I spent a few decades in the beer industry, working for Miller Brewing Co, Leinenkugel’s, Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Breakthru Beverage. I have owned a fine dining-waterfront restaurant, an insurance and financial services agency, a brewery, creating the world’s first hard seltzer. Sold all that off and obtained my real estate license, working as a realtor since 2014 in Minnesota.
In 2024 I moved to The Villages, Florida. I had previously visited a few times and was just amazed at the opportunity and growth in and around The Villages. Since then, I’ve been learning the ins and outs of The Villages, bonds, CDD’s, MLS, VLS, FAR BAR and “as-is” contracts just to name a few nuances of Florida real estate and past my license exam becoming a realtor.
I have long lived by the philology of “Break Your Big Problems into Little Ones” and solve those. The Villages is a BIG problem to solve. So many options of where to live, then what style home to buy, and figure out what a CDD is, the bond, taxes, contracts and the list goes on. I have put together step by step booklets and guides on how to buy and sell in The Villages. They are right here at www.iknowarealtor.com. You will also find The Villages broken into 4 sections for ease of searching. As well as a buyers and sellers transactional coordinators checklist, making it easy for buyers and sellers to follow the process and know what’s coming next, be prepared, be confident, let the process play out without the stress.
When I meet buyers at open houses or happen to strike up the conversation in public, I like to first ask them where they are on their journey to owning in The Villages. Depending on the response, we move on to the next step in their journey and that’s where the conversation begins. Everyone is in a different place, but the journey is usually the same, find your villages, find your floorplan/model, search. Pretty simple when you break it down.
When working with sellers, their needs and timeline come first, then we discuss market conditions and activity to figure out the optimal selling price based on facts not feelings. I believe in negotiating from a position of strength whenever possible, having patience, and always having clear communication following a step-by-step process. Again, you’ll find the buyers guide and sellers guide right here at www.iknowarealtor.com.
Donovan.