Gated Communities in Myrtle Beach:
A Buyer's Comparison Guide
Myrtle Beach Luxury Home is a boutique real estate experience serving buyers and sellers across Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas.
The head agent, Rick Sarver, has years of real estate and business-owner experience and has lived in the Myrtle Beach area for over 15 years.
Every client works directly with Rick from first showing through closing.
The Grand Strand has more than a dozen gated luxury communities, and buyers evaluating multiple options quickly discover that the differences between them are not cosmetic. Price range, HOA structure, amenity package, rental permissions, water access, and lifestyle character vary enough across communities that the wrong choice can mean paying for amenities you won't use, joining a community where your intended use is prohibited, or overlooking a community that fits your goals precisely. Here is an honest comparison of the Grand Strand's primary gated luxury communities across the factors that matter most.
Why Choose Rick?
COMMUNITY ROOTS
Rick and DeAnn Sarver have called Myrtle Beach home since 2010. They built a business here, planted a church here, and raised a family here. When Rick represents you, you're working with someone who knows this market the way only a long-term resident can — the neighborhoods, the HOAs, the flood zones, and the people.
LOCAL EXPERTISE
From oceanfront estates on the Golden Mile to gated communities in Grande Dunes and Cypress River Plantation, Rick knows the Grand Strand's luxury segment inside and out. He's tracked this market through growth cycles, inventory shifts, and post-storm re-sales. That depth means smarter pricing, sharper negotiation, and no guesswork when it's time to move.
PEOPLE FIRST
Rick returns calls. He listens before he talks. And he'll tell you the truth about a property — even when it's not what you want to hear. No assistants, no coordinators, no handoffs. Every client gets Rick directly, from first showing to closing day.
Connect with Rick
Communities Defined by Full Resort Infrastructure
Grande Dunes is the standard-bearer for resort-infrastructure gated living on the Grand Strand. Spanning over 2,200 acres with two championship 18-hole courses, a 126-slip marina, the 27,000-square-foot Ocean Club with private beach access, and a 10-court Tennis Center, it delivers the most complete amenity package of any gated community on the coast. HOA fees range from $200 to $600 monthly by sub-community, with Ocean Club, golf, and marina memberships priced separately. Home prices run from the mid-$400,000s for villas to over $3 million for waterway-front estates, with the community median sold price currently near $1.36 million. Rental permissions vary significantly by sub-community and must be confirmed in writing before any investment purchase.
DeBordieu Colony in Pawleys Island is the most private gated enclave on the Grand Strand — 2,700 acres between the Atlantic Ocean and the Waccamaw River, with a Pete Dye and P.B. Dye championship course, an oceanfront beach club, 10 Har-Tru tennis courts, and a 17,000-acre adjacent nature preserve. Security is manned 24 hours. Short-term rentals are effectively prohibited — DeBordieu operates primarily as an owner-occupied community. Properties regularly transact above $1.5 million, with oceanfront estates extending well into seven figures. Georgetown County jurisdiction applies, adding a regulatory layer Horry County purchases don't carry.
Communities Defined by Waterway Access
Cypress River Plantation in Socastee delivers something no other community on the Grand Strand replicates at its price point: over 500 custom estate homes on half-acre-plus wooded lots with direct Intracoastal Waterway access, 24-hour guard-gated security, a private boat launch, day docks, secured boat and RV storage, and a full resort pool complex — all with listings averaging approximately $800,000. The adjacent Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge permanently buffers the western boundary. Tidewater Plantation in North Myrtle Beach occupies an elevated peninsula between the ICW and Cherry Grove Inlet with a Ken Tomlinson-designed course ranked among America's 100 best, five pools, and a private oceanfront beach cabana in Cherry Grove. Homes run from the mid-$400,000s to over $1 million for waterway-front custom estates.
Communities Defined by Golf and Tennis
Prestwick, on the Myrtle Beach-Surfside Beach border, is anchored by a Pete Dye and P.B. Dye course named South Carolina Golf Course of the Year in 2025 and the finest tennis facility on the Grand Strand — 11 Har-Tru clay courts and two hard courts. Twenty-four-hour guard-gated security and HOA-included trash, cable, and internet complement proximity to Myrtle Beach State Park and the Market Common district. Prices run from $300,000 to over $900,000. Wachesaw Plantation in Murrells Inlet occupies 700 Waccamaw River bluff acres with a Tom Fazio course, equestrian access, tennis courts, waterfront dining, and one of the most historically grounded settings of any community on the South Strand. Homes run from $300,000 to $700,000 with riverfront positions at the upper end. Both communities prohibit short-term rentals — an important distinction for buyers with investment intent.
Talk to Rick Before You Choose
a Gated Community
Each of these communities rewards buyers who understand the fee structure, rental restrictions, and HOA financial health before going under contract — and creates expensive surprises for those who don't. Rick Sarver at Myrtle Beach Luxury Home has represented clients across Grande Dunes, DeBordieu Colony, Cypress River Plantation, Tidewater Plantation, Prestwick, and Wachesaw Plantation since 2010. Contact Rick directly to discuss which community fits your goals, budget, and intended use before you commit to a showing schedule.