Hi all,
I have been monitoring this site for the last few weeks - ever since we visited TV a month or so ago and decided to get serious about purchasing. I still have a number of questions that I'd like to get your perspectives on. One is that we are still unsure of the relative merits of buying a new house versus a resale and I'd like to get some of your feedback based on your experiences.
As I see it, some of the positives of buying new are:
- it's new - no wear and tear and all of the mechanical systems and roof have their full lifetime ahead of them.
- in the case of the recently renewed policy of allowing customization, you can get a house that better meets your desires
- the neighborhood will be new, with everyone in the same boat in terms of developing new friendships
On the other hand, the benefits of buying a resale as I see it are:
- rather than being restricted to just the villages that are currently being developed, you have a choice of any village
- you can buy closer to a town square than where the current new development is occurring
- all of the landscaping expense will have been made and it will be mature looking (of course if the landscaping is not well done, this could be a negative)
- likewise, interior improvements may also have been done
- the bond may have been paid off completely or at least be partially paid off
Have I missed any?
While a lot of the above points may be somewhat quantifiable or objective, the one item that I really wonder about is the issue of the social aspects of buying into an established neighborhood versus a new one. Has anyone found that if they bought into an established neighborhood that they had any trouble breaking into the social circle of that neighborhood? Was there ever an issue of age discrepancies being so great that you didn't feel like you fit in? How much of your social circle is based on neighborhood versus club activities or some other outlet that is not village-specific? Thanks for your views.