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Yeah. The first winter I ever paid someone to clear our snow. I tried, but all I did was stand out there and cough.
The bathrooms are finished and they look great. Wish we could take them with us.
We will have remodelers starting on the new house this month while we are here getting this house ready. All new floors. New paint. All walls repaired (some wheelchair damage) replacing all trim, including baseboards, and interior doors. Adding some new interior doors as well. Removing the sliding patio door at the rear wall (we hate them) and replacing it with a large window and adding a standard door next to it by the "nook".
Yeah. The first winter I ever paid someone to clear our snow. I tried, but all I did was stand out there and cough.
The bathrooms are finished and they look great. Wish we could take them with us.
We will have remodelers starting on the new house this month while we are here getting this house ready. All new floors. New paint. All walls repaired (some wheelchair damage) replacing all trim, including baseboards, and interior doors. Adding some new interior doors as well. Removing the sliding patio door at the rear wall (we hate them) and replacing it with a large window and adding a standard door next to it by the "nook".
Then we move in.
Are you putting in new hardwood or refinishing? Do you mind sharing the cost per square foot of your installation?
We are looking at houses that are in the 12-15 year old range and many have hardwood that needs refinishing or some rooms that need new hardwood.
Great, objective and detailed information. Much thanks to the OP. We had considered HH in 2012, but needed to be residents of NC rather than SC. We also visted DW / Sun City developments in several states, and found the residents as friendly and helpful as you describe.
Tek Freek, congratulations on your new home. I know that development and it's a GREAT choice,
Quote:
Originally Posted by accufitgolf
Del Webb (owned by Pulte Homes) sales people can be very single minded as in if you are ready to buy, we can talk. Otherwise, do not bother me especially if you bring a real estate agent with you. Less in it for them. My suggestion is do not use a real estate agent if buying new direct from Del Webb.
Sorry, but that is terrible advice! Your realtor is there to protect and represent YOU. Most home buyers are relatively inexperienced in real estate transactions and unfamiliar with laws specific to their new area.
Hire a professional to protect yourself - the seller's agent (resale or new builder) isn't going to give a rats patooty about the buyer.
Last edited by Jkgourmet; 06-10-2014 at 06:24 AM..
...Sorry, but that is terrible advice! Your realtor is there to protect and represent YOU. Most home buyers are relatively inexperienced in real estate transactions and unfamiliar with laws specific to their new area.
Hire a professional to protect yourself - the seller's agent (resale or new builder) isn't going to give a rats patooty about the buyer.
Most real estate agents in most states are sellers' agents - not buyers' agents. This is course a generalization. And - like all generalizations - there are exceptions. Best to check in any specific situation. Robyn
Here is a current view of Sun City Hilton Head that addresses and updates some of the comments in the preceding pages:
I am a resident of SCHH and have been here since 2005, having previously lived in Virginia Beach for 15 years. We have been very happy with our choice to move here and enjoy the peaceful, clean and relaxing environment. Although there are hundreds of activities...social, athletic, volunteer...you don't have to partake of any and, as far as I am concerned, will still get your money's worth on the quarterly HOA fees just being able to enjoy the beauty of the place. I have about a ten minute drive from my house to the main gate on Highway 278....maybe 1% of the time when I make that drive will I see a paper cup or a water bottle by the side of the road...and I will bet that was tossed by a non-resident contractor. When we were considering moving here, I looked high and low for opinions from residents.....mainly, "What is the catch...it seems too good to be true."
There is no noise at night. No teenagers with ba-boom speakers on their cars driving down your street. No one ever knocks on your door unless it is a neighbor or the UPS delivery guy. The rare theft reported in the newspaper is likely either an unreliable domestic employee or else an absent-minded jewelry hider. The houses are built quiet enough that you never hear your neighbors. 99.9% of the residents maintain very neat and attractive yards. The remainder are reminded by the Community Association and eventually comply.
Fear of alligators is silly. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. We purchased a "lagoon" (I hate realtor-speak...it is a surface drainage retention pond) lot by default, not desire, and are so glad we have the great view of the water. The birds, large and small, put on a never-ending show looking out from our kitchen and living room.
Regarding available medical services, I have been a heavy user of hospitals and doctors for the past few years and I have no complaints about the availability of the services and people in the area. I have used Hilton Head for heart cath, St. Joseph's in Savannah for knee replacement, Beaufort Memorial for dozens of cancer-related surgeries and treatments and shoulder surgery, and the Medical University in Charleston for major surgery. I found getting appointments and traveling to and from the various locations no more difficult, and usually easier, than in a large city. Certainly easier than driving from Virginia Beach through the Downtown Tunnel to get to the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth. With the exception of Charleston, parking is always free. Local doctors are available for most specialties within a short drive from Sun City. When I make the 25 minute drive to Beaufort (which is very scenic through the marshes) I am often able to double up or even triple my medical appointments in one day to save on return trips.
So if the availability of medical services is an issue with anyone considering SCHH, it shouldn't be. The doctors have already escaped the winter weather up north. The only people I see complaining are the big city you-know-where folks who complain about everything not being as good as it was in "the City". (I-95 runs both ways!)
House sales have recovered well from the low point of a few years ago. Most of the bargains are gone and resales are moving. With the exception of some new smaller models on the Beaufort County side, which look they they are almost sold out, all the new homes are on the Jasper County side of the highway. I am biased because I live on the "old" side, but do feel it is a nicer area....if nothing else because Pulte, in an attempt to cut sale prices, did away with mandatory landscaping in the whole yard on the new homes. This means many of the homes on the Jasper County side only have landscaping in the front yard and the remainder is grass right up to the slab. Although some homeowners do voluntarily add additional landscaping, many have left it bare and it looks unsightly to me.
Pulte has gone back and forth on the finishes and options offered in new models. Back in the day they offered hundred of options ...picking them out was often a full day or more in the buying process...and then, in an move to cut overhead, eliminated most of the choices, but specified high-end finishes....then, in response to the housing slump, cut the high-end finishes and replaced them with low end (formica, loose plywood hurricane shutters, etc) to keep costs at a minimum. I do not know where they stand on that now, so visit their sales center to find out. One thing that a has improved since 2005 is the availability of contractors to do work in your home. In 2005/2006, Pulte was delivering over 100 homes per month and there were not enough workmen to go around. For residents who wanted to install their own options after closing, just getting a contractor to show up when promised was a miracle. After the slump, many of the bad contractors have disappeared and those remaining will at least show up on time.
After many years serving on the modifications committee (approval of exterior property changes) I reviewed hundreds of house additions.....room additions, glass sunrooms, screen enclosures. In almost every case, the homeowner wants more room. People underestimate the size of their new house needs and say "Oh, I am downsizing..." After a couple of years in a smaller house they end up spending a lot more money on an alteration to enlarge it than they would have paid if they had just bought a larger model to begin with. Look very carefully at the size of the house you are interested it....is it REALLY large enough?
Also, there are setback and property line regulations that may keep you from enlarging your house to your heart's content, just like in any other town. Know what they are and know exactly the setback lines on your site plan to avoid future disappointment when you find out you have a wetland easement in your backyard and can only extend your sun room 12 feet, or do not have sufficient setback on the side of the garage to add a golf cart garage. Do NOT trust what a salesman or realtor tells you....visit the Community Standards office if you are uncertain.
The overall condition of the Community Association seems good to me. I am not a financial guru, but we appear to be on a sound footing and the shop is being minded by very sharp and honest people. You will never see one of those Florida style horror stories about someone running off with the HOA treasury. Pulte continues to hold majority control per the governing documents and will for a few more years as long as they are still building. I find that to be just fine...their interest in selling homes requires a functioning and happy community.
There is a current class action suit in the works (moving very slowly) concerning the stucco exterior finish on homes built in certain years (not the new ones)... with stucco, it is all in the installation method and quality) I have not had any problems after over 9 years, but others have. I am just sitting on the sidelines to see how it comes out. If someone is willing to completely re-stucco my entire house with a new improved process, at no cost, I won't complain. But in the meantime, I am not losing any sleep over it and it should not be something to scare anyone away. One of the Pulte Communities in NV has a large suit over brass plumbing fittings that corroded into dust due to the alkaline water supply and they ended up opening walls and replumbing several thousand homes at a no cost to the residents. So things like this have happened elsewhere and we will stand by and wait for the results.
If anyone is looking for current on-the-ground info about SCHH, I will be glad to help.
Thank you for the update! We visited del webb in Summerville and were very impressed. We still want to visit SSHH and SSCL before we get more serious in planning.
Could you share what home insurances you have to carry and approx costs being so close to the coast? Nice to here about the medical aspect. How about air travel? What airports do you use? How about things to do? We enjoy football, concerts, and just getting out and experiencing different things.
We're still 4 to 5 years away from retirement but it's a big move and we want it to be the right one. Actual resident experiences (good and bad) are invaluable in our decision making.
I have a friend (retired CPA) that has lived there since 2003??. He has always believed the fees are fair and the place is financially sound. He has the stucco finish and about one year ago they did replace one side of his home. They also spackled and painted the interior walls on that side. While a bit of a inconvenience, the job was well done and at no cost to him. He was well satisfied with the whole process.
You could not blow he and his wife out of there with an atomic bomb. They love it. He is a regular golfer and likes it even more for that reason.
I have visited them several times a year since they moved there. I always look forward to our visits. A lovely, friendly, and fun place to live.
One thing for others when considering SC and Del Webb. If you are a serious golfer, then HH is the place. It is the only Del Webb in SC that has golf courses on site. The courses are private for the use of owner/members. One can also use their own golf carts. No getting in a car and driving off site. I know other Del Webb's have active golf leagues but to many golfers (like myself) there is a big difference between on site private courses versus off site public courses. Del Webb HH is a golfers paradise.
...There is a current class action suit in the works (moving very slowly) concerning the stucco exterior finish on homes built in certain years (not the new ones)... with stucco, it is all in the installation method and quality) I have not had any problems after over 9 years, but others have. I am just sitting on the sidelines to see how it comes out. If someone is willing to completely re-stucco my entire house with a new improved process, at no cost, I won't complain. But in the meantime, I am not losing any sleep over it and it should not be something to scare anyone away. One of the Pulte Communities in NV has a large suit over brass plumbing fittings that corroded into dust due to the alkaline water supply and they ended up opening walls and replumbing several thousand homes at a no cost to the residents. So things like this have happened elsewhere and we will stand by and wait for the results.
I took a look at this litigation - and the reason it is proceeding slowly (which is a gross understatement IMO - the case has been going on for something like 6 years now) - is the defendants apparently have been dragging their feet best they can.
At this point - in 2014 - the merits of the case are finally starting to take shape. And the extent of damage to homes in the community will eventually be determined (as many as 4300 homes may be affected).
I would definitely be scared away by this. But that's me. I think anyone who is considering buying here should definitely look at the history of the litigation and follow its progress. The best source of information that I've found is a local source - islandpacket.com - which has lot of articles - including this one:
One thing for others when considering SC and Del Webb. If you are a serious golfer, then HH is the place. It is the only Del Webb in SC that has golf courses on site. The courses are private for the use of owner/members. One can also use their own golf carts. No getting in a car and driving off site. I know other Del Webb's have active golf leagues but to many golfers (like myself) there is a big difference between on site private courses versus off site public courses. Del Webb HH is a golfers paradise.
I need to correct you here. Sun City Carolina Lakes (Fort Mill/Indian Land, SC) also has a golf course running through it. I live across from the 15th hole. It would not be a Sun City if it didn't. That's what makes the difference between a Sun City and a Del Webb named community. Now if you are saying that SCHH actually OWNS the golf courses, then you are correct. Our golf course is independently owned, but then we don't have to use HOA fees for the upkeep. So the golfers here can also cart it to the links and use their own carts. In fact there are many of us non-golfers that also have carts and use them to get around all the time.
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Cost of New Hardwood Floors
