Quote:
Originally Posted by bluedivergirl
DH is 63, I am 58. Agewise, we feel quite comfortable. We rented for a month in January, and purchased a Gardenia. We came with a budget of $300k - $350k, but after talking to many people who had moved within The Villages, decided to up the ante.
We wanted a full 3-car garage, and we wanted a view. We chose a home on Evans Prairie. The pluses are more air movement than the 'kissing lanais'; because it is attached to a natural water prairie or water level is much more stable than the man-made ponds. We went through a dry spell, and a few ponds turned into rubbish laden mud puddles.
The Villages real estate is unlike any other real estate transaction I have ever encountered. Homes sell so quickly, they are in the driver's seat. Don't expect free upgrades or bargaining. They just don't do it.
We have sinkhole insurance, don't remember the cost but it was reasonable.
I would say The Villages runs conservative, which was a big draw for us. It isn't cookie-cutter, though. There are a wide variety of beliefs.
The Villages frowns on satellite dishes, but they can't stop you. Direct is available, but we have Dish. We made sure to have it neatly installed in an unobtrusive place, and have had no complaints. It does go out in heavy rain, but we watch mostly recorded shows, so it doesn't matter.
Minto homes in Sun City Center gives you much more house than The Villages, but no one can beat the community here. 
Couple more things: the local newspaper is The Daily Sun. You won't find anything bad about The Villages, but it is a window to the community.
There is an Aviation Club. thevillagesaviation.com |
Excellent and helpful advice except that I have never heard about any frowning on Satellite dishes.
Not TOO sure about ponds either. Ponds are used as irrigation sources and
sometimes lower or spring a leak. There was one that had real difficulty in the area near Spanish Springs that gave the POA fodder to fuss and one recently south that lowered and showed some debris, but it must have been fixed because no one is griping on here currently. It only went on for a week I think.
We do have the most lightning in Central West Florida of any place in the U.S. And a preponderance of right voting folks.
And then you should mention the chip embedded when they take your picture for the I.D. card.
It makes about 90% of us act like we work for the developer.