Basics of Property Management: Screening Potential Tenants
How To Choose A Retirement Golf Community
Jesse Obrien
When you join a retirement community, you may be able to enjoy a breathtaking golf course everyday. While there are retirement golf communities that are considered elite and come with very high price tags, there are other golfing communities that are within the budget of most retirees.
What to Expect from Premium Retirement Golf Communities
Some golf courses are surrounded by forest and others come with a gorgeous ocean view. You may want to ask if you can take a tour of the golf course to determine if you think the holes are sufficiently challenging. Some golf courses come with thick vegetation and waterways. Find out how many holes are in the golf course and how many acres it consists of.
How to Find the Best Community
Some golf courses are owned by the community. There are other golf courses that are connected to a retirement community, but are owned by a separate company. If you are not sure where to find a great golfing retirement community, make sure to look for some of the largest retirement communities in the United States since they will most likely have the golf communities you are looking for with so many golf courses to choose from.
Take the weather into consideration. You will want to choose a location with mild weather so you will feel like playing a round of golf. Consider whether the weather will be too hot or dry for you to enjoy the course.
How to Pay for the Golf Course
In some cases, when you purchase a lot, the cost of the golf community is rolled into it. In other cases, you will simply be paying for the initiation fee and you will later need to pay fees in the future after having your membership paid for a few years.
Finally, it might be optional and you will receive a discount if you choose to purchase the membership when joining the retirement community. When the membership is optional, you may be able to cancel it to save money if you find yourself not playing golf as often.
Take Into Account the Other Features
The nicest retirement golf community will have several other features you can enjoy such as private clubs and tennis courts. Some communities come with many outdoors activities such as hiking, fishing, and camping. When you take into consideration the other amenities, you'll have an easier time justifying the price.
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For the last several years, I've used a property management firm to help with my rental properties. One of the tasks that they handle for me is screening applicants who would like to move into one of my vacant units. Their expertise has helped me lower my tenant turnover and find people who want to stay with me for years. Part of the process is a tenant screening credit check. Before any further contact takes place, my manager orders credit reports from at least two agencies. That is enough to tell us if an applicant is a good financial risk. Assuming the references work out, I meet the candidate and make the final decision. If you own rental properties, let me tell you more about the benefits of having a property manager. I'm betting you'll find this type of arrangement will work for you too.