The welcome mat (and chairs) are out for the British at Owl's Nest in Campton, NH. All others are welcome too.
A
curious thing is happening at some New England golf resorts that feature
residential properties: They
are looking well beyond the northeast to attract new residents. Although the rationales for targeting
Florida and the United Kingdom may be quite different, the potential returns
may well be worth the marketing efforts.
In
2008, the state of Florida suffered its first net population loss in 50
years. Fed up with hurricane
threats, higher insurance premiums, eroding infrastructure, and mind-numbing
traffic, Floridians who can afford it are heading north. The mountains of North Carolina are
among the most popular destinations for those seeking moderation from the
stifling heat of the southern two-thirds of Florida. Places like Asheville and Brevard in North Carolina offer
surprisingly temperate climates in the winter and bearable temperatures and
humidity in the summer. Some golf
courses in the mountains near Asheville stay open year round. The choices of communities are wide
ranging and high quality, with The Cliffs Communities at the high end ($1
million and up homes, $150,000 golf membership); to Trillium (homes beginning
in the mid six figures), whose kitschy Morris Hatalsky layout grows on you; to
Reems Creek with a British designed links-style course and adjacent homes
starting under $500,000.
But
Asheville is getting crowded, and because of the mountains, many of the heavily
trafficked roads in and out of the city
As Asheville becomes more and more crowded, so too will its roads. New England golf resorts are counting on some of the traffic heading their way.
cannot be expanded easily to
accommodate an influx of population the way Florida's dead flat land could
during that state's boom years. My
own recent travels through Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts indicate
prices in New England are lower than comparables in the Carolina mountains, and
adjacent or close to golf courses of a corresponding high quality. For those reasons, and because many
retired Florida couples want to be closer to their children and grandchildren
living north of the Mason/Dixon line, northeast resorts are wise to market to
the Sunshine State crowd, while targeting also retiring baby boomers already living
in the northeast.
The United Kingdom is also in the
sights of some New England resort communities. Developers at Owl's Nest, for example, a community with reasonably
priced condos ($300s and up) and detached houses on an exciting mountain golf course (I played
it and liked it), have forged an arrangement with a British marketing firm to
develop prospects. This makes
sense for two reasons: The
dollar/sterling pound exchange rate is tilted in favor of those who live in the
UK (and likely to stay that way as crushing debt erodes the dollar value
further); and the kingdom doesn't have much more land on which to build
large-scale golf developments.
Although continental European golf resorts and land-rich countries like
Turkey are within a few hours flight of the UK, New England golf resort communities
can offer a price advantage and more mountain golf courses.
And,
of course, an Englishman should feel right at home in a place called New
England.
New England golf and ski resorts, like Stratton Mountain, are counting on more interest from Florida retirees looking for a cooler alternative.
If you would like more information on golf communities north or south, just contact me and I will be happy to help.
