[trishaf]

Between 466A and 44 would be the Brownwood Area. Don't limit yourself yet look from north to south tons of great options!

[margaretmattson]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

Not to mention the areas with the most traffic, the oldest amenities, the oldest and least renovated homes, and the most rundown neighborhoods. I don't care much about proximity to shopping, that's what my internet connection and Amazon are for. But hey! At least the bond is paid.

I do not want to turn this into a north vrs south argument. The homes in the northern area were built in the early 2000's. That is not ancient! Most have larger rooms, lanais, and lawns than the homes in the southern area. However, the homes in the south have larger garages (more room for your toys) and less lawn to maintain. IMO, choosing a home based on its newer appearance is not the way to go. The inside and the amount of space you require are what matter most. Explore before purchasing. I think you will quickly realize there are many gems in the established areas with stunning views and amazing outdoor spaces. All completed and move in ready. Or, purchase a new home and design a home suited to your needs. Either way, I would make the final cost the deteriming factor.

[bmcgowan13]

Originally Posted by Lolabird

This is incredible, everyone!
.

I was considering an east facing house, since the sun would set in the back
lanai when it would be warmest in the winter months. Does that sound logical?


Lora

Here is a neat (and free) app. SunCalc.net.

You can put in your exact location and it will tell you where the sun rises/sets for any day in the year.

[USNA87]

Originally Posted by Lolabird

Hello everyone,

My name is Lora. My husband Mark and I are headed to your beautiful community in February for the first time. We have been excited about our home buying / building process, and are planning on getting started when we arrive.

Great responses/information. I have an insurance question. My wife and I live in coastal Louisiana and we plan to move to TV this year. For Homeowner’s insurance, we currently pay $5600 a year with USAA, plus nearly $1000 for Flood Insurance. Is this comparable to what people are paying in TV? Anyone have USAA? I’ve seen discussion about insurance brokers; can anyone recommend one? Thank you.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Lolabird

This is incredible, everyone!

So much that I did not know.
I am realizing the the Bond is a major consideration. Is that paid separately, or as part of the financing package? Is there a time limit to pay it off?

We plan on being snowbirds, and living in the Villages Dec-April.

I was considering an east facing house, since the sun would set in the back
lanai when it would be warmest in the winter months. Does that sound logical?

Again, thank you all so very much. I knew I came to the right place to have my questions answered !

Lora

On the bond: if I recall correctly there are only two options:
You can pay the current balance in full at the time of purchase, OR you pay monthly until it's paid off. You can't pay extra one month, or put an extra deposit down to reduce the monthly cost or duration.

It's possible that you can pay the balance off IN FULL at any time, but I don't remember reading anything about that and as I said in my previous post, the "Historic Section" has never had a bond in the first place so I never had to care.

[FloridaGuy66]

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe

Not to mention the areas with the most traffic, the oldest amenities, the oldest and least renovated homes, and the most rundown neighborhoods. I don't care much about proximity to shopping, that's what my internet connection and Amazon are for. But hey! At least the bond is paid.

The bond is really a meaningless construct to me. For my new house build in 2022 it was $30k. I just pretend that my house cost me $30k more than the selling price, which is pretty much true.

Besides, if someone were to buy a resale home versus a new one, they're probably going to need to spend an extra $20k to get updated appliances and possibly renovations anyways.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by USNA87

Great responses/information. I have an insurance question. My wife and I live in coastal Louisiana and we plan to move to TV this year. For Homeowner’s insurance, we currently pay $5600 a year with USAA, plus nearly $1000 for Flood Insurance. Is this comparable to what people are paying in TV? Anyone have USAA? I’ve seen discussion about insurance brokers; can anyone recommend one? Thank you.

Our house will be 2 yo in march. Block, 10’ ceilings 8’ doors. 2,800sf, garage 780sf, lanai 500sf, with a pool/birdcage. Our renewal this year $1078.00 with $1000. Deductible.

Usaa was not writing policies in FL when we bought this house.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by Lolabird

This is incredible, everyone!

So much that I did not know.
I am realizing the the Bond is a major consideration. Is that paid separately, or as part of the financing package? Is there a time limit to pay it off?

We plan on being snowbirds, and living in the Villages Dec-April.

I was considering an east facing house, since the sun would set in the back
lanai when it would be warmest in the winter months. Does that sound logical?

Again, thank you all so very much. I knew I came to the right place to have my questions answered !

Lora

Bond is paid with your taxes. It’s a yearly amount. You can pay off full balance at any time. We have never paid off a bond, because our investments far exceed the interest and balance each year. Each house the new buyer assumes the balance.

First house lanai faced west, not a fan, 2nd house east, winter was chilly, 3 house lanai faced south. Could only use very early and late at night, hot as a match.

This house lanai and pool faces north/east. Summers lanai is perfect. January we have a fire table, which makes our time enjoyable.

If you are building, You can choose Gas stove and gas dryer, or electric. No choice you get tankless heater, south of 44.

After living between the 6’s from 2007-2022, you will notice one big issue. Lack of police presence for speeding on all streets.

South of 44 you get Wildwood PD. Speeding tickets are issued, and you will see their cars not only during the day but several all night long. I would travel between our two houses moving light stuff between 2a-4a. officer at Meggison and 44. I would wave, as I travelled by, and every night he drove past the house while I was unloading. I always thank WPD for patrolling the neighborhoods, when I see them at outings, for patrolling and actually writing tickets.

So for us extra taxes, actual police presence worth every dime.

[Ktots]

Originally Posted by Lolabird

This is incredible, everyone!

So much that I did not know.
I am realizing the the Bond is a major consideration. Is that paid separately, or as part of the financing package? Is there a time limit to pay it off?

We plan on being snowbirds, and living in the Villages Dec-April.

I was considering an east facing house, since the sun would set in the back
lanai when it would be warmest in the winter months. Does that sound logical?

Again, thank you all so very much. I knew I came to the right place to have my questions
answered !

Lora

You are correct, Lora, no lack of information here! LOL
First, a big high five from two former Rhode Islanders, and welcome!

We are on our third home in The Villages and have been here eight years. My mom has lived in the northern end in the village of Piedmont for 21 years. It’s lovely. My sister has lived in the village of Ashland, just a bit south of 466, near Sumter Landing, for 20 years. Very nice area!
We have lived in the village of Buttonwood (preowned home) with no municipal taxes, just Sumter County taxes, then the village of Pine Hills (newly built spec home) and paid municipal taxes to Fruitland Park and Lake County taxes, and both were great.
We are now just south of 44 in a home we had built, and LOVE it. We pay municipal taxes to Wildwood, and Sumter County taxes.
See where I’m going? All of The Villages is lovely, it all just depends on your preferences for how you want to live and what you like to do. Take your time deciding.
We have dogs, so we do a lot of walking and love the miles of beautiful recreational paths in the area we are now.

In the new areas, you will pay taxes to municipalities in addition to your county taxes, just keep that in mind. You can save money buying a preowned home with some or all of the bond paid, and will pay no municipal tax in unincorporated Sumter County. The bond is paid annually as part of your tax bill. I believe it is amortized over thirty years.

As for lot orientation, remember how the sun “swings” in the sky seasonally, not just rising east and setting west. In the winter, when you will be here, the sun swings to the south. Our current home faces north, so all winter, the sun travels across the back of our home, from east to west all day, where the lanai is, keeping the back of the house bright and warm when we want it the most. In summer, the sun is on the front of the house all day and the garage gets pounded with heat. That’s why we insulated our garage doors! The sun is still high enough in the sky to shine on the pool all day in summer, but the lanai is shaded. Our last house was east facing and we enjoyed the sunsets, but the lanai was brutally hot in summer, so we had it enclosed. Problem solved, but we had very little outdoor space to enjoy on the back of the house. If you are only here in winter, heat from the west setting sun might not be an issue for you.

Before we built, we went to tons of open houses for ideas, but ultimately, you will be limited by what is available as far as finishes. I would recommend not putting roll outs in the kitchen cabinets, etc during the build, because we were not happy with the quality of the hardware. I ended up replacing some of the rollouts with much better ones after market. Also, we would not have the walls painted during the build again. The paint they use is a flat paint that looks great, but marks up so easily and is very difficult to clean. We will end up painting over it eventually.

I could go on and on but it can be overwhelming. Try to find a really good Villages agent who listens to you and is willing to spend time with you, and that will help tremendously.
Enjoy the process and best of luck.

[Bilyclub]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

I do not want to turn this into a north vrs south argument. The homes in the northern area were built in the early 2000's. That is not ancient! Most have larger rooms, lanais, and lawns than the homes in the southern area. However, the homes in the south have larger garages (more room for your toys) and less lawn to maintain. IMO, choosing a home based on its newer appearance is not the way to go. The inside and the amount of space you require are what matter most. Explore before purchasing. I think you will quickly realize there are many gems in the established areas with stunning views and amazing outdoor spaces. All completed and move in ready. Or, purchase a new home and design a home suited to your needs. Either way, I would make the final cost the deteriming factor.

It wasn't a North/South thing. If you would have read the whole thread you would know he was talking about the Historical Section. You also left out all the houses up North with those natural gas lines in the attic.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Lolabird

This is incredible, everyone!

So much that I did not know.
I am realizing the the Bond is a major consideration. Is that paid separately, or as part of the financing package? Is there a time limit to pay it off?

Lora

An important distinction is that the bond is not a personal debt. It does not count against your credit score or mortgage. The interest of not deductable.

The bond is against the property. When a property sells, the bond remainder becomes responsibility of the new property owner.

Paying off the bond early risks not recovering that money at time of sale.

Heres a link to GoldWingnut videos explaining the Bond, Amenity and Maintenance fees.

The Villages Information/Fees Videos - YouTube

[Driller703]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

I too would recommend buying an existing home in a newish area. That would be likely north of 44 & south of 466A. If you choose carefully you can get a house with many upgrades you would like to have. It is all personal choice of course, but some upgrades might be granite counter tops, upgraded faucets, a glass enclosed lanai, with a minisplit air conditioner, sun/privacy shades, upgraded flooring, & upgraded ceiling fans. Additionally it is probably painted inside, which is an upgrade from the builder grade paint. You might find a house with lovely landscaping already in place. As others have previously mentioned, you might be able to find a house without a kissing lanai (I did) & if your budget affords it, a golf cart garage is nice to have. If you choose the area I mentioned you will be close to all sorts of amenities, & shopping, entertainment, & medical services. Contrary to popular belief, there are a mix of ages & lots of socializing.

I do disagree with one of the previous posters who suggested getting a northern facing lanai. I would suggest exactly the opposite. The reason being the majority of windows in the house are in the back. If you get a southern exposure front, it will be like living in a cave. The southern/western exposure windows at the back can be ameliorated by: enclosing the lanai with double paned glass, installing sun shades, installing heat blocking curtains on other windows that allow you to regulate the heat & light, installing a mini split & so on.
Yet another poster suggested looking at the bonds - this is important. Ask your real estate agent for the bond on every house/lot you are considering. If you are looking at a preowned house the remaining bond & the payments can be found online & I will be happy to explain how to find them in another post.

Good Luck & welcome to the Villages!

By all means, a SOUTH facing lanai is most desirable.

[Emkay56]

Much, much better to buy existing home since there is such a large inventory available. Your bond will be lower, area is more developed, more shopping, better landscaping, closer to more golf courses and activities/entertainment.

Originally Posted by Lolabird

Hello everyone,

My name is Lora. My husband Mark and I are headed to your beautiful community in February for the first time. We have been excited about our home buying / building process, and are planning on getting started when we arrive.

We have never built a home before, and I would appreciate any suggestions from those who know so much more than we do.

We have chosen a model (Anhinga), and will most likely choose a site near Waters Edge.

I would appreciate any suggestions as to what I should ask when we meet with the staff.

Such as:

1) types of finishes (flooring, cabinetry, countertops, roof, etc.)

2) insulation

3) gas vs electric

4) making changes or additions to the model - remove a wall, put washer / dryer in garage'
additional outlets

5) what does it mean exactly to "stretch" a floorplan?

6) location of lot to choose - noise level (I hear many people comment on this)

7) What does it mean when a floorplan has a C or F after its name?

Building vs. purchasing an existing home in other areas of the Villages.

Thank you all so much for your time and expertise. I have been perusing the forums, and you are all such a wealth of information. I look forward to your guidance!

Lora from RI

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

I do not want to turn this into a north vrs south argument. The homes in the northern area were built in the early 2000's. That is not ancient! Most have larger rooms, lanais, and lawns than the homes in the southern area. However, the homes in the south have larger garages (more room for your toys) and less lawn to maintain. IMO, choosing a home based on its newer appearance is not the way to go. The inside and the amount of space you require are what matter most. Explore before purchasing. I think you will quickly realize there are many gems in the established areas with stunning views and amazing outdoor spaces. All completed and move in ready. Or, purchase a new home and design a home suited to your needs. Either way, I would make the final cost the deteriming factor.

Our preowned built 12/09, in October 2015 our washer, dryer, refrigerator, dishwasher stopped working within 30 day period.
July 2016 HVAC stopped working, Chuck got it to work, but it literally stopped in January. In June our sprinkler box quit, then even though we cleaned sprinkler heads 13 were broken (we hand mowed) had to be replaced.

2018 Breakers started failing, replaced 3/4 faucets and garbage disposal.

2019 expansion tank.

Out of 4 houses that was the only one and done preowned.

In order for bond to low enough to make a difference home needs to be at least 10 years old, in our opinion

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

I do not want to turn this into a north vrs south argument. The homes in the northern area were built in the early 2000's. That is not ancient! Most have larger rooms, lanais, and lawns than the homes in the southern area. However, the homes in the south have larger garages (more room for your toys) and less lawn to maintain. IMO, choosing a home based on its newer appearance is not the way to go. The inside and the amount of space you require are what matter most. Explore before purchasing. I think you will quickly realize there are many gems in the established areas with stunning views and amazing outdoor spaces. All completed and move in ready. Or, purchase a new home and design a home suited to your needs. Either way, I would make the final cost the deteriming factor.

I agree with everything except the last sentence. If final cost were the determining factor, all of us would be driving Chevys. Just like with everything, paying more for something that you will be happier with is money well spent. Letting lower cost win often leads to disappointment. We have moved south twice. Cost may be higher but love it.