renting a good idea
I also have a Courtyard Villa (3 br Bonita) that is available for rent, with a golf cart - until we move down permanently in 4 years and 3 weeks (not that we're counting).
Twice I have had tenants who rented my unit partly because they were considering buying the same model - I think that's a really great idea. There are lots of sites (thevillages.com) and (Lylessellsfla.com) where you can get a really good idea of prices and floor plans and operating costs. Many snowbirds only want or need a 2 BR - we have 4 kids and 2 grandkids (so far) and lots of visiting friends/relatives, so a 3 BR made more sense for us.
In general (and TOTV people, please correct if I'm wrong) I would say that both Patio villas and Courtyard villa neighborhoods tend to have more snowbirds and rentals (usually owned by people like us who are renting their properties out until we can retire) and ranch/designer neighborhoods tend to have more year-round residents. Operating costs are a little less for villas than for houses on larger lots, but not much.
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