Future newbie / prices of homes
 

Hi,

I am interested in TV and I visited in 2012. I would like info from the frogs or anyone about the prices of homes and the size I should buy. I say this because you have experience there and are more likely to know the reality of living there that a newbie.

I also like to know what upgrades I should get upfront compare to after I buy the home. Also, is there any negotiations with the developer as to price of a home.

Any info much appreciated as I think TV was a great experience when I visited it four years ago, but ready to make it a reality.

Thank you!

I am not sure anyone here can tell you the size home you should buy. there are way too many things to consider. IMHO, call one of the Village Realtors, we used Priscilla Hart, she was very helpful. You really need to see the houses, so that you get an idea of the size, layout, etc.
If you are lucky enough to buy a lot and build, then you can get various upgrades built in to your house. If you are buying "off the rack", then IMHO, move in get a fell for the house and the area, and then and only then start the upgrades. The exception to this is garage floor painting which is better done before anything is placed into the garage, and carpet upgrades for the same reason.
You can easily put several thousand to several tens of thousands of dollars into upgrades, that later you look back at and regret. We did almost nothing fro several months, then small projects. The major upgrade, a new birdcage and major landscaping was almost 2 years after we moved in and were sure what we wanted.
Hope this helps.

Rent several times before buying. See what fits your lifestyle and the add ins that seem appealing. Talk to lots of homeowners . I'm very happy here, but would have done several things differently if I had followed this advice.

It's possible your lot may be the most important part your purchasing decision. That you can't change no matter what size house or how many upgrades you get. I suggest going to many many open houses for ideas on how you feel about the different models and the lots they are on. Good luck.

TV has a "bunch" of model homes to look at and make a decision on which one suits your needs. If you want a new house your options are limited as TV is in its Final Phase. Houses are easy to purchase and I might add easy to sell in Thr Villages.

This is hard to answer because we do not know your current lifestyle and no one knows what it will be here. Thus I would lean toward a large garage for storage and consider increasing the size of the rooms. It seems that buying more than one home in TV is common so I would suggest that you try renting for a year.

:shrug::shrug: I am not sure anyone can answer what house to buy

I loved TV 4 years ago when I visited a friend for the first time. She had been renting various villas for 3 years prior and had finally decided she was ready to buy, so we went to open houses every day. She ended up buying a small 3/2 cottage style house. During those open house experiences, I began to develop very strong feelings about models I liked and those I didn't. Last spring I came to visit again to see what she had done with her house and get a better sense of how I reallyfelt about neighbors so close and other concerns. We went to more open houses, and by day 3 I had pretty much decided I needed more space around my house and TV wasn't for me. Then we were invited to a party at a house overlooking a pond and golf course - Eureka! - I went home and sold our house overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in one day!!! Having looked online for houses with water/golf views in our price range, I sent my friend to scout them out, made a purchase offer and ultimately bought the house we've been in since Sept. Couldn't be happier :) Take your time seeing what fits your aesthetic needs.

Thank you all! One more thing- what about privacy since the homes are so close to each other. Any problems with this proximity to each other?

This is a question only you can answer. :welcome:

I think the best answer was to rent at least a little while to get a sense of the areas and what you like. Many of us gave up bigger homes on huge lots to enjoy the amenities and friendliness of this place. Each village has something to offer and one may suit you more than another. Get to know some of the residents and really feel the areas out and then decide which area and house you want to live in. People here tend to move three times as selling is easy, so that's an option as well albeit IMHO a lesser one.

If you rented a patio villa you would know what it was like to have your lanai in the front of the house. If you rent a cottage or designer or ranch with the kissing lanai it would help you decide about who lives behind you. If you rent a home on the road then you would know if you would to tolerate the road noise. Then if you rented on the golf course with the mowing bother you and the golf carts. Then you can rent on a pond and see if that's much more quieter

There is much general information about homes here on line. One thing for sure they are more expensive than they were five years ago. What size home do YOU think would be comfortable and affordable? Cottages and patio villa's are the smallest. Designers go up to about 2300 square feet. Premiers range from 2500 to more than 3500 square feet.


View lots can up the price of any model by an easy 100k. Often more.


Modular homes on the historic side are available from about 100K. Some Premiers are listed for over a million.


Almost all homes have three bedrooms, two baths with the kitchen open to the living area with a screened in lanai.


We made a list of the things we absolutely had to have. We looked at the Villages site every day for months and at the MLS listings as well. We decided that we wanted a used courtyard villa and came down and bought a new designer. (With absolutely NO pressure from the sales person)


Good luck. We are so happy here that people accuse me of working for the developer.

TV is an adjustment for most people that requires examination of many options beforehand. Friends who introduced us to TV several years ago just sold their one year old home in TV in one day to rethink their timing in moving down here fulltime. We purchase a house with a small lanai which could be a mistake in the long run. As we are still snow birds, we have options. If you have the time, take your time in the purchase of a home in TV. However, houses still move quickly if priced right to enable changes to be made.

If you like the Bridgeport design home and have the money, this seems to be a good deal as its being sold for a lot less than what the owner has in it. As good deals come up quite frequently on preowned homes, keep an eye on what is currently listed for sale and then offer less if you must. For new, you must pay the developer the listed price.

The Villages - POH Flyer