Century Village info? (Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach: for sale, real estate, apartments)
West Palm Beach - Boca Raton - Boynton BeachPalm Beach County
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Based on what I've seen online, am seriously thinking about looking at condos in the Century Village Boca Raton 55+ community. I've read the very helpful comments already posted on this forum and would be interested in anything anyone could add. (I'm very familiar with Boca Raton, so just need info on Century Village.)
Any type of info would be helpful (is it mainly owner occupants or renters; are there many snowbirds; as units turn over from people who have lived there long term, are younger (55-65) people (as well as older people) moving in, or is the average age of buyers up in the range of people who have lived there for decades; are people generally happy living there and glad they bought; do the individual associations have effective boards; is it fairly low crime; are some associations in there struggling financially versus others that are in better shape, etc.).
I have read that there are leased recreational facilities--is that right? If the info I've read about fees (association + rec.) is correct (any info, anyone?), they're a bit high for a small condo, but you seem to get a lot, and I guess you have to expect high fees would go with these lower prices. But what is the long-range picture if the amenities are not 100% resident owned? Is there any legal protection for owners with respect to how much fees can go up? (Do unit owners get a vote, is there a cap on increases, etc.?)
Also (because I would think of buying a two-bedroom unit rather than a one-bedroom if it's possible to rent a room to a roommate), does anyone know if this (renting a room to a non-family member) is allowed?
Has anyone managed to connect with a realtor who is really knowledgeable about things like this (the financial health of the associations, whether the individual associations differ on things like rental rules, owner-to-renter ratios, whether the time-on-market for sales is greater than for more expensive condos in Boca Raton, etc.).
Boca Raton in general is out of my price range, so, this complex seems very worth pursuing for me, but I have hesitations about buying a condo (don't want to get stuck with high assessments, especially assessments or fee increases that don't enhance upkeep/amenities but are just to cover non-dues-paying units).
Based on what I've seen online, am seriously thinking about looking at condos in the Century Village Boca Raton 55+ community. I've read the very helpful comments already posted on this forum and would be interested in anything anyone could add. (I'm very familiar with Boca Raton, so just need info on Century Village.)
Any type of info would be helpful (is it mainly owner occupants or renters; are there many snowbirds; as units turn over from people who have lived there long term, are younger (55-65) people (as well as older people) moving in, or is the average age of buyers up in the range of people who have lived there for decades; are people generally happy living there and glad they bought; do the individual associations have effective boards; is it fairly low crime; are some associations in there struggling financially versus others that are in better shape, etc.).
I have read that there are leased recreational facilities--is that right? If the info I've read about fees (association + rec.) is correct (any info, anyone?), they're a bit high for a small condo, but you seem to get a lot, and I guess you have to expect high fees would go with these lower prices. But what is the long-range picture if the amenities are not 100% resident owned? Is there any legal protection for owners with respect to how much fees can go up? (Do unit owners get a vote, is there a cap on increases, etc.?)
Also (because I would think of buying a two-bedroom unit rather than a one-bedroom if it's possible to rent a room to a roommate), does anyone know if this (renting a room to a non-family member) is allowed?
Has anyone managed to connect with a realtor who is really knowledgeable about things like this (the financial health of the associations, whether the individual associations differ on things like rental rules, owner-to-renter ratios, whether the time-on-market for sales is greater than for more expensive condos in Boca Raton, etc.).
Boca Raton in general is out of my price range, so, this complex seems very worth pursuing for me, but I have hesitations about buying a condo (don't want to get stuck with high assessments, especially assessments or fee increases that don't enhance upkeep/amenities but are just to cover non-dues-paying units).
Thanks in advance for any info!
Anyone? And anyone have similar info for King's Point in Delray Beach? Thanks!
I don't think I can add too much to what I've previously posted about my investigation of and visit to CV Boca Raton. I'm favorably impressed with the community, though I'm not confident that I understand all of the financial records at this time.
There's a master association and then smaller, many smaller individual homeowners/condo associations which make-up the community. Not all associations, all buildings, are governed similarly. Some permit rentals. Some don't. Some allow rentals only after you've owned a unit for a set period of time. Some associations don't allow rentals, but do ... depending on the whim of the association board or president.
Finacial records you want to be most interested in are for individual associations and they're not generally available for inspection until someone makes an offer and you have a due diligence period to examine the documents after which you can buy or back-out penalty.
Don't expect a realtor to be too forthcoming. There are a lot of units available for sale at CV Boca Raton. A realtor wants to sell and will highlight the things he/she determines are of most interest to a prospective buyer. At CV or Kings Point, or any community/property.
I visited some of the units with a realtor who specializes in selling in that CV community.
If you know the area, and S. Florida, then you probably know the property/building questions to ask. Does the building you're interested in buying into have a flat roof vs. built-up (impacts insurance costs for the association? Do you want to be in a building with an elevator, or walk-up (impacts maintenance costs for the association). There are other questions.
You can probably purchase a 2 BR at CV Boca Raton for close to $30,000. Maybe a FHA or bank-owned property for less. Some of the associations have taken the deed to units in lieu of outstanding/unpaid assessments and rent/sell them to recover the unpaid monies. Learning of them can take a lot of effort. But they'll generally be sold for lesser cost. Realtor.com has some listings. Some current, some out-of-date. But they'll give you an idea of pricing.
As for renting a room: the community requires residents to be 55+. Some require only the owner to be 55+ and others can be lesser in age. I doubt there'll be much of an issue made of a situation where a resident owner has a roommate (paid or not).
Each of has different tastes and priorities when it comes to real estate. I like some CV Boca Raton buildings more than others. The ones I've shown an interest in are 2nd fl with a water view. To each his/her own desires.
They are depressing places (and the prices reflect it). Some buildings don't have elevators so that makes the 2nd floor units very undesirable. It is mainly very old and poor Jewish retirees though some areas can have an immigrant population. Lots of rules and generally a miserable place.
They are depressing places (and the prices reflect it). Some buildings don't have elevators so that makes the 2nd floor units very undesirable. It is mainly very old and poor Jewish retirees though some areas can have an immigrant population. Lots of rules and generally a miserable place.
While opinions on most things in life very between people, I sense from your comments that you haven't visited CV Boca Raton nor lived there. I'm interested in learning of your experiences there in Boca Raton. Thanks.
While opinions on most things in life very between people, I sense from your comments that you haven't visited CV Boca Raton nor lived there. I'm interested in learning of your experiences there in Boca Raton. Thanks.
A. I would honestly kill myself before living in any of the Century Village properties
B. The Boca Raton CV isnt' even in the city of Boca Raton but rather unincorporated Palm Beach County
C. When trailers in Sandalfoot cost more than units in CV then you ought to know something is very wrong with CV!
I'm not familiar with Sandalfoot. Perhaps you could provide a link. I, too, am curious as to your actual experience at CV.
CV isn't for everyone, but then, no place is for everyone. There is a lot to do right on the property and many seniors take full advantage of the amenities.
A. I would honestly kill myself before living in any of the Century Village properties
B. The Boca Raton CV isnt' even in the city of Boca Raton but rather unincorporated Palm Beach County
C. When trailers in Sandalfoot cost more than units in CV then you ought to know something is very wrong with CV!
Thanks for answering my question(s). As I suspected, you don't have first-hand knowledge of the community.
My dad has lived in Century Village in Deerfield Beach since the late 70s (when it first opened) and has always loved and still loves living there...Hardly depressing at all...in fact, tons of outdoor swimming pools (heated in winter) and huge indoor pool too...recreation/workout center, huge clubhouse with free movies (that played in theatres 2 to 3 months ago), inexpensive shows that are often excellent (with entertainment from places like las vegas, etc) and all kind of other nice stuff with shopping and excellent security (gated with security cards) he has made lots of friends there too!
Low prices now are only because of the real estate situation...just a few years ago they were a LOT more expensive....
The apartments are very nice too (especially the 2 bedroom ones like he has) though the 1 bedroom isn't bad if you don't mind a smaller apartment...
I would imagine that the other locations are similar since they were all built by the same developer originally...
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