[paulat585]

Originally Posted by spd2918

Hi all!

This is my first post. I am researching retirement communities with my wife. In 8 long years I will retire and my wife will keep working from her home office.

We visited last week and I'd like to share with you my (and my wife's) first impressions of your community:

Wow are your streets clean. We knew exactly when we were outside and inside "the bubble" due to the cleanliness. It is clear you and the management take great care in how the streets look.

I love the golf cars. I'm a kid at heart and love the idea of getting around in carts. I might need to learn how to golf.

The lot sizes seem a little small, and your money does not buy much house. We are looking to downsize, but we were a little surprised how far our money won't go. For a used $175K 1200 foot house we were expecting better surfaces and updates.

We ate in Sumter Square and found the restaurants were expensive for what we got. I know this is a planned community, but why can't there be more reasonably priced places to eat? It would be wonderful if there were non-chain restaurants.

Lisa and I were blown away by all the things to do! It is hard to imagine being bored with all the clubs and activities. This place completely fits our requirement for activity.

How do my impressions stack up with your reality?

Brad

I bought in March & agree with all you've pointed out. When I first thought about buying it was because of the activities, the weather (-25 where we are this winter!) and the ease of using a golf cart.

What I've realized after reading all these posts is the thing that matters most to me is the friendliness & positive outlook of almost everyone we've met in The Villages. To me, this is the most valuable thing we found. Certainly don't find that where we came from!