We want to buy this summer and move in the fall.
 

Hi,
I am new to the forum. We are from the Cleveland area and would like to buy a place before I retire in October this year (2014). My mom and dad have lived there for about 14 years. We are so very impressed every time we visit that we would like to make TV our new full time home.
I bought the eBook "Do not even think of moving to the villages without reading this first". The eBook have some very good tips and considerations.
I would like any advice from those who have been there and done it.
I have a home in Amherst Ohio that is paid for, my original plan was to sell our home then put our belongings in storage and look for, and buy a new home.
I am thinking I want to have a place to move into in the fall when I retire. I would like to come down this July buy a new or pre-owned home and take out a mortgage and when our home sells we can pay off most of the new mortgage.
I am changing my original plan for these reasons. We will have an address to send our furniture and belonging to and won't have to put things in storage then have to have it all moved again. If our home does not sell by winter, by the way this has been the most brutal winter I can remember and I don't want to be here for another miserable winter.
If I wait to buy after our current home is sold I would probably save some money on a larger mortgage that I can almost pay off with the proceeds. Also if our current home does not sell by next fall/winter we have a place to live next winter.
What pros and cons do you have for waiting to buy in TV until our current home is sold or should I buy this summer and move in the fall whether or not our old home is sold. I can afford a mortgage on the new home until the old one sells. I figure I will have to have to carry a small mortgage after the old home sells.

Bump for OP/new member... This thread was stuck in moderation status for four hours.

I'm sure you folks have lots of wisdom to share....

We bought a new patio villa in September and will not be moving down until September 2014. Our house sits empty for a year but we bought because the prices are rising so quickly. It was a good decision because when I look at the TV website homes for sale prices have increased by 20-30 grand for patio villas and most of those are pre owned villas.

Don't forget - if you are getting a mortgage you have to substantiate an income to support that mortgage. Doesn't matter how much you have in assets you must have regular income i.e. social security or a pension that can qualify you. Some folks buy before they retire so they can qualify for the mortgage with their current working income knowing they have enough in the bank to pay off the mortgage if they wanted to.

Watch out for cost of storage. We did as you planned and the move cost $5000 and the two month storage cost $4000. I would say buy as soon as possible, prices are going up and move down. $4000 will cover a lot of carrying costs on the home up North

Moved here in August 2013. Stored all the furnishings for a 3/2 2000 square foot home here in The Villages for $285 per month. Check around and storage may not be too high.

We bought two years ahead of retirement. It gives us a place to go and when we sell up north we don't have to rent. Just move we erythema to TV.

I am also from the Cleveland, Ohio area but I have several more years of my career to finish before reaching retirement. I too plan to sell my home here and I will also sell or give away most of my belongings. They are nice items and are quality "northern" furnishings. The style and colors are not Floridian. I have read several posts here suggesting that you should save yourself the cost of moving and storage of your northern furnishings, because when you get to TV, it will not look right or feel right. Many posts suggest that purchasing "Florida-type" furniture and furnishings is often what people end up doing anyway. Eventually, I plan on having some type of estate sale, home auction, or complete open-house where everything must go...including my house. Of course, there will always be a few items to pack and take with me to my new life in TV, but it will be limited. Good Luck to you!!

Wow, some great information. Thank you all!

We ended up buying and still haven't sold.
Would do it all over again.
We have been moving stuff since and it's really helped make
our current house look good.
We, too, did NOT want to move to storage and then move again.
The price of our T.V. house has gone up A LOT and we are really
glad we bought!

Consider starting your downsizing now, with garage/estate sales, donations,consignment, Craig's List is terrific etc. Really be tough and keep only the things that make your heart sing or you use all the time. Get a great SELLING R.E. agent now to guide you on what to keep to stage your house for the fastest sale. Less is better when selling and you may need space to bring in some really great staging items. Everyone has brought too much that just doesn't fit or isn't needed to theTV, because it was easier to pack then make a hard decision.
There are terrific resale and consignment stores down here for high quality furniture and decor. I furnished my entire 3 bedroom home from scratch with Craig's List furniture. It was so much fun. The decor is new to us and we saved a lot by not shipping our things cross country. I have a super resonable moving guy who picked up things for me in Tampa, Orlando and Odessa. Let me know if you need his contact information.
Good Luck you will get through this, just bite off a chunck each day. Cheers

I would ask a real esate agent for info, on how quickly your old home would sell in today's markt. I would tend to think in a short period of time, as real estate is picking up. Real estate prices have gone up quite a bit in the last six months in TV.

I personally, would only want to move once. It will be much easier for you in terms of wear and tear. Decluttering on what to bring is a difficult task, so once would be enough for me.

I' sure you can get a new home, or pre-owned but fairley new, in a location your desire.

We bought our home in tv and will slowly bring things down..gives me time to throw lots of stuff away

After selling my home in New York I rented there for 4 years. Decided to buy a home in TV after a visit to my in -laws. I did lots of online research, came back and picked a home in August, found a mover who would store my belongings locally until I closed in October and that was pretty much it. Easy-peasy.
Prices for new homes are going up weekly and the selection of pre-owneds is diminishing.
Don't wait!

We are right in the middle of that issue. Not wanting two mortgages (of any size), we sold our Indiana home in December and moved into a smaller rental. We are using the extra bedrooms for storage and that is working out well. We close on 2/25 and will move a lot of the household down in March. I am working until the end of April so my wife will come down in March for 3 or 4 weeks.
What a winter, -7 degrees right now...