Historic District Update
 

They are really building a lot of homes over here. At first, it was all two and three bedroom cottages. Now they are branching out. I don't know if it's The Villages building them or homeowners having them built but there are several different categories of homes being built.

There is a courtyard villa that is on the water in Silver Lake. Recently a number of patio villas have popped up. There are also several designer homes. This is an Iris 5 under construction at the end of my street.

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There's no rhyme or reason where different homes are being built so this will be very different looking when all these homes are finished. You might see a patio villa next to a giant designer home. One thing for sure is that it's not going to have cookie cutter look that so many villages have.

One Courtyard villa? Where is it? Thanks

Three Cheers for Diversification on The Historic Side!
 

Silver Lake is one of my favorite executive courses.
Noticed a home torn down at the corner of Del Mar and Santos. Waiting to see what goes up

I was told the Developer was buying up these homes...was told?

Actually the "cookie cutter" look is one reason I bought here. People are alone are different enough for me. Books are mostly the same, cars, planes, bikes, clothes, shoes...etc. It's the inside that matters most.

It would look odd if the courtyard villa with walls was in the middle of regular houses not sure that I would be happy about that.

I was told The Villages is buying up these homes or they are offering the current owners a deal to tear down the existing manufactured home and building a stick built house. There are some great lots over there and many of the homes over there are coming to the end of their useful life. However, it will take many years for that area to transform.

It's on the corner of Silver Oak Ave and Kim Lane.

I'm pretty sure that the owners had it built. The plans called it some other kind of villa, but it looks like a courtyard villa but it doesn't have a wall around it.

One of the great things on this side is that if you get a lot, you can build anything you want on it. You can use any builder that you want as well.

And don't forget that lawn ornaments are allowed there :beer3:

O. Ok. That makes sense. No wall.

After the flooding and other hurricane damage I assume it will accelerate the "gentrification" of the historic side.

If insurance offers you x dollars to repair a manufactured home, it's a better financial decision to sell the land or build a new site built.

There are several different things going on. One is that when a house goes up for sale, The Villages will often come and make an offer on it. At first, they were paying asking price and sometimes even higher just to get the ball rolling. By the time I decided to sell and buy one of the new homes, there offered about 30% below market and eventually about 20% below. I sold it on my own.

When they buy a house, they remove it and, if it's in decent condition, they donate it to Habitat for Humanity.

They then do one of two things. They either build a new house on the lot or they sell the lot.

Additionally, they have worked out deals with some people where they remove their house and build a new one for them. In these instances, the homeowners have contacted The Villages. The Villages is not soliciting people to do this. If you own a home here and are in the market for a new home, they might suggest it as an option.

There is at least one other builder making offers on homes and building new ones on the lots.

Some people are contacting other builders to remove their manufactured home and build a new site built one on their lot.

There are also several people who have removed their older manufactured home and replaced it with a new manufactured home. These are actually very nice. I'm seeing less and less of this since The Villages began building lower-priced two bedroom cottages and patio villas.

I think that a lot of people are under the misconception that the lots here are bigger. I think that they look bigger because the homes are so small.You can go on the Lady Lake Assessor's website and see the actual size of the lots.

This would not be the first courtyard without walls built there.

Where are the others? I don't recall seeing other courtyard villas over here. I'm not saying that there are not any, I just don;t recall seeing any.

I have seen several designer homes though.

Two years ago they listed one on Bonita (I believe). I was curious so we slepped over to check it out. We drove up and down the street looking for it. I googled the address and sure enough it was a courtyard without walls.

The no walls threw us

Seems like a good option, especially if they offer block homes.

The Villages was never built to showcase homes, it was built for the lifestyale and make it affordable. The similiar homes made that possible. Now of course, if you can afford it, you can have a custom built home (for now).

Quite an informative post . . . thank you for sharing.

I'll have to check that out. I live pretty close to Bonita.

I found a new home listed in The Villages of Silver Lake at The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Active Adult 55+ Retirement Community

1121 Dustin Dr. 3-2 1785 sq. ft $244,028

I can almost see that house from my house. The block and stucco Iris that I posted is two doors down from it.

We went into that Highlands cottage while it was under construction and found it very strange that there is no attic space. It looks as though there might be rooms on the second floor, but it's all cross bracings up there. I wouldn't want a hose with all that useless space in the attic.

In addition to this new home in Silver Lake, there are 3 new homes for sale in Country Club Hills:
Allamanda, 3/2 for $239K, Seabreeze, 3/2 for $249K and Lilac, 3/2 for $307K

it looks like an at ease or a seabreeze

You and I disagree on something, is it 2 or 4 homes on the block fit my description... I offered my opinion as I have ridden thru the area.

I agree people should go look for themselves. I don't doubt Nucky has a nice place, as I did acknowledge there were a lot of nice places.

To me it is not worth the price for a new home in that area, based on what I SAW!

When you say something I don't agree with, my blood does not boil. Understanding we can have two different views of that area should not be infuriating.


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Homefinder - The Villages(R) Homes and Villas for Sale Go to this link and look under Orange Blossom Hills and Country Club Hills.... but it is better if you ride over there and see for yourself.

Many of the posters on this forum live in the historic area and they have lovely, well maintained homes. Inside and out. I would say that there are a few not well maintained homes,, but just a few. When you say degrading things that are incorrect about a persons neighborhood, you hurt them, and embarrass them and degrade them. I feel for THEM.

I hope people will ride over and support what I just wrote.

People choose to invest in all prices and kinds of real estate when they move here. Every home is a man's castle or a woman's castle or an investment that represents years of work.

I spent 3 years renting in different villages. I finally found the perfect house on the perfect street in the perfect nieghborhood with the greatest nieghbors. Bought in country club hills and couldnt be happier

And how does someone put a price tag on the convenience of access to shopping and necessities along the 27/441 corridor; or to access major travel arteries; or the ability to walk and bike ride mostly flat and gently sloped roadways with the occasional cardio incline challenge; or the peace and tranquility re the lack of traffic; or the gracefulness of fully developed landscaping and beautiful hardwood trees; or the neighbors who place boxes of their citrus at the curb for free; or the uniqueness of the homes that don't offer cookie cutter look-alikes; or the neighbors who wave when encountering others; or where your rarely encounter an attitude of superiority.

Priceless

Glad to here you couldn't be happier!
Could you share the other villages you rented in, and what you felt was not perfect?

Thanks for asking such a good question. You have quite a list there!

I would explain the process of residential values, but I think it would be better received from the guy that is responsible for that determination himself:

Carey Baker
Lake County Property Appraiser
(352)253-2150

As to the rest of your list; I believe any village on the southwest side of 441/27 would have most of those items, but one thing they would not have is a bus stop just outside the gate.

Just curious, which village do you believe has neighbors that do not wave when encountering others and often displays an attitude of superiority??

No argument that other villages have a higher home cost but that doesnt mean those villages are any better

Maybe your village?

Nope not mine :-)

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Homes that are 25 years old should not be expected to be as high in price as newer homes. But there is no reason a new home in the historic distict should be any cheaper than anywhere else

I don't think any area is better than another. It is how a person perceives his or her's surroundings. I remember one Village being called out for train noise and sewerage smell by someone who admitted they didn't live there. There is no reason for anyone to take a swipe at anyone else's living quarters.

There was a heavy duty post on here this morning with some terribly exaggerated observations about the Orange Blossom area. Thankfully they were snagged quickly by the Moderator. Some people want to stir the pot others just want to live here happily. The new homes being built are just wonderful.

Anyone who must rely on the theory of a County Property Appraiser to define residential value[s] misses the intangible values of villages.

Which village on the southwest side of 27/441 does not have to deal with Morse Blvd or Buena Vista on a regular basis? Few!

What is wrong with having a bus stop outside a Village gate? Especially when it provides transportation for folks who do not drive a car? Seems to be a benefit for some!

I have personally experienced non-waving Villagers in many of the Villages South of 466. I get looks as if they think I'm crazy! And as for superiority - lol! Read the posts of those who disparage the residents, the homes and the properties of the historic side and check out where they reside!

if there was no historic side, there word be no new side, live and let love and enjoy. in 20 years most posters will be living under the real historic side hahahahahah ;)

I'm having a lot of trouble following this thread because of this post. First, I can't find the post that Gracie is quoting but it sounds like someone made the comment that 40% of the homes here are nasty.

That on its face is simply absurd. I live here and I drive around here every day and the percentage of home that I might consider "nasty' is probably less than 10%.

Secondly, I really would like to have this translated into some kind of coherent sentence. Then maybe I might have some kind of an idea what is being said here.

Well the realtors must miss the value of those intangibles too, the price of homes in the historic district are of lower value. I doubt anyone that bought over there paid over asking price for the intangible values...did you?

How many villages are in the historic district? Few!

Well the bus stop is not for public transportation, it is for public school...wont be long and you will meet someone that was born and raised in the Villages (the historic district)...I wont guess on why folks can't drive a car over there!

Maybe its you? I have never had that experience in any neighborhood in the Villages.


I am a businessman, I look at most things from a business point of view, and I don't believe in unicorns either.

Golf Course homes
 

Two of the new homes mentioned ( Seabreeze, 3/2 for $249K and Lilac, 3/2 for $307K) are on Orange Blossom Country Club golf course. Where can you get a brand new home on a golf course for those prices? We bought a 25 year old stick built home three years ago on Orange Blossom Country Club course and remodeled it. Our home has only 1250 square feet and we did almost all the labor ourselves. It took us a year to redo our home. Based on what we spent and all our time, I think the price for those golf course homes is very good.