[LvmyPug2]

After years of looking at houses online, will are now "serious" buyers and will be purchasing a pre-owned home in TV sometime over the next few months. We'd like to go to open houses as a way to get started. Does anyone know if there is an online listing of the daily open houses? I know there are ads in the Daily Sun paper each day but I couldn't find an online listing. We are an hour away and would like to see what houses are open before driving over to TV.
Thanks

[JohnN]

I'm not aware of any online notices, you'll need to get here and get the Daily Sun.. is really the best and only way.

If you have a particular house in mind, you can set up to see it with a realtor

[buggyone]

Since you are only an hour away from The Villages, I would suggest you take a few days (driving back and forth each day should not be a problem) and look at pre-owned homes first with a Villages Properties agent and then with a Multiple Listing Agent - since neither can show both properties.

Using both, you can see the best there is to offer. Pre-owned is the way to go. You can negotiate on price, no new construction going on around, no nickle and diming on upgrade options, much lower bond and mature landscaping.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

If For Sale By Owner (fsbo) properties appeal to you, here's the web site to check:

http://www.thevillagesfsbo.com/

We found the home we bought via that site. Together with the seller, we enlisted McLin Burnsed law firm to work with us all to create the purchase contract and handle the closing. http://www.mclinburnsed.com/ They do this stuff day in and day out. It all worked out well!

Bill

[Larry Wilson]

All good info.
I agree go with pre-owned (no bond and up grades already done)near the Rec centers ,shopping you will use to most. Plus the great trees and mature landscaping.
There are a ton of great bargains in pre-owned. Prices are very negotiable.

[graciegirl]

New is fun too, not too different in price. I am so picky that I don't usually find the upgrades in other peoples houses would be what I would want...

NO. I DON'T work for the Morses.

[Larry Wilson]

Gracie,
LOL! What ever you like as I have many friends in both.
Just always look at the bond and figure it into the house price. Also, remember new is nonnegotiable. Just for fun we sometimes visit homes for sale and pre-owned is a better buy. Some pre-owned are almost new.
I think new is easy and quicker sometimes than looking around.
So as the thread was talking about pre-owned I gave my opinion but I have nothing against new.

[collie1228]

Suggest you go to Trulia.com and in the upper left corner there is an email alert section. Indicate there that you are interested in open houses and you will receive emails with photos, prices etc. Best part is it's free.

http://www.trulia.com/FL/The_Villages/

[LvmyPug2]

Thanks for the comments. Now that we are ready to buy, house hunting is both thrilling and daunting. We have owned 2 new and 6 preowned homes during our lifetime and enjoyed both. The key will be finding just the right place for us.