Home Values in Valencia Reserve?

Hi Kathye,

   GL builds a good product and my customers who have purchased them have been quite pleased.

   Yes, you will be paying "sticker" price for the house, but in most cases you can add all the options that will make you comfortable in your new home. 

   I agree that you will hear some noise from US 441.  If noise is a major consideration for you, you may want to consider a resale home in a different location.  There are several other "Valencia" communities in the area where you might find a better deal.  If the house is not "exactly" what you want, there are dozens of changes you can make.  Even with a brand new home, once you move in you will see things that you should have done different.

   Good luck on finding the "home of your dreams".

Yes, it makes sense to compare with older Valencia's and you should also compare with GL Homes newest Valencia - - Valencia Reserve. You might also look into resales in other active communities.  Some of my clients only want a brand new home while other clients of mine find that an older home might offer them a larger home or a larger or better lot for less money.

Good luck!

In regards to your question regarding lot location, although it is a subjective issue and a matter of preference, you will usually find more buyers that prefer a lot deeper into the community then closer to the road. Of course, the builders realize this, and are more likely to discount a lot closer to a main road than in a more desirable location. Conversely, since more buyers tend to prefer a lot facing water (a 'water-view lot'), builders are of course aware of this and therefore command a premium for water-view lots. While resale value should always be a concern when purchasing a home (or choosing a lot), keep in mind that you are the one that's going to be living in the home for a number of years, and your primary concern should be whether or not the home (or lot location) represents good value to you.

Purchasing a brand-new home is similar to purchasing a new car, in that you will typically be paying a premium for the luxury of being the original owner. If you purchase a brand-new car from a dealer, the price will typically be somewhat more than that of similar low-mileage used car; the same holds true for a new home (vs. a resale, or 'used' home). Of course there are benefits to buying a new home -- you will be the first person to have lived there, you get the full builder's warranty and if you're purchasing pre-construction (i.e, before the home has been built) you have the advantage of being able to chose your finishes and options, allowing you to customize the home to your own personal tastes.

If you purchase a new 'inventory' home (i.e, the homes has already been built and certified for occupancy), you will usually get a better price than buying a pre-construction home. This is because the builder is more motivated to sell a home that is already completed (due to 'carrying costs' on the inventory home, such as HOA fees, utilities and property taxes and insurance) vs. a pre-construction home, which they would have plenty of time to sell before any carrying costs would kick in. The best deals on new homes are typically found on inventory homes that close quickly -- usually by the end of the month and especially at the end of the builder's fiscal year, so that they can log the sale in that month's (or years) sales numbers.

I'd be happy to perform a market analysis for you of comparable sales at the different Valencias to give you an idea of what the resales have been selling at. I'd just need you to provide the name of the floorplan that you're interested in, or the size (# of bedrooms/baths) and square footage of the home that you're interested in, and the type of lot (i.e, water view, partial water view or dry lot) that you're interested in. I can be reached at 561-602-7833 or SoFlaREI@aol.com