[jaspal]

I hope to be a home owner in TV. I've looked at resale homes & new homes. I thought at first that it might be less to buy a resale home but believe that maybe the best route to take would be a new home.

Can others who are looking (as well as those who own) give me their feedback. )(love these smile faces).

I am surprised at the prices of lots in Pennycamp. I'd like a lot which would accommodate a lanai pushed out as well as an extended garage.

Thank you for any help
Pat

[BobKat1]

Originally Posted by jaspal

I hope to be a home owner in TV. I've looked at resale homes & new homes. I thought at first that it might be less to buy a resale home but believe that maybe the best route to take would be a new home.

Can others who are looking (as well as those who own) give me their feedback. )(love these smile faces).

I am surprised at the prices of lots in Pennycamp. I'd like a lot which would accommodate a lanai pushed out as well as an extended garage.

Thank you for any help
Pat

I'm not familiar with Pennecamp. Were you suprised at the prices of lots in a good or bad way?

[bike42]

Friends of ours got a great deal on one of the model homes just behind the new SeaBreeze recreation center, off Bailey Trail. They are being sold fully furnished and TV pays the closing costs. Ask your TV sales rep about them.

[TednRobin]

Originally Posted by bike42

Friends of ours got a great deal on one of the model homes just behind the new SeaBreeze recreation center, off Bailey Trail. They are being sold fully furnished and TV pays the closing costs. Ask your TV sales rep about them.

Where? Are they listed? Thanks.

[Mikitv]

We purchased a lot in Pennecamp that had some privacy in the back so that adds to the price of the lot. We also needed a lot that would accommodate extending the lanai and the garage and front room on the house. Best thing is to pick the style of house you like and go from there. Our Realtor was great about listening to what we wanted and working out pricing till we got what we wanted. Good Luck

[TrudyM]

When we took into account the cost of the home ready to move into, I have concluded that resale would be a better value. However new construction has the bonus of everyone moving in at about the same time so no established clicks. The $10,000 settlement charge at closing for utilities hookup on new construction, I found to be especially off-putting.

Also Engineer hubby thinks that any settlement of the lot would have already occured in a house thats a few years old (sink holes not withstanding) so potential structural issues would have already been dealt with. Resulting cracks in slabs are not uncommon in most of the country, I assume the villages is no different.

I found a good reference to be: "Why buy preowned" on lyle grant's site
http://www.lylesellsfla.com/frame.sh...cceebe4e84.pdf

I am researching this thing to death, and wish you all the luck, don't overthink it like I am it will keep you up nights.

[Lou Card]

Originally Posted by TrudyM

When we took into account the cost of the home ready to move into, I have concluded that resale would be a better value. However new construction has the bonus of everyone moving in at about the same time so no established clicks. The $10,000 settlement charge at closing for utilities hookup on new construction, I found to be especially off-putting.

Also Engineer hubby thinks that any settlement of the lot would have already occured in a house thats a few years old (sink holes not withstanding) so potential structural issues would have already been dealt with. Resulting cracks in slabs are not uncommon in most of the country, I assume the villages is no different.

I found a good reference to be: "Why buy preowned" on lyle grant's site
http://www.lylesellsfla.com/frame.sh...cceebe4e84.pdf

I am researching this thing to death, and wish you all the luck, don't overthink it like I am it will keep you up nights.

The $10,000 settlement charge at closing for utilities hookup on new construction, I found to be especially off-putting.

I think this 10,000 got up to 12,000, however, is now rolled into the price of the home and is no longer an amount you need to consider when doing your comparison. I will check with my realtor today as I am about to close on a new home and have not heard of this being part of the buying process anymore.

Lou

[askcarl]

could you explain the "settlement" $10,000 comment please?

I have an option on a lot in Buttonwood. We are still looking around the Tampa/Orlando area so, the Agent told us we could take the lot off the market for 60 days for $2500. Money to be subtracted form the final house price, if we decide to buy TV. Seemed a good deal so we can take our time, not be rushed to a decision.

Anyone else have input on closing surprises?

Carl

[Bryan]

I actually looked at both when I moved here and ended up with a pre-owned home. Just happened to find a lot and house that I really liked. Two major items influenced my decision. One was the landscaping - I am not into that big time so I wanted a home with "mature" landscaping. Sure, my bride tweaked it some but not a whole lot once we moved in. Basically, it had mature trees and bushes and shrubs already in place. The second was the bond. To start with, the older the area, the less the bond was initially (I have heard they can be up to $20,000 now, mine was $5,000 when the house was built). When I purchased, the bond was about 1/3 paid off already. I was actually looking for a resale that had "bond paid off" but never found one I liked with no bond so this was a (little) compromise.

[l2ridehd]

Pre-owned is almost always cheaper. The things you need to place against the new are all the things you will do in the first year that are already done in a pre-owned. Landscape, attic stairs, paver's, fans, blinds, bond balance, and probably many others. And the fact that the list price of a pre-owned is something you can make an offer against. When you look at all that, it is probably between 30K and 40k savings on pre-owned vs a direct price compare to new. And you can see what your getting already done. Yes you may spend some money to get it the way you want, but a lot less then new. Also I agree with TrudyM, settling has already happened and you can see those issues as well.

[Lou Card]

Talked to my Villages Agent this morning and verified, the new home charge referenced above as a $10,000 add on at closing is no longer done.

In reference to new or preowned, I did extensive research with spread sheets, flowcharts, grafts etc. Yea Yea I know OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE. I'm retired with the time, so why not get the best bang for my buck. I found that house for house with a view, golf course lot, water view and the like, you can save a lot buying used. However, when I compared homes with standard interior lots, I found a substantial savings buying new. We went with an interior Lot in St Charles Place and the IRIS home with golf cart garage.

See yall in about 3 weeks.

Lou & Patti

[jaspal]

Thanks for your reply. What is this "The $10,000 settlement charge at closing for utilities hookup on new construction,". It is interesting how we come to know these "little extras" indirectly. I will have to ask my agent about this!!!

[nina43]

One major consideration a lot of people ignore when buying new is LOCATION
Once you live here you do not go to the square every night.
You may want to be convenient to things like restaurants, major shopping malls,entertainment in Savanah center and Church on The Square, the hospital etc. Many older homes are more convenient to places you will
be traveling to on a regular basis. Plus when you truly add up all the costs
pre-owned in the long run cost less. You can always paint and replace
carpet pretty cheaply but you cannot move the home. Also once new
home areas are all gone LOCATION will be number one on buyers list.

[Indy-Guy]

In 2005 I closed on a Stucco Villa in Poinciana the closing cost were $9,229. I have the paper work in front of me.

My wife and her sister close on Monday 4/19/10 on a Patio Villa in Mangorve Villas in Pennecamp next to the premier homes and surrounded by executive golf courses and Cane Garden Championship great location. Thier total closing cost is $777.82 they are paying $54.00 Amenities fee from 4/19/10 to 5/01/10 Assessments 4/19/10 to 10/01/10, Fire assement $114.75 for a total of $777.82 I have the paper work in front of me.

As you can see the market is different today than it was in 2005.

We looked at both new and used. The 2/2 Patio Villas in Mangorve Villas start at $129,000 I just looked at The Villages websit and the least expensive Patio Villa South of 466 is listed for $139,900 and it is around 4 years old. You could sure upgrade and landscape a Patio Villa and go crazy on $11,000 dollars difference and have a new one. Just our thoughts.

[bike42]

Originally Posted by TednRobin

Where? Are they listed? Thanks.

They are located on Dutchess Loop, off Bailey Trail, just behind the new Sea Breeze recreation center. They are not in the home listings (that I can find) but "Designer Home Model Center now available, starting at $180,000" is being advertised in the Daily Sun (see the local section of today's paper). Call your TV sales rep or 753-6700; he/she will be able to tell you what's available.