If you have been considering buying an Estancia membership, now is a perfect time. They have recently changed their pricing structure to a market pricing system. This new pricing structure is really working for them. Current members are now able to sell their memberships instead of waiting on a long out list and prospective members can join at a realistic price.
At one point the Estancia Club had a large “out list” of members that wanted to surrender their memberships. To help contain this problem the club decided that their current membership system was not working so they fixed it. They understood that a large out list can be very toxic to a golf club. Clubs that put themselves in these situations see unhappy members who continue to pay their membership dues while they wait to get out. Creating this club environment will just bring down the morale of the club. Another problem this can create is that it will lead to a run in the list, meaning that when it takes 10 years to get out members will put their name on the list “just in case” they decide that they would like to surrender their membership or move at a later date.
Before this market-based pricing system took effect the Estancia Memberships were selling for up to $250,000 and only a few sold per year. The membership director stated that once the pricing system changed, each member that actually wanted to sell their membership could just simply state the price they would like to sell it for and it would be listed as available. The membership director would accept prices from members on the first of each month and then whoever had the lowest price would be on the top of the list to sell their membership first. The prices started as low as $65,000. Several memberships sold right away in the mid $60’s.
Last month one of my clients bought a membership for $68,000. He thinks he got the steal of a deal. Prices are starting to rise. This month the lowest price has jumped to $80,000. Overall, this has been an excellent strategy for Estancia. Firstly, they have had a huge increase to their capital reserve fund through membership transfer fees. Each sale brought an additional $30,000 to the club in transfer fees. They have sold over a dozen memberships in just 6 months, compared to 3-5 per year previously. That has been an injection of $360,000 into the club. Secondly, the out list is much smaller and members are much happier. Members know if they really really want out they can just name a low price and be out within a month, rather than waiting a decade. The Estancia Golf Club is currently in extremely strong financial shape as a result of this program.
If you have any questions about Estancia Real Estate feel free to contact me at (602) 791-0536 or Carmen@TopScottsdaleHomes.com.
Carmen Brodeur JD
Realtor
Trillium Properties, LLC
9825 E Bell Road, Suite 120, Scottsdale AZ 85260
(602) 791-0536
Carmen@TopScottsdaleHomes.com
www.TroonRealEstate.com