Condo or Home/Villa?
 

As a likely future resident, i am simply not understanding the demand for single family homes vs Condominiums, and yes im well aware that there are simply no Condo's or HOA's in TV.
Please convince me that, as a resident of TV, your choice of a home, at age 55+, with the burden of maintenance (roof, painting, grass, sprinklers, cable, etc) has been a good decision, vs what a condo may similarly provide, with an HOA fee.
I feel that you either pay for your amenities through a CDD, and home maintenance by check book, or both of these through an HOA, the total costs being a toss up.
I would love to get feedback to help me figure this dilemma out.

People like their privacy. Shared walls don't appeal to many. Many retirees can afford the maintenance on a single-family home. And there are some attached townhouses in TV, and some are for sale.

Ditto.

I've got a villa with a very low maintenance yard. Other stuff, I deal with it.
I lived in apartments when I was younger and didn't care much for loud neighbors, etc. sharing my wall, so I like a bit of space even if it's not all that much. My lot is a corner and oriented so it feels extremely private.

I agree. I would rather have a condo, and I have considered moving somewhere else to buy one. But, regarding cost, I don't think it is a toss up. Condo fees are typically more expensive than living in a single family house in The Villages. The overall cost of living here is cheaper than anywhere else I have lived. But, I wish The Villages would provide more maintenance, such as lawn maintenance, irrigation, exterior painting, roofing, etc. Other Florida communities offer these services.

Single family homes in The Villages are a better investment than condos. Prior years have seen $10k per year increase in resale price. With the newer developments in the south home model prices have increased $25-$30k in the last 6 months. Home models selling in Hawkins/Bradford/Chitty Chatty in December 2020 for under $250 are selling in St Catherines for $275+ today.

I think all or most of the condos are 2 floors.

Amenity fees vs condo fees and what you get for that fee is the question. As for your items, if buying new you are most likely good on the roof, painting you hire someone, lawns do yourself or hire someone, sprinklers are mostly carefree, cable would be the same at either. In a condo you would not have the pools, golf courses, restaurants and miles of golf cart paths that the Villages offer.

To each his own. I have lived in single homes and two condos. I love my manageable single home and would never choose to live in a condo full-time ever again. However, there are those who feel the opposite. Neither is right or wrong. Just preference.

Look at Lakeside Landing the fees are $303 a month this includes all landscaping, pest control, landscape water, all exterior maintenance (painting, roof), trash, and your amenities. Add this up and you will see it is a lot less expensive. The Villages, $129 a month for landscape and pest control, $248 a month for water, trash and amenity fee, $7,000 every 7 years to paint, $25,000 every 20 years or less for a new roof.

So, once you purchase your condo you realize you live next to a bossy, gossipy neighbor who is up in your lane 24/7. When you refuse to follow their made up rules, they curse & threaten you. My cameras get installed May 11 over my cars & both entrances. #regretful

It’s also about choice. I live in a cul d sac (6 homes). 3 of my neighbors LOVE working in their yard. They cut their grass and do all the landscaping. 3 of us hire it out.
My dad and father in law still cut their own grass, they love doing it.

Steps, condos have steps

I dont know what kind of neighborhood you live in but I lived in condos for almost my whole life and never never got cursed at by any neighbors. Nor have I ever had the need to set up cameras. You get what you pay for. Pick a more upscale neighborhood

Same bossy neighbor in a home next door.

Condo's vs home.
 

I'd much rather have a condo than a home. The "Powers to be" in The Villages built "Town houses" in Spanish Springs yrs ago & couldn't sell them because of stairs inside each Townhouse. Consequently they have been afraid of the concept since that time. Somebody doesn't understand the difference between townhouses & condo's. I love to see "Luxury condo's" built.

I don’t really understand how you can compare TV to other 55+ communities. It’s a town the size of Manhattan. I was born and raised in Leesburg and nobody there can even understand the magnitude of this place. Also, i just bought a home in Hawkins so I’m technically now a Villager. Having said that, I can’t imagine ever living in a condo. I already feel like these are too close and the yard is so small. I’d rather pay for amenities and pay for trash etc myself than HOA fees. Just my opinion though. And holy moly, where are you getting that roof estimate. I just put a new roof on my house in Atlanta for less than 7k and it’s fabulous.

Outsource.

Wow. That’s one expensive roof
 

We are counting down the days until we close in TV in late May. We also have lived in condos and my father currently lives in one. He is hard of hearing so he blasts the volume on the TVs - you could imagine the neighbors! No thanks. Also thanks for pointing out some of the cost. I was wondering what the yard would cost. But 25k for a roof? We just did a roof on a rental that’s around the same size of a home in TV and it was under 8k. Painting outside should cost no more that 3K at most including paint. These are Atlanta rates. Can’t imagine it’s much more in TV.

Be aware that with a condo everything is good until something goes wrong with the structure. I was paying $1000 a month at the beach. Things needed done and three assessments came( large sums of money). Even with reserves you can not anticipate everything. You can vote against the assessment but then the building would be in bad condition. Think carefully

I'd find a condo in Sarasota if I was you.

I think a few things in TV are overpriced because there is a false presumption that we are all rich.

But if you shop around you can cut prices. Our neighbor had her Iris model home painted for under 3k (2 coats). The company did a great job

I too would have wondered why there are not tons of condos. I want to free myself from taking care of a house, yard, roof, etc.

Two words... "Condo Commandos"...

It seems to me that the new apartments in the Brownwood area are similar to Cond's in concept. Just my thought.

You should look elsewhere.
 

The Villages has so very much to offer and yet people move here and immediately want to clone what they left behind. For all that you are do well aware of perhaps you should stay where your needs are better met. ll

KELEVISION........that's exactly why there are now apartments to rent

broncosap..... that is exactly why there are now apartments to rent in the Villages

I love having my own home. Front and back porches, full size garage, grass under my feet.

My mother lives in a 55+ community outside of TV of which she has to pay an HOA fee of 425.00 per month. Living in any type of villa in TV will not cost you anything close to that monthly fee. I have owned a Patio Villa in TV for 6 years of which is a full time rental so I can speak to reality.

Living in a condo for 40 years if I had to to do it again I would never buy one
 

What I have experienced in Condo living is poor common area maintenance, extremely long periods of time for work orders to be completed the cost to me was $550.00 per month and it was not worth it at all. You CDD fee is expensive and somewhat doe's what my HOA fees doe's

Freedom of choice. A condo as I understand it is an apartment. I've lived over my lifetime in both. When, first married we lived in a rented apartment in a three story building. My point is only difference with a condo is you own it vs paying rent to the owner. At the time there was a TV ad where the guy goes into the bathroom opens the medicine cabinet and sees his neighbor on the other side. We had a neighbor below us that would blast the stereo at 3 am. Above us they got the kid one of those inexpensive electronic keyboard kind of things and would play with it starting at 7 or 8 am.

It a properly run condo, you pay into a fund for stuff like a new roof etc. If, you decide to buy a free standing home you can do the same thing. Set up an account for repairs.
A roof for example does not last forever in a condo or in a free standing home.

For me, it's not about the cost. It just seems very inefficient that, if you live in a villa section, every homeowner needs to hire separate contractors to maintain the lawn, irrigation system, pest control, etc. And, some people get ripped off. It would be nice if you at least had the option to allow a larger Villages contractor to provide these services. Other single family communities do these things as part of the amenities.

Look at The Lofts near Brownwood -- the units are not condos but rentals.

I own a small condo in mn minnesota. My asoc fee is more than double what it is here in tv.and I get 1 pool for that nothing else. The house here also can accomadated children visiting. The condo doesn't. If you want a condo, you have either coastlines for 100's of miles have fun.

All of those services are available now

I am 75+ and would not even think about condo living. Buy a house and call Massey. They take. Of everything including sprinklers lawn cutting , shrubs. Try it. Get out of your condo and live. However your comments tell me yo u need to stay where you are.You would be very unhappy here.
+

Try googling Condo Association abuses. That may help you with your decision.

Spanish Springs has townhomes and condos.

Condo
 

If the condos were in The Villages, you would. I think this would be a good option for widows especially.

As the OP, i thank you all for your responses and input. As some of you indicated, i think this just becomes a matter of personal choice.