Who else should I meet with when I come down to look for a home.
 

I'm coming down from Minnesota the second week of January to look for a winter home. I have a meeting set up with Ira Miller, the real estate guy and with a representative from the villages for new homes, anyone else you would suggest I meet with while I am down here? Tks in advance.

The Village rep can show you new and used through the Villages and the realtor can show you everything else. If you want you can meet with a bank or an insurance agent.

Who to meet with in the villages
 

We had friends in the Villages who refereed us to an agent.He worked hard for us an got us a home we love, Travis Robinson 352-425-3994

Villages Sales People are Agents, and Not Realtors
 

OP has a MLS and a Village agent, so guessing they understand who can sell what. If you want new construction MLS will always be out of the picture.
Question if you found a house with TV, would you not buy it because they are not members of nar?
With so little inventory, who ever has a house to sell in OPs range WINS. No matter what initials are after their name.

Location Location Location. You are looking at 5 different small towns.
The original Historic area, Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, Brownwood, and the new Villages south of 44.
Take all three trolley tours. You’ll learn a lot.
There are some great buying bargains(that may need updated) and shopping in the first two areas.
If it Is important to you to have lots of golf courses, country clubs, and easy to get to town square, shopping and doctors in your golf car…..then Look at the middle location between 466 and 44.
Are you interested in new construction, care less about golf, and don’t mind driving your car to shopping and appointments? Look south of 44 in the new areas.
As you travel north to south, you’ll notice that the architecture in the town squares goes from elaborate to rural. In the newer areas the driveways may be shorter and the roads narrower.
The Villages was developed by the Schwartz/Morse family. We are on the 3rd generation of developers. There has been a change of philosophy over time…you have to figure out which is the best fit for you.
Be sure and ask about the bond and how that figures into your overall price.
Don’t get pressured into a snap decision. There are lots of home going up for sale in all areas every day. Once you decide your location the perfect place will open up.

Rent for at least 30 days before you buy. Otherwise how do you find location that is best for you.

Thank you

I would say do not buy on your first trip. Yes do try and rent for a few weeks to test the community and area. I would try to rent in the summer when it is hottest. I would also take time to visit other communities. I would take the community tour and talk to the employee sales people for each place you visit. You are looking for the life style of the community. Once you know the community you like then worry about the type of home. Location will be very important for the purchase. Go to the swimming pools so you can talk to residences and get their opinion. Look for forums like this one for surrounding communities. City-Data may help a little. Use Google earths street view to look around the areas you can visit or to scout out possible locations.

In addition the the two sources you mentioned for purchasing a home (Ira Miller and The Villages), you might also look at the wanted ads section of the Daily Sun newspaper and on this TOTV forum. There are usually a few "For Sale by Owner" homes that are listed and these might be of interest as well. They typically would not include the fees the real estate company will charge and you can hire any real estate company to just handle the paperwork if you desire.

If you have any interest in buying a re sale, ask agent if they can sell properties that they are not the listing agent. If they can not look into using an MLS agent.

A lot of differences between newer and older areas of the villages. Old line: Location, Location, Location.

One other item, if you decide (or are thinking about new) Citizens First Bank has a very good track record of meeting the 30 day closing requirement, if you (or your lender) goes over this there are fines involved.

Some GREAT advice folks here have given about how VERY different real estate selling and agents are here compared to what you are probably used to. But I would add to that, expand your base of knowledge beyond agents and mortgage brokers, banks, even attorney's... anyone who has some skin in the game. But before talking (and definitely taking notes of WHO tells you what and on what date and time), explore the tax rates of the three counties that comprise The Villages. Do not listen to this or that agent who tells you, "oh, there's no difference in the utility rates among of the counties".. of course there is ! Each is served by different utility companies, some are for profit, others are cooperatives. Check the school tax rates of each, take a look at the HISTORY of county tax increases and how often they happen. Of course, many are not at all concerned about these things, and probably many on here will tell you to forget all that, just buy the place of your dreams. It all depends on what is important to you, if there is no question that increased expenses through out retirement are of no concern, than, that would be true, find your dream house and location and enjoy ! BUT.... regardless, buy a small notebook, KEEP it WITH YOU no matter who you talk to, and make notes ! You will be very happy you did that ......:welcome:

I think the 30 day close is only for The Villages homes and only for home not previously owned - all other owners can negotiate the close date.

I highly recommend Katy Kelly with RE/MAX Premier Realty.
352-355-7982
katypkelly@gmail.com
https://katykellyhomes.com

An MLS Realtor vs. a Villages Agent
 

Hi
 

We used a VLS and a MLS, but we were purchasing a pre-owned home. New homes can only be sold with VLS. Some VLS are sales agents, not realtors. Be prepared to move fast. We were in Florida and purchased by video because the whole thing is super fast. Literally no time to think. We also viewed our home before it was on the market. Your VLS persons experience is key and how motivated that person is to get you in a home. Do not be afraid to ask for a new person. We went through 3 and the difference between them was very wide. One would get mad and scream at me bc she was having personal problems, she would apologize, I was sympathetic, but it was annoying! Third time was a really good fit. We put in 11 offers before we finally closed on Dec 20. 2 agents discouraged us from using my husbands va loan guarantee benefit bc they said could not close in 30 days. In this crazy market sellers are looking and expect a 30 day close with all offers we put in. I made sure my lender could get va close done on time and she did get it done! Good luck!

Use all available resources
 

Hey there, I relocated from Minnesota in October. Nell 57 gave really good advice. I started out with a Villages sales rep. I believe only they can show you homes that are listed on Villages Listing Service (including all new homes), and they did push the new homes over previously owned. I wanted a home without a Bond payment and I ended up buying through a local realtor and was very happy with the process. You can purchase previously owned homes through the Villages reps, but you'll only see the ones whose owners listed on VLS. I found the VLS selection a bit limited at the time I was looking, so I moved on to searching MLS on my own. I found my home using Movoto. I liked that site's interface including really helpful selection filters. That said, there are many good real estate sites. I also talked to a lot of really helpful people during my search, both Villages employees and non. I found it really helpful to hear different perspectives. Good luck with your search and SKOL Vikings.

Home purchase considerations
 

Buying a new home has a couple of advantages - the interiors are more "open", in design, and the neighborhoods are new. It is easier to meet new people in a new neighborhood than it is to "break into" an older, existing neighborhood where the groups (golf foursomes, for instance) have been around for years.

Going new eliminates the need for a Realtor (a trademarked NAR name). The Villages requires their sales agents to have real estate licenses but are not members of the NAR. Experienced sales agents know how to work within the system to get you "first in line" for new home releases - there are no "bidding wars" for new homes.

You can simplify the search process if you prioritize features into "drop dead gotta haves" and "would be nice ifs". There will be some unique purchase opportunities but there will always be more homes - roughly 30,000 more, based on the current land holdings of the Morse family.

Good luck! We love it here, been here two years and cherish every new day in paradise...

So I was a realtor in Pa and a Villages real estate agent for 10 years. Villages reps are licensed by the state. You need a Properties of The Villages rep to see new and pre owned listed by The Villages. You’ll need an outside realtor to see all other pre owned homes. Properties of The Villages has 60-70% of the pre owned market and 100% of new. Don’t listen to people who say Villages reps only want to sell new or have no code of ethics like realtors. IT IS NOT TRUE. The commission scale for new or pre owned is exactly the same so there is no monetary advantage either way. Just be sure you have one of each to see all the inventory.

There is always the option of not committing to either a Village agent or realtor. If you put a bid in on a house, the agent will not have to split the commission which may work heavily in your favor. It did in my case. You can learn quite alot from the agents showing the houses. TOTV is also a great resource.

There are some very low price rentals during the off season if you did want to follow the advice of others to reside here before purchasing.

And FWIW, after the rule changes a few years ago, the VA loans are usually processed just as fast as conventional loans. However, they are not accepted on new construction.

We're from Detroit Lakes and moved here in 2018. We like it up north across from Mulberry..very quiet..

Bryan Arango should be seen.

The villages sales reps are not going to represent YOU.
 

Any financial or personal info you provide to the sales representative can be and will shared with the seller.

Yes, welcome!

And additionally ask about flood insurance, as some neighborhoods are on filled in swamp land, waste water facilities & landscaping dumps nearby that smell when the wind blows your way, and proximity to the federal prison if that is a concern for you. In other words, do your due diligence.

Villages real estate
 

NOR can MLS realtors show or sell properties that are offered by The Villages Homes. If you want to see both MLS AND Villages listings, you need both. I don't understand why some seem angry that The Villages properties is separate and different. Oh, well.

I second that thought. First house we bought with an independent agent, outside mortgage company, and title company in Leesburg. Total disaster. Second house was through a Villages agent, and Citizens First Bank. Super smooth and easy.

Erica.Chambers@TheVillages.com
Very pleasant to work with and she was always available to show at our request. Erica was very personable.

House hunting
 

Be sure and ask about the bond. Is it paid or is there a balance. And what is the bond cost. Could make or break the sale.

I think you’ve covered your bases well. Ira is a real professional but can only show preowned. The Villages representative can show you new and preowned.

If this is the first time you are coming to TV I also recommend you just spend the time to look around. You need at least a month to get yourself remotely familiar. I'm from northern Minnesota and discovered many things the second time I did not know the first time. Also...don't be afraid to not buy this go around. You have a home in Minnesota, and unlike those who sold their homes and either buy or are homeless, time is on your side.
Also...their are a lot of Packer bars down here...so life is good!!!! :duck::1rotfl:

I’d meet with a MLS real estate agent. We used Robyn Cavallaro, she did a great job for us. You can reach her at 352-901-0838. She will work hard for you.

We didn't rent and are on our 7th year as snowbirds. Renting isn't necessary for everyone!

Don't enter the forest (The villages) if you fear leaves (A lot of smoke and mirrors) look on this tread for opinions of living there negative and positive

Our list when we came down to see the villages was as follows:
All 3 town squares (and Ednas/Sawgrass) both during the day and in the evening.
A few village recreation centers
A few regional recreation centers (open the doors and peek into the classes going on if the signage on the doors allows)
A few golf courses of differing types
A few country clubs (lunch or dinner)
Where the prison, cement plant and quarry were in relation to where we were looking
Listening for the turnpike in the areas we were looking at various times during the day and night
Checking out amenities that were important to us (running/biking trails, gym, dog parks, theaters, etc.)
Sitting at the neighborhood pool and chatting it up with the locals in the neighborhoods we were were considering
How far squares/stores were by golf cart in the areas we were looking and what impact future bridge will have on that distance

In addition to seeing homes, we went to the following places:
A few golf cart stores to get pricing/check out models
A few local insurance brokers (our insurance won’t write new Florida policies so ask yours now)
A representative from our bank at their local branch
Stopped into the villages health to check it out/inquire about doctors accepting new patients
The local grocery store, proximity of our preferred pharmacy, etc.

Most Villages reps will show you the latest neighborhood property releases (new construction) first. Stop them from doing so, and ask to see the model homes first - Review the floor plans online now so you have a better idea of what series/models you might be interested in. There are two or three different areas where you can see model homes, and each has a few different series/models available to see. The only way to get into these model homes is on appointment with a Villages Sales agent. This will help you to narrow down exactly what it is you think you want (home series and model), then you can go see what is actually available. Then, most importantly, don’t get discouraged when you don’t find what you want in what is actually available for sale!!! Just open your eyes and see all of the potential future inventory being built. Houses are released almost every day. Patience is the name of the game when buying new in the villages today. On the flip side, if you decide that you would rather be in an established area and want to buy a resale, you must be ready to act immediately. Houses go within hours of being listed and having a good MLS agent is key. In this case, you need all of your documents immediately ready to go (Mortgage pre-approval letter and/or proof of funds, and your local attorney’s contact information if you will be using one)

The most important aspect of your visit is just driving around and looking at everything going on around you. Get lost in the golf cart, hop in the car and head all the way north on Morse to the historic section, and then south by another route. Try to see as much as your energy will allow each day, and talk to everyone you come in contact with. Carry a small notebook (or use the notes feature on your phone) to jot things down or questions to ask because a ton of information is going to come at you. Get the newspaper every morning and look at the real estate listings and open houses for the day. There is much more available then any agent can possibly show you, so you need to direct the visit the way you want it to go as much as you can. Have fun and good luck!

Outside realtors, Ira Miller (see below)
 

Outside Realtors Cannot show ANY Village listings - New OR Previously Owned.
Best to see both realtors and check FSBO to find all the available homes for sale in the Villages.

a good undertaker...?:bigbow:

If you are buying a new house, please be aware that you will need to put 10% of the buying cost to hold that house. Also be ready to close on that house within 30 days. If you delay the closing beyond 30 days you will be penalized. Ours would have been $750 a day.

This is incorrect. The hold fee is nowhere NEAR 10%. IIRC, it's $10K.

And our (re-sale) closed in 6 weeks, just last February. New homes will probably close in 5-6 months, or more if it takes longer to set up a design appointment...

Great post. Excellent information and advice.