This is the third in a series of things to consider when searching for a home in a golf community.
Tip #3: Sand in your shorts costs extra
During a couple of decades of looking seriously at golf community properties east of the Mississippi River, nowhere does the notion of location, location and location come into clearer focus for me than at or near the seashore. In short, the coast costs the most, and a mile or two from the ocean makes all the difference. In the Low Country of the Carolinas and Georgia, the difference in market value between a home in a beach community and a similar one a mile from the beach can be as much as 300%.
Consider DeBordieu Colony, which features a Pete Dye golf course and four miles of beach inside the
gates. A nice 4-bedroom, 3 ½-bath home there is currently listed at $1.285 million. The 4,000 square foot house is located just 800 yards from the beach, a brief bicycle ride. Homes directly on the beach start at around $3 million. Four miles up the road, at Pawleys Plantation, home to a fine Jack Nicklaus Signature course, a similarly sized house is a five-minute car ride from a fabulous public beach and is listed at $553,900. I have played both courses and can testify they are both well designed and challenging. (Note of full disclosure: I have a home and property at Pawleys Plantation). Another mile or two inland from Pawleys Plantation, and prices drop another 30% and more.
Direct beach access is indeed a luxury.
Tip #1: Sticker shock when you inherit all those amenities.
Tip #2: More golf means more fees (duh).