Mom seems interested in moving down to florida for a few months a year to get away from the cold, but she wants to buy into a community. I have heard about "the villages" which is about 1 hr away from dw.
If anyone knows some info...good, bad any info would be appreciated also
she is also interested in other parts of florida as well but would only like to stay in a retirement community.
In some communities you don't own the land the house sits on. You pay a montly fee to lease the land. This isn't as bad as it sounds since you don't pay real estate taxes on the land which can be a substantial savings.
Other communities are more traditional where you own the land.
All communities have HOA (Home Owners Association) fees. Some are more expensive than others but you have to compare apples to apples. Some HOA fees include water, some will include cable TV. Most include outside maintenance (lawn mowing).
In my community the fees include all outdoor maintenance (lawn mowing, edging, trimming), use of the clubhouse (a multi-million dollar club house), discount for the golf course, and they even paint the house every 4 years!
Like Kevin mentioned, most of these communities are west of Disney on 27. Most are within 10 miles north (in Lake Country) or south (in Polk County) of US 192 on US 27. There are a few on US 192 (these are MUCH closer to Disney).
I would suggest calling a real estate broker when you are ready to look. You will pay nothing for the service (the fees are paid by the seller).
Feel free to PM me if you need more info.
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Armand
