As I have said in previous threads, I believe the best bang for your buck is a resale home in an established neighborhood.

In a resale home, the price is negotiable. A new home is not negotiable!

Established neighborhoods do not hold surprises as to what may be built by you.

Bond will be much lower or may be completely paid off. New home, the bond will be $23,000 to over $50,000. This will save LOTS of money for you.

Mature landscaping vs no landscaping.

By all means, get a home with a golf cart garage!

Use BOTH a Villages Realty agent and a MLS agent! Neither can show each other's listings. You do not have to be sneaky about this. It is widely accepted and used.

Villages of Glenbrook, Caroline, Virginia Trace, and Mallory Hill are great communities and centrally located to Lake Sumter Landing and Spanish Springs by golf cart.

I say we build a wall along the Lake County border ! :spoken:

Lake County new houses are cheaper than Sumter County new houses so as to offset the property tax difference. Two Villages sales reps have confirmed this to me. 8 years is the break even point.

You speak the truth. I would love our first house to be new...I love new..I also understand fully that the bond may be looked at as an extension of the homes price. I just can't get comfortable financing a bond. If I buy new we would be able to pay for the house but finance a bond...not happening, not now. I have had so many people contact me with their FSBO homes that look great but the bond balance is high or its in the wrong spot. Wherever we land I'm sure it will be fine but it will be no bond and I hope it's an MLS home because our realtor has busted his butt for us. The other one The Villages agent not so much. Time will tell. :duck:

Your a funny guy! :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

I imagine you've made lists of WANTS and MUST HAVES for your house hunting. How exiting it'll be to view the houses in person and see how many boxes you can check off. For instance, for us one item would be double-pane windows, both for energy savings and noise reduction. Have Fun!

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that the interest on your bond payment IS NOT tax deductible.

We found a perfect resale home (MLS) 6 years ago that had upgrades built in such as a wired sound system, roll away shelves under the kitchen counter, and, of course, the golf cart garage - and on the fairway of a golf course (positioned so balls do not come in the yard). Of course, I had to add my own flock of pink flamingos to the front yard! Bond was paid! Price negotiable! The sellers wanted a quick sale as their new house (smaller) was ready. Pretty good deal.

Best of luck to you.

Carla, both of your homes were the best we have seen as a FSBO, it is obvious how much care you have put into each and the package of pictures and the description you provided were comprehensive and very professionally done. We saved your phone number. Take Care. :ho:

GREAT LINK< Thanks!:bigbow:

[QUOTE=Roaddog53;1237301]An easy way to check taxes is to go to Lake County Tax Assessor Tax Calculator, which I think is light years ahead of Sumter County's Tax page. If you put in $275,000 (a good average) for a purchase price of a house in Fruitland Park, it will provide you all the data and assumptions. (Exemptions, etc) Taxes are $4,015 per year (excluding bond).

Most new homes are the same in price as used, here. The Bond price is added in to used homes, somehow, or it is not paid off.
Add around 13 thousand for the bond if you are looking for a patio villa. You get a warranty and everything brand new. We have had in our life 10 homes. Only two of them weren't new. I like new.

Someone who just bought a new patio villa, please tell me if that bond price is correct. We want Mr. and Mrs. Nucky to have every thing to make them happy here. They are good people.

Nucky and Mrs. Nucky, if you find used home you love, than that is good too. Just trying to help.

We are counting the go to sleeps until you both get here.

Sorry, Nucky, that must be someone else you're thinking of, as our house isn't for sale. They must have done a good job of presenting it.

What a dingbat I am. It's my allergy to cardboard boxes. I'm sure your house is beautiful just like the mystery Carla. LOL:coolsmiley:

I just looked at a 312 k house in pine ridge this morning . The rep told me that the bond was around 28 k and the added fruitland park taxes were around 700.00 per 100k . So according to him it would add an extra 2100 to your taxes.

And exactly what services will the City of Fruitland Park offer it's new residents over and above the unincorporated areas ?
Biggest money grab this city will ever have. $40,000,000 a year is a giant windfall for this tiny city. What will they do with this new money ? Time will tell :22yikes:
Let's not also forget the building permit and impact fees coming in right now. $$$$$

Regarding posts that may need to be deleted.

By hitting the red triangle in the right corner, you can report a post has offended you. There will be an area that you can type in your comments.

If the post goes against "the rules", for TOTV forum, it will be deleted.