I’ve just about had it with the ice and snow of the northeast, and am sorely tempted to consider moving to a golf community where I can play golf all year ’round. If you’ve been thinking about moving to a golf community, either as a vacation home or permanent residence, guest author and contributing writer for Florida’s WCI Communities, Frank Pipolo, has some great advice you should consider.

Out of the thousands of golf communities spread across America, which one will you choose to enjoy a game of golf?

There is a chance that you will be overwhelmed by the choices on offer. As an avid golfer or somebody who’s just starting out you will want to choose a community that has been designed to perfection and which will test every club in your bag. Moreover, you might have specific requirements as far as the amenities that you want the golf course community to offer. Whatever your needs, you’ll want to choose a golf course that satisfies these needs otherwise you might find yourself ruing the fact that you chose to invest in the wrong golf course community.

To make sure this does not happen, here are five tips to help you make the right choice as far as golf course communities are concerned:

1. First things first, consider financial stability – If you are buying a home in a golf course community, you must first ensure its financial stability. Talk to the developer about the financials of the community. You need to inquire about the various safeguards, financial or otherwise, that will ensure the community is well-maintained and has clearly defined earning resources. If you cannot talk to the developers, get in touch with the Home Owners Association. Investigate it thoroughly to ensure the people living in it are actually happy with the quality of their purchase and whether the community is delivering on its promises. If you’ve any lingering doubts, don’t take a chance, start looking for another community with better financials.

2. Projected Growth of the Region – Yes, you love golf and that’s why you’ve decided to buy a home in a golf course community. This could either be your first home or even a vacation home. But, you still need to know whether your investment will deliver good returns on your investment after a period of time. What if you decide you no longer want to live there and move to a bigger, better place, that offers far better amenities and facilities? In such a case, you’ll want to sell this property at a profit. This will only happen if the area where the community is located is growing fast and there are other attractions that are propping up the housing rates of the area, in addition to just the golf course. So, do your homework to make sure you pick a home that makes tremendous financial sense and will deliver value in the years to come.

3. Essential Services – In their bid to buy a home in some golfing paradise, people forget that it’s not just a game of golf that will allow them to lead satisfying lives in such communities. You need access to a departmental store, hospital, school, university and many other necessary amenities. You might love a golf course community that is literally and figuratively a paradise for golfing enthusiasts but if it’s situated in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest medical facility or grocery store, it just doesn’t make any sense to live there, does it? What if you have a heart condition and the nearest medical help is a few hours away. For you, living in such a golfing community is actually a really bad idea.

4. What other Perks are on Offer? – It’s a given that you’ve chosen to live in a golf course community because of your love for the game. But will that be enough to get you through all the time you spend in this community? What about your spouse, who might not love golf as much as you do, or your kids, who have no love for the game? How are they going to pass their time while you are enjoying the golfing greens?

This is why it’s important that the community offers other perks than just golf. Swimming pool, tennis courts, gym, indoor gaming rooms, basketball courts, artificial lake, hiking trails, mini movie theatres, biking trails etc. are just some of the many perks offered by the best golfing communities. They understand the fact that not everybody living in these communities actually loves golf. They offer plenty of choices to residents as far as sports and entertainment is concerned. A golf centric community does revolve around golf, but strives to be a good choice for people who are looking for residences with a golf backdrop, but aren’t passionately in love with the sport.

5. Affordability – No, these homes don’t come cheap, but the fact that you’ve decided to make an investment in a golf course community, means you’ve money to spare. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t focus on the affordability factor. In this case, affordability refers to the budget you’ve in your mind. How much do you want to pay for a home in a residential community whose piece-de-resistance is a golf course? Remember, there is an end to the amount you can spend, so you need to put a cap on it right from the start. This will help you choose a home that’s well within your budget and which has everything going for it from the ROI and amenities point of view.

Hopefully these tips will help you pick the perfect golf course community that delivers on your expectations. The whole idea is to make an informed decision and not pick a community just because everybody is raving about it. The fact that people are saying nice things about it means it must be doing something right, but you must be very sure that it is something that meets your needs and requirements. Comprehensive market research and a thorough understanding of what the home in a particular golfing community brings to the table will help you make the right choice.

Author Bio: Frank Pipolo is a 20-year professional executive and writer for WCI Communities, a Florida lifestyle community developer and luxury homebuilder, catering to move-up, second-home and active adult homebuyers. 

. . . . .

Are you thinking about moving to a golf community? What’s your first choice for location? If you already live at a golfing community, what’s been your experience? Add your comment below.