Ballers -
Seriously looking at purchasing a home in central Florida (or elsewhere) on a lake with a course and would like your advice. Yes, I know it's a sellers market and supply is low - but I'm preparing myself for when the right one appears.
I've had conversations with a realtor (who is a skier) about which lakes have courses (definitely want open water), their activity level and culture. I ask as many people as I am able about other lakes - but my network is only so big. I have managed to ski on a few lakes through the years.
Here's my dilemma - last weekend I looked at a home that appeared to check all the boxes - good part of town, right price, established course, etc. - but my wife and I were hesitant to make an offer. As we reflected on it, we realized two things - 1) the course was way over on the other side of the lake (~1/4 mile) and we could only see a portion of it, and 2) we knew nothing about the lake itself (our realtor didn't know much either), it's activity level and culture.
If I were buying a home on a ski ditch I could probably ski the lake and get more familiar with it. Not so with a conventional lake house (many lakes don't have public access). So after spending an hour onsite I need to make a decision if this is where I want to invest a significant amount of money without being able to investigate one of the primary reasons why I am purchasing.
Here's my question - for those of you who have gone down this road before, how did you know that the lake you chose was the going to be a good fit? Did you manage to find a way to get on the water first? Did you talk to neighbors? Did you just go with it?
Thanks in advance for your comments and insights.