Something not mentioned is that when some come at first they are maintaining a home somewhere else. They buy economically because of that to just get her if you will. At a later date when the retired and fully commit they re-purchase. Or they finally sell the house back home and find something nicer or bigger or both.. then 20 years later when one spouse dies the reverse kicks in.

Because they can

Capital Gains Tax
 

If you buy a house and sell it less than two years later don't you have to pay capital gains tax?

Well..1. I have always been a realestate speculator. Since i was in my early 20s i have bought and sold realestate. When i moved to tv, i bought a lot, designed (within tv guidlines.) I lived in it for 2 years al the while watching the market. I sold that house for a $70,000 profit. I then rolled the money over to much ****** house. Now i am building a house in Maine. Across from a lake. One day i may downsize in tv.

You can come by, and bring $100
 

and I’ll put up a $1000, you get the $1000 if I can’t show you 5 house sales , you give me the $100 if I do and I know many people who have moved at least 3 times as far as capital gains you have an a profit exemption they keep changing it but it’s covered all my home here

Fascinating thread, we will know more after the world opens up again and we see which activities we want and wear they are located.

Moving different places here in The Villages
 

I was a Realtor in this area for 13 years and definitely noticed this pattern. You had the folks who bought a smaller home first then moved up or a larger one and needed something smaller. The change we noticed a lot was from folks that had been in the Service and was use to moving every two to three years with new deployments. So they get something down here, fix it up how they want and then they are ready to move on to another place. We saw this time and again.

There's a CYV with a pool for sale here in our neighborhood on Peachtree Ave. Great neighborhood and near the Polo Grounds....

Not everyone is in a position to do that. It's one of the many reasons why people move from one property to another in the Villages. We buy what we can afford, at the time we have to decide to move from "outside." And at some point, we might be in a position to afford something else, and we do so. Again, it's just one reason. But it is a valid reason.

We knew we'd be here eventually. We just weren't planning on being here so soon. Our next dwelling will -probably- be a smidge larger. Maybe just 90 square feet, big enough to accommodate a nice-sized laundry room inside the house instead of outside of it. And possibly a slightly wider driveway (maybe just 2 feet wider, really not much) to accommodate our two golf carts, compact car, and pickup truck without feeling the squeeze, and still have plenty of room for a little picnic table near the door.

We're not talking about huge changes. But ours is a 35-year-old manufactured home, and we'll be making upgrades to it soon. We might end up ripping out the side wall that backs up to the shed, and finishing the shed to make it a legal indoor room instead of an outdoor shed. But that's not for at least few more years.

Meanwhile, we're enjoying what we have, because of its location and the overall feeling of the neighborhood and rec area.

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Call your 5 and raise you 10 I can show you who haven’t moved.:a040:

I rented in 4 different places in The Villages. After 18 months I knew what kind of house I wanted and what location I wanted. Bought a house and have never moved since (it's been 10 years)!

From my perspective, one reason is because of being influenced by realtors who are more interested in a sale than listening to what you really want. Anither is the rush to buy something without having soent much time in TV to get to know different neighborhoods, different shopping areas, and different amenities. You should rent for at least 6 months or visited several times to get a feel for where you want to live.

IMHO.
Most are downsizing and cleaning out years of accumulation before the move. They buy a bigger house usually and then realize smaller is better and more time to PLAY! Then there are a few who just want to buy bigger after buying smaller. Then the 3rd group wants the profit and a brand new house. They have less stuff and feel it is okay. Confusing yes but after living here for 15 months - I think I get it.

My question is has anyone weighed the options of the all upgrades you want done vs purchasing a different home? That is where we are at the moment. IE: want to enclose lanai, would love to enclose birdcage also to make a huge enclosed lanai, upgrade all appliances, counters in kitchen, new windows, expand LR wall to make it bigger, golf cart garage and new flooring. Would really like to get popcorn off the ceilings too hate that stuff. A few more years until retirement so just tossing ideas around. Love our area, but trying to weigh the cost of each out.