Talk of The Villages Florida

Talk of The Villages Florida (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/)

- The Villages, Florida, General Discussion (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/)

- - Stonecrest (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/stonecrest-147654/)

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Originally Posted by Steve9930 (Post 1031833)

OK. I've read it all and heard it all before so here is all about Stonecrest. I don't comment to the nonsense any more life is too short. I have lived here for now going over 10 years. Stonecrest is a typical Florida Retirement Community. Everything inside the fence is owned and maintained by the residents, including the roads. So when we get a sink hole in one of our streets we open our check book, not call the county. It is different then the Villages in the fact that it is not a Community Development District. There were no bonds to pay for the infrastructure. The day to day running of the community is done by a management company. The Developer is pretty much done with his portion and now the lots belong to Armstrong Homes. Armstrong is the only builder here in Stonecrest. They have just opened the last section for construction and already there are about 3 homes starting to be built. The community is now run by a Board of Directors elected by the residents. Cash flow is good and amenity fees are $106 per month. For that fee we have 3 outdoor pools and 1 indoor pool, Tennis Courts, the only lighted Pickle Ball Courts in the area, Bocce Ball, Shuffle Board, Softball field, 2 community centers, hot tub, Gym, Library, and a number of clubs just not as many as the villages. When the building is done I believe there will be 2280 homes in the community. Its a quiet place with some traffic but not excessive. The golf course and Country Club are privately owned and the new owner is doing a great job with the restaurant. By the way the Restaurant and Golf Club are open to the public an all are welcome. Just tell the guard at the gate that is where you are headed and they will issue you a pass. We have two gates that allow you to go directly to Walmart via cart, very convenient, sometimes too convenient. From there you can take the dirt path and go to a number of restaurants on the East side of 441/27 and Lowes and all the way down to I believe its the Infamous Paradise Gate. If you care to invest in a street legal golf cart you can cross 441/27 and get to Spanish Springs and all the commercial restaurants there also. I don't see the economics there to purchase one of these over priced vehicles but some have. If I were to invest that much money I'd buy a small auto. I can use it more. But to each his own. I moved here because I wanted to be in a home with a view. The only place I could do that and stay with in my budget is where I live now. I also was turned off by the marketing tactics that were being used to get me to buy in the Villages. Anyway old history. The Villages are very nice communities. If it were not for the Morse Family, and especially the late Gary Morse none of this style of commercial amenities would exist in the area. That's about it. I'd be more then happy to entertain any additional questions, ya all have a nice day.

You have a nice day as well! I'm happy you are pleased with your home and community. We all deserve that, no matter where we choose to live.

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Originally Posted by TVMayor (Post 1031488)

Question, did it take six years for her to decide to sell her house or was the house on the market six years?

It took her four years to sell. I can't say if the market there was bad, her house was undesirable or perhaps overpriced. I only know that she sold it two years ago after it had been on the market 4 years. I should haven been more specific.

Thank you steve9930 for your informative post. You answered many questions.

I have one more. I understand that the golf course and restaurant were purchased recently as you said. I had heard that the retention ponds were now being maintained by the residents? Maybe I misunderstood? If this is fact, is there discussion of the HOA fees being raised? I know you can not predict the future of the HOA fees.....just wondering if there is "rumor" discussion regarding this?

Thanks again. You have a beautiful community.

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Originally Posted by looneycat (Post 1031639)

excuse me but what exactly do outsiders contribute to our FACILITIES and MAINTENANCE, Hmmmmmm, or are you confusing private businesses with the costs incurred for facilities and maintenance....

The maintenance of the facilities you mention is supported by the dollars spent by the public using these facilities. They are open to the public, not just to TV. Your original statement just does not make sense.

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Originally Posted by gerryann (Post 1031896)

When you build a community like Stonecrest you have to have a storm water management system designed per St Johns Water Management. That usually consist of ponds to hold the run off from the streets and parking lots, etc. Stonecrest residents are responsible for these ponds always have been since day 1. They are not responsible for ponds that are strictly owned by the Golf Course. When the Developer sold the Golf Course the first time there were some changes to easements and I don't know if he transferred one of the ponds to the HOA or not. I do know we are not responsible for any pond that does not have storm water draining into it. Nothing new has been added since that sale which I believe was about 2 years ago. There was a recent sale between the second Golf Course owner and the new owner about 3 or 4 months ago. These people seem to have made a real commitment to the community. We also have some drainage that comes into one of our ponds that is used for storm water drainage from the Villages Historic side. You will hear about some nonsense and probably find a video with people complaining. It has about 25% truth and 75% nonsense and its about 2 years old I believe. People do not understand that the developers are in total control until they are finished with their portion. They never read the documents until they have something happen they don't like and then its a problem. The Developer is now complete and out of the picture as of last December. The residents now have it, all of it. Except the Golf Course and Country Club. These are privately owned.

The HOA Fees have been kept at $106 for this year. I got here in 2004 and the HOA Fees were $102. They sometimes go up about $1 per month. I would expect an increase next year since its been $106 for two years now.

If you are thinking about buying in the Community there are three documents that regulate Stonecrest, Declaration of Covenants, Articles of Incorporation, and the Bylaws. I would ask for a copy of all three. There are electronic versions of each. The other document that regulates communities like Stonecrest is Florida Statue 720. It will give you a good feel about the regulations in a community like Stonecrest.

If you need anything else fell free to ask.

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Originally Posted by gerryann (Post 1031896)

Gerry Ann. I thought you lived here in The Villages. Was I wrong?

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Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1031995)

Gerry Ann. I thought you lived here in The Villages. Was I wrong?

Yes, I do live here in the villages. We are simply investigating all options for a possible move in the future. Been looking in TV, Stonecrest and even in Palm Coast (I miss the ocean). Nothing for sure right now. We are also investigating assisted care facilities for a member of our family, so our desision to buy is based on a lot of things. It doesn't hurt to find out about other communities nearby, plus it has generated a lot of lively discussion. 😃

Houses in The Villages continue to appreciate at a rate that is perhaps higher than any other area of the country. In all of the comparisons of other areas outside The Villages I have not seen any mention of home appreciation.

It has been well established over the years that you get more home for your buck in Stonecrest and other developments in the area.

Many homes in The Villages have appreciated over $50,000 in the last 4 years. And that could be a conservative estimate.

Home appreciation is perhaps a strong reason that you can get more home for your buck outside The Villages as those homes may have not enjoyed the appreciation The Villages has. Because of the high demand of homes in The Villages the value of the current homes built in The Villages continue to rise.

All of that being said I wonder how much a 4 year home in Stonecrest has appreciated.

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Originally Posted by Indy-Guy (Post 1032023)

You are absolutely correct. The homes in TV appreciate rapidly and that it a huge consideration in our desision.

Interesting thread ! We have been around for 5 years. Prices have increased considerably. Now , residents now don't want to hear this BUT, Baby boomers are buying property here. Prices are HIGH. I am one of those. Consider what will happen in 10 to 20 years. Look at the birth rate after the baby boomer era....Considerably less. Now that means nothing to us that are now living but it will be important to our kids and grandkids. This place is so nice for us now and we should enjoy what we have. MY POINT....I feel it will not be sustained in the future....Just my opinion. would love to hear your thoughts.

baby boomers went until '64....still another 10 to 15 years of them coming. We may slow down appreciating at some point but they will still gain. When my dad passed away 8 years ago in Palm Bay his house lost half it's value in a year, here in the villages they just kept gaining and gaining.

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Originally Posted by er9027 (Post 1032038)

Our children will do as we did. The best they can. By the time there is a sea change in retirement numbers we will all be in the Village of Heavenly.

If you investigate you will find that people who live just outside The Villages own homes in TV as rental properties Why?

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Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 1032083)

If you investigate you will find that people who live just outside The Villages own homes in TV as rental properties Why?

I don't know, but I suspect it has something to do with the very high price of "lost" I.D. cards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indy-Guy (Post 1032023)

I do not have an exact figure for the average appreciation of a Stonecrest Home. It will not be as high as the Villages. But I do know this as a fact, as the Villages Home Prices rise, so do the home prices in Stonecrest. If you are buying a home as an investment then you should buy in the Village. If that is not your top priority then Stonecrest maybe the place to buy. Originally I purchased because of what I wanted in the view and cost. When the Village prices were very high, so was the value of my home.