Very simple. Rent. Spend a month or more in a rental and ask lots of questions. Does the neighborhood have a web site? A social committee? News letters? Golf groups? Progressive dinners? Wine club? Driveway parties? House parties? Boccie groups? Pickle ball groups? Book clubs? What ever you're interests are is there a neighborhood group for it?
Some Villages do a lot, some a few things and some nothing. Figure out how many are full time and how many are snowbirds. You keep hearing about you should buy in a new village because you are all moving in together and can start those things. But think about this. The very first village built is about 95% full time and 5% snowbirds. The newest village is probably 25% full time and 75% very part time and lots of rentals. Guess which one has the most active village? As you get South around lake Sumter, it's probably 75% full time and by Brownwood maybe 50% full time.
So know and understand what kind of demographics live in the village you are considering buying in. Try renting there for a couple months. Does that size home work for you? Does that village work for you? Do those neighbors work for you? Is this an active village with lots of things going on that I like to do?
If you do these things you will get it right and not be moving 3 times like lots of folks who move here. It's very much worth the time and expense of taking these steps.
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Life is to short to drink cheap wine.
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