Warm and then cold "at the beach"

     January was a very warm month down here, I played golf at least once a week. Highs in mid 60's to low 70's and then February got cold, only into low to mid 50's. You just never know.
     Since we have friends in town, we have being hitting the "show" scene recently. We saw "Good Vibrations" and "The Carolina Opry".  Both shows were bery good and highly entertaining.  We read in the Preview Bio Book that the drummer, Lynn Brown, was from Lancaster, Ohio, but he had already left and moved on to Nashville. The male dancers in the shows were stars on NBC's America's Got Talent. They are, I think, the hit of both shows. They provide a whole lot of energy. When you're in town, be sure and take in a show or two. You will not be dissapointed.
     A new "Reality" show will be hitting your TV tonight. "Welcome to Myrtle Manor" airs on the TLC channel at 10:00 p.m.  The show was filmed at Patrick's Mobile Home Park off of Highway 15 in Myrtle Beach. There are a lot of pros and cons going around the Myrtle Beach area. Stay tuned.
     Another old hotel along Ocean Blvd. in Myrtle Beach has bit the dust. Late last week, crews started taking down the Beverly Motel (no relation) at 703 N. Ocean Blvd., the latest in a wave of old buildings that have been demolished to make way for new devolopment along the beaches main drag. Plans for the new site have not been released as yet.
     New owners are still trying to revive the old Waccamaw Pottery Shopping Center off of Highway 501. There are some physical changes - no more weeds, the parking lots are lit up, a new roof - but there is only a splattering of action in a couple of store spaces. Things are moving a lot slower than some officials had hoped, in part because of the still sputtering economy.
     In real estate news, sales showed  a continued upward trend in January, with a 10.3% boost versus a year earlier in sales of single-family homes and a 11.9% increase for condos. The median sales price for condos climbed 4.8% to $98,000 compared to the same period last year but single-family homes fell 3.1% to $155,000.  Business is picking-up so y'all come on down, we're dealin!
     My book Murder on the Front Nine has gone into a second edition. The publisher is now working on the Kindle version. I have several book signings planned and speaking engagements booked. I am actually spending more time on writing the second one Cougars at the Beach, which I hope to have completed by this fall. www.stevenmcmillen.com.
     See ya, Steve & Bev

Dancers at Carolina Opry

Opry singers and dancers

Anniversay dinner at Chuck's before Opry

Prime-rib roast after cooking, yum, yum

 

 

 

    
    

Dusting of snow "at the beach"

     Well, we just received our annual dusting of snow and it is not very warm, about 28. The only neat thing about this is that it snowed last night and I will probably play golf on Wednesday. It doesn't get any better than this.
     We have two couples in town from Ohio and they are coming over for dinner tonight after the Ohio State game.  We are having a prime-rib roast thanks to my lovely bride Beverly and Boulineau's. She entered one of those in-store contest at Boulineau's in Cherry Grove, and she won a 7 pound boneless prime-rib roast.
     The Myrtle Beach Marathon was run yesterday and there were over 2,250 runners in town with their families for the long holiday weekend. The occupency rate in town was supposed to be almost 80%. Funny thing is that in 2010 it snowed this same weekend and they had to cancel the race. Thank goodness this year it snowed the day after the race.
     A new mini-golf course (Shark Attack) and seafood-inspired restaurant (Hammer Head Grill) is rising from the oceanfront spot where the historic Chesterfield Inn once stood and are on track for the spring tourist season. The new development at the corner of Ocean Blvd, and 7th Ave. N in Myrtle Beach is amoung a flurry of new offerings along the city's main drag that are expected to be ready this spring. To the north, a 6,000 square-foot candy and ice cream shop named "I Love Sugar" is under construction.
     A golf themed restaurant is planning to open this spring in Carolina Forest. Sam Snead's Tavern plans to open in the former Max & Erma's restaurant in the Forest Square Shopping Center at the intersection of U.S. 501 and Carolina Forest Blvd. This will be a return of a Sam Snead's restaurant to the Grand Strand. Sam Snead's Grille opened in the mid-1990's along restaurant row but closed in the early 2000's. On a side-note, I have been in the original Sam Snead's Taven in Virginia next to The  Homestead.
     On the real estate scene, single family homes jumped in 2012 by the highest % since 2005. The medium price for those homes declined 1% from 2011. Prices crept up-ward in December, the highest December to December since 2006. Sales of condo's also rose during 2012, but at a smaller %. Prices of condo's fell 3% during 2012, but were up 6% in December.
     On my book scene, I did a presentation and book signing for my book MURDER ON THE FRONT NINE for the Conway Book Club at Coastal Carolina University this past week. It was a lot of fun and I had a great audience. My book is available on amazon.com and kindle. My website is www.stevenmcmillen.com. My next book COUGARS AT THE BEACH, which is the second in a series of Mickke D mystery/thrillers, is coming along but rather slowly. I seem to spend more time marketing my first book and less time writing the second.
     See ya, Steve & Bev

Book signing

President Conway Book Club

Bev at Boulineau's

Our dusting of snow

 

 

 

    
    
    

75 Years old "at the beach"

     No, not me! Myrtle Beach will be 75 years old on March 12, 2013. My lovely bride and I had dinner at a real estate function the other night in Murrells Inlet.  We ended up sitting with a lady who was born and raised in Myrtle Beach. It was a joy listening to hear talk about the old days in Myrtle Beach.
     I was a guest of the Tidewater Men's Book Club this past week.  It was an interesting evening listening to what someone else thought about my book MURDER ON THE FRONT NINE, and how they read different things into what I was trying to say. It was a very enjoyable and enlightening evening.  I look forward to more of them.
     North Myrtle Beach is on the way to getting a new fishing pier at the end of Sea Mountain Highway. It would be the first new pier along the Grand Strand in 20 years and officials say it will help tourism. The new pier proposed by North Myrtle Beach businessman Frank Boulineau, would also have a four-story building that would likely house a restaurant.
     National real estate statistics for November showed South Carolina as having the 5th highest foreclosure rate in the U.S.. In November, 1 in every 455 homes in the state was in foreclosure, a total of 4,700 homes. Those numbers represented a 17% increase over November 2011. Short sales totaled 29% of all Horry County home sales in November. Short sales rose 22% in the 3rd quarter from the year before.  What does all this mean for you?  Now is the time to come on down to the beach and pruchase a nice home or condo at a reasonable price. We're dealin!
     A wax museum that opened in Hollywood in the 1960's is planning to branch out to Myrtle Beach. Hollywood Wax Museum is working to move into the former NASCAR Cafe building off US 17 Bypass and 21st Ave. N. This wouold be their 4th location in the U.S. They have museums in Hollywood, Pigion Forge, Tenn., and Branson, Mo.  See ya, Steve & Bev  www.stevenmcmillen.com

 

 

 

 

    





    

    
    

Ready for New Year "at the beach"

     I am getting ready to send a "letter to the editor" to our local paper, The Sun News.  This will be my first time to do this, so I thought I might run it by all of you prior to mailing and maybe get some feed-back from y'all.
    
One Solution to out Economic Problems
     First, I want y'all to know I am not for more government intervention in our lives, but for once, Big Brother could make a difference.  My proposal is for the Feds to put a ceiling on the price of gasoline, at the pump, for 5 years.  That price would be $2.50 a gallon for regular.
     Big Oil made money at that price before and they will still make large profits now at that price. The worldwide speculation market and Wall Street traders set the price of oil, which then determines the price of gasoline.  Why should Wall Street traders and worldwide speculators decide what you and I have to pay at the pump?  What ever happened to Economics 101, supply and demand?  I am not saying to stop the price of crude oil from fluctuating, only the price of gasoline at the pump.  That way, the oil companies would take the hit instead of the consumer.  They can afford it, the consumer can't.  I would guess there would be less fluctuatation in the price of oil, don't you?
     I keep reading articles that before long we will be energy independent.  So, instead pf continuing to develop more exploration options, let's build more refineries to take care of the energy we are now producing and keep it here where it belongs. In addition, build the refineries where the oil and gas is, not thousands of miles away.  We stockpile oil and natural gas now. Why can't we stockpile and store gasoline?  Why do we want to get to the point where we are exporting oil, natural gas and gasoline?  Someday your grandchildren will wish we had not given it all away.
     If you and I, and the business world knew what our transportation costs were going to be for the next 5 years, we could all make plans.  Everyone could set budgets and our economy would prosper.  The price of everything we use, in one way or another, is based on the cost of transporting products and goods, as well as people. Therefore, the price of everything we purchase should go down, including airline tickets, and maybe even the price of cars and trucks. We will have more $$ in our pockets, so therefore we will purchase more goods.  More people will travel and spend $$.  It's a win, win, situation for everyone.
     I know, it makes too much sense.  Therefore, the powers that be, will not like the idea.  What do you think?

     Sea Trails Resort, just over the border in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, has an approved plan of reorganization to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  Now it just needs a buyer.  The 2,000 acre, 3-course resort includes two clubhouses, a 50,000-square foot convention center, an estimated 400-unit rental business, unsold vacant lots and approximately 240 acres of undevoloped land.
     There are still deals available in real estate down here and remember "cash" is king. So come on down, we're dealin!
     I had my first TV interview for my book Murder on the Front Nine.  It was on a live show at the local ABC channel in Conway. It wasn't nearly as scary as my first public speaking engagement.
     That's all for now.  See ya in the New Year, Steve & Bev  smcmillen@sc.rr.com  website www.stevenmcmillen.com

TV Show

TV Show

The beach

 

 

    
    

Public Speaking "at the beach"

     In November, after connecting with a woman on LinkedIn, she asked if I would like to speak and do a book signing for my book Murder on the Front Nine at one of her local Optimists Club meetings in December.  I said "sure" and we set a date.  Well, all of a sudden I began to panic. I had no problem signing books, but I had never done public speaking, in front of live people, in a confined area, where the audience would all be looking at me, and where the only sounds in the room would be coming from my mouth, if I could get it to open to form words. Panic city! What have I gotten myself into?  I remember taking a class, Public Speaking 101, in college many, many years ago, but I've slept since then so that experience was long gone.
     My connection asked me to do a 30-minute talk and then a book signing immediately after. So now, I had to decide what was my subject going to be.  I came up with a topic, "So you've been thinking about writing a book".  I would talk about my trials and tribulations while writing my first book.  I began to write my speech, and one day I would add content and then the next day I would take away content.  It was a continuous work in progress.  Should I tell a joke or just jump in with both feet?  Should I ask for questions?  What if I don't know the answer?  I rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed.  I went over my talk in my head every night when I went to bed and again when I woke up in the morning.  I was thinking, man this is hard work, do I really want to do this?
     As my day of reckoning quickly approached, I was still not sure I could pull this off without embarrassing myself.  The day arrived and I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Was it too late to call in sick?  Yes, it was.  I arrived at the Pine Lakes Country Club meeting room an hour and a half before my scheduled time to speak.  We were to have lunch and a business meeting prior to my "coming out party". I went around the room and introduced myself to several people.  That way I would be looking at some familiar faces during my talk.  My next problem was, should I eat and maybe throw-up or just refrain from food and drink altogether.  That probably would be rude, on both counts, so I decided to eat but I only took small portions and drank only water.  Next problem, should I run off to the bathroom during the business meeting or was it too late.  Sorry, it was too late; I was being introduced by the president of the club.
     I stood up, took a deep breath, smiled, and waved at the audience.  I thought to myself, I am prepared and I'm going to have fun.  And by golly, that's exactly what I did.  The first few words seemed to come out of a mouth filled with "cotton", I should have taken a drink of water before I headed to the podium, but after that, I had no problems.  I made a few mistakes but I was probably the only one who noticed.
     I sold and signed several books afterward and quite a few people came up to me, shook my hand, and said they really enjoyed my talk.  If they only knew! 
     I'll just bet my next public speaking event will be a whole lot easier.

     In case any of you would like to bring your horse with you the next time you come to the beach, be sure and come from the 3rd Saturday in November through the end of February. That is the period when people can ride their horses on the beach. No permit is required, but there are a few rules:  No more than 6 horses and riders can ride in a single group at one time. You are not allowed to ride on or across any sand dunes. To get to the beach, you must go through the Myrtle Beach State Park. Horse trailers can not be parked in any public ROW and riders are required to clean-up after their horses.
     In real estate news, the median price for a single-family home fell 4% in October compared to the same period last year and the median price of a condo was down 6%.  The good news was that 438 SF homes sold in October, a 5% climb from October 2011, while 362 condos traded hands, up 36% from 2011. Locally there is still a 15-month supply of homes and condos on the market.  Real estate is considered a buyer's market anytime there's more than a 6-month supply on the books.  So what are you waiting for?  Come on down, buy something, we're dealin!
     See ya, Steve & Bev

Book signing at Pine Lakes

Yours truly receiving gift

My connection from LinkedIn

Book signing

 

 

 

    

    

Thanksgiving & Nice weather "at the beach"

     We had out-of-town guests for Thanksgiving this year.  David and Sharon Reynolds from our home town of Lancaster, Ohio were in town and this time they actually called us.  We had lunch one day at CrabCatchers with them and then we invited them over for Thanksgiving.  We had a delightfull time and later in the week we played golf together at Cypress Bay.  If either one of them tells you that Sharon beat me, it's a complete lie, she was keeping score.
     A new eatery is opening at Barefoot Landing.  If the Rat Pack reassambled and sought  the ultimate hipster hangout, they would need to look no further than Barefoot Landing's newest addition, Castano's. Owners Curtis and Darlene Brown describe the Italian-steakhouse as a "place to hang your hat, sip on a cocktail and slip back into time".  For more information go to castanosrestaurant.com  We have not been there as yet but it is on our list. I'll let you know what we think.
     Plans are in the works to expand Ripley's Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach, with construction to begin after Labor Day next year and the expanded aquarium opening in time for the busy summer season in 2014.
     In real estate news, the number of homes and condos sold along the Grand Strand jumped 24% in October compaed to the same period last year.  Investors, who make up over 65% of the market, are still the strongest buyers.  They are seeing really good prices and are taking cash out of other places and putting it in real estate.  While sales rose, prices dropped 6.2% in October, compared to the same period last year.  Prices continue to be driven down by foreclosures.  29% of single-family home sales and 35% of condo sales are either foreclosures or short sales. Sound interesting?  Give me a call, we're dealin! 
     As far as my book MURDER ON THE FRONT NINE is concerned, sales are picking up.  I just did a booksigning at Barefoot Resort and I'm speaking at the Grand Strand Optimist Club meeting on December 6th, followed by a booksigning. www.stevenmcmillen.com
     My lovely bride Beverly will be back in Lancaster this coming week, so if you see her running around with Liz and Fred, be sure and say hello.

Daved, Sharon & Bev at CrabCatchers

Traffic on the waterway

More traffic

Big traffic on the waterway

 

 

 

    

Buckeye connection "at the beach"

My lovely bride Beverly and I decided to try a new place for lunch on Friday, so we went to Deckerz on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach.  Mr. Piggy and his lovely bride had mentioned Deckerz before so we decided to take a chance (every once in a while Mr. Piggy has led us astray) but we had a great lunch in a great Ohio State Buckeye setting.  We met Debbie and Amy, the new owners,who just took over the business the 1st of September and they were great hosts. The old owners who also owned Snookey's in Little River,  moved to Florida.  The old owners were from Ohio and even though Debbie and Amy are Carolina girls, they kept the OSU tradition.  The next time you're in town, check out Deckerz, great food and great OSU atmosphere.  They are planning a big party for the OSU/Michigan game. I can't wait!!  We are working toward doing a booksigning at the party.
     The Carolina Comedy Club plans to open at Broadway at the Beach March 1st in the former Stool Pigeons spot with performances by stand-up comedians and a local improv group.  The 150-seat club which also will include a Backstage Bar & Grill on what used to be Stool Pigeons patio, is the first comedy revue at Broadway.
     A local hospital's cardiac program has been ranked tops in the state for cardiac surgery by a Denver based company that provides consumers with information to help them make educated decisions about a physican or hostital.  Healthgrades ranked Grand Strand Regional Medical Center #1 in South Carolina and amoung the top 5% in the nation for cardiac surgery for the fourth consecutive year.
     This one is scary:  South Carolina officials announced on October 26th that 3.6 million personal income tax statements filed since 1998 were compromised by an international computer hacker.  Last week Gov. Haley said up to 657,000 business filing also were exposed.  Experts say it may be the largest cyber-attack against a state tax department in the nation's history.
     Real estate deals are still poping-up everywhere along the Grand Strand but don't wait too long or all the good ones will be gone.  Prices have nowhere to go but up.
     My book MURDER ON THE FRONT NINE is still doing well.  I am starting to book speaking engagements along with a booksigning.  www.stevenmcmillen.com

Deckerz

Deckerz

Amy & Debbie

Barefoor Resort & Waterway

 

 

     Come on down, the weather is great, the golf courses are green and the beach is empty.  It doesn't get any better than this.  See ya, Steve & Bev