Driving along Highway 501 between Conway and the beach this September, the abundance of “for sale” signs tells a familiar story along the Grand Strand: many homes are on the market. Real‑estate agents confirm the trend, and the data backs it up. Yet the surge of new listings that defined the past two years has largely halted, leaving inventory at a high but stable plateau.

Inventory Holds Near Record Levels

Realtor.com’s monthly count of active single‑family and condo listings in Horry County – the version published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis that excludes properties already under contract – stood at 5,794 in August 2026. That is only a 1 percent increase from the 5,734 listings recorded a year earlier, indicating that the market is no longer flooding with new homes.

For perspective, the county had just 1,579 active listings in August 2021, the low point of the pandemic buying frenzy, and 4,948 listings in August 2019, before the surge. Today’s count is roughly 3.7 times the 2021 low and about 17 percent above the pre‑pandemic norm, giving buyers a broader selection than at any point in the past decade.

Seasonal Decline and Reliable Data Sources

Inventory peaked at 6,115 listings in June 2026 and has eased each month since – a normal seasonal fade that historically sees listings drift downward from late summer through December. While consumer portals such as Zillow and Trulia report higher figures (between 8,300 and 10,200), those numbers include vacant land, duplicate entries, and other non‑residential listings. The Realtor.com series remains the most reliable yardstick for local buyers.

Mortgage Rates Push Buying Power Down

Freddie Mac’s weekly survey showed the average 30‑year fixed mortgage rate at 6.95 percent on September 17, a fourth consecutive weekly increase. A year ago the rate was 6.26 percent. Using Redfin’s median sale price of $329,000 for the April‑June quarter, a 20 percent down payment yields a loan of roughly $263,000. At 6.26 percent the monthly principal‑and‑interest payment is about $1,622; at 6.95 percent it rises to $1,742 – an extra $120 per month, or $1,440 per year. In purchasing‑power terms, the same monthly payment now supports a loan of about $245,000, roughly $18,000 less than a year ago, a decline of about 7 percent.

Condo Market Shows Divergence

Condominium listings tell a different story. In the first quarter of 2026, condo listings rose 10.5 percent year‑over‑year to 980, while the median condo price fell 12.2 percent to $195,000. Condos are staying on the market an average of 143 days. The price pressure stems largely from higher carrying costs: coastal insurance premiums for oceanfront buildings have jumped from the $300,000–$400,000 range to $600,000–$700,000 annually, and HOA dues now range from $50 to $300 per month, with flood coverage sometimes exceeding $10,000 per year.

New Construction Keeps Supply Robust

Horry County authorized 6,511 new private housing structures in 2025, following 7,331 in 2024 and 6,513 in 2023. New‑home sales accounted for 33.7 percent of all closed sales countywide in 2025, and much higher percentages in sub‑markets such as Loris (64 percent) and Longs (41.4 percent). Newly built homes were closing at an average price of about $446,000 in early 2026, with builders offering concessions between $3,000 and $17,000 while netting roughly 98.2 percent of the list price.

Population Growth Supports Market Stability

Horry County’s population is estimated at 440,795 for 2026, up about 3.1 percent from the previous year and 63 percent since 2010. This steady influx of residents helps sustain a high inventory without triggering a price collapse, even as homeowners raise concerns about infrastructure, schools, and drainage.

In short, Horry County’s real‑estate market remains resilient. Buyers benefit from a wide selection of homes, though higher mortgage rates and rising insurance costs tighten budgets. Sellers face competition not only from neighboring homes but also from new construction offering builder incentives. Understanding the interplay of inventory, financing costs, and new‑home activity is essential for anyone looking to buy or sell in the Grand Strand area.

Original reporting: MyrtleBeachSC News — read the source article.