I haven’t trusted the National Association of REALTORS since the sunshine they pumped into the real estate market just prior to the 2008 meltdown caused some folks to be grievously surprised when housing prices plummeted (those who had just purchased homes and those who could have sold theirs before they went under water). It was definitely a low point for the trade group.
        But the NAR has been slowly reestablishing its credibility and providing more sanguine opinions and analysis much more appropriate to the data it provides. When the group’s web site, Realtor.com, recently published its “Hottest Beach Towns” list, I was willing to take note...and share those results with you.
        To create their list of most currently attractive beach towns, the editors at Realtor.com looked how many people accessed listings in each beach towns, and then they eliminated all those with populations above 100,000 to assess those towns with “a small town vibe.” That filtering process left about 1,100 beach towns to consider.
Condominiums beside the iconic Mike Strantz design at True Blue Plantation in Pawleys Island, SC, are listed well below the area's median prices for homes. True Blue condos are offered as low as $110,000.  Photo courtesy of Elliot deBear
        All but one of the top 10 hottest beach towns is located in Florida. Myrtle Beach, SC, known as much for its buffet of golf courses as for its sparkling barely interrupted 90-mile strand of beach, ranks 3rd on the list which adds, for each town, the latest median list prices for homes. In Myrtle Beach’s case, that is $168,950. (Much of the market comprises condominiums.) Topping the list are Sarasota ($339,000) and Naples ($479,000), two towns we know well and where we have established great working relationships with real estate professionals who understand the golf community markets in those hot towns. (See below for what those median prices will buy you in each of the top markets.)
        At #5 on the list is Vero Beach where we recently established a working relationship with Suzanne Leffew of the Dale Sorensen Agency, one of the most successful real estate firms in the Vero area. We have been impressed in Vero with how much home one can still find in an area a short drive to the beach and in communities –- we are featuring Grand Harbor and Pointe West –- with excellent golf and other amenities. The median price of home in the area is $309,000. We might also note that Vero is not in the most densely populated section the Sunshine State’s east coast; if you don’t want to spend a good chunk of your retirement or winter vacation fighting traffic, Vero Beach is worth a look.
        Rounding out the top 5 is #4 Delray Beach ($248,950). For Realtor.com’s full list of top beach locations and the accompanying article, click here.

Current homes for sale at median price in top beach towns

• In Sarasota’s Palmer Ranch, $344,000 will buy you a 2-bedroom, 2-bath condominium adjacent to the Stoneybrook Golf & Country Club, featuring 1,684 square feet, a heated pool and spa and a maintenance free lifestyle (or exterior maintenance handled by homeowner’s association). The underrated Arthur Hills designed the golf course, which is open to the public but offers memberships to residents only.
  
  Because it is a mature community, the Imperial Estates & Golf community doesn't get the attention it deserves. Its single-family homes are among the most reasonably priced in the upscale market of Naples. The community also features 36 holes of golf.
• In Naples’ well-established and gated Imperial Estates & Golf community, $469,000 is being asked for a 3 bedroom, 3 bath single-family home of 2,451 square feet. Single-car garages at both ends of the house, accessed from a circular drive, add to the unique cachet of the home. A generously sized lanai looks directly out on the private 15 x 30-foot pool, which can be accessed through glass sliding doors from a few points in the house. With 36 holes of golf, 18 by Arthur Hills, Imperial is a royal experience for its residents and club members.
• In Myrtle Beach, homes available at the median price of $168,950 are almost always condominiums. Some are ideal for part-time ownership and spur of the moment family vacations or buddy golf trips. The condos adjacent to the unique True Blue golf course certainly could fit that description. They aren’t all that much to look at but, hey, you’re there to play golf, and the golf at True Blue and its companion course, Caledonia, provide the best tandem on the Grand Strand. One True Blue condo that looks out on the golf course is priced at $155,000 and provides 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and around 1,350 square feet of space. Other smaller True Blue condos are priced all the way down to $110,000.
• The private enclave in Vero Beach known as the Indian River Club is gated and features a championship layout by Ron Garl. Course access is for members only and their guests. Those members are from 29 U.S. states and Canada, and they appreciate not only the challenging and fun layout but also the swim and fitness centers and active clubhouse. For $309,000 in Indian River, you will find a 3-bedroom, 2-bath golf villa sited on the 10th hole with a short walk to the clubhouse, pool and practice area.

        For an overview of a number of the best golf communities in these and other areas along the coast, please visit our Golf Homes for Sale pages.

        Because my beloved Brooklyn Dodgers conducted spring training there, I grew up loving Vero Beach without ever having set foot in the place. Dodgertown was perennially regaled as the most fully outfitted spring training facility in all of baseball and, perhaps, in all of sports. Players’ wives and families especially liked Vero for its balmy winter climate, wide and beautiful beaches and congenial atmosphere. It must have been tough to return to Brooklyn and its 40 to 50 degree April temperatures for the beginning of the regular season after a winter mostly in the 70s.
        The Dodgers, sadly, left for dryer spring pastures in Arizona, closer to the Los Angeles they moved to in 1958 (this is where a 67-year-old man starts to tear up). The good news is that all the surrounding elements that made Dodgertown great –- its nine hole golf course at the time was much praised -– still make Vero Beach strongly worthy of consideration by those looking for a home in one of the area’s top-notch but reasonably priced golf communities.
One of the pools at Grand Harbor, Vero Beach
        This is why we are pleased to announce that Vero Beach golf home listings are now posted in our Golf Homes for Sale section, along with more than five-dozen other high-quality golf communities throughout the Southeast. Our real estate professional in Vero Beach is Suzanne Leffew who, like your editor, was New Jersey born and raised -– please don’t hold that against us –- and is one of the most successful agents on the Treasure Coast. Suzanne suggested Grand Harbor as a golf community in the area that appeals across a broad spectrum of interests and price ranges. Click on the blue button on the Grand Harbor page, send Suzanne a note with your price range included, and she will provide you with a customized list of current homes for sale at Grand Harbor that fall in your price range. She can also provide sample listings from other golf communities in the Vero Beach area that fit your requirements and budget.
        Speaking of other top golf communities in the Vero Beach area, we have also posted information at Golf Homes for Sale about Pointe West, another Vero Beach golf community with a unique twist -– shops, medical offices, restaurants and more just a short walk from within most areas of the community. Adjacent to this “Town Center” are tree-lined sidewalks in Heritage Park which lead to exhibition and entertainment venues that host festivals, craft fairs and art shows. The golf course, by John Sanford, was clearly inspired by trips to Scotland; and because the golf club is managed by the Arnold Palmer group, club members have access to the dozens of great Palmer-managed clubs around the world.
        Florida is hot again, and prices are rising to pre-recession levels, which means “relatively expensive.” Because it is far from the maddening crowds of Boca Raton and cities farther down the coast, Vero Beach golf communities are still reasonably priced. For example, I noted today a cute 3-bedroom, 2-bath home of about 2,500 square feet in Pointe West that is currently listed for just $315,000 and includes views out to the golf course from the home’s screened porch. As a home cook, I especially appreciate the gas stove in the expansive kitchen. You will too.