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When having problems with an HOA or a neighbor, it may be easy to complain about it online.

But spreading that negativity could impact your ability to sell your house. At least, that’s what one Nextdoor user said, pointing out that posting such problems could be shared with others, affecting the resale of a home.

How do such online comments affect a home’s sellability?

Brie Bender, the director of brokerage operations at BRG Grand Strand Real Estate based in the Myrtle Beach area, said homeowners could immortalize neighborhood issues by posting about them online.

Posting about your neighbor’s loud music could scare people away, even if that neighbor no longer lives there.

Bender says she has seen people use Interstate 73 to influence where they buy their home. The goal of the Interstate is to connect S.C. 22 to Interstate 94.

However, the expansion in Horry County does not have a finalized map or plan, but people look at older maps thinking they’re accurate.

Bender said the logic of online posting can be applied to HOA drama, for instance.

“Anything that comes up, they’ll dig into it,” Bender said, referring to people looking for a new home. She compared home buyers to detectives.

In 2023, Horry County made the most HOA complaints in South Carolina with around 123 complaints against HOAs, according to a South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs report. The most common complaints are HOAs not enforcing their bylaws, concerns about maintenance and disagreement with fees or special assessments.

Instead of posting on social media, Bender encourages homeowners to take issues directly to the source. Rather than complaining to strangers — and potential home buyers — about your neighbor’s music, it would be better to ask your neighbor to turn it down or talk to your HOA.

“Absolutely, what you say online has an impact,” Bender said.