Southern California's No. 1 Source for Golf
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Still on the fence on whether to buy a home in a golf course community? It's understandable, given the hot housing climate of the last several years. But with sales slowing, the inventory of new and existing homes on the market growing and low interest rates continuing, great deals can be found for buyers who know what they want. If you're ready to take the plunge - whether you're thinking of a golf course home as a primary residence, a vacation home or for retirement - don't wait too long. Today's deals aren't going to be around forever. And, if that's not enough reason to pull the trigger, here are five more: Killer golf course "I would have to say the golf course and the type of home are attracting people to this community," says Alan Janisch, senior project manager at Toll Brothers' enclave at the private Mountain View Country Club in La Quinta. Arnold Palmer's risk-reward layout guarantees an infinite number of playing strategies. Consider the finishing hole: From the two-tiered fairway, a player is forced either to play up to the wider portion of the fairway and see what lies ahead or go the direct route but risk deep grass hollows down the left side. Gorgeous waterfalls, lakes, streams and bunkers protect the green and approach areas. The just-furnished models for Toll's luxury villa community open the first weekend of October, Janisch said. The attached one- and two-story homes are priced in the $600,000s, with private club membership part of the package, along with access to a resort-style swimming pool, spa, clubhouse, tennis courts and a wellness center. Most of the villas will have golf course views. Heavenly amenities Demand for luxury and exclusivity brought about a sea of change in community design, leading to resort-style surroundings becoming the standard rather than the exception. Among the premier examples is the 722-acre The Crosby Club in Rancho Santa Fe, where K. Hovnanian is building its Links neighborhood of 30 semi-custom homes priced to start in the mid-$1 millions. Residents of the private, gated, master-planned Crosby enjoy the use of a 32,000-square-foot clubhouse, a junior Olympic swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness facility and a tennis complex with a sunken stadium court, hard courts and a tennis shop. K. Hovnanian's homes run from 4,100 to 5,057 square feet and are on lots averaging 12,000 square feet. The main amenity is the highly regarded golf course designed by Fred Couples and golf architect Brian Curley. Cool home designs The sleek lines of mid-1950s modernism is the last thing you'd expect of a golf course home. But that's just what Lennar Communities is selling at its Escena Palm Springs, which was envisioned as an enclave for those urbane hipsters who like their architecture a little out there and edgy, according to Holly McKie, marketing developer for Lennar Communities. Escena revisits the mid-century contemporary, modern and international styles reflected in Palm Springs homes built from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s. Two neighborhoods were designed with golfers in mind. Circa homes offer a courtyard or a patio, an office or a casita, and a den or a loft as options. Great rooms combining living and dining areas, along with gourmet kitchens, are offered for buyers who like to entertain. Ranging from about 1,974 to 2,816 square feet, the homes also have fairway views of Escena Golf Club, which was designed by Nicklaus Design. The homes are priced to start in the $600,000s. Avant homes offer an even more eclectic design mix with expansive glass doors leading to rear patios, along with tech centers and wet bars. Priced from the $700,000s, the homes range from about 2,319 to 2,846 square feet, and also boast views of the golf course. Added value Today's lower prices and higher inventory means buyers have an advantage they haven't had for years: negotiating power, notes Colleen Pestana, a Realtor with Prudential California Realty. "Just take a look at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta," she says. "Buyers can get a 2,200-square-foot remodeled three-bedroom condominium on the fairway for the-mid $400,000s. That's far below what you would have expected to pay for that type of property a year ago." Despite the current dip in prices, buyers of a home with golf course frontage can expect their investment to hold its value over the long haul. "It's been proven that a home on a golf course will command a higher price tag than one not on a golf course," Pestana says. "That's why the developers in the 1980s built a record number of golf course communities. They took hundreds of acres where they could have built homes and basically turned them into a park. Why would they do this? Because they knew their overall profit would be greater on 200 homes that sit on a golf course than if they had used all of the land and built and sold 600 homes. The lesson: A golf course home is worth more than a non-golf-course home." Pestana also notes that the continuing waves of baby boomers entering their retirement years will ensure that the golf course home will continue as a popular commodity. "The long-term investment outlook for this real estate is phenomenal, especially in light of the fact that this group is still in its infancy," she says. "There are approximately 32 million baby boomers over age 50 today, but there are another 44 million who will be joining their ranks over the next 10 years." Social circles Baby boomers are finding a built-in networking group at golf course communities created for buyers age 55 and older. "It's a community within itself," explains Scott Marson, head professional at Trilogy Golf Club in Glen Ivy, an active-adult community developed by Shea Homes. "It's a friendly environment where everyone gets to know each other and find out they have a lot of common interests." Bringing up babies and teenagers in a family-oriented community is one reason The Retreat Country Club in Corona is seeing steady sales since opening in late March. Many activities in the private community are geared toward families, including social events, swimming, tennis, exercise rooms and junior golf programs. Exclusivity and convenience also are selling points, according to general manager Phil Lopez. "You want to feel that you've bought into something special," he says. "There is a great camaraderie among the members. And you don't always get that at a public facility." n |
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