Glorious Back Nine
Larry Gavrich
Published: October 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7357657-0-9
Description:
The search for a golf community home is like a round of golf. Understand the layout, plot your strategy and avoid the obvious — and not so obvious — traps. That is the secret to success to finding your dream golf home.
For more than 15 years, golf community and real estate professional Larry Gavrich has assisted hundreds of Baby Boomers and others in matching their preferences with the best golf communities in the Sunbelt. Glorious Back Nine is the only guide you will ever need — and the only one published in recent years — to help you identify and purchase your dream golf home.
Excerpt:
If you have been considering a move to a warm-weather area featuring plenty of golf to go with the extra days of sunshine, then what are you waiting for? It can’t be cost of living, because you will be able to “finance” your move with lower annual expenses—in some cases, much lower. For example, couples accustomed to spending, say, $100,000 annually on all their expenses—real estate, food, transportation, entertainment, medical and more—could save as much as $40,000 just by moving to many areas in the South. Apply that 40% savings to whatever your annual budget is and you have an idea of what kind of lifestyle you can have.
Contents
Preface: Time To Get A Move On
Introduction: The Case For Buying A Golf Home Now
Living the Dream
A Few Words About Arizona
Coast to Mountains, and Much in Between
A Few Resources to Help Get You Going
Chapter One: Let The Search Begin
Four Seasons, Two Seasons or One
Natural Disasters, Unnatural Fears
Lifestyle Question: Urban, Suburban or Rural?
Getting to the Grandkids, and Getting Them to You
Island Living: Pass the Remote
Don’t Overtax Yourself About Taxes
Create a Checklist
Combine Club Membership and House Budgets
Discuss, But Don’t Decide to Build Just Yet
Consider the Long Haul
Chapter Two: The Internet Search
Mapping Out the Approach
Internet: Blessing and Curse
Just the Facts Please
Don’t Fall In Love with Rankings
Sources for State-by-State Comparisons
Chapter Three: Choosing A Real Estate Pro
How to Identify Your Real Estate Agent
Valuable Information at No Cost
Chapter Four: Location = Lifestyle
Commitment is Better than Involvement
Vested Interests
How Safe Is Your Investment?
Total Up All the Costs
Making the Numbers Work for You
Living Close to the Action
Purchase, with an Option to Rent Out
Acting Your Age…Or Not
Chapter Five: Choosing the Golf Course(s)
Extra Golf Courses Add Variety…and Cost
Access to Hundreds of Other Courses
Carting Yourself Around
On Course for Growing Old
Chapter Six: The Essence Of A Community
The Likability Factor
A Few Key Questions to Ask During Your Visit
Getting Bugged
Chapter Seven: To Belong Or Not Belong
Intangible Reason to Join the Club
Equity vs Non-Equity Memberships
Which Clubs are Safest
Deep-Pocketed Developers Imply Security
Mandatory Memberships Make Scary Sense
Cliffs Dwellers’ Revised Plan
Getting to Know the Club Before You Join
The Public Option
Chapter Eight: Perhaps Start With A Vacation Home
Resort Areas Good for Rentals
To Rent Out or Not
Dual-Season Resort Areas are Best for Rentals
Two-Home Solution
The Option of Condo Ownership
Exchange Your Home, See the World
Chapter Nine: A View To A Thrill
What You See is What You Pay For
Float Your Boat…or Canoe
Marsh Ado About Nothing
Chapter Ten: To Build Or Not To Build
Costs to Build Have Skyrocketed
What You Should Expect to Pay for New
Yet Land is Still Relatively Cheap
A Real Life Story of a Couple that Built
Chapter Eleven: The Home Stretch
You Know What You Want. Grab It.
An Organized Approach, a Quick Decision
Afterword: You Did It
Appendix A: Top Communties in the Southeast
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
Florida
Appendix B: Supportive Information
Comparisons State to State
Pre-Retirement and Retiree Financial Issues
Mapping Out an Itinerary
Appendix C: Helpful Reminders
Buyer Agents’ Responsibilities
Key Golf Community Documents to Review
Appendix D: Your Home Search Checklist
Choose One Geographic Location
Choose One General Location
What Kind of View Would You Like from Your House?
Preferred # of Golf Courses on Site
Real Estate Budget
Carrying Costs Budget
Narrow Location by State
Desired In-Community Services
Desired Nearby Services
Acknowledgements