[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

2010

What is your perception of Gary Morse?

Here is my perception of Gary Morse, in his recent obituary.

"Meanwhile, in 1983, Schwartz bought out his partner, Al Tarrson, in Orange Blossom Gardens and found himself with 1,600 acres of land. That’s when Morse, having closed his advertising business and moved back to Michigan to concentrate solely on his restaurant, made the decision to come to Florida and oversee Orange Blossom Gardens, which then consisted of 386 mobile homes, a clubhouse and a few shuffleboard courts.

Together, the duo started making improvements by adding swimming pools, golf courses and loads of recreational activities. They sold 99 homes in the balance of 1983 and 277 in 1984.

The early days of OBG were marked by money going out faster than it came in. In the fall of 1984, Morse messaged his father in Chicago: “We have so many homes under construction, we’ll be $100,000 short on cash flow in September. Shall I slow down sales or can you cover it?”

Schwartz’s reply: “Keep selling, and build one for me as soon as you can. I’d like to retire there, too.”

Schwartz kept that promise and moved to OBG in 1985, when homes sales were surpassing one per day. He soon invited the rest of his family to follow, and before long, all of Gary’s children were here as well."

His fiscal responsibility attracted tens of thousands of fiscally responsible home buyers now known as Villagers.

Villages developer Gary Morse dies at 77; Family vows to keep retirement visionary