4 min read
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Tina Baum moved to Greystone after being a member at another club. The difference struck her immediately: two clubhouses meant dining was always available, two golf courses eliminated tee time bottlenecks, and her boys could actually get on the driving range when they wanted to practice.
Twenty years into her real estate career, she's watched a pattern emerge with clients relocating to Birmingham: the ones who thrive find Greystone first.
"I've had clients moving here from Vegas who made a spreadsheet," Tina explains. "They identified the club first, visited it, committed to it, and then immediately wanted to live as close as possible."
She's sold homes to families who said they'd wait patiently for the right house in Greystone rather than settle elsewhere. That tells her something.
Finding Your People First
When Tina shows homes in Greystone, she doesn't start with square footage. She asks about golf handicaps, whether they play tennis or pickleball, if their kids swim competitively. Are they interested in the Blackburn Academy for player development? Do they want their kids in summer camps?
"What happens is people plug into the club and find all their passions in one place," she says. "Golf at Founders or Legacy, the racquet sports, the fitness center that's open seven days a week. Then they say, 'I want to live as close to that as possible,' and we find the home that matches their needs."
The neighborhood offers homes with a varying price range, which means families can find their fit whether they need a single-level for aging parents or a sprawling estate with a pool.
One couple from out of state arrived during a challenging personal transition. They were downsizing from 7,000 square feet to 3,000. The logistics were overwhelming. But through the club, they connected with people who understood where they were coming from and supported them through the move.
"Since we arrived, we've made more friends and connections here than we made in decades," they later told Tina.
From Superhero Breakfasts to Business Connections
Tina didn't grow up in country clubs, so she didn't know what to expect when they joined.
What she didn't anticipate were the events that became family traditions. Superhero breakfasts for her boys, fireworks over the driving range on holidays, Christmas tree lightings, Easter egg hunts.
"I didn't even know my kids needed a superhero breakfast until we went to one," she laughs.
Her street represents 11 different states. She has neighbors that understand what it's like to start over, remembering their own first months in Birmingham, and who can recommend everything from pediatricians to the best hiking spots.
For families with different needs, the draw varies but the outcome stays consistent. An empty nester couple in their 50s arrived knowing no one. He wanted golf, she wanted tennis. Within weeks, they'd found their groups. He was scheduling morning rounds, she was playing in clinics.
Younger families watch their kids meet friends through junior golf programs, the swim team, and summer camps. Parents end up connecting over sideline conversations that turn into dinner invitations, creating a strong family network.
What Surprises New Arrivals
Convenience matters, whether you’re running to the pool when you only have an hour, getting dinner at the bar when work runs late, using the workout facility at 6 a.m. or 10 p.m., or having pizza delivered from the clubhouse.
What surprises people most, though, is how quickly Birmingham feels like home.
One client from New Jersey moved here in 2020 when his wife sent his resume to Alabama. He'd never wanted to leave the Northeast.
His perspective shifted fast: "I used to take trains and ferries to work, an hour each way,” he said. “Now it's 15 minutes through the most beautiful landscape. I used to pay dues to a private club where they wanted everything to stay the same as it was 30 years ago. Now I'm at a Club that evolves with what members actually want. I wake up in a resort every single day."
Making the Transition
Tina works with families across different life stages. Some with preschoolers, some with high schoolers, whose kids are grown, some are single-digit handicap golfers, others have never set foot on a course. One consistent question she hears: How available are the dining and activities?
Her answer: "Seven days a week. If one clubhouse has a private event, everything shifts to the other. It really makes it all-inclusive."
She's straightforward about the advantage she offers: "A lot of the information we get is from living here, working here, and being at the club. My kids use the driving range, my husband grabs dinner at the bar when I'm working late, I meet clients in the quiet spaces at either clubhouse. It's not the only way to do it, but it's a big advantage."
Her client base proves the diversity of families drawn here. New arrivals find others who remember what it's like to start over.
"You can find people that understand where you come from and where you're going," Tina says. "And honestly? Any concerns people have about whether they'll fit in get put to rest pretty quickly."
