Buying a Resale Home in The Villages, Step by Step

1. Work out the monthly number first

The price is one line. The others depend on the lot, so two homes at the same asking price can cost different amounts to own. Mo’s monthly cost guide covers the method, and the bond calculator turns a balance into an annual payment.

Part-year buyers, note this: the District’s new-homeowner sheet says base water, sewer, and irrigation charges, amenities, and sanitation are billed year-round under the deed covenants, even for seasonal customers. Details: the amenity fee, taxes at your price, and your Villages number for one address.

2. Sign a buyer agreement before you tour

Since August 17, 2024, under the National Association of REALTORS® settlement, an MLS agent working with you needs a written buyer agreement before touring a home with you, in person or by live video. An open house you visit on your own doesn’t require one. NAR says compensation must be stated clearly, such as $0, a flat fee, or a percentage, not open-ended or a range, and it’s negotiable, not set by law.

Florida Realtors says the settlement didn’t change Florida’s brokerage-relationship law, which presumes every licensee is a transaction broker unless another relationship is set up in writing, and bars dual agency. What Mo’s agreement covers is on the Florida buyer agreement page. Visiting a model center too? Read sales office or independent REALTOR® first.

3. Search both systems, then read the deed

MLS listings, which Mo works through on Stellar MLS, generally appear on the usual search sites. Properties of The Villages, the developer-affiliated brokerage whose sales representatives are licensed Florida agents, also lists pre-owned homes on The Villages’ website. Check both; MLS vs. VLS, explained covers who can show what.

Before you write, read the Declaration of Restrictions for the home’s unit. The District posts them on its Community Standards page by county, district, and unit, and exterior changes, including landscaping, fencing, and repainting, need an Architectural Review application. Mo checks the deed for occupancy, visitor, and rental rules; see ownership vs. occupancy.

4. Write the offer with the bond in it

If your offer is written on the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS contract (December 2024 revision), two parts of the form matter most here, plus one disclosure Florida law adds.

5. Add the inspections Florida insurers read

A home inspection tells you about the house. Insurers want their own reports, and on an older home those can decide whether a policy is written before closing.

Confirm the year built against Citizens’ 20-year line rather than guessing from the street. Ask the seller for any wind mitigation report and its date, and get your insurance quote before the inspection period ends. More in 4-point and wind mitigation inspections. If a hurricane makes insurance unavailable around closing, the contract’s force majeure terms extend the closing date, within limits.

6. Title, estoppel, and bond payoff at closing

1. Title commitment.Due at least 15 days before closing if the blank is left empty (5 in a cash deal). You then have 5 days to object in writing to defects. The contract’s title option decides who picks the closing agent and pays for the owner’s policy; see who pays closing costs.
2. Owner’s policy.It protects you, while the lender’s policy protects the lender. Florida’s Department of Financial Services notes it’s a one-time premium at rates set by state rule.
3. Estoppel, if there’s an association.A Florida HOA must issue an estoppel certificate within 10 business days of a request, and the AS IS form makes HOA or condominium association estoppel fees a seller cost. The bond and maintenance lines here are District assessments on the tax bill, not association dues, so ask the title company whether any association estoppel applies to your address.
4. Bond payoff, if negotiated.The District’s Bond Team (352-751-3900) gives the exact figure, which includes a $10 county lien release filing fee and is paid by check. Cut-off dates affect the amount and whether that year’s tax bill still shows the bond. A filed Release of Imposition follows in about 6 to 8 weeks.
5. Prorations and walk-through.Taxes and CDD assessments are prorated through the day before closing. Your walk-through can be that day or closing day, before closing.
6. Keys and gate cards.The seller hands over keys, garage door openers, access devices, and codes. The District issues gate cards in sets of two, up to four per home, at $15 for each extra or replacement card.

Out of state? The contract allows closing by mail, courier, or electronic means.

7. After closing: utilities, ID, and homestead

Utilities. Complete the District’s application for service; residential accounts need no deposit. The first bill comes about 4 to 6 weeks after closing and is prorated, so it can cover two or three months of amenity and trash charges, plus a one-time PO box fee on some homes. The District also tells new owners to check for leaks and adjust irrigation settings to avoid high usage charges.

Resident ID. The District says all Villages residents are issued ID cards. Ask District Customer Service (352-753-4508) how new owners get theirs.

Homestead. If the home is your permanent residence on January 1, apply by March 1 with the property appraiser in its county; The Villages spans Lake, Sumter, and Marion counties. Missing the deadline generally waives the exemption for that year, so a fall 2026 closing generally points to March 1, 2027. It lowers value-based taxes only: the statute excepts “assessments for special benefits,” so budget for the non-ad valorem bond and maintenance lines either way. Starting the year after it’s granted, Save Our Homes limits each year’s assessed-value increase to the lower of 3% or the change in the CPI. See the homestead guide, then My Safe Florida Home.