When you love to play golf, living in a golfing community can be a dream come true—and here, we’ll help you to weigh the pros and cons of buying one of the golf course homes on the market. Equipped with that knowledge, you can proceed with confidence when looking at golf course real estate.
#1 Wake Up Right by the Course
This means that you don’t need to fight traffic to get there, and the only gas money you’ll need is when it’s time to fill up your golf cart. If you love being surrounded by the sport’s ambiance and appreciate the closeness of the course, then the location can be a real plus. Before investing in golf course real estate, though, you might decide to investigate a long term rental scenario to verify that living in one of the golf course homes is what you really want. You might find, for example, that you’d love to invest in a home in the area but not necessarily right on the course property.
#2 Safety and Privacy Issues
Pros and cons clearly exist when considering the safety and privacy of golf course properties. Golf course homes tend to exist in luxury neighborhoods (as they do on Amelia Island), often in gated communities that come with quality security. Not surprisingly, these golf communities, overall, have low crime rates. As far as Fernandino Beach, which is the city on Amelia Island, AreaVibes gives it safety from crime rating of A+, noting how total crime there is 62 percent less than the national average with violent crimes being 66 percent less than that average.
Living on one of the golf course properties, of course, means that your home will be remarkably near golf balls. And, depending upon where, specifically, you live in relation to holes on the course, you will have varying degrees of risks of a ball hitting your property. You could experience a broken window in your house or car windshield, a dented car roof, or a person getting hit. Or, your lawn may get roughed up a bit by stray golf balls. So, when talking to your home insurance agent after choosing your favorite of available golf course homes, discuss what coverage you need for this purpose.
If you buy your home near a green or tee box, you’ll be less likely to have issues with errant balls, but you may hear golfers’ conversations quite clearly. Plus, depending upon the presence (or lack of one) of a privacy fence or hedge, you may find yourself being in sight of golfers as you go about your business at home. As you tour golf course homes for sale, keep in mind the degree of privacy available as well as possibilities for adding privacy-enhancing features to the house.
#3 Visitors, Visitors, Visitors
When you love to golf and have friends that also enjoy the sport, you may be thrilled to have them stay with you to hit the greens first thing in the morning. If so, consider what that means when choosing the right piece of golf course real estate. How many bedrooms? How many bathrooms? How many should be en-suite? What should the capacity of your kitchen and dining room be to accommodate your guests? What are the golf course’s policies for non-members when they are staying with you?
#4 Understand the Rules and Culture
When living in one of the golf course properties, what are membership requirements? Are they compulsory? Are they part of your homeowner’s association (HOA) fees, or is the golf membership fee separate? Will the HOA maintain your lawn and handle pest control? What amenities exist with this home? What HOA restrictions exist if applicable? Are they ones with which you’ll be happy to comply?
Each golf course will come with its own culture, too—meaning, unwritten rules that, in some ways, are as intertwined with the property as the written ones. So, see what you can find out about the one where you’re looking to buy a property. Real estate agents at Amelia Island Real Estate will have insider insights to share.
#5 Property Value and Return on Investment
As with any property purchase, you’ll need to consider the cost of the golf course real estate and how well it retains its value. When you’re looking at a development, you can get a sense of the overall home prices, noting that certain golf community homes will be more in-demand—such as those with a stunning view of the vista or those located in premium places near the greens. Those homes, naturally enough, will typically come with a higher price tag. That said, those features aren’t likely to go out of demand, so you may well get an excellent return on investment.
Or you may be content with golf course real estate in a beautiful community (like the homes on Amelia Island!) without having to have the premier spot. Gain clarity about your wants and needs, and then begin the process of choosing your dream home.
Choose a Real Estate Agent Experienced in Golf Course Homes
Selecting an experienced real estate agent is helpful for virtually every kind of home purchase, but may be especially important for homes on golf courses. First, they can be quite in-demand, and the agent may know of private sales where you can gain entry into the bidding process. Plus, the agent would know about HOA requirements, amenities, and restrictions as well as insights into the culture that aren’t published anywhere.
Our knowledgeable real estate agents are passionate about the Amelia Island lifestyle, including with golf community homes. When you contact us, letting us know what you desire in your home, we can show you homes on golf courses that meet your requirements and dovetail with your dreams. Connect with us! We’d love to provide you with a concierge experience as we show you stunning golf course homes on the gorgeous Amelia Island.
