[kendi]

Originally Posted by KEVIN & JOSIE

Bonds have escalated to 38K on new homes. Would this be a deal breaker on a new home purchase, or would you consider it just the cost of living in The Villages and enjoying the active lifestyle?

It's not that high on all of the new homes. Just depends on how many homes are built within a given area. The fewer homes, the higher the bond.

[nikonuser1]

The bond is to pay for the developers cost of infrastructure and common areas. Why is the bond so high now that the county (ie, taxpayers) is picking up the tab for the infrastructure in that 25% tax increase?

[Challenger]

Originally Posted by davem4616

exactly my concern about paying off the bond

No one buying or selling a house - using a competent real estate sales person, would ever assume a bond. If they do, the sales person is guilty of malfeasance.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by nikonuser1

The bond is to pay for the developers cost of infrastructure and common areas. Why is the bond so high now that the county (ie, taxpayers) is picking up the tab for the infrastructure in that 25% tax increase?

Schwartz & Morse made their first BILLION dollars from bonds > costs. The Villages is NOT a non-profit organization.

[jfkilduff]

Wow that means they are charging $76,000 for the utilities that serve 2 houses across from each other. Sounds a little high to me must include the development costs and road as well. I would look into it before buying into it talk with the county and city folks.

[NY2TV]

The best way to look at it from a financial standpoint when deciding on a house is to add together the purchase price plus the bond. That will give you a true picture of the cost.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by JimJohnson

We are in home number two and paid the bond in full for both. The bond is part of the home value to us. Paying it like a second mortgage is foolish to me. Yes, there is interest on the bond if paid over time that is higher than mortgage interest. If you can’t pay the bond off, at least add it to your home payment and pay less at the end of the note.
The Rep’s will tell you that no one pays the bond up front, but this is false. At closing on our first home, the buyer confessed to us that our home was a little high, but that our bond was paid so it became a better purchase.

Today’s bonds are approximately:
Patio Villa $19,000
Courtyard $25,000
Designer $35,000

You can find the occasional Cottage home in a Patio Villa neighborhood and pay the $19,000.

I’ve bought and sold 5 new homes in the villages and never paid the bond off , when I sold them a couple of people wanted to subtract the bond price I said no all my homes sold full price , plus whatever the bond was , if you plan on buying another home down the road don’t pay bond off

[SnowflakeinDeLaVista]

My husband and I look at it the same way we do with houses up north where the bond is already calculated into the price of the home: we combine the home price with the remaining bond to evaluate if the house is worth the cost. TV salespeople will tell you buyers do not consider the bond in making buying decisions, but they are wrong at least in our case. In some ways it seems like buying a new car in that as soon as you roll that car off the lot the value goes significantly down. Your house gets appraised. If the appraisal does not equate to the home price plus bond then you paid more than the market value for it. If you are ok with that then go for it. Also consider that many homes with the bond paid are older so may need renovations. You should likewise consider the cost of those renovations in you evaluation of an older house with no bond. We just bought an older home with no bond that was in need of some renovations. The market value was $25k more than what we paid and we are expecting to pay about $15k to renovate. The area is beautiful, great location, and we have equity from square one. A great buy for us.

[bebemary]

Bond also includes interest for as long as bond not paid off. So REAL cost can be two to three times bond amount

[ficoguy]

A drainage pond is a waterview....in NJ we called it a gravel pit or retention basin. Not premium...

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by nikonuser1

The bond is to pay for the developers cost of infrastructure and common areas. Why is the bond so high now that the county (ie, taxpayers) is picking up the tab for the infrastructure in that 25% tax increase?

Not the common areas. Visit www.districtgiv.org before your next post.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by jfkilduff

Wow that means they are charging $76,000 for the utilities that serve 2 houses across from each other. Sounds a little high to me must include the development costs and road as well. I would look into it before buying into it talk with the county and city folks.

Visit Village Community Development Districts before your next misleading post.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Feral hogs WOW .Please where can I see one I’m a Fenney resident .

[VApeople]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

Feral hogs WOW .Please where can I see one I’m a Fenney resident .

Just stay up at night and see what moves across your yard. You might be surprised.

[Byte1]

Never heard of a "bond" on a new home purchase until I moved down here. I understand the reason for the bond, but it does make someone to pause when they compare the amount of home you get right outside of the Villages. Yes, you are paying for the lifestyle. You also pay for the lifestyle every month and in your tax bill. I have purchased twice here and both times, the bond has been paid off. I get just as much home as those purchasing a new home. It all has to do with what you are willing to pay. Some have money that they know they can't take with them, so they don't mind. Others are on a limited budget but want to live the lifestyle here. It is what it is. As long as people are willing to pay the "extra" price, then the homes are worth it.