Fenney Taxes and Fees

[KEVIN & JOSIE]

I saw a nice cottage home in Fenney for the low 200K range. After checking out the bond amount I found it was 29K (Unit 1F). It also has a Sumter County tax as well as an additional Wildwood $4.00 per thousand city tax. Then I checked the Sumter Tax database and found that the cottage is proposed to have a $767 maintenance fee. Do these additional fees seem a bit high? Are the newer areas outside of Fenney this high? Would appreciate your input.

[Wiotte]

I saw a nice cottage home in Fenney for the low 200K range. After checking out the bond amount I found it was 29K (Unit 1F). It also has a Sumter County tax as well as an additional Wildwood $4.00 per thousand city tax. Then I checked the Sumter Tax database and found that the cottage is proposed to have a $767 maintenance fee. Do these additional fees seem a bit high? Are the newer areas outside of Fenney this high? Would appreciate your input.



You’re smart to do your due diligence. Be prepared for an onslaught of opinions.


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[KEVIN & JOSIE]

Thanks for your reply

[Wiotte]

Thanks for your reply



Ok, I expected more input. I’ll give you mine. If your interested in lower taxes your only choice in a new home would be Osceola Hills. No city taxes, only Sumter County. Maintenance approx $560, my bond 26K for a designer.
Pine Hills/Ridge is Lake County plus City of Fruitland Park taxes.
That’s about it in a nutshell, Sumter County unincorporated is the most inexpensive of all the new home areas.
This is not including the CYV’s up north in Marion County. Marion is again, more in taxes.


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[vintageogauge]

I saw a nice cottage home in Fenney for the low 200K range. After checking out the bond amount I found it was 29K (Unit 1F). It also has a Sumter County tax as well as an additional Wildwood $4.00 per thousand city tax. Then I checked the Sumter Tax database and found that the cottage is proposed to have a $767 maintenance fee. Do these additional fees seem a bit high? Are the newer areas outside of Fenney this high? Would appreciate your input.
Are you sure of the bond amount for that unit? It seems high for Fenney.

[KEVIN & JOSIE]

The bond of 29K for Unit 1F is correct. I was shocked that the bond for a cottage home was so high, plus a $767 maintenance fee. The Unit 2F was 25K, and Unit 3F is 26K. All these were cottage homes. :22yikes:

[justjim]

OP, there are a number of resales with more house and less bond currently for sale between 466A and state Rt. 44 in Sumter county. If you are looking for value I would take a look if I was looking for a house here in The Villages. Many of these homes will be five years or less old. Good luck.

[vintageogauge]

Wel Kevin there is very little left in Oceola so if you want new you'll have to bite the bullet. The Villas and cottages are selling very quickly and soon they will be building in the Village of Desoto as the streets are already paved over there. It's amazing how fast these are selling.

[pauld315]

Are you sure of the bond amount for that unit? It seems high for Fenney.

Why would you think Fenney bonds would be lower ? Somebody has to pay for all the amenities they are putting in down there.

[Soxman]

Our bond on a new designer home Charlotte in 2014 was around 18k. Amazing how high the Fenny bonds are. Prices for the homes are lower right now, but seems like the bonds are making up for that. A realtor friend told me once Fenny is connected to the rest of TV, low prices will go away.

[Wiotte]

Our bond on a new designer home Charlotte in 2014 was around 18k. Amazing how high the Fenny bonds are. Prices for the homes are lower right now, but seems like the bonds are making up for that. A realtor friend told me once Fenny is connected to the rest of TV, low prices will go away.



18K designer CDD 10 in 2014, don’t think so.


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[Topspinmo]

Do you really think it would be any different down there? After all somebody has to pay for the miles of cart path and bridges to brownwood. They have been doing this long time they have figured out how to make the residents pay for everything including maintaining. The lifestyle comes at price. IMO Marion county is the highest county taxes to live in.. the bond is money maker if you don't pay off. The interest sucks you dry.

[Wiotte]

Do you really think it would be any different down there? After all somebody has to pay for the miles of cart path and bridges to brownwood. They have been doing this long time they have figured out how to make the residents pay for everything including maintaining. The lifestyle comes at price. IMO Marion county is the highest county taxes to live in.. the bond is money maker if you don't pay off. The interest sucks you dry.



This place is beautiful. It’s the price to pay for living in a well maintained park.


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[gap2415]

I saw a nice cottage home in Fenney for the low 200K range. After checking out the bond amount I found it was 29K (Unit 1F). It also has a Sumter County tax as well as an additional Wildwood $4.00 per thousand city tax. Then I checked the Sumter Tax database and found that the cottage is proposed to have a $767 maintenance fee. Do these additional fees seem a bit high? Are the newer areas outside of Fenney this high? Would appreciate your input.

You are paying for the Villages lifestyle and you get a lot here, that's why so many people come. One way to get around this is to find a similar resale with the bond paid already

[graciegirl]

Do you really think it would be any different down there? After all somebody has to pay for the miles of cart path and bridges to brownwood. They have been doing this long time they have figured out how to make the residents pay for everything including maintaining. The lifestyle comes at price. IMO Marion county is the highest county taxes to live in.. the bond is money maker if you don't pay off. The interest sucks you dry.

Please read what you wrote.

No matter where you live in this country/world the infrastructure is factored into the price of your home. No matter where you live you pay for parks and streets and snow removal and the salaries of the people who run the place and "the lifestyle".

And when people resell their home here they price it to include the bond being paid or not.

I think the amenity fee and bond are fair here, just different than where we came from. My worst fear was that someone would vote a lot of silly things they wanted and cause the amenity fee to rise, but thank goodness the amenity fee here is based on cost of living.

[gomsiepop]

I live in Charlotte and own a designer home. We purchased our home in September 2014 and our bond was under $19,000. Our taxes (including the maintenance fee) is now $3,400 since we decided to pay off our bond. We have a pool, an enclosed lanai under heat and air and are comfortable knowing that our monthly bills are under control.

[vintageogauge]

Why would you think Fenney bonds would be lower ? Somebody has to pay for all the amenities they are putting in down there.

I don't feel that they should be lower in general, just on that particular unit it seems high even for down here. We have a designer on a much lager lot and our bond is only slightly higher than on the cottage. And true, there are a ton of amenities down here that other villages do not have.

[vintageogauge]

OP, there are a number of resales with more house and less bond currently for sale between 466A and state Rt. 44 in Sumter county. If you are looking for value I would take a look if I was looking for a house here in The Villages. Many of these homes will be five years or less old. Good luck.

The prices on new homes in Fenney more than out weigh the higher bond. We did a lot of comparisons between new homes in Fenney and re-sales just north of 44 and for the type of home we were looking at the re-sales were well over $100,000 higher in asking price. True, that did have some extras added to them over the years by the owners but not necessarily what we would have done but they also were 3 to 5 years old and had no warranty except the balance of the 10 year warranty. That, in addition to the fact that there really isn't anywhere else to look at new homes as Osceola and the Pines are winding down is why we purchased in Fenney.

[bbbbbb]

[QUOTE=KEVIN & JOSIE;1466053]I saw a nice cottage home in Fenney for the low 200K range. After checking out the bond amount I found it was 29K (Unit 1F). It also has a Sumter County tax as well as an additional Wildwood $4.00 per thousand city tax. Then I checked the Sumter Tax database and found that the cottage is proposed to have a $767 maintenance fee. Do these additional fees seem a bit high? Are the newer areas outside of Fenney this high?

Comment: All we can say is be careful and be sure everything is documented. Be aware, do not take anything for granted and take 90 percent of what the sales person tells you and dump it. NOTHING VERBAL!! Also, consider a few bucks for an Attorney to review the package. Also, be sure the Attorney does no work for the Villages, this is not a joke. We got ripped with that in another location.
bbbbbb :pepper2: :pepper2:

[dewilson58]

My understanding is..........some houses cost more than others, some bonds are lower than others, some taxes are higher than others, some fees are lower than others, some grass is greener than others, some trees are shorter than others, some dogs poop more than others, some old people drive poorer than others...........don't even get me going on restaurants or parking.

Oh Boy.

[vintageogauge]

OP, there are a number of resales with more house and less bond currently for sale between 466A and state Rt. 44 in Sumter county. If you are looking for value I would take a look if I was looking for a house here in The Villages. Many of these homes will be five years or less old. Good luck.

The prices on new homes in Fenney more than out weigh the higher bond. We did a lot of comparisons between new homes in Fenney and re-sales just north of 44 and for the type of home we were looking at the re-sales were well over $100,000 higher in asking price. True, that did have some extras added to them over the years by the owners but not necessarily what we would have done but they also were 3 to 5 years old and had no warranty except the balance of the 10 year warranty. That, in addition to the fact that there really isn't anywhere else to look at new homes as Osceola and the Pines are winding down is why we purchased in Fenney. Should also mention that we like it down here.

[Goldwingnut]

I saw a nice cottage home in Fenney for the low 200K range. After checking out the bond amount I found it was 29K (Unit 1F). It also has a Sumter County tax as well as an additional Wildwood $4.00 per thousand city tax. Then I checked the Sumter Tax database and found that the cottage is proposed to have a $767 maintenance fee. Do these additional fees seem a bit high? Are the newer areas outside of Fenney this high? Would appreciate your input.

The bond amount is based on the acreage of the unit (1F in this case), the number of homes in the unit, total bond amount, and the total acreage covered by the bond. The bigger the lots in the unit the more the bond. On the plus side the bond interest rate for 1F is 3.9%, much better than the 5.15% I'm paying in D10 for the bond on my home. If nothing else, the bonds will be higher in the newer areas just due to cost increases over time. This is a fixed cost for the life of the bond (30 years). Remember the bond is for the infrastructure development cost - roads, sewers, water lines, electric, etc., it is not for the amenities. Most developers roll these costs into the price of the house and you never see them, there are pluses and minuses to the bond method but that's an entire different discussion.

The $767 maintenance fee is also divided using the same formula as the bond to come up with the fraction of the total maintenance cost each homeowner pays. All the pretty greenery in Fenney needs to be cared for and that comes at a higher price. So $767 seems reasonable. This cost is variable every year depending on actual costs, economy of scale helps everyone (south of 466) in keeping these costs down year over year.

The amenities in D12 are owned by the developer and were not part of the amenities purchase last year, your monthly amenities fees are paid to the developer who then will pay a portion back to the SLCDD to cover amenities operating costs. The remainder the developer keeps to cover the costs to build the facilities and some profit. These costs have a cap and are tied to the CPI so they are fairly stable.

Taxes, good luck here as these are based on local politicians and needs. Everything in D12, Southern Oaks, and foreseeable further development south of 44 for TV is all in the city of Wildwood city limits. TV is now a major cash cow for the city of Wildwood. This will likely be the biggest variable in the future as Wildwood determines they need to provide more services to TV and will raise taxes to cover these costs. The county however seems to have good control over their spending and taxes have maintained fairly steady over the last decade.

Overall when you look at what you are getting for the cost it is very reasonable compared to many other areas and the services are better than most. For us, we move here 3 1/2 years ago from Polk County (Lakeland/Winter Haven area) , purchased a CYV that was over 50% higher than the house we sold and our taxes, bond, maintenance fees, and amenities fees combined are still less than what we paid annually for property taxes there, and we get a lot more and better services here in TV/Sumter county. A great example of what you get can be seen at the county service center in Pinellas, one stop for everything and helpful friendly service.

[KEVIN & JOSIE]

Thanks for all of the info and input. It amazes me how taxes and fees are so different depending on where and when the Village was built. You really need to do your homework before commitment. And yes, all areas and communities in The Villages are equally beautiful and I don't think you could go wrong with the choice you make.

[Topspinmo]

Thanks for all of the info and input. It amazes me how taxes and fees are so different depending on where and when the Village was built. You really need to do your homework before commitment. And yes, all areas and communities in The Villages are equally beautiful and I don't think you could go wrong with the choice you make.

Cause three counties involved, each have there own rules on how they get tax. I was told (by who? Know it all villager's) One time in the pass developer (not the family) said he would never build in Marion county again probably due to the nightmare of county government IMO.

[Fenney5776]

Are there some areas in TV that pay just county taxes while others pay city taxes in addition? Are there both county (Sumter) and city (Wildwood) taxes in Fenney? Are they higher than other areas of The Villages?

[Wiotte]

Are there some areas in TV that pay just county taxes while others pay city taxes in addition? Are there both county (Sumter) and city (Wildwood) taxes in Fenney? Are they higher than other areas of The Villages?



Yes
Yes
Yes


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[Love2Swim]

I don't know about where you come from, but back in our old hometown, houses were on average at least 40 years old. People here talk about buying a house as though buying a new car - like anything older than 3 or 4 years old is too old, and ready for a trade-in. I think that is crazy. There are some fantastic pre-owned homes for sale in wonderful locations. We happen to live near Sumter Landing, which is almost dead center of the Villages. Many of the pre-owned homes have the bond paid off, and there are no city taxes, and the annual maintenance fees are much lower. Yes, you will have a home that is 10 years old or so, but many of the homes have terrific upgrades, mature landscaping, and location, location, location. Prices asked might be higher than what you want to pay, but everything is negotiable. Expect to pay at least 3% less than the asking price, and even more off if the house has been on the market for awhile. It is more work - you have to look at a lot of houses to find one that "jumps out at you", but I think you'll save money in the long run, if saving money is your aim.

[MSGirl]

Wel Kevin there is very little left in Oceola so if you want new you'll have to bite the bullet. The Villas and cottages are selling very quickly and soon they will be building in the Village of Desoto as the streets are already paved over there. It's amazing how fast these are selling.

Where is the Village of Desoto?

[Fenney5776]

Desoto is the next village to be built. It is east of Fenney.

[Fenney5776]

How much are you paying per year in taxes to the City of Wildwood?

[Wiotte]

I don't know about where you come from, but back in our old hometown, houses were on average at least 40 years old. People here talk about buying a house as though buying a new car - like anything older than 3 or 4 years old is too old, and ready for a trade-in. I think that is crazy. There are some fantastic pre-owned homes for sale in wonderful locations. We happen to live near Sumter Landing, which is almost dead center of the Villages. Many of the pre-owned homes have the bond paid off, and there are no city taxes, and the annual maintenance fees are much lower. Yes, you will have a home that is 10 years old or so, but many of the homes have terrific upgrades, mature landscaping, and location, location, location. Prices asked might be higher than what you want to pay, but everything is negotiable. Expect to pay at least 3% less than the asking price, and even more off if the house has been on the market for awhile. It is more work - you have to look at a lot of houses to find one that "jumps out at you", but I think you'll save money in the long run, if saving money is your aim.



[emoji1303]


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[Wiotte]

How much are you paying per year in taxes to the City of Wildwood?



Go to the City of Wildwood and Sumter County web sites. There you will find the respective mil rates. That is what you will pay in taxes for every $1,000 of appraised value.


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[graciegirl]

How much are you paying per year in taxes to the City of Wildwood?

If you go to Sumter County Property appraiser site;

Here; Sumter County Property Appraiser - Joey Hooten - Bushnell, Florida - 352-569-6800 (http://sumterpa.com/)

There is a tax and exemptions space on the top bar.

[villagerjack]

I don't know about where you come from, but back in our old hometown, houses were on average at least 40 years old. People here talk about buying a house as though buying a new car - like anything older than 3 or 4 years old is too old, and ready for a trade-in. I think that is crazy. There are some fantastic pre-owned homes for sale in wonderful locations. We happen to live near Sumter Landing, which is almost dead center of the Villages. Many of the pre-owned homes have the bond paid off, and there are no city taxes, and the annual maintenance fees are much lower. Yes, you will have a home that is 10 years old or so, but many of the homes have terrific upgrades, mature landscaping, and location, location, location. Prices asked might be higher than what you want to pay, but everything is negotiable. Expect to pay at least 3% less than the asking price, and even more off if the house has been on the market for awhile. It is more work - you have to look at a lot of houses to find one that "jumps out at you", but I think you'll save money in the long run, if saving money is your aim.

Agree with your overall assessment. Looking at the age of the home is something I have heard only in The Villages. Don’t know why it is even a factor.

[villagerjack]

I saw a nice cottage home in Fenney for the low 200K range. After checking out the bond amount I found it was 29K (Unit 1F). It also has a Sumter County tax as well as an additional Wildwood $4.00 per thousand city tax. Then I checked the Sumter Tax database and found that the cottage is proposed to have a $767 maintenance fee. Do these additional fees seem a bit high? Are the newer areas outside of Fenney this high? Would appreciate your input.

What is the Maintenance fee? I have Taxes, bond and amenity fees but Maintenance Fee?

[CWGUY]

What is the Maintenance fee? I have Taxes, bond and amenity fees but Maintenance Fee?

:read: Look at your tax bill. Top part is taxes. Bottom is Fire, Maintenance and Bond.

[Goldwingnut]

What is the Maintenance fee? I have Taxes, bond and amenity fees but Maintenance Fee?

The maintenance fee is the cost of maintaining the common areas that are not a part of the amenities. This would include cutting the grass and maintaining the common areas, utility bill for the street lights. The maintenance fees cover a lot of items, go to the districtgov.org web sight and look at the budget for the details.

District 12 2017-2018 Budget (http://www.districtgov.org/PDFView/PDFMeeting.aspx?id=20170919120101)

[Chinook]

Thanks for that information, that was my understanding also, thanks for confirming it.

[slipcovers]

Agree with your overall assessment. Looking at the age of the home is something I have heard only in The Villages. Don’t know why it is even a factor.

I think the age of a house does mater in TV. AC usually needs replacement after 10 years. Appliances are builder grade, along with carpet. Posters on here say roofs need replacement in 15 years. Tubs and showers are usually fiberglass, may also have a short lifespan.

All this affects the price of the house.

[gap2415]

I think the age of a house does mater in TV. AC usually needs replacement after 10 years. Appliances are builder grade, along with carpet. Posters on here say roofs need replacement in 15 years. Tubs and showers are usually fiberglass, may also have a short lifespan.

All this affects the price of the house.

Many, many resales have those items replaced with better quality upgrades than the builder grades in new or newer homes. It's not unusual that resales have had tens of thousands invested in them after market along with good locations, spacious lots and so on.

[perrjojo]

What is the Maintenance fee? I have Taxes, bond and amenity fees but Maintenance Fee?
Unless I am mistaken if you live in TV you have a maintenance fee. It is on your tax bill

[Love2Swim]

Many, many resales have those items replaced with better quality upgrades than the builder grades in new or newer homes. It's not unusual that resales have had tens of thousands invested in them after market along with good locations, spacious lots and so on.

I agree. I know many people with designers that have spent up to $10,000 on landscaping, upgraded appliances to stainless, all new granite, new flooring, nicer lighting, window treatments, etc. There was an issue with Owens Corning Shingles, and many homes of a certain age had their roofs replaced under warranty. My home is something like 10-12 years old, but got a new roof last year.

[Wiotte]

I don’t know why this is even an argument. Fenny sales year to date ( as of February ) is 350 homes sold. Resales are at 1800 and that is not including MLS sales.


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[villagerjack]

I think the age of a house does mater in TV. AC usually needs replacement after 10 years. Appliances are builder grade, along with carpet. Posters on here say roofs need replacement in 15 years. Tubs and showers are usually fiberglass, may also have a short lifespan.

All this affects the price of the house.

Location and type of lot are perhaps stronger factors. Search for a resale 3Bedroom, 2 Bath, Golf Front view, CYV and see how many resale’s you come up with....Usually very few available. Look at the difference in prices for similar size units not Golf or water front and in the different locations. It also makes a difference if the CYV is elevated, and has both Water and Golf (double fairway) and on a Championship Course as opposed to an Executive. Buyers walk right towards the view, knowing everything else can be changed except for the view.

[ggnlars]

Taxes based on assessed value. That value starts with the sales price. Here in Florida this is modified based on recent sales of similar housing units. Exactly how frequently this is down is county dependent, but in another part of Florida, we saw our taxes go directly with the housing bubble. When the prices went up by a factor of 3, so did the taxes. However, the taxes also fell when the assess levels fell. This was for non resident owners at the time.
TV is like a giant Condominium. Condo’s have common areas that are maintained by assessing all units equally. In this case the equality pertains to a given village or area. The way I understand it, the bonds are set by the cost of the infrastructure for a given village divided by the number of units. An acre lot and a villa lot in that area has the same bond. That is a one time charge that you can finance or pay off. The maintenance fee is just that. It pays for the on going expenses for the grounds, roads and common facilities. This includes the staff that support those facilities. Depending on the size an complexity, the maintenance fees for a Condo are 400 to 1000 per month. $750 per year sounds like a bargain.

[villagerjack]

Taxes based on assessed value. That value starts with the sales price. Here in Florida this is modified based on recent sales of similar housing units. Exactly how frequently this is down is county dependent, but in another part of Florida, we saw our taxes go directly with the housing bubble. When the prices went up by a factor of 3, so did the taxes. However, the taxes also fell when the assess levels fell. This was for non resident owners at the time.
TV is like a giant Condominium. Condo’s have common areas that are maintained by assessing all units equally. In this case the equality pertains to a given village or area. The way I understand it, the bonds are set by the cost of the infrastructure for a given village divided by the number of units. An acre lot and a villa lot in that area has the same bond. That is a one time charge that you can finance or pay off. The maintenance fee is just that. It pays for the on going expenses for the grounds, roads and common facilities. This includes the staff that support those facilities. Depending on the size an complexity, the maintenance fees for a Condo are 400 to 1000 per month. $750 per year sounds like a bargain.

Monthly condo fees and TV annual maintenance fees are not exactly comparable since condo fees usually include fees for amenities, security ( if any) road maintenance, roofing, siding and Regime Insurance etc. in The Villages, Things like roofs and siding and Insurance are borne by the owner and roads are the property of the County. Amenities are paid separately, about $150/month. There are also annual trail fees if you play golf.