Market report
What the 2026 Election Means for Myrtle Beach Home Buyers and Sellers
- U.S. SenateAndrews (D)
- GovernorWilson (R)
- State House79 R, 45 D
- Local ballotNo questions
By Devin Day, Chief Operating Officer, and Abdulla Hijazi, Chief Marketing Officer · Reviewed by Tim Nash, Broker-in-Charge · Updated November 4, 2026
After the election, state House Republicans are 4 votes short of changing the rental tax alone. Most rules for a Myrtle Beach sale are made in Columbia and Conway.
The short answer
For a home bought or sold in Myrtle Beach this winter, the election changed no rule yet. Annie Andrews (D) won the U.S. Senate seat and Alan Wilson (R) the governor's race, and each plan still needs votes first.
In the state House, Republicans fell from 89 seats to 79 in the unofficial count. That is 4 short of the 83 votes it takes to change the tax ratio on rentals and second homes.
Tell us the house. We tell you what the election changes for it.
Ask about your houseWho won the 2026 election in South Carolina?
Annie Andrews, a Democrat, won the U.S. Senate seat over Darline Graham, the Republican appointed to it in July. She is the first woman elected to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.
Alan Wilson, a Republican and the state's attorney general, won the governor's race. Jermaine Johnson, the Democrat, conceded on election night.
| Race | Winner | Result | How it was decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate | WinnerAnnie Andrews (D) | Result51.0% to 46.8% over Darline Graham (R) | How it was decidedThe AP called it on election night. CBS News projected it too. |
| Governor | WinnerAlan Wilson (R), with Mike Reichenbach for lieutenant governor | Result51.7% to 47.0% over Jermaine Johnson (D) | How it was decidedJohnson conceded on election night. |
| U.S. House, 7th District, which includes Horry County | WinnerRussell Fry (R) | Result56.8% to 43.2% over John Gregory Vincent (D) | How it was decidedThe AP called it. |
| Other statewide offices | WinnerRepublicans won all six | Result51.1% to 53.1% | How it was decidedUnofficial count. |
| State House, all 124 seats | Winner79 Republicans, 45 Democrats | ResultBefore the election: 89 and 35 | How it was decidedTwo races were within 1 percent and go to a recount. |
| State Senate, 46 seats | WinnerNot on the ballot, except one special race | ResultStays 34 Republicans, 12 Democrats | How it was decidedNo change. |
| Ballot questions | WinnerNone statewide or in Horry County | ResultGeorgetown County, south of Horry, approved a local sales tax | How it was decidedUnofficial count. |
These are unofficial counts until the State Board of Canvassers certifies them. State law requires a recount when a race is within 1 percent. Two House races are that close, so the House split could still move.
In Washington, CBS News projects that Democrats will control the U.S. Senate in January. Before the election, Republicans held 53 seats to 47.
How did Horry County vote in 2026?
Horry County voted more Republican than the state. Darline Graham carried the county with about 60 percent, though she lost statewide. Wilson won it with about 64 percent.
No question for Horry County, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach or Surfside Beach was on the ballot. Nothing on the local ballot changed a tax or a rule for homes.
| Office | Winner | Result |
|---|---|---|
| County Council chairman | WinnerJohnny Gardner (R) | ResultUnopposed |
| County Council, District 2 | WinnerBill Howard (R) | Result74.9% over Kristi Burch (Forward) |
| County Council, Districts 5 and 7 | WinnerTyler Servant (R) and Tom Anderson (R) | Result84.8% and 69.7% |
| County Council, Districts 1, 8 and 11 | WinnerJenna Dukes, Michael Masciarelli and Al Allen (all R) | ResultUnopposed |
| School board, District 7 | WinnerSonya Sasser (R) | Result51.8% to 48.1% over Janet P. Graham (D) |
| The 11 state House districts on Horry County's ballot | Winner8 Republicans, 3 Democrats | ResultClosest: District 57, Cynthia Ford (D), 51.6% |
Can the new legislature cut the property tax on Myrtle Beach rentals?
Not with Republican votes alone. South Carolina's constitution taxes the home you live in on 4 percent of its value, and every other home on 6 percent.
The legislature can change those numbers only with two-thirds of each chamber's members. That is 83 of 124 in the House and 31 of 46 in the Senate.
Republicans hold 34 Senate seats, more than 31. In the House they won 79, so even if every Republican votes yes, a change needs at least 4 Democratic votes. A new property tax exemption needs the same two-thirds.
The other path is a constitutional amendment. It needs two-thirds of each chamber, then a majority of voters in November 2028, then a second vote by the next legislature.
Our page on Wilson's rental tax cut works through what a lower ratio would save on a rental here.
Who decides what about a Myrtle Beach home?
Congress decides flood insurance and federal taxes. The legislature in Columbia decides the property tax ratios. The county and city councils decide zoning and fees.
| Who | Who holds it now | What it decides for a home here | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Congress, in Washington | Who holds it nowAnnie Andrews joins the Senate in January. Russell Fry represents Horry County in the House. | What it decides for a home hereFederal flood insurance. Federal tax credits for buyers. The tax break on a home sale gain. Limits on large investors. | MoreFlood insurance, buyer tax credit |
| The governor and the legislature, in Columbia | Who holds it nowGovernor-elect Alan Wilson. A House of 79 Republicans and 45 Democrats, and a Senate of 34 and 12. | What it decides for a home hereThe 4 and 6 percent tax ratios. The school tax exemption on a home you live in. HOA law. The state tax on short-stay rentals. Whether cities may limit short-term rentals. | MoreRental tax cut, Act 388, the 2006 school tax law, short-term rentals |
| Horry County Council, in Conway | Who holds it nowChairman Johnny Gardner and the district members. | What it decides for a home hereImpact fees on new homes. Zoning outside the cities. | MoreGrowth, roads and permits |
| City and town councils | Who holds it nowMyrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and each town have their own council. | What it decides for a home hereZoning inside the city, including where short-term rentals are allowed. Business licenses for rentals. | MoreShort-term rentals, rental rules |
We found no statement on short-term rentals from either winner. No state law stops a city from limiting them today.
Ask what the election changes for your house
Send us the address. We tell you its flood zone, its tax ratio and what a pending vote could change for it.
Ask about your houseWhat are Annie Andrews' policies on housing and taxes?
Andrews proposes nine things that touch homes or what owners pay, from her affordability plan and platform. Each is a proposal. A federal law needs a House majority, the Senate and the president.
In the Senate, most bills need 60 votes to end debate. A budget bill under the reconciliation process passes with a simple majority.
| Plan | What the campaign said | What it would touch here |
|---|---|---|
| A $50,000 tax credit for first-time buyersMore: What the last credit did | What the campaign saida $50,000 tax cut to help first-time homebuyers | What it would touch hereA first-time buyer's down payment, and how many buyers bid on starter homes. She has no bill of her own, and the closest bill has had no vote. |
| Cut the limit on large investors from 350 homes to 50 | What the campaign saidWe should cut that threshold down several times to 50 homes. | What it would touch hereBig rental companies buying houses here. The 350-home limit, which became law in July, starts Jan. 7, 2027. |
| Bar Wall Street investors from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans | What the campaign saidban these Wall Street interests from using Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages to buy up housing | What it would touch hereLarge investors buying homes here with those loans. |
| Tax cuts for home builders and more workforce housingMore: Building in Horry County | What the campaign saidprovide tax cuts to homebuilders to incentivize more construction | What it would touch hereHow many new homes go up. Horry County issued permits for 6,418 new single-family homes in 2025. |
| End tariffs the president imposes alone | What the campaign saidend chaotic and unilateral tariffs, naming home building materials | What it would touch hereThe cost of building a new home here. |
| A two-year national pause on AI data centers | What the campaign saidA two-year national moratorium on AI data centers, and no data center costs passed on to ratepayers | What it would touch hereData center building, and power bills. |
| Roads, bridges and resilient infrastructureMore: Roads and I-73 | What the campaign saidFix and modernize South Carolina's roads, bridges, and highways | What it would touch hereFederal road money for Horry County. She named no project and no I-73 plan. |
| Homeowners insuranceMore: Flood insurance after the election | What the campaign saidShe held a roundtable in Beaufort on rising homeowners insurance. She has no written flood insurance plan. | What it would touch hereInsurance on coastal homes. The federal flood program's deadline comes before she takes office. |
| Three income tax brackets, and no tax rise under $500,000 | What the campaign saidBrackets of 10%, 20% and 35%. Families earning over $400,000 would pay 35% on all their income. | What it would touch hereIncome tax. The tax break on a home sale gain is not in her plan. |
Where a buyer tax credit was tried before
The federal credit of 2008 to 2010 paid up to $8,000. A study in the Journal of Finance found it raised home sales by about 490,000, near 10 percent. It raised prices about 1 percent by the study's measure. Much of the extra demand came from buyers who would have bought several years later. The authors judged that its benefit in steadying the market likely exceeded its direct boost to buying.
Here it did not stop a fall. The Myrtle Beach-area price index dropped about 10 percent in 2009 and kept falling until 2012.
What it could mean for a $50,000 credit
If a $50,000 credit passed, the same pattern points to more sales and higher prices in the first years. It is about six times the old credit, and no study we found measured a credit that size. How much prices would rise, then or later, is unknown. Our page on the first-time buyer tax credit shows what the last one did.
Her other plans, with no direct tie to a home sale
- Health care. Reverse federal Medicaid cuts, expand Medicaid in South Carolina, and restore expired marketplace premium help. Limit insurer profits per enrollee, let regulators reject large premium increases, replace prior authorization, and add a public option.
- Drug prices. Imports from Canada, the $35 insulin cap for every insured patient, patent reform, rules for drug middlemen, and more drug prices that Medicare negotiates.
- Families and work. A child care worker apprenticeship, tax credits for child care businesses, a permanent, larger child tax credit, higher wages and paid family leave.
- Taxes and spending. End tax breaks for the highest earners, the carried interest break and breaks for moving jobs overseas. Keep no tax on tips and Social Security for good. Restore free IRS filing. Vote against debt ceiling increases until a balanced budget passes.
- Energy. Suspend the federal gas tax, restore clean energy tax cuts, and cut red tape for new energy projects.
- Congress. Term limits, and two Senate terms for herself. A balanced budget amendment, a stock trading ban, no pay in shutdowns, no congressional pensions, no earmarks, and stronger fraud checks.
- Other. Universal background checks and safe gun storage, a path to citizenship with border security, a digital bill of rights, phones out of schools, Roe v. Wade protections, a ban on corporate PAC and dark money, and a vote of Congress before military force.
What are Alan Wilson's plans for property tax and housing?
Wilson proposes nine things that touch homes or what owners pay. They come from his priorities, his agenda as Fox Carolina reported it, and an interview with WIS. Each is a proposal. A state law needs a majority of both chambers and his signature.
A change to the 4 and 6 percent tax ratios needs two-thirds of each chamber.
| Plan | What the campaign said | What it would touch here |
|---|---|---|
| Lower the higher tax on rentals (Act 388)More: What it would mean for investors | What the campaign saidobviously looking at Act 388 and reforming how we assess property taxes on those types of properties | What it would touch hereThe yearly tax bill on every rental and second home here, taxed at 6 percent. It needs 83 House and 31 Senate votes, and he has published no bill. |
| Enroll seniors in the homestead exemption automatically | What the campaign saidAuto-enrolling seniors for the homestead exemption, as reported | What it would touch hereThe tax bill on a senior's own home. |
| A larger homestead exemption for disabled veterans | What the campaign saidExpanding the homestead exemption for disabled veterans, as reported | What it would touch hereThe tax bill on a disabled veteran's own home. |
| End the car tax for seniors and veterans | What the campaign saidHe will work to eliminate the car property tax for seniors and veterans | What it would touch hereThe yearly tax on their cars. |
| Lower personal property taxes on businesses | What the campaign saidLowering personal property taxes for commercial businesses, as reported | What it would touch hereTaxes on the equipment of local businesses. |
| End the state income tax and overhaul property taxes | What the campaign saidI still want to eliminate the income tax.He calls it a long-term goal. Overhauling property taxes is in his agenda, as reported. | What it would touch hereIncome tax, and how property is taxed here. |
| Public audits of insurance rate increasesMore: Insurance after the election | What the campaign saidRegular, public audits of rate increases by the Department of Insurance, which already has audit power, as reported | What it would touch hereHomeowners insurance rates. Flood insurance is federal, so it is not part of this plan. |
| Faster permits for new homesMore: Permits in Horry County | What the campaign saidmake it easier for homes to be built, which lowers the cost of those homes | What it would touch hereWaits for building permits on new homes. |
| Faster roads, and a modernized Department of TransportationMore: Roads and I-73 | What the campaign saidwe need to cut down the time it takes to build a road or a bridge | What it would touch hereRoad projects such as I-73. Funding for most of its $1.6 billion cost has not been identified. |
Where a property tax shift was tried before
Act 388, a state tax law passed in 2006, removed school operating taxes from homes people live in. It added a 1 percent sales tax to make up the money.
At 4 percent, the yearly bill on a rental inside Myrtle Beach would fall by about a third. In Chapter3's files, property tax stops more rental deals here than insurance does.
A 2020 Lincoln Institute study found that the state's system has shifted the property tax burden from homes people live in to rentals, second homes and business property. The South Carolina Chamber Foundation and South Carolina Realtors chose its case-study counties.
The study counts a group it calls other residential, typically rentals taxed at 6 percent. In Horry County in 2018, that group was 36.4 percent of the appraised value of the property the county assessor values. It was 47.2 percent of the value the tax is figured on. Act 388 has defenders too, such as nohometax.org.
No plan names who would make up the lost tax. No study we found shows whether the saving would reach tenants or prices. Our page on what Act 388 changes would mean looks at both sides.
His other plans, with no direct tie to a home sale
- Gas. Let the governor pause the state gas tax for up to 120 days, as reported.
- Schools. Fully fund public schools and expand school choice.
- Health. Rural clinics and telemedicine.
- Benefits. Deny state benefits to people here illegally.
- State agencies. Independent performance audits, led by the lieutenant governor.
- Utilities. Build the energy grid and add competition, as reported.
Will Myrtle Beach home prices go down after the election?
Myrtle Beach-area home prices have not fallen after any of the last five elections. In the year after each one, from 2016 to 2024, prices rose by about 3 to 22 percent.
The largest rise came after 2020 and the smallest after 2024. Prices rose after presidential and midterm elections alike. After the 2008 election, during the housing slump, the index fell about 10 percent in a year.
In the latest year, to mid-2026, prices here rose about 0.8 percent. The record gives no basis for a forecast after this election. Our home value page shows what homes like yours sold for this year.
What changes for Myrtle Beach buyers and sellers now?
For a sale this winter, two dates matter: the flood insurance deadline and the new limit on large investors.
- After the countThe State Board of Canvassers certifies the results. House Districts 27 and 89, each within 1 percent, get a recount.
- Dec. 11, 2026The federal flood insurance program can no longer write new policies unless Congress extends it. This vote comes before Andrews takes office.
- Jan. 3, 2027Andrews' Senate term begins.
- Jan. 7, 2027A company that controls 350 or more single-family homes may not buy more, with some exceptions.
- November 2028The next general election. It is the first time voters could approve a change to the tax ratios in the constitution.
If you are buying
- Flood insurance. If Congress lets the federal program lapse on Dec. 11, no new federal flood policies can be written. A loan on a house in FEMA's high-risk zone can then wait for the program to return or for a private policy. In June 2010, by one estimate, over 1,400 closings a day were canceled or delayed across the country. Our agents check a house's flood zone before you make an offer. Flood insurance after the election.
- No first-time buyer credit today. The $50,000 credit Andrews backs has had no vote in Congress. Plan a purchase this winter without it.
- A rental or second home still pays the 6 percent ratio. Price it on today's tax bill. A cut needs a two-thirds vote, and Wilson has published no bill.
- Large investors. The limit on companies with 350 or more homes does not touch a family buying one rental.
If you are selling
- Prices are about flat. They rose about 0.8 percent in the latest year. We price your home from this year's sales of homes like it.
- A buyer's closing can slip. If your house is in the high-risk flood zone and your buyer needs a loan, a lapse on Dec. 11 can delay the closing. A private flood policy can count if it meets federal rules, and in the 2025 lapse some lenders waived the requirement.
- The tax on your gain does not change. Up to $250,000 of gain on a home you lived in stays out of federal income tax. For certain married couples filing jointly, it is $500,000. Neither winner's plan changes it.
Common questions
2026 election and Myrtle Beach real estate FAQ
Who won the Senate race in South Carolina in 2026?
Annie Andrews, a Democrat, won with about 51 percent of the unofficial count over Darline Graham, a Republican. The AP called the race on election night, and her term begins in January.
Who won the governor's race, and is it official?
Alan Wilson, a Republican, won with about 52 percent, and Jermaine Johnson conceded on election night. Every result is unofficial until the State Board of Canvassers certifies it.
Will Myrtle Beach home prices go down after the election?
In the year after each election from 2016 to 2024, the Myrtle Beach-area price index rose, by about 3 to 22 percent. In the latest year prices were about flat, up 0.8 percent.
Did anything on the Horry County ballot affect real estate?
No. There was no county, city or statewide ballot question. The ballot held only races for office, from Congress and governor to County Council and school board.
Can Alan Wilson cut the property tax on rentals by himself?
No. Changing the 6 percent ratio needs two-thirds of each chamber, 83 House votes and 31 Senate votes. Republicans won 79 House seats in the unofficial count, so a change needs Democratic votes too.
Sources: SC Election Commission results, WMBF Horry results, SC Constitution Art. X, Art. XVI, Andrews plan, Wilson agenda (Fox Carolina), Wilson interview (WIS), FHFA house price index, CRS on flood insurance, Public Law 119-101. Results are the unofficial count, not certified. Educational only, not legal or tax advice.
Ask what the election changes for your house.
Send us a house you are buying or selling. An agent tells you what is decided now and what is still a proposal.
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