New to Forum, Hello All.....

[Jilly]

Hello everyone,

My name is Jilly I live near Oxford with my hubby and two fantastic kiddies. We have had loads of great advice reading the forum it has been the best help we could have found, many thanks.
We have been considering buying a villa for some time now ( since 1988 for me!!!) and have also considered the Disney Vacation Club, but to be honest I don't think there is any comparison to actually owning your own villa in the sunshine state!!

We hope to visit again latter in the year and will be looking at re-sales as this seems to be the way to go? Any advice greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks Jilly and gang.

[blott]

Hi Jilly

Welcome to the forum. Well, there's piles of advice to be found on the forum and, if you find a question we haven't covered, just sing out!

Personally, I don't think you can compare a time share with owning a Florida home yourself, but that's just my opinion. With your own home you're not tied to what weeks you can use for yourself and can go whenever you can (or like!). Alternatively, with a time share you just turn up on the right date each year and, apart from paying your service charges, that's all there is to it.

I guess what it really comes down to is freedom to do as you choose, make it your home and you're the one who chooses what goes into it and you can't do that with a time share!

[Carla]

Hi Jilly

Welcome. We are not far from you in the UK, at Bicester. Whereabouts in Oxfordshire are you?
I agree with everything that Blott has said. There is nothing that quite compares with owning your own home and having the freedom to "pop over" when you have a gap in bookings and also to be able to plan ahead for exactly the dates that you want.

[Jilly]

Hi Carla & Blott,

Many thanks for your kind welcome, we are from Benson, near Wallingford Carla, do you know it?

Both your villas look fantastic! Blott I see your villa is in Crescent Lakes, does anyone know if the new build villas here come with Pool/furniture? Looking at the price I shouldn’t think they would do. They look to be very large for the price.

[Carla]

Thanks Jilly. Benson, very nice, on the Thames. If I remember correctly you have a lock as well?

[blott]

Hi Jilly

Thanks... New homes on Crescent Lakes don't normally come with either a pool or furniture but resale ones do! Alternatively, you can purchase a pool for around $20-25k and a furniture package would be around $16k, both depending on what size home you're after.

If you need any more info, just say...

[Cowboy]

Hi Jilly and gang,
Welcome aboard. Kath and I,although Lancastrians, have lived near Witney in Oxfordshire for over 30 years. Blott has told you the basics and if you would like the name of a good, honest Realtor I know, please PM me.

Carla, didn,t realise you were not far away either. We have a lock as well at Shifford.

Mike.

[Carla]

Hi Mike. One of my clients is in Witney, so I end up going about 4 times a month.
It's a small world!!

[Jilly]

Thanks again for all the welcome and advice everyone. No Lock Carla, but I did use to live near Witney too at Brize Norton!! Small world indeed.

Blott even with adding pool and furniture costing that still seems a good price to me. Do you know if there are many re-sales around, and are there high lot premiums for the lakeside lots?
[?]

[Carla]

Now, it's going to drive me crazy. I thought that there was a lock on the Thames, called Bensons Lock, and assumed that it would be near Benson. I'm sure that that was where I fell in when I was a teenager!! Is there such a lock, somewhere on the Thames or am I galloping into dementia again and remembering completely the wrong name???

There are very high lot premiums on lake side lots Jilly, particularly for a natural lake.