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TR U M P STR A TEGI ES FO R R E A L ESTA TE

intimate, they are elegantly designed to display magnificent taste.
The exercise area is really special—the club offers the members reg-
ular classes like hot yoga and high impact aerobics. Most country
clubs or spas can’t rival the facilities at Mar-a-Lago, especially con-
sidering the food service offered by a master chef and served by a
well-trained staff. Throughout the season, Trump provides name en-
tertainers such as Paul Anka, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, and others
each weekend. The initiation fee for members is currently $250,000;
food service is extra. It is a step above the finest country club you
could imagine anywhere. Who but Donald Trump could picture a
group of people willing to pay a quarter-of-a-million dollars to join a
club primarily for a dining experience?
Mar-a-Lago not only benefits its members, it benefits Donald
Trump. The initiation fee is treated as a loan to the club from mem-
bers and is repayable in 30 years, thus, it’s not deemed taxable but can
be used to pay the cost of improvements or any other purpose Trump
desires. The annual dues paid by each member and the monies re-
ceived from numerous functions are more than sufficient to cover
the cost of operation including real estate taxes. The club is a money-
maker, and few clubs can make that claim.

DEVELOP AN EYE FOR DETAIL

Small real estate investors need to remember that the devil is in the
details—be as concerned about small details as about big ones. Some-
one will pay more for an immaculately maintained building than they
will for one with average maintenance. Mar-a-Lago is a wonderful ex-
ample of Trump’s keen eye for detail, which was crucial in restoring
this exquisite property to its former grandeur and simultaneously
catering to his new elite dues-paying clientele. Trump uses nothing
but the best building materials, such as hand carved stonework, im-

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