July 21st, 2014 2:21 PM by Tammy Vaughn
Much of my days as a Realtor in Southwest Florida is spent talking on the phone to customers from states North of Florida, who have decided that they no longer want to endure the cold winter. They plan to retire soon, going to sell their home and head down to Florida to take a look around! First decision to be made is... where to visit and why? Any certain town or county of interest? Planning to live near the beach, to walk the beach and watch the sunset every night? Or.. maybe the preference is to live closer to the Interstate to have great access to explore different areas of Florida?
After determining the County and general location that fits within their lifestyle, the next step is to decide upon the features of the home! This is the point of the decision-making process, which I will call 'The Crossroads'. I can come up with many reasons why it is better to build new, and I can come up with many reasons why it is better to purchase resale. Ultimately, what it comes down to is buyer preferences, time frame before moving, and budget.
There are many advantages of new construction, including improved Energy Efficiency Standards; most current Building Codes; Higher Land Elevation for properties that are built up.. which could result in lower flood insurance rates; Flexibility of upgrades and ability to customize; and typically the builders will offer a Structural and Mechanical Warranty upon completion of construction. Costs for new construction are higher than the costs for resale, without a doubt, but how much higher? Of course the percentage difference would be determined based upon the particular home to be built vs the particular resale market.. as every area has a variance of values. I'm finding within some communities the cost to build is only 10% higher than the resale market. In this case, if the Floridian-to-be has time, patience, and enough money.. then Build! Build! Build!
Now on the flip side, a buyer has expressed interest in buying a Florida home, and is within a tighter budget or possibly even enjoys the thrill of a remodel project or would like to move into a particular mature, established neighborhood, with a lake view. But.. .often times, there is no vacant lake view land in mature neighborhoods, because the best locations are usually the first to be built, in which case, a resale home would be a better option. Another great attribute of a mature neighborhoods is lush landscape and mature trees within the area gives the neighborhood a warmer feel. Neighbors who have lived in an area for many years, within an established neighborhood promotes the feelings of safety and security. And with the money that can be saved on the resale pricing, there could be some room in the budget for updating and upgrading. One more comment... resales are often more of a complete package, including the blinds on the windows, the fence in the backyard, the doggie door, etc.
To Review some pictures of new construction upgrade options, www.TheVaughnTeamSells.com and click on Pictures of Area Attractions: PGI Homes . For More information about PGI Homes or other local builders, please call me direct at (941)628-6768 or Email TammyVaughnSells@gmail.com . I look forward to hearing from you!