[GERALDINE]

Originally Posted by beady

I would call it a marketing tool,and a good one, not desperation. Let's face it the housing market is bad. When we were buying last month the promotion was just for the furniture. We were tempted to buy a house in Duval because of the 10% towards furnishings. It was really hard to pass up. We just didn't find "the house" in our price range and so opted for a preowned that we both really loved. I hope people don't get caught up in the "deal" and then find they really do not like the house they bought because turning it around is not an option in this market.

beady

Good for you that you were able to see through what the developer is trying to do here. It is a desperation move on the part of the developer and people should see through this "trickery". If anyone is planning on moving to The Villages, let me tell you that it IS a WONDERFUL place to live in terms of amenities and lifestyle...but the house construction really SUCKS!!! They are the poorest construction we've ever seen and they want TOP DOLLAR for them. Villager Wannabees, do yourselves a favor and buy a pre-owned home...preferably a 2 year old model...and take advantage of what the past homeowner has done to fix up and upgrade and repair their home instead of falling for the 10% worth of free furniture...or golf cart. You can buy GOOD, even EXCELLENT barely used furniture and golf carts for a pittance down here. Don't be caught up in "Village Fever"...buy smart...we did and are soooo glad we did.

[mdspchldy1]

We built a home in TV in 2003, and it is the best constucted home that we have ever bought. There were no mistakes in the changes that we ordered, and the warranty department fixed all problems that we incurred during the first year. I can't vouch for the new homes being built now, but it sure was better than purchasing a new house in the north!

[Prsm]

JKP, can you give examples of construction problems I might encounter? Instinct tells me to consider used homes, but if I find the right house, right price from the developer, I sure wonder what I'm in for. I expect deceit from the developer because they call their surcharge a bond. Should I be wary or is a "bond" common terminology thereabouts for a surcharge? Any other ideas about what I should watch out for as I begin my house search? Thanks!

[villages07]

prsm...the bond is fairly common in FL for planned communities; may be higher in the Villages than other places and seems to be increasing rapidly here (house purchased a year ago had a bond of $15K, now it's about $21K). The upfront disclosure is there, but, not always fully understood by buyers.

You can always have a new home inspected prior to closing (and perhaps make it a contingency within the first 5 days of your offer to buy...as someone else said, it should be negotiable). As you will read in other posts, the new home warranty process is extremely efficient and responsive. If stuff is broke or wrong they will fix it and fix it fast. There have been some extensive problems with the installation of vinyl siding in some areas. Hopefully, they are now installing siding properly. That's something to watch for. I agree with mds....I found the overall quality of our home to be very good...no major construction issues and anything we reported got fixed.

When contemplating new vs resale....with a resale closing costs are lower, the bond will likely be less, you can negotiate more, and it will have some maturity (landscape, window treatments, etc.) Downside of resale...you will be newbie in an established neighborhood, no warranty, "stuck" with whatever colors, choices prior owner made.

Either way, this board is full of useful information. It's big decision with a lot of factors to consider, but, in the end, tiz a wonderful place to live. Keep that goal in sight.

[Bella]

We are hoping that we can still get the "promotion" if we find the right home...Buying will not depend on the promotion though...Common sense will have to prevail...
My husband is very critical of new construction. He can point out things that I would not see in a million years and when we were looking at homes back in April, he was impressed by the construction on these homes. Granted he did not get down to the nitty gritty, but on the surface he could not see many problems...