Are home PRICES DROPPING in The Villages? We ask an expert!

[@patrobertson772]

We have been looking for a pool home since January with a MLS realtor and hadn’t found what we wanted. Thanks to one of your videos I learned about VLS listings and found our next pool home the minute I pulled up the VLS listings. We close next week!

[@thevillages365]

Aw! Glad we helped a bit! Enjoy your new home! Welcome!

[@glennprucinsky7968]

Loved this show so much ; more soils info. Jerry and Linda show doesn’t want to say anything negative about the villages just all the good stuff. When you’re looking to make that huge move to a new state thousands of miles away from your hometown you need every bit of support from people like you to inform you about what it’s going to be like living in the villages; thank you.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you Glenn!

[@ninadukette3340]

I look at it that they are not likely to put a negative spin on subjects. It is still up to us to do our due diligence.

[@faygallagher8425]

Great video girls. Living in a house less than a year Is considered 'flipping' in Canada and you would have to pay capital gains on your profit. Thanks to your guest.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you Fay!

[@DisMindy5767]

I don't want an open floor plan. I need walls. We have an art collection and we need walls to hang it, but also I like some definition to rooms. I don't like to feel like my home is an airport terminal.

[@thevillages365]

That is fair! Thanks for watching!

[@genxx2724]

An architecture student taught me in a properly-designed house, guests do not see the kitchen. After dinner, when they leave the dining room and go to the living room, they should not be able to see the messy dining room or the kitchen.

[@DisMindy5767]

@@genxx2724 oh gosh that rule takes me back. I took an architectural drafting class in 1981 in college. Some of these completely open floor plans also remind me of an airport terminal.

[@genxx2724]

@@DisMindy5767 Open floor plans make too-small spaces appear more livable. High ceilings make the space look bigger, but it’s not. We live on the floor, and the space is too cramped. High ceilings in the living area means giving up space upstairs, if there’s a second floor. That’s not the way I want to live. Artists’ lofts (which are cavernous) are fine for artists and unconventional types. I want a nice, civilized home. It makes me sick the way DIYers who copy TV shows rip the souls out of 1950s and older houses and flip them.

[@katec4096]

Hi. Great video. Lots of valuable information. I knew about the clause of needing to wait 1 year before selling. Sometimes you will see it advertised with a caveat that the sale can not go through before the one year period. This is to prevent people from buying from Villagers real estate and jacking up the prices. There is a lot of competition to buy directly from the Villagers because of the set prices.

[@thevillages365]

Thanks Kate! That makes good sense!

[@marywilson1948]

It’s so wonderful to have a guest like Kim who answers all your excellent questions ! What a great idea to have her on your show!! I love having my coffee and watching you …. Feel like I’m on your lanai!!😉

[@thevillages365]

😊 we love that you are joining us! Thanks Mary!

[@terrychan9046]

Orange Blossom side is not mobile homes. They are manufactured homes, big difference. There are many manufactured homes being built on that side. Village realtors all tell you you can’t sell for a year before closing. Each district in the villages have different CC&R.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you Terry!

[@mrsmarietracy]

What did I learn from this video? Don’t wear sunglasses! 🤣

[@thevillages365]

Wow 😬

[@oceandreamer1958]

We just drove through Orange Blossom a couple of days ago, and saw a couple of homes being built.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you Debbie! Good to know!

[@patti9633]

The homes being built now in the historic side are not being built by the developer. There are at least 3 different builders up there now. The Villages pulled out after putting in about 100 homes a year for 3 years which was a little more than 300 new homes. They quit when they started building a lot of homes in Fenney which was way before covid. They wanted to keep their crews in one area. It had nothing to do with the cost of the windows etc. it also had to do with a price increase Lake county added to get rid of the older buildings. There was never a bond in Lake county until Pine Ridge & Pine Hills so the older sections never had a bond. You should reach out to other Villages reps to get info that is only available to them.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you Patti! We did try to get a Villages agent for an interview as well, to get different information. Unfortunately they declined and said they were concerned information may be misconstrued.

[@patti9633]

I checked with my sales rep & she would love to do it but they aren’t allowed to.

[@thevillages365]

Thanks! I have a few friends who work with them as well, and they politely declined….same thing 😊

[@Anthony-ko3ep]

Another overlooked point is that all VLS agents work for the seller on new and resales. They cannot function as a true "buyers agent".

[@thevillages365]

Thanks Anthony! As we mentioned, they declined the interview, so we weren’t even aware of that 😊

[@jackip2ava]

Great show- but the arrogance of that agent! I’d definitely use a new agent. Many of us come from successful careers and can easily grasp the home sales process

[@bagsjr1]

Never work with a buyer's agent. Simply letting another agent ride on the coattails of a listing agent will just cost the buyer money. Important tip for buyers: Work ONLY with listing agents and instead pay an attorney $1k to review your offers. ($1k for 5 offers). Plan on making ALOT of offers and working with many listing agents to secure a property for a great price.

[@Gary-W]

You asked the right question and got the wrong answer.. ALL realtors should provide a copy of, or at least a link to, the deed restrictions for the community.. Once the buyer is serious about a property this should definitely happen.. Realtors like this are doing a large disservice to existing residents by not providing prospective buyers the actual restrictions for any community whether it's the Villages or any other restricted community.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you for watching Gary!

[@bagsjr1]

There should be some real fire sales within these old neighborhoods over the next few years. Cash buyers will be able to get properties for perhaps as low as .40 cents on the dollar. Buyers should research repair costs and levies for maintenance very carefully. Sellers should run from any broker that has a history of quick closings.

[@thevillages365]

Interesting. Curious why you believe there will be fire sales? I have been in the real estate industry since I was 19 in various roles. I don’t see that happening and I always love to get a fresh perspective.

[@bagsjr1]

@@thevillages365 I too have been in the industry for over 30 years as a broker and an investor. In 2009 folks were buying properties in Las Vegas for .10 cents on the dollar. But you'd never know it. We're seeing the beginnings of another downturn. Let's just watch how things play out and lets chat again this time next year. ;) Focus on sold price trends over the next 12 months.

[@thevillages365]

I do agree that in general, prices will drop (but over TV entirely). With rates up, people moving here won’t be selling for as much, or as quickly etc. so they won’t have the same buying power. We have already seen prices declining…which quite frankly they needed to. You could almost name your price down here at one point. I couldn’t believe what people were paying just to live here. That seems to be chilling out some. I am still not seeing homes being sold at a huge discount though. Even back in 2008, values didn’t decline here like they did in other parts of the country. Things were slower to sell, but we just didn’t see the big declines. Time will tell! Thanks for your perspective! Always like to hear other opinions!

[@carolyneverett762]

Very informative ladies👍🏻

[@thevillages365]

Thank you!

[@southerngirl773]

Great Information! Learned a lot good and bad!!

[@thevillages365]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@anaramirez2935]

Good video. It does seem to be more of a buyers market for sure. I miss your blonde hair, blonde is really for you

[@thevillages365]

Thank you!

[@Sususudio]

Go Kim! Representing the skook!

[@thevillages365]

Thank you for watching!

[@director2bob]

I am a young man in mind & spirit who turns 61 in July but feel more like an 18 year old kid. I am a pro rock guitarist, smokes 420, likes psychedelics, plays chess & poker and prefer to hang with people younger than me. Sill trying to figure out if will like the Villages or trapped in an old age community. Is there a community that has a larger percentage of younger seniors who like to party and have a good time? I would LOVE to meet a 55 year old hippie chick but not sure how many younger seniors live in the Villages. I live in Austin TX now and feel like the oldest person in city🤠

[@thevillages365]

TV is getting very large with a population around 150,000 now! We have a wide range of ages, interests etc. They offer something called a lifestyle visit. You can come and “live” here for a few days to test the waters. That would be the best way to figure out if TV has what you are looking for. Everyone here is spread out, so there isn’t one particular area that has more “young” people. It is rumored that the new construction area has the most young people. Hope that helps a little! Thanks for watching and rock on! 🤘

[@melB2392]

Thank you!

[@thevillages365]

Thank you for watching!

[@laurarahz12]

So informative thank you so much!! Would love to see you gals tag along on a showing, love to see home tours!

[@thevillages365]

Thanks Laura!

[@mattdudley7890]

Great, great video!! What distance would be considered close to a town square? I look at a house on Zillow and it says 8 mins away (plug in any number) by car, what is the equivalent in golf cart? Should people think it’s twice as long traveling in a golf cart then a regular car? Keep the wonderful content coming.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you Matt! Actually in many areas there are some cut throughs that you can take with the golf cart. Most of the homes (in general) are probably no longer than a 10 minute drive their closest square and probably no longer than 15-18 minute drive by cart. Doubling the time would be a good measure (but it usually won’t be quite double) 😊. Thank you for watching!

[@carmineemm1922]

If you change the vehicle to a bicycle it will give you a more accurate golf cart distance

[@unclejesseandtherippers4047]

Always find a broker who will give you a cash rebate from commission at closing! 1% for buyer agents. Some offer sellers flat fee services as low as $900. Real estate agent commissions are excessive for the level of effort. It’s why they come a dime a dozen.

[@thevillages365]

Thanks for watching!

[@ninadukette3340]

In NYS, we use an attorney to close It is the attorney' job to explain your contact.

[@ninadukette3340]

Not required, but most people do.

[@thevillages365]

👍🏼

[@thevillages365]

It is the same in Illinois, but here most don’t use an attorney for real estate.

[@Redslotman1]

Great video😀

[@thevillages365]

Thanks for watching Chris!

[@MPerski]

We are coming for our “lifestyle visit” the first week of April. What are the Top Ten things we should focus on during that short week? We are looking to buy a second home and do the “snowbird” thing 🙄 p.s. We have been there before for a short visit about five years ago Good stuff Your guidance is great … keep up the good work

[@thevillages365]

1. Check out the north and check out the south 2. Take the golf cart as much as possible 3. Talk to people you meet and feel free to ask lots of questions 4. Go to the squares 5. Look into the activities you are interested in. 6. See a show at savannah or the sharon if you like that sort of thing 7. Golf an executive and a championship course if you golf 8. Talk to a Villages realtor as well as an “outside” realtor, like Kim 9. Check out the walking paths (or lack of) if you like to walk 10. Enjoy! It is a fun place to be 😊 Thank you for watching!

[@lauralampe1664]

Ask if the Trolley Tours are running again. If a Trolley Tour is available for The Villages south of 44, I might take that one when I visit The Villages in May...less than 56 days now, but who is counting? I know the Trolley tours were canceled during COVID, but I think they restarted a few months ago.

[@MPerski]

@@lauralampe1664 We did the trolley tour a few years ago when we were there (before the pandemic) … thanks 🙏🏻

[@lauralampe1664]

@Parski I did a trolley tour about 4 years ago south of 44, but so much has changed in that area. My last visit to The Villages was in July, 2021, so lots of building & new Villages opening since then. Looking forward to my visit in May. And I will be 2 months closer to my planned retirement date by then.

[@halhelms3858]

@@lauralampe1664 They were up and running last July 2022

[@rgilcin1]

It’s really not crazy that the developer has that one year rule. It’s to discourage investors from coming here and buying up homes in bulk, adding to them and then turning around and reselling them at jacked up prices .. it’s to Keep mass investors out .. there is an unspoken can only but three rule but surprisingly many village dwellers have several More units than that.

[@thevillages365]

Good point! Thanks for watching!

[@frankkeel8410]

What and why are the bonds different costs and are the newer houses more costly? 🤔

[@thevillages365]

My guess is, if someone would tell us, they would say that costs of goods etc is higher, so it is just getting passed along. 🤷🏻‍♀️. Thanks for watching Frank!

[@nightengale2123]

My husband and I purchased a new 3 bedroom Avondale model courtyard villa with golf cart garage on a fairly large for The Villages lot in south St. Johns which is a newer neighborhood that sold out last year. When we were searching for a home we also looked at pre-owned similar models to our home, and at the time we purchased which was spring of 2022 the asking price for those pre-owned homes were roughly $50k higher than the price of our new home, and many of those homes needed some updating. The choice was clear for us and it was going to be a new home with a $32,500 bond which comes out to $1,890/year payment, and not a pre-owned home costing $50k higher plus needing another +/- $30k in updates. And if we decide to sell in a few years the new owner inherits the bond balance which BTW a paid off bond may be attractive to potential buyers but it is not calculated into the value of the home. Our home is located in-between Brownwood and Sawgrass Grove and we can get to either location in 10 minutes by golf cart as we can the rec centers of Everglades, Ezell, Okahumka, Waterlily, and Aviary. If you desire easy access to many stores, restaurants, and healthcare facilities stay north in your search. But if you want a more rural setting surrounded by preserves with many walking trails and wildlife, one grocery store and just a few restaurants look south. But wherever you choose, just be aware the homes are pretty close together so privacy is at a premium. And it was for that reason we chose an end unit courtyard villa where we have only one neighbor to our left, and due to our larger lot we are a fairly good distance from our neighbors in the rear which we are separated from by a high concrete wall.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you for your thoughts and for watching! Everyone has different needs, thoughts and wants. Glad you found a place that is perfect for you! Welcome to TV!

[@halhelms3858]

@@nightengale2123 Yes, and The Villages are still building and I've heard there isn't any sign of them stopping the building in the future! Maybe one day Disney will only be a 10 minute golf car ride?!

[@nightengale2123]

@@halhelms3858 Hal I have heard The Villages purchased land in or pretty close to Clermont and that is a hop skip to Disney. Only time will tell. We still can't believe in the year we have been living in TV how much construction has taken place south of us.

[@TheVillagesChief]

Good info, thanks for sharing :)

[@thevillages365]

Thanks for watching!

[@patd6291]

Great video!

[@thevillages365]

Thanks Pat!

[@pngproductions8529]

can you cover the communities that have or allow fenced yards please

[@thevillages365]

Great suggestion! All courtyard villas have fenced yards and then there are a couple of cottage communities. We will try to put something together! Thanks for watching!

[@stephaniebohn9002]

Good information

[@thevillages365]

Thank you!!!

[@kathyp1509]

Kim looks nothing like the picture on her business card. She should fix that! I’d buy from her!

[@thevillages365]

Give her a call if you need her! Thanks for watching!

[@antoniaruszala4875]

Good video.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you!

[@TheShoopdaddy]

Roughly what do you think the percent of snow birds are there? 10 15 20%?

[@thevillages365]

Honestly Mark, that would be a tough number to pin. A lot depends on what is considered a snow bird. Many people have two homes and will spend half time each place. Some people spend slightly less than half and others slightly more. Then there are rentals, which obviously then mostly house snowbirds. We can tell you that the months of May through September are the most empty months here. February is the most jammed (and thankfully it is a short month! 😅).

[@TheShoopdaddy]

@@thevillages365 I just point in an offer for one up in the older area. :) Perfectly sized for myself, so I can play more golf. Fingers crossed I’ll be there in May or June :). Thanks for your videos. I’ve faithfully watched and you both helped with a lot of my questions

[@thevillages365]

Awesome! Good luck 🍀

[@TheShoopdaddy]

@@thevillages365 it was just accepted 😁 a few mins ago

[@thoughtprovoking4417]

Kim - from an experienced marketeer, you should consider updating your business photo. Misrepresenting creates immediate trust issues.

[@thevillages365]

Thank you for watching!

[@kimberlyaschman682]

Thank you. It was a tough day and for some reason, I thought this was just going to be audio not video. But I agree, some agents have photos 20-30 years old.

[@thevillages365]

@@kimberlyaschman682 you are beautiful and thank you for doing this 💕

[@TheGregWallace]

Yes the prices are dropping.......some of the prices some of these owners are asking, I believe they have been smoking Crack! For example.....when someone buys the house in fall of 2022 for 500k and they think they can sell it for 1.5 million....LOLOLOLOLOL!

[@thevillages365]

Yes, it was a bit out of hand for awhile there! Thanks for watching!

[@TheGregWallace]

@@thevillages365 It's still out of hand, but the prices are slowing coming down.