GAINSWave® Treatment in Folly Beach, SC

What’s happening with Folly Beach sales and some of the other Charleston Beach real estate markets? Let’s dive into it.

Starting with Folly Beach, there’s currently a significant amount of inventory available. Homeowners on Folly Beach made an interesting decision in January of this year when they voted to implement a cap on short-term rentals. Short-term rentals are defined as any properties rented for less than 30 days. To engage in short-term rentals, homeowners must apply for a business license for their property. However, those applying for these licenses, who are also homeowners on Folly Beach, are now placed on a waitlist until the total number of short-term rentals falls below a certain threshold.

This policy change has had a noticeable impact on home sales. Many individuals purchase properties on Folly Beach with the intention of using them for personal use and renting them out as short-term rentals. Consequently, the number of closed sales on Folly Beach this year has seen a significant decline, down by 70 percent compared to the previous year.

Now, let’s turn our attention to other Charleston Beach areas, such as the Isle of Palms. Home sales on IOP have also decreased, with a decline of approximately 33 percent. Kiawah Island is experiencing a similar trend, with a 25 percent drop in home sales. The average decrease in closings throughout Charleston County stands at 22 percent for this year. Isle of Palms and Kiawah Island are aligned with these figures. However, there is a notable exception: Sullivan’s Island, which has historically limited short-term rentals, is bucking the trend. Sullivan’s Island has actually seen a 20 percent increase in closed sales between last year and this year.

The question arises: Does limiting short-term rentals genuinely affect property values? It appears that in the short term, it does have a substantial impact. Take Sullivan’s Island as an example, where property values have increased along with the number of closings, despite the restrictions on short-term rentals.

As for the future of Folly Beach, it remains uncertain at this point. Real estate is unpredictable over the long term, and none of us possess a crystal ball. Nevertheless, it’s intriguing to observe the varying trends in different beach areas.

If you have any inquiries regarding beach properties in Charleston or any other aspects of our beautiful city, please don’t hesitate to call or email me and my real estate team. We’re here to assist you.

Mikki Ramey is the broker in charge for Healthy Realty and has served the Charleston area for over 10 years. She has been recognized for her excellence in real estate as an East Cooper Top Producer and a Realtor of Distinction. Mikki is also certified as a Short Sale and Foreclosure specialist. She is a licensed real estate broker in South Carolina and is a member of the National Association of Realtors. As a realtor, she gives real estate lectures to students, residents, dentists, and doctors at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Vicious Biscuit, known for its award-winning, indulgent biscuit creations, is gearing up for a celebration, as it proudly announces its fifth-anniversary milestone. To mark the occasion, and say thank you to its customers, the restaurant will offer a special $5 Anniversary Menu on December 22nd at all locations, including its Mount Pleasant site at 409 W. Coleman Blvd.

The $5 menu will feature a selection of its most iconic and beloved dishes — The Vicious and The Fat Boy, as well as Hen Solo, The Animal Farm, and its popular shareable Sweet Puppies. Customers can also enjoy a glass of Bubbles or a cranberry mimosa for only $5 each.

“This anniversary celebration is a way of expressing gratitude to our loyal patrons in the community, who have been instrumental in our success and growth over the past five years,” stated George McLaughlin, co-founder of Vicious Biscuit. “Reaching our fifth anniversary is a thrilling milestone for us, and we owe it all to our incredible customers and hardworking employees who’ve been part of our journey.”

Vicious Biscuit has evolved into an iconic culinary destination, known for its distinctive dishes, inventive flavors and unwavering commitment to a hospitality-driven experience. The anniversary event serves as a powerful testament to the restaurant’s success and its commitment to bringing the vicious experience to the masses. Co-founder Michael Greeley expresses: “Our devoted guests are the driving force behind our progress. Here’s to many more years of serving our communities and the privilege to continue pursuing our passion.”

Since its inception in 2018, the concept has flourished, extending its presence into two states — North Carolina and Florida — while adding five more locations to its portfolio. Concurrent to its corporate development, the brand is boldly stepping into the realm of franchising and recently awarded 37 franchise units in Utah, Florida, Ohio, Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana and Alabama, paving the way for its quest to conquer the brunch segment.

It's only twelve miles south of Charleston's historic homes and manicured window boxes, but the salty little town of Folly Beach ditches the Holy City's refinement in favor of an easygoing, barefoot sensibility that feels a bit more California than Carolina. Known to locals as the Edge of America, Folly is everything a beach town should be. Surf shops line the main drag; cover-ups count as appropriate lunch attire; and nobody takes themselves too seriously (they drop a pair of LED-lit flip-flops to celebrate New Year's Eve). Here's where to stay, eat, relax, and play in South Carolina's super chill surf town.

Where to Stay

Every single room at Tides Folly Beach comes with an ocean view. Perched at the end of Center Street, the town's main thoroughfare, the hotel is steps from both the beach and an array of local shops and eateries. For families looking to stretch out a bit more, there are a boatload of rentals to choose from: Opt for ocean-front properties that will sleep a crowd or cozy cottages with marsh and Folly River views. And for people who wouldn't dream of traveling without their four-legged companions, there are plenty of pet-friendly rentals too.

Where to Eat

You won't go hungry on this island. Lost Dog Café is a local staple, serving coffee and all-day breakfast; don't miss the eggs Benedict, which they top with fried green tomatoes. Fish tacos, Vietnamese-inspired lettuce wraps, and Cuban sandwiches all have a place on the colorful menu at Chico Feo, where the vibe is equally colorful. Don't let the easygoing atmosphere fool you: Rita's Seaside Grille is serious about its food...and its cocktails. Try one of the Signature Crushes, fruity sippers with flavored liquors that pack a punch. End the night at Sand Dollar Social Club, a dive bar where you're invited to come as you are, so long as you're a member; membership costs $1, so bring your cash (you won't find a credit card machine here).

Where to Relax

The island's six miles of beachfront are its main attraction, and it'd be easy to while away a week with no plans beyond putting your toes in the sand. Spend a day shelling, sunning, surfing, or searching for shark teeth. Enjoy oceanfront views while lunching at BLU Beach Bar and Grill. At the northern end of Folly Beach, the Morris Island Lighthouse provides a stunning backdrop from the shore. Get a closer look from the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve or via kayak. Several guided tours leave from Folly Beach to visit Morris Island for shelling, photography, and lighthouse history. The historic lighthouse is not open for viewing. How close you can get to the lighthouse depends on the tides.

Where to Play

For those looking to build an action-packed itinerary, there are plenty of activities that highlight the destination's natural beauty: Book a guided kayak tour or rent a stand-up paddleboard to explore the tidal creeks; stop by McKevlin's Surf Shop, South Carolina's oldest surfing outfitter, before catching some of the area's best waves at The Washout; and plan to make a trip with your fishing poles to check out the beloved Folly Beach Pier that has reopened after extensive renovations.

South Carolina is famous for its beaches, but I didn’t know them. Folly Beach, which I discovered looking for escape from a dark, grueling New York City winter, advertised exceptional surf breaks and beach town tradition. Yeah, I thought, Folly Beach! Brilliant water, four-generation family beach houses, surfer subculture, and only one bridge on and off the island; my Southern friends were surprised I’d found it.

I missed kicking off the new year with the “Bill Murray look-alike” polar bear plunge, for which one dresses like a favorite Murray character and runs into the ocean. Motto: Freeze your balls off! No matter, I was just happy to find it was 20 degrees warmer than New York, and empty except for year-round people and diehard surfers. End to end, Folly is only six miles of wide beaches broken and protected by a series of jetties, and I planned to walk them all.

My rented house faced “The Washout,” a long beach break that got rowdy during storm swells and on windy days when the blow whipped up classic, rolling surf. A 20-minute walk up the beach was the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve with nesting sites for threatened loggerhead turtles. A local said you could find shark’s teeth there, but I never really looked. Off the beach, was marshland and maritime forest with stopover and winter roosting sites for flyway birds including the endangered piping plovers that I saw.

If I walked west, I would end up at Folly Beach County Park, acres of bone-white sand and scrub dunes bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the wide (at that point) Folly River. A day-tripper magnet between Memorial Day and Labor Day, it was now almost deserted except for people walking with dogs (only allowed in winter).

I had been warned about the weather, but on some of my best days the rain would come and go several times, leaving a freshness on the magnolias that perfumed the salt air coming off the water. My backyard had magnolias, too, and two stands of 60-foot palmetto palms with large fronds, as well as hemlocks with dense green umbrella tops— excellent nesting cover for the robins, mockingbirds, and woodpeckers that fed on the palmetto cones and seeds. A swinging back gate opened onto wetlands that rose and fell with the tide.

By the time my month was up, the lessons of Folly would stay with me in the specifics. The birds and the trees and the long beach walks, learning the tides, the endlessly changing rhythms of the Atlantic. The way the sun would rise over the wetlands just outside my back gate, where early one morning I saw a family of raccoons, perhaps heading for the preserve.

Driving north over the Folly River Bridge at the end of my month, I knew that hordes would descend all summer and surfers would complain it was too crowded just to go left. But those high-season inconveniences weren’t my concern. For a month in the middle of winter, Folly was the perfect beach.

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Terry McDonell is a media executive, literary editor, and published author. He has won numerous awards for his editorial work at various magazines and websites and has written and produced for film and television. Known for his acclaimed book The Accidental Life, McDonell returned to memoir with his most recent book, Irma: The Education of a Mother’s Son.

This article appears in the Winter 2023 issue of Southbound.

On New Year’s Eve weekend, I visited Mr. John’s Beach Store on Center Street on Folly Beach. I have been visiting Mr. John’s Beach Store since I was a child staying at my grandparents’ home on East Arctic Avenue in the summer. Yet this visit was different. It was a farewell visit.

Mr. John’s Beach Store has been a fixture on Folly Beach since 1951. The affectionately coined “mayor of Folly Beach,” Paul Chrysostom, took over the family business started by his parents, John and Rachel Chrysostom. They were esteemed, respected and beloved members of the community; John was a bookkeeper, accountant and Greek professor, and his wife, Rachel, a pharmacist.

For many of us who recall the old days on Folly, Mr. John’s was the last stronghold of memories that can never be replaced. Mr. John’s, which recently was sold, was the heart and soul of Center Street.

I recently read an article on the WCSC-TV website that quoted Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin as saying: “When people come to me and say, ‘I want Folly Beach to be like it was,’ I look at them and say, ‘What do you remember Folly Beach being?’”

Given that Mayor Goodwin moved to Folly Beach in 1998, I would like to respectfully answer his question.

Folly Beach was a vibrant, magical, exciting, warm and lovable place. It was naturally community oriented. The sleepy beach. Some even called it the poor man’s beach.

But rest assured, there was nothing poor or wanting about Folly.

It was overflowing with riches, treasures that could never be measured materially. I don’t even remember the word tourist; everyone was welcomed and seen the same.

When I was growing up in the 1960s and ’70s, visiting Folly was like entering a portal into an enchanted world.

A horse that belonged to a neighbor was stabled in our backyard.

My grandfather gave the Bruggemann family next door our backyard garage to stable their horse, Nosy.

The family’s daughter, Nancy, in turn, gave me rides on Nosy on the beach. It was a young girl’s dream.

The boy next door was my first crush. It was a time of innocence and sweetness that can never be duplicated.

Cars could drive on the beach, horses pranced along the streets, and neighbors never locked their doors for the simple reason that our neighbors were not considered neighbors. They were family.

Folly wasn’t “funky.” It wasn’t branded. It wasn’t marketed. It was what it was.

The Sanitary Restaurant on Center Street had a lunch counter that sold soft-serve ice cream sundaes and the best sandwiches and comfort food.

The Pavilion had wooden benches, hotdogs and hamburgers, and the amusement rides twirled with the echo of children’s laughter in the air.

We used to walk an eternity over the big sand dunes to get to the beach.

Many times, we would swim in the gullies by the old groins even if folks were there crabbing.

My grandfather George Manos would go out in the wee hours of the morning with his big net and bring in buckets of fish for my grandmother Virginia to clean and cook.

The front porch was an open door that called to passersby: “Come on up. The table is full.”

Generosity and hospitality flowed like the ocean. And at night, we would be lulled to sleep by the sound of her waves.

Goodbye, Mr. John’s Beach Store.

You will always be in my heart. This is what Folly was like — in all her beauty, simplicity and wonder. A reminder that the greatest gifts of life are priceless.

Jackie Morfesis is a Charleston writer, speaker and community advocate.

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCIV) — City of Folly Beach officials said erosion along the shoreline is a crisis.

After a recent storm hit, some beachfront property owners were surprised. Now, they may have to foot the bill for some of the erosion renourishments come 2024.

"It's getting to the point where another big storm could be putting damage to the actual structure," said Eric Lutz.

Lutz is the director of public works with Folly Beach, and he said it is becoming a crisis.

Read more: "Idalia's aftermath: Folly Beach grapples with worst erosion since Hurricane Matthew."

Folly Beach residents face footing the bill for erosion crisis following recent storm (WCIV)

"This new scarp is fresh, and you can tell because it's a vertical face," Lutz said. "Over time, it'll flatten out, and the wind will blow it around. But this is all from the most recent storm. It gives it that verticle cut."

City leaders don't expect beach renourishment to be finished until next spring -- renourishments that property owners may have to pay for.

"Anywhere that is eroded behind the renourishment line, which runs up and down the whole island, individual property owners are responsible for filling in and giving a backstop to the project," Lutz said. "The Army Corps is not allowed to put any sand landward of the line."

Property owners were faced with the same decision in 2018. Letters were sent to 43 of the 300 beachfront properties in Folly.

They can allow the city to work with the contractor to fill in the area behind the line, and they pay for it at the rate of the city.

Read more: "Coastal damage assessment after heavy storms: Folly Beach experience mixed impact."

Owners can also have the option to truck in beach-compatible sand on their own and do it on their own, which is more expensive.

The third option is to give the property to the city, and they do it for free, but then the property belongs to the city.

"This was put on us by the Army Corps," Lutz said. "It's part of their contract. If we weren't to take care of it behind the line, then they would not be able to renourish in front of that property anymore. So there's a pretty good incentive to get it done."

The city said in 2018, all the property owners chose to pay the city to do the work. They said it is cheaper, but this time around, they are still waiting on a final price tag.

The areas behind the line will be resurveyed next week. The Army Corps of Engineers will then put the contract out to bid and should have the final numbers by the end of January.