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When buyers compare homes in Arizona golf communities, they often line up the listing prices side by side.
That’s a reasonable place to start. It’s just not where the comparison ends.
In a golf community, what you pay to live there usually comes in layers. The homeowners association is one layer. The golf club is another. Some communities have fees when you buy. And then there are the costs that come with the lifestyle itself.
Two homes with similar prices can have very different layers underneath.
I covered the costs every Arizona homeowner faces, like property taxes, insurance and energy, in The Price Is Only Part of the Purchase. Here, I want to focus on what’s different about a golf community.
Layer One: The Homeowners Association
Nearly every golf community has a homeowners association, and sometimes more than one layer of association.
The HOA takes care of the community: common areas, community landscaping, roads, gates and security where a community is gated, and the rules that keep the neighborhood consistent. In some townhome neighborhoods, the dues may also cover exterior care of the home itself.
The question isn’t just how much the dues are. It’s what they cover. When you compare two communities, look at what you’d otherwise pay for yourself.
Lenders include HOA dues in your monthly housing cost when they look at your loan, so it’s worth knowing them early. A qualified lender can tell you how they affect your numbers.
Layer Two: The Golf Club
Here’s the distinction that surprises people most: the homeowners association and the golf club are usually separate. Owning the home and joining the club are two different decisions, with different costs and different rules.
How that works varies from one community to the next, even when they sit side by side:
- At Rio Verde Country Club, homeowners receive a social membership, and full golf privileges come through a separate golf membership.
- At Tonto Verde, the golf club is member-owned, and homeowners’ HOA dues let them take part in community activities and dine in the community’s dining rooms.
- At Trilogy at Verde River, golf privileges are separate from the community’s social lifestyle.
Clubs can also differ in how a membership begins and continues: whether there’s a one-time cost to join, how dues are billed, whether there’s a waiting list and what happens to a membership when a home is sold.
Some clubs also have a monthly food-and-beverage minimum. Others don’t. Tonto Verde, for example, currently has no minimums.
I don’t quote membership fees or types in my articles, because they change and every club handles them differently. The right source for current details is the club itself. I compared how golf works in these three communities in Rio Verde Country Club vs. Tonto Verde vs. Trilogy at Verde River.
Layer Three: Costs When You Buy
Some associations charge a fee when a home changes hands, which may be called a transfer fee, a capital contribution or something similar. There are also fees for the association’s resale paperwork.
These show up in your purchase documents, not in the listing price. I’d rather you know about them before you write an offer than discover them at closing. Once you’re under contract, read the association documents carefully. They’re the clearest picture you’ll get of how a community runs.
Layer Four: Special Assessments and Reserves
Golf communities have clubhouses, pools, gates and roads to maintain, and those eventually need major repairs.
A well-run association plans for that with reserves. When reserves aren’t enough, owners may face a special assessment.
So I always want my buyers to ask two questions: Are any special assessments planned or recently approved? And how healthy are the reserves? A community that has planned well is often worth more to you than one with slightly lower dues.
Layer Five: The Lifestyle Itself
Some costs come with the way people actually live in these communities:
- A golf cart. In many communities it becomes everyday transportation. Ask whether you can use your own cart on the course and whether there’s a trail fee. At Tonto Verde, for example, residents can use their own carts without one, subject to the rules.
- Golf beyond membership. Green fees, lessons, leagues and tournaments.
- Dining and social events. Even without a minimum, this tends to become part of the week.
- Looking after the home while you’re away. Seasonal owners often pay someone to check on the house, the air conditioning and the pool through the summer.
None of these are reasons to avoid a golf community. Many people find that the amenities replace things they used to pay for separately, like a gym membership, a pool or a social club.
How I’d Compare Two Homes
If you were my client, here’s what I’d recommend: don’t compare listing prices. Compare the total cost of the life you plan to live in each home.
For each home, I’d want to know:
- The HOA dues, and exactly what they cover
- Whether you want a golf membership, and the club’s current options
- Any fees when you buy
- Any planned or recent special assessments, and the health of the reserves
- The lifestyle costs you’ll actually have, based on how often you’ll play, dine and travel
- The everyday costs every homeowner has, from my ownership cost article
Then the real comparison becomes clear. Sometimes the home with the higher price is the better value. Sometimes it’s the other way around.
I also shared the questions to ask before choosing a golf community in Buying in an Arizona Golf Community: What Should You Ask Before You Buy?
Your Next Adventure Starts With One Conversation
Living in a golf community can be a wonderful way to enjoy Arizona. Understanding the layers before you buy simply means there are no surprises after you move in.
Whether you’re drawn to Rio Verde, Tonto Verde, Trilogy at Verde River, Fountain Hills, North Scottsdale or Troon North, your next adventure starts with one conversation.
Monica Condomitti
Luxury Real Estate Advisor
MC Luxury Real Estate at Coldwell Banker
Rio Verde / North Scottsdale, Arizona
www.MonicaCondomitti.com
480-822-9553
