Real Estate Q&A

What Types of Homes Are There in Florida?

While there are many types of homes to choose from in Florida, they generally fall into five categories. There are stand-alone single family homes, villas, attached villas, townhomes, condominiums, and manufactured homes. Some of the above can be in what we call maintenance free communities, and others require the homeowner to do all of the yard work, and landscaping.

Single Family Homes:

This is the usually a one or two story stand alone structure; i.e. the everyday “house” that we all know.

The owner of a house owns the building itself, as well as the land, and, unless it is a maintenance free house, is responsible for all upkeep associated with those areas, including lawn and landscape and pool maintenance, painting, repairs, insurance and real estate taxes. As an “absentee owner” these activities are typically overseen by a “Home Checker” or homeowner assistant.

Villa & Attached Villa:

In Florida when we talk about a villa , we're referring to a free-standing, single-family residence. We also have what are called attached villas…a free-standing structure divided into two, connected (usually at the garage), single-family units.

The main difference between a house, and a villa is that the owner of a villa owns the building itself, as well as the land, and MAY NOT be responsible for all upkeep associated with those areas. Villas are usually maintenance free, and all of the outside tasks including lawn and landscape maintenance, are contracted out by the community HOA. Inside painting, repairs, insurance and real estate taxes are the responsibility of the owner. As an “absentee owner” these inside activities are typically overseen by a “Home Checker” or homeowner assistant.

Townhome:

A townhome is like a house in that the owner owns both the structure and the land on which it sits; but it is not free-standing, so "the land on which it sits" is limited to the front and back yards. Townhouses are connected to one another in a row, and are usually two or three stories tall. They share many of the characteristics of condominiums.

The usual differences between a townhouse and a villa is that townhouses are not detached like a single house, and are treated like a condominium (Condo).

Condominium:

Like townhouses, condominiums are attached to one another. If you own a condo, you do not own the land surrounding your living space. A condo owner owns only the unit itself, which is taxed as an individual entity, and sometimes a percentage of the common areas of the community. Like townhomes you only have to insure the contents of the unit, the outside is insured by the Condo Association.

Condo communities may provide such shared facilities as a pool, gym, tennis courts and clubhouse, all maintained by the condo association , which takes care of all day-to-day management tasks. This is one of the key advantages of condo living…all of the joy of using the amenities, none of the hassles of maintaining them.

Condominium owners pay a monthly fee to the condo association, which, like a HOA, also sets the rules for the community.

Mobile / Manufactured Home:

The clear distinguishing characteristic of a mobile home is that it is, obviously, mobile. Mobile homes are sometimes called manufactured homes

Mobile homes, unlike other forms of housing, depreciate in value, as cars do. If you are using your mobile home on the road, it is, in the eyes of the law, a car. But if you settle in a mobile home park, your mobile home turns into a house.