[TerryCamlin]

Originally Posted by KatieRN

My husband and I are coming for a lifestyle visit in October. I have 3 questions about realtors. 1)Why would someone list with MLS rather than a Villages realtor? 2)If I'm looking for a preowned home should I look at both? 3)Someone on this forum said a friend of theirs was paying 500.00 in amenity fees. Doesn't everyone pay the same? Thanks in advance for the info and advice. Excited to see all the Villages offers!

Definitely get a MLS Realtor and a Village Realtor. Beware unless you ask the Village Realtor to see resales they will steer you to new homes. Do not discount For Sale by Owners also. You can use Zillow and the Sun (local paper). New homes come with hefty bonds (every home has one). The difference is instead of being new $40k you will see much lower bonds North of 44 and a lot of owners paid them off so you may have zero to pay extra. Also the taxes on the new homes are 4x's what I pay North of 44. My Designer Aspen is $2900 a year. Beware of turnpike noise, federal prisons and the quarry south of 44. People complain after they buy so do your homework. Not all homes are affected but some definitely are. You determine your level of comfort & what you can afford not anybody else. No matter where you buy the Villages is a great place to call home. If it's a preowned home meet your neighbors to ensure it's not a rental (there are lots of them out there) & that they are friendly. 95% are but we do have some grumps like every area. Also if there is a golf cart path next to your home expect to hear them starting about 6:00 am when they head out for their tee time. Some have radios blaring. I chose not to be on a golf cart path, not to be too close to the water basin (aka lakes-flooding), not to be too close to a major rec center (pickleball & volley ball noise) and to avoid main roads. Even though my neighbors are close it's very quiet and that is what I desired most. Good Luck!!!

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by TerryCamlin

Also the taxes on the new homes are 4x's what I pay North of 44. My Designer Aspen is $2900 a year.

YOu cant compare property taxes, dont assume what is on Realtor.com is what youll pay.
At the sale, the county reassesses. Also, you dont know about homestead exemptions.
So someone who bought their home 25 years ago with a homestead exemption will pay MUC less than their next door neighbor who bought this year.

[bark4me]

You'll probably get more homes to look at with a VLS agent. Very few MLS listing in TV. We had a VLS agent and an MLS agent. Never heard from the MLS agent.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by bark4me

You'll probably get more homes to look at with a VLS agent. Very few MLS listing in TV. We had a VLS agent and an MLS agent. Never heard from the MLS agent.

My original VLS agent steered me only to new homes and evaded showing me resales even after numerous requests. It appears VLS agents are incentivized to sell new homes to peddle whatever the developer is building.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

My original VLS agent steered me only to new homes and evaded showing me resales even after numerous requests. It appears VLS agents are incentivized to sell new homes to peddle whatever the developer is building.

No, unfortunately, that was YOUR original agent. Mine showed me exactly what and where I wanted to buy...

Did your 2nd agent do the same thing?

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

No, unfortunately, that was YOUR original agent. Mine showed me exactly what and where I wanted to buy...

Did your 2nd agent do the same thing?

Yep. I told our VLS agent that we had no interest in new construction. The subject never came up again. Found our home with her and purchased it.

[Babubhat]

Use the villages agent if you want to live here. Seen a recent bunch of homes relisted recently with them after owners tries non villages realtor. It doesn’t cost you anything