The traps golf home seekers fall into, plus some million-dollar babies

        The last major financial decision many of us will ever make is the purchase of the home in which we will retire and spend most of our “golden years.” We want to avoid all hazards of the search and, metaphorically speaking, not wind up in an 18-foot sinkhole like the golfer in St. Louis the other day.  (Click here for sinkhole coverage on NBC's TODAY Show.)

        This month in our free Home On The Course newsletter, we share a few lessons learned from almost a decade of assisting folks in finding

their ideal golf home. In the March edition, which will be emailed in the next 24 hours, we offer advice about when to sell your primary home, what role state taxes should play in your search, whether there is a “perfect” climate waiting for you and, on that note, how scared you should be of a hurricane threat to your golf home on the coast.

        Also, for those smart enough to keep up with the Joneses without quite paying what the Joneses pay, we play a little high-low with current homes for sale in some of the most popular golf communities in the southern U.S. We were surprised at how many golf communities offer golf homes for sale that may be a block or two apart, but also a million dollars apart in terms of their asking prices. That makes those lower priced homes look like true bargains.

        It is never too late to sign up for Home On The Course. Subscribe now to be sure to receive the March edition automatically. But even if you are late to the party, sign up any time, and we will personally send you a copy of this latest issue. All other editions are available at the top of this page by clicking on the “Past Newsletters” button.