The Villages Real estate sales people
 

BEWARE
Those looking to buy a property from a Villages realtor; do your due diligence and don't trust the realtors to be forthcoming with important information
Those who are looking to buy a home without inspecting it themselves, or having a trusted friend take a look, you might be surprised at the cosmetic condition when you arrive for the closing.
Make certain to call the tax office in whatever county you are purchasing in. DONT trust the realtor to tell you whether or not the tax rate reflects "Homestead" discount...even if you ask.
These realtors are not looking out for you.
It's unfortunate that so many homes are listed in the Villages and are not a MLS.

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I would never purchase anything as expensive as a house without seeing it for myself. You are the one who dropped the ball, not the realtor. Due diligence!

I’ve bought 5 new homes in villages
 

2 closed when I wasn’t there , you have a year to have any problems corrected and I and most of people I know never had anything major, if the tax rate was going to be a deal breaker , maybe a less expensive home would have been a good idea . I never asked what the taxes were because Florida has so many different tax breaks that by the end of the year your bill is going to change for better anyway

Villages agents are NOT Realtors.

Yes they are realtors, they just don’t belong to MLS

They are licenced by the state of Florida. Most, if not all, have worked for MLS previously. "Code of ethics" is a joke. All sales people work for their own benefit, no matter what business they are in. Does anyone think financial advisers work for your interest first?

Why would you buy a house if you do not have it inspected by outside inspector?

Taxes are taxes. Thought I knew all my costs but found a couple we were not aware of. Whose fault is that other than mine?

Realtors are sales people working for commission and what do you expect from them?

As Ronald Reagon said Trust but verify especially when dealing with sales people.

The OP sounds like someone who is mad he can't sell new houses.

Our favorite Villages Realtor is Jim McLaughlin. He sold us both houses here in The Villages and he himself is in his seventh Villages Home. He is a wonderful man, smart and kind and by his side is his sweet wife Patty. He showed us used homes when we began to think about our second home here that would make us year rounders, but we opted to build. He is dependable and ethical.

He is no longer our agent. He is our treasured friend. Look at his picture under M's.

Meet Our Amazing The Villages(R) Sales Representatives

You bought a home without have a professional inspection? You didn’t go on the property tax web site to see what the taxes were and when and how many times the home had been purchased and the taxes for each year?

You may need to have one of your adult children, or your tax consultant to help you make major purchases from now on. You seem to have missed important decisions on your own, and need to blame someone Else

Oh Boy.

In today's Daily Sun it is stated that The Villages Licensed Realestate Professionals sold 196 used homes in July. I don't know how many homes Licensed MLS Realestate Agents sold in The Villages for the month of July but there are 196 they didn't sell. I wonder how many complaints have been filed at the BBB regarding the truthfulness of both The Villages and MLS agents? I would guess not too many.

IMHO this sounds like a little sour grapes on the part of the OP

The TV sales agent with dealt with had integrity, shared information and was ethical....however you also have to know how to ask the questions if you want the complete answer

The term "Realtor" is a designation awarded to certain people by the National Association of Realtors. The NAR is a private trade organization that is not a Government agency. Being a Realtor has nothing to do with being licensed by the state to sell real estate. But, the fact is that very few of the Villages agents are Realtors. However, many of them are licensed by the state of Florida to sell real estate. Being a Realtor and being a licensed real estate agent are two entirely different things.

This him? James McLaughlin - , Real Estate Agent - realtor.com(R)
or him: Jim McLaughlin - Libertyville, IL Real Estate Agent - realtor.com(R)

I could not find a Forida Realtor named Jim or James McLaughlin on an internet search, only a villages agent, but not a Realtor.

Selling real estate does not make one a realtor.

Just as selling from a MLS listing does not make one a real estate agent.

And, working for Villages Real Estate certainly doesn't qualify one to use the trademarked term REALTOR®, with or without the ®.

On resales, do most of the real estate professionals selling properties in TV charge the same sales commission, regardless of whether they are MLS, or The Villages Real Estate?
What is it typically?

It's negotiable. I think the maximum commission you would pay would be 6 percent. But, I think it is easier to negotiate a lower commission with an MLS agant than with a Villages agent.

Realtor is a trade association name. It is not a legal term that defines one who sells real estate. The two legal terms are broker and agent. It is my understanding that all TV sales people are at least agents. I don't think it is possible to legally sell real estate in exchange for a commission without being an agent or a broker. An agent must work for or be associated with a broker. They cannot sell real estate by themselves.

Correct. I think The Villages may have some sales people who are not licensed agents. They can work for a salary or an hourly wage, but their compensation cannot be based on a percentage of the sales price. Only licensed agents can receive a commission based income.

We have discussed this before. Apparently this is important to you.

I think realtor with a capital R is just a capitalized name for someone who sells real estate.

Jim has sold real estate in the Eastern State where he was born. He sells real estate here and he is allowed to sell new homes in The Villages and the realtors you talk of, from MLS, cannot sell new homes in The Villages. Jim can also sell used homes in The Villages. Jim has had to hire a helper he is so busy.

Realtor is a trademark, not a generic term for a licensed real estate agent or broker.

"The term REALTOR® is not only a trademark owned by NAR and protected by federal law, it's a valuable membership benefit that distinguishes members from other real estate licensees.May 17, 2017"

Top 5 Things You Need to Know About the REALTOR(R) Trademarks | www.nar.realtor

Seems like some people think a real estate agent must also be an investment counselor, tax expert, and a housing inspector.

That may be. TV says on their website that they are all licensed. I made sure that mine was a licensed sales agent.

When you look at the taxes of a RESALE home they are based on what that owner paid for it. Our taxes doubled because the original owner was protected by the "Florida Save Our Homes" CAP over the previous 9 years based on what HE paid for it. We start that over based on our price. Our agent said the taxes were $900 when we asked, which was true, but they turned out to be $1800 when we closed based on OUR purchase price not the first/previous owner. Even at 2X 1 year was equal to 1 1/2 months up north so no complaints.

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You need a course to learn how to be ethical? Sad.

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Very often they will tell the buyer how well this house has been built and what great shape the appliances are in.

And that is why before purchasing a home everyone should hire an inspector.

in order to be called a Realtor...you must join your county Realtors Association which also allows you to access the MLS... A real estate sales agent......The villages agents..... do not need to join a board, they work for the developer, hence, they are not Realtors...

But Jim can only work for one, Builder or Broker, so Jim can ONLY sell the villages homes....

Potability....
 

There is a thing in Florida called Portability. If you already owned a home in Florida, and transfer your homestead exemption to your new home. you subtract the market value of your old home from its assessed value and that figure is now portability. subtract that number from the sale price of your new home.... and you now have a lower taxed assessed value on your new home, plus subtract homestead and wah la......your tax rate is a lot less there your neighbor from out of state.

Not everyone buyer knows this information, but your Realtor should tell you this. Its simple paperwork.... Check it out on Sumter/Lake county tax site.

In order to be called a realtor you must join the NAR and take some classes. It is not a legal requirement nor does it make a realtor better than anyone else. Stop looking down at other people who choose to work for TV.

I never look down on anyone......Its just the difference between working for a Builder or a Broker office. I'm retired and could not care less who sells what......and sales agents also have to be licensed and take courses every 2 years to maintain their license VLS and MLS.

Absolutely true, personal experience ! Not just true of villages agents, no agent is as concerned about YOU as YOU are, not even if the agent is your own relative. Good advice above. Make sure you educate yourself completely and in great detail about "inspectors" and "inspections", these are also definitely not looking out for your best interests even though you will definitely be the one paying. The best experience I have ever had was hiring my own "inspector" (not a bank, agent, or state recommended one) who was an extremely skilled community college instructor in building trades. He was NOT "state licensed", was someone with incredible knowledge and rather than calling himself an inspector, he had no "skin in the game" and for a fee would go over every aspect of construction WITH the perspective buyer. My horrific experiences with "inspectors" in two different states in addition to Florida were all the same, they definitely DID NOT allow the perspective buyer to accompany them. I unknowingly parked my car and watched one $400 inspector I had "hired". He never removed any type of ladder from his vehicle, yet I later received a "report" that included a thorough inspection of the gutters and roof ! After four expensive and very fraudulent home inspections, I am more leery of them than I am of used car sales people who only sell the used vehicles of the little old ladies who only drive to church on Sunday !

(1) only hire high octane agents.(2) don’t use cousins or whoever unless they sell lots of houses! 10 houses a year? not with my major investment! I don’t want an agent that sells for a hobby, they must be in the top 5 around the area or one with lots of motivation that’s a big impact and thriving to be num 1. (3) negotiate! 6 percent is there goal but I have never paid that! Also in my experience an all star champion realtor will make you money. Lots of lazy ones out there that just want listings and don’t mind letting everyone else do the selling. I could say a lot but will move on. Remember this is usually the greatest asset a person has, don’t leave a bunch of money on the table or in someone else’s pocket. (4) you have one chance to make a first impression. You want to knock it out of the park! Have the neatest, cleanest, most perfect place around. Curb appeal! Fix everything that is needed. Fixer uppers are buyers deals. I personally hire a inspector when I plan to sell because they find a lot of things that need attention. Then when buyers hire inspector it should be a piece of cake. I have had the inspector fix little things when he was doing his job. (5) be truthful n do it right. Inside/outside to be in move in ready I could say a lot more but I hope this helps someone

The agents in the Villages,Florida sales office are not Realtors!

Nor do I "look down" on anyone. However, prospective home buyers need to know the difference. And the consequences potentially ARE HUGE. It's the legal difference between contracting with a "sellers" agent, or a "buyers" agent. The difference could cost a buyer thousands, post sale.