[BPRICE1234]

It seems that many complain about the developer. Houses are sitting and discounts are not working. Now Moultrie Creek is over priced and starting to sit.

Why are the developers so rigid? I was told they won't help w closing or any points. No haggling of any kind?

Thanks so much for all the information. Please don't get me wrong, we can't wait to move there.
Our biggest issue is a fence. We have a dog that I would like to keep out of a gators mouth.

I can't get them to tell me which lots might have fencing or at least back to a wall. That's my only concern.

[Stu from NYC]

They know what they are doing, they are not forced to sell houses to pay their bills and can afford to wait.

They have built an incredible empire and are multi billionaires so would not question their judgment at all.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by BPRICE1234

It seems that many complain about the developer. Houses are sitting and discounts are not working. Now Moultrie Creek is over priced and starting to sit.

Why are the developers so rigid? I was told they won't help w closing or any points. No haggling of any kind?

TV isn’t for everyone, for some taxes are less, weather is better, but it’s not inexpensive to live here.

If one needs help with closing costs, or points, for me I would rethink retirement. Rumor has it about 40- 60% pay cash, some take large mortgages when interest rates are high, then pay down mortgage by half or more, first few months.

But have never noticed posts on someone needing help to close on a home. There a a number of developers that could help you with that, but I wouldn’t think it will ever be in TV.

MC just started releasing homes and lots, at least on this site haven’t read any posts about over priced. But many comments it will be a great area to buy

[Shipping up to Boston]

The developer is printing money here. Youre talking about a 35 square mile development with minimal inventory. They can afford to sit on the market from time to time. Help with closing costs....thats in bigger cities. Down here they know most are cashing out somewhere else and bringing it all to Happy Valley. Its a built in clientele.

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

The developer is printing money here. Youre talking about a 35 square mile development with minimal inventory. They can afford to sit on the market from time to time. Help with closing costs....thats in bigger cities. Down here they know most are cashing out somewhere else and bringing it all to Happy Valley. Its a built in clientele.

Great post. There are many people moving from large cities who sold their previous homes for one million +. Think NYC, Orange County California, D.C, San Francisco, etc. The Villages is much cheaper than the area they left. There are also high-earning professionals who are retiring to TV with large 401Ks. The developer recognizes this but still manages to build homes for all incomes. Thousands of homes are built UNDER the average nationwide price of a home. Amenity fees are kept as low as possible.

I believe the Developer gives everyone an opportunity to own a home in the Villages. He has no control of inflation, high interest rates, competition, lack of interest, greed, natural disasters, insurance, etc. Outside forces are responsible for the increasing costs to build a home, own a home, or to sell a currently owned. Large inventory sitting is the result. These factors are completely out of the Developer's control. Wisely, he does his best to ignore when needed and rise to the new challenges as they come along.

[vintageogauge]

There is only one new home available that is over $500,000 and there is only one new home available with 4 bedrooms and both are not on desirable lots. They are building spec homes on lots that are less desirable and when buyers show up looking for a ready to go home with cash in hand they have to choose one of them or go to a used home and that's how they'll get rid of their not so desirable inventory. When they decide the time is right they once again start building larger homes with 3 and 4 car garages on water front lots that will sell like hot cakes at ridiculously high prices.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by BPRICE1234

It seems that many complain about the developer. Houses are sitting and discounts are not working. Now Moultrie Creek is over priced and starting to sit.

Why are the developers so rigid? I was told they won't help w closing or any points. No haggling of any kind?

Does the Developer listen?
Most of the responses answer this.
Does the Developer care?
Look around The Villages, the answer is what has been created.

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

There is only one new home available that is over $500,000 and there is only one new home available with 4 bedrooms and both are not on desirable lots. They are building spec homes on lots that are less desirable and when buyers show up looking for a ready to go home with cash in hand they have to choose one of them or go to a used home and that's how they'll get rid of their not so desirable inventory. When they decide the time is right they once again start building larger homes with 3 and 4 car garages on water front lots that will sell like hot cakes at ridiculously high prices.

Probably correct. Inventory control is needed, especially in this housing market. Not releasing new homes until all spec homes are sold is a smart way to do business. He cannot allow inventory to rise while buyers cherry pick ONLY the best.

Buyers are not forced to buy ANY HOME. They can wait until new homes with desirable lots are released. Some are in a hurry to buy and choose the less desirable. Is that the fault of the buyer or Developer? I think the buyer carries the responsibility for his/her choices.

[vintageogauge]

Originally Posted by Randall55

Probably correct. Inventory control is needed, especially in this housing market. Not releasing new homes until all spec homes are sold is a smart way to do business. He cannot allow inventory to rise while buyers cherry pick ONLY the best.

Buyers are not forced to buy ANY HOME. They can wait until new homes with desirable lots are released. Some are in a hurry to buy and choose the less desirable. Is that the fault of the buyer or Developer? I think the buyer carries the responsibility for his/her choices.

But the developer controls the choices, at least on new homes. They know what they are doing.

[tophcfa]

Does the developer listen or care? They most definitely listen, to their business consultants. They also care a great deal, about their bottom line. They do listen to the Villages residents, in aggregate, by carefully monitoring the statistics demonstrating where/how they spend their money. Just don’t kid yourselves that they listen or care about individual residents on some kind of personal level. They have extremely deep pockets and aren’t going to panic and make knee jerk reactions to short term market trends, they will wait out market glitches and will carefully make strategic changes to longer term plans as market conditions dictate. This opinion is not a knock on the developer, they are extremely successful and doing what is in their best financial interest. There’s nothing wrong with that.

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

But the developer controls the choices, at least on new homes. They know what they are doing.

The Developer's strategy is to sell all newly built homes before opening another area. A buyer has the option to buy in a rush or wait. Therefore, the buyer has the control. In the past, buyers were rushing to buy WHATEVER. When this need to hurry stopped, prices of homes went down. This happened in Dabney and Lake Denham. Buyers decided to wait until Moultrie Creek homes were made available. The consequence for the Developer was a need to reduce prices to attract buyers. The BUYERS were in control.

Only desirable lots/homes are selling at a quick pace in Moultrie Creek and Shady Brook. It will be interesting to watch if the Developer is forced to reduce prices on undesirables and will it be hundreds of homes like Dabney and Lake Denham. A buyer would have to be blind and deaf not to notice THOUSANDS of new homes are in the near future. The construction EVERYWHERE in the areas near Eastport is the giveaway. I believe most buyers will wait until they can purchase a home in their desired location. Again, Buyers will be in control. Investors are leaving by leaps and bounds because we are currently in a BUYER'S MARKET. If one is not careful, losing money is probably a given.

OP, if you are looking for a discount, waiting may be a good idea. If you do not mind a home on an interior lot, you may get a discount similar to those currently in Dabney and Lake Denham. This may force the price of preowned homes down. You may find a good deal on one of those. It is not likely the Developer will raise prices when demand is low. (This is only my opinion. Yours and others may vary depending on the type of home you desire and your finances. Research to find the best solution for you.)

[Stu from NYC]

Interesting times here

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by BPRICE1234

It seems that many complain about the developer. Houses are sitting and discounts are not working. Now Moultrie Creek is over priced and starting to sit.

Why are the developers so rigid? I was told they won't help w closing or any points. No haggling of any kind?

Look around. If you live in TV you live in the largest and most diverse in terms of choices of real estate not just in the country, but on the planet. Nothing else even comes close.

We've been here now for four years and TV has exceeded our expectations in just about every respect. Of course there are folks who complain about this shadowy figure known as The Developer. They also complain not only about the prices of new and used homes but also about the quality of construction, homes too close to the expressway, road conditions, tee times, restaurant quality, overcrowding--you name it. But despite the complaints, people are flooding into The Villages at a rate greater than any other like-sized community in the nation.

Travel & Leisure had an interesting article on just that fact this past April, and phrased it in a way that I had never seen before: in-to-out ratio. "The Villages in Central Florida, known as the largest retirement community in the world, had the highest in-to-out ratio, 4.38, meaning that for every one hundred people who leave the city, another 438 move in. “The Villages is a racehorse that's outpacing every other city in the country for growth."

And...despite the naysayers...that ratio shows little sign of declining.

Nobody is perfect. But I can say with absolute confidence that I trust the way The Developer does things, far more than I trust the judgment of any of the naysayers.

[Rainger99]

From looking at available homes in Dabney and Moultrie, it appears that any home with a view lot is sold and the only remaining homes are interior lots with kissing lanais. This even includes the Premier homes in Dabney. I don’t think too many people want to spend $500,000 and more plus that bond to live in a premier neighborhood and have a kissing lanai.

I have spoken to a number of people with kissing lanais and almost every one wishes that they had a home with a view - water, golf, reserve (or swamp), a street, or at least another 20-30 feet between lanais. It is impossible to have every house built on a view site but it would not be impossible to have more space between houses so that houses don’t back up against each other.

[Marathon Man]

I just don't understand the OP's questions. If you need 'help' buying a home, then you are buying too much home. Am I the only one who thinks that?