[needleptdoc]

We will be coming up this Saturday to purchase a home. Is there anything we need to know that is not obvious??? Our Realtor says the new neighborhood in Sumter co near the Publix that is being built is where he thinks we would like. I want to buy new. Courtyard patio home. How is the construction?? Anyone have any problems??? Any info would be great!!! Thanx

[REDCART]

We've owned a Courtyard villa since 12/05 and have been very happy with our purchase. Any construction flaws we found during year one were minor and fixed immediately. In 2005, when the Villages were selling 450 homes a month, there were at least six builders constructing villas. On top of that each builder had several formen each responsible for several teams. The forman who did the walk-through with us said that he had as many as 75 homes under various stages of construction at any time. Bottom line, the quality of your home will be only as good as the construction crew. The Villages has high standards but they also have tight time-frames and that fact may introduce some shortcuts during construction. Of course the weather during construction may also come into play. We're not trying to alarm you because we've personally had a very good experience and we're very happy. If you talk to enough people, however, you will hear a few horror stories. Good luck with your purchase of a new home.

[needleptdoc]

Thank you for your response. Hopefully all we go well.

[Talk Host]

I must encourage you ask your realtor if the freight train can be heard from where you will be living. We were not told that the train passes 15 times a day within 300 yards behind our house. They sound the horn constantly as they pass. In fact, it is passing right now, as I write these words. If we had known about it, we would have built elsewhere.

In addition, freight traffic will be increasing by 33% over the next 10 years. Please, ask your realton and make him or her sign a statement saying that it will not affect the resale value of your home. It is a real issue with the people who were not told about this extreme annoyance.

[jjdees]

Talk Host, where are you located? Are there any other places in the Villages where a similar problem exists?

[Talk Host]

I am located in Chatham. The train can be heard throughout much of the Villages, however, I don't know if it is as loud inside other homes as it is in our house. I mean, it is LOUD at our house. Some of our neighbors have sold their house and moved because of the train noise. My immediate neighbor, who has not moved, has had to seek professional help trying to get use to it.

Right after our house was finished and we moved in, the first day when we heard the train, I was furious. I called our real estate agent and he said he new nothing about it....despite the fact that it has been here for years. He said we could sell the house and rebuild elsewhere. I then wrote a letter to Mark Morse. He replied that we should sell our house and build another one someplace else. We cannot do that without losing money.

The thing that really irritates me is that we still would have built in the Village had we been told about the noise. There were thousands of lots and houses for sale at the time. They would not have lost the sale. But now, we are stuck for the rest of our lives because our real estate agent did not fully disclose something that was vitally important to us. I know that if we decide to sell, we are going to be required by law to fully disclose anything that would affect the resale value of the house. Deafening train horns is a liability not an asset when selling a house.

The Villages is a great place to live. There are many many homes and places that are great. I just wish that the billionaire developer had not hidden this important information for the sake of one sale to us.

Because of my personal experience, I would advise every prospective resident here to expect and demand a full disclosure in writing of anything that will materially affect the resale value of your house.

[REDCART]

After reading the last post, two additional points come to mind. First, you'll notice some homes (both Villas and houses) have electrical transformers of various sizes on the property (some right next to the home). Besides the fact that they're unsightly no matter how your landscaping tries to hide it, we also wonder if they may emit electronic noise? Maybe someone with more knowledge of transformers might add to this discussion either about electronic noise or the possibility of radiation. The second point we'd like to make, there are many ranch houses and even some designer homes which sell for less than a Courtyard villa (at least among the resales). So don't just assume (as we did) that a traditional house will always cost more than a villa. We do like the 100 percent usable space that our courtyard villa offers. Keep your options open.

[needleptdoc]

It is so nice that you are all trying to help us with your comments. We really appreciate that. We have been living in So. Fl for 30 years and our number one reason for moving is the rude nasty people that live here. We are most impressed by your helpfulness. We are coming up tomorrow and can not leave without buying.Pray we make the right decisions.
God Bless you all,

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by needleptdoc

It is so nice that you are all trying to help us with your comments. We really appreciate that. We have been living in So. Fl for 30 years and our number one reason for moving is the rude nasty people that live here. We are most impressed by your helpfulness. We are coming up tomorrow and can not leave without buying.Pray we make the right decisions.
God Bless you all,

Just keep an open mind and keep your wits about you and you'll do fine. This really is a great place, it's just like everywhere else though, you have to look after your own interests and not get caught up in the Disney World atmosphere and allow it to cloud your thinking. The majority of the people here are great. Just like you, they moved here from someplace else and are keen to make new friends.

JK

[aford]

Location, location, location. Can you get to shopping by golf cart. What about reaching the town square by cart. As you know we all love to travel that way. Be sure to add you impact fee, house cost, and bond. That is the true cost of your home. And don't be afraid to look at used homes. Again, is their bond paid. Maintenance fees, some areas have them some do not. Best wishes. Welcome to The Villages

[Shafer5746]

It is Saturday evening and this message is too late for you. If you have bought a Villa with vinyl siding, then I would encourage you to have it inspected. There are serious problems with the siding in the newer areas....1 to 2 year old homes.