Just heard back from my agent and designer - apparently the price posted for Lantana is WRONG and they are working to correct it now! Should be $249,000.

We just bought a Lantana a few weeks back and there have been recent changes to the floor plan. The former laundry room has been decreased in size by half to allow for the HVAC equipment that had to be moved due to some code change (our design agent said it needed to be closer to the outside unit). Elevation D was deleted as an option.

Lantana vs. Lily
 

There is a price difference of almost $20K between the Lantana and the Lily however the floorplans are very similar. Why is the price of a Lantana so much higher than the Lily?

I believe the Lantana has stucco siding.

Lantana price
 

No way, it's $249K now it wasn't $260K when we went to contract TG time. I would have had a stroke.

Price difference
 

The Lantana has more sq footage and probably options on the Lily could be standard on the Lantana. Just off the cuff I haven't studied it but TV must know what they are doing...

I just loved my Oleander. I'm hoping to move back to the Villages in 2014 and would love to find an available Oleander. Cooking is a passion for me and the kitchen was just ideal with plenty of storage and counterspace. And yes, the L shaped lanai was great and open for the grill.

We love the Mandevilla that we bought in 2008. We did heavily landscape the back so that those windows were not looking at the neighbor's lanai and they were not looking into our living room. You are right, differrent strokes..............

Given the rigid ROI established by the Delveloper they can't built a Lantana in the same manner they had prior to the drop in the housing market. Further add ons, upgrade location make comparisons more difficult.

There is little flexibility TV to design changes and upgrades and I am told by many new buyers that they found it more cost effective to go with what is being offered and then find their own contractor to do the change or upgrade.

I first look here 2005 and then again in spring of 2006 and was surprised that the prices had about doubled. At that time it was a seller's market and you were told take the house as it is and at this price or leave it.
I detailed to the sales agent what I wanted in that house, where I wanted it located and what price range i would go.

The sales agent, a good one, whom I would employ again found a house that had actually more upgrades than I requested.

As to price increase/decreases for those of us who are not in the market it really doesn't manner. It will if we decide to move or if the home is passed onto my offspring.

an after thought. I am assuming the discussion here in price is for the unit alone and does not include the cost of land or the bond. the latter cost have grown substantial and inversely related to the prices of homes.

I know we paid for the lifestyle

It appears to me that the cost of the premium lots has increased in Gilchrist 211.

When we contacted to build the Lantana in mid March of 2012, the base price was $221,900. Today it is $249,900. I don't know when it had an $11,000 decrease but it wasn't in the last year.

You can say that again!!! There are several lots well over $200k!!

I built a Gardenia in late 2004, with one added window in the Master Bedroom. hardwood floors throughout, except kitchen and baths, which were tile. Cost me approx. $260,000.

My 2012 real estate tax valued the property at just a wee bit over $200,000.

What does this say? I think only that values are lower while advertised prices may well be (and most likely are) higher.

I'd hesitate to valuate prices from 5-8 years ago against those of 2013.

SWR
:beer3:

I was told that TV orders a years supply of materials to built the number of houses slated.
In Nov they had to reorder so those costs being one year later were higher, on top of that there is big demand for materiel after hurricane Sandy hit the NE.

So there was about a 10% hike after June thru now

A construction supervisor friend would disagree. He says TV has warehoused up to five years worth of building materials specifically not to be forced to buy during high demand periods. They therefore are able to exercise almost total control over their pricing.