A 32-acre public park is planned for the district in about 12-18 months. The land acquisition was approved at a recent City Commission meeting. You can watch the video recording of that meeting segment and brief description here, if you like.
The last meeting of the WVID Supervisory Board also brought this up to share that the project is moving forward as planned.
Ali
If you are considering purchasing a home in this community, please let me assist you. My services and extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to save home buyers some money. I do not work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including the resources provided on allof my websites) are wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your transaction serves also to fund these resources to keep them available for you and others on an ongoing basis.
The North Port Area Chamber of Commerce held a Business-After-Hours meeting last night at Thomas Ranch hosted by Mattamy Homes. It was a fantastic time with bluegrass music, fresh food from the ranch and other local businesses, prizes, and (of course) conversations amongst the more than 125 attendees.
I would like to give a BIG thank you to the North Port Chamber, The Ranch, and Mattamy Homes for the great time. Especially, though, I need to thank Doctor's Choice Physical Therapy for the wonderful gift box with mugs, coffee, and some other great kitchen items!
Thank you, Trish Hathaway and Doctor's Choice Physical Therapy!
There was also amusing fundraising activities to benefit the Suncoast Humane Society. Pictures were taken on a green screen and the new young colts were inserted into pictures to take home. The other was a raffle to name the colts. Naturally, I entered "Dwayne" and "Allen" (alphabetically the first on the Colts roster).
Me and hubby with the horses
Lovely ladies from Suncoast Humane Society
But, what you would really like to know is what is planned for the new West Villages communities and commercial center...it is EXCITING, to say the very least. The first community is expected to begin sales next spring, and the commercial center is planned around a giant, man-made pool/pond for swimming, kayaking, or canoeing. They are currently in discussions with commercial developers for who gets the job. A timeframe for construction will probably be available after the developer selection is made.
Here are the pictures I took of the planned development...
The Commercial Center Concept Plan
Close-up of multi-activity pool and resort hotel
The Preserve at the West Villages
West Villages map
The Renaissance at the West Villages
I just can't wait! It looks absolutely fabulous.
If you are considering
purchasing a home in this community, please let me assist you. My services and
extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to
save home buyers some money. I
do not work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement
District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including
the resources provided on allof my websites) are
wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is
more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your
transaction serves also to fund these resources to keep them available for you
and others on an ongoing basis.
The meeting of the West Villages Improvement District supervisory board scheduled for October 13th has been cancelled. The next meeting will be held on October 27th, 2015 at 11am in the North Port City Hall auditorium.
We got back from a trip to Alaska and Vancouver, Canada,
recently. All I can say is that it was incredible!
Now, I notice that I did not blog about the last meeting of
the WVID supervisory board. Sorry about that! There are a bunch of odds and
ends worth a quick mention, and I will blog about them as soon as I have a
chance, but there was nothing critical that I can recall.
Most importantly, it was the annual budget meeting. The
budget was supposed to be finalized for voting on the next meeting of 9/22/15,
but there are not enough supervisors available to attend on that date. The
meeting is to be on 10/13/15, a Tuesday at 11am in North Port City Hall
building. I will post a picture of the proposed next assessments compared to
last year's figures.
If you are considering
purchasing a home in this community, please let me assist you. My services and
extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to
save home buyers some money. I
do not work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement
District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including
the resources provided on allof my websites) are
wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is
more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your
transaction serves also to fund these resources to keep them available for you
and others on an ongoing basis.
If you are considering
purchasing a home in this district, please let me assist you. My services and
extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to
save home buyers some money. I
do not work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement
District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including
the resources provided on allof my websites) are
wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is
more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your
transaction serves also to fund these resources to keep them available for you
and others on an ongoing basis.
Don’t get so caught up in your love affair with your soon-to-be completed house that you forget about the things you really need to focus on.
Heed these 6 tips when buying a new home to avoid problems down the road.
It’s exciting to build a home from the ground up. There are fun choices to be made, from selecting the hardwood floors for the dining room to choosing between subway tiles or penny tiles for your kitchen backsplash. But don’t get so caught up in your love affair with your soon-to-be completed house that you forget about the things you really need to focus on.
“The key with new construction is really making sure you have the home inspected and follow up that the builder remedies the problems,” explains Keith Thompson, a real estate broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Carolinas Realty in Charlotte, NC. But there’s much more. Heed these tips when buying a new-construction home and avoid major issues down the road.
1. Hire a real estate agent
Oftentimes, buyers don’t feel a real estate agent is necessary when building a new home. After all, there’s a sales agent on-site to assist you with your questions, right? Wrong.
“Many people figure that they do not need the help of a Realtor,” says Ali Johnson, a Florida-licensed real estate agent who specializes in new construction and gated communities in Venice, FL. “They feel they can handle it themselves, and that they have a sales representative working for them in the new community that takes care of and explains everything, including the paperwork. That person works for the seller, though. They represent the developer’s interests.”
A real estate agent will work on your behalf — and because the builder pays their commission, it costs you nothing to have someone represent you during the new-construction process.
2. Do your research
The same way you may research a new car is exactly how you should look into a builder. “Make sure they have a good standing with your state’s Construction Contractor’s Board, and that there are no pending complaints or judgments against him or her,” advises Patty Brockman, a licensed real estate broker at Windermere Stellar Real Estate in Portland, OR. “Ask questions about whether they use independent subcontractors, and verify their licenses and bonds as well. Always know the amount and kind of insurance they carry, as well as the amount of their bond.”
3. Read the fine print
Many builders use purchase contracts that are much different from state-issued real estate agent documents. “Be sure to read these contracts carefully and have an attorney and your Realtor review them before signing anything,” says Brockman. “Builders’ contracts pretty much only protect the building company, not the buyer, so make sure your Realtor writes addendums that keep you protected during each phase of the purchase.” Also, make sure you review all of the warranties so you know what is covered, and what is not.
4. Ask what’s included
“A lot of buyers have a ‘what you see is what you get’ attitude when it comes to building a new home and looking at the model home,” explains Kristin Magnani, an associate broker with Rutenberg, a real estate brokerage firm in New York City.
Model homes are decked out with all the bells and whistles, explains Magnani, including high-end light fixtures, appliances, trim work, architectural detailing, and more. Avoid assumption and ask questions about every add-on or, better yet, ask the sales agent for a complete list of the extras in the model unit such as extra can lights, heights of doors, tinted windows (found mainly in high-rise apartments), and more.
“Does the house come with appliances? Window coverings? AC? Landscaping in the front and backyards? Automatic garage door openers? Sprinkler system?” says Brockman. “Always list in detail anything that you expect, if it is not expressly disclosed in the contract.”
5. Get inspected
Home inspections aren’t just for previously built homes. In fact, the majority of real estate agents will recommend that you have the home inspected not only after it’s completed but also before drywall is installed.
“As the housing market has heated up, the pace of construction has also increased,” explains Keith Thompson. “Overworked subcontractors and city or county inspectors are human and can and do make mistakes when they have too much on their plate.” Avoid things such as uneven walls or electrical or cable outlets in unfortunate locations (e.g., 4 feet to the left of where your TV is supposed to hang) by having pre-drywall inspections.
6. Do a walk-through
After an inspection, it’s critical to do a walk-through with the builder. It’s during this time that you can point out major cosmetic issues (such as nail pops or chips in cabinetry) or any other major issues, such as missing landscaping that was included in your contract.
“Never close on a new-construction house without doing a final walk-through to ensure that all of the punch-list items have been completed to your satisfaction,” recommends Brockman. “The last thing you want after you move in is a bunch of contractors doing touch-ups and finish work while you are trying to enjoy your new house.” Plus, if you don’t address it before closing, you may have a hard time getting the builder to fix anything once the home is officially yours.
written by Blake Miller
Blake Miller
Blake Miller is a Charlotte-based freelance writer. The self-described wannabe foodie and fitness freak has covered travel, interior design, and health and fitness for US Airways Magazine, Redbook, Self, ElleDecor.com, Four Seasons Magazine, and Women’s Health, among other national and regional publications.
This past Tuesday (7/28/15) was the most recent WVID meeting. There wasn't
much news to share. Basically, the items were updates or progress ongoing
issues that have been discussed before. So, I am going to keep this brief...as
I am also finishing my capstone project for the MBA/Real Estate and moving into
Gran Paradiso (getting the keys tomorrow! Hooray!) You will really want to
watch for the blog about the next meeting, though, or even attend it in person.
It will be August 25th, and it will be the annual meeting on finance for the
district.
July 28th, 2015, meeting highlights:
-Legal representation was authorized to move forward with
plans for land annexation (the swap with Sarasota Memorial Health Care System)
as the exchange has occurred.
-WVID is going to become a member of the North Port Area
Chamber of Commerce.
-The purchase and sale agreement for the 32 acre park area is
ready and moving forward (Paw park...another 'Hooray' here!).
-Index map and pattern book to be redone with forthcoming
changes, i.e. the new district boundaries from land annexation (The index map
is the district map and the pattern book is basically plans or
"pattern" to follow for the community).
-Lennar estimates $700k in improvements on Renaissance Blvd.,
but were the district only has around $600k available for it.
-District manager brought up that discussion for ability to
assess in IslandWalk expansion is to begin.
-Lennar is completing their landscaping around new area of
coach homes, but the district acknowledged it needs to begin to address the
appearance in that area along the 41 corridor.
-Lightning strikes and surges have caused some issues. Much
of the district common area lighting is in disrepair and to be replaced.
-A second pedestrian node was recommended for Renaissance
Blvd. for aesthetic balance.
-Rainy season has helped the water situation momentarily, but
the problem is not solved. The district engineer and district committee chair
will be working toward long-term solutions. They will start with the Northern
part of the property first.
-Finally, two items were combined into one project - the sod
replacement and landscaping improvements around district monuments. Valley
Crest was the only service to attend a mandatory meeting to obtain bids for sod
replacement, and their bid rose from $0.75 to $1.03 per square foot. It was
determined that the district will negotiate with Valley Crest in hopes of
finding ways to reduce the ultimate cost.
More details will be given on any items as I get them.
Don't forget to plan on attending the next meeting...August 25th, 2015, at
11am. The meetings are held at North Port City Hall (2nd floor) off of Sumter (Interstate
75 exit 182).
See you there!
Ali
If you are considering
purchasing a home in this community, please let me assist you. My services and
extensive resources are of no cost to you, and in most instances, I am able to
save home buyers some money. I
do not work for any of the wonderful builders in the West Villages Improvement
District, or any others for that matter. My services and information (including
the resources provided on allof my websites) are
wholly independent of these developers. No other independent professional is
more knowledgeable about this community, and enlisting me to assist with your
transaction serves also to fund these resources to keep them available for you and
others on an ongoing basis.
