I live in The Villages (Country Club: neighborhood, buy, exemption)

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by frankrj

Ahh, okay. That makes sense. Low inventory for high-end and a separate listing system. I learned something new. I was visiting Ocala but talk of sinkholes worries me. I had thought Tampa's counties were the major areas to avoid if concerned about sinkholes. The state just amazes me because there are so many beautiful areas.

Sinkholes are a kind of "thing" in the north-central part of the state. But more often, they're not the natural sinkholes that occur - they're most often caused by poorly planned irrigation systems and defective (or poorly constructed) retention ponds, and over-development on poor soil.

Some parts of the Villages -seem- to be more prone than other parts, but it could just be a matter of perception than fact. In the "historic" section of the Villages, which is where the community began as a luxury trailer park back in the 1970's, the ground is pretty stable. There's been a collapsed pipe under the street, and it did cause some damage to a car that was driving on it when it collapsed. It happened twice in the past year, on the same street, within blocks of each other. I'm guessing the town already has the engineers checking that out though and that'd be old pipes needing to be replaced, and nothing worth fretting over with regards to anyone's home being at risk. The old section, though still a part of the Villages, is technically a series of neighborhoods in the town of Lady Lake, which is in Lake County. It isn't in one of the "community development districts" as the rest of the Villages are.

[middle-aged mom]

Originally Posted by David223

No special assessment.
Sumter County, lower taxes. I live there.
Utilities are fine. My home is all electric. The amount you pay for electric in the summer depends on what you set your thermostat at.
I have a stick/vinyl 3 bedroom/2 bath "Courtyard Villa"

Are solar panels a thing in the Villages?

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by middle-aged mom

Are solar panels a thing in the Villages?

It's not exactly a thing, but there are homes with solar panels on the roofs. Most of them are used to heat the pool, from what I've heard. Electricity is so cheap down here that it's not a deal-breaker with regards to cost-efficiency. Most of these homes (from what I've heard) rent the panels, rather than owning them outright. So they pay just a monthly maintenance fee and minimum charge to be "on the grid" and the actual electricity, for the most part, is free. I don't know of any homeowners in the Villages who are living off the grid entirely, but I'm sure there's probably someone in the Villages who is doing just that.

[brimel2527]

I had read here about the two listing systems, but have just started dealing with it as our home search gains steam. It seems so awkward having to go back and forth between them, having to engage with two realtors and keep the listings straight. Add Covid-related travel issues, and this is probably going to be even more of a chore than we figured.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by brimel2527

I had read here about the two listing systems, but have just started dealing with it as our home search gains steam. It seems so awkward having to go back and forth between them, having to engage with two realtors and keep the listings straight. Add Covid-related travel issues, and this is probably going to be even more of a chore than we figured.

If you are BUYING in the Villages, and want to buy NEW (recently built, never previously owned), you must go through a Villages sales rep. MLS realtors are not allowed to offer or sell those homes, they are owned by the Developer and the Developer uses its own exclusive listing service (called VLS).

If you are buying a home that has already been sold by the Developer to someone else (whether it was lived in or not), thereby making it a "pre-owned" home, you can go through any MLS realtor you want to show the home and help you buy it.

However...and this is the only part that actually gets confusing:

A VLS agent is under exclusive contract to the Villages. Any homeowner who chooses to list their home for sale with a VLS agent, will NOT see their home listed anywhere on the MLS websites (such as realtor.com, zillow, trulia, or any real estate company's site such as Caldwell Banker, Century 21, etc). And MLS-listed homes will not be listed on the Villages Homefinder webpage.

If you want millions of people to see your listing, most of whom aren't even seriously looking to buy a home or retire at all, let alone to the Villages, then go with the MLS.

If you want only thousands of people to see your listing, but most of them are interested in the Villages - even though they might not be ready to move there yet...go with VLS.

You're not allowed to do both. It's a crapshoot either way. But VLS listings are marketed to people who have at least heard of the Villages before, and have at least a passing interest in this specific part of the planet. MLS listings are marketed to "whoever punches in a zipcode on their search engine"

[Toymeister]

Originally Posted by brimel2527

I had read here about the two listing systems, but have just started dealing with it as our home search gains steam. It seems so awkward having to go back and forth between them, having to engage with two realtors and keep the listings straight. Add Covid-related travel issues, and this is probably going to be even more of a chore than we figured.

One thing that you should be aware of is the bias of VLS RE agents to steer you away from pre-owned homes.

The agent's commission for new homes is 1.5% while it is 1% for pre-owned.

New homes often appear to be a better value, new to the area buyers often aren't aware of the cost of improvements that almost everyone does immediately. From replacement of the cheap stock carpet, light fixtures, landscaping and so on. Given this pre-owned homes are generally a better value.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

One thing that you should be aware of is the bias of VLS RE agents to steer you away from pre-owned homes.

The agent's commission for new homes is 1.5% while it is 1% for pre-owned.

New homes often appear to be a better value, new to the area buyers often aren't aware of the cost of improvements that almost everyone does immediately. From replacement of the cheap stock carpet, light fixtures, landscaping and so on. Given this pre-owned homes are generally a better value.

My agent did not steer me away from a pre-owned home, because when we went to him, we told him flat out we didn't want to live in the new developments. We were looking in the older section because that's where we wanted to spend our retirement.

He bent over backward to accommodate us, set up appointments with MLS agents who were listing a couple of the homes there so that we could see them, and met with us at homes that other VLS agents were showing in the older section.

NEW homes typically have no landscaping yet; they're new. If you buy it pre-build, you participate in the design of the home from the ground up, by selecting what goes in it, and what doesn't.

Homes that have already been built but not lived in yet are sold as-is. Brand new, but not necessarily what you want. If you want what you want, you can have it built for you.

My agent is now one of the managers for the Villages Real Estate group. He is a salaried employee.

[NCKaci]

It seems like the Villages has become too expensive for many, myself included.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by NCKaci

It seems like the Villages has become too expensive for many, myself included.

On Top of the World in Ocala is very nice and less expensive, might want to take a look there. My SIL moved into her new house in The Villages yesterday. I'm curious to see if she likes it over time as she's hoping.

[Ghaati]

Originally Posted by Tall Traveler

On Top of the World in Ocala is very nice and less expensive, might want to take a look there. My SIL moved into her new house in The Villages yesterday. I'm curious to see if she likes it over time as she's hoping.

A "new" house will always be the more expensive option. In addition to the actual listing price, there's also the bond. That can be over $20,000 on top of the listing price. That bond payment is built into yearly taxes, or it can be paid off all at once. So it's reduced, or eliminated, depend on how the homeowner wants to handle it. As such, a previously-owned home will have a lower bond, or no bond at all.

Also, many of the manufactured homes here are somewhat luxurious, kept up to date and modern, with lots of open space and generous bedroom sizes with walk-in closets. Mine is a modular manufactured (double-wide-plus). My master bedroom is 15x14 plus an "en suite" master bath with the walk-in closet. Even our guest bedroom has a walk-in closet. Enormous living area, decent kitchen with a bay window, a dining area, lanai with sliding glass enclosures, super-long driveway and car port - we can fit the pickup truck, my car, and two golf carts with room for a visitor and still have a spot on the outer edge of the driveway for a table and chairs to enjoy the day. And we have a porch off the side of the lanai.

Homes like ours are on the "historic" side of the Villages, northeast of 441 in the upper right corner of the Villages map. Our part of the community has three pools included in the amenity fee, one golf club pool that costs extra and is part of the country club, two 9-hole executive courses, the country club's 18 hole course, rec center, central mail center, outdoor fitness center, dog park, bridge over 441 for golf carts to get to Spanish Springs, walking trails, a lake, the usual shuffleboard/tennis/pickleball courts.

You can find homes in our section of the Villages in liveable condition around $130,000, in amazing condition for under $200,000.