[Carl in Tampa]

Originally Posted by kstew43

you must use both

Realtors who can only show you anything listed on MLS , Realtor.com, Zillow and Trulia.

and Villages sales agents who can only show you you whats listed on TV's private listing service.

If you don't use both you will only see 1/2 of whats available.

Both want you to buy from them and both know they can only show you half.....don't feel bad.......

see everything....

Barbara and I used both, and let each know about the other. They are not surprised by this, and it's the only way that you get to see a wide option of houses. This purchase is about you, not the sales agent.

And.......... drive around in areas that you find interesting, looking for For Sale By Owner signs. After working with MLS and TV salespeople, we came upon a By Owner house which was an excellent buy at a good location.

Happy hunting.

[Villageswimmer]

Originally Posted by kstew43

Do your homework....

simple go on the internet....type in the address of the home....and many sites will tell you when the owners bought the home, what they paid for it and how many times it has been sold and listed, and when. you can also see improvements they made that were approved by the city.

Also, check out what they pay in taxes....easily can be done on the county site, just put in the address, thats all you need and you will find, how much they pay for tax, bond payment, neighborhood yearly fee. Bond and neighborhood fees will be the same for you, the other fees from the county and city will probably change.

you can also check so see what your estimated tax will be....it will not be the same as the present owner.....they may have discounts, homestead, 65+, ect. the county site will give you an estimate and then you just add the bond payments and the neighborhood fees.

Be SMART, don't always rely on your agent....they want you to buy, so they make a commission, it is unlawful for them not to answer your questions, and demand they find answers if they do not know the answers... BUT, if you don't ask.....they don't have to offer any information more than they want you to know.....

Its work, and its fun and frustrating.....but if you take your time and do your research, you will be happy when it's over and you paid the correct price and are aware of all the fees involved.

Would you know what the "senior" additional exemption of $15 k is? I'd like to know what the criteria is to qualify for it. I assume it's some income limit but can't find info on it. I've seen is on Sumter County properties but it may be available in the other counties as well. Properties I've seen it on are not lower end ones.

[Carla B]

Also, study the traffic around the home. For instance, when the only option to leave your neighborhood is to be dumped out on Morse Blvd. North of 466 can be difficult if you need to turn left.

[gap2415]

When looking at resales, ask for an upgrades list. It's not only that the upgrades are included but with every upgrade the hassle of having contractors in with all their 'contractor issues' completed. We have spent two years upgrading and with the exception of one, each came with hassles.
We bought new but it would have been a lot more pleasant to have found a resale with these things done already. Look for top quality upgrades that you would possibly do anyway. E.g. Solar lights, enclosed lanai, upgraded flooring. Cornices, crown moulding, other finishing touches, granite, under counter lighting, insulation added, screened entry, insulated garage doors, attic stairs and fans, upgraded landscaping and patios, upgrading lighting and fans, rocker switches, Murphy beds, roll out shelving, extra light switches, hose bibs, upgraded appliances, window coverings, tinted windows, garage shelving, and so on. We have spent over $80k and that is not unheard of in our area. If you find a resale with upgrades you love, especially if only a few years new, it is often your Best Buy.

[John_W]

If you want a quick idea of what homes are currently listed with MLS and some of the FSBO, go to Zillow. Type in 'The Villages' and then every home will appear. At the top the buttons will allow you to filter out the price range, bedrooms and bathroom, type of home, garage, etc. You can also see what has recently sold and the price and foreclosures. If you see enough stuff that interests you, contact a Realtor. Here's a link, I've already typed in The Villages. Now you could narrow it down to a zip code, such as 32159, 32162 or 32163 by deleting the name and putting in the zip code. You can bring in the actual earth with the buttons on the right so you can see golf courses, lakes, trees, etc. You can also zoom in and out with the buttons on the right.

The Villages Real Estate - The Villages FL Homes For Sale | Zillow

[VApeople]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

Most of the preowned houses have many add ons, enclosed lanai, designer window treatments(Hunter Douglas), good ceiling fans, wood floors

And many of us do not like the add-ons we see in resale homes, especially the enclosed lanais. We bought a new home so we could get exactly the options we want.

[kstew43]

Originally Posted by Villageswimmer

Would you know what the "senior" additional exemption of $15 k is? I'd like to know what the criteria is to qualify for it. I assume it's some income limit but can't find info on it. I've seen is on Sumter County properties but it may be available in the other counties as well. Properties I've seen it on are not lower end ones.

Honestly I sold in Broward so I am not for sure, but.....if you don't read the explanation on the county site, give the county appraiser office a call. I am sure they will be more than happy to assist you. They would for sure have the answers.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Happydaz

Here is an example for why a preowned home may cost more than a bare bones newer house. If you start with a designer home that cost 290,000 then add $4,000 for a stone or enhanced driveway, another 15,000 for landscaping, $13,000 for wood floors, $18,000 for enclosed glass lanai with a leveled tile floor, $4,000 for crown molding and wainscotting, $2,000 for central vacuuming, This reflects what some of us spend on our homes. Obviously you can't always expect to get back what you paid for improvements, but it may show why existing homes are listed higher.

IMO (From pass experience) would make sure permits was pulled on the upgrades and if they are close to the property boundary lines. IMO Realtors are working for the seller and IMO they will tell you about anything for sale and not necessarily what has been not IAW codes. also, I would check date on water heater and fire detectors, If there over 10 years old, demand they be replaced cause you will be replacing them in short time. Some home owner may not be aware of the permit problems cause the house has been sold several times with upgrades they're not aware of that wasn't done right. This what sellers pay realtor or title company for and you pay and inspector for. IMO don't go with the recommended realtor inspector.

With this one bitch complain system you can be in world of s*&%. good example was the lady that brought place and the driveway done by previous owner or owners wasn't done to correctly. IMO the realtor, title company, inspector, and the contractor in can be traced back should be held accountable. Not the lady that brought 20 plus year old house less than 8 months cause somebody complained. IMO there should be more than one complaint like 10 before they are acted on. this would illuminate the troublemaker.

[ggnlars]

We just went through the process. The MLS agent gets a percent of the sale, the TV agent is on salary. I think they have a quota, and likely will get bonuses. In the latter, your sale price is not as dominant.

In considering new vs preowned, you need to consider that Florida is hard on building materials and such. Figure the life on items like roofs, HVAC's etc to be 50 to 70 percent of what your used to.
That is particularly important when DIY is less of an option.

We ended up building. The lot choice was ours, the builder would and will do virtually all of the add one before closing at a competitive price. These are all in at closing, where doing it after, you have to have ownership paper work to start and then find and get on their(the new company) list.

The time was important to us.

[OldManTime]

I live in the Villages, Owned national RE franchise, in RE for 20 years, private me and hear the ugly details.

[kstew43]

Originally Posted by ggnlars

We just went through the process. The MLS agent gets a percent of the sale, the TV agent is on salary. I think they have a quota, and likely will get bonuses. In the latter, your sale price is not as dominant.

In considering new vs preowned, you need to consider that Florida is hard on building materials and such. Figure the life on items like roofs, HVAC's etc to be 50 to 70 percent of what your used to.
That is particularly important when DIY is less of an option.

We ended up building. The lot choice was ours, the builder would and will do virtually all of the add one before closing at a competitive price. These are all in at closing, where doing it after, you have to have ownership paper work to start and then find and get on their(the new company) list.

The time was important to us.

I heard that the Villages sales agents get no salary. they make 1.5% commission on there sales. The villages greaters get a salary but the sales agents work on commission. So, who can be sure? But this info came from a sales agent of the villages.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by kstew43

I heard that the Villages sales agents get no salary. they make 1.5% commission on there sales. The villages greaters get a salary but the sales agents work on commission. So, who can be sure? But this info came from a sales agent of the villages.

As I understand it Villages sales agents, as do most real estate agents, work on commission. I have heard Villages agents get higher percentage commissions selling new homes than they get selling resales. The Villages agent I used showed me only new homes even though I requested he show me resales as well. I was unable to persuade him to show me even one resale.

[Mrs. Robinson]

Originally Posted by JCSCAS

Hi! We are hoping to buy a place in TV and would like some guidance. We already have a TV Sales Agent and she is super wonderful, however I do not think she is allowed to show us any homes that are listed by outside realtors and FSBO. Some of the MLS listings in TV look pretty nice. Is it recommended to secure an MLS Realtor in addition to our TV Agent so that we can look at both types of properties? On the one hand I would sort of feel bad if we ultimately bought one of the MLS listings because our TV agent has been great, but on the other hand I want to buy something we like and wouldn't want to just "settle" for a property just because it is a TV listing. We will be looking at properties next week and are hopeful that we will find something we like. We would appreciate any thoughts and advice anyone would have as we try to navigate our way to becoming new residents of TV!

Villages' agents and Realtors both work on commission.
Villages' agents are "encouraged" (or should I say pushed) to sell new as opposed to a resale.

Please check the private message I'm sending you.

[Chatbrat]

IMHO, if you're selling an existing house avoid TV realtors, this way you're avoiding a potential conflict between their obligation to push new properties & your's--In my observations , resales are their secondary income source

[rjm1cc]

Use both. If you have seen the home just tell the other sales person that another sales person has shown you the home. No reason not to tell both what you are doing.