. At least two-thirds of the country can expect colder-than-average temperatures this winter, with only the Far West and Southeast in line for near-normal readings.

“This is going to be catastrophic for millions of people,” said almanac editor Peter Geiger.

The almanac predicts above-normal snowfall for the Great Lakes and Midwest, especially during January and February, and above-normal precipitation for the Southwest in December and for the Southeast in January and February. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions will likely have an unusually wet or snowy February, the almanac said.

Now aren’t you glad you own real estate here in Myrtle Beach?

The media are finally seeing the light.  Interspersed with this week’s real estate news is - could it be? - a glimmer of hope!

OK. First the bad news. According to Don Schunk, research economist at Coastal Carolina University, local retail sales, building permits, hotel occupancy, airport passengers and real estate sales are all down for the spring quarter (March through May).  The numbers for the summer quarter are not final yet, but appear to be flattening.

The good news?  There are signs that our economy is hitting bottom and will be ready for a turnaround in the spring.  Plus, builders have kept the brakes on new construction, and the real estate market is again showing signs of life.  “The buyers know it’s a real buyer’s market,” Schunk said. “It seems like we’re at that point where things are starting to turn around.”

What the numbers won’t show is that Myrtle Beach real estate buyer traffic has picked up even if people aren’t ready to sign a contract yet, said Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors market analyst Tom Maeser.  “It’s been a long correction, but we’re in a correcting mode right now,” Maeser said. “The good news, which is not statistically analyzed, is the amount of traffic in interested people that are out there. We’re having some pretty good traffic flows.”

We told you so.

Interviews by Jessica Foster of the Myrtle Beach Sun News

Where do old New York City subway cars go to retire?

(No, this isn’t the start of a bad joke.)

The New York City Transit Authority has donated 41 subway cars to help the environment here in South Carolina.

With their windows and doors removed, these subway cars make a surprisingly effective artificial reef about 25 miles offshore and will anchor corals, sponges, barnacles, algae and other organisms that are unable to colonize the sandy bottom of the ocean floor here.  This will, in turn, attract fish, crabs and shrimp, who will use the reef for shelter and even food.  This, in turn will attract larger species, and… well, you get the picture.

I’m sure there’s a good joke here about the New York subway and Myrtle Beach real estate… but I’ll leave it up to you for the punchline.

Thanks to the Myrtle Beach Sun News for the picture.

We’ve been so busy this month that I forgot to post the monthly list of things to do to keep your home in tip top shape.  Maybe you’re already ahead of me this month… what have you done in August that isn’t on my list?  Let us know!

Meanwhile, here’s the short list (since we only have two weeks left…)

If you live in a colder climate, now is the time to call your heating contractor and schedule an annual checkup for your heating system before the busy fall season begins. If you have a combination heating/cooling system, as do most folks who own Myrtle Beach real estate, your fall checkup should be right around the corner.  These annual or semi-annual checkups are well worth the $60 to $150 they cost, and could save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Have gutters?  Cleaned ‘em recently?  Didn’t think so.  Go do it this month. Check for damage, and use a hose to flush summer debris from downspouts. Consider adding leaf guards that allow leaves to slide off easier. Cost start at about $80 for a 2,000 square foot home.

To clear slow-moving drains and prevent drain clogs, remove drain traps under sinks and wipe their insides clean. Do this twice yearly. An easy how-to guide can be found here on our website.