Myrtle Beach, SC real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
Most buyers here are buying a second home or a rental, not the home they live in, and that decides the tax bill. Horry County's own rule says you have to apply for the owner-occupied rate, and missing the deadline means an automatic 6% assessment. The city also makes every rental owner hold a business licence.
Myrtle Beach neighborhoods buyers ask about
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Buying a home in Myrtle Beach: what to know
The rules that apply everywhere in South Carolina are on the South Carolina page. These are the Myrtle Beach details that trip people up.
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A second home or rental gets taxed higher, and the clock is short. Horry County's assessor states it plainly: failure to file and become qualified means an automatic 6% assessment. The 4% owner-occupied rate is only for a home you actually live in, and it does not include a residence maintained principally for vacation or recreational purposes.
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Horry re-prices on a five-year cycle, and a sale resets your value. The county implemented its reassessment for tax year 2024 and the one before that was 2019. There is a 15% cap on the increase from reassessment, but the county's own guidance says that cap does not apply when a transfer of interest happens, which means when you buy. If the home is taxed at the 6% rate, state law gives you a separate 25% exemption off the new value, but only if you tell the county assessor before January 31 of the first year you claim it.
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City limits versus unincorporated Horry changes what you pay. The Horry County hospitality fee on accommodations is 1.5% inside city limits and 3% outside. The county stormwater fee is only paid by owners in unincorporated Horry and it shows up on the property tax bill.
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Renting it out is a licensed business inside the city. Myrtle Beach states that all owners of rental property are required to have a business licence, and the same division collects the hospitality fee and the local accommodations tax. The city publishes a map of the zones that allow short-term rentals. Renewals are due by April 30 with a penalty per month after that.
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Flood and beachfront lines drive what you can build and insure. Myrtle Beach is a Community Rating System class 5 community, which lowers flood insurance cost. New homes have to sit at least three feet above base flood elevation. Flood damage over 50% of value means the building has to be brought fully into compliance. Seaward of that, the state sets a baseline and a setback line and is reviewing all of them in phases through 2028.
Flood insurance discounts come from FEMA's Community Rating System list, effective April 1, 2026. FEMA reissues it every April 1 and October 1, and a class can change on those dates.
Selling a home in Myrtle Beach
Your business licence does not go with the house.
The buyer has to apply for their own, and a new in-person application takes days and needs photo ID, signatures and zoning approval. Tell the buyer early so their rental calendar does not stall.
Furnished rentals owe a personal property return.
Horry County says if you owned property in the county on December 31 and it was not your legal residence, you have to file a personal property return with the auditor. Clear that up before you close.
Prorate the stormwater fee if the home is outside city limits.
In unincorporated Horry the stormwater utility fee rides on the property tax bill and is collected by the treasurer. Handle it like any other tax proration at closing.
Myrtle Beach real estate questions
I am buying a beach condo I will not live in. What happens to my taxes?
Horry County only gives the 4% owner-occupied rate to a home you live in, and its rule says it does not include a residence maintained principally for vacation or recreational purposes. If you do not qualify and file, the county applies an automatic 6% assessment. Budget for that from day one.
Does my purchase price become the new tax value?
Usually yes. Horry County reappraises when a transfer of interest happens, and the 15% reassessment cap does not apply in the year of that transfer. So the seller's old value is not a good guide. Ask the county for an estimate before closing.
Do I need a licence to rent my place out?
Inside Myrtle Beach city limits, yes. The city says all owners of rental property are required to have a business licence, and the same division collects the hospitality fee and local accommodations tax. The city also maps which zones allow short-term rentals.
What is different about buying oceanfront?
The state draws a baseline and a setback line along the beach. Work on homes, pools, decks, fences and service lines inside that area gets reviewed, and there is a minimum setback distance. South Carolina is re-drawing these lines in phases through 2028, so check the current line.
Is the hospitality fee different inside the city?
Yes. The Horry County hospitality fee on accommodations is 1.5% inside city limits and 3% outside. The county stormwater fee is charged only in unincorporated Horry. Those two differences alone make the city line worth checking before you write an offer.
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