Sales taxes are going up in Horry County.  On November 4th a referendum to increase sales taxes by one percent passed by over a 2 to 1 margin. 

The tax should raise $1.1 billion with approximately 80% or $880 million going to the Horry County schools.  The remaining 20% will be divided between Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College.

Horry County Board of Education Chairman, Will Garland says the Carolina Forest and St. James schools would be given top priority.  Almost all the precincts in Carolina Forest passed the tax by a 3 to 1 margin.

This tax will really benefit people who own Myrtle Beach Real Estate.  Debt service should drop from 28 to 24 mills by this time next year.  By October 2010 debt service should fall to 10 mills.  If these forecasts are correct homeowners will save about $108 a year on a $150,000 property.

I am in the process of developing a Carolina Forest Real Estate website.   It will focus primarily on the neighborhoods and communities within Carolina Forest.  This will be a great tool for buyers and sellers in the Carolina Forest area.   For additional information on real estate in the Grand Strand please visit my top ranking Myrtle Beach Real Estate website.

If at first you don’t succeed, then try try again!  That’s what has happened at Tavern in the Forest, a fairly new restaurant located in the Forest Village Shopping Center in Carolina Forest.  When the restaurant opened in the spring of 2008, residents in the neighborhoods closest to the location were thrilled.  However, our joy was fleeting.  The atmosphere was confusing, the menu too heavy, and the whole concept felt out of place.  The outside area was very nice, but so very quiet.  Inside, the long bar seemed cold and uninviting, and the stark walls bounced every sound, encouraging you to only whisper.  The space was not inviting, and wasn’t what we were looking for in a “tavern”.  It felt like an attempt at fine dining which had fallen short of the warm welcoming environment of other area fine dining establishments.  Most diners (including myself) visited the long awaited restaurant only once.  The owners took the hint.

Walking into The Tavern now (as my wife and friends now do several times a week), the concept is clear, the atmosphere is fun, the menu is befitting, and the place now has a clear identity.  The Tavern is a pub, a bar, a casual dining restaurant, without the chain-restaurant feel.  Out front, patrons take their turn at beanbag toss competitions.  The open air dining room is now a hub of activity, full of diners watching a game on the large screen tv’s, enjoying a cocktail at the new outside bar, singing Karaoke, participating in trivia competitions, or listening to live music.  There is always a friendly host ready to invite you inside, where you may dine at a table a booth or the bar.  Customers love the new juke box, and it livens up the whole place.  The menu is a combination of old bar favorites, unique entrees, and signature sandwiches – each named after Carolina Forest neighborhoods, like The Farm, BelleGrove, The Bluffs, and Plantation Lakes.

Owner Bill Meldrum and his team have truly created a friendly, inviting atmosphere for local residents.  I recommend everyone try out this new and improved Tavern in the Forest – but don’t take my seat.

Summer is coming to an end, and it’s time to welcome in the Fall!  Come see the “Incredible Pumpkin Patch” at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, SC.  For the entire months of September and October beginning at 7 pm nightly, over five hundred jack-o-lanterns will light up the night, surrounded by bales of hay, cornstalks, scarecrows, music, fog & festive lighting.  All donations go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.  Come start a new family tradition that your kids will love, and support Parkinson’s Disease research!

The 33^rd annual Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival takes place at Huntington Beach State Park in Myrtle Beach this weekend, Friday September 26^th through Sunday, September 28^th.  Come enjoy fine art, unique crafts, food, and music, all provided by local artisans and merchants.  Tickets are $6 for adults, or $10 for multi-day passes, and ages 15 years old and younger are free.  Celebrate the end of summer in a beautiful setting.  See you there!

The highly anticipated opening of the new Grande Dunes Marketplace is here!  On Wednesday, September 17, Lowe’s Foods, the anchor store of the new shopping center opened it’s doors.   Other named tenants will open this year, including Indo Thai Sushi and Tropical Dunes Nails.   The shopping center has the capacity for a total of 19 tenants.  On the list of possibilities are a wine and tapas bar, a spa, and a high-end men’s clothing store.  More tenant announcements are sure to follow soon. 

The Grande Dunes Marketplace is located directly across the street from the exclusive Grande Dunes community at the corner of Highway 17 Bypass and 82^nd Avenue North.

Figured it is better late than never. So here is the Coastal Carolina University football schedule. If you have never been to a game I would highly recommend it. Tailgating at the Chanticleers football stadium in Conway is an all day event on game days, complete with cookouts, games, and music. Go Chants!

Sat 8/30 at Penn State 12 pm L, 10-66

Sun 9/7 v. COLGATE
-Armed Forces/Public Servants Day 1 pm

Sat 9/13 at Monmouth 1 pm

Sat 9/20 v. TOWSON
-Family Weekend 7 pm

Sat 9/27 at North Carolina A&T 6 pm

Sat 10/4 v. LIBERTY
-TV - Mid-Atlantic Sports Network 7 pm

Sat 10/11 at VMI 1:30 pm

Sat 10/18 v. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL
-Hall of Fame Day 7 pm

Sat 10/25 v. STONY BROOK
-Homecoming 7 pm

Sat 11/8 at Gardner-Webb
-TV - Mid-Atlantic Sports Network 3:30 pm

Sat 11/15 at Presbyterian 1:30 pm

Sat 11/22 v. CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
-Senior Day 6 pm

Hurricane Hanna, while stalling just a moment over Haiti, is projected to begin a northwesterly track as the day continues.  The best way for local residents to prepare for the Hurricane is to have a plan and a disaster kit ready.  Below are a few tips on what to include in your disaster kit, as well as other ways to be ready for when a severe storm or hurricane hits.

Water:  Be sure to have at least 1 gallon daily per person for 3 to 7 days.

Food:  Have at least enough for 3 to 7 days. 
    — non-perishable packaged or canned food / juices
    — foods for infants or the elderly
    — snack foods
    — non-electric can opener
    — cooking tools / fuel
    — paper plates / plastic utensils

Blankets / Pillows, etc.

Clothing - seasonal / rain gear/ sturdy shoes

First Aid Kit / Medicines / Prescription Drugs

Special Items - for babies and the elderly

Toiletries / Hygiene items / Moisture wipes

Flashlight / Batteries

Radio - Battery operated and NOAA weather radio

Telephones:  Fully charged cell phone with extra battery and a traditional (not cordless) telephone set.

Cash (with some small bills) and Credit Cards:  Because banks and ATMs may not be available for extended periods!

Keys

Toys, Books and Games

Important documents:  Keep these in a waterproof container or watertight re-sealable plastic bag:
    — insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.

Tools - keep a set with you during the storm

Vehicle fuel tanks filled

Pet care items
    — proper identification / immunization records / medications
    — ample supply of food and water
    — a carrier or cage
    — muzzle and leash

Also don’t forget to check out the hurricane evacuation routes for the Myrtle Beach area in case it comes to that point.  Hope everybody stays safe.

Locals and visitors have flocked to Coastal Grand Mall since it opened in 2004, quickly placing it at the top of the long list of shopping destinations in the Myrtle Beach area.  Recently, JC Penny became the newest of the anchor stores in the mall, with new stores like ULTA opening in the outparcel areas. 

Coastal Grand continues to grow and attract new restaurants, hotels, and shopping every year!  The latest developments include The Shops at Coastal Grand, under construction currently across from Books-A-Million and Old Navy.  The 14,424 square foot center will include a hibachi restaurant, a European Spa, a Christian apparel shop, Southern Pearls jewelry and accessories shop, Sunglass Warehouse, a John Deere merchandise retailer, and more.  The center is slated to open in November 2008. 

In addition to The Shops at Coastal Grand, a new five-story 112 room Hilton Garden Inn is under construction off Harrelson Boulevard, near the Dillards department store.  The hotel will also open in November 2008.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government sponsored companies holding or guaranteeing half the mortgage debt in the country, both saw an increase in their shares on Wednesday.  Fannie Mae shares increased by 15.3% while Freddie Mac shares increased by 19.7%, possibly indicating that a government rescue may not be inevitable.  The companies are considered critical to the mortgage market’s continued operation.  The rise in stock seems to be linked to the restructuring of the executive positions at Fannie Mae.  The CFO and two other top executives are leaving Fannie Mae, while three current executives are moving up to fill the vacant positions.  

The shake up in executive positions and yesterday’s increase in shares may not make a dramatic difference in the outcome for these two companies.  Analysts still disagree about the future of them both.  An influx of government capital to keep them afloat may be certain.