Potential new home buyers in TV
 

My wife and I are here for the winter and have been actively looking for a home in TV. We have primarily been looking at new spec homes in the villages of St. John's and Hawkins.
We were told by our Villages realtor that there are sections in these villages where you won't here the turnpike noise. For the most part that is true because when you look at them during the day all you hear is construction noise. We made a visit to these areas on a Sunday night and were shocked at how loud it is. We are really surprised that these houses are still selling like crazy even with the loud highway noise.
Besides the crazy prices of new and used home is anyone concerned about these homes down the road?

Yes. And villages agents are not Realtors.

I agree completely. They are used to people battling it out for any home that is available without actually having the need to sell a home to a customer.
I'm not sure where else they plan on building but from what we've heard it's all along the turnpike.
We even considered buying a home and then selling after a year or 2 and get something in a more quiet area.

Tough Market
 

Besides the crazy prices of new and used home is anyone concerned about these homes down the road?[/QUOTE]

Prices are crazy, I see Villas with 1600 feet selling for 500 K. We bought just North of Meggison in Citrus Grove and can sometimes hear the turnpike. That’s with a golf course and a couple ponds between us. The noise isn’t bad but is noticeable depending on the evening.

That said, why would anyone sink a half million into a house on the Turnpike? I wouldn’t bank (literally) on the noise being suppressed much. Don’t forget, there are plans to widen it. The Villages is building the Bexley bridge and has to accommodate for 2 extra lanes. If I were you, just enjoy the winters here and rent for a year or two or find another area away from the Turnpike.

Yes its loud, and many will buy them and complain later. At least you didn't make that mistake.

I wouldn't want to be so close to the freeway but some people seem to not care. I'm sure the houses will be priced a little lower and in the future sell for less than a more desirable location but in realty it's always location, location, location. As my best friend always says, "you know why ocean front in Tampa is so expensive? Because they aren't making any more of it."

We live near a highway up north. After awhile you really don’t hear it unless something happens like an accident. It just becomes part of the daily activity.

I think that's why some of the used homes that are for sale in the more established quieter neighborhoods are listed higher than the new spec homes along the turnpike.
I told my realtor that in our to be fully transparent about whether there is noise or not they need to take people out on weekends or after 5pm.
But the best way is for the realtor to go to each new area when there is no construction going on and make notes on which specific streets are noisy.
Then if you come across a customer that is concerned about the noise (ie my wife and I) you can be up front and not even show homes on those streets. There might be buyers remorse down the road after it's to late.

A friend of mine was looking at a golf course home. Went to the lot at several different times and decided the lot would be to noisey when they are on the patio. Going to the lot was a good idea. I guess maybe a Sunday will help although that may be a slow day for the cars.

After 5pm during the week is a good test. Most contractors are gone and there is rush hour traffic on the Turnpike.

Buying and then selling?
There are and probably will be more posts bashing the new areas…….that could impact your sale.
BTW, many of those negative posts come from those who don’t live in that area.

We lived in PA for 10 yrs. 1/4 a mile from Rt80.
We vowed to never go through that again.
I would love to hear from folks who have actually purchased a home in this area to get some feedback.

TV is a big place, and the differences between the areas can be quite dramatic. If you haven't driven around and checked them out, you should before you buy. The older neighborhoods by Spanish Springs, are lovely in their way, and quite different from the slightly newer areas just south of 466, north of Palmer, and that area is slightly different from the area just south of Sumter Landing to 466A, and that area is different from the Brownwood-Pinellas-Hillsborough area, and on and on.

Do yourselves a favor and spend some time checking them out, if you haven't already.

You might want to widen your scope and look at resale houses a little further north (aka above 44), these areas are much closer to the current shopping areas as well as dining and entertainment. Also, very few of these areas are near any major roads or railroad tracks. I know the prices are high, the hose next door went for $1.2 million a few months ago, but you get an established neighborhood, very little construction, etc.
Hope your hunt for a future home goes well.

Noise most everywhere in The Villages.

Millions of south east Florida homes, far more expensive than here, are located between the Turnpike and I95 have no problem selling.

At least for me, having 2-3 rows of homes between me and the noise source is tolerable.

YMMV

I would imaging that wind speed/direction would be a major factor on whether the turnpike is "noisy" or not.

Is there a prevailing wind direction in that location?

Do a search on this site…..many threads with bashing and responses. Of course, this will require some reading on your part……..

If your top priority is quiet and less hassle you should look at homes in the northern area of The Villages. This area north of 466 has plenty of things to do and is real close to Savannah Center, shopping, the hospital, restaurants and lots of golf courses too. This area also has less traffic when the seasonal folks are here.

We bought 9 plus years ago. Buying a home is perhaps the largest or among the largest decisions we make. Add to that, for us it meant quitting working. Wife and I well that makes it even more complex.

Crazy prices? Prices are crazy everywhere. For people who have a home that they will be selling or have sold a home, they too got crazy prices for it-I know we did.

Old school-write it down on index cards in some fashion that makes sense. Quiet 1-10.
Near action 1-10, etc. Then compare cards with your wife. There will likely be some shock as to differences.

Aside, my wife wanted NEW, I wanted RESALE. You know we bought NEW. Not my style but some people seem to think AFTER THEY HAVE BOUGHT, I wish we had.................

No one has a basement. If, they did they would say it is and indoor swimming pool. I wish I had-I MISS MY BASEMENT.

As far a highway noise. Plantings will lessen it. The home, walls etc will lessen it. Block construction and if offered double thick glass deadens noise. Not saying typical two layer glass. It is also made of heavier glass.

We are neither looking to buy or to sell however perhaps early training. As a kid my bedroom was at the same level as the elevated subways. Genetics or life experience, I can sleep through anything. The wife as she pokes me. "Did you hear that?" REPLY: " No I WAS ASLEEP."

All those noise abatement measures you mentioned don't work when the windows and sliding door is open. There is plenty of time in the cooler months that we enjoy the fresh air.

Do not shop at Appliance Direct
 

We were promised an exchange on defect refrigerator purchased there. This occurred 2 days after delivery.it was approved by their Fruitland Park store mgr. Unfortunately he's not the mgr now & even though I have documentation they're refusing to exchange the bad appliance. I spent $5,000 on 4 appliances with them. The new mgr Anthony was rude & threatening when we went there trying to resolve. They're lying to BBB & I've been in touch with WFTV. So frustrating!

run don't walk away from this place.. the only thing these realtors care about is 6%. they will tell you anything but the truth...

Future Villagers here. We live about 500' from I-10 just south of Baton Rouge, LA. We did what a few said here before we bought our current house---we sat on the back porch and listened. We decided we could deal with the noise. It does kind of become background noise that you don't really notice, unless you are outside on the phone or something.... We are not "afraid" of some noise, but we are, to be honest, ready to get away from this specific amount of noise. We are planning to move there by about August-November this year. Very much looking forward to it!!

There are some really great 'pre owned' homes coming on the market....expand your search if the noise is a potential issue for you

Sounds seems to travel further at night, especially when the night is still. As a child I lived five miles as the crow flies from the runway at KAFB in Albuquerque and probably about the same distance from the Santa Fe Railroad station downtown. The tracks ran perpendicularly across my street which ran to and through downtown. I remember hearing faint train whistles at night and the unmuffled loud military jet engines firing up in the very early early morning hours. I was and still am an early riser but the jet engines were loud enough to awaken me; the train whistles not so much. I am still a light sleeper.

And if they were, what difference would it make?

Do you have a hire car or golf cart? When we bought we went out to our preferred areas early morning and late at night to listen to the noises. We bought in Chitty Chatty and picked an area on the lake. No sounds from the traffic but boy did the insects make a racket! We looked at the other side of the village and there was only minor traffic noise - the odd car - but then there weren't the bugs in the woodland.

They haven’t been properly trained in the art of lying to you

A lot of the area south of 44 is reclaimed swamp , even north the “new” homes built in the last 4-5 years are having water problems , roads sidewalks buckling drainage issues, check very carefully the lots you are considering ,several unhappy buyers bought online unseen and regret it.

Ya just might want to start a new thread with this post:pray:

It seems like you have not been informed that the developer sales reps do not represent you the buyer. They have no responsibility to protect your interest. They always work for the seller in every transaction. Also they are not a Realtor in the national, state or local board of Realtors. They are licensed in the state of Florida. But they are not allowed to call themselves a Realtor because they are not. So you as a buyer have to do your due diligence before you purchase from a sales rep. I would tell you to look at a preowned home further north that way you have amenities that can support all the residents like grocery stores and shopping.

What does this have to do with this thread?!! :1rotfl: :1rotfl:

Ditto north of 466 in my opinion is the best place to be for a number of reasons.

Some of them are Realtors, ours is.

When we lived in Ohio we were very close to I90, there was noise but it never bothered us. When we purchased our home in Monarch Grove we realized we may hear some noise but it’s really just white noise, that again does not bother us. We love our location both now and knowing about future construction. We just hope we never have to put up with all the traffic that the more northern villages have to tolerate daily.

To each his own. I have lived (rented) both north and south of 44 and in my opinion the best place to be is down south because that is where there are phenomenal walking trails and nature preserves that just can't be beat. There is a very different "feel" south of 44. When I'm ready to buy, I will only consider homes in the southern area.

It does become background noise. We moved south of 44 because it’s a younger population (we retired here two years ago at 60). Depends what you are looking for.

Over
 

Villagers dictate whether a business makes it or not around here. The word spreads fast if there are bad actors.

Refrigerator Exchange
 

I had a terrible experience with LG SS French Door/Bottom Freezer bought at Home Depot. Buy the extended warranty! Within 2 yrs, compressor out. At 3.5 yrs, sealed system leaking all Freon out. Had to junk it($3,600).
I had a magnetic sign made for my truck: Say No To LG Fridge
Compressor Out: 2 yrs
Sealed System Out 3.5 yrs
I took a picture of the sign on my truck, and sent it to LG Headquarters in the States, saying I was advertising for them… Look online & you can have practically anything you can think of made…