Whenever a seller offers something unique that is popular, he can charge what the market will bear, within reason. If he over charges to the extent that sales drop, he can make an adjustment or ride it out until conditions change. Evidently, history supports his riding it out. The Dell-Webs of the world probably can't do that for long or at all.

The lower sales reported are lower relative to a peak. Sales of homes, vehicles, electronics and so on all go up and down. Although many baby boomers are currently retiring many are concerned about the future of the economy. I am feeling a little insure of it myself!

I am equally sure that the sex stories and sink holes have nothing to do with it. All communities that are nearing build out have decreased sales as the end approaches.

Amen!

Running for Office ????
 

Bonanza : Are you running for Office ? :blahblahblah:

So basically your opinion is based on nothing.

People are buying these homes and will continue to buy them. People pay more to live in The Villages because of the value that of the community.

You cannot get a similar home outside The Villages for half the money. You can buy for a bit less, but not half.

The Villages offers much more than Katie Belles. People who live outside do not have free golf for life. Nor do they have access to the over 2,000 Villages Clubs. They cannot go to our pools or rec centers. They don't have our community watch going by their home three times a day. About the only thing that outsiders can access here are the squares. That's it. There is a lot more to The Villages lifestyle than the three squares.

People pay more for homes in The Villages because the are worth more. The Villages is one of the few places in this country where home values have increased consistently over the past twenty years.

Like I said, the value of anything is what someone is willing to pay for it. The fact that people, a lot of people by the way, are willing to pay more for a home in The Villages than they would outside The Villages is what makes them worth more. It's the same reason that a 500 square foot apartment in Manhattan is worth more than a 2,000 square foot home in Chattanooga County, Georgia.

No, Gracie, some of the Designers I've seen (new builds) are neither stripped down nor on huge lots. Maybe the lanai has been kicked out a few feet, or the house has been stretched a little, but, really, nothing to command $400,000+, IMHO. No sense spending that kind of money and having to rip out a kitchen or master bath because you don't like it. May as well not buy it at all.

Generally, the new designers that are over $400K are on nicer lots and/or have pools.

Prices have gone up but the ones on the TV site seem less (including resales with many upgrades) than many private listings. We have emotional value in our homes but the market eventually will set the price.
Markets fluctuate for obvious and not so immediately obvious trends and I believe right now it is a wee bit slower but that can change overnight as a new group of boomers arrive.
We had looked both inside and outside the villages...but we first came here to be a Villager not an outskirts wannabe and if we moved up, we didn't want to be stuck on the outside unable to sell easily so we chose here. We have upgraded to a new home and are looking to upgrade once again. We made the right decision for us.

As buildout approaches, I imagine the developer is reducing his marketing budget. All those television ads are expensive and with little incentive to push the "few" new homes remaining, the demand is likely beginning to slow.

On the other hand, sales may remain healthy as America continues to grey and new supply dries up. Or…buildout could actually s-t-r-e-t-c-h o-u-t as more land is purchased and TV continues its expansion. Then there's the more frequent turnover of homes in TV due to the higher average age of Villagers vs. a non age-restricted community. We haven't even discussed expansion/contraction of economic cycles and the role low interest rates play in stimulating home sales and affordability of mortgages...

There are so many forces in play and they are ALL outside of your control.

Relax and enjoy the ride!

I'm trying to figure how anyone is stuck here. If home prices continue to rise then we should be able to sell our homes for more than what we paid for them. In spite pf the fact that sales are down, sale are still brisk. Properties of the Villages are selling 200-300 homes per month. I don't know what all of the other real estate agencies are selling on top of that, but homes are still selling.
If we wanted a quick sale, we could sell them for what we paid, get out and buy a home outside for half the price and invest the rest of the money. Or we could use that additional money for golf and recreation. So how is anyone stick here.

I live in the historic district. As most of you know, The Villages has been buying up old manufactured home, removing them and building nice cottage homes in their place. These cottage homes, which sell for $180K-$250K are selling almost as soon as they are finished. Two up the street from me sold the day they were put on the market. I see several in the villages up here that have been finished for a few weeks and are occupied. Maybe home sales are down but not in this area.

What exactly is meant by sales are down? Is it the total dollars or the number of units. If a lot of expensive homes were sold last year and inventory for them is low then sales of units could be up or level and dollars be down.

Last I heard it's up to 2,200

Actually you contradicted yourself in your first post. You said that a CYV was priced at $319K and was only worth $260K. That's hardly half price, even if it were true.

Golf, rec centers, shopping by golf cart, pools, 2,200 clubs are more a couple of small details. They are what keeps our real estate values up so high. They are the reason that over 110,000 people have decided to pay a bit more for a home than they would elsewhere.

I really don't see a lot of problems here. I've driven in places a lot worse then this. In fact, I've experienced the nicest, most courteous drivers here than anywhere I've ever lived. This stuff about traffic and how bad driving is here is nonsense made up people who like to complain. Some people will always find fault no matter how good something is. They will always find the negative and try to expand it like it's the most dominant thing.

There are a few things I might change here, but the good outweighs the bad but tons.

I just did a little very unscientific research. I found that the most homes for sale in The Villages are in the $250K-$300 range. I tried to find a house that was in the middle of that range. A brand new 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1922 sq. ft., Lilac model, with a 2 car garage came up for $277,900.

Then I looked at Stonecrest and tried to find a similar house. I found one that is 1993 square 3 bedroom, 2 bath with what appears to be a two car garage. The ad didn't say but it looked like it from the photo. The price is $249,900. I can't say for sure, but I don't think that it's a brand new home. I think that construction has ceased in Stonecrest.

Now as I said this is a very unscientific study, and we all know that there are many variables in similar homes, but I doubt that anyone would be able to find a home, in a nice over 55 development, comparable to any home in The Villages for half price.

Now if you want to live on a street in Lady Lake, you can find all kinds of deals. But we should compare apples to apples.

Location, location, location!