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Originally Posted by Bill14564

The bond doesn't replace impact fees. The bond covers the cost of new infrastructure within the development, not the cost of the impact to existing infrastructure around the development.

If there was not a bond then the cost of building the new infrastructure would be added to the price of the homes.

The separate bond is something of a double-edged sword:
- The separate bond lowers the price of the home and the amount of any loan for purchase - advantage homeowner
- The interest on the separate bond is not tax deductible - disadvantage homeowner though not significant for many of us who cannot itemize anyway
- Lowering the advertised price of the home allows the Developer to include more profit in the price - advantage Developer (A home that would not sell for $450K might be attractive at $400K with a $75K bond and nets an extra $25K in profit)
- Keeping the cost out of the price of the home means more can be spent on better infrastructure without fear of losing sales - advantage homeowner
- Less concern about the cost of infrastructure can lead to higher cost, lower quality work - disadvantage homeowner

So true! We can even include that Sumter county further reimburses the developer for roads (50 million plus last year) and cities like Wildwood are building more infrastructure with higher taxes. A great example would be the sewage treatment plant that is now almost 150 million in costs for construction in Wildwood. An item the Villagers already purchased for their residents with their “bond” that was included (many are still paying for) in the development. Now they are double dipped upon for the Municipality’s need to enhance their own capabilities.