THE VILLAGES · A PRACTICAL STARTING POINT
Know the costs. Then choose the home.
A beautiful listing is the beginning. These guides help you check the property, compare the full cost of ownership, and decide what to do next.
Start with the monthly number
Compare the purchase price and the recurring costs separately. A paid-off bond does not, by itself, mean there are no amenity fees or maintenance assessments. Use property-specific documents alongside these planning tools.
Understand the bond
Separate the bond balance, annual repayment, maintenance assessment and amenity fee.
Build a monthly budget
Bring taxes, insurance and the recurring costs into one comparison.
Check the tax assumptions
Understand why the seller’s current tax bill may not predict your bill after purchase.
Choose a buying path
Moving from out of state
Prepare for remote research, property visits and the details that need local follow-through.
Try a stay first
Use a rental stay to test everyday routines before committing to a location.
Buying under 55
Review the age-restriction questions to verify for the specific property and community.
Florida costs, rules, and checklists
Plain-English guides built from Florida statutes, state agencies, the IRS, and county offices, each with the official source linked so you can check the current rule yourself.
Transfer tax calculator
Doc stamps, intangible tax, title premium, and recording, split by buyer and seller.
Who pays closing costs
The standard Florida contract’s buyer and seller cost split, line by line.
Capital gains when selling
Florida’s no-income-tax rule and the federal $250,000/$500,000 home-sale exclusion.
Homestead exemption
Who qualifies, the March 1 deadline, county filing links, and portability math.
Florida residency checklist
License, registration, voting, domicile, and homestead deadlines after a move.
4-point and wind mitigation
Insurance inspections for older homes, roof-age rules, and wind-mitigation discounts.
My Safe Florida Home
The state’s free wind-mitigation inspection, the up-to-$10,000 hardening grant, and who qualifies in 2026.
Sinkhole due diligence
State subsidence reports, disclosure rules, and collapse versus sinkhole coverage.
Flood disclosure
The seller flood disclosure required at or before contract signing.
Buyer agreements
What a Florida buyer agreement must say before you tour, and what is negotiable.
Sales office or REALTOR®
Whom each one represents under Florida law, and the questions to ask before you register or sign.
Downsizing in The Villages
Sequencing the sale and next move, portability, care-facility tax rules, and belongings.
Selling here?
Start with the closed sales that compete with your property, then work through preparation, presentation and your estimated proceeds.
See the work behind the advice
These examples are specific transactions, not promises about your outcome.
- 1202 Del Toro Drive: a stalled listing and a new pricing approach
- 2712 Plainridge Loop: comparing locations and costs from Wisconsin
- 769 Yemassee Loop: evaluating a second property
- 1007 Rockville Place: the recorded closing
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