Buy or Rent

[Pharmer]

Finally, after lurking and reading for a couple of months, I'm ready to jump in with a question (or two).

My wife and I are making our Preview visit in three weeks to decide whether we will buy or rent at that time or wait until we return for seven weeks in December and January. We are positive that The Villages is where we want to spend two to four months in the winter (and get outa Maine) for the coming years.

So the questions:

Is buying at the present time with somewhat depressed prices in TV be considered a good investment? (It can't be any worse for us than the stock market has been over the last 24 months or so. Presumably prices will continue to fall slightly for at least the next six months.)

Is there a reason to buy in one county vs another?

Is there a reason to buy in a particular village? Does each village and their residents have its own personality?

New or pre owned?

Larry the pharmer

(I'm the cute one on the right.)

[villages07]

Pharmer Larry,

First off, congrats on deciding to make the Villages your winter home...you will love it. And, you will find, over time, that you will spend more and more time here vs up North.

A few thoughts on your questions...many of these have been discussed before...you might try the search feature of the forum.

1. Buy in Sept or Dec/Jan? Well, if you buy in Sept, then you won't have to rent in Dec/Jan (that could save you 5,000 or more). In September, not as many buyers around - you'll have more to choose from; I doubt the Sept prices will be much different from the Jan prices (for new) but timing wise, I think Sept is a better time to buy. If you do buy in Dec/Jan (and it's a resale), the house will probably already be rented through March so you won't be able to use it. If you buy new, it'll be yours within 30 days regardless of when you buy. Prices....at worst have held steady lately (after dropping for the past 18 months)....at times, I detect a slight uptick in prices. TV will probably recover before the rest of the nation's housing market.

2. County .... most of TV (and all of the new building) is in Sumter County.... TV has a lot of influence with Sumter County. Tax rates are different between the 3 counties but probably not enough to sway your decision.

3. Particular Village....some choose a location based on what they like to do (softball vs be close to squares vs whatever). In truth, there are no bad neighborhoods and everyone will tell you their area is best. Just do your homework and study the map/area for anything that might bother you (major roads, trains, water treatment, high school, etc).

4. Buying into a new neighborhood...everyone is in the same boat and this will be the 'family' you grow old with. Buying a resale you have to break in to established bonds...some areas may be easier than others. But, you will end up with friends from all over TV.

Good Luck to you and Mrs Pharmer!!!

[JohnN]

Villages07 always gives the best answers, you don't need to read any more.

I think prices here are starting to uptick, but buy or rent is just what makes you sleep better at night, I doubt it'll be a major financial thing either way if you're sure TV is the place for you. You'll spend $$ now or soon.

Welcome

[rshoffer]

I have a very strong opinion regarding this question. Absolutely, positively RENT for at least 3 months. Why?; There are tooooo many options re home styles, different villages, the 2 Town Squres, etc to make an unrushed decision in one or 2 visits. Don't get caught up in the notion that, "if I don't get this particular house I'll regret it forever". Take your time. Enjoy the non-rushed non frantic process of calmly looking for the home (or lot) you want.