Seaglass Cottage Apartment Homes now stabilized, while more than 60% of Swells Cottage Apartment Homes move-ins completed

Myrtle Beach, SC — Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, continues to experience intense demand for its innovative build-to-rent concept in the firm’s home base of Myrtle Beach. For instance, the Sands-developed 253-unit Seaglass Cottage Apartment Homes in North Myrtle Beach is now stabilized, while the firm’s Swells Cottage Apartment Homes in Murrells Inlet is rapidly filling up with residents.

The award-winning Seaglass Cottages, located on the Intracoastal Waterway in the Barefoot Resort neighborhood of North Myrtle Beach, is now more than 95% occupied. The detached, horizontal cottage-style apartment home community is redefining the build-to-rent genre, with groups of homes built into “muses” and each having its own outdoor amenity to enjoy from a courtyard garden, fire pit or lawn games. Interior features include top-of-the-line kitchen finishes such as granite countertops, white cabinets, and stainless-steel appliances, luxury vinyl wood-look plank flooring, walk-in closets, large and bright living spaces and architectural touches like tray ceilings throughout the homes.

Following the success of Seaglass Cottages, Sands is now developing the 92-unit second phase of the project. That phase will include 92 one and two-story cottages consisting of two and three-bedroom units ranging from 924 to 1,633 square feet. The project is expected to be completed in the winter of 2024.

Sands and Seaglass Cottages were honored by national publication Multi-Housing News with a 2022 Excellence Award in the “Best Development & Design: Single-Family Rental” category.

Swells Cottages is more than 70% leased and 60% occupied. Located at 1501 Flatwood St., Swells Cottages is a 221-unit project with a mix of one and two-story cottage homes ranging from one to three bedrooms and 672 to 1,293 square feet. Each spacious one and two-story detached cottage features a front porch framed in Southern charm, with exteriors painted in a palette of beach-inspired shades and the interiors feature standout, high-end finishes.

The community is less than a mile from the beach and includes a rich amenity package such as a pool with a sun shelf and a clubhouse with a screened-in porch and fireplace, fitness center with fitness mirrors, fire pit, and a residential lounge complete with a bistro and kitchen area, shuffleboard and games.

“The activity at these two Myrtle Beach developments has been tremendous,” said Sands President Joe Morrison. “The leasing velocity is proof of concept for our trendsetting model, and demand for our remaining inventory is extremely strong. We will keep pursuing opportunities to bring our build-to-rent product to the Myrtle Beach area.”

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About Sands Companies: Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision that is ahead of the curve in the multi-family industry. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. It is with that foundation we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com.

Multifamily development and construction firm triples office space with new HQ, making room for employee and project growth

Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, expanded into brand-new office space as company continues to rapidly grow.

Sands’ new headquarters is located at 9654 N. Kings Highway, Suite C-2 and totals 10,000 square feet. This office is triple the size of the firm’s previous office space. Currently, 30 employees are based in this location with plans for continued personnel expansion.

Over the past two years, Sands Companies has hired 15 employees at various levels of the South Carolina-based firm to accommodate the multitude of projects currently under construction and the many more planned for the near future.

The firm has more than 2,000 detached, horizontal cottage-style apartment homes under development throughout the Southeast with its latest project breaking ground in Gainesville, Fla. – the firm’s first in the state.

“Our brand-new headquarters represents an exciting new chapter of growth for our firm,” said Sands Companies CEO and co-founder Joe Morrison. “We made sure to design the office with a modern feel and emphasis on collaboration. We look forward to further expanding our Sands family in our home base of Myrtle Beach and in all markets, we operate in.”

Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision ahead of the multifamily industry's curve. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline, and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. With that foundation, we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member, and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com. 

Multifamily development and construction firm triples office space with new HQ, making room for employee and project growth

Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, expanded into brand-new office space as company continues to rapidly grow.

Sands’ new headquarters is located at 9654 N. Kings Highway, Suite C-2 and totals 10,000 square feet. This office is triple the size of the firm’s previous office space. Currently, 30 employees are based in this location with plans for continued personnel expansion.

Over the past two years, Sands Companies has hired 15 employees at various levels of the South Carolina-based firm to accommodate the multitude of projects currently under construction and the many more planned for the near future.

The firm has more than 2,000 detached, horizontal cottage-style apartment homes under development throughout the Southeast with its latest project breaking ground in Gainesville, Fla. – the firm’s first in the state.

“Our brand-new headquarters represents an exciting new chapter of growth for our firm,” said Sands Companies CEO and co-founder Joe Morrison. “We made sure to design the office with a modern feel and emphasis on collaboration. We look forward to further expanding our Sands family in our home base of Myrtle Beach and in all markets, we operate in.”

Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision ahead of the multifamily industry's curve. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline, and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. With that foundation, we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member, and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com. 

Forward-thinking developer to bring 212 cottage-style apartment homes to strong Sunshine State submarket

Gainesville, FL — Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm based in South Carolina, is expanding into the Florida market with a new build-to-rent (BTR) development in Gainesville. The firm has acquired a 22-acre site in a Gainesville suburb and plans to build 212 cottage-style apartment homes there.

A leading developer in the BTR sector, Sands first introduced the concept to build detached, horizontal apartments in 2014, many years before the model was adopted by others in the multifamily industry. With this new project, Sands is bringing the model it has perfected in the Carolinas and Georgia to the Sunshine State.

Sands will construct one, two and three-bedroom cottages ranging from 510 to 1,693 square feet. Interior features include chef-inspired kitchens; stainless steel appliances; modern white cabinetry; spacious granite countertops; in-home washer and dryer units; walk-in closets; designer lighting packages and ceiling fans. Select units will have large kitchen islands; kitchen pantries; dual sinks in master bathrooms; private, fenced-in yards; and attached garages.

The Gainesville project will be rich in amenities, including a 5,000-square-foot resident clubhouse; resort-style pool with a sundeck; relaxing cabanas adjacent to the pool; outdoor fire pit; outdoor kitchen with two gas grills; state-of-the-art fitness center with interactive fitness mirrors and a flex room; and private workstations.

“We were aggressively targeting opportunities to expand into Florida, and Gainesville is the perfect submarket to do so,” Sands President Joe Morrison said. “Gainesville’s demographics – particularly when it comes to job and population growth – are similar to the Sun Belt areas we currently develop in. We continue to pursue site acquisitions throughout Florida.”

Located within Alachua County’s Town of Newberry, the project site is only 15 minutes from the Gainesville Regional Airport and 11 miles from downtown Gainesville. It has easy access to I-75.

Gainesville’s population grew 13.5% from 2010 to 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Area unemployment was a scant 2.8% in August 2022. These broader trends are creating substantial demand for new housing to accommodate Gainesville’s growth.

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About Sands Companies: Sands Companies was founded in 2014 based on the mission to build homes in neighborhoods that enrich the community. Sands’ developments are designed with quality craftsmanship and a vision that is ahead of the curve in the multi-family industry. Sands’ reputation is built on integrity, discipline and enthusiasm that stand as the foundation for every home we build. It is with that foundation we maintain a relationship of trust with every homeowner, team member and project expert that we encounter. For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com.

92-unit project expands existing community of cottage-style build-to-rent homes in Myrtle Beach 

Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, began construction on the second phase of Seaglass Cottage Apartment Homes in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This phase of the horizontal cottage-style apartment homes brings 99 additional units to the already completed 349-unit first phase of the community. 

Located on Doveshell Drive, the second phase of Seaglass Cottage Apartment Homes, part of the charming and established Barefoot Landing Resort in North Myrtle Beach, will include 92 one- and two-story cottages consisting of two and three-bedroom units ranging from 924 square feet to 1,633 square feet. The project is expected to be completed in the winter of 2024. 

“We’re delighted to expand this already desirable community of cottage homes in Myrtle Beach,” said Sands President Joe Morrison. “We love redefining what a rental home means and making rental units feel like anything but. The second phase of Seaglass features amenities that are unheard of in the industry. We can’t wait to see what our residents think of them!” 

The second phase of Seaglass begins as phase one reaches 100% occupancy and will feature unique amenities compared to traditional rental communities on the market. Individual units will feature first-of-its-kind private splash pools, pet yards and attached garages in select homes. Other interior features include open floorplans with high ceilings, luxury plank flooring and large kitchen islands. 

Community amenities live up to its coastal and relaxed aesthetic with a resort-inspired pool with a sun deck, courtyards throughout the community, a private beach located on the property as well as shuttle access to Myrtle Beach. 

For more information, visit www.sandscompanies.com.  

Larson Baldwin, Roger Barnes, Melanie McIntosh, Rivers Singleton and Chris Waterman strengthen multifamily development and construction firm

Sands Companies, a full-service, vertically integrated multifamily development and construction firm, continues to add new talent to its team to progress its expansion into additional markets in the Southeast U.S. The firm welcomed Larson Baldwin, Roger Barnes, Melanie McIntosh, Rivers Singleton and Chris Waterman to its growing team.

Over the past year, Sands has hired 20 employees at various levels of the South Carolina-based firm with plans to continue talent recruitment as it advances several new projects. The firm has more than 2,000 detached, horizontal cottage-style apartment homes under development throughout the Southeast.

At Sands, Waterman and Barnes serve as Superintendents. Baldwin is an Assistant Superintendent, Singleton is a Procurement Specialist and McIntosh is the Office Manager.

Baldwin comes to Sands from Charlotte, North Carolina and is well-versed in managing large construction projects. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University.

Barnes, originally from New Jersey, has over 40 years of experience as a licensed contractor with projects ranging from initial framing, new custom single-family homes, mid-rise projects and more.

McIntosh recently relocated from Michigan and comes to Sands with over 15 years of office management experience. She will focus on office operations as well as human resources for the company.

Hailing from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Singleton will work with Sands’ vendor partners to secure products that are used to build each home. He will also focus on price negotiation and securing new partners.

Waterman resides in Conway, South Carolina and has 10 years of construction management experience including project estimation, coordinating with crew and vendors as well as carpentry, roofing and paving.

“We are delighted to welcome these five individuals to the Sands team,” said Sands Companies President Joe Morrison. “These team members will help shape the way we bring single-family rentals to the markets we operate in, and we are thrilled to support their growth within the company and in their careers.”