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I have been looking at the Sun Cities here and in AZ as we are considering relocation. My question is about the SCCL location.
I have been here now three times with DH and we like it. If we stay in this area, this is number one on our list.
My concern is the quality of the new construction, (everywhere, not just here), although the houses/condos look great. Can anyone speak to this? Also, should we consider a resale only as all "the bugs" may have been worked out of the construction?
And finally, should we get a buyer's broker, either way - new or resale? For new, will the new sales staff at SCCL work with a buyer's broker?
Hopefully I can answer a few of your questions as I live in SCCL.
First, I would definately get a buyer's agent, and yes the SCCL sales agents will work with one. We had one and we purchased new construction. If you want to DM me privately I can recommend. We also had an excellent Pulte sales person who worked with us on several issues that we had during the construction time. Unfortunately she is no longer with them.
Second, as far as new vs. resale, it all depends on what is most important to you. As far as working out "bugs" you do have several options. During the building process you will have several meetings with the builders as things move along....pre-construction, pre-drywall, a walk through a week before closing and the final walkthrough right before closing. At any of these points you can see what is going on and if anything needs to be fixed. We didn't live in the area, but our buyer's agent actually did stop by at various other times and sent us pictures. We also had a home inspection done at pre-drywall and another one done before final closing. Then after you close you have an 11 month meeting with your Pulte rep to remedy any minor things that have happened (nail pops, fixing grout, etc.) Plus you can email Pulte to request service on something that can't wait that long, and an emergency phone number for immediate needs.
If choosing colors, finishes, and specific options (and not others) are more important to you, then new construction is probably the way to go. However, be advised that Pulte has pulled out a LOT of standard features and made them upgrades, so if you are willing to compromise on a few things, or can change things at a later time, then resales could possibly be a better deal.
With resales, you don't have the option to choose colors and finishes (tile, cabinets, hardware/lights, flooring), but you do get other things that can make up for it. For instance, you will have more mature landscaping and most people have added things as well, including stone edging, walls or prettier bushes/trees, and irrigation. Many people have added to/upgraded their back patio areas, including adding screened porches, walls, windows and much more. Insides have been upgraded as well, including painting, better flooring/light fixtures, built-ins, closet upgrades, better appliances, etc. etc. Many Pulte items that are now upgrades were standard in the houses built several years ago. For instance when we purchased in 2008.....hardwood were standard in the kitchen and entry and tile was an upgrade. Now vinyl is standard and both wood and tile are upgrades. Tile was standard in all bathrooms, now vinyl is standard and tile is an upgrade. Granite in kitchen was standard in Summit and Manor models (Corian in River models). Now formica is standard in all, and Corian is one upgrade and granite is a double upgrade. Full interior finished garage was standard, now is an upgrade. There are a lot of others as well, but I won't take time to list them all here. But if you don't like what is being offered to you in new, you can get the cheapest and upgrade later. With resales it might be hard to, for instance, rip out the installed granite because you want a different color.
There are a few options that have been available for the past year or so that you might find on a resale (loft option in Summit group, extended garage), but they have also just introduced several new options (and a new model) that you will not find on any resale. Again, what is more important to you. The best thing is to just pick a price range that you are comfortable with and look at both new and resale with an open mind. Also keep in mind that it takes about 5 months for a new build, so if you have to move sooner you will have to find a rental until you can close. Feel free to DM me with any questions you might have!
Thank you so much for this very helpful reply. I appreciate it.
I do have a buyer's broker in mind that is very familiar with SCCL. I look at the new and exisiting listings each Friday. I think we are going to try the three day weekend that is offered to get a better feel, but so far we really like SCCL a lot. Again, many thanks!
i've read several online postings about road construction problems and cracks in the community center that seem to be a problem getting fixed by Pultie or Del Webb. I can't tell when these problems were discovered. Do you know if the HOA is able to get these corrected?
i've read several online postings about road construction problems and cracks in the community center that seem to be a problem getting fixed by Pultie or Del Webb. I can't tell when these problems were discovered. Do you know if the HOA is able to get these corrected?
These are being worked on by Pulte. There are some things that the HOA is working hard to get Pulte to fix and there are a few things that were already turned over to the HOA that is now their responsibility. Until any item is formally turned over to the HOA, it is the responsibility of Pulte to fix it. We now have 3 homeowners on the board of directors, so hopefully that will help with the communication with Pulte. Even though a lot of the roads have already been turned over to the county, Pulte is still fixing items that were deemed to be caused by settling.
I would purchase a resale over new in SCCL especially built homes before 2010. More detail features are offer in the home, owners did additional work/landscaping, trees established, better quality, etc.
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