These days, there are dozens of Florida real estate sites, each with their own take on sales trends and hard numbers. It seems even the big real estate big sites (AOL, Realtor.com and Trulia) disagree on the actual number of homes sold in an area and on things like the average sales price and price per square foot. They even list different figures for the number of homes for sale.

The information differs for a lot of reasons: reporting periods (monthly, quarterly or weekly); information source (recorded transactions versus numbers from propriety sources); whether the figures include news homes, re-sales and distressed property, together or separately; and the land area included in the report. For example, some sites report by municipality, while some report by Zip code or by county.

To help you when searching for information about The Villages real estate online, remember that The Villages touches three counties (Lake, Sumter and Marion) and includes three ZIP codes (32162 is the main ZIP. Others are 32163 and 32159). Of course, the counties and ZIP codes don’t match up. That would be too easy.

Just as an example how different search and reporting options make a difference, these numbers were reported by Trulia.com for the end of October 2009:

Average price per square foot for “The Villages FL” was $139

Average price per square foot for “ZIP Code 32162” was $140

While a dollar per square for may not sway your purchase decisions, $50,000 might:

Average Listing Price (week ending Oct. 28)  – “The Villages FL” was $207,381

Average Listing Price (week ending Oct. 28)  – “ZIP Code 32162” was $255,843

The Bottom Line

Determining accurate real estate numbers online is a big game of comparing apples to oranges, and a few bananas. However these sites are a handy gauge. They will show general trends and help you get a sense of the area. As far as numbers, they will get you in the ballpark. Of course, the big real estate sites are great at helping you see individual properties.

We are huge proponents of making informed real estate choices. That’s why we put together our book, The Complete Guide to the Villages. It goes into depth about specific Village neighborhoods, home styles and other topics that go into to determining a home’s value – financial and personal.

Reading our book and using online real estate tools will prepare for when you talk to a local Realtor. These real estate professionals are on the streets of The Villages and in the homes everyday. They are one of the best tools you can use.

Additional resources:

AOL: The Villages Real Estate
Trulia: The Villages Real Estate
Realtor.com: The Villages Real Estate