[village dreamer]

why would one buy a used house when you have so many new house ?? price, location???

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I think that you pretty much answered your own question. Right now if you want to buy a new house you're going to have to live way down near Brownwood. I'm not saying that's bad, but a lot of people would prefer to be more centrally located.

For some people it's the price. You can buy a very inexpensive manufactured home or ranch home in some areas. Maybe that's all they can afford.


You can also get more home for the money by buying a resale. Most people have a maximum amount they can afford when buying a home. It may come down to buying a smaller new home or a larger resale.

A newer resale has also been broken in. When you first move into a new home, there are usually a lot of little problems that arise and get taken care of buy the builder, contractor or developer. A home that's a year or two old has all of these problems worked out.

So there's at least three or four reasons. Maybe there are more, but I would guess that there are ore resales being done in The Villages than new homes sales. At some point, so they tell us, there will only be used home for sale here.

[Phanatic Luvr]

For several reasons. First, a lot of used homes have already had work done like landscaping, paint, upgrades, etc... where new homes, although you can pick what YOU like, you would need to pay additional to have such work done. Also, used homes have had some, if not all of their bond paid, which may be attractive to buyers. Location is another consideration. If one likes a specific area more than the newer sections, that can play a roll in buying. Most of your bigger stores, Kohl's, Sam's, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc... are all at the northern end of TV's and very little is at the southern end. I also see in my every day travels, it appears the southern end is a bit of a younger crowd. Makes sense! Believe me, there is no lack of homes for sale in TV's, both new and pre-owned. But if you find one you like, you need to move rather quickly because it won't be available for long.

[TheVillageChicken]

I bought pre-owned because the new homes are mass produced using contractor grade materials. None of the ones we were shown did it for us. If I was going to tear out the kitchen and baths, which I did, I wasn't going to do it on a brand new home. I got a nice bargain in the North end of TV and completely remodeled to our specs.

[l2ridehd]

Location, bond lower or paid, attic stairs installed, landscaping done, location, other upgrades like driveway, garage floor, granite, pool, no construction and dust for the next two years, blinds, washer and dryer, natural gas available, and did I mention location.

Personally I would only buy pre-owned as for me they are a much better value.

[SIRE1]

One of the main reasons why we bought a "used" home is that the brand new neighbor hoods look so baren because of the lack of mature landscape and trees. The entire new neighborhoods look sterile when you compare them with those north of 466A. In the "older" neighborhoods the trees and landscaping are fully developed, and that makes the entire neighborhood much more attractive. Also, when you buy a "used" home, you know what your home and the neighbors homes are like. You can't get that perspective when you are the first on the block to move in. Yes, I REALLY like our "older" neighborhood.

[cmj1210]

On the flip side when u buy a new home you have a warranty for anything that goes wrong and everything is new & never lived in. We just had all our buffer landscaping replaced because it was flimsy by the landscaper under warranty.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by SIRE1

One of the main reasons why we bought a "used" home is that the brand new neighbor hoods look so baren because of the lack of mature landscape and trees. The entire new neighborhoods look sterile when you compare them with those north of 466A. In the "older" neighborhoods the trees and landscaping are fully developed, and that makes the entire neighborhood much more attractive. Also, when you buy a "used" home, you know what your home and the neighbors homes are like. You can't get that perspective when you are the first on the block to move in. Yes, I REALLY like our "older" neighborhood.

As for barren landscape. Add water and wait three years. If you are new to Florida the way things grow will amaze you.

We G's bought two more new homes here. We have built more than a half dozen times before moving here. I like all the well, newness.

Another perk is that in a new area, everyone is new to the neighborhood and there is a lot of social activity and chances to meet new people. In the newer areas some businesses have not yet moved close, but give them time. The areas south of Lake Sumter Landing are all less than ten years old.

And..I think that the way our homes are built are excellent. We have all the new up to date windows that are supposed to sustain high winds and termite protection for ten years, or so I think I was told.

[Bonnevie]

I think there are advantages to both. I chose a resale because I wanted a bigger lot in my cyv. It seemed to me (and was confirmed by the realtor) that the newer lots were generally smaller. Also, with a new home one immediately usually has to buy ceiling fans, blinds, washer and dryer...all adds up. Mine had all those and upgraded refrigerator as well.
My location is about the geographical center of the Villages. I moved from a house that was 40 years old, so one that was only 6 years old was really new to me.

[Madelaine Amee]

If, and that is a huge IF, I moved again it would have to be to a pre-owned home because I intend to stay in the area immediately adjacent to Sumter Landing with easy access to 466. I lived through this area growing and I do not want to live through Brownwood growing.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Location, bond lower or paid, attic stairs installed, landscaping done, location, other upgrades like driveway, garage floor, granite, pool, no construction and dust for the next two years, blinds, washer and dryer, natural gas available, and did I mention location.
Personally I would only buy pre-owned as for me they are a much better value.

We would only buy pre-owned due to location and for all the above reasons.
As well as a lower premium for lots backing on golf courses.

[pbkmaine]

I think I saw the video tour of every house for sale in The Villages, both new and used, before we bought. We had a list of things we wanted - concrete block, a pool or the room for it, privacy in back, light or white kitchen. We wanted to be able to ride our bicycles to breakfast. In the end, although there was a new house we liked, we bought a used house in Santiago. We liked the Vera Cruz layout, no longer being built. We liked the neighborhood and location. We would have paid at least $100,000 more to get everything we wanted in a new house. Aside from that, I have always had a preference for "gently used" over new. I like things that have been worn in a bit. If there are any problems with a house, they will reveal themselves over 15 years. We have been very happy with our decision and love our neighbors.

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Location, bond lower or paid, attic stairs installed, landscaping done, location, other upgrades like driveway, garage floor, granite, pool, no construction and dust for the next two years, blinds, washer and dryer, natural gas available, and did I mention location.

Personally I would only buy pre-owned as for me they are a much better value.

Some people just like new and it will be priced accordingly. New homes will still need to adjusted to one's taste as they build spec homes. In the old days, one could meet with the design team and have input/choices as to what one preferred.

New or pre-owned. One can't go wrong. It is a matter of one's preference.

[Bonanza]

When we bought, we purchased a new house in the day when you could make your own selections.

In retrospect, we should have bought a re-sale, where you can get more bang for your buck even if you decide to make some renovations.

The bottom line, however, is that no way -- we ain't moving!

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Location, bond lower or paid, attic stairs installed, landscaping done, location, other upgrades like driveway, garage floor, granite, pool, no construction and dust for the next two years, blinds, washer and dryer, natural gas available, and did I mention location.

Personally I would only buy pre-owned as for me they are a much better value.

Yep what he said