[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Robbb

So what is the purpose of getting "custom" built?

BINGO !

You get to buy a Cookie Cutter, NON-Custom home.

I think they let you choose your exterior color, so buyer's have that going for them.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Danth1980

First of all Congratulations on your decision and I hope you are happy with the location and model you choose. I just went through the design process in October, most of what you read on TOTV is no longer true and is from those who built prior to 2023. You Cannot move interior walls, add an extra room (pantry), add additional outlets or spigots, move outlets change the size of outlets. All bathrooms Must have the same tile. The laundry room must have cabinets and countertops as the kitchen. You cannot opt out of the appliances or cap lights and fan with the intent of adding your own. If you plan on doing any stretches ask your agent if lot size wasn’t an issue what stretches are allowed on this model. We will be closing on our home in 5 weeks and almost all of the suspended interior light fixtures will be getting replaced the first week. You must take their landscaping selection, you have No choice there either. We will be throwing out and redoing all the landscaping the developer installed. What a shame!

interesting. I keep reading that one of the benefits of buying new is not having to redo all of the outdated features existent in the pre-owned homes. Instead you can redo all of the brand new features of the brand new home.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Laker14

interesting. I keep reading that one of the benefits of buying new is not having to redo all of the outdated features existent in the pre-owned homes. Instead you can redo all of the brand new features of the brand new home.

Which is great, because you can spend your 1st year of ownership, scheduling the renovation of your new home and throwing out $40,000 worth of stuff you paid for and spending another $40,000, to buy the stuff you want.

Now there's a winning proposition, huh?

[SusanStCatherine]

If you want brand new construction, you obviously must go where the new houses are being built. It changes pretty fast, so you can wait until you see what you want. We required a new construction house because we have allergies to everything, so we wanted our permanent house smoke free, pet free, mold free, etc. We also needed a fair amount of customization. Thankfully, a lot of customization was available back in 2021. However, the quality of materials and quality of installations did not turn out as well as we expected. Granted Covid did not help. If you are not sure on making a move, it is always wise to rent for a full year and explore and ask around.

The 30 year bonds are rising and at almost $50K.

We asked if we built custom new again, what could we leave off and do ourselves. The answer was ceiling fans and window blinds. You must even purchase their appliances.

I would not recommend going through the custom build, since it isn't truly custom and you have no guarantee how it will turn out. A completed new construction spec house seems to be better since they know the house needs to look okay to sell and you can see how it turned out.

I was in the Moultrie Creek section and it is very close to Middleton and the high school. This is great if you have family living in Middleton or want to be involved in the schools. Otherwise, I do not think that particular village is very desirable. You would have a lot of noise and traffic from the school.

There seems a lack of trees throught most of the Eastport area. If you find a lot that is adjacent to or even has a view of mature trees (not palms) that would be a premium lot for sure.

The closer you pick to the town square, the more traffic and noise would be of concern - but many find that desirable, especially for rentals.

As for construction, that will be going on long after your area is built out. Landscapers are doing $50K-$100K jobs every day in our three year old village. And after build pools are still going in. All kinds of construction trucks are still here constantly. Closet system trucks, etc. I still have outstanding defects being worked on under warranty where I have trucks parking in front of my house.

Good luck!

[margaretmattson]

Originally Posted by Robbb

So what is the purpose of getting "custom" built?

You get to choose your lot. The home can be stretched 4ft in the front and 4ft in the rear for those wanting larger garages and lanais. Pretty much, that's it! They do not call it customize anymore. It is now design your own home.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by Danth1980

First of all Congratulations on your decision and I hope you are happy with the location and model you choose. I just went through the design process in October, most of what you read on TOTV is no longer true and is from those who built prior to 2023. You Cannot move interior walls, add an extra room (pantry), add additional outlets or spigots, move outlets change the size of outlets. All bathrooms Must have the same tile. The laundry room must have cabinets and countertops as the kitchen. You cannot opt out of the appliances or cap lights and fan with the intent of adding your own. If you plan on doing any stretches ask your agent if lot size wasn’t an issue what stretches are allowed on this model. We will be closing on our home in 5 weeks and almost all of the suspended interior light fixtures will be getting replaced the first week. You must take their landscaping selection, you have No choice there either. We will be throwing out and redoing all the landscaping the developer installed. What a shame!

One of the nice uniquenesses of the villages's designer was the ability to design your own home, and add the nice touches of options where the standard design was limited or not effective. . . sigh, and why they think that faster is better, is beyond me. . steady sales and production is better than fast then slow then fast then slow production. . too many people think that standardization is the only answer is beyond me. standardization is for mass produced, high volume production, not for houses where taste and design are very, very subjective and what a buyer actually buys.

The resale value of truly custom preowned houses should definitely be higher than a standardized production home now and forever.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

The Developers theory," if you build it, they will come", doesn't appear to be working.

ah yes, the old theory of everything works until it doesn't is still alive and well. .

[Normal]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

It is NEVER a good idea to look at things from the Developer's side. Yes, he is making money. But! More than 250 new homes have been reduced, there is still a lack of commercial, hospital plans scratched, and Florida weather hasn't been much better than other states. The last hurricane was closer to the Villages than years past. Put all this together and new home sales have seen a 23% decline and preowned homes are sitting on the market with 50-70/week
experiencing drastic price reductions.

Keep posting news the Developer is doing GREAT. The rest of us will post how his GREATNESS is affecting homeowners.

Do you have an update on how many leases there are for Middleton? Last I heard, there was only one- a barbecue joint. Who wants to live in or near a ghost town? The Developers theory," if you build it, they will come", doesn't appear to be working.

Not all plans work out. There will be an end of future development sooner or later. There has to be. Land availability and customers are both finite numbers.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

One of the nice uniquenesses of the villages's designer was the ability to design your own home, and add the nice touches of options where the standard design was limited or not effective. . . sigh, and why they think that faster is better, is beyond me. . steady sales and production is better than fast then slow then fast then slow production. . too many people think that standardization is the only answer is beyond me. standardization is for mass produced, high volume production, not for houses where taste and design are very, very subjective and what a buyer actually buys.

The resale value of truly custom preowned houses should definitely be higher than a standardized production home now and forever.

Agree, we loved being able to customize our new home a few years ago.

We were thinking to build again near Eastport but since they are
no longer are willing to "Make your dreams come true", we'll be happier where we are.

[VApeople]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

The resale value of truly custom preowned houses should definitely be higher than a standardized production home now and forever.

Maybe not.

The custom features you add to a new home may not matter to a future buyer and they may even make your home less desirable, leading to a lower resale value.

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by VApeople

Maybe not.

The custom features you add to a new home may not matter to a future buyer and they may even make your home less desirable, leading to a lower resale value.

Yes. I have seen custom homes lose value. The customizations were specific to the owners' wants and needs and not the masses. Example: ruining a third bedroom by adding a built-in office with maybe a murphy bed. You now have 2 bedrooms and a den w/closet. Buyers have to LOVE your built-in design or your home will sit on the market.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by VApeople

Maybe not.

The custom features you add to a new home may not matter to a future buyer and they may even make your home less desirable, leading to a lower resale value.

Inevitable.

"Custom" is counter-productive to resale value.

[Normal]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Inevitable.

"Custom" is counter-productive to resale value.

Value or initial cost?

Value could increase if you add larger cabinets, a half bath or functional design.

However costs should decrease if repetitive process are used for new construction.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Normal

Value or initial cost?

Value could increase if you add larger cabinets, a half bath or functional design.

However costs should decrease if repetitive process are used for new construction.

The Villages is one of the most sophisticated builders in the United States. One of the reasons for that, is they know (based on 30 years of building to their demographic) exactly what the majority of their customers want. Size, color, floor plan, etc. They don't guess, they know. They don't built "cheap", they build what people want.

Once you deviate from the norm, you begin to limit your pool of buyers, with a resultant lower return on investment.

If you own a silver/gray automobile, most anyone will accept that color.

Take that same car and paint it pink and your pool of buyers narrow. Could you run into the odd buyer who's looking for that exact color of pink? Sure .... but it's unlikely and by the time you find that oddball buyer, you're so exasperated with no one looking for a pink car, you lower your price to get rid of it. Homes are no different.

Custom implies personalization. The mass market demands generalization.

[Lisakay]

We are looking at Shady Brook it is next to moultrie creek.
We live by Brownwood now in a villa.We need more room so we are going for a Warbler and stretching it in all ways.And adding a pool with construction of home otherwise you would have to wait on pool 2-3 years.We like T&D pools,They take care of our pool now.It is scary of the unknown but the villages always seem to have great plans.That is why they are number one in the world for retirement community.Eastport is going to be the best from all of the squares combine into one.So here we go