For Sale - Condo in Magnolia North

Three Bedroom, Two Bathroom Condo Magnolia North

This three bedroom, two bathroom condo is located in Magnolia North on the Myrtlewood golf course. The condo has easy access to both 38th Avenue North and 48th Avenue North off of Bypass 17 in the heart of Myrtle Beach. From the balcony of this immaculate condo, you can see a lake, the pool and the golf course. Because the condo is on the 3rd floor, the ceilings are vaulted. The condo is also an end unit and has extra windows. This condo is being sold with a garage so you have your own private parking and storage. You also have outside storage accessible from the balcony.

First-time home buyers may qualify for the $8,000 tax credit. If you would like to receive more information about this home or other homes in the Myrtle Beach area, please contact Kathy Rukat at (843) 267-2710 or Kathy@KathyRukat.com. Information about the Myrtle Beach area real estate market can also be found on my website at www.KathyRukat.com.

Myrtle Beach Wildfire Update

According to South Carolina Forestry officials, the wildfire is 100% contained but it is not 100% out. Firefighters are still keeping an eye on areas affected by the fire and watching for flare ups. Smoke will continue to be a problem in the late evening and early morning hours until the area sees some rain. Roads in the area of the fire may continue to close in the morning hours due to heavy smoke. In recent days. Hwy. 31, Hwy. 22, Hwy. 90 and some of Hwy. 17 have been closed. Also, some area schools will operate on a 2-hour delay tomorrow.

Myrtle Beach Fire Update

The fire is about 50% contained. About 19,600 acres have been burned, 100 houses have been damaged and 69 homes have been completely destroyed. No fatalities have occurred.

Last night, the fire did not spread to the Carolina Forest. Firefighters were able to make progress on the fire last night and put out several hot spots.

Residents of Barefoot Resort will be allowed back into their homes today after 10 am. You must show your ID and come in the front entrance.

The winds are expected to pick up today to 10-15 miles per hour. The fire may gain strength throughout the day. Firefighters are also monitoring any shifts the fire may take. They are keeping an eye on the Poplar community and believe hot spots may pop up in that area.

Kathy Rukat
Keller Williams Realty
Myrtle Beach South
Direct (843) 267-2710
Website www.KathyRukat.com
Sent from my Treo

Myrtle Beach Wildfire

The Myrtle Beach wildfire started yesterday morning. I believe it started sometime around 10:oo. I got a text message stating a fire had started off of Highway 90 in Conway. The fire continued to burn through the afternoon. I received another text from our local news channel that a fire was spotted off of Highway 31. At that time, I thought two fires were burning. I learned this morning that, in fact, it was one fire. Hwy. 90 and Hwy. 31 do run almost parallel to one another with a lot of acreage between the two. Last night, the fire was moving north and getting close to Highway 22.

Around 1:00 this morning, officials were watching the fire and the firefighters progress from the Water Tower Road bridge. The fire jumped Hwy. 22 and started burning near homes in Barefoot Resort. The men on Water Tower Road quickly jumped in their cars and drove to Barefoot Resort. They started knocking on doors and getting residents to evacuate. Because some homes at Barefoot Resort are used as 2nd homes, they took extra time to make sure all the homes were evacuated.

The fire continued through the night and into Thursday. The latest report I heard stated that 100 homes were damaged and 69 were destroyed. About 15,000 acres of land have been burned.

The winds did shift a bit this afternoon and residents of Carolina Forest communities were told they could voluntarily evacuate. I talked to several friends in that area. Most are staying at their homes for now, but they have packed bags to be prepared if something should change.

Many roads in the area are closed. If you are traveling to the area or already in the area, check local news for details on the latest closing. Carolina Forest area and North Myrtle Beach area schools are also closed on Friday. You can check The Sun News, WMBF (TV Channel 10) or WBTW (TV Channel 13)for the latest details.

Many other communities have sent their equipment and personnel to help fight the fires. The National Guard have been called in to help, and Governor Sanford declared a state of emergency. Four Blackhawk helicopters have been called in from NC to drop water on the fire. Shelters have been set up across the county for both people and their animals that have been affected by the fires. Several local hotels are providing rooms for free for residents displaced by the fire. Thank you everyone helping with this very difficult situation.





This morning, I had an appointment on the north end of Myrtle Beach. While I was still far away from the center of the fire, the smoke could be seen. I took these pictures around 82nd Avenue North near the Grand Strand Hospital. The smoke is actually on the west side of the Waterway, but it looks much closer. The last couple of pictures were taken from 38th Avenue North.

Listing Update

9651 Kings Grant Drive
Murrells Inlet

My listing at 9651 Kings Grant in Murrells Inlet is now under contract. This house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Check back in about 30 days for an update on the final closing price.

If you have any questions about this house or the Myrtle Beach market, please contact Kathy Rukat at (843) 267-2710 or Kathy@KathyRukat.com. Details about the Myrtle Beach market can be found on my website.

Hard Rock Park Update

The former Hard Rock Theme Park has a new name. The park will now be called Freestyle Music Park. The new owners of the park had wanted to keep the Hard Rock name, but they were unable to reach an agreement with Hard Rock International.

Owners still hope to have the park opened by Memorial Day weekend. The park will not be limited to a rock theme, instead it will now incorporate rock n' roll, country, R&B, reggae, beach music, pop, alternative, Christian and disco.

March 2009 MLS Stats

March 2009 was an interesting month in real estate for Myrtle Beach. First-time home buyers started showing interest in the market mainly because of the $8,000 tax credit. We have a long way to go but some signs are showing a pick up in the market. It is still a Buyers' Market in Myrtle Beach so jump off the fence if you are in the financial position to purchase a home. Below are the end-of-the-month stats for March 2009. If you have any questions, please add a comment to my blog.

The Residential category includes new construction, single family detached homes, single family semi-detached homes, single family home with HPR, modular homes, manufactured homes on leased land and manufactured homes with land. The Condo/Townhouse category includes new construction, 1/2 duplexes, condos and townhouses.

Total Active Residential - 5,698
Average Listing Price - $431,458
High Price - $7,900,900
Low Price - $13,900

Total Pending Residential - 588
Average Listing Price - $220,028
High Price - $1,249,999
Low Price - $14,500

Total Sold Residential - 223
Average Sold Price - $221,930
Average Listing Price - $239,306
High Sold Price - $1,699,900
Low Sold Price - $19,400

New Residential Listings Added in March 2009 - 796
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Total Active Condo/Townhouse - 6,567
Average Listing Price - $242,376
High Price - $4,469,000
Low Price - $29,900

Total Pending Condo/Townhouse - 602
Average Listing Price - $258,828
High Price - $786,300
Low Price - $19,900

Total Sold Condo/Townhouse - 160
Average Sold Price - $172,409
Average List Price - $189,700
High Sold Price - $900,000
Low Sold Price - $21,000

Total Condo/Townhouse Listings added in March 2009 - 801