Is Myrtle Beach a Good Investment
for Luxury Real Estate in 2026?
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 luxury market in 2026 sits at an interesting inflection point — a broader market correction has created more buyer leverage than has existed in several years, while the specific fundamentals that drive luxury appreciation remain intact. Whether Myrtle Beach is a good luxury investment in 2026 depends entirely on which property type you are buying, what your investment thesis is, and whether the numbers hold up under realistic carrying cost analysis.
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
The Supply and Demand Case
for Grand Strand Luxury
The core investment argument for Grand Strand luxury real estate is straightforward: supply is genuinely constrained at the top end of the market. No new oceanfront residential lots are available anywhere in Horry or Georgetown County. The median price for oceanfront single-family homes in the Grand Strand has more than doubled since the pre-Covid period, reaching approximately $2.1 million, driven by a buyer pool that keeps expanding while inventory does not. The Grand Strand attracts over 20 million visitors annually, and Horry County — one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States over the past decade — continues to add population at roughly 5 percent year-over-year. That inbound migration is not tourist traffic. It is high-net-worth relocating residents from the Northeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic who are converting from second-home buyers into primary residence buyers. Those buyers compete for the same limited inventory at the luxury tier, and the luxury segment in communities like Grande Dunes, The Dunes Club, and DeBordieu currently sits in a balanced to seller-leaning market with approximately 4.33 months of supply.
Rental Income at the Luxury Price Point
Well-managed oceanfront condos on the Grand Strand generate 6 to 8 percent annual gross returns from short-term rentals, with premium properties achieving 10 percent or higher. A two-bedroom oceanfront condo purchased at $300,000 can generate $25,000 to $50,000 in gross rental income annually at peak performance, with operating expenses typically running 50 to 55 percent of gross — management fees, HOA, insurance, taxes, and maintenance combined. For single-family luxury homes in the $1 million to $2 million range where community rules permit short-term rentals — select sections of Grande Dunes, Surfside Beach oceanfront corridors, and North Myrtle Beach's Cherry Grove — gross rental income potential is higher in absolute dollars, though combined wind, flood, and homeowner insurance premiums of $8,000 to $20,000 annually require careful underwriting before any purchase with rental intent.
The critical caveat: rental permissions are community-specific and frequently misrepresented in online listings. DeBordieu Colony, Wachesaw Plantation, and Prestwick effectively prohibit short-term rentals at the deed restriction level regardless of what county zoning permits. Buyers who purchase in those communities with income intent will find themselves legally unable to rent after closing. Confirming rental permission in writing at the sub-community level before going under contract is not optional due diligence — it is a prerequisite to any investment thesis at the luxury price point on the Grand Strand.
The SC Tax Advantage as a Return Component
South Carolina's 4 percent primary residence property tax rate, combined with no Social Security tax and no estate tax, produces ownership cost savings that compound meaningfully for high-net-worth buyers relocating from high-tax states. South Carolina's effective property tax rate of approximately 0.57 percent compares favorably to Florida at 0.83 percent, North Carolina at 0.85 percent, and New Jersey at 2.49 percent. A buyer saving $20,000 to $40,000 annually versus their prior state's tax obligation accumulates $200,000 to $400,000 in preserved capital over a decade — before any property appreciation. At the luxury price point, these tax advantages are a material component of total return that most coastal markets outside South Carolina cannot replicate.
Talk to Rick Before You Commit to a Grand Strand Luxury Investment
Understanding which communities deliver on the investment case — and which carry restrictions, insurance exposure, or HOA financial conditions that undermine it — requires direct agent access rather than a broad market overview. Rick Sarver at Myrtle Beach Luxury Home has represented buyers and sellers across the Grand Strand luxury market since 2010. Contact Rick directly to evaluate specific opportunities against realistic carrying costs and investment outcomes.