[batman911]

We have narrowed our home search to a Lantana or St. Simons on a golf course lot. Both are similar in size and would meet our requirements. The Lantana is a designer and the St. Simons a premier. Can anyone provide cost to own info on these two models? Specifically, utilities, bond, property taxes. Appreciate any info you can provide. Just completed our third visit and are looking forward to becoming full time Villagers.

[RVRoadie]

We bought a designer about 3 months ago. Our bond is $19k. We also looked at a premier that had a bond of $48k (if I remember correctly).

In terms of monthly costs, irrigation is a function of your lawn size. Ours is big, about 9k (15k lot size), and the irrigation is about double what I was expecting. Our first bill was $50 for 18 days. We have cut back since then.

[batman911]

Thanks for the info RVRoadie. Is your home located on a golf course lot? The info provided by our sales agent indicates that bond prices have been increased in the new villages.

Also would like to hear from homeowners about the things you like and dislike about your Lantana or St. Simons.

[The Villages Specialist]

Originally Posted by batman911

We have narrowed our home search to a Lantana or St. Simons on a golf course lot. Both are similar in size and would meet our requirements. The Lantana is a designer and the St. Simons a premier. Can anyone provide cost to own info on these two models? Specifically, utilities, bond, property taxes. Appreciate any info you can provide. Just completed our third visit and are looking forward to becoming full time Villagers.

Property taxes are based on the sales price of the home. If you are a full time resident you can apply for a homestead exemption HSE which is $50,000, snowbirds = 0. To estimate you property taxes take sales price minus HSE and multiply by .85, take that and divide by 1000, multiply that result by $13.58 and that is your estimated property taxes. You will have an assessment for EMS of ~125, and a Community Development District fee 200-700 a year depending on how new the home is. Bonds range from Zero to 20000 for homes that are not Premiers. The newer the home the higher the bond.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by batman911

We have narrowed our home search to a Lantana or St. Simons on a golf course lot. Both are similar in size and would meet our requirements. The Lantana is a designer and the St. Simons a premier. Can anyone provide cost to own info on these two models? Specifically, utilities, bond, property taxes. Appreciate any info you can provide. Just completed our third visit and are looking forward to becoming full time Villagers.

These questions can and should be answered by your sales rep., I remember my rep answered these and other questions regarding any property I looked at.

[champion6]

Originally Posted by The Villages Specialist

Property taxes are based on the sales price of the home. If you are a full time resident you can apply for a homestead exemption HSE which is $50,000, snowbirds = 0. To estimate your property taxes take sales price minus HSE and multiply by .85, take that and divide by 1000, multiply that result by $13.58 and that is your estimated property taxes.

Thanks for providing this forumla.

Does the $13.58 figure have a title - in other words, what is it called? How often and what time of year will it change? What has been the trend for this figure?

[batman911]

Bogie Shooter is correct that the sales rep is a good source for this information. My questions are further research, a second opinion, from sources who have current data on the models I am interested in. I never go solely with info provided by sales personnel when making a major purchase. Thanks to all in advance for your time and responses.

[alemorkam]

Remember if you are looking for a preowned home in TV , there are two ways to see all the preowned homes. The villages sales reps can show ONLY the preowned homes they list and cannot show MLS listings. Realtors show homes listed in the MLS in the villages and cannot show ones listed by the villages sales rep. Both have great preowned houses listed. New homes are only sold by villages sales reps.