VA Loans in Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach is where military retirements go to cash in. South Carolina holds WalletHub’s number one ranking for military retirees, the state taxes none of your military pension, Horry County’s property tax is the lowest in South Carolina at roughly a third of a percent, and more than 30,000 Veterans already live in the county. The market is on sale too. Redfin’s May 2026 median sale price of $249,999 sat 7.4 percent below the prior year, with over 1,500 active listings to pick through. The Grand Strand was built on a VA legacy, literally, since the Market Common district stands on the old Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. We help Veterans buy and refinance all along the coast.
- Expert VA specialists
- Licensed in all 50 states
- Fast 2 to 3 week closings
The Buyer’s Market Most Veterans Are Waiting For
Nine months of inventory and a median 118 days on market make Myrtle Beach the rare coastal market where the buyer holds the cards. Sellers in May 2026 were negotiating on price, covering closing costs, and accepting VA offers they might have waved off during the boom years. For a Veteran with zero down and patience, that combination means walking into Grand Strand ownership with cash still in the bank and concessions in the contract. We routinely write seller-paid closing costs into VA offers here, which the program fully allows.
A Beach Town Built on an Air Force Base
When Myrtle Beach Air Force Base closed in 1993, the city turned its 3,900 acres into the Market Common, an urban village of shops, parks, and neighborhoods that now anchors ZIP 29577 and supports an estimated $3 billion in annual economic activity. Street names still honor the wings that flew here. Retired military buyers gravitate to the district for the walkability and, frankly, for the heritage, and VA financing on a Market Common townhome or single-family is a clean fit. It is hard to find a more fitting use of the benefit than buying a home on the old base.
Condos and the VA Loan, the Honest Version
Half of what you will scroll past on Grand Strand listing sites is condo inventory, and VA buyers need one piece of truth early. The VA only finances units in condo projects on its approved list, and many oceanfront towers here operate as condotels with front desks and nightly rentals, which the program will not touch. Plenty of conventional condo communities in Carolina Forest, Socastee, and the Market Common do qualify or can be added to the approved list. We check the project before you fall in love with the view, which saves everyone three weeks of heartbreak.
VA Tools for Grand Strand Owners
Purchases lead in a buyer’s market, but the refinance side carries Horry County’s 30,000-plus Veterans, many on retired pay.
VA purchase
Zero down with seller concessions on the table, on single-family homes, VA-approved condos, and new builds in Carolina Forest.
VA IRRRL
A half-point cut on a $250,000 loan saves about $85 a month. Our No Score IRRRL version sets no credit minimum at all, ideal for retirees on fixed income.
VA cash-out
Convert beach-home equity into cash, or bring a conventional loan over to the benefit you earned.
VA manufactured home
Qualifying manufactured homes on owned land, common west of the waterway, work with VA financing too.
Retiring Here on a Military Pension
South Carolina exempts every dollar of military retirement pay from state income tax, the Homestead Exemption removes the first $50,000 of home value from taxation once you reach 65, and a 100 percent permanently and totally disabled Veteran pays no property tax on a primary residence and up to five acres at any age. Stack those on Horry County’s already lowest-in-state rate and the carrying cost of a paid-for or VA-financed home here gets remarkably small. That math, not just the golf, is why the Grand Strand keeps topping military retirement lists.
Why Retirees and PCS Buyers Use PBT Bancorp
As an FDIC member bank and wholesale broker, we price your loan in-house and against more than 35 lenders at once, and you get whichever wins. We close most files in two to three weeks, we are licensed in all fifty states, which matters when you are buying your retirement home from a final duty station two time zones away, and more than 3,000 military families have already closed with us. We also know which Grand Strand condo projects pass VA review, knowledge that only comes from doing this here.
Before you tour, call 800-697-4371 and tell us what the beach plan looks like. We will tell you exactly what the benefit covers and write the pre-approval that lets you negotiate like the market favors you, because right now it does.
VA Loan Limit in Horry County
The 2026 VA loan limit in Horry County is $832,750, which is the most an eligible Veteran can typically finance locally with no money down and no monthly mortgage insurance (PMI). We keep this figure current as the county loan limits update each year, and your loan officer will confirm the exact entitlement for your file.
Myrtle Beach VA Loan FAQs
Can I buy an oceanfront condo in Myrtle Beach with a VA loan?
Sometimes, and the project decides it. The VA finances condos only in developments on its approved project list, and many oceanfront towers on the Strand run as condotels with rental desks, which disqualifies them. Residential condo communities a street or two back, and most of the Market Common and Carolina Forest projects, are routinely financeable, and a project that has never been reviewed can often be submitted for approval. Send us the building address before you offer and we will give you a yes or no within 1 business day.
Is 2026 a good time for a Veteran to buy in Myrtle Beach?
The leverage says yes. Redfin’s May 2026 data shows the median price down 7.4 percent year over year, nine months of supply, and homes sitting 118 days, which is the strongest buyer positioning the Strand has offered in years. Veterans can pair that leverage with zero down and seller-paid closing costs. Nobody can promise where prices go next, so we underwrite to a payment you can hold comfortably, but negotiating power like this is rare on a coastline.
How do Horry County property taxes compare for a retired Veteran?
They are the lowest in South Carolina, roughly 0.33 percent of home value on an owner-occupied residence, which is about $830 a year on the median $250,000 home. At 65 the Homestead Exemption takes the first $50,000 of value off the bill entirely, and a 100 percent permanently and totally disabled Veteran owes nothing at all on the primary home and up to five acres. Between that and the state’s full exemption of military pensions, the Grand Strand is one of the cheapest coastlines in America to hold a home on retired pay.
Ready to start your Myrtle Beach VA loan?
Talk with a PBT Bancorp VA specialist about buying or refinancing in Myrtle Beach. We pull your Certificate of Eligibility (COE), shop your loan across more than 35 wholesale lenders, and most of our borrowers close in two to three weeks. Call 800-697-4371 or get pre-qualified online.
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Prefer not to wait? Call 800-697-4371 or text us at (800) 697-4371.