What's shakin' in Aiken golf communities

    In real estate ownership, the experts say never have the most expensive house in the neighborhood, or the least.  Like Goldilocks' porridge, you don't want the price to be too hot or too cold, especially when it comes time to sell.  The most attractive market for homes is typically in the middle.
    Cedar Creek, a mature and nicely landscaped golf community, lands squarely in the middle of the price range for homes in the area of Aiken, SC.  Today, Dick Salsitz, a Cedar Creek resident and local real estate agent I have known for some years, sent me a few Cedar Creek listings at a range of price points.  When I visited the community four years ago, I was impressed with the prices of homes and lots; they seemed like good value for the money.  
    The current prices have receded to the levels I recall in 2005.  They include a single-family brick home at the 18th green of the Arthur Hills golf course for $384,900; a larger brick home on the 4th tee for $569,000; and three separate lots on the golf course, ranging in size from a half to ¾ acre and in price from just $119,900 to $164,000.  Count on construction costs in the neighborhood of $175 per square foot.  Doing a little math, a 2,100 square foot home on that lowest priced lot would produce a brand new home with a golf course view that cost less than $500,000, land included.  Membership in Cedar Creek's course, with preferred tee times for the public course, will set you back just a couple of grand more.
    Aiken is a charming town rich in history.  It was the summer playground for wealthy Charleston merchants in the 19th Century.  To escape the malaria of the city, they brought their families and their horses to Aiken.  The equestrian culture has stuck; the area is dotted with horse farms, and horse racing and polo make up a good part of the local activities schedule.  
     Golf has insinuated itself onto the scene as well, and in a few weeks, some competitors at the Master's golf tournament in nearby Augusta, GA, will rent homes from owners in the more upscale local golf communities, especially at Woodside Plantation, with its three private golf courses (Bob Cupp, Rees Jones, Nicklaus Design), and Mount Vintage Plantation, also private, which recently opened its third nine by Tom Jackson.
    If you would like an introduction to Dick and Cedar Creek or to any of the other communities in the area, please let me know.