Construction lending in Myrtle Beach is supported by several regional banks with active Horry County portfolios, though lenders have grown selective about submarket location and product type following the supply wave that pushed multifamily vacancy higher in 2022 and 2023. Equity requirements typically run 30% to 40% for ground-up multifamily, and lenders heavily weight presale or pre-lease activity before committing to retail or mixed-use construction facilities. The greatest construction lending activity in 2026 is concentrated in Carolina Forest and the US-17 bypass corridor in North Myrtle Beach, where absorption data supports new deliveries and land basis remains manageable relative to projected rents.

When to Use Construction Loans in Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach's commercial real estate market, driven by tourism and hospitality, healthcare, retail trade, construction, education, creates specific scenarios where construction loans are the optimal financing choice:

  • Ground-up apartment developments
  • Industrial warehouse construction
  • Build-to-suit retail and office
  • Hotel development and rehabilitation
  • Fix-and-flip residential projects
  • Major property renovations and repositioning

In the Myrtle Beach metro, construction loans are particularly relevant given the market's 4.1% rent growth and 2.9% job growth, which support development feasibility and absorption timelines.

Current Construction Loan Rates in Myrtle Beach

As of 2026, construction loans in the Myrtle Beach market are pricing at the following levels:

  • Rate Range: 6.23% - 13.04%
  • Loan Amount: $1M - $100M+
  • Term: 12 - 36 Months
  • Maximum LTC: Up to 85% LTC
  • Recourse: Recourse Typical, Non-Recourse Available

Rates in Myrtle Beach may vary from national averages based on local market conditions, property type, and sponsor experience. The Myrtle Beach market's 5.50%-6.25% multifamily cap rates and 6.25%-7.25% industrial cap rates influence lender pricing as they underwrite to specific debt yield and coverage targets.

Pricing a live deal? This guide covers how the market works. For current terms, program details, and a free quote, go to our Construction Loans in Myrtle Beach, SC page or call (310) 708-0690.

Qualification Requirements

Qualifying for construction loans in Myrtle Beach requires demonstrating both borrower strength and property fundamentals. Key requirements include:

  • Borrower Experience: Lenders evaluate your track record with similar assets in Myrtle Beach or comparable markets
  • Net Worth & Liquidity: Most lenders require net worth equal to the loan amount and 6-12 months of debt service in liquid reserves
  • Property Performance: Detailed construction budget, timeline, and evidence of market demand for the finished product
  • Market Position: Asset location within Myrtle Beach's strongest submarkets, including Market Common, Carolina Forest, North Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island

Capital Sources for Construction Loans in Myrtle Beach

The Myrtle Beach market offers access to a diverse set of capital sources for construction loans:

  • Banks
  • Debt Funds
  • Private Lenders
  • Credit Unions
  • CDFI Lenders

Each capital source has distinct appetites for property types, leverage levels, and borrower profiles. Working with a commercial mortgage broker who maintains relationships across all these capital sources ensures you're seeing the most competitive terms available in Myrtle Beach.

Exit Strategy Considerations

Construction loans in Myrtle Beach are interim financing that must be replaced upon project completion. The typical exit is a permanent loan once the property is built and stabilized, or a sale to a long-term investor. The Myrtle Beach market's 2.9% job growth and 2.8% population growth support absorption assumptions, but borrowers should underwrite conservatively and have backup exit options.

Myrtle Beach Market Context

Myrtle Beach anchors its economy on the Grand Strand's tourism infrastructure, which draws roughly 20 million visitors annually and supports one of the densest concentrations of hospitality and retail square footage per capita on the East Coast. Tanger Outlets in the north strand, the Broadway at the Beach entertainment complex, and Market Common, a redeveloped former Air Force base that converted into a lifestyle retail and multifamily district, demonstrate how the market has layered permanent resident demand on top of a historically seasonal base. Hospitality underwriting here requires careful attention to average daily rate compression during the shoulder season and the outsized share of extended-stay and condo-hotel product that complicates conventional debt sizing. Conway Medical Center and Grand Strand Medical Center anchor a growing medical office corridor serving a population that skews older and is expanding through sustained migration from the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, particularly into Carolina Forest and Pawleys Island. That demographic shift has made Horry County one of the faster-growing counties in South Carolina by raw population count, driving multifamily absorption across workforce and attainable price points even as luxury product has entered the pipeline in North Myrtle Beach and Socastee. Industrial demand remains modest relative to major logistics metros, concentrated in last-mile and light distribution serving the contractor and hospitality supply chain, while Horry County's relatively low property tax assessments and South Carolina's Multicounty Industrial Park incentive structure can materially affect stabilized yields on new industrial development.

Understanding the local market dynamics is critical for structuring the right financing. The Myrtle Beach metro's key commercial neighborhoods include Downtown Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, Conway, Socastee, North Myrtle Beach, Loris, Horry County, Carolina Forest, Market Common, Grand Strand, each with distinct property characteristics and tenant demand profiles.

Get a Construction Loan Quote for Myrtle Beach

CLS CRE provides construction loans throughout the Myrtle Beach metro area, with access to 1,000+ lenders competing for your deal. Our market expertise in Myrtle Beach commercial real estate helps you navigate the lending landscape and secure the most competitive terms available.

Related resources:

Trevor Damyan, Commercial Mortgage Broker
Trevor Damyan
Commercial Mortgage Broker, CLS CRE | CA DRE 02244836

Trevor Damyan is a commercial mortgage broker at Commercial Lending Solutions with a background in structured finance at CBRE and Marcus and Millichap Capital Corporation. He specializes in bridge loans, construction financing, SBA programs, DSCR loans, and complex capital structures for investors and developers across all 50 states.