An ever-increasing number of aging baby boomers are becoming empty nesters and coming to the realization they no longer need that 3, 4 or even 5 bedroom home they own. In addition, many of them, also find themselves tired of the upkeep that comes with the big house on the large lot. These issues, along with a desire for a lifestyle change, has led to a growing demand for alternative types of housing including condominiums and villas with the latter being the most popular.
What exactly is a “villa”?
The interesting thing is, even though the demand for villa’s has skyrocketed, StLouisVillas.com saw a 95% increase in sessions during the past 30 days from a year ago for example, many buyers, and even real estate agents, have difficulty defining what a “villa” is. Many buyers, and even real estate agents, assume all villa’s are condominiums, which is not so. Most think villas are one-story with no exterior maintenance for the villa owner to worry about as the association takes care of everything and, while that may be true in some cases, that is not true in most.
When I talk with people that say they are interested in a villa and ask them what they are looking for in a “villa” what I find is that most will describe a lifestyle more than a particular architectural style of home or type of ownership. Granted, it’s not that important that home buyers know what a villa is, as what they care about is that whatever housing they are looking at will meet their needs. However, I do think it’s important for buyers to understand the different types of ownership villas may have as well as have an understanding of what to look for in terms of what the villa association actually takes care of or maintains.
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Live, Interactive Map of Villas For Sale and Sold in Past 12 Months In St Louis 5 County Area
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