Can someone please give me some info on Vitalia @ tradition (Jupiter: appointed, real estate)

[RUBYRED7]

Pros and Cons appreciated and what are your taxes and Hoa costs please..

[FlaLadyB]

The new clubhouse is up well on its way and its HUGE-- 24000 sq ft! Was at Vitalia several times in the last few weeks with clients who all loved the new floor plans. Lots of homes have been sold or are under construction. HOA fees are
$322 a month -- which includes Vitalia and the main Tradition HOA fees combined.

[JimT7406]

Pros: New home in a developing 55 plus community

Cons:

A high starting price point for a base home on a standard lot.
It will likely take many years for the community to build out.
High real estate taxes due in part to the Tradition add on taxes. Would think in the 4k range annually.
A high HOA number that should easily jump over $400 a month once the $322 developer controlled number is replaced by a real number that reflects a manned front gate and the cost for personnel needed to run an active 55 plus community.

[FlaLadyB]

Well considering several other communities have a manned gate already and their HOA fees are not $400 a month... that kinda kills that. Also there will be many more total occupants in the community to spread out the cost of a manned gate house. They already have 2 people in the existing clubhouse for events.

If you consider Vitalia to existing Cascades.....the big clubhouse, manned gatehouse, events, personnel etc. They seem to be doing just fine with HOA fees.

and as in any new community -- it will be a while till everything is finished. That's par for the course. Same thing with Minto, Verano, and any new construction area. But it IS moving and not just sitting there. Sales are happening and houses are being built.

[FlaLadyB]

Once again... here is the St Lucie Co tax estimator -- be sure to click HOMESTEAD if you plan to live here

Saint Lucie County, Florida Property Appraiser

[JimT7406]

The HOA at The Lakes at Tradition is $381. It is homeowner controlled with less amentities than Vitalia. Hertiage Oaks is also homeowner controlled and has a lower HOA number but has nowhere near the amentities or the size clubhouse Vitalia has and I am not sure if they even cut the grass there? Every other community in Tradition is developer controlled. The Lakes is the best indicator of where the HOA number is likely to go.

Cascades HOA monthly number looks to be currently at $279. You are right that they are doing just fine and in part due to a competitive HOA monthly number.

Tradition new home construction continues to move slowly. Only two communities were ever able to sell out, one ( The Lakes) IMO because of the DiVosta name and the other (Heritage Oaks) due to their competitive pricing. Since the collapse of the Real Estate market Toll Brothers bailed out of the Estates and Minto who IMO is a good developer continues to struggle 8 years after starting Town Park. With that said I think Vitalia has the best chance to succeed as it is the only new 55 plus community in the area but I would worry about how many years it will take to complete it and I remain concerned that the starting price points throughout the Tradition communities is the primary factor in a slow recovery there.

[FlaLadyB]

The HOA at The Lakes is also a lot less homes than Cascades to spread the fees out. Cascades is not part of a larger area like The Lakes is and therefore does not have 2 fees nor does it have the amenities that those fees for Tradition main hoa include.

Heritage Oaks is about 500 homes total. The Lakes is only 687 homes total. CASCADES is 1, 158 homes...

It's TRADITIONS FAULT for the slow recovery?? really????

[JimT7406]

Yes the reason for the slow recovery is that the developers there are not reacting to the economy and what the typical buyer expect to pay for a home in PSL. The base pricing plus the HOA fees and Real Estate taxes all add up to a number out of wack for PSL. The last year as you know was a good year for the real estate market throughout Florida however new construction crawled along there IMO due primarily to the overall high numbers. The lure of St Lucie is it's affordability and to me Tradition is not at this time. Drop the numbers down to where the typical buyer for this area needs to be (low 100's to start) and then they should come. It is just my opinion for why Tradition flounders and cannot get a company like Panera's to commit on building on that nice piece of waterfront land.
As to HOA numbers, I have recent firsthand experience in running a large HOA in the area for four years and I base my opinion on having seen and worked those numbers firsthand. Again it is just my opinion but I think a pretty informed one knowing what I know.

[PortStLucieWater]

Jim, just wanted to say that you always provide outstanding information and we really appreciate it. Your opinions are rational, intelligent, and well said. Thanks for being a member of this community.

[FlaLadyB]

You are actually blaming Tradition for Port St Lucies slow recovery?? How is that possible when all the areas of building OUTSIDE of Tradition is the cause, and a slow recovery is across the Nation. The building boom had investors buying up 10-30 houses at a time with plans on flipping them. When that didnt happen they dumped them. THAT is what caused the mess along with greedy people who decided to get 100% plus financing with 2 loans which they couldnt afford and NOW are dumping their houses. Then there are the mortgage people who gave people mortgages without any kind of check to see if the even had INCOME~! How about putting the blame in the right places.

Tradition is NOT the only place with new construction-- there is new construction all over the area and no, the prices are not cheap as you would want. Never is. Low $100's? - resales are out there. You want low $100 -- get in touch with Pulte Homes and check out their construction. Oh... and DiVosta -- Buzz sold his company name many years ago and in the beginning PULTE- who bought the name only- did use poured concrete like Buzz did...for a while. Now anything they build with DiVosta is not the same. They just don't happen to tell you unless you ask.


Panara building there has everything to do with how many people come in their front door. Not how much or how little new construction there is. The new hospital personnel and all the people from inside and outside of Tradition would have access to that new Panara and that is what they should be concerned with. Plus the fact they already have a store in St Lucie West.


And since you are involved in an HOA now.. how to you arrive at your fees? Costs? like all the ones I know of or something else? I have worked with HOA's as well. That's why they have a meeting for the budget.