If you love playing golf and are considering buying a home in a gated community with a private golf course, then there are some special considerations that you need to take into account. While golf courses are beautiful to look at, living along their borders does come with some hazards and inconveniences that you need to be mindful of. Consider these tips when you are searching for a new home in a golf community:

Tip: Determine if the Golf Course Is Open to Members of the Public

Before you look at homes in a specific golf course community, first, you should determine if the course is open to the public or not. This is important because a golf course open to the public will bring in visitors to your neighborhood. Since other people will have access to your neighborhood in this situation, it will lower the security of the neighborhood and bring in extra traffic around the course. Additionally, if the golf course is open to the public, then you will have to compete with them for tee times during weekends and other busier times. However, homes on public golf courses are often lower priced than those on a private course.

Tip: Determine the Amenities Offered by the Community and What Their Costs Are

Since your new gated community will likely offer other amenities in addition to its golf course, you need to determine exactly what those amenities are and what their cost for you is. For example, gate security, swimming pools, and community centers are all nice to have in your neighborhood, but each of these things will add to your homeowner's association costs each month. When you are looking for a new home, matching your needs and desires with what the community offers is very important. If a community offers many amenities that your family won't use, then you should keep looking for one that offers what you need.

Tip: Hire a Real Estate Agent with Experience Selling Homes in Local Gated Communities

Finally, it is very important that you hire a real estate agent who is experienced with selling homes in the gated communities that you are looking for homes within. When you do so, you will know that your real estate agent has knowledge about each of your local options and can show you the homes that meet the unique needs of your family. Additionally, an experienced agent will be able to steer you away from areas that are not right for your family.

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