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Del Webb at Grande Dunes — A Timeline of Ownership

Myrtle Beach, SC · Est. 2017 · 524 homes planned · Intracoastal Waterway setting. What actually changes in Year 1, Year 5, and Year 10 of owning here — not what the sales office tells you on tour day.

Del Webb at Grande Dunes is a genuinely premium address — an Intracoastal Waterway setting inside the 2,200-acre Grande Dunes master-planned resort in northern Myrtle Beach, with Ocean Club beach access and proximity to the Resort Course. That reputation is earned. But what a buyer experiences on a single tour day is very different from what an owner experiences across a decade of actually living here. This is a timeline of what surfaces at each stage of ownership.

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Year 1 — Closing Day Surprises and the Paperwork Nobody Chases For You

Year 1

What actually happens in your first 12 months

  • The resale closing costs are higher than the listing implied. If you’re buying resale rather than new construction, expect a capital contribution (roughly 1–2× the monthly HOA) plus a community enhancement fee — Del Webb communities typically charge 0.25–0.5% of the purchase price on resale. On a $500,000 home, that’s realistically $1,500–$4,000 in community-specific add-ons beyond standard closing costs, and listing agents don’t always highlight it upfront.
  • You have to file for your tax benefits yourself — nothing is automatic. To get Horry County’s 4% owner-occupant assessment ratio, you must file the legal residence application with the Horry County Assessor within the year of purchase. Miss the window and you’re taxed at the 6% non-primary ratio with full school millage — a difference of roughly $2,600–$3,600 a year on a $450,000 home.
  • The Ocean Club terms are worth confirming in writing, not assuming. Del Webb residents currently get Ocean Club beach facility access included, but that membership structure is not part of the HOA documentation itself and can change. Get the current terms from the sales office in writing before you factor "beach club included" into your decision.
  • Golf at the Resort Course is not included, and lawn care depends on your specific lot. The HOA covers clubhouse access, amenities, and common-area maintenance — not golf, and not necessarily your own yard. Confirm at the individual lot level.
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Year 5 — The Homestead Exemption Kicks In, and the Waterway Question Gets Answered

Year 5

What settles in by the mid-point

  • The second tax filing — the 65+ homestead exemption — should already be in place. Filed separately with the Horry County Auditor (by December 31 of the qualifying year), this exemption exempts school operating mills for qualifying 65+ primary residents. Combined with the 4% ratio, a qualifying owner pays roughly $900–$1,400 a year on a $450,000 home, versus roughly $4,000–$5,000 for a non-primary owner of the same home. By Year 5, that gap has meaningfully compounded — five years of savings that a buyer who never filed simply never collected.
  • You’ve formed a real opinion on whether the Intracoastal premium was worth it. Grande Dunes carries higher price points than comparable Del Webb communities partly because of the waterway setting and Ocean Club access. By Year 5, owners generally know whether they actually use the beach club regularly or whether the premium mostly bought a view. Compare honestly against Del Webb North Myrtle Beach, which is newer (est. 2021), closer to the beach (5–10 minutes vs. 10–15), and generally lower-priced, without the Intracoastal setting.
  • HOA fees have likely moved from whatever number you were quoted at purchase. Grande Dunes has been an active-build community for years, and fee levels adjust as the community matures and reserves get funded. Don’t assume the number on your original listing sheet is still accurate five years in — verify current HOA directly with the HOA.

Year 10 — A Mature, Fully Built Community and the Long-Term Math

Year 10

What a decade of ownership actually looks like

  • The 524-home community is likely at or near full buildout, which generally means a more stable HOA budget, a deeper and more established resale market to draw comparisons from, and less day-to-day construction disruption than a newer sibling community like Del Webb North Myrtle Beach may still be experiencing.
  • The tax-exemption gap has become a significant cumulative advantage. A decade of the roughly $2,600–$3,600 annual savings between a qualifying 65+ primary resident and a non-primary owner adds up to tens of thousands of dollars — assuming the filings were made correctly in Year 1 and Year 5.
  • Aging-in-place questions become more concrete than abstract. Ten years in, proximity to healthcare in the greater Myrtle Beach area, the practicality of the Ocean Club at a different stage of mobility, and whether the community’s amenity mix (pickleball, tennis, indoor pool, fitness center) still matches your lifestyle are real questions rather than theoretical ones.
  • Resale value reflects whether the Intracoastal/Ocean Club premium held up. Buyers a decade in can look at actual resale comparables between Grande Dunes and Del Webb North Myrtle Beach to see whether the original price premium was preserved, grew, or narrowed — real data instead of a sales pitch.
The Honest Summary

Del Webb at Grande Dunes is a strong, established choice for buyers who will genuinely use the Ocean Club and value the Intracoastal setting and a deeper resale market. The things that catch new owners off guard aren’t hidden defects — they’re paperwork deadlines (the two separate tax filings), cost items that show up at resale closing rather than in the HOA statement, and amenity terms (Ocean Club access, golf) that live outside the HOA documents. None of it is a reason to avoid the community. All of it is a reason to get specifics in writing before you close, not after.

Related Research

Del Webb at Grande Dunes — Full Community OverviewMyrtle Beach Market HubHorry County Property Tax GuideGrande Dunes vs. Del Webb North Myrtle Beach — Full ComparisonAll Nova55Living ResearchTalk to a Specialist

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