Do they cut a lot of corners with these houses?

[BRN_RI_FL]

My wife are in the process of going back to the Villages for our second trip and probably buying. We did the lifestyle preview visit last month where we stayed at the Alden Bungalows which we really liked. The villa we stayed in I'm sure was a very expensive home and we will not be able to afford anything as nice. What really surprised us, however, was the granite countertops in the kitchen. At the sink, they butted two pieces of granite up again each other using some colored caulking. It wasn't that obvious as we saw it on the second or third day but after seeing it, it looked like hell. The fact that that they would allow such poor quality on an expensive villa got me thinking of what else they may be letting slide. Any thoughts on what I need to be on the lookout for when buying here?

[graciegirl]

My wife are in the process of going back to the Villages for our second trip and probably buying. We did the lifestyle preview visit last month where we stayed at the Alden Bungalows which we really liked. The villa we stayed in I'm sure was a very expensive home and we will not be able to afford anything as nice. What really surprised us, however, was the granite countertops in the kitchen. At the sink, they butted two pieces of granite up again each other using some colored caulking. It wasn't that obvious as we saw it on the second or third day but after seeing it, it looked like hell. The fact that that they would allow such poor quality on an expensive villa got me thinking of what else they may be letting slide. Any thoughts on what I need to be on the lookout for when buying here?

We have built ten homes over the course of our lifetime and lived very close to our children who built two.

The short answer is NO, I don't think they cut corners. If there is an issue such as you observed, you would report it to warranty and then the sub contractor will be called by the builder to correct the problem. Their warranty is excellent.

When the house that we live in now was being built, five years ago, we visited every day. One day a sub contractor was removing tile from the kitchen on direction of the builder. It was not end capped properly and the builder told him to remove it. We hadn't noticed. Our first home was a designer and our second is a premier. There are different finishing details on some models series that others do not have, such as wider/higher base molding on premiers compared to designers and other things that come standard on different series of homes. Many people opt to buy homes without high end granite and have their own selection installed. There aren't many complaints about the homes but I have heard a couple about granite installation, choices being limited and not perfect install. If I were you I would call warranty and tell them about your experience. They may not be aware of it because the home you were staying in was being used as a lifestyle home.

The sub contractors hustle to please the builders who mostly all have been with the Morses for a long time. Call Warranty and tell them about the inferior install in the lifestyle rental, and talk to them about your concerns.. It will go directly to God's ears.

[CFrance]

There shouldn't even be any seams in a kitchen the size of a villa. There are several levels of granite quality, and what we saw while house hunting in 2011 was of the lesser quality, and there were seams. We did our Begonia designer kitchen, and two slabs of granite were used, with no seaming. The installer met us at Ultimate Granite with the templates and showed us how it would look.

The Villages builds a medium-quality home. Many people put/buy just the basics in and upgrade later using better materials. But what you must understand is that you are buying a terrific lifestyle, and you are getting a decent house in a fun environment. And the house is not going to fall down around your ears. It just isn't the top quality that you could get elsewhere. We've been in our house since 2011 (new spec home). The carpeting is a poor quality, which we replaced in the bedrooms and tiled in the living & dining rooms. We tiled the lanai, landscaped, finished the garage floor, bricked the walkway. Our kids will have something nice to keep or sell. I know it will still be standing for them.

[golfing eagles]

There shouldn't even be any seams in a kitchen the size of a villa.

We recently had some friends visit TV with the LSP and were put up in Alden in what sounds like an identical villa. The kitchen had the same 45 degree angles on the peninsula where the sink is as our kitchen, and therefore has to have seams. Our kitchen (designer) only has one seam, at the midpoint of the sink, and the caulking is hardly noticeable after 3+ years. Since the 45's are to either side of the sink, they had to "waste" quite a bit of granite to do it in just 2 slabs. There was nothing that I would consider "cutting corners". The lighting fixtures were low end, but the bathroom fixtures were all Kohler and the ceiling fans were Kichler. The cabinets are medium contractor grade and as we all know, the contactor landscaping sucks. Anything that was wrong was handled by home warranty almost immediately. So no, I don't think they are cutting corners. But you also don't get top of the line appliances/cabinets/rugs/tile/etc., not for the price you pay.

[BRN_RI_FL]

Thanks all!
You set my mind at ease a bit.

[rjm1cc]

Good question but I think it will be hard to get an answer as we all will tend to think we made a good decision buying here.
I would suggest you rent a home for a few months and get to know the community and talk to the residences.
You can always find a home that had building problems but that does not mean it is the community standard.
I would also look at outside noise coming into the home. Bad storm, wind etc. Go to the pools and ask about the homes. I think you will find that quality changes over time.

I was told by person putting in window treatments that some developers are very good at making window openings the same size and others are not and he has to compensate for this in his work. You might measure the window opening to get an idea of how much construction quality was considered.

[graciegirl]

I don't think the landscaping put in by the developer is inferior. We have liked it both times. They plant bushes and trees that will weather the heat and sometimes frost. They usually don't put in Palm trees and other tropicals that are iffy.

When we had our pool put in, T&D dug up our bushes and planted them in a corner of the yard while they built/installed the pool...then replanted them when the pool was finished. They survived because they are hardy. Here is a picture of the replanted bushes that were part of our original foundation planting. A note...the difference between sparse foundation planting and waaaaaay too much is about 18 months. Things grow here fast and furiously.

[DeanFL]

I can't offer advice specific to granite, but>

When finalizing a move from MA to FL in 2005, I spent 1 day in 6 55+ communities in the area. One of which was The Villages. In the end, I decided not to purchase in TV, but a 1,000 home community 20 min away. 2 deciding factors against TV at the time - the bond, and my perceived thought that home build quality here was not top-notch.

After spending a lot of time around TV from '05<>'13, we decided to purchase here. Had a Designer home built in Glichrist (a Holly), and been here for 3 years.

My perception of build quality was wrong, and I wasted 8 years of not-living in TV... We had a pro home inspector check our house before the warranty expired - virtually perfect. The main area of concern was the install of the (expensive) floor tiles - had to have the master bath walk-in shower redone in an area, and some grout issues in the main house. And one wall than required more finish work. Was all corrected by the sub-contractors.

After 3+ years here, quality is an A. 2 small nail pops, a couple grout cracks, 2 delta faucets needing parts repl (warranty) fixes, some sod fixes. All mechanicals work perfect, the exterior/stucco is A+, and inside the home - perfect.

So, from us here - 2 THUMBS UP.

[CFrance]

I think by "cutting corners," I am thinking about quality of materials. Do I think they "cut corners" by not building a structurally sound building or installing windows that don't insulate well, or not enough insulation? No, I don't think they cut corners in that way. But I still think they build a medium-quality house. And lately they have been cutting corners by omitting certain items that used to come standard, such as the expanded laundry room in the Iris and ceiling fans in some of the houses south of 466A.

We have two angles in our Begonia kitchen counters--at least one is 45%, not sure about the other one. We were told by our installer to not choose any slab of granite that was less than a certain length and width, and then we would have no seams. That eliminated quite a few choices, but i am happy to have no seams anywhere. I don't think the builders take the same care with some details that after-market specialists do.

[village dreamer]

I have an iris and I think the windows are garbage, the caulking around the windows and floor /wall are all cracking, they must have used very cheap caulking. my house is 3 years old now.

[rhood]

The homes are structurally ok, but the inside installers are not craftsmen. They would be lost without a tube of silicon caulk.

[dietpepsi]

this is a very interesting topic I can tell you as a licensed electrician these are all built to the code but pushed to the absolute max limit of cheapness, these homes are built on moving sand a woodframe home will absorb that moving somewhat and not crack in the foundation however when a tornado comes through here you will be like one of the three little pigs at huffed and puffed! good block homes will still be standing however your roof would most likely be gone and cracks developed because of the rigidness of the walls, these pass the safety code if not they could not get homeowners insurance , as far as quality of workmanship well let's just say it is the absolute most lipstick that can be put on a pig! but it is still a pig ! The thing that scares me is the people to tell you what a great quality workmanship in a great home they are absolutely being fooled and drinking the Kool-Aid,, be very leery do not let the Disney dust get in your eyes. the is fact all of us will never really live long enough to see how this all turns out ,, these are just my opinions as a licensed electrician of 35 years I have almost completely rewired are home. One less thing ::you ask about cutting corners, some of these homes are so out of square they do not have corners!

[graciegirl]

The homes are structurally ok, but the inside installers are not craftsmen. They would be lost without a tube of silicon caulk.

I think I remember you as a craftsman, rhood.

However, we liked to see the team of women who sealed all baseboards and adjoining surfaces with caulk as one of the final steps of our home build.. Keeps bugs outside for one thing.

[rhood]

I think I remember you as a craftsman, rhood.

However, we liked to see the team of women who sealed all baseboards and adjoining surfaces with caulk as one of the final steps of our home build.. Keeps bugs outside for one thing.

A tight seam will keep bugs out!

[graciegirl]

this is a very interesting topic I can tell you is a licensed electrician these are all built to the code but pushed to the absolute max limit of cheapness, these homes are built on moving sand a woodframe home will absorb that moving somewhat and not crack in the foundation however when a tornado comes through here you will be like one of the three little pigs at huffed and puffed! good block homes will still be standing however your roof would most likely be gone and cracks developed because of the rigidness of the walls, these pass the safety code if not they could not get homeowners insurance , as far as quality of workmanship well let's just say it is the absolute most lipstick that can be put on a pig! but it is still a pig ! The thing that scares me is the people to tell you what a great quality workmanship in a great home they are absolutely being fooled and drinking the Kool-Aid,, be very leery do not let the Disney dust get in your eyes. the is fact all of us will never really live long enough to see how this all turns out ,, these are just my opinions as a licensed electrician of 35 years I have almost completely rewired are home. One less thing ::you ask about cutting corners, some of these homes are so out of square they do not have corners!

Pictures showing green wash which is ten year termite treatment and woman painting baseboards. We watched every step of the process and they did good.

[manaboutown]

this is a very interesting topic I can tell you as a licensed electrician these are all built to the code but pushed to the absolute max limit of cheapness, these homes are built on moving sand a woodframe home will absorb that moving somewhat and not crack in the foundation however when a tornado comes through here you will be like one of the three little pigs at huffed and puffed! good block homes will still be standing however your roof would most likely be gone and cracks developed because of the rigidness of the walls, these pass the safety code if not they could not get homeowners insurance , as far as quality of workmanship well let's just say it is the absolute most lipstick that can be put on a pig! but it is still a pig ! The thing that scares me is the people to tell you what a great quality workmanship in a great home they are absolutely being fooled and drinking the Kool-Aid,, be very leery do not let the Disney dust get in your eyes. the is fact all of us will never really live long enough to see how this all turns out ,, these are just my opinions as a licensed electrician of 35 years I have almost completely rewired are home. One less thing ::you ask about cutting corners, some of these homes are so out of square they do not have corners!

:agree:

[Carla B]

We with stucco homes are told to paint the exterior every five years. We waited longer because it looked fine but it wasn't. The stucco on block house ends where a gable begins, and then it is stucco on wood. The gables on the front of the house cracked and blistered and we had to have the stucco removed and reapplied over steel mesh at our cost. We were told it failed because we didn't repaint in five years.

We then painted the exterior after the stucco repair. Our contractor used a good quality paint from Sherwin Williams, who then inspected it and guaranteed the paint for 25 years, so long as the house and windows are washed with Simple Green! So I have to conclude the builder doesn't use good quality paints.
Another thing...our builder installed a 150-amp service while the house next door, the same size and floor plan, got a 200-amp service.

[dietpepsi]

did you get 150 amp panel and your neighbor got a 200 amp panel or were the service wires rated for those different amperage ? you should be fine with 150 amp service unless you're planning on growing marijuana , having a kiln in your garage or doing some welding. same floor plan however does your neighbor have electric heat ?

[Bogie Shooter]

this is a very interesting topic I can tell you as a licensed electrician these are all built to the code but pushed to the absolute max limit of cheapness, these homes are built on moving sand a woodframe home will absorb that moving somewhat and not crack in the foundation however when a tornado comes through here you will be like one of the three little pigs at huffed and puffed! good block homes will still be standing however your roof would most likely be gone and cracks developed because of the rigidness of the walls, these pass the safety code if not they could not get homeowners insurance , as far as quality of workmanship well let's just say it is the absolute most lipstick that can be put on a pig! but it is still a pig ! The thing that scares me is the people to tell you what a great quality workmanship in a great home they are absolutely being fooled and drinking the Kool-Aid,, be very leery do not let the Disney dust get in your eyes. the is fact all of us will never really live long enough to see how this all turns out ,, these are just my opinions as a licensed electrician of 35 years I have almost completely rewired are home. One less thing ::you ask about cutting corners, some of these homes are so out of square they do not have corners!

For what its worth. This would happen to any home when hit by a tornado............................in or out of The Villages

[golfing eagles]

For what its worth. This would happen to any home when hit by a tornado............................in or out of The Villages

Yes, but the block home will only be spread out over 3 square miles:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[rubicon]

do they cut a lot of corners............

Depends. A Statute of Repose in most states runs 10 years and so Developers build so that ( the structure)will normally withstand 10 years.

Variances in building here can run from who build your home to the period in time to which it was built.

the majority of homes are basic in design and offer little in the way of extras, unless of course you had the opportunity to have say in what you wanted and even that has been limited. Premier homes offer more but there is a hefty price to be paid.

Go back over a number of past threads and you will find many complaints about home disappointments here.

A village employee once remarked to me about building my dream house in The villages and my reply to her was I left my dream house southwest of Minneapolis with its winding staircase

[Mrs. Robinson]

We with stucco homes are told to paint the exterior every five years. We waited longer because it looked fine but it wasn't. The stucco on block house ends where a gable begins, and then it is stucco on wood. The gables on the front of the house cracked and blistered and we had to have the stucco removed and reapplied over steel mesh at our cost. We were told it failed because we didn't repaint in five years.

We then painted the exterior after the stucco repair. Our contractor used a good quality paint from Sherwin Williams, who then inspected it and guaranteed the paint for 25 years, so long as the house and windows are washed with Simple Green! So I have to conclude the builder doesn't use good quality paints.
Another thing...our builder installed a 150-amp service while the house next door, the same size and floor plan, got a 200-amp service.

I don't know who told you that your problem with the stucco over wood failed because you didn't paint within five years, but that is complete bull $**t.

I've never heard of anything so ridiculous. Your problem was because there was something wrong with the original work, i.e., the mesh, stucco or both. The workmanship in that area was faulty.

What a shame you had to pay to have it redone.

[Carla B]

did you get 150 amp panel and your neighbor got a 200 amp panel or were the service wires rated for those different amperage ? you should be fine with 150 amp service unless you're planning on growing marijuana , having a kiln in your garage or doing some welding. same floor plan however does your neighbor have electric heat ?

It is 150-amp service that had only one spare breaker. We installed an additional panel with extra breakers. The houses in this area are all-electric.

[Mrs. Robinson]

My wife are in the process of going back to the Villages for our second trip and probably buying. We did the lifestyle preview visit last month where we stayed at the Alden Bungalows which we really liked. The villa we stayed in I'm sure was a very expensive home and we will not be able to afford anything as nice. What really surprised us, however, was the granite countertops in the kitchen. At the sink, they butted two pieces of granite up again each other using some colored caulking. It wasn't that obvious as we saw it on the second or third day but after seeing it, it looked like hell. The fact that that they would allow such poor quality on an expensive villa got me thinking of what else they may be letting slide. Any thoughts on what I need to be on the lookout for when buying here?

If my husband and I had it to do over, we would not have built; we would have purchased a resale. Then we would have made changes within the home that we wanted. It would be a lot less expensive than buying new and paying The Villages for some of the upgrades you might want as long as you find a floor plan you like. They charge too much and their selection is limited.

The Villages builds "cookie cutter" houses. The driveways are the same shape, the landscaping and its shape is virtually the same. Even within premier houses, the look is pretty much the same unless a homeowner makes changes.

The quality is average. Having been in real estate in Florida for over 30 years, having worked with various developers and having houses built at a personal level, I can say without compunction that the products they offer are pretty much builders grade items which are inexpensive.

Yes, the houses here must be built to code, but it would be interesting to know exactly what the code is because it does differ within the three counties. The Villages builds all their houses with metal studs in the walls (unless you pay additional for wood studs). There is a significant difference in price and strength. Yes -- in a fire wood burns and metal doesn't, but what's the difference when the entire house is gone! The roof overhang is very skimpy and should be much wider because of the sun in Florida. The premier houses' overhang is slightly wider but still not wide enough for Florida. They blow in insulation in the roof instead of installing batting; another cheap builders' choice.

And then there's the contract . . . Realtors in Florida usually use either their Board of Realtors contract or the Florida Association of Realtors contract (commonly call the FARBAR contract). These contracts basically protect both the buyer and seller. While there are things which are fair, The Villages' contract primarily protects them. It is a very tight contract with virtually no way out! Ask to see a copy and read it thoroughly. A Villages agent can only show you properties listed through The Villages. They are not Realtors. To see Multi-Listed resales, you must deal with a Realtor.

There are many good things about living in The Villages. If you can overlook things regarding the houses and the rules, you will be happy here.

[dietpepsi]

[QUOTE=Carla B;1400261]It is 150-amp service that had only one spare breaker. We installed an additional panel with extra breakers. The houses in this area are all-electric.[/QUOTE


I have no idea how old your home is however I would think you would have recourse with the Almighty developer as to why you have 150 amp panel,, do you know what size conductors that you have coming into your home from the transformer , that would be very key in your argument if you have same size conductor your neighbors, that they have a 200 panel , sounds to me like there's a possibility that you might've been the unlucky one that was at the end of the day and that's what they had left so they shoved it in is a very very telling signs of quality of the workmanship that they don't do!I always say if they do things like this that you can see what's behind the walls , if they don't care what's up front, you can bet they don't care what's behind the walls! however the lipstick on a pig looks good !
btw : 200 amp service would use 2/0 copper, or 4/0 aluminum,, I would bet yours is aluminum they surely didn't spend the additional money and use copper----- 150 amp would use #1 copper and 2/0 aluminum,,

[Carla B]

I don't know who told you that your problem with the stucco over wood failed because you didn't paint within five years, but that is complete bull $**t.

I've never heard of anything so ridiculous. Your problem was because there was something wrong with the original work, i.e., the mesh, stucco or both. The workmanship in that area was faulty.

What a shame you had to pay to have it redone.

Well, the painting company who originally painted the house came to look at repairing the stucco, which they couldn't do, and they said that. Having to repaint stucco houses is also part of Villages' lore, i.e., "Vinyl-sided houses need to be washed regularly, stucco/block houses need to be repainted every five years or so."

Ironically, at that time we also owned a 38-year-old CBS house outside of TV and the stucco hadn't been painted in many years. The stucco on it was just fine. That small tract house also had a 200-amp service, one of the other complaints we have.

[JoMar]

“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time”. All represented here on TOTV.

[autumnspring]

do they cut a lot of corners............

Depends. A Statute of Repose in most states runs 10 years and so Developers build so that ( the structure)will normally withstand 10 years.

Variances in building here can run from who build your home to the period in time to which it was built.

the majority of homes are basic in design and offer little in the way of extras, unless of course you had the opportunity to have say in what you wanted and even that has been limited. Premier homes offer more but there is a hefty price to be paid.

Go back over a number of past threads and you will find many complaints about home disappointments here.

A village employee once remarked to me about building my dream house in The villages and my reply to her was I left my dream house southwest of Minneapolis with its winding staircase

Our previous home was built in 1948 and was up north.
We had copper pipe not the plastic we now have but copper is not only far more expensive it does not last here due to the water. You cannot even buy the materials our previous home was built from. Even 2x4 lumber is smaller than it used to be.

Oh and as to tornadoes. I don't think any house will stand up to a tornado if it directly hits your house. They can and do lift cars. You could go down your basement. OOPS
if you had a basement it would surely fill with water.

As to Minneapolis. While I did not take it, I will bet even my snow blower would be happier in the Villages.

[hulahips]

Yes. You will need to upgrade many items. You will also want to watch if possible as home is being built

[rhood]

Pictures showing green wash which is ten year termite treatment and woman painting baseboards. We watched every step of the process and they did good.

They did good because you were watching them !

[pauld315]

We with stucco homes are told to paint the exterior every five years. We waited longer because it looked fine but it wasn't. The stucco on block house ends where a gable begins, and then it is stucco on wood. The gables on the front of the house cracked and blistered and we had to have the stucco removed and reapplied over steel mesh at our cost. We were told it failed because we didn't repaint in five years.

We then painted the exterior after the stucco repair. Our contractor used a good quality paint from Sherwin Williams, who then inspected it and guaranteed the paint for 25 years, so long as the house and windows are washed with Simple Green! So I have to conclude the builder doesn't use good quality paints.
Another thing...our builder installed a 150-amp service while the house next door, the same size and floor plan, got a 200-amp service.

Most builders use contractor paint (which is cheap) when building new non-custom homes, unless you ask for and pay for better paint. This is especially true when they are building a large amount of spec homes. I am not sure what cleaning your windows with Simple Green has to do with a paint warranty unless they painted over your windows

[hulahips]

They did good because you were watching them !

Unfortunately we could not be here the whole time the home was being built and you wouldn't believe the mistakes that were made. Beyond belief

[The Chipster]

Interesting thread. We have been in the newer Village of Dunedin for about 1.5 years. What we have noticed is the developer putting a lot of thought and $$$ into some aspects of the house, such as interior finishes, front entryways, kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures, while going ultra cheap on things like extremely low-end and noisy garage door openers, horrible landscaping plants that almost always need to be replaced, unsealed lanai ceilings, no rough flooring or pull down stairs in the small attics over the garage, etc. Rather strange execution priorities that are probably just a sign of hyper growth.

[hulahips]

Not the best windows, appliances and yes even upgrade your garbage disposal if you can

[rubicon]

Our previous home was built in 1948 and was up north.
We had copper pipe not the plastic we now have but copper is not only far more expensive it does not last here due to the water. You cannot even buy the materials our previous home was built from. Even 2x4 lumber is smaller than it used to be.

Oh and as to tornadoes. I don't think any house will stand up to a tornado if it directly hits your house. They can and do lift cars. You could go down your basement. OOPS
if you had a basement it would surely fill with water.

As to Minneapolis. While I did not take it, I will bet even my snow blower would be happier in the Villages.

suesigel: I really, truly miss my snowblower it was such a great toy:D

[rubicon]

If my husband and I had it to do over, we would not have built; we would have purchased a resale. Then we would have made changes within the home that we wanted. It would be a lot less expensive than buying new and paying The Villages for some of the upgrades you might want as long as you find a floor plan you like. They charge too much and their selection is limited.

The Villages builds "cookie cutter" houses. The driveways are the same shape, the landscaping and its shape is virtually the same. Even within premier houses, the look is pretty much the same unless a homeowner makes changes.

The quality is average. Having been in real estate in Florida for over 30 years, having worked with various developers and having houses built at a personal level, I can say without compunction that the products they offer are pretty much builders grade items which are inexpensive.

Yes, the houses here must be built to code, but it would be interesting to know exactly what the code is because it does differ within the three counties. The Villages builds all their houses with metal studs in the walls (unless you pay additional for wood studs). There is a significant difference in price and strength. Yes -- in a fire wood burns and metal doesn't, but what's the difference when the entire house is gone! The roof overhang is very skimpy and should be much wider because of the sun in Florida. The premier houses' overhang is slightly wider but still not wide enough for Florida. They blow in insulation in the roof instead of installing batting; another cheap builders' choice.

And then there's the contract . . . Realtors in Florida usually use either their Board of Realtors contract or the Florida Association of Realtors contract (commonly call the FARBAR contract). These contracts basically protect both the buyer and seller. While there are things which are fair, The Villages' contract primarily protects them. It is a very tight contract with virtually no way out! Ask to see a copy and read it thoroughly. A Villages agent can only show you properties listed through The Villages. They are not Realtors. To see Multi-Listed resales, you must deal with a Realtor.

There are many good things about living in The Villages. If you can overlook things regarding the houses and the rules, you will be happy here.


presented well. thank you

[biker1]

I am pretty sure that wood studs are used for the load bearing walls and metal studs are used elsewhere. An advantage of metal studs is they are true. I don't see this as any sort of compromise or disadvantage.

There are a number of areas where they could have built a better house for a relatively small incremental cost. We have done a couple of custom homes where I specified most of the materials/systems that were used and I totally agree with you that the houses are average and are built to code and not a bit more.

If my husband and I had it to do over, we would not have built; we would have purchased a resale. Then we would have made changes within the home that we wanted. It would be a lot less expensive than buying new and paying The Villages for some of the upgrades you might want as long as you find a floor plan you like. They charge too much and their selection is limited.

The Villages builds "cookie cutter" houses. The driveways are the same shape, the landscaping and its shape is virtually the same. Even within premier houses, the look is pretty much the same unless a homeowner makes changes.

The quality is average. Having been in real estate in Florida for over 30 years, having worked with various developers and having houses built at a personal level, I can say without compunction that the products they offer are pretty much builders grade items which are inexpensive.

Yes, the houses here must be built to code, but it would be interesting to know exactly what the code is because it does differ within the three counties. The Villages builds all their houses with metal studs in the walls (unless you pay additional for wood studs). There is a significant difference in price and strength. Yes -- in a fire wood burns and metal doesn't, but what's the difference when the entire house is gone! The roof overhang is very skimpy and should be much wider because of the sun in Florida. The premier houses' overhang is slightly wider but still not wide enough for Florida. They blow in insulation in the roof instead of installing batting; another cheap builders' choice.

And then there's the contract . . . Realtors in Florida usually use either their Board of Realtors contract or the Florida Association of Realtors contract (commonly call the FARBAR contract). These contracts basically protect both the buyer and seller. While there are things which are fair, The Villages' contract primarily protects them. It is a very tight contract with virtually no way out! Ask to see a copy and read it thoroughly. A Villages agent can only show you properties listed through The Villages. They are not Realtors. To see Multi-Listed resales, you must deal with a Realtor.

There are many good things about living in The Villages. If you can overlook things regarding the houses and the rules, you will be happy here.

[graciegirl]

Interesting thread. We have been in the newer Village of Dunedin for about 1.5 years. What we have noticed is the developer putting a lot of thought and $$$ into some aspects of the house, such as interior finishes, front entryways, kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures, while going ultra cheap on things like extremely low-end and noisy garage door openers, horrible landscaping plants that almost always need to be replaced, unsealed lanai ceilings, no rough flooring or pull down stairs in the small attics over the garage, etc. Rather strange execution priorities that are probably just a sign of hyper growth.


I disagree. The plants the developer's landscapers plant are hardy and will withstand the seasons and although small, don't stay that way very long. Most people who have lived in Florida for a long time will not choose to plant palms. They attract palm rats, have to be trimmed and maintained and grow too tall over too short a time. The garage door openers are just as noisy as the ones we have always had. The lanai ceilings do separate at the seams and I am not sure how that can be fixed. The expansion and contractions due to temperature is a challenge. We are thinking of using beadboard to replace the lanai ceilings. Any one have a good answer???

I am not sure that pull down stairs garage stairs have EVER been installed in these homes. They have not as long as we have lived here.

[rivaridger1]

We had a home in KY with two covered porches equivalent to lanais. Both had stained beadboard ceilings and were exposed to temperature variations but not directly to the elements. Two coats of polyurethane kept them pretty much pristine for 15 years. I'd imagine top quality outside enamel would do the same in Florida.

[thelegges]

When we had our two homes built up north, we bought the property hired rough contractors, drywallers, roofing, electrical, heating and cooling and, plumbers. We knew who worked on our homes personally. My dad was a rough contractor and watched our homes built.

Building a house in TV does not allow you to do that, so of course you will get a variation on how your home is built but still up to code. It would be tough for us to have our home built in TV since I have no Florida connection to hire People I know personally. Still except for a few things we are happy with the homes we have bought in TV.

[ggnlars]

Having just gone through the design phase for a house, I was pleasantly surprised at the overall quality and flexibility of the process. There are a large number of base models which they are willing to stretch and add rooms as desired. The limits are cost and lot size. We have built five houses previously. So far this experience would rank second. The only one better was a totally custom home that took 2 years to design and 18 months to build.

It is clear that the developer is very cost sensitive. The designer homes on a nominal lot cost just under $300K. That nominal lot is likely to back right up to your neighbor, but you can get in for that price point. It is hard to get a 2500 sq ft new home up north for that amount. In order to stay at that level, they have to continuously cut fat out of the design. However, they are happy to add and up grade features in the home. This includes, number of outlets, dedicated electrical runs to a given room, HVAC system, water heater size and on and on. Clearly these up grades add cost. I checked this very closely and the net cost increase was better having it done up front. Interior elements like paint, tile and cabinets had better options available. Again for an added cost.

The things we were interested in that we are waiting on we're things that required more than we wanted for them to do the change.

Having owned property in Florida for twenty years, I can tell you the building codes are in a constant state of change. Particularly windows and roof construction. The environment is also much harder on structures. Look at guarantees with a skeptical eye. Be prepared to do normal maintanence at more frequent intervals.

We will be renting a home near where ours is being built. I will be checking theme progress frequently and take by lots of pix. I never know when I will need to know what is in that wall.