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Originally Posted by svgephart
Husband and I did a LSV one year ago, came home and made the decision to plan retirement and a move to TV. Since June, we have had a sales rep and I have flown down twice to check out lots and look at models and pre-owned.
We originally picked out some nice lots in sections 213 and 225. It appears now that 213 will be all spec homes. Although I think the homes will be lovely, I hate to "jump" on a spec if section 225 will allow us to build our own. The rep is a lovely person, however, she doesn't have any info on what homes are proposed for the lots in 213 and has no idea what is planned for 225 - if they will be specs or if we can build.
I know that many TOTV residents have their ear to the ground and hear all sorts of info. We are all set to "pull-the-switch" on retirement at any time now so we want to buy/build. We would like to be ready to move by fall at the latest. Has anyone heard any information that would be useful to us in making our decision. We are looking for a designer 3/2, view, no pool but spa and birdcage OK. Any ideas? My choice would be to build in new younger villages, but if not possible, a spec or pre-owned would be OK.
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Consider your options very carefully and then re-think them again. It doesn't appear from your post that you would really be interested in anything other than a new build, eventhough you suggest the possibility of considering a pre-own or spec home.
Most of us here in TV's had the same question - to build - buy spec or pre-owned home. There are advantages and disadvantages to all. Six years ago when we decided to purchase a home here, we clearly were only interested in "new". As we worked with our Villages sales rep ( a lovely person) it was clear that she was pushing new homes in specific "open" areas only. When we insisted in seeing a home in a neighborhood that was "not open yet" we were given a hosts of reasons why that particular home was not available yet. With further insistence, we eventually were shown the home but still couldn't negotiate its purchase. Why???? Simply put, because for some reason, reps were obviously encouraged to fill up specific neighborhoods before moving on to others. When we decided that we would wait for that particular neighborhood home to "open up," we were aggressively encouraged to view a few pre-owned homes that had similar features of the home in the "closed" area. Luckily, we were able to settle for a pre-owned home with similiar features and unexpectedly with a host of amenties within minutes of our location. In short, we were more focused on the home, not considering for once, the neighborhood location and accessibility.
So, my advice to you is to first of all, decide what you really want in terms of spec, build or pre-owned. Then decide whether or not you like the neighborhood of homes that are available for purchase. I can't over emphasize the importance of choosing the neighborhood in which you want to settle. My husband and I live in the Village of Poinciana, a lovely neighborhood where amenities abound with easy access. On the other hand, when Pennecamp, St. James and St Charles Neighborhoods were being built, new homes were selling like "hot cakes." If you ask most of these people if they have easy in and out access to main streets and amenities, their answer would have to be "NO." I'm sure the homes in those neighborhoods and the neighborhoods themselves are great, but getting in and out with easy access is far from desirable. Too many houses with limited access to the main corridor It can easily take five minutes just to get to a main street corridor not to mention the long distances required to travel to every-day amenities in and around the Villages.
That's my advice to you for whatever it's worth.....