Relocating - looking at new construction in Lewes and Milton (Millsboro: appointed, for sale)

[terri55]

We are relocating from NYC, looking at new construction in Milton/Lewes. Any advice on new developments in the area? So far we have looked at Ridings, River Rock Run, Vincent Overlook and Windstone. Very confusing because we are not familiar with the relative pros and cons of these locations. The homes offered are very nice and reasonably priced but location is everything. Everyone seems to suggest that Lewes is preferable to Milton, yet many of these developments are not actually in Lewes or Milton but are merely zip-coded as such. It's very difficult house hunting since we are going back and forth for 1 or 2 days at a time (work schedules permitting), and any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

[henrynash]

It depends on price, location, family neighborhood, etc. more detail would be helpful.

[terri55]

we are considering Windstone development (Insight home) or Vincent Overlook (Ryan). Both are along Cave Neck Road near Sweet Briar. We are hearing that there are many home break-ins in Milton, and are concerned because we will probably be using our DE home as a vacation home for the first 2 years. Do you know if the area I am referring to is considered a high risk area in Milton.

[Seaponies]

Hi Terri - We are looking in the same areas as you and have visited many places already. I'm curious as to what you think of Windstone ? We are thinking about visiting there.

One thing we found was that we had to ask each builder to identify all the fees/taxes as that is a consideration for us. Some HOA fees, depending on development completion stage, may rise later. Another factor for us is that we wanted walking and biking trails as well as fitness center in the community. Some communities have sidewalks and streetlights and some don't. Many communities don't have fitness center but just a community center and a pool.

There are a lot of considerations to be factored in.

We think we prefer lewes/rehoboth as that is closer to all the shopping and stores but price goes up the closer you get to rt 24 and rt 1. So we are considering some outlying areas like Milton/Ocean View.

[nuts2uiam]

Just chiming in here to be aware of fee simple vs land leases to add to the list of possible fees that can escalate at some point.

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by nuts2uiam

Just chiming in here to be aware of fee simple vs land leases to add to the list of possible fees that can escalate at some point.

Good point!
Also, some may not be aware that there are condo fees, not just on high rise condominiums, and not just on townhouses. Some single family detached housing are also subject to condo fees, because they are condominium ownership.

In the multi list, those fees are spelled out.
HOA ______
Condo _____
Leasehold _____ (lot rent)
One Time Fee At Settlement ____

Ask all the questions. Sometimes, use of the pool is not included in the homeowner association fee. Many times, it's extra, as well as use of a golf course, if one is on or bordering the grounds.

[dbclancy]

Originally Posted by terri55

we are considering Windstone development (Insight home) or Vincent Overlook (Ryan). Both are along Cave Neck Road near Sweet Briar. We are hearing that there are many home break-ins in Milton, and are concerned because we will probably be using our DE home as a vacation home for the first 2 years. Do you know if the area I am referring to is considered a high risk area in Milton.

terri55, I thought that Windstone was LC Homes!? Capano, from what I've gathered on C-D, as well as Ryan, both do not have good reputations as home builders. We saw River Rock Run last year; liked the look of the community but was disappointed they only had one model. Are the other models built now? We hope to relocate next year from the West Coast so I appreciate time spent in DE is priceless. We also visited the Ridings but were not impressed with the floor plans. Have you visited the Meadows of Beaver Creek I think in Milton or Plantation Lakes in Millsboro?

[terri55]

In answer to Seaponies -- Windstone seems like a nice community. We spoke to several homeowners there and they didn't really have any complaints. But keep in mind they do not have a fitness center or clubhouse -- they have some sort of temporary agreement with Vincent Overlook and are allowed to use their clubhouse but only for a certain time. You may want to take a look at Vincent Overlook, it is just across the road from Windstone. They have a very nice gym and the community will have walking trails. They also have streetlights and sidewalks. We spoke to some of the people there and they all had wondeful things to say about the community. Another nice community is Red Mill Pond, which is located on Sweetbriar, right around the corner from Vincent Overlook. It has a Lewes zip code. It's mostly built up but I understand that a new section will be opening soon you may want to look there as well. What other places have you visited?

In answer to dbclancy - We looked at Ridings as well. We looked at Insight homes. Insight also builds in Windstone, by the way, as does LC. I didn't like the fact that there are no sidewalks at Ridings. Also, Ridings' electricity is from Delmarva, which is more expensive than Delaware Co-op. We did not look at Plantation Lakes -- is that a 55+ community? I am not familiar with Meadows -- where is it located?

[dbclancy]

Totally forgot about Insight building in Windstone. Had to refer back to my notes from last year. Plantation Lakes (we only looked at Lennar) is not a 55+ community but we are not necessarily looking for one. According to my notes, The Meadows of Beaver Creek is located on Riverwalk Drive in Milton, between Rts. 1 and 113. What were your thoughts on River Rock Run.

[terri55]

We did not spend too much time at River Rock Run. The lots were a little too large, for us, we don't want large property to take care of -- I believe they are 1/2 acre. Many of the homes had swing sets/jungle gym equipment, so it appears to be a young community. We didn't have the opportunity to meet any of the people who live there so it's hard to say what the community is like. We are not necessarily looking for a 55+ community either, but I don't want to be in a community where I have little in common with my neighbors. Also, we noticed several 'for sale' signs in River Rock, which may indicate reason for concern.