Quality of new homes
 

Looked at new homes,Ranch homes,I am interested in the Austin model,however after being shown ranch homes, in Amelia, that are available I was very disappointed in the"cheap" cabinets and counter tops, The bathrooms had Cheap looking plastic tub and shower enclosures. I realize that there is a slow down in the housing market,but are all new homes now being built with these very basic,below entry level,fixtures?

Re: Quality of new homes
 

Nothing to due with the slow housing market Steve. TV has homes in all price ranges with some having basic features to keep the price affordable and others being rather high end with a price to match. If you want more you pay more - no different than any other real estate development.

Remember, some people buy in TV with the intent on only being there a few months of the year. So why buy more home than is needed? Or maybe they just want to rent it out at an affordable price when they are not there.

If your read this board you'll know that TV is more than just the home you live in!

Re: Quality of new homes
 

We looked at both new construction and pre-owned homes. I don't care for laminate countertops so if I bought new I would have t upgrade them myself but alot of the previously owned homes had upgraded fixtures, cabinets and countertops. I am not particularly concerned about the fiberglass tub enclosures as they are easy to maintain and the alternative is costly. As was mentioned it was pretty clear to me that I would have to spend more money on a more expensive model which won't work for me as I need a courtyard villa so I will either upgrade things myself if I feel I must have new or find a pre-owned CV I like.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

On our first Lifestyle Preview we looked at Courtyard Villas and Designer Homes and they seemed to have fairly good quality fixtures. We are coming back in a month or so for another preview and this time will also look at resales. The more I read about resales the more I think that may be the way to go. As you say many of the owners have done a fair amount of upgrading already and I like the idea of mature landscaping rather than having to start from scratch.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

I have looked at new, resale with realtor, and FSBO. This has led me to these conclusions. The developer is very willing to deal on new homes now. Right now you can get a new premier at $475K. Resales are still over priced for this market. However with that knowledge, find 3 homes you like and make market offers until someone blinks. That will probably be at least 10% and up to 20% below current listed price. Realtors are required to present all offers to a homeowner unless it is specified in the listing agreement. Some items to consider when comparing new to used. And only if you like them. If something is green and you hate that color, that is worth ZERO to you.

Landscaping is worth 5K to 10K depending on how well done it is.
Attic stairs and flooring in garage $500
Curtains/blinds $500 to $1000 depending on quality.
Washer and dryer, are they included? Worth about $1000 (age adjusted below)
Status of the bond. $0 to 25K
Is the lanai enclosed? $3K or more. And make sure you want that.
Other things like shelves in garage and laundry, paver's, privacy screens, etc. etc.
Home square footage is worth about $100 for each additional. (for those that want to say more, consider the cost of lot and building separate)
And then depending on what has been done you will correct or change to your liking, deduct for that. Also depending on age, pro rate the cost of roof, AC, appliances, and normal wear over 10 years. Worth about $2k to $3k per year. So if it's 5 years old, figure new is worth a minimum $10K more and maybe as much as $15K.

Decide on what model you intend to buy, look at 3 or 4 new and 3 or 4 resale. Then get out a spread sheet and list all the differences and what they are worth to you. Then narrow it down to a couple homes and make market value offers. Require a home inspection and become a happy home owner in TV.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

When I asked The Villages sales rep about the quality of carpets, counters, etc. , his reply was simply that they choose to not customize these days and "it is what it is".

He suggested that we change/upgrade after the fact, which looks to be the only option whether new or resale.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

After seeing about 10 preowned homes when we visited before Christmas, we have come to the conclusion that new is the way to go for us. All I could see was everything that I would need to change when it came to a preowned. (wallpaper, carpets, window treatments etc...) I figured if we buy new, I can put my own touches on it and probably end up spending about the same or a little more than if we purchase a fairly new preowned.
As for quality, we did not find any problems...maybe not top of the line, but we were not looking at the top of the line homes...
To each his own - the world if full of choices!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year to Everyone!

Re: Quality of new homes
 

Resales are nice if they fit all your needs and if not you have the patience to make the changes.

We considered resales this August and with the market starting to blink at that time sellers weren't moving much, so we bought new and never looked back because the deals where outstanding. TV knew the market would only get worse so in order to get sales moving dropped the prices drastically, offered free settlement and in some cases gave furniture allowances to buyers.

Now that same house a Savannah Courtyard villa sold in Feb 07 almost 40K higher than what we paid in September, yet the construction and upgrades never changed.

So to each his/her own. Yes it is a large step down from a big house to 1600 but for 5 months a year I'll live with it.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

We bought an Amarillo ranch home in Amelia and don't consider it "cheap". We have fiberglass tubs and shower in our existing home and have never had a problem with them. Sure we would like more than laminate counter tops but that will come when we aren't carrying two mortgages. Right now we are just very excited about our new home and everything that's in it and we are now Villagers. Hooray for us.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

-Right time - Right location - Right house - Right price -- and we'll be there -- and it's a good thing that those 4 things are different for each of us.

Meanwhile, I think I am going to sign up for remedial golf lessons this winter. I think there is one of those heated places around here somewhere.

I love reading these real estate threads.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

Boomer - you're right - all the "rights" fell into place for us.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

Prior to 2005 you had alot more customizing of the homes so you may find more resale homes extended or with better appliances etc. The Biggest factor in buying a resale I think is LOCATION LOCATION...if you are looking for something within a mile or so of a town square then for the most part you are looking at a resale. Everything else can be changed. There appears to be a fair number of new homes available especially "Designer" on golf courses.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

We were looking at the Amarillos in Amelia last week and came close to buying but it was not on the lot we wanted. I love them... We are waiting for an email from our realtor to tell us she has the one we wanted.
Congratulations...

Re: Quality of new homes
 

Bella, look forward to seeing you in the Village of Amelia perhaps.

Re: Quality of new homes
 

May you all find the homes you want with the proper upgrades. Can't wait till y'all get here.