We're pulling up to Waterbridge on a December afternoon, and the first thing you notice is the water. Over 80 acres of lakes thread through this gated community just north of Carolina Forest Boulevard, reflecting the coastal cottage-style homes that line the banks. It's quiet here, 17 minutes to the beach, 23 to the airport, but close enough to Publix, Lowe's Foods, and the McLeod Health Carolina Forest campus that you're never stranded. This isn't Myrtle Beach proper, where the tourist traffic hums year-round. It's Carolina Forest, where the neighborhoods feel more settled and the amenities run deep.

Waterbridge has two distinct personalities. Phase 1, the original section, is all custom builds, different builders, different owners, different styles. No cookie-cutter rows here. Some homes push past a million dollars; others sit in the $500,000s. Phase 2 brought in Chesapeake Homes and D.R. Horton, adding new construction with more predictable floor plans and price points. Right now, the resale market is showing some interesting movement. The median sale price for resales is $585,000, compared to $670,000 when you include new construction. Days on market for resales have climbed to 118, up from 83 for all types, and there have been 10 price reductions in the last month, a mix of new builds and resales. We're going to walk through what's driving those numbers, what's currently available, and one listing with an assumable 3.47% mortgage that could save you over $1,200 a month.

Table of Contents

• Waterbridge: Custom Homes, New Construction, and an 80-Acre Amenity Playground
• Market Trends: Why Resales Are Sitting Longer
• What's Available: From $560k Fixer-Potential to a $1.75M Geothermal Estate
• The Assumable Mortgage Play: How to Save $1,200/Month

Waterbridge: Custom Homes, New Construction, and an 80-Acre Amenity Playground

Waterbridge sits just north of Carolina Forest Boulevard in the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach. It's a gated community with over 80 acres of lakes, a massive pool complex with a lap pool and lazy river, walk-up pool bars, parks, trails, and on-site RV and boat storage. You're looking at coastal cottage-style homes everywhere you turn, most with water views. The amenity center is one of the biggest in the Myrtle Beach area, you can do laps, walk up to the bar without leaving the pool, grab a drink, and head back in. It's the kind of setup that makes you feel like you're on vacation even when you're just living your regular life.

Phase 1 is where the custom builds live. These are homes built on individual lots by private builders, so they all look different. Some are over a million dollars, others in the $500,000 range. There are still lots available if you want to hire a builder and go custom from scratch. Phase 2 is where Chesapeake Homes and D.R. Horton are building. Chesapeake is in the southern section, D.R. Horton along the northern edge. Different styles, different price points, but both are new construction, which means you're waiting 6 to 12 months for the home to be built.

This is a golf cart community. You'll see carts parked in garages, tucked under carports, rolling down the streets. Nearby shopping is covered, Publix, Food Lion, Lowe's Foods, pharmacies all within a few minutes. Healthcare is close too: McLeod Health Carolina Forest campus, pulmonary and critical care, primary care, rehab center. You're not isolated, but you're far enough from the beach busyness that it feels like a different rhythm.

Phase 1 vs. Phase 2: Custom vs. Production

Phase 1 is the original section, all custom homes. You get variety here, different rooflines, different finishes, different lot sizes. Some sit on 0.35 acres, others on nearly half an acre. The trade-off is that these homes are resales now, so you're buying someone else's vision. Some need updating. Some are move-in ready. But you're not waiting for construction, and you're not competing with a builder's timeline.

Phase 2 is production building. Chesapeake and D.R. Horton have their model homes, their floor plans, their standard finishes. You pick your lot, pick your plan, pick your upgrades, and wait. The advantage is that everything is new, no one's lived in it, no one's tested the HVAC or the plumbing. The disadvantage is time. If you need to move in 90 days, new construction isn't going to work.

Market Trends: Why Resales Are Sitting Longer

The median sale price for all types of homes in Waterbridge, new construction and resales combined, is $670,000. For resales only, that number drops to $585,000. The entire Horry County and Georgetown MLS is sitting at $610,000, so Waterbridge resales are slightly below the county median, while the community as a whole is above it.

Days on market tell a different story. For all types of homes in Waterbridge, the average is 83 days, which is 3 days faster than the entire MLS at 86. But when you isolate resales, that number jumps to 118 days. New construction is averaging 75 days. So resales are sitting longer, significantly longer.

Why? A few things. We're entering the holiday season, so there's a natural slowdown. Inventory is thin, which means the sample size is small, and one or two slow-moving listings can skew the average. But the bigger factor is competition. Resales are competing with brand new homes in the same community. If you're a buyer and you can get a new build with a warranty, fresh finishes, and no one else's wear and tear, you might be willing to wait. If you need to move in now, or if you want a deal, resales start to look more attractive.

There have been 10 price reductions in the last month, a mix of new construction and resales. That's not a crash signal. It's a recalibration. Sellers are adjusting to the reality that buyers have options, and those options include waiting for new construction or shopping in other Carolina Forest communities.

What's Available: From $560k Fixer-Potential to a $1.75M Geothermal Estate

Let's walk through what's on the market right now. We're focusing on resales, because that's where the pricing action is.

$560,000: Entry-Level Waterbridge

The cheapest way into Waterbridge right now is a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home listed at $560,000. It's 2,592 square feet on 0.35 acres. It's not brand new. It's not cookie-cutter. It has a unique look, and it needs some updating. But if you want to get into a gated community at a reasonable price and you're willing to put in some work, this is your entry point. It comes with a golf cart, because this is a golf cart community, and you're going to use it.

$850,000: Upgraded Finishes, Bigger Lot

Step up to $850,000 and you get a 4-bedroom, 3-bath home with 3,444 square feet on 0.44 acres. This one has the bells and whistles, coffered ceilings, a nice fireplace, open concept, a sunroom, a walk-in closet that's actually big enough to walk in. The finishes are upgraded. The backyard is bigger. You're paying for move-in-ready condition and a little more space.

$920,000: Traditional on 0.64 Acres

At $920,000, you're looking at a 5-bedroom, 4-bath traditional-style home on 0.64 acres. It's a big house, wraparound porch, separate garage, outdoor deck. This is the kind of place where you can spread out, host people, park the boat and the RV in the on-site storage, and still have room left over.

$1.75M: Geothermal ICF with an Elevator

Now we get to the one I've never seen before in Myrtle Beach. This home is listed at $1.75 million, and it has an elevator. Not a stair lift. An actual elevator. It's also built with ICF, insulated concrete foam, and it's geothermal, so your energy bills are going to be lower than a standard build. It's eco-friendly, it's on the golf course, and it's designed for someone who wants luxury without the stairs.

The home itself is wide open, big hallway, fireplace, sunroom, master suite with a huge shower and walk-in closet. The loft area upstairs could be a game room. There's an unfinished attic you could finish for another room or leave for storage. The pool in the summer is stunning. If you're in that price range and you need an elevator, this is the only one like it in the area.

The Assumable Mortgage Play: How to Save $1,200/Month

There's one listing in Waterbridge right now that could save you serious money every month. It's a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home with 2,107 heated square feet, listed at $499,999. It has vaulted ceilings, tray ceilings in the dining room, a 2-car garage, and a backyard that backs up to the community. But the real feature is the assumable mortgage at 3.47%.

Let's run the numbers. If you put 20% down on a $500,000 home at today's rate of 7.77%, your monthly mortgage payment is $3,296. If you put 3% down, that jumps to $3,906. Now take that same home with the assumable 3.47% rate. With 3% down, your payment drops to $2,594. With 20% down, it's $2,214. That's a difference of $1,312 per month compared to the 3%-down scenario at current rates. Over a year, that's $15,744 back in your pocket.

Assuming a loan means you're taking over the seller's existing mortgage. You're not getting a new loan at today's rates. You're stepping into their 3.47% rate, which they locked in when rates were low. Not every lender allows assumptions, and there's usually a qualification process, but if you can make it work, the savings are real.