Family values and quality properties are what will set Southern Coast Golf Vacations apart from other companies. Website is currently under development.

What you might not realize is the wide variety of commission structures that exist along the Grand Strand. Commissions may range from 10% to 50% depending on location, size and amenities of the property. Some companies may negotiate a large income producing ocean front house for as low 10%- 20%. This is fairly common in the North Myrtle Beach area due to the competitive off site management companies. My company is included in the list, Southern Coast Vacations. Call me if you have questions or need a management company. =)

North Myrtle Beach has a wonderful reputation for a family beach with incredible private oceanfront homes. Though the real estate market and skyline has been changing over the past few years, you can still negotiate a very competitive commission structure. Please remember you get what you pay for. The lower the commission structure the less the company will have to market and promote your property.

In the Myrtle Beach area commission structures average 40%-50%. Yep..that’s up to half your rental income earned on your unit. Crazy! But guess what? It’s the standard for onsite rental companies. The big resorts generally maintain higher commissions plus some resort fees, so be careful, don’t think your locked into using them. Your HOA dues cover the costs on most of those great amenities. What you are really paying for is that 24 hour front desk, housekeeping and maintenance. Don’t fret though, you have viable alternatives. Did I mention that I own a management company? =)

Realistically as a property owner you should able to find a offsite management company to handle your property in the Myrtle Beach area for 20%-35%. In 2010 my company standard is 25% but depending on the size, amenities and location this is negotiable.

Hopefully you have found this article helpful, and it will save you some money. Remember their are many options, you just have to know where to look.

1. Linens- We have found that with the economy being down and the cost of linens increasing, that the majority of our competitors are giving their guests the option to bring their own sheets and towels. With the exception of a few luxury properties, we have decided to give our guests the same option. The guests may choose to bring their own sheets and towels or they may have them provided for $25.00 a bed. If they choose to have them provided they will get a set of sheets and 4 sets of towels per bed (2 sets for twin). We will provide at no extra cost to the guest the linen package for the sleeper sofa as long as they let us know that they will be using it. To assure the guests that the sheets have been changed, we will be placing the plastic wrapped sheets on the bottom of the beds. Homeowners who are planning on using their properties for themselves or guests will need to let us know if they will be bringing their own linens or if they will need them provided. The price will be the same as a guest charge, $25.00 a bed. If a homeowner needs to have the linen package provided they will need to let us know 48 hrs in advance what beds they will need the package provided for.
Example: Property has 4 queens and 1 king. Homeowner may request a linen package for the king bed only.

2. Piece of Mind Insurance-We are adding a mandatory piece of mind insurance fee of $35.00 to every guest reservation that we book. The fee will cover up to $1,000.00 in accidental damages as long as it is reported at the time it occurs. The fee will not cover damages caused by willful intent or malicious intent. The fee is non-refundable.
In the past, we have billed guest’s credit card for damages, but have found that guests were disputing the charges and that the credit card companies were allowing the dispute on smaller charges where we could not prove that a lamp, etc. was broken.
The fee will benefit the homeowner as they will not be taking money out of their own pocket to replace broken items caused by accidents.

3. Processing/Reservation Fee- We have raised our reservation fee from $40.00 to $50.00. This fee helps cover the administrative cost of the booking. We ask that homeowners who take an active role in booking their properties charge the reservation fee when quoting prices if we collect the money from the guest and send them their confirmation letters.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns on our new policies. I know that it is a big change but I truly feel that they will benefit both the guests and the homeowners.

Thank you,
Debbie Sapp
Property Mgr-Vacations Manager
Southern Coast Vacations

Management companies provide:

Guaranteed housekeeping
Emergency services
After hour services
Local vendor relationships
Credit card services
Confirmation letters
Guest rules and regulations
Departure inspections
Phone, fax and email services
Accounting services
Business licenses
Adhering to the local tax laws
Internet presence
Handling security deposits
Travel insurance
A local presence for your clients
Regular business hours (our company is open 7 days a week)
Multiple office locations
Online reservations
Marketing and advertising
Monthly statements
Reservation software
Homeowner booking calendar
and years of experience and friendly professional advice.

Always customize your property with your tastes. It is a known fact that guests take better care of units that have a personal touch. If you have items that will end up at the neighborhood yard sale, then box them up and bring them to your property for your guests to use in your vacation property.

Bring those books you will never read again, and those DVD’s that you probably will sell in the dollar box. Place them in your vacation home for your guests to use, who cares if they get taken. Your return on them will be when your clients rebook for the next year because they love your place!

If you really want to impress your clients, dust off that old gaming system that the kids never use anymore and place it in your property. Xbox and Playstation 2’s are great for rainy vacation days and make your property perfect for family vacations.

We advertise several of our vacation properties as BYOG, bring your own games, but if you want to supply some games, you can buy hundreds of Playstation 2 games now for under $10.00 in discount bins in most game stores. Even XBOX 360 games are getting very reasonable.

Hope this helps you. If you have some additional ideas, please post your thoughts on our discussion board.

Generally a phone service will have an initial setup cost, plus a fee around $25-$35 monthly. If you do install a phone, make sure you place a long distance block on it to protect yourself from additional phone charges.

Be sure to check with a variety of service providers for their rates and services, some may supply you with the ability “sleep” your service during the slower season or winter months with no reconnect fees. Feel free to contact me for a list of local utility companies.

Another thing to consider is the fact that almost everyone has a mobile phone. Cell phone coverage now reaches almost all areas along the Grand Strand, only a few of the larger concrete high-rise resorts cause some signal difficulty with certain mobile networks.

You should also consider the liability issues of not having a phone in your unit. I recommend you contact your insurance carrier and discuss your responsibilities as an owner in the event of an accident or emergency to your guest.

During the slow season retirees and snowbirds flock to the Grand Strand. Historically winter rental guests have preferred properties with phones.

I have covered most of facts you should consider when deciding on a phone in your unit. If you choose for your unit to not have a phone, I seriously doubt it will cause a significant decrease in your reservations. Let me conclude by saying that having internet access is far more important than a phone. Providing free wireless internet, in my opinion will increase your occupancy.

Discussion Board

We will be offering support to long term, vacation, and commercial owners all over the Grand Strand. Doesn’t matter whether your in the Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest, Cherry Grove or anywhere in Horry County be sure to come in ask questions, give advice, or just say hello.

This forum is a resource for all owners not matter what program your on, or what management company you use. Our staff of certified managers will be there to answer any questions.

Additionally we have a section to recommend the best vendors in the area that Myrtle Beach Property Management will be constantly updating to help you maintain your property.

Southern Coast Vacations is here to help you with your property management needs. Southern Coast Vacations has over 20 years of hospitality experience in serving the needs of North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest and the greater Grand Strand area homeowners.

We strive to understand your needs and to provide you with excellent property management services. We heavily focus on marketing and promoting your property, so that you gain the greatest amount of rental income possible. We believe that teamwork is the most important part of any homeowner/property management relationship. We work with the best professional cleaners, maintenance supervisors and rental associates; who all work hard to meet your every need.

Contact us to find out more about our company and programs.

Homeowners who have purchased a new condo in a resort or on a golf course may believe their Home Owner Association (HOA) dues cover their insurance. This is a common mistake with any property that has a HOA and a Homeowner has to pay HOA dues. Most HOA fees do have policies that cover exterior of your property, but these policies do not cover your personal liability in your property and the interior contents.

As a homeowner you should make sure you have at least 300k liability coverage. This protects you in the event something should happen to a guest in your unit. You should also have your interior contents covered. This type of insurance is commonly referred to as a HO6 policy, it covers liability and contents for rental properties.

Please contact your insurance provider for details on HO6 coverage amounts. You should also discuss what your HOA exterior policy may or may not cover. Be sure you know the difference between wind and water damage if you own a property close to the coast.

Rental houses and other free standing structures such as a duplex, that are not affiliated to Home Owner Associations require insurance policies similar to the one you have on your home. The physical structure, exterior, interior and liability issues all affect your coverage. Make sure you describe in detail the structure(brick,wood,etc),age of the property,amenities(pool, fencing,etc) and purpose of your property. Your agent should know whether it is a long term rental, second home, or a vacation property to insure you have the proper liability coverage. Sometimes you can include your rental property under an “umbrella” policy which can cover your home, vehicles and rentals properties.

I often get asked about renter’s insurance, as a property owner you are not required to provide renter’s insurance. Renters insurance is for the renter, and it covers their items and they have the option to purchase it. They are not required too. I encourage my tenants to purchase a renters policy. It covers thier personal property, provides liability coverage and is relatively inexpensive.

I hope this article helps you determine your insurance needs. Remember that the insurance industry is constantly changing and may be different in other states. Please contact a specialist in the field for specific policy details and requirements.

Thanks for reading my article and please be sure to contact me with any questions you may have about the Rental industry.