But these days, because of the recession and high rates of unemployment, home values have declined, moving your family into a new home, and selling your current home has become that much more difficult.

The economic conditions affect athletes just like they affect anyone else when you have property that you are trying to sell. Because of the current conditions and the difficulty of selling a home, many professional athletes have changed their feelings when it comes to home buying.

Most players now days have changed from buying to renting a home or condo in the city in which they play. A lot of players have learned their lesson, as they bought a home, and then they were traded or signed with another team as a free agent and they could not sell their home without losing a lot of money in the process, or ended up paying two or more mortgages. So they still own the home even though they are not living there.

Many athletes who formally bought their homes and still own them, because they cannot sell them at a fair price, will pass along news of possible rentals to incoming players. It adds a sense of confidence to rent to someone who is also a professional athlete and is also a smart business move.

For those people with the talent, dedication, and a little luck to make that fantasy come true, the life of a professional athlete can be on line with that of a rock star or movie star.
However, even the biggest superstars of the game have to face the reality of retirement one day. And that day for an athlete comes much sooner then a  music or star of the screen.

After all, Mick Jagger is in his 60’s and still rocking, movie stars act their whole lives, while athletes usually only last into their 30’s until they have to retire.

Throw in the uncertainty of making the team every year with younger and faster players coming in, not to mention the chance of a serious injury, and your career could be cut short quicker then you ever imagined.

Of course, there are some professional athletes who were superstars and will make money for the rest of their live on just their name alone, such as Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky. However, the majority of retired athletes are just not that lucky.

There are many former athletes who have remained close to their professions, either as coaches, broadcasters, or even player agents. Some have used their names, locally, in the cities that they played in to set up business ventures such as a restaurant or car dealership.

For most current and former athletes though,navigating the potentially rugged road from the college and professional ranks to the real world can be extremely difficult.

Support is essential for an athlete who has retired. This support could come from family members, friends,or  the professional league they played in. Some of the respective leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL) have begun to offer assistance through their retired player associations such as counseling and career guidance, but a lot more work is needed in this field.

Athletes are used to having so much attention focused on them. Many do not know what to do once the limelight is off, they have been accustomed to receiving everything for free. It would be great if they were assigned a career coach once their playing days were over.

Because of this possibility, an athlete needs a home that will grow in value and sell quickly when the time arises.

Even though locations that are desirable, today, might not keep that status forever, it is still a good model to use when looking for a home.

So before the athlete starts on their journey of house hunting, there are some questions that need to be answered.

Why is a particular neighborhood in demand and how long has it been a top choice?

Is the home the athlete considering at the higher end of the price range in the neighborhood? It is not a good idea to buy at the highest price point.

Are there other neighborhoods in the area that are increasing in their appeal? You want the value kept up in the surrounding area.

Are there certain areas in town that seem to be growing rapidly? Traffic, school populations could become a problem.

Will there be plenty of services such as groceries, shopping, and schools in that area? You don’t want to be in an area that does not provide adequate services and amenities. Just because you can buy 10 acres doesn’t mean the home is in the best area.

Is the area changing and are residential areas are shifting over to a more commercial area? You never want to be in an area that is transitioning into a commercial area.

Who are the primary home buyers in that town? If it’s senior citizens, the best resale potential might be a ranch home, because seniors don’t like stairs. If the primary buyers in that area are young families with children, consider a home with a large yard that is not on a busy street.

It is important to look through the local real estate ads. A feature that is mentioned in many ads is probably one that is in demand.

Features that are outdated are usually a negative, but they can be turned into a positive if the home is under the market value and updates are made. However, know the update costs and exactly how much they would add to the home’s resale value.

Always choose a home that suits your needs, but find one with the features and in a location that are in demand and could sell quickly.

The businesses vary from restaurants and nightclubs to automobile dealerships and shopping malls.

Being a professional athlete only lasts so long, so once their careers are over, a lot of them move into the business world. There are advantages that athletes have over the general public. They already have a name in which they use to market their new business.

For example, a restaurant with their name on it would have instant credibility and bring customers through the door. An auto dealership with their name in it would have the same effect.

However, in order to succeed, they would still have to have a worthy product, with excellent customer service. Their name alone would not keep them in business if the food was subpar or the car was a lemon and  the service was poor.

Here are a few former professional athletes that have gone into business and have been successful.

Joe Theismann – Retired Quarterback Redskins is a Restaurateur.

Magic Johnson – Hall of Fame basketball player owns movie theaters, restaurants, athletic clubs, and shopping malls.

John Elway – Hall of Fame Quarterback owns several car dealerships

George Foreman – Owns the George Foreman grill and other products.

Hank Aaron – Hall of Fame baseball player owns a Car Dealership, Popeyes and Church’s Chicken franchises

Hershel Walker- Renaissance Man International

Julius Erving- Celebrity Golf Club International

The Players’ will always have the drive, desire, self-motivation and the heart to play the game and the dreams of making it to the major leagues is always there.

However, this is a brand new experience for the player. For a former college player, he is used to being at school, with his friends, girl friend, excellent facilities and a classy hotel when he is on the road. For those coming right out of high school, he is used to going home, having his mom cook him a good meal, the warmth and comfort of his own bed, as well as his friends.

Once he is in the minor leagues, everything changes. It’s tough working with the scouts, the organizations, the new coaches, and new teammates from all over the world.

Not too mention the constant threat of a career-ending injury, poor equipment, poor field conditions, the trainer who wasn’t qualified, long bus rides, and cheap hotels. It is tough missing the girl back home and Mom’s home cooking too, while eating at cheap greasy spoon joints or McDonalds all the time.

It is a constant challenge not to let all of that interfere with their concentration or distort their focus. It is difficult to live and work in a career of ups and downs that demands frequent adjustments.

Of course, there are the good times, the winning streaks, personal triumphs, the pranks, the lifelong friendships, and the skill to sleep on an 8 hour bus ride.

But for the players it is all worth it just to have their one shot that someday they might step to the plate in the World Series with the game on the line.

Some of these millionaire athletes are frequent charitable givers and decide to give something back to the community or start a charitable foundation to help raise money for a needy cause. However, there are some athletes that never do.

Athletes that do decide to give back face a long list of choices once they decide to devote their time, money or both to charity. There are also companies such as the Giving Back Fund, based in Los Angeles, which helps professional athletes startup their own charitable foundations.

However, what athletes find out very quickly, is that when they devote their time and/or money to charity, that no matter how much time or money they give, the need in their communities is much greater. And money is only part of the solution.

An organization that is composed of many athletes that are trying to give back is Athletes for Hope. http://www.athletesforhope.org/. The founding memebers include; Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning, and Cal Ripken, Jr. . Their goal is to unite athletes of all sports who are dedicated to making an impact upon others.

Warrick Dunn’s foundation www.warrickdunnfoundation.org  has built over 80 homes for single parents. He created his foundation because he saw his mom raise six children alone and never accomplish her dream of owning a home.

Alonzo Mourning has created several foundations under his Alonzo Mourning Charities www.amcharities.org..  He is involved in helping youth in impovershised areas, people with kidney disease, empowering young girls,  as well as contributing to the effort to help those in Haiti.

Lance Armstrong’s foundation, www.livestrong.org, is dedicated to helping those afflicted with cancer. Jeff Gordon has an organization, jeffgordonfoundation.org.,  that specializes in helping children who are battling cancer. Both athletes seek to make a difference in the lives of cancer stricken people.

Other athletes do something such as build playgrounds, ballparks, or community centers that will give joy for years to come. The Brees Dream Foundationhttp://www.drewbrees.com/, founded by Drew and Brittany Brees has done a lot for several communities especially in New Orleans.

Just seeing the joy in the kids smiling faces as they run around in a new playground or ballpark, or a family secure in their first home,  makes it all worthwhile. Regardless of how well they are personally doing at work on the professional field, they know they have helped better another person’s life.

It is important that those that have been so blessed to receive also know the importance to give back.

They need certain things in place to make the financial transition to the highly lucrative professional ranks.

Between them and their parents they need to put together a team of four experts, those four being an agent, an accountant, a financial advisor and a lawyer. Each specializes in their own profession.

In the past, most athletes just assumed that all they needed was an agent and that he would take care of everything for them. It is not in an athlete’s best interest to have one person handle everything. Lawyers are not who you should trust with your financial future and vice versa, a financial planner is not the best at contract negotiations.

When athletes attempt to manage their financial affairs without the right representation, or not listening to them when they do have a team assembled, things can go very wrong quickly.

What usually happens is that everyone and their grandmother comes out of the woodwork, and tells the player how to use his money. They buy their parents a house, pick up a car or three, buy expensive gifts for friends, and splurge more then ever before.

Athletes need to realize that their careers are not going to last forever and to make wise investments so that they have a nice nest egg once their careers as a professional athlete is over.

The NBA and NFL have rookie camps that try to educate new players about money management. The leagues also are realizing the importance of having their player’s select competent accountants, agents, financial advisors and lawyers.

So let’s clarify the term “Groupie.”

This is not a women who meets a professional athlete through friends, family, at church, or at a picnic and they start dating, not because of what he does, or how much money he makes, but because she is attracted to him and they get along. As hard as it is too imagine with all of the news stories about professional athletes and their infidelity these days, there are a lot of athletes who do live normal trusting and fruitful lives with their significant others.

A “groupie” on the other hand is a woman who will sleep with the player, married or not, just because he is who he is, and does what he does.

A “groupie” will look up the player’s salary on the internet or hear it on the news , like in the USA Today article, and use this as a reason to go after them. They will be able to quote the player’s salary,and maybe even his batting average, yards per carry or points per game, but not what he likes off the field or court. Nor will they know their goals after their done playing the game or what he likes to do during downtime.
A “groupie” likes the athlete for his looks and his svelte body and cares nothing about his actual personality.
A “groupie” will go to a game in five inch heels and con her way into the family section in order to get acquainted with an athlete’s friends and family just to get her foot in the door.
A “groupie” knows nothing about the sport itself, but she can name the top ten highest paid players in the game.
A “groupie” will show up to all of the athlete hosted parties, and she will drive over 300 miles in order to get there.

A “groupie” is only interested in the player’s income, good looks, great body, and wants to find a rich man to latch on to in order to become financially secure, or because they want fame by association or both.

Most of these women have displayed no interest in sports what-so-ever.They only want the money and the notoriety of being there. Its a sad thing when you see some of these women who make a career of seeking athletes. I wonder why they lack character and what has caused them to not care about how they are seen by the athletes they seek.

Many wives can spot a groupie from miles away. They are a joke to many wives who look at them with disgust. There are a few who succeed and “snag” a player either by having a baby or having a relationship with a player, but the majority are around for a quick minute and are disposed of when the player gets tired or has gotten what he wants.