Quote:
Originally Posted by Amohernyikes
I have been following the Villages Forums for years and now it is going to be my opportunity to become a formal resident. I am looking to purchase a home by May of 2021. Knowing that the Villages is such a large community, I am not even sure where to begin to look for a home. I would like to be closer to one of the Town Centers but not sure which one. I am in my late 50's and even though moving down there, I would still like to work part-time. Are there many opportunities for work throughout the Villages? I do have my CDL-B (passenger) and although it is currently from Ohio, I am hoping to transfer it to Florida.
|
There are no
new houses near any of the three town squares so if that's a "must", then you need to look at pre-owned homes. That opens you up to using both Villages realtors and independent realtors (new homes are sold through Villages realtors only).
Between The Villages itself and the surrounding communities (Wildwood, Oxford, Lady Lake, Fruitland Park and Leesburg), there are certainly jobs available, a good share of which would be part-time. Whether there are any jobs you are qualified for and would be interested in is something probably none of us on this forum can answer.
Your best bet is to come down and stay for a couple of weeks, perhaps trying one of the week-long "lifestyle visits" offered by The Villages. You could also look into visits at any of the many, many other retirement communities in the area and throughout Florida. None of them are exactly The Villages (I'm prejudiced, obviously!) but many of them are quite nice and may or may not be more to your liking. Some folks will even argue that you should rent here for a month or two (or longer) before deciding whether or not to move here and where in The Villages you'd want to buy into. My wife and I skipped all those steps, just bought and moved in and have never had a days regret about it but your mileage may vary.
While here, you can hook up with one or two realtors and get a sense of what is available. I'm not sure how you go about looking for jobs as I am SO over working for a living. Are there still employment agencies? I don't really know. Between now and then you could prep yourself by A) figuring out exactly what you're looking for in a house; what's important and what's not, B) figuring out your budget for a house and C) researching whether or not this CDL-B (passenger) thing you mention does transfer or how easy it is to get the comparable thing in Florida.
You might also want to really think about whether or not you plan on being a full-time resident or a seasonal snowbird. Coming from Ohio, Florida will seem incredible in the late fall, winter and early spring. However, summers here (which really run about 5 months of the year) can seem brutal to the uninitiated. My wife and I living in Michigan all our lives, then moved to North Carolina for 20 years before retiring here so we acclimated ourselves to the summers. Now we don't think they're a big deal. Some snowbird friends of ours can't fathom living here in the summer.
In the meantime, if you think of specific questions, this forum is an excellent resource. Many folks here are eager to help out with answers and insight. Before moving here 4 years ago, I pestered the forum with questions and
always got helpful replies.