[Russ_Boston]

I agree with Boomer - A good portion of TV sales are from couples who wish to buy a retirement home. In other words they don't need to sell their 'north' home first to accomplish this. TV sales are increasing slightly and the prices seem stable over the past 6 months - possibly due to this? In other words 'buy low now in TV' 'sell high up north in 10 years'.

This is what we are looking at. Buying next year in TV and maybe holding our northern home until some point in the future (or not)

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by 2 Oldcrabs

The $8k tax credit has the housing market moving again. Can the numbers continue? One economist predicted that by 2011, 50% of the mortages in the country will be "under water". Does not sound good for selling house up north.
Everyone needs to look closely at their financial situation and make a rational decision not an emotional one.

LIFE IS SHORT BUT YOU NEED ENOUGH MONEY TO GET TO THE END

Hi 2 Oldcrabs,

What you say here about making a rational decision and not an emotional one is so true. I call it my "cost of sleep" factor.

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Individuals cannot look to the media or to the sales department when making the decision to buy a retirement home. Individuals must look really closely at their own numbers. And if the cash and cash flow are in place, and will remain in place, and if the decision to buy a home is not based on projections of profit or income that are nothing more than hopeful guesses, then they will know they can do what they want to do......and still sleep at night.

I have been watching the TV real estate market since the late 90's. Long before I retired. I watched the cost of TV homes skyrocket and I would look out the window by my desk, looking at the snow sometimes, and I would think......well, I guess we missed the boat.

There was a point where I thought prices there were influenced by hurricanes on the coast that made Florida retirees head inland. Still within a reasonable distance from the ocean. Still plenty of sunshine. But not so much property risk.

And then Alan Greenspan lost his mind, along with a lot of other people, and the rest is now ugly real estate history that I am not so sure is history. I don't think it is all behind us.

I do not think the stock market tells us anything much anymore. I think the stock market is a self-absorbed, demanding that sees all those job cuts as only making profits better. And although I am invested in stocks, conservatively so, I do not look to the stock market to give me a read on the economy's future. To do that, I just look at what is going on around me. And now, more than ever before, individuals have to understand their own financial moves and be sure of not only what they want to do, but what they can do. 2010 is going to tell us a lot I think. Changes in tax cuts are up for grabs soon, among all those other influences out there.

We have visited TV only once so far when we rented for a month to try to really get the lay of the land. But it was just when the market was starting to change. We will be returning for another look.

And I have shared here before the parting shot I got from a TV real estate agent when we were leaving a model home Open House in late October 2007. She said, "You will be really sorry if you don't buy now at these prices."

And I thought to myself, "Uh huh, I wonder what your motivation could possibly be for saying that."

Like I said earlier in this thread, we are the only ones who can possibly know when we are the ready, willing, and able buyers. And "willing" is important, but it needs to be the least operative word in that phrase.

Sure there is the big picture that the media and the marketing department create as they go along. But now, for retirees especially, the truly big picture is, more than ever, the individual picture.

And like I also said a little earlier in this thread -- (btw, when it comes to the topic of real estate I really never shut up) -- I think that if you know you want to buy a home in TV and you can, now could be the time for reasons other than price.

Just remember -- to thine own numbers be true.

Boomer

[JimJoe]

IMHO now is a good time to buy in TV IF you intend to retire now. The economy is not recovering right now; it is responding to bailouts like the first time home buyer credit bandaide that will eventually fall off, the market will bleed, and prices will decline. I intend to keep my home for a few years and buy in TV within the next 2 years. I think late summer will be the price bottom. Prices will reach their 2003 level.
I almost bought an amarillo for 230k in 2007 because everyone was saying prices will continue to rise and you will never be able to buy in TV if you wait any longer. I am so glad I took my time. I can get one for 170k now. That is $60k or more savings IF I am successful in buying at 170k or less. Waiting for the price bottom is always a good idea IF you have the patience and are willing to take the risk that you are wrong and prices may suddenly rise.
I will be visiting TV for my 7th time this winter. Hope to see you all then.

[Indy-Guy]

When Knute Rockne was the first to use the forward pass and was told how smart he was his resposne was 3 things can happen and 2 aren't good.

Depending on which side of the fence you are on in home prices the same could be true.

[Boomer]

I am waiting for somebody to pick me up and so I gotta run in a minute, but there is an old thread on here called something like "U.S. Home Values Bottomed Out?" -- not sure of the title. might be interesting to read if you have not already. It's an old one.

Seeya.

Boomer

[2 Oldcrabs]

We have been here for almost a month looking at new and resale home. The prices for resales are 20 to 30 percent lower than a year ago. (some are higher but very few looking at them). "Village Property' sales seems to be pushing us toward new homes, which appear to be less than resales even when taking the higher bond into consideration. Multi-List are telling us to make an offer and that owners are taking 4-6 percent under asking price. Many Many for Sale by Owner. We have not found the perfect home for us, but we will be back!

[k2at]

I believe now is the time to buy if that is in your future. There are no crystal balls out there after having reviewed the last 3 years in the market. If one is willing to wait for a lower price, so be it. Caution though, the pendulum can just as easily go the other way and prices can rise.

The one sure thing u can count on is that there will be no movement upwards until employment improves.

One can be a little piggy and then watch as the train passes him by.

[Taj44]

Originally Posted by 2 Oldcrabs

We have been here for almost a month looking at new and resale home. The prices for resales are 20 to 30 percent lower than a year ago. (some are higher but very few looking at them). "Village Property' sales seems to be pushing us toward new homes, which appear to be less than resales even when taking the higher bond into consideration. Multi-List are telling us to make an offer and that owners are taking 4-6 percent under asking price. Many Many for Sale by Owner. We have not found the perfect home for us, but we will be back!

Don't the Village Propery sales people get a higher commission on new homes? I see to recall reading that somewhere. We had a friend selling her pre-owned home. Her bond was paid, she had spent $4000 on landscaping, curbing, etc., and in my opinion had a better location in the Villages then some of the new Villages where homes are being sold. When you made those adjustments in her asking price, her home compared favorably with the new homes. If you have to pay to have all that stuff done, including paying a bigger bond, go through the 6 months or year of waiting for contractors, getting estimates, etc., and waiting 3 or 4 years for the landscaping to get big enough to provide privacy, I'm not convinced that buying new is the way to go. And you would never pay the asking price on a used home, there will always be a discount. And the bonus is you know with a pre-owned exactly what you will have for a neighborhood and for neighbors. You won't wake up one morning and find you have a neighbor behind you with 2 barking dogs that never quit, and a blaring tv.

[Boomer]

If you think about it, it makes sense that TV agents would be given incentives to push new homes. I am not saying that they are. I don't know that for sure. I am not saying that it shouldn't be that way. I am just saying that it makes sense because surely the profit to TV would have to be bigger on new homes than on pre-owned. Wouldn't it? And it's a business after all.

TV's website is a powerful marketing tool, and I bet most potential buyers come in through that website and have been looking at all those pictures of all those homes for sale. Both new and pre-owned.

I remember being surprised that we needed to line up an agent from the MLS separately because TV and the MLS do not market or show or sell each other's listings. And I have wondered if it has always been that way or if that changed, and if so, when? Just curious about that.

I hope all potential buyers coming in know that they need to have an MLS agent to see MLS properties and that they will give the MLS a chance, too.

Boomer

[Ohiogirl]

Well, I for one didn't know when I bought, but I bought almost at the peak, (3.5 years ago) when resales were quite a bit higher than new, and I had to get on a waiting list to buy the new villa model I wanted. At that time, they were literally raising prices every couple of months and building like gangbusters.

When I asked our Villages agent about resales, she told me she could show resales to me, and she did - Villages resales, but the Villages didn't have any 3 bedroom resale Bonitas listed at that time. We saw some ranches that were comparably priced, but for various reasons decided on a CYV. I did notice that we weren't being shown any non-Villages properties, but there was SUCH a price difference at the time between resales and new that I didn't inquire further.

I'm sure if I would have asked about a specific one with a non-Villages sign, she would have told me that she couldn't show those, but since I was looking mainly at villas, didn't notice any signs to ask about - I think you can only put signs in the windows, and there were probably less because things were selling so well.

Not sure how long this website has been out there, but I didn't discover it until a year or so ago - there is some really helpful info here on TOTV that I wish I had known, but hey, don't we all have great hindsight, and not just about real estate! Those of you who are on it or have been before buying are much more educated that those of us who were not.

That said, there is still not the perfect house nor the perfect location - and I'm not just talking about the Villages. It's kind of like that song - Love the One You're With. Even if you check out the neighbors for barking dogs and loud TVs in existing neighborhoods, things changeover so frequently that next month

It turned out that we are very happy with what we bought and where it is, and probably there weren't many resales of the type of villa we wanted anyway.

[sorr1996]

We will definitely be coming out the first week of January an are looking at buying a two or three bedroom courtyard villa. We keep a binder with pictures of all the used we would like to see if they are still available. Some we have been following for months, others come and go quickly. Yes, the upgrades add up (how well we know for we sold our home and those hot tubs and backyard fireplaces, etc. are all just a given) and we hope to find a used home with the tile and flooring that we learned to love.
If one isn't available we know it will take time but we will buy an already built new and start all over making it our own.
We are just besides ourselves waiting for our closing on November 15th, give or take a day or two. Want that check in hand for total freedom.

Thank you for all your posts for we get so much valuable information on this site. We have been on and off lurking and writing once in awhile but the enthusiasm wasn't there until now when we sold this house. We are computer addicts!!!!

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by sorr1996

......................
Thank you for all your posts for we get so much valuable information on this site. We have been on and off lurking and writing once in awhile but the enthusiasm wasn't there until now when we sold this house. We are computer addicts!!!!

Hi sorr1996,

You are so right about the valuable information to be found on this site. We have not bought yet, but when I began to get more serious about looking at TV, I knew there had to be more information out there than just what was on TV's website and in their advertising.

TOTV can show up on a Google search, but when we were there in 2007, I saw some TOTV advertising somewhere. I cannot remember if it was in "The Daily Sun" or if I picked up a little card from one of the shops or what it was. But now that is no more.

The Villages will not accept advertising from TOTV through any of their own sources. No ads in "The Daily Sun." No info on counters. Nada. (And I understand that from the marketing point of view from TV's angle. Unfair? Some may think so. I just think it is TV's control of their marketing machine. And that's OK. They own it and they have the right to do that. It is nothing more than a fact. Not much point in debating the issue.)

But obviously 10,000 members and who knows how many lurkers have managed to find their way here. And there is an absolute wealth of information in these archives. The "search" function is not always the easiest to use though. If you put quotation marks around a phrase you think might take you somewhere, that can help sometimes.

Once in a while, I start feeling like some kind of librarian, and I get the urge to just gather up all that real estate info in here and shelve it neatly in one place under its proper Dewey Decimal System number so that people can find the info easily. (But then I get up from the computer and go on with my real life and get over it.) But wow. There is a lot of useful stuff on here.

So anyway, have fun looking around and welcome.

Boomer

[TomW]

About a year ago, seveal of us were keeping statistics on TV home sales and we all generally agreed that home prices were down 18% from the peak. I've quit keep the numbers but my sense from watching the market closely is that the prices are continuing to go down but not at such a steep rate. The average selling price for resales has been 92% of the asking price. I have also observed an increase in short sales and foreclosures. As long as the interest rates stay down, it is probably as good a time as any to buy a resale. New houses seem to require more investigation. They did away with the ranch home series so now you go from cottage to designer. We will be attempting to calculate at what point it is better to upgrade a cottage or start over with a disigner with the desired features. Throw in the various bond amounts and lot premiums and you get quite a matrix. At this point it is an academic exercise in house hunting but will get increasingly serious as we hope to make a purchase next spring.

[silverado]

I think those people looking for tv life style, will pay for it . When building stops, I think that will only bring prices up.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by JimJoe

Waiting for the price bottom is always a good idea IF you have the patience and are willing to take the risk that you are wrong and prices may suddenly rise.

The "price bottom" isn't a stagnant long-lasting place. And of course it is very difficult to predict, and to hit that particular moment in time. In my experience as a real estate broker, when prices do bottom out, it is like a bouncing ball. Prices will immediately start rising again.

And those who are waiting for the bottom will be sad to have missed it. And will be saying how they should have bought low when they had the chance, and how much money they've "lost".

We bought our Villages "vacation home" two years ago and we're so pleased that we did. We've had two wonderful winters in Paradise ... priceless! We've made many new friends and we absolutely love our time in TV. If we had rented, it would have cost us far more than the slight decrease we've experienced.

A long life isn't promised to any of us. Come have fun in TV while you're still healthy and able to enjoy it!