Which one - SummerGlen or Stone Creek? (Ocala, The Villages: sales, real estate)

[JohnG_NYC]

My house in NY is in contract to be sold by the end of April (or earlier) and I expect to relocate in Ocala. After a lot of research, I have narrowed my choices down to SummerGlen or Stone Creek and will be visiting them in the next few weeks.

I am interested in opinions on each from folks out there. I'd appreciate it if comments were limited to them only as I am already overloaded and do not want other communities added to the equation.

Thanks for any help.

[dawnrupe]

Both are great communities but both have different reasons why people choose to buy in them. What are your top 3 things you must have and decide which community fits. I assume you have visited the communities, but if you have not work with a Realtor to get your best deal and help you make your final decision. I find that my over 55 clients really appreciate all my input.

[JohnG_NYC]

Dawn,

As I stated in the post, I have not yet visited either community. I have done a lot of research however and will be going down there as soon as I have a signed contract on my house.

I am looking for a full featured house in an active retirement community with plenty of recreational opportunities. I do not as yet golf but may in the future. Tennis appeals to me as does exercise facilities. I am looking for an active social scene as I am single.

I already have dealings with agents at both communities - so there is no chance for a realtor to make a commission.

As I stated I am looking for input on the communities - positive or negative - hopefully from folks that are not stakeholders in the community (other than residents). I hope to use this input to aid in questions when I visit.

Thanks.

[jjinfla]

John, in my opinion you picked the two best ones. Both offer great deals on new homes. They are about 15 miles apart and it will just come down to your own personal preference. Come down and rent for a couple of weeks and check them both out.

A single male? Check out The Villages, there are 11 women for every man. You would be in high demand. Ha Ha. In fact Fox News did a story on the Villages.

Glad to hear that you were able to sell your home up north. It sure would be nice if the market started opening up and homes started selling up there again.

Jake

[JohnG_NYC]

Hi Jake,

I knew right after I posted that I was setting myself up by saying I was single. I was trying to answer the realtor that had responded to the thread.

I have done extensive online research and do think these communities look great on paper. What I am looking for is some detail from folks in the know - residents, neighbors, previous visitors, etc. - as to why they would pick one over the other or what they believe are the differences between the two.

As far as my home sale, I am only at the contract stage. It can still fall apart since it is contingent on the buyer getting financing. The buyer is pre-approved which should mean that this is not an issue if the house appraises properly.

[teleazer]

You should look at both communities, but I prefer SummerGlen. Here are my reasons.

At total build-out Stone Creek is going to have 4,000 homes. All of those beautiful recreational facilities that look so uncrowded now, are going to look a lot different with 8,000+ people using them. SummerGlen will have only a little over 1,000 homes, about one quarter of the size. It's a much better scale for really getting to know your neighbors.

SummerGlen is a totally resident-owned community. The Residents' Club and all recreational facilities will be totally owned by the residents without additional charges once the developer finishes building. The golf club will be owned by the equity members. At Stone Creek, there is a CDD bond that residents will continue to pay on for their facilities, and the golf club will remain owned by the developer, as far as I know.

SummerGlen is much more flexible in letting you build your home your way. They will customize any one of their floorplans to meet your particular needs. To my knowledge, Stone Creek will now allow this.

SummerGlen has NO closing costs. I recommend asking about Stone Creek's closing costs in detail. I've heard they add up to several thousand dollars in addition to the sales contract price.

Finally, I suggest you spend some time in the community to get a feel for what it's like living there. SummerGlen has a friendly neighborhood feel that I really like. Even though Stone Creek looks fabulous, I didn't get the feeling of home there. Also, read the testimonials on the SummerGlen website (www.SummerGlen.com) and watch the movie. The residents seem really sincere about how much they love their community.

Hope this helps.

[JohnG_NYC]

Hi Teleazer,

Just curious - are you a resident of SummerGlen or employed by them? You seem to know a lot about the community (as do I from conversations with them and viewing their site).

You mentioned a lot of positives for them. Are there any negatives you know of? Anything better at Stone Creek? I have been told in the past that Stone Creek has better facilities, more included features in their homes and has easier access to shopping.

[teleazer]

I need to make a correction. Stone Creek does not have a CDD bond. I was thinking about On Top Of The World.

The negative most often mentioned about SummerGlen is its distance from shopping. Although there is major shopping (including a Super Wal-Mart and a number of grocery stores) within 10 miles and one major grocery store within three miles, some people feel that shopping is more convenient at Stone Creek.

On the other hand, SummerGlen is located in a less crowded country setting and travel to shopping is extremely easy, versus navigating the sometimes congested SR 200 where Stone Creek is located. Again, you'll have to balance the pluses and minuses for yourself.

[JohnG_NYC]

Teleazer,

Actually I knew there was no CDD bond. I was originally looking at On Top of the World, then added SummerGlen, then Stone Creek, then dropped On Top of The World (too big, lack of ownership, etc.).

I know the factual info like community sizes, facilities, prices, closing costs, etc.

The info about shopping, quality of life, etc. is what I have been looking for.

Thanks for your help.

[tresjolie3]

Hi. Recently my husband and I purchased a home (for retirement) not far from Ocala. First I did extensive research on the internet and these boards were very helpful in answering specific questions.
Then we went down and visiting a number of communities, some of which had a package where you could stay for 2 to 3 nights ranging from $49. to $129.

No matter how much "research" you do into the costs and amenities, nothing replaces your "gut" feeling when you get down there. I highly recommend staying two nights or more or even a short rental if possible.

My husband is very outgoing and talks to everyone. We learned more from talking to the residents at the bar, pool, etc. than we did from the real estate agents. This way you get to experience first hand if this is a place you can comfortably call home and if there are people that will be your prospective friends. Besides, you can get the "scoop" on things that no sales agent will ever tell you about.

I have found that everyone has a story and most people like to tell it. So, go down, socialize and trust your gut.