When choosing a community to buy your new home in, it's helpful to know the ins and outs of the different communities in the area. This spotlight on Carolina Forest is intended to help you determine if homes in Carolina Forest fit your family and desired lifestyle.

QUICK BACKGROUND ON CAROLINA FOREST

• Carolina Forest is a master-planned community located between the city of Myrtle Beach and Conway (the county seat of Horry County).
• The Carolina Forest zip code of 29579 also includes portions of the Forestbrook community adjacent to it.
• The majority of Carolina Forest is contained between the Intracoastal Waterway, Highway 501 and International Drive.
• The main road through the community is Carolina Forest Blvd. from which a large number of the housing developments can be accessed. Additional housing developments can be accessed from River Oaks Drive and International Drive.

Carolina Forest is known as a very family-oriented community with top-rated schools from elementary through high school. Many of the housing developments in Carolina Forest have amenities selected with family activities in mind. These include not only large pool complexes, playgrounds, basketball courts, walking and biking trails, picnic areas and even waterways for paddleboarding or kayaking. The community is also home to several well-attended churches, a state-of-the-art recreation facility, a library, several restaurants and one of the most popular seasonal farmers markets in town.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN CAROLINA FOREST

Residents of Carolina Forest recently celebrated the completion of International Drive, a project that had been delayed for several years. The new road is expected to reduce the density of traffic on Carolina Forest Blvd. Additionally, Carolina Forest Blvd. is scheduled to be widened over the next few years to accommodate the increased number of homes and residents moving into the area. During busy times, traffic in Carolina Forest can be heavy and is still a point of frustration for locals. However, the close access to Highway 501, Highway 17 Bypass and Highway 31 make Carolina Forest a central location from which to get to almost anyplace on the Grand Strand fairly quickly.

Because the community is overall newer than other areas of the Grand Strand, the home prices tend to be a bit higher than surrounding areas. Even the older homes in Carolina Forest are new compared to the older homes in either Conway or Myrtle Beach. There are a number of housing developments in Carolina Forest under construction or in various phases of being built.

A few of the newest developments to break ground in Carolina Forest include:

Sago Plantation - Homes priced from $260,000 to $310,000
Clear Pond - Home prices vary a bit based on builder but range between $200,000 to $400,000
Indigo Bay - New homes available between $390,000 to $540,000
Bella Vita - Homes priced from $230,000 to $330,000

Could Carolina Forest be the right fit for your family? Ask your Century 21 Broadhurst agent to show you around and get a feel for the area. Also, feel free to chat with residents you meet as you explore the community.