Buying guide
New from the developer, or resale?
Most buyers pick one path early and never seriously price the other. Both are worth looking at, and the right answer depends on things that are specific to you.
Should I buy new or resale in The Villages?
New construction gives you a current floor plan, a new roof, and warranty coverage, usually with a higher bond balance. Resale gives you mature landscaping, a lower or partially paid bond, and a known neighborhood, usually with an older roof. Neither is universally better; it depends on your timeline and your insurance tolerance.
| New from the developer | Resale | |
|---|---|---|
| Bond balance | Typically higher, freshly issued | Often partially paid down, sometimes paid off |
| Roof age | New, which usually helps insurance | Varies. The single biggest insurance variable. |
| Landscaping | Immature. Takes years to fill in. | Established |
| Floor plan | Current design standards | Whatever era it was built in |
| Amenities nearby | Some may still be planned rather than open | Already open, already known |
| Negotiation | Limited on price; incentives vary | Real negotiation, especially on listings sitting past 60 days |
| Timeline | Depends on inventory and build stage | A normal closing timeline |
| Who represents you | The sales representative works for the developer | Listing agent works for the seller |
Can I use my own agent when buying new construction?
Yes, but most builders and developers require your agent to accompany you or to be registered on your first visit to a sales center in order to represent you. If you walk in alone first, you may lose the ability to bring in your own representation on that transaction. Contact your agent before you visit.
This is the most consequential and least known rule in new construction. People tour a model on a Saturday because they were curious, and by the time they decide they want representation, the registration window has closed on that purchase.
The requirement varies by builder and by community, so confirm the specific policy before your first visit. If you are planning a trip, tell me before you go and I will make sure you are covered either way.
Is the bond higher on new construction?
Generally yes. Newer sections carry more recent infrastructure debt, so the bond balance on a newly built home is typically higher than on an older home that has been paying down its bond for years. Bond amounts are set per parcel, so verify the specific address rather than assuming.
This is where the two paths diverge financially in a way that list prices hide. A new home and a resale home can be listed within a few thousand dollars of each other and be twenty or thirty thousand apart in total obligation once the bond is counted. The bond explainer walks through how to compare them properly.
What the resale market did in 2026
If you are weighing resale, this is the environment you would be buying into.
| Homes closed | 868 |
|---|---|
| Median sale price | $355,000 |
| Median days on market | 42 |
| Median sale price to list price | 98% |
| Homes currently active | 502 |
| Homes under contract | 94 |
502 active listings against 868 closings in the window is real inventory. A resale buyer has options, and listings that have been sitting past the 42 day median are where negotiation actually exists. That leverage does not exist at a sales center.
Over the full year to date, and across the five areas with complete sold data, 193 listings expired or were cancelled without selling, sitting a median 117 days. That is the other side of the same market: about 22 percent of listings that left the market left without a sale. Those two figures come from a different window than the table above and are not comparable to it row by row.
Source: Stellar MLS, The Villages, January 1 through September 21, 2026, compiled by Cristian Gonzalez, eXp Realty. Current-market figures cover the trailing window from May 4, 2026 and include every area. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Builder and developer policies described here vary and should be confirmed directly. Updated September 2026.
Before you visit
Planning a trip down?
Tell me before you tour a sales center. There is a registration rule that decides whether you can have your own representation on a new construction purchase, and it is easier to handle beforehand than to fix afterward.
I will also put together the resale comparables in the sections you are considering, so you can walk into the model with real numbers rather than just the brochure.
Get set up before your visit
Send me your dates and what you are considering. I will handle the representation side and send comparables ahead of time.