Wellington communities - Olympia vs Versailles (Parkland: rent, HOA, condo)

[heydade]

Originally Posted by Newyorker2

That is one concern that I have, dealing with an HOA, I hear that they are very tough about what you can or cannot do, but from speakign with relatives who live in Olympia they made it seem like it wasnt bad and that the Association doesnt limit you as much as I thought,. That is something i have to look further into. I love land, and hate the lack of privacy in the communities ( you can literally spit on your beighbor) again a choice we will have to make by the time we go down there.

I wish you luck ! That is TOUGH choice if you and your hubby are not seeing eye to eye since whever you buy, you are going to stay put for a couple of years the way the real estate market is right now. Start brainwashing him into thinking the way you do !! Do not buy into an HOA !

[nibor]

I've been living in Wellington for almost a year now and I am very happy here. I'm relocated from NY and DO NOT miss the winters, but do really miss spring and fall. The seasons here are really just "hot" and "hotter" and we get some crazy thunder and lightning storms and serioiusly terrential rain that is scary to drive in. I guess you just get used to it.

I have a very good childhood friend who lives in a nearby town for the past 7 years. She highly recommended Well to us when we relocated b/c it is very family-friendly, has lots of young families, decent schools, and everything is a lot newer here regarding shopping malls, etc.

I live/rent in VillageWalk and it's very nice here. Although the homes are not as extravagent as those you'll see in Olympia and Versailles (Ver. in my opinion was very gaudy, mcmansions all squished together) and pretty much "zero lot zoned" (ie, very close together) you don't really feel it b/c of the design of the properties. When I sit on my back lanai I don't even see my neighbors homes and it is always very peaceful and quiet. The clubhouse pool is FANTASTIC. The fitness gym is big, clean, and awesome. I use it all the time.

My two young girls swim in the pool practically every day and are always meeting other children who are always so friendly and eager to play. I have not met a single person here who hasn't been friendly, courteous, and neighborly. The properties are kept immaculate by the HOA and it is about 5 minute drive from all the schools. My daughter just completed Kindergarten in Equestrian Trails-- did not like her teacher at all, but I hear over and over again from people who have been here a while that it's not the school that counts but more if your child gets a good teacher. We'll see how next year goes...

I have a few friends who live in Olympia. Only one complains about her neighbors (blasting loud music, etc). The others have been there for a few years now, and like it a lot. Olympia is very beautiful, but for some reason it gets a bad rap. I think it's b/c it is SOOOOO big (there are a lot of homes in this community) and the home prices range from the 300's up into the one million dollar range. Also, there are a lot of homes that were purchased by investors and are pretty much exclusively occupied by rentors--- although I'm one myself-- I think this lends itself to a greater risk of the ever-changing next door neighbor. If you are someone who wants to feel a "hometown feel" with your neighbors, this may not appeal to you.

Yes, there are a lot of foreclosures in Olympia. There are a lot of foreclosures all over Florida right now. You may be able to really get a good deal. Keep in mind though that homes that are foreclosing typically are neglected and may have been unoccupied w/o air-conditioning running to prevent mold in the walls, for some time. You probably can get a great deal on a home that's not in foreclosure right now though. You really have the opportunity to be picky and name your price. If the seller doesn't like it, move on, there's plenty out there to choose from, and pretty much everyone who is selling there home right now is probably doing it b/c they have to-- it's not a seller's market.

If land is what you want, then you really need to go further west, like the Acerage. I have driven further west a few times, and it gets pretty desolate. If you like to be away from the larger, busier roads like 441, like to feel like you're not in the middle of all the "hubbub", shopping, etc. you may like it. There are some neighborhoods that are a little less out there that have a little more property than in Olympia, but these are older homes and may have problems getting them insured if they're not up to the new codes b/c of the past bad hurricanes.

If schools are your first concern, Binks Forest is the best in the area. However, I'm told all the high school in Wellington aren't so hot. We are considering private school when the time comes for our girls.

Oh yeah, one more thing (I know I'm going on and on) from what I understand Versailles is mostly owned by foreigners that are investing here or may live here a few months, then go back to their country, etc. So do your research if you're considering that neighborhood. Isles of Wellington is very nice, have heard lots of nice things about it, but the homes are also a little older and I think the HOA fees are high.

Bottom line--- rent first, do lots of research, talk to people you meet about where they live, schools, etc. You can negotiate the rental price too. You dont' want to buy into a subdivision only to find that you hate it and now are stuck there b/c you can't sell. Wellington is a lovely place to live though. Good luck!!

[nibor]

Originally Posted by Newyorker2

Villagewalk sounds great, I googled it online and only found a villagewalk in Naples. Do you have a website for them?

Thanks much

Google VillageWalk of Wellington Florida and you should find a few search engines to view.

[nibor]

Originally Posted by Newyorker2

Ok, so we were down in FL for the long weekend and I fell in love with the homes in Wellington. I went to Olympia and loved it and know the exact home that I want but will put off buying until next year when prices drop a bit more. My husband prefers the Acreage, and wants to buy a lot and build a home on it with a pool and guest house, I on the other hand, prefer the "security" and amenities of a gated community ( notice security in quotes). Can anyone weigh in on the pros and cons of gated community vs living in the acreage? I know of the HOA fees and regulations which dont bother me, but any huge differences in taxes, insurance etc.. My friend told me that taxes and insurance are less in communities than non.

Also, while i love Olympia, I have heard about the beauty of Versailles, though one person told me that Versaille home owners are dying to get out due to some sort of problem with the inspection of the land that the homes were built on and that they are beginning to sink. Can this possibly be true?? HELLP...we are not looking to move until probably next year, but i wanna do my due diligence before i consider coming down./

If you decide on Olympia, buy a re-sale. The builder, Minto is still selling new construction, but does not negotiate on their prices (at least that's what one salesperson there told me) and you can probably get a nicer re-sale for the same price as a new construction.

[MarianneNora]

Many of the communites are overpriced (Village Walk, Olympia...) and the elementary school is not that great in spite of it being "A" rated. Definitely do not buy--rent at first. Check out greatschools dot net. to get the school profile. Versaille and Olympia are also overpriced and Olympia has expensive HOA payments. I also noticed the foreclosures. On one block, eleven houses empty or boarded up and that was last year!

[nibor]

Originally Posted by MarianneNora

Many of the communites are overpriced (Village Walk, Olympia...) and the elementary school is not that great in spite of it being "A" rated. Definitely do not buy--rent at first. Check out greatschools dot net. to get the school profile. Versaille and Olympia are also overpriced and Olympia has expensive HOA payments. I also noticed the foreclosures. On one block, eleven houses empty or boarded up and that was last year!

Yes, I agree. Also, the letter ratings they use down here are really meaningless as far as I'm concerned. I mean, I'm sure an "A" rating represents a better school than a "D" rating to some extent, but I believe these ratings are based solely on the FCAT scores. The school's that get A's get more funding which basically means that the school's teach for the tests so they can get more money. Also, I've learned that the FCATs are not even standardized tests, anyone who knows anything about statistics would see that these tests are not necessarily objective and reliable as formal measures of academic ability. Plus, the state doesn't provide much feedback to the schools regarding test results to aid them in working on the areas of greatest weakness. There were several news articles talking all about this last school year in the local papers.

Parents who move here should expect to be very involved in their children's education and plan on enriching your children A LOT at home and on family outings, etc.

[10-63]

Stay away from Olympia,Versailles and Victoria Groves,Black Diamond. We originally came down from Long Island and bought pre- construction were able to sell at the height of the market.We rented in Olympia for a almost a year it like the housing projects of NY in some sections, as is Victoria Groves due to the townhouses built out front of that development and most people think it is part of that community(very bad rap) which now allows section 8(Shoma Townhomes). Versailles has many foreclosures and the monthly HOA dues range from 400-600 a month,Olympia175-225 a month,Victoria Groves $265 a month,Black diamond 265-300, Villagewalk $335 a month. The Isles of Wellington ( 230-280 a month dues) and the Grand Isles (120 a month) has some beautiful homes and the turnover is low. Panther Run is a better elementary as is polo park middle now that Shoma townhomes is sent to emerald cove next olympia.

[Mkovacs]

The communities you just mentioned are basically the nicest communities in Wellington. All gated communities are going to have HOA fees. At least several of them are lower than in Boca. I agree that Olympia has too many renters right now and Versailles is iffy bc of the sinking issue, but Black Diamond is very nice and safe. We work in Boca but can't afford to live in Boca so are looking in Wellington because at least it seems new, nice, and relatively safer than most of Delray and east Boynton. We have looked at several houses in those neighborhoods, including Victoria Groves, and find the area to be very nice. Yes there are those townhomes, but in my experience most places now are accepting Section 8 (even my nice, expensive condo we are renting right in Boca). If you want newer homes for somewhat reasonably prices, I personally think those communities are fine.

[Newyorker2]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. After everything that we had heard about communities i think we are more and more considering the acreage as a place to buy.. eventually.

[RNMALE]

Neither.

I lived in versailles for about 2 years. I owned a house there and sold it ASAP. My house was beautiful 4 bed. 4bath on the lake with a view of the clubhouse. My mortgage was 5 grand a month and HOA was 400+/monthly. I bought on the cusp of the housing boom and got out before the decline. As of now enery other house is in foreclosure, and its bringing the values of homes down by almost 30-40%!!!! If you do nuy in versaille get a foreclosed or shortsale. Versailles is way overpriced, but beautiful. Olympia ***MOD CUT***, and is a sinking ship. Too many houses, and way too many foreclosed homes there.