[gfmucci]

Back in 2008 I wrote an opinion comparing prices in The Villages to prices of home in On Top of the World in Ocala on THIS thread.On top of the World prices compared to The Villages

At that time I said:

"On top of the World prices compared to The Villages
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Even with "The Bond" rolled in, The Villages Prices are competitive with or better than "On Top of the World" prices based on an internet promotion I received from OTOTW this morning."

Now, 11 years later, I have a different opinion as regards RESALE homes. I haven't compared new home prices.

Here it is:

There are maintenance free block construction Villas in OTOTW that start in the high $80's with the majority being in the $90's to $120's. To get this price in The Villages (oh, you can't), but the closest you can get is to look at older manufactured/mobile homes in the so-called Historic District. Fixer uppers or pre-1976 mobile homes that can't be financed will be at the lower end of that range in TV. Very few homes start at $120,000 with most in the $129,000 to $140,000 range. Which would you rather be in when a Cat 2 hurricane or fringes of a tornado rip by - a block home or manufactured/mobile? Most resales in the newer sections start well above $160,000 and most of those are wood frame.

There is a difference in "amenity fees". In TV, the fee is currently $159. In OTOTW the fee is $417. But considering this fee includes lawn maintenance, exterior building maintenance, water, sewer, and trash disposal sites in additional to the community amenity package, I claim it a "wash." (The Villages: weekly lawn service $35 x 4 = $140 month, plus W&S = $60 a month, plus trash $25 a month, building maintenance and outside insurance leaves about $150 for amenities.

So, for low-end resale homes, my conclusion is there is more house, and more substantial house for the money in OTOTW. But, it can be said of TV that obviously used homes appreciate more because this price differential did not exist 11 years ago.