[ron32162]

Drive around look at other villas and take pictures

[CALiz]

I'd suggest take your time to decide on landscaping, and yes you will need to get ARC pre-approval no matter what you do.

Scope out different neighborhoods, talk to people, possibly attend Enrichment classes on landscaping.

We have a courtyard villa, and being gardening-inclined myself, I went with mulch for back&side yard with bottlebrush bushes and other, with stones around the drainage drain depression in my backyard corner. In front, used some ground-cover plants with bushes and flowering plants with mulch. We do have a small section of lawn in front, which we have a light weight, small (12"x12") electric mower (cutest thing-makes mowing fun).

There is a Gardening Inspirations Gardening Club (free club, no pre-registration needed) at Rohan Rec Center at 1pm on Friday September 1st. There you can talk with knowledgable people if you are inclined (bring pictures of your space).

[MrLonzo]

Originally Posted by TeresaE

The CCnRs should have been given to you with the purchase and sale agreement. In that agreement you would have signed a document stating you received them.

The other poster said it's not the responsibility of the real estate agent to provide that document. Who is? My question is: "should have been given to you" by whom?
No one gave me a document.

[Normal]

This morning’s paper had a Villager having his fines reduced to less than 2000 dollars!
https://www.**************.com/2023/...rr-to-meeting/

It doesn’t matter if someone knew or didn’t, the owner was fined for unsanctioned landscaping changes. The house has to be returned to compliance. Always check your deed restrictions. In most cases, you can’t do anything within 10 feet of a road, or within 5 feet of a neighbor.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

The other poster said it's not the responsibility of the real estate agent to provide that document. Who is? My question is: "should have been given to you" by whom?
No one gave me a document.

I assume that you signed for and received a warranty deed for your house. If not, you don't own the house. The warranty deed refers to deed restrictions. Go to "districtgov.org" and click on "how do I" and you can download your deed restriction document. That document will tell you about the need to get ARC (architectural review committee) approval to make changes to your property.

The real estate agent has nothing to do with any of this or any responsibility to tell you about it.

[PurePeach]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

It's not the realtors job. You should receive them with your closing documents.

I know we did...

We received only the documents necessary to close the sale of the house. I learned of the ARC after I moved in and planted something in front of my house and someone mentioned that I needed ARC approval. However, I went to a seminar recently about planting natural things in the yard rather than water-sucking lawns and learned that what we planted is considered a grass and it is OK. I also had to dig through all the internet sites that TV has and found the restrictions for my PV area. None of this stuff is easy to find. Really wish TV would invest the structuring of an intranet site so that all their information would be in one place.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by PurePeach

We received only the documents necessary to close the sale of the house. I learned of the ARC after I moved in and planted something in front of my house and someone mentioned that I needed ARC approval. However, I went to a seminar recently about planting natural things in the yard rather than water-sucking lawns and learned that what we planted is considered a grass and it is OK. I also had to dig through all the internet sites that TV has and found the restrictions for my PV area. None of this stuff is easy to find. Really wish TV would invest the structuring of an intranet site so that all their information would be in one place.

There is a website. It is "districtgov.org". Just click on " how do I" and it will take you to any deed restriction document you want. Legally, the deed restriction document is part of the warranty deed to your house.

[Karmanng]

Originally Posted by Kelevision

You could also check the pre owned CYV’s for sale to get ideas on the villages website. Good luck. I replaced my front yard grass with landscaping stone. I’m glad I did.

I will be doing this too but did you get ARC approval?

[Karmanng]

Originally Posted by CALiz

I'd suggest take your time to decide on landscaping, and yes you will need to get ARC pre-approval no matter what you do.

Scope out different neighborhoods, talk to people, possibly attend Enrichment classes on landscaping.

We have a courtyard villa, and being gardening-inclined myself, I went with mulch for back&side yard with bottlebrush bushes and other, with stones around the drainage drain depression in my backyard corner. In front, used some ground-cover plants with bushes and flowering plants with mulch. We do have a small section of lawn in front, which we have a light weight, small (12"x12") electric mower (cutest thing-makes mowing fun).

There is a Gardening Inspirations Gardening Club (free club, no pre-registration needed) at Rohan Rec Center at 1pm on Friday September 1st. There you can talk with knowledgable people if you are inclined (bring pictures of your space).

Where u get the mower from?

[MrLonzo]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I assume that you signed for and received a warranty deed for your house. If not, you don't own the house. The warranty deed refers to deed restrictions. Go to "districtgov.org" and click on "how do I" and you can download your deed restriction document. That document will tell you about the need to get ARC (architectural review committee) approval to make changes to your property.

The real estate agent has nothing to do with any of this or any responsibility to tell you about it.

Well, no one gave me anything. I do have a copy of the warranty deed, but I never 'signed' for it. I asked escrow for it, but they said I'd have to get it from public records which is what I did.

Also, I finally also got a copy of the Declaration of CC&Rs, which I had to download from the CDD site. Everyone's saying I should have received a copy on closing, but I'm still asking, "from whom?" Whoever that 'whom' is, I'd like to contact to ask why I was never provided a copy of what everyone is saying I should have been provided with.

[AKKlein]

More people need to check out the grass alternatives that are available and the ARC will approve. Sorry, I do not have a list. Working on finding one. Will share if I locate it.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

Well, no one gave me anything. I do have a copy of the warranty deed, but I never 'signed' for it. I asked escrow for it, but they said I'd have to get it from public records which is what I did.

Also, I finally also got a copy of the Declaration of CC&Rs, which I had to download from the CDD site. Everyone's saying I should have received a copy on closing, but I'm still asking, "from whom?" Whoever that 'whom' is, I'd like to contact to ask why I was never provided a copy of what everyone is saying I should have been provided with.

I don't know who you mean by everyone, but I didn't receive a paper copy of the deed restriction document at my closing. But, I did receive a warranty deed that clearly states that the property is subject to easements and restrictions. And, these are described in detail in the deed restriction and covenants document that is available on the "districtgov.org" website for all Villages houses. In that document, it requires the owner to get approval from the architectural review committee to make certain changes to the property, such as landscaping changes. I am not a lawyer, but I think the deed restriction document is legally binding on the property owner because it is referenced in the warranty deed. The title company who processed the closing was responsible for conveying to you the warranty deed, which apparently they did. If you think that you are not bound by the deed restrictions, I guess you could sue the title company, but I don't think you would win. It sounds like they followed the same closing process that is used for everyone who purchases a house in The Villages.

[Trayderjoe]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

The other poster said it's not the responsibility of the real estate agent to provide that document. Who is? My question is: "should have been given to you" by whom?
No one gave me a document.

I don’t know if anyone has found the answer to this comment (if so, please comment here), but if the home was purchased through a non-Villages real estate agent, maybe they did not inform you/provide you with the CDD covenants?

[HospitalCoder]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

Be sure to check with ARC before you make changes, if you get reported and whatever you did was not approved you may be forced to return to original status. You might also look into a robotic lawn mower; it could pay for itself in a year.

Can you recommend a particular model?

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Trayderjoe

I don’t know if anyone has found the answer to this comment (if so, please comment here), but if the home was purchased through a non-Villages real estate agent, maybe they did not inform you/provide you with the CDD covenants?

I purchased a new house from The Villages, and the title company, McLin Burnsed, infomed me of the covenants, but did not provide me with a paper copy, only a copy of the warranty deed.

Note that a buyer has no contract with any real estate company, so the real estate agents involved in the sale have no legal obligation to the buyer at all. Real estate agents represent the seller, not the buyer.