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Walter Coe, Ph.D.
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August
4

FAQs About The Villages

What are community development districts?  Community development districts are special-purpose municipalities developed pursuant to Florida Statutes Chapter 190.  They are an efficient and long-term way to finance, operate, and maintain infrastructure, e.g., wastewater treatment facilities, water and sewer systems, stormwater management, etc.

How are CDDs governed?  Initially, the landowner(s), developer, elects a five-member board of supervisors that appoint a district manager to develop policies and procedures.  After about six years, the homeowners living in the district become responsible for governance and elect their own supervisors.

How are CDDs Financed?  State law permits CDDs to issue revenue bonds, the proceeds of which are used to finance the design and construction of infrastructure.  The cost to pay off the bond debt is a special assessment (Bond Assessment) shared by each property owner within the district.  Additionally, each property owner within the district is assessed annually a share of the cost to operate and maintain the infrastructure (CDD Maintenance Assessment).

What is the relationship between a buyer and a developer's Sales Representative?  There is none.  The developer's Sales Representatives represent Sellers only, never the Buyer. Accordingly, you have no obligation to them whatsoever and should not rely on them for information that will benefit your interest over the Seller's, e.g., the potential for a price reduction, negotiating strategies, comparing a new home's value to that of a comparable pre-owned home.

Are Sales Representatives Realtors®?  Can they show and sell homes listed in the multiple listings (MLS)? Sales Representatives, while licensed to sell real estate, chose not to become Realtors.  Only Realtors may show and sell the hundreds of quality pre-owned homes listed in by MLS.

Can Realtors show and sell pre-owned homes listed by The Villages Sales Representatives?  Yes.  I do.  Simply provide me the VLS number of the homes you wish to preview or provide me your requirements and I will make the necessary arrangements. Should you decide to purchase one, I will prepare the purchase contract and related documents, coordinate closing activities, and guide you through the process for a modest charge.

Can one Realtor show and sell homes listed by another Realtor?  Yes.  Ask the agent you're working with to make the showing arrangements.  Tip When attending "open houses" hosted by other Realtors it's best to let the hosting agents know the agent you are working with and not provide your contact information.

Are pre-owned home prices higher than new home prices?  Not normally.  If the homes are comparable in every respect, the new home will always be substantially higher.  When a new product of any kind is priced lower than a comparable pre-owned (used) product, something is usually wrong with the new product.  Homes that front or back to a major street or are too close to a recreation center, sludge disposal facility, or railroad are examples of stressed properties.

Sometimes the developer advertises some new homes with "slashed prices."  Is the savings what's advertised?  No, there are no savings at all.  It's called "perception management."  The average buyer typically relates the "slashed price" image to savings and becomes artificially supported by the notion that it's a great deal when in fact there are no savings at all.  The new home with a "non-negotiable" list price has a market value on the date purchased equal to what the buyer pays for it, no more, no less.  With a competitively priced pre-owned home purchase, you save the negotiated difference between the list price and the purchase price. 

A Realtor® experienced at valuing the different models, homesites, and the abundance of feature upgrades available can help you recognize the fair market value of homes.

Is the list price on a new home the total purchase price?  No.  The "total purchase price" for any home in The Villages is the list price, plus any remaining CDD Bond Assessment. 

Tip:  New home bond debt can be up to $40,000 higher than the bond debt remaining on a comparable preowned home.

Are homes offered for sale by homeowners without a Realtor (FSBO) good deals?  Research suggests that the average FSBO home in The Villages is about 20% overpriced. The typical FSBO seller has rejected the professional's analysis of market value and instead attempts to attract the uninformed buyer to an inflated price.  Typically, the FSBO fails in this strategy, engages a Realtor, and then enters the market at a fair price.

Do non-residents have access to The Villages Amenities? Yes. An example is residents of nearby retirement communities, e.g., Stonecrest, Spruce Creek South, Harbor Hills, Del Webb Spruce Creek enjoy all The Villages commercial amenities, e.g., championship golf and country clubs, hospital and medical center, bowling centers, movies theaters, Savannah Center, polo ground activities, free town square entertainment, shopping and dining, and the rest of it.  And they get more home for their money.

Is the sum of taxes and assessments 2% of the purchase price? Absolutely not. Property taxes and assessments can vary substantially depending on the home's location. There is no single percentage that can be consistently applied to the purchase price of any pre-owned home in The Villages to estimate the property tax bill.

The potential to save is available only when the "list price" is competitive and negotiable.

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All Rights Reserved Walter Coe, 01/29/2018

Disclaimer: All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information on this site was last updated 04/17/2026. The listing information on this page last changed on 04/17/2026. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of Stellar MLS (last updated Fri 04/17/2026 1:59:06 AM EST) or (last updated Fri 04/17/2026 3:48:56 AM EST). Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Delta Agent Sites may be marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and detailed information about those properties will include the name of the listing broker(s) when required by the MLS. All rights reserved.

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