Golf condos that almost pay for themselves

        Condominiums are the Rodney Dangerfields of the housing market, especially during a recession:  They get no respect.  But now, with

list prices for condos in many top-flight golf communities at their lowest point in years, and with interest rates still hovering around historic lows, it is reasonable to forecast an upcoming rebound in vacation home ownership.

        If you are considering the purchase of a golf vacation home, deciding whether to rent it out to other vacationing golfers may be as daunting a choice as deciding which particular community and condo unit best suits your needs.  This is precisely what your editor and his wife faced 12 years ago when we bought our vacation condo in Pawleys Plantation, south of Myrtle Beach, SC. We opted not to rent out our place, a decision with mixed consequences.

        In the May issue of Home On The Course, our free monthly newsletter, I analyze the pros and cons of renting a golf vacation home and share some current listings of condos for sale in golf communities we have visited and liked.  The May edition will email in the next couple of days, so it isn’t too late to sign up to receive your free copy this month and into the future.  Just go to the top of this column, click on the box, sign up for Home On The Course, and find out that some of the best things in life are, indeed, free.