[janht]

We’re going to be renting here in Feb and while here plan on looking at homes. Fortunately (or unfortunately!) we’re very experienced in house hunting, know what we like and therefore tend to move very quickly when we see it. And I mean REALLY quickly….like within an hour after seeing the first house in our search. If we were on House Hunters, it would be a 5 minute show... We’re able to do that without worry because I tend to research it to death before jumping in.

So, I’ve been reading a lot of posts here, looking at homes for sale on Zillow, FSBO and have searched for resident advice re: lanais, best neighborhoods, access to the main squares, clubs…anything really. I zoom in on Google satellite to look at busy roads etc…. anything that might be a negative. I am a bit noise sensitive. Maybe that's not a problem here with lower speed limits..dunno. I would think Morse or a major road might be an issue?

I’ve got our own market figured out but in looking at TV, I wonder why some of these homes are lingering on the market..some have been on for many months. Most appear to have more pros than cons: decent locations near or between 466, 466A, sometimes an open concept floor plan, not too dated, a lanai that's not too close to neighbors, (I might be "off" here though...) good storage, preferably a 2 car garage. We’re not expecting move in ready as we’re not in the $400+K category but we’d like to stay away from as much major remodeling as we’ve done in the past …our backs are talking more these days! However, we realize any house we buy we’ll probably tailor to our taste. We’d like to stay somewhere in the mid $200’s but of course lower is better. I'm not fooled by staging or put off by dated decor as I'm able to see past it; potential and bones are what count.

Is close distance to water a plus or drawback…mosquitos?? I like to garden, work outdoors so that matters somewhat.

So my question is, why do some homes stay on the market? Is price the big problem or are there other factors that tend to kill it even if it's bargain basement priced? Do dated interiors really turn most people off? What would absolutely rule out a home if you were looking now in TV? And the opposite...what do people jump on...are there ever bidding wars?

Throw it out there...any info appreciated!

[retiredguy123]

If you are noise sensitive, watch out for a pool pump next door that is close to your bedroom window, and also traffic noise. Best to buy a house on a cul de sac because they are further apart. But, I think the biggest reason houses don't sell is that they are overpriced. It is easy to check the county website to see what the seller paid for the house, and what all the houses on the street sold for. I have seen houses listed for more than $100K above what the seller paid less than a year ago. Also, a 2 car garage is not enough. Most buyers want a separate space for their golf cart. If the house is big and expensive, often it won't sell because there is no golf or water view. Also, don't buy in Lake County. The taxes are too high. My two cents worth. Good luck.

[BobnBev]

My big regret is not having a golf cart garage in addition to our 2 car garage. Live and learn.

Originally Posted by janht

So my question is, why do some homes stay on the market? Is price the big problem or are there other factors that tend to kill it even if it's bargain basement priced? Do dated interiors really turn most people off? What would absolutely rule out a home if you were looking now in TV? And the opposite...what do people jump on...are there ever bidding wars?

Throw it out there...any info appreciated!

There was a house in our neighborhood that was for sale for quite a long time and there were 2 main reasons. The ceilings and walls were painted in colors that would not appeal to many and the price was too high and the owner would not budge on it. They repainted it and lowered the price and it finally sold. Yes dated interiors are a big turnoff to many people who either cannot update themselves or cannot afford to have someone do it. Lastly, yes, there are often bidding wars.

[janht]

Wow...you both say the same? Cart garage plus 2 car?? I don't think I've even seen any of those in our price range; have to look again. I'm not sure if we'd need it but certainly something to think about. Thanks.

Yes, I've gone to the country website and seen some crazy price hikes too but the ones I have saved aren't that. Thank you for the pool pump hint...that's the kind of thing I wouldn't think of beforehand but hopefully I'd hear it when looking at a house. No Lake county...noted.

Oh, why are there such differences in insurance between neighborhoods and and why so darn high....$250 a month?? That's almost double what we pay in our expensive-to-live state.

[mark47]

Would never even consider a West facing lanai, stay away from pickle ball courts, must have golf cart garage, TV salesman advised me to never have your lanai face a double yellow lined road. Just my opinion

[janht]

Originally Posted by fw102807

There was a house in our neighborhood that was for sale for quite a long time and there were 2 main reasons. The ceilings and walls were painted in colors that would not appeal to many and the price was too high and the owner would not budge on it.

We love uglees as you can normally get a better price but doesn't sound like those owners were too realistic. Good to know about bidding wars. Thanks!

[pbkmaine]

So much of it boils down to personal preference.

Some people love being on a golf course, but my husband and I did not like the lack of privacy or the noise from the cart paths. So, privacy versus views is a big issue. Then you need to ask yourself how important having a friendly neighborhood is. We lucked out on ours; the neighbors are super nice. But we have friends who prefer to keep to themselves, and neighbors are not a factor. Then there’s location. We are north of 466 and very close to the Savannah Center and shopping, but many like a location farther south, where the average age is lower and where The Villages is expanding.

Then there’s frame versus block construction. My oldest friend’s husband is a structural engineer and strongly advised block for Florida, so we limited our search to block. We also preferred resale to new. We felt like we were getting more for our money with resale. We liked having mature plants. My husband also wanted us to have our own pool. I wanted an indoor laundry room, not one in the garage.

Factoring as many of those things in as possible, we came up with a dozen houses that seemed to fit. We ended buying one of the top 6.

[janht]

Originally Posted by mark47

Would never even consider a West facing lanai, stay away from pickle ball courts, must have golf cart garage, TV salesman advised me to never have your lanai face a double yellow lined road. Just my opinion

Ah yes....Pickle ball courts.. the OTHER reason I aerial Google! Had that exp years ago at a resort when it first came on the scene. How close is "close" here...what # of blocks distance?

Thanks.

[janht]

Then there’s frame versus block construction. My oldest friend’s husband is a structural engineer and strongly advised block for Florida, so we limited our search to block. We also preferred resale to new. We felt like we were getting more for our money with resale. We liked having mature plants. My husband also wanted us to have our own pool. I wanted an indoor laundry room, not one in the garage.



Good info on construction. I'm big on mature landscaping too which is why the older north section has appeal. I realize the south is preferable for most people but in most cases the landscaping is pretty sparse. I find just north of 466 is usually a nice compromise. Would never consider new construction because I'm paying premium for design choices I don't care for....like the really dark wood stained kit cabs I'm seeing.

Thanks!

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by janht

Then there’s frame versus block construction. My oldest friend’s husband is a structural engineer and strongly advised block for Florida, so we limited our search to block. We also preferred resale to new. We felt like we were getting more for our money with resale. We liked having mature plants. My husband also wanted us to have our own pool. I wanted an indoor laundry room, not one in the garage.

Good info on construction. I'm big on mature landscaping too which is why the older north section has appeal. I realize the south is preferable for most people but in most cases the landscaping is pretty sparse. I find just north of 466 is usually a nice compromise. Would never consider new construction because I'm paying premium for design choices I don't care for....like the really dark wood stained kit cabs I'm seeing.

Thanks!

Landscaping. About 18 months is the difference between sparse and lush on most new homes.

I found this home with a golf cart garage and two regular garages for under 250K, then I read you want block. I am not a realtor nor have I ever been.

Bad Request

[janht]

----

[janht]

I found this home with a golf cart garage and two regular garages for under 250K, then I read you want block. I am not a realtor nor have I ever been.

Bad Request[/QUOTE]

It's not for sale. I haven't found ONE house on the Village site for sale site that is. Thanks though.

[villagetinker]

We specified a south facing lanai, works great. We have a road to the back of the house, yes there is some road noise, however, we have great privacy, pie shaped lot with neighbors some distance away, and a very nice block wall across the street (villas on the other side), and very nice landscaping. We decided early on NO golf course, and NO water view. The reason for the no water view is documentation from TV specifically states the water may NOT be there all the time, also if you get a natural preserve area, these can get inundated with weeds, etc that you are NOT allowed to remove or control, in other words the view you have today is NOT the view you will have in the future. Do a search on Lake Miona an this site, lots of complaints and some very suspicious tree removal. Avoid houses near intersections, as you may get headlights into your house. IMHO, look very carefully at any solar tubes, you may not like the lighting effect.
Make sure all permits and ARC approvals were obtained for any and all exterior and interior changes or improvements. There have been recent sales where this was not done and the new owner had to remove non-approved driveway expansions, landscaping, etc. Do not rely on salesperson or owner, get this in writing on the disclosure form.
Check age of roof, if over 10 years, figure on a possible new roof in a few years, same goes for the exterior paint (note you need approval to change color).
If garage or driveway is painted check for an anti-slip coating (like shark grip), without this coating these can become very slippery when wet.
hope this helps.

[lanabanana73]

For us, we really wanted rear privacy without paying a premium lot price, so we back up to a villa wall. That seemed like the perfect compromise, and has worked out well. We are just north of 466A in Tamarind Grove and love that location for its proximity to so many golf courses, and the ease of getting to 301. Love the new Trailwinds shopping plaza and what's going on there. We did not get a golf cart garage, but I can see the beauty of having one. We just try not to collect too much "stuff" that needs storing. I would stay away from ALL major roadways, including ones like St Charles, as they are busy and pretty noisy. Good luck in your search. I'm sure you will find the perfect house for you!