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Day: July 1, 2022

Coastal Insider July Edition

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Digital E-Paper The Coastal Real Estate | Coastal Insider magazine is dedicated to connecting our unique communities of the Grand Strand. From providing valuable community information, such as local area events, businesses, and dining; to educating the public on real estate market trends, our publication offers something for everyone. Take a look at our most recent editions below, or click the link to browse our archives. Coastal Insider This month’s edition is as exciting as ever! Exclusive articles include: Window Genie of Myrtle Beach Gator Strong Services Meet Your Neighbors Christy and Lee Brown Celebrating Our Veterans Victor Kubilius, part 2 of 3 July 2022 Edition Archives A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM     When I think of July, my thoughts turn to fireworks, family gatherings, the beach, vacations, and grilled food complimented by colorful cocktails. A summer month— and one to commemorate both country and Southern culture. In rural Andrews where I grew up, we’d have a community block party every July, and everyone would turn out for it. There was always a live band— The Old Morrisville Brass Band— and there would be dancing and plenty of food and drinks. Even though I miss those good old days— the endless festivals, gatherings and wonderful people in Myrtle Beach are the basis of my soul-satisfying community today. Things change and evolve, like the place we call home, the ways we spend our time, and how we define our community— but some things— like the values we hold dear, never change. That’s as true for me as it is of our publication. As we enter our 7th year of being in print, we still retain our same mission—that of keeping our readers up-to-date on the real estate market, our area listings, stories of the people in our community, and some of the great businesses ready to serve you. This month, we put a spotlight on Window Genie— a contractor we used to safeguard our office windows, as well as reduce the amount of glare coming through them. Not only do they do a great job, but they’re cost-effective too. We also feature Gator Strong Services, who have been advertisers with us for several years. They are hard workers and devoted to their business; it’s so rewarding for me to see how much they’ve grown in such a short time. Lastly, I want to give a shout-out to our marketing director, Megan Parker, whose birthday is this month. Her ability to retain information and keep everything flowing, in and out of the office always amazes me. So happy birthday Megan, and have a joyful July everyone! And on that note of joy, one of my favorite bible passages: John 16:24 “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” – Latoya Grayson, Director of Public Relations Getting Your Home Spruced For Spring Read More A One-Stop Shop for Multiple Home Additions and Products Read More Christy and Lee Brown Read More Victor Kubilius – Part II Read More Coastal Insider June Edition Read More Coastal Real Estate June Edition Read More No posts found 1 2 3 4 5

Coastal Real Estate July Edition

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Coastal Real Estate In addition to providing valuable community content, one of our goals is to educate the general public on real estate market trends. In this edition, we focus on stats and homes for sale in the following areas: Luxury Homes Market Common Oceanfront Condos Archives July 2022 Edition A MESSAGE FROM OUR TEAM     When I think of July, my thoughts turn to fireworks, family gatherings, the beach, vacations, and grilled food complimented by colorful cocktails. A summer month— and one to commemorate both country and Southern culture. In rural Andrews where I grew up, we’d have a community block party every July, and everyone would turn out for it. There was always a live band— The Old Morrisville Brass Band— and there would be dancing and plenty of food and drinks. Even though I miss those good old days— the endless festivals, gatherings and wonderful people in Myrtle Beach are the basis of my soul-satisfying community today. Things change and evolve, like the place we call home, the ways we spend our time, and how we define our community— but some things— like the values we hold dear, never change. That’s as true for me as it is of our publication. As we enter our 7th year of being in print, we still retain our same mission—that of keeping our readers up-to-date on the real estate market, our area listings, stories of the people in our community, and some of the great businesses ready to serve you. This month, we put a spotlight on Window Genie— a contractor we used to safeguard our office windows, as well as reduce the amount of glare coming through them. Not only do they do a great job, but they’re cost-effective too. We also feature Gator Strong Services, who have been advertisers with us for several years. They are hard workers and devoted to their business; it’s so rewarding for me to see how much they’ve grown in such a short time. Lastly, I want to give a shout-out to our marketing director, Megan Parker, whose birthday is this month. Her ability to retain information and keep everything flowing, in and out of the office always amazes me. So happy birthday Megan, and have a joyful July everyone! And on that note of joy, one of my favorite bible passages: John 16:24 “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” – Latoya Grayson, Director of Public Relations Stay Tuned! We have great content coming out and you’re going to want to stay on top of it! Fill out the form below to subscribe to our mailing list and receive Coastal Real Estate | Coastal Insider in your inbox each month. If you don’t receive an email from us in about 5 minutes, check your junk/spam folder.

Window Genie Cleaners

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Getting Your Home Spruced For Spring By Melissa LaScaleia Window Genie of Myrtle Beach specializes in window cleaning, window tinting, pressure washing, roof cleaning, gutter cleaning, and more for their residential and commercial clients as well as condo associations. Their services are especially popular amongst homeowners looking to spruce their home up to get it for-sale ready. “We’re not perfect, but we try to be,” says Tom Washer, the owner of the franchise, of his services. “Our first priorities are to have respect for the customers, respect for each other, and to provide a quality service at a premium price.” As a veteran of the United States Air Force, Tom has a robust knowledge of maintenance analysis and functionality of systems— skills and discipline which he put to good use when he brought Window Genie to Myrtle Beach. Tom and his wife, being tired of the snow and cold weather, relocated from the North almost a decade ago. “We’ve lived in the Market Common throughout that time, and have endured Hurricanes Florence, Matthew, and Dorian as well at the Covid-19 pandemic,” Tom says. “We have continued to serve our community throughout these difficult times that all of our neighbors have had to experience. Despite these natural drawbacks, we continue to grow along with the support of our strong customer relationships.” Today, instead of shoveling snow off his roof, he is helping his customers in Myrtle Beach to clean algae off theirs, as Window Genie also specializes in roof cleaning. “Roof Algae occurs on a ten-year cycle, growing on a roof and eating the limestone,” Tom says. “If you don’t clean it off, it reduces the life of your roof by 10%. Coastal areas are more susceptible. Nowadays, so many people are selling their home— and having algae on the roof can be a big deterrent because it looks dirty, and also reduces the life expectancy of the roof, and people may think the roof needs to be replaced imminently.” Window Genie also installs window film, which offers greater security as well as heat-regulation for your home or business. It comes in a variety of styles depending on your needs. It is made to reduce the heat gain from the sun; reduce glare; limit visibility for greater privacy; to enhance security, safeguarding windows and doors against a storm or a break in; and for decorative purposes. “If you have a room in your home that is too hot to sit in during midday, we can correct that,” Tom says. “If there is glare on your television or computer screens, film can help with that. If your neighbors can look into your windows or can see into your bathroom, we can correct that. If you look outside your window and see the side of your neighbor’s house and would rather not, we can correct that so you’re looking at something nicer. If you have windows that may not hold up because of strong winds, then we can correct that too.” Tom uses protective window films by SunTek, a leading brand of window films manufactured by Eastman Chemical, and decorative ones by Solyx. Window Genie offers a free on-site consultation to assess your home for what it needs before conducting any work. “I’ll survey your home for anything that needs to be repaired or could cause a problem down the road, regardless of whether we offer that service or not,” Tom says. “That way, we can best serve the customer. If I don’t perform the service, I can refer you to someone who can take care of it. Window Genie is part of the Neighborly family of brands, which represents twenty brands across the country. They have sister companies that offer everything from painting to plumbing, electrical work, appliance repair, and more. There are many franchises in Myrtle Beach that I have connections with which fall under their umbrella.” “The best part of what we do is making a difference,” he adds. “We work with a lot of realtors and have helped to sell many homes. It can really make an impact when a home is cleaned properly.” Tom enjoys giving back to the community as well. He has partnered with Creekfront Salkehatchie which is a national summer camp program for children with fifty locations across South Carolina, including Murrells Inlet. The children help in the building and repair of homes for local people in need, helping them to stay safe, warm, and dry. Window Genie also manufactures its own brand of ammonia-free glass cleaner. Whenever you buy glass cleaner from Tom, he donates 100% of the proceeds to Creekfront’s local camp, to support their mission. Now when you keep your windows clean, you can know that you helped contribute to children learning new skills, as well as families in need.        

Gator Strong Services of Myrtle Beach

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A One-Stop Shop for Multiple Home Additions and Products by Melissa LaScaleia Gator-Strong Services of Myrtle Beach began in 2017 as a local fence company, and quickly expanded into the hurricane shutter business. They started with two leaders, a vision, and thirteen employees— and that vision and leadership took root and blossomed. Today, Gator-Strong has thirty-six employees between their two brick and mortar locations in Myrtle Beach and Wilmington. Both offer showrooms where customers can see available options for every product they carry; and the already-extensive list of home products and services they provide continues to grow. A few of their highlights include: screened rooms, garage screens, motorized sun awnings, deck installation, windows installation and repair, door installation and refurbishment, and siding. The company is jointly owned and locally operated by long-time friends and business partners, Danny Vulin and Jim Leone. Business partners and frends, Danny Vuli (left) and Jim Leone (right) “We are an incredible team, and definitely like a family,” Jim says. “We’re growing by leaps and bounds, and recently brought on a CFO, Frank Sicilia, to manage that growth.” Gator Strong employs no subcontractors. They are proud that every employee is directly under their tutelage— ensuring their high standards of excellence will be met and adhered to, as well as their passion, as business owners and leaders amongst their employees, matched. “We wouldn’t have the success we have today without our team,” Jim says. “Everyone who works here wants to be here. They care about our customers and what we’re trying to achieve. I believe you lose a lot when you subcontract out. It becomes less personal, so there’s less accountability— it doesn’t come with your values, your work ethic, your personal brand. We put our heart into each product, installation, and customer interaction— and that difference is the key to our success.” Hurricane & Security Shutters Pictured: Bahama Shutters Fences & Gates Pictured: Vinyl / PVC Fence Retractable Screens Access Controllers Pictured: Gated Driveway Previous Next Gator-Strong serves clients with residential, commercial and industrial projects from Wilmington to Charleston. The quality of their work and the extensive number of years both have in their industry garner them many high-profile jobs. The summer months bring with them many challenges for your home and property. The advent of bug season, relentless sun and heat, and hurricane season can take their toll. So they offer screened in porches and garage screens to combat insects, and motorized awnings with a variety of color options to match your home to protect it and you from the sun. Perhaps the most important protection is from hurricanes. Gator-Strong’s hurricane division designs, installs, and services all different styles of hurricane shutters including: storm panels, motorized roll downs, accordions, and Bahama shutters. “If a window breaks during a hurricane, the amount of water that can come through the glass is unbelievable,” Danny says. “Even if you don’t have breakage, the pressure can allow water to get into the seals of the window, and the water can then seep into the walls of your house. Recently I came in contact with a woman who was selling her house and had to replace an entire wall because of all the water damage that had accumulated over the years that she wasn’t aware of. Sometimes the damage is happening and you can’t see it, and it creates a lot of problems down the road.” For this reason, it’s important to board up windows and doors, even ones that aren’t glass, when preparing for a hurricane. Anybody who has used plywood knows how difficult it is to fit properly, and it doesn’t retain its structure with repeated use. The experience in 2018 and ensuing consequences, led Danny and Jim to find alternate, functional window and door-protection options to offer the community. “The panels are lighter and easy to put up in the event of a storm,” Danny says. “There is a permanent track around the perimeter of the window, and if a storm is coming, you install the panel. Roll-downs will roll down into place with a hand crank, or automatically, with the push of a button. We have options to accommodate and protect any window or door in seconds. We also pride ourselves in educating each customer in order to ensure that the type of shutter picked out will meet the customer’s needs. A lot of second homes opt for shutters during the off-season to protect not only from storms, but also theft or vandalism of their property while the owners are away.” Check out their newly updated website to see all their offerings, and to receive your own price estimate for fencing in moments. * Discounts for emergency responders, nurses, doctors, and veterans. The recent pandemic has caused delays in the availability of materials and price increases for supplies.         

Christy and Lee Brown

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House Church Planters and Beach Lovers by Melissa LaScaleia Introduce me to your family. It’s myself and my husband Lee. We have two sons: Noah is 22, and Ethan is 20— both are college students; and a dog, Chewy, short for Chewbacca. He looked like Chewbacca from Star Wars when we got him, and the boys were big fans of the movie, so that’s how he got his name. He’s 14 years old now, and not as fuzzy as he used to be, but he’s a good little dog— a tiny toy poodle. Where are all the places you came from? What area of the Grand Strand do you now call home? Christy: I was born in Sumter; we both lived there most of our lives. We lived in Columbia for four years when Lee earned his master’s of Divinity at Columbia International University Seminary. Today, we live in the Meridian in the Market Common area. Lee: I was born in Elgin, Illinois, and moved to South Carolina at age 2 when my birth parents divorced. I was adopted when I was six years old, and grew up in Sumter. Why did you move here?  Lee: I was invited to Myrtle Beach to help start a house church, where we open our home to smaller groups of people for church service. It’s modeled after the early Christian church. The goal is to establish a greater sense of community, intimacy, and friendship amongst people— to make more personal connections. Often in a larger setting, those qualities can get lost. It’s also an opportunity for people to partake in church who may not feel comfortable going to a bigger church for whatever reason. What is your favorite place in this area? Christy: I love Huntington Beach State Park because of all the wildlife. It feels like every time you go you’re seeing something different. Lee: The Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet. I get excited every time I see the beach, and we’ve been coming here for vacation our entire lives. What are your favorite things to do here? Lee: I like hunting for shark’s teeth, and playing trivia. We love all the activities available in Myrtle Beach— there’s always something going on here. What do you like the most about living here? Lee: The beach itself. I love sitting on the beach, the salt air, and the waves crashing. How has your lifestyle changed or what new activities have you taken up since moving here? Christy: I’ve been working as a personal shopper. That’s not something I could have done in Sumter because it’s too small. Whether it’s food, clothing or decor, I get what people need and deliver it to them. It has been a great way to learn the area better and help people. I’ve met a lot of sweet people that way. What is one thing that your neighbors don’t know about you?  We have been to seventeen Major League ballparks, and our goal is to hit them all. We’re a little over half way. Is there anything that you miss or would like to see in Myrtle Beach? We miss seeing our friends back home, and would love to see a Trader Joe’s come to the area.

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