We used to devote countless threads to Sun City homes. In fact, if you search the archives here you would find any number of posts with actual floor plans and features regarding the various modes of Sun City living. For whatever reason, we got away from it. In the past month my wife and i have been in and through a couple of Sun City properties that have raised our eyebrows. Oddly enough, it was for very different reasons. In the first case, we visited a property a former renter of ours asked us to look at. It was 2100 square feet and had any number of big ticket improvements to it. New roof, recently painted outside, newer doors and windows and some interior remodeling. There had been a huge price reduction and he put in an offer that got it under $100 a square foot. In my opinion, a real steal. On the other side of the ledger, we stopped by our favorite realtors of late, Tim and Amy Nixon's open house last weekend. We had walked by the home the night before and were impressed with the gorgeous curb appeal it offered. When we walked in, we expected more of the same inside because it was only 1100+ sq and the hefty price tag of $199,000. For those of us failing in math, that comes in at over $170 per square foot, which might work if it is totally remodeled. Shockingly, it was pretty much vintage inside. Even more stunning was they had a tentative offer, and now it is pending. All of which happened in less than week. Beyond the great curb appeal, it was on a corner lot which makes it more desirable. These days boomers are snapping up corner lots, with many putting up second garages to house their toys. Some have closed off the attached garage and converted it to living space, while most just want more room for stuff. The point here is prices are all over the ball park. While the curb appeal is nice, a good stucco job on a smaller home is only in the $5000 range. Throw in some good landscaping for another $1000 or $2000 and you have great curb appeal. On the other hand, if you want to add on 500 square feet with a nice addition be prepared to dig deeper into the wallet. Not uncommon dependent on what you want done to be looking at $100 to $150 per square. Especially if you start taking down walls and getting exotic with finishes. Most of this is driven by a shortage of inventory. Homes priced right sell quickly. Homes over-priced sit there forever. One of the first things you should do when looking is check the selling history. Lots to be gained from viewing it. Happy house hunting.
Anyone else notice the number of "no name" realtors in Sun City these days? With such a modest inventory i am always surprised to see realtors who have absolutely no presence in Sun City getting listings. Nothing wrong with it, and i suspect some of it may be family or friends they hire. And maybe, some of these "off brand" realtors are listing below the standard MLS take. I just cringe when i walk into an open and find a realtor who knows nothing about Sun City and how the community functions. For my money, when we sell, we'll use a realtor who knows Sun City and specializes in it.
Not only the "no name" realtors, what about the FSBO's (For sale by owner). These folks have lived here and loved it, or its the family who inherited it, but it doesn't mean they know any more about the operation of Sun City, and how to convey it to a perspective buyer any more then some of these no name realtors. Most are in it for the money, as this is why it is a FSBO to begin with. And at closing, there are so many documents shoved under your nose to sign, there is no way to know everything you just agreed to. We didn't go and get our RCSC cards until we were here for over six months, had no idea what they were for or why we needed to have them. So, it is not just the "no name" realtors causing some of the confusion to newly arrived residents.
Some people sell using online realtors from Zillow, etc. as they charge a lot less commission. Perhaps some of these are the no-names selling in SC.
Couldn't agree more with the above comments. There's way too many folks trying to sell Sun City properties that fail to pass on the most basic of information. Again, all part and parcel of the issues plaguing us as a community. Worse yet is the number of attached properties being sold because those have a whole different set of issues. State statutes are clear about the information that is to be shared and sadly many of the HOA's (386 if memory serves me) fall short of what the law calls for.
So true E and oddly, there's more and more realtors of little note with listings. What drives me wild is when they post a new sign with nothing but their picture on the sign and a number to call. Pathetic.
