Discover South Carolina's 47 State Parks

Dusty Rhodes • October 17, 2019

South Carolina - home of the Shag, sweet tea, the Palmetto moon, and Dizzy Gillespie. Also home to waterfalls, caves, and 60 miles of uninterrupted coastline, South Carolina is also home to 47 state parks that span mountains, lakes, beaches, and everything in between. For the past 5 and a half years, we've been on a mission to visit or camp at every single one of them. This journey has been such an educational and awe-inspiring time, and we've only reached the halfway point! 


Started in 1933 in conjunction with the federal Civilian Conservation Corps program, the parks cover a combined almost 80,000 acres of preserved land and artifacts, including the state's only preserved civil war battlefield at Rivers Bridge State Historic Site. The Civilian Conservation Corps was instrumental in creating so many parks in a post-depression era South Carolina, giving the state's people a place where they can get out and enjoy the area and explore with their families without having to worry about the expense. From the parks we have been to, the state is truly something to admire. At the coast, you can enjoy camping next to white sand beaches, and in the western upstate you can swim in lakes lined with red clay shores.


This past weekend we had the privilege to visit the park where it all started for us, at Calhoun Falls State Park. Sitting right on the banks of Richard B. Russell Lake, the park is right across the border of Georgia. Our first time there, we were able to enjoy the July 4th festivities while sitting on an unassuming campsite that overlooked the lake. Now, five years later, we got to see the leaves changing there.


We also visited another of the westernmost parks in South Carolina, Sadlers Creek State Park. Sitting on Lake Hartwell, the park is just a short drive to historic Anderson County, lovingly named the Electric City for its progress in the hydroelectric energy movement.


There are so many places to see and so much to explore in South Carolina. One amazing sight we found was when we went to Station Cove Falls, by Oconee State Park and Oconee Station State Historic Site, as well as the Stumphouse tunnel. It's hard to believe that in the same state you can have white sand dunes and enormous waterfalls, but believe it or not, they were an awesome sight to see standing at 60 feet tall! And the tunnel is just as awe inspiring. The tunnel's construction started before the Civil War in 1853. While it was never finished, it was originally meant to connect a railroad between Anderson, South Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee. An even more impressive sight to see was the waterfall at Jones Gap State Park, called Rainbow Falls, falling over 100 feet! 


If you haven’t made your way to any of South Carolina’s beautiful state parks, you need to check it out soon. Make a weekend of it by driving to the upstate, or even just an afternoon right in our own backyard at Myrtle Beach State Park. I promise, if you take the time to see our state’s beautiful landscape, history, and overall beauty, you will be glad you went. There’s no shortage of amazing things to do and see, from hiking, kayaking, golfing or swimming, to exploring the local area around the park and getting to know its history and contributions to our state as we know it today.


Dusty Rhodes Properties is the Best Realtor in Myrtle Beach! We do everything in our power to help you find the home of your dreams. With experience, expertise, and passion, we are the perfect partner for you in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We love what we do and it shows. With more than 22 years of experience in the field, we know our industry like the back of our hands. There’s no challenge too big or too small, and we dedicate our utmost energy to every project we take on. We search thousands of the active and new listings from Aynor, Carolina Forest, Conway, Garden City Beach, Longs, Loris, Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island, and Surfside Beach real estate listings to find the hottest deals just for you!


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Top Mistakes Homeowners Are Making in 2026 (And How To Avoid Them)

By Dusty Rhodes • March 23, 2026
Let’s be clear: selling your house is absolutely possible right now. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), roughly 11k homes sell every day in this country. And the sellers who are making their moves happen all have one thing in common: they’ve adjusted their strategy to match today’s market. They’re realizing inventory has grown. Homebuyers are more selective. And buyer expectations are higher. The sellers who struggle are usually approaching today’s market with yesterday’s expectations. Here are the three biggest mistakes they’re making – and how to avoid them. 1. Pricing Based on What Their Neighbor Got a Few Years Back Setting your price is the most important decision you make when you sell – and the one that’s most often mishandled. Realtor.com data shows almost 1 out of 5 sellers in 2025 had to drop their price. Here’s what those sellers went wrong. Buyers have more choice and more negotiating power now that inventory has grown. And house hunters will actively avoid your house is if feels like it’s priced too high. That’s why overpricing usually leads to: Fewer showings Less competitive (or lowball) offers Longer time on market And all three of those side effects are things you don’t want to deal with. What To Do Instead: The good news is the cure is simple. Just price for today’s buyer, not yesterday’s headlines. Lean on your agent’s knowledge of recent comparable sales, current competition, and local buyer behavior to land in the value “sweet spot” that drives traffic and urgency from day one. 2. Trying To Skip Repairs That Buyers Now Expect A few years ago, you could sell as-is and still get well above asking. Today? Not so much. Right now, NAR says two-thirds of sellers are making at least some repairs. And the reason why is simple. In a market with more inventory, buyers compare homes side by side. Homes that don’t show well (or feel dated) are going to lose attention quickly, even if the issues are minor. What To Do Instead: Ask your agent which high-impact, low-stress updates they’d recommend for your house. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s helping buyers see themselves moving in without a mental to-do list. Small investments in staging, repairs, and curb appeal can make a huge difference in how quickly offers come in – and how strong those offers are. 3. Playing Hardball When Buyers Try To Negotiate Today’s buyers have housing affordability at the top of their minds. And since money is already tight, they’ll be pickier and will probably ask for some compromises from you. Whether that’s making repairs, giving them a credit at closing, or taking just a few thousand dollars off your asking price, negotiating is normal again. So, if something pops up in the inspection, you’re going to need to be open to talking about it. If you’re not, you may very well see your buyer walk away. And some sellers are figuring this out the hard way. Redfin data shows one of the big reasons home sales fell thru in 2025 was inspection or repair issues. Odds are those homeowners weren’t willing to flex a bit to get the deal done. What to Do Instead: Meet with your agent to make sure you understand what buyers in your area care the most about. Align your price with value, present the home clearly and confidently, and stay open to reasonable negotiations that keep deals moving forward.

10 Aging-in-Place Features Pros Swear By

By Dusty Rhodes • March 16, 2026
They’re often called aging-in-place features, but things like curbless showers, nonslip flooring and wide walkways and doorways can benefit everyone, no matter their age or ability. “Regardless of aging in place, there is a place for these in day-to-day life, whether it be a teenager on crutches, a family member having had surgery, active kids,” designer Dana Bass says. “It’s not just about aging in place. We’ve got to account for unplanned life emergencies.” Designer Tammy Battistessa of Ellaire Kitchen & Bath Design agrees. “Whenever possible, I include aging-in-place and universal design features in every project, as I believe many of these features benefit clients of all ages and abilities, in addition to allowing a client to safely remain in their home for a longer period of time,” she says. Creating a home that can adapt also makes it more sustainable. “Aging in place is a key element to making legacy homes that can evolve over time,” architect Tim Barber says. With all that in mind, we asked more than 50 home design and construction professionals to share the aging-in-place features they always recommend. Here are the 10 that came up again and again. 1. Wide Walkways and Doorways Planning ahead is one of the most important steps when incorporating aging-in-place features. Many of these elements require thoughtful design and construction, so it’s wise to start early — and to consider hiring professionals who understand the nuances. “Thinking through how you will really use the space makes all the difference,” designer Haiku Durden of HDS Design says. “Having a designer involved really makes a difference.” A professional can help you create a plan that works for your current needs and anticipates future ones. “We currently default to aging-in-place features when our clients are near retirement or retirement age,” says designer Jenny Guggenheim of Guggenheim Architecture and Design Studio . “Preplanning by adding blocking behind the wall finish, spacious floor planning to allow for wheelchair or walker use.” In fact, spacious layouts are among the most commonly recommended aging-in-place strategies. Wide walkways and doorways — and generous clearances around furniture and fixtures — make it easier for anyone to move through the home comfortably. Installing a continuous flooring material throughout also reduces tripping hazards caused by changes in height or texture between rooms.

The Price You Set Can Make (or Break) Your Sale

By Dusty Rhodes • March 2, 2026
There’s one decision you’re going to make when you sell that determines whether your house sells quickly, or it sits. Whether buyers make an offer, or scroll past it. Whether you walk away with the maximum return, or you end up cutting the price later. And that’s your asking price . The #1 Mistake Sellers Make Today: Trusting the Wrong Number If you’re thinking of moving and trying to figure out what your house may sell for, it’s tempting to start with an online home value tool. They’re fast, free, and easy. And you don’t have to talk to anyone. But here’s the problem: they don’t know your house. And that can be a bigger drawback than you realize. Where Online Estimates Fall Short Online tools often lag behind the market. They look in the rearview mirror, relying on closed sales and delayed information. And in that sense, they’re using incomplete data . That’s not a miss in how these systems are built. Some information just isn’t available online. Bankrate explains: “ While these tools can be a useful starting point, keep in mind that they typically do not provide the most accurate pricing. Algorithms can only rely on the information available; they can’t account for things like a home’s condition or renovations made since the last public information was updated.” They can’t see: The unique features that make your house special All the work you’ve put in to keep it in good condition Or, how in-demand your specific neighborhood is right now So, while they may do a good job in some cases, they can’t be as accurate as a local agent who has boots on the ground day in and day out. In a market where buyers have more options, a seemingly small margin of error can cost you thousands if you price too low, or weeks of lost momentum and time if you price too high. If you want to sell for the most money and in the least amount of time, you don’t want the fast answer on how to price your house. You want the right one. That’s why the savviest homeowners today don’t rely on algorithms when it actually matters. They rely on people, specifically trusted local agents. What an Expert Agent Brings to the Table According to 1000WATT , sellers overwhelmingly believe real estate agents have the best sense of a home’s true value, far more than any automated tools.