Seems like prices are a real bargain right now in TV. Inventory has been sitting around ... and created a real Buyers Market. :
People up North hesitate to sell their homes for less than they want, creating more inventory in Florida. Lots of people hate to buy when they see prices falling, in case they go even lower. As a former real estate broker, I can tell you that very few people can accurately predict the bottom, or the top. Or we'd all speculate and be millionaires. The smart buyers jump in and secure something when it's a Buyers Market, because it's like a bouncing ball. Once the prices bottom out and start on their way back up, there just may be a sharp increase.
The Villages Sales Reps will tell you that they expect a much higher volume of sales in the "busy" months, January to March 2008, which may deplete inventory. Of course they always try to generate "buzz" to get everyone motivated to jump in and buy. As Fran pointed out, it really depends on what the Feds do with the interest rates and how bad the mortgage foreclosure situation turns out to be. Also, as Fran said, the Village agents try much harder to sell new opposed to resale. I've been told by a Realtor friend that their commission is way higher on new. (But watch out for the bond which seems to be unique to TV, when comparing house prices, resales to new. Even resales can vary from "bond paid" to $15,000 or more outstanding.)
For those who are waiting, trying to sell their houses back home, if you can get a bargain in TV right now, I'd suggest taking less for your home, it all evens out, and lets you move on to the glorious future you know is in store for you. :