GRAND PALMS RESORT / PLANTATION RESORT HISTORY

 

Blaine Liljenquist, his wife, Lynda, and their two-year-old daughter moved to Myrtle Beach in the April 1977 .  Blaine obtained employment as a time share salesman at the Golden Sands Beach Club and later at Deer Creek in Deerfield Plantation. Previously, he had sold time shares at Cedar Village at Beech Mountain, North Carolina and recreational lots at Massanutten and Lake Monticello.

 

In June 1978, Deerfield Plantation was purchased by investors from Tennessee and Blaine was offered the position of Broker in Charge of Deerfield Realty. He was responsible for the sale of golf course lots as well as all other land in Deerfield Plantation. He also began to develop the land along Glenns Bay Road into a 30-unit town home subdivision known as Deer Run Village. He sold the first six units to buyers who wanted to rent them on annual leases. A mortgage lender was able to obtain pre approved permanent FHA financing for the six purchasers. A reputable contractor was hired to build the town homes. Because the six purchasers were already pre approved for their permanent loans and because an established reputable builder was building the town homes, Blaine was able to obtain the construction financing necessary to build them. Deerfield Plantation, Inc. also subordinated the land to the construction loan. This meant that Plantation Resort did not have to invest money itself. The 30 town homes were sold, built and financed in this manner.

 

He then established his own construction company, hired a contractor to work for him and continued building town homes. Sixty-three town homes were built at Deer Park Gardens and another 87 at F airway Ridge, all in Deerfield Plantation. Many owners wanted to use their town homes as vacation homes and have them rented at other times. Therefore, a short term vacation rental program was established. The rental company, the construction company and the real estate sales company made up the original Plantation Resort business entities.

 

In the early 1980s, land was purchased at the entrance to Deerfield Plantation on which the 6,000 sq. ft. Plantation Resort office building was constructed. A couple of years later, the 6,000 sq. ft. Preview Center was constructed and rented as five commercial offices. When the Plantation Resort time share sales program began in 1988, this building became the first time share sales office. The large sales office behind the Preview Center was constructed in phases as the time share sales program expanded and is about 16,000 square feet.

 

By 1983, it had become obvious that combining long term and short term rentals in all of the above­ named subdivisions was impracticable. They were too far apart. The decision was made to begin a new condominium development in which all of the units would be on Plantation Resort's short term vacation rental program. These are the 327 brown brick condominiums with the blue shutters which are now being converted into time share condominiums.

 

In order to sell the condominiums and to make to make year round vacation rentals viable, the 16,000 sq. ft. Plantation Resort Health and Swim Club Complex was constructed. It features a large indoor heated swimming pool, a whirlpool, a large steam room and large sauna in each locker room, a well-equipped weight room, an activity center and game room and a professional aerobics room.

 

As time went by, it was becoming increasingly difficult to fill the Plantation Resort condominiums with enough vacation rentals. Also, if a prospective purchaser did not wish to purchase an expensive condominium, no lower priced product to was available to purchase.

 

In 1987, Blaine decided, based on his previous experience as a time share salesman, to construct one time share building and see how it would do. . Time share sales began in early 1988. It quickly became apparent that time sharing was a much better business plan than selling whole ownership condominiums. The construction and sale of whole ownership privately owned condominiums were halted. Buildings 208, 221 and 223 were the first time share buildings. Plantation Resort was able to secure both construction financing and end loan purchaser financing for the time share project because of its excellent credit history with every lending institution with which it did business.

 

One-hundred- fifty Presidential Villas at Plantation Resort time share condominiums were built and sold. While this was happening, the 4,600 sq. ft. outdoor heated swimming pool complex was constructed along with the in-house VIP sales office. A 6,000 sq. ft. maintenance and housekeeping building was also built. A large playground and picnic area was erected on the site where the lazy river complex is now located.

 

When additional recreational amenities were needed, a poll was taken with owners and guests to determine whether they would like another large swimming pool or a lazy river. Ninety percent voted in favor of a lazy river. A 330 foot long lazy river, a splash deck, a whirlpool and kiddie pool were constructed on the playground site. The playground was taken down and donated to a charitable organization. Many missed having a playground so a new one was erected at a nearby site.

 

After the Presidential Villas at Plantation Resort time share condominiums was completed, Plantation Resort began buying back many of the 327 Plantation Resort condominiums and converting them to time share units. Everything in each condominium is removed and the interiors completely-redone, Lynda Liljenquist, Blaine's wife, did much of the decorating in all of the Plantation Resort condominiums, sales offices and office buildings for many years. Now, the services of a professional decorator and architect, a husband and wife team, are also being utilized. About 125 of the brown brick Plantation Resort condominiums have been repurchased for conversion to time share use so far. This conversion program will continue for many years.

 

In March 2012, The Official Myrtle Beach Welcome Center by Aynor, SC, previously owned by the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, was purchased to aid in securing additional tours for Plantation Resort's time share sales program.