Question regarding home buying

[rugbyjohn]

We are moving to the Villages with a target date of 12/15. Now we need to buy a home. I secured an MLS rep, but just discovered that some resales can also be in the hands of a VLS rep, but neither can have both. So the questions are: does one group have better homes than the other? Should we have two reps, MLS & VLS? My initial concern is that the VLS rep wouild always be trying to upsell you to a new home, which I suspect is more financially rewarding for him/her. Any words of wisdom would be most appreciated.
Thanks
John DeCoste
Cherry Hill NJ
be there is December!

[laryb]

Sometimes you might find that the new home is the same or lower priced than the previously owned home, at least that was our experience, so i wouldn't rule them out. Also, a new home comes with a TV warranty. With that being said, a used home may have many upgrades that have already been done, saving you time and money. Keep an open mind and do your research.:icon_wink:

[elevatorman]

Get both agents and look at all the options, new and used. I think you will be suprised at the cost of new.

[Pturner]

We are moving to the Villages with a target date of 12/15. Now we need to buy a home. I secured an MLS rep, but just discovered that some resales can also be in the hands of a VLS rep, but neither can have both. So the questions are: does one group have better homes than the other? Should we have two reps, MLS & VLS? My initial concern is that the VLS rep wouild always be trying to upsell you to a new home, which I suspect is more financially rewarding for him/her. Any words of wisdom would be most appreciated.
Thanks
John DeCoste
Cherry Hill NJ
be there is December!

Hi Rugby,

Welcome to TOTV! You are making a fabulous decision to move to TV. I am excited for you.

Yes, by all means, use both a TV and an MLS rep. That is the only way you can see all available options. One does not have better homes than the other. It is strictly up to the sellers whether to list their home with MLS or TV.

The other thing that I would suggest to you is get a written "buyer's agent" agreement with your MLS Realtor. That way, the Realtor is legally bound to represent your interests only in the transaction. Without a written buyers agent agreement, the Realtor is simply a transaction agent whose job is to facilitate the sale. There is no difference in commission either way-- you just have to know to ask.

Make sure when you are comparing the costs of different homes to add the cost of the outstanding bond (if any) to the purchase price, so you are making an apples-to-apples cost comparison. Sometimes the amount of the bond is included on the listing, sometimes not.

If you have any more questions, just ask. TOTV is an excellent resource for information from knowledgeable Villagers.

BTW, I had a roommate once who was a rugby player. She wanted me to be a "hooker" on the team. You might be the only one reading this who knows that's not naughty.

All best wishes,
Pturner

[JimJoe]

We are moving to the Villages with a target date of 12/15. Now we need to buy a home. I secured an MLS rep, but just discovered that some resales can also be in the hands of a VLS rep, but neither can have both. So the questions are: does one group have better homes than the other? Should we have two reps, MLS & VLS? My initial concern is that the VLS rep wouild always be trying to upsell you to a new home, which I suspect is more financially rewarding for him/her. Any words of wisdom would be most appreciated.
Thanks
John DeCoste
Cherry Hill NJ
be there is December!

Use both types of reps and take your time so you can see as many homes as possible listed by the villages reps and the MLS reps. KNOW every dime it will cost you before you make your offer. Make sure you know the BOND on the home, and all other costs. ASK QUESTIONS and get answers in writing. Ask to see the utility bills and what repairs have been made on the home or major appliances in the last 5 years. Remember the realtor works for the seller, not the buyer, generally. Talk to the neighbors if you get interested in a home. Sit there for awhile and listen for trains, dogs, and old grumps like me. Walk the neighborhood. Go there during or after a heavy rain if you can. Get a home inspection including for termites and leaks.. Check the traffic pattern. Look at the lawn for low spots and grass damage.
Take a digital camera to every house you look at and take pics inside and out and step back a bit... of the ones you are interested. Look up the house on the assessor website and see what the house has sold for in the past. Do the same for the neighbors. It is easy on the website.. one click.
I could go on forever so Id better stop now. Good luck.

[Another 65er]

We made our third visit to TV last week for 5 days of househunting. We had made two LPV visits and this time friends of ours who have not yet returned generously offered us their home as our base.

We arrived late Monday and had scheduled time with our TV rep on Tuesday and time with an MLS realtor on Wednesday. Our TV rep had already priced out a Gardenia with some of the options that we had told him we wanted but he was more than willing to show us pre-owned homes that came close to fitting our specifications. He then showed us some newly constructed homes that also were close to what we wanted.

Unfortunately the MLS rep never called so we spent Wednesday with our TV rep again, looking at lots and the model homes in Buttonwood. By the end of the day, we had decided to build, had selected a lot and had scheduled an appointment with a TV designer to decide on exactly what we wanted in our home. In the end our decisions led us to a nicely appointed Gardenia at 2162 Dorst Lane with our closing scheduled for December 3. With some of the changes we made, our home was less than the four pre-owned Gardenias we looked at.

Now the process of securing financing and readying for sale our home of the last 27 years begins. The prospect is daunting, especially since we raised our five children in that home. Four of the five have graduated from college and the fifth will graduate next May and they will have completed their undergraduate years with no debt. Now it is time for us to reap the rewards of our hard work. We are, like most, excited and uncertain at the next chapter of our lives.

We returned home Saturday and this morning before leaving for work, my wife said ,"I'm already missing TV".

BTW, thanks to TOTV and its posters who provide so much valuable information to us prospective Villagers.

[Pturner]

We made our third visit to TV last week for 5 days of househunting. We had made two LPV visits and this time friends of ours who have not yet returned generously offered us their home as our base.

We arrived late Monday and had scheduled time with our TV rep on Tuesday and time with an MLS realtor on Wednesday. Our TV rep had already priced out a Gardenia with some of the options that we had told him we wanted but he was more than willing to show us pre-owned homes that came close to fitting our specifications. He then showed us some newly constructed homes that also were close to what we wanted.

Unfortunately the MLS rep never called so we spent Wednesday with our TV rep again, looking at lots and the model homes in Buttonwood. By the end of the day, we had decided to build, had selected a lot and had scheduled an appointment with a TV designer to decide on exactly what we wanted in our home. In the end our decisions led us to a nicely appointed Gardenia at 2162 Dorst Lane with our closing scheduled for December 3. With some of the changes we made, our home was less than the four pre-owned Gardenias we looked at.

Now the process of securing financing and readying for sale our home of the last 27 years begins. The prospect is daunting, especially since we raised our five children in that home. Four of the five have graduated from college and the fifth will graduate next May and they will have completed their undergraduate years with no debt. Now it is time for us to reap the rewards of our hard work. We are, like most, excited and uncertain at the next chapter of our lives.

We returned home Saturday and this morning before leaving for work, my wife said ,"I'm already missing TV".

BTW, thanks to TOTV and its posters who provide so much valuable information to us prospective Villagers.

:a040:All best wishes to you in your new TV home!!

[graciegirl]

Congratulations and heart felt best wishes. You have made an excellent choice!!

[philnpat]

It is these type of posts that make TOTV invaluable!

[rugbyjohn]

Can't thank you all enough for the great information. Now a followup. When we visited TV earlier this year we did the tour with an agent from the Villages. Was just not impressed with the unnamed person, which was proven out by zero followup. Now we wnat to get a Villages agent, but not this one. How would anyone recommend we find a good Villages agent?
Thanks

[Kelsie52]

Can't thank you all enough for the great information. Now a followup. When we visited TV earlier this year we did the tour with an agent from the Villages. Was just not impressed with the unnamed person, which was proven out by zero followup. Now we wnat to get a Villages agent, but not this one. How would anyone recommend we find a good Villages agent?
Thanks

You can call and ask for a new agent ---they have no problem assigning someone -I had Greg Hudak he was there when we needed him and left us alone when we wanted --cant say enough good things --very patient --we bought and are building now --he sends pictures every week of the progress of the build --- (also have another friend we met at the pool who sends pictures almost daily ) .....

[Another 65er]

We too were pleased with our TV rep, Tarrant Potter, who displayed outstanding professionalism throughout the process. He never put pressure on us but was happy to accommodate our schedule. He too will send us pictures weekly. We're looking forward to that.

[graciegirl]

Can't thank you all enough for the great information. Now a followup. When we visited TV earlier this year we did the tour with an agent from the Villages. Was just not impressed with the unnamed person, which was proven out by zero followup. Now we wnat to get a Villages agent, but not this one. How would anyone recommend we find a good Villages agent?
Thanks

Rugby.

I like Jim McLauglin, but others will each like their own. I have to say this. We had a rep prior to Jim, who went on vacation in the middle of our visit. Neither of them contacted us after the visit. Neither of them pushed us in anyway. Our friends who gave us the k.. water to drink on our first visit said the same. I don't know if that is part of the procedure or if every rep is lazy, and it may be reverse psychology, but I have heard it from others too. The villages rep are not pushy like realtors I have dealt with in the past. And unless you tell them to keep in touch or to call and tell you about a certain model, they won't bother you. We did get a birthday card.

[l2ridehd]

I have to always question, the new home was less then the pre-owned we looked at. Make sure you compare apples to apples. So far when I did that, almost always the pre-owned was less. Why? Bond is a big piece and then there is everything the new home does not have yet. Replacing the pine straw mulch and most of the landscaping. Everyone does it. Attic stairs, pavers, painted floors, window treatments, kurbit, etc. etc, etc. All those things cost a lot. Then the new home price is ALWAYS fixed and the pre-owned is ALWAYS flexible.

[Pturner]

I have to always question, the new home was less then the pre-owned we looked at. Make sure you compare apples to apples. So far when I did that, almost always the pre-owned was less. Why? Bond is a big piece and then there is everything the new home does not have yet. Replacing the pine straw mulch and most of the landscaping. Everyone does it. Attic stairs, pavers, painted floors, window treatments, kurbit, etc. etc, etc. All those things cost a lot. Then the new home price is ALWAYS fixed and the pre-owned is ALWAYS flexible.

l2 I agree, and was hoping you might weigh in on this, as you are more knowledgeable than I.

We looked at new and more than two dozen resales before we bought. In no case would we have paid less for a comparable new when we compared total move-in cost, including bond, upgrades, window treatments, landscape, etc. Also as you point out, the "sticker price" on a resale is not the price you pay. On a new, you pay $13,000-30,000 more than sticker price (the bond). On the turnkey resale we ultimately purchased, we paid well below the sticker price even when you added back the $5,000 remaining on the bond.

[N'awlins Lady]

Our friends who gave us the k.. water to drink on our first visit .

Gracie...you get an A for effort! Good Girl! :BigApplause:


Trudy

[kandj]

We worked with "The Twins". We met with Jean when we first looked, although at that time we were "just looking", then we came back over the Christmas holidays and searched around with June. We were back over Labor Day and saw some more with Jean and found one we liked. When we made the offer we had both twins with us. Great team.

Kim

[Rag Bagger]

We bought in 08. When we came here we were still traveling in our RV. It was a five year adventure that was winding down and it was time, for us , to buy a house again and have roots.

We came with the intention to buy a pre-owned. Largely because the older areas really are gorgeous because of all the mature and developed landscaping. We had an RV to live in so we had all the time in the world to look. After tree weeks looking at pre-owned our very patient VLS agent said, lets go on a time trip.

First she took us to new house, the one we really liked but the yard was very barren compared to pre-owned. Then we went to a two year old neighborhood, a four year old. The older neighborhoods were more desirable to us. But her point was in Two years it will look like this in Four even better. Landscaping is installed with relatively mature trees overnight. The rest of your scrubs and plantings will be well developed in two years.

As stated in earlier post's it's not necessarily cheaper to buy new but you do get what you want and in a couple years it will look more developed than what you would expect. Stuff down here grows year round and fast, not like up North so keep that in mind. All those goodies do ad up so pre-owned may be less in the long run.

Watch the bond cost. On new you pay it all/ On older it can be a significant reduction in your home cost.

We used both MLS and VLS agents. The VLS agent, for us, was better, well informed and seemed to have our interest in mind. They are not pushy and will back off if your body language says to. They are skilled at what they do and their success rate proves that. They are truly friendly folks that know how to make money and at the same time make happy customers. A win/win situation.

[armywrestle]

Yesterday I asked a question about closing cost in another thread. Gracie was kind enough to answer.

I was looking at Lyle Gant's website. It showed a comparison for new VS. existing homes and the closing cost for both. It showed 10K for 'impact fees, ect" as a clsoing cost on new. His comparison shows a difference of almost 11K more on a 200k new home. Is this correct?

Thanks for all the information on TOTV, we are trying to sort thru everything and making the correct decision. I am hoping this is the last major decision in life.

[English Ivy]

Yesterday I asked a question about closing cost in another thread. Gracie was kind enough to answer.

I was looking at Lyle Gant's website. It showed a comparison for new VS. existing homes and the closing cost for both. It showed 10K for 'impact fees, ect" as a clsoing cost on new. His comparison shows a difference of almost 11K more on a 200k new home. Is this correct?

Thanks for all the information on TOTV, we are trying to sort thru everything and making the correct decision. I am hoping this is the last major decision in life.

For new construction "settlement fees" used to be added on to the price of the home, anywhere from $7000 to $10,000 depending upon the style of the home. When we purchased our ranch home in Duval in early 2007 those fees were added (I believe it was around $8,000). So you had the price of the house, the settlement fees and the bond.

Sometime in late 2007 or early 2008 when the market started to tank they did away with the settlement fees and included them into the price of the home. So then you had the price of the home and the bond. When we bought our designer in late 2008 there were no settlement fees.

Regardless of how they're listed the buyers are paying those costs whether they are separate or rolled into the house price.

[armywrestle]

Thanks for the clarification.

[Raen Dear]

Can't thank you all enough for the great information. Now a followup. When we visited TV earlier this year we did the tour with an agent from the Villages. Was just not impressed with the unnamed person, which was proven out by zero followup. Now we wnat to get a Villages agent, but not this one. How would anyone recommend we find a good Villages agent?
Thanks
We recently visited TV and Addam Roma was our assigned agent. We thought he was terrific and he followed up on our requests even though we were in "just looking" mode.