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Thank you Optimus,
My best friend was a city planner in the area East of that development.
Pluses for homes in the Everglades? More land, newer buildings, lovely landscaping.
The minuses will not be detectable by 'driving around'. Just check into the issue of standing water after a storm in the former Everglades, where people build though they probably shouldn't.
It's not a 50 50 proposition, but if a big storm does happen, the flooding and standing water will be a drawback.
Also look into the depreciation of houses west of I-95, let alone Hagen Ranch Rd. The reasons are complex but the reason you get more land for the purchase price has to do with the value of a property. I should add that I find the area very beautiful myself, but my city-planner friend told me a bit too much about the negatives. The birds are beautiful. It's a little sad that they are looking for their old nesting areas, which no longer exist.
If it is still a good deal, by all means go for it. Just research it first. Some realtors hate research. It hurts their business.
I was actually broken-hearted when they developed that land. Of course, there was nothing to be done.
Several of my co-workers who live in that area are often unable to make it to work after heavy rains.
They simply cannot make it out of the driveway.
One of the old-timers who frequents Green Cay is totally disgusted by the development. he always says, don't be surprised if Green Cay Wetlands is developed some day, even though it's supposed to be protected.
I so agree, ByeBye. Florida is so beautiful and developers have been spoiling its livability and beauty since the 1920s.
Retirees (and I am in that age bracket myself but don't think this way b/c I have lived here so long and gotten to know South Florida) don't think in the long term. They are just down here for a short term.
Regardless of the name, 55+ communities bring together people of similar age and interests for the opportunity of friendship and shared activities. Before buying a villa at Villaggio Reserve we rented at Highpoint 7 in Delray for six months. Made more friends there than the last 10 years living in Westchester NY.
Villaggio is not situated in a potential flood area. Although we plan to obtain flood insurance (very reasonably priced), I am told most people living there will not. With rising seawater levels for all of Florida, I prefer to live away from the coast. Coastal areas will be the first locations to be hit with rising insurance costs as Miami experiences greater flooding.
We are also planning on closing in late October and look forward to the lifestyle that Villaggio promises. I must say that the staff at Villaggio has been exceptionally professional and efficient in every way. My wife must have changed the building upgrades about half a dozen times and they have been quite accommodating. Just hope things run as smoothly after we move in.
Roberto
Found your note on the Villaggio. We are coming down next week to see the place as our family live in Boynton Beach and this appears to be the only 55+ NEW community in the area. The prices have gone up so much since I started looking at them. Did you move in yet? How are you finding it? We will be snowbirds for awhile, but prefer to have new over resale more for the ppl and friendships developed when everyone moves in together. Hopefully, you will still see this post!
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevensch18
I purchased a new villa in Villaggio Reserve about 6 months ago and expect to close in late October.Certainly it is not for everyone but new is new and resales are resales.If you are looking for value, size and beautiful grown in landscaping resales are the way to go.So why buy a new attached villa at a price about the same as a larger single family home resale? For one thing I did not want the 1800 to 2200 square foot home typical of the area.I really wanted something a few hundred feet smaller.Also the floor plan and finishes, cabinets, flooring etc. all feel much more contemporary than what you find in most area resales.The resales all seemed to have a dated look especially the kitchens, baths and flooring.If you do not mind that or are comfortable buying and then renovating a resale might be the way to go. But the resales are also about 15 years old now and like a used car their systems will start to need more work.
A word about the clubhouses and pool. Villaggio Reserve is going to have a state of art contemporary clubhouse with the type of pools and exercise rooms you would fine in new resorts .The clubhouses in almost all the resales are once again dated looking with a kind of 35 year old Las Vegas casino look to them.
I just did not like the resales typically available but was immediately attracted to the more contemporary feel of Villaggio Reserve.They are really marketing to recent retirees and even people still employed.The community is currently under construction and really beginning to take shape.Visit the area, spend some time exploring your options and make your judgement.You can do well either way.
Yes, we have been living in Villaggio since late November and both of us absolutely love the community! We did go through some trying times at the beginning however. There were numerous small problems in construction, but true to their promise, a phalanx of contractors repaired them. Everyone in management here is super helpful, professional, communicative and upbeat. At first there was construction all around, the clubhouse was late in opening, and the Villa felt a bit small. All of that is now resolved.
We came from a large home in Del Webb Alegria (New Mexico), another 55+ community, and our Villaggio Villa was half the size. That's an adjustment! In fact, it soon became apparent that two homes across the country was one too many. We opted to keep the Florida place despite the problems and size because my first rule of life is to simplify, and the Villa offered minimum maintenance. So, a few months ago, we sold our first retirement home in NM, drove across the country, and closed on the Villaggio property. It turned out to be a very good decision. Here is my detailed take on Villaggio:
The Positive:
1. Wonderful lifestyle. Our neighbors are fantastic, and coming from the Northeast, we are all on the same wavelength. Everyone is new to the community and open to making new friends. There are numerous get-togethers in the clubhouse where one can easily meet those who recently arrived. I really feel like I am in summer camp here and every day is enjoyable.
2. The gym turned out to be fan-tas-tic! All new, top quality equipment with lots of elliptical and tread machines. What I didn't expect was a step machine, a rowing machine and a double pulley machine. All super. Lots of other Nautilus like machines, free weights, balance balls of all sizes, and two large panels to watch TV while exercising. Beautiful view out one way glass while exercising looking out towards the swimming pools and lake. They keep everything spotless. Most of the day the gym is pretty much empty but that may change as more people move in and we swing into the winter months. For me the gym is the best part.
3. Clay tennis courts and numerous pickleball courts exceeded our expectations in terms of construction quality . They have an instructor available to give lessons (additional fee). We can play pretty much any time since the courts are mostly empty. I thought tennis would be a main focus for the people here but it is not. The main focus seems to be the pool.
4. There is a beautiful main pool and a lap pool which are focal points here during the day, although I like them best at night. Crystal clear water and well maintained. Nice lounge chairs and small covered cabanas. They are also currently constructing large covered lanai areas.
5. There is a cafe adjacent to the pools with table service and an extensive menu. This surprised me because it is more like a quality breakfast/lunch restaurant than a cafe. As a vegan, I rarely frequent the "cafe" but my wife and everyone else are constantly praising the quality of the food.
6. LOTS of clubs, activities and trips. My wife does zumba gold, aqua-cise, yoga, woman's lunch, mahjong, Mexican dominos, jewelry making, meditation, and a few more I can't remember. She is busy. I do book club (terrific group!), current events (on occasion), and excursions around Florida. There is pilates (calisthenics), arts and crafts room for art groups, bridge, poker, canasta, etc. I may start up a photography group if there is interest. There are more activities here than in our New Mexican community, and unlike NM, where additional fees were required, the cost of the instructors is included in the HOA (currently $354 per month). They are currently working on a major addition to the clubhouse which will include a large playhouse, a poolroom and some other activities.
7. Minimal maintenance. In NM I was responsible for pretty much everything regarding our house, including the outside plants in our gardens. At Villaggio all landscaping is included in the HOA. We are very happy with the maintenance. There are palm trees everywhere and the place keeps looking more exotic. All I am responsible for in the Villas is my indoor property. The roof and exterior upkeep is covered in the HOA for the Villas. This was a main draw for me.
8. Our Villa is drop dead silent. The hurricane proof windows block all sound. They are also impervious to someone trying to break in. Without such windows our home would still be totally quiet but would lack this security. All the homes here have a security system, but I feel the best security are these amazing glass windows. This was also a main draw. The concrete block construction is solid and appears to block all sound from the adjacent unit in the Villas. There is no sound, even on our lanai, from the Turnpike or West Atlantic Avenue.
9. Location, location, location!!!!! I can't think of a better location in Florida than where we are now. Boca is immediately to the south, Boynton is up the road and the Florida Turnpike is less than five minutes away. A five minute ride north on Hagen Ranch Road brings you to Green Cay Nature preserve which attracts photographers from around the world. We both finish the day with a walk around Green Cay at dusk. I do three cycles around the wooden boardwalk for a fast 50 minute walk, watching amazing wildlife the whole time. Incredibly, entrance to the park is free! A twelve minute drive brings us to Morikami Gardens, one of the most beautiful and peaceful garden areas in the world. For $90 a year my wife and I have unlimited dual admission and lots of additional benefits. I am often there reading my Kindle at a cool secret location always ten degrees below the normal temperature due to coverage by dense trees. Morikami is Japan's great gift to Florida! In addition to these wonderful parks there is a national park, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge less than 15 minutes from Villaggio just up route 441. A senior national park card ($20) will gain you and a carload of people lifetime entrance for free. Great hiking over huge distances, lots of alligators, a boardwalk, and canoe rental into the deep Florida everglades here. By driving less than 10 minutes from Villaggio you will reach Wakodahatchee Wetlands, another amazing bird sanctuary with wooden boardwalk. Beautiful large, exotic exotic birds here in abundance. Free admission. Almost forgot to mention downtown Delray. It is 15 minutes away by car and can best be described as South Beach without an attitude. You will find one of the best libraries in Florida here as well as numerous restaurants and nightlife. Where else can you have a great dinner at night and then stroll along the beach under the moon in shorts and a T shirt during the depths of winter? There is always free parking in downtown Delray at the library and you can reach downtown by taking the number 81 bus across the street from Villaggio. Senior fare is $1.
10. Restaurants. Delray Beach was recently voted number one in popularity of all the cities in Palm Beach County and the variety of restaurants in one big reason why. It took many months of exploring but I have finally found at least one restaurant in most categories to rival those of NY. Too many to name so I'll just give you my current favorite....Blaze Pizza in Boca Raton. It serves delicious individualized pizza with unlimited toppings and includes vegan pizza (with vegan cheese) as an option.
11. Weather. Some of the best weather in the world is here. Those locales in the Caribbean that have similar weather also have dengue fever. Florida is free of Dengue fever. Think of the best summer weather you have ever experienced in the NE and that is what you will find consistently here every day during the winter. The summer weather that many complain of never seems to get over 92 or 93 degrees and there is always a pleasant sea breeze. Yes, it is humid, but I don't mind. Honestly, I like the summer in Florida a LOT better than the winter. Little or no traffic on the roads, restaurants half empty and values galore. Peaceful. My kind of place. When we take vacations it will NOT be in the summer. Too nice.
12. Outside activities. Lots and lots of festivals and happenings in and around Delray all the time throughout the year. There is a whole world of activity accessed via meetup.com and I belong to about 15 different meetups where I have met a variety of people of different ages and backgrounds. No need to think of Florida as a place for old people. You will be amazed at how many exotic and unique meetups are available. If you are single, this is the perfect place to find your future second half.
The Negative:
1. Villas and individual homes are very close together. I would have appreciated more open grass. In the Villa area. the lakes are completely enclosed and can't be seen from the road. With the exception of the lake adjacent to the pools (which is beautiful), the lakes to my eye look artificial and uninteresting. I should add, in all fairness, that those with a lake view seem to have an alternate opinion. Maybe the lake view grows on you. Fortunately, I opted for a corner unit on the periphery facing North. The view we have is totally private, and quite engaging. Unfortunately all new construction in Florida is "crowded." Its the reality of economics. Land is quite expensive now. It used to be cheap. If you need more open land you should look at older communities in this area but one should realize that the greater the land area and landscaping, the higher the cost of the HOA to maintain it.
2. Be careful with the granite. We did not have the opportunity to monitor construction and had to accept an inferior piece of kitchen granite on closing day. The main Ansca rep, Ron was extraordinarily helpful in trying to replace it for us, but in the end, for a variety of reasons, it is still in our kitchen.
3. The units could have more storage. In New York our hallways had closets and here they don't. Big difference. All the appliances were fine (with upgrades) but the toilets could have been of better quality. OK, I'm nitpicking.
4. There is a regional library within walking distance from Villaggio but the quality of books there is substandard. Of course, for a dollar on the bus,you can go to the downtown Delray library. Better still, order a book online from another branch and pick it up across the street.
5. Although I am thankful for the large shopping center across the street from Villaggio (Publix supermarket, CVS, etc.) the restaurants there are terrible. Another shopping center is scheduled to open adjacent and immediately south of Villaggio and I am hoping for some better pickings.
6. As of now I have not been able to find decent Chinese restaurants in the area despite trying loads of them at different price points. Nothing here that compares to a typical restaurant in Chinatown NY. You may think this is minor, but it really bugs me.
7. Racking my brain here for another negative. No dice.
OK, no place is perfect...we all know that or should know that. Bottom line: For us, Villaggio has exceeded our expectations and we are savoring every day. 'Nuff said.
Roberto
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