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Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby
The thing is though - this section of the Villages is mostly unaffected by hurricanes. Might be the result of being closest to the Ocala Forest, which acts as a barrier of sorts against the wind? It could also be that we're on a higher elevation than the rest of The Villages. Maybe we're simply closer to the "center" of Central Florida. I don't know diddly about geology, or weather science, but I'm sure some science geeks will have an explanation.
There was some flooding in 2017, making it impossible for golf carts to get over the bridge to Spanish Springs for a couple of days. There was also some flood damage to some homes at the edge of Silver Lake. But to my knowledge, there was no catastrophic damage to the manufactured homes on this side as the result of severe weather, since a tornado came through in 2007. The tornado damaged homes on the other side of 441 too.
We get wind and rain, sure. But Harold Schwartz apparently hired some top-notch engineers and land surveyors who designed a very efficient design layout of the properties here. I've only lived here three years, but we've visited The Villages for over a decade before moving. A friend we visited was 2 doors away from a house that was demolished by a tornado. And that was south of Sumter Landing, off Buena Vista somewhere on a street that lost several homes. That year, the Historic Section remained relatively unscathed, though the power was out for a few days and that alone was pretty horrible.
To answer the OP's question: our utilities are underground. There's a power tower next to Wawa outside our neighborhoods on 441, and there's another one behind East Schwartz, and I remember seeing the top of one across the street on Griffin somewhere near the southeastern corner of the Silver Lake village, but none within our community at all. We have no tunnels that anyone has to worry about, and MOST of our area is on a higher elevation, which reduces the risk for flooding (but obviously doesn't eliminate it).
I'm not personally aware of any homes with gas power or stoves on this side of the Villages. I also don't know if propane stoves are a thing here. Every home I've visited has electric. That doesn't mean they don't exist, it just means I've never seen it.
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Villagers who live south of the border (south of 441) should cross over and drive around. Yes, most of the houses are double-wide manufactured homes with carports, and some are single-wides. But the area is well-maintained and often attractive with lots of interesting shrubs, and with hills. Orange Blossom Country Club’s pool is, in my opinion, the most beautiful pool in The Villages. Prices are going up there quickly. Some people are buying lake front manufactured homes and replacing them with sturdier homes, though I don’t see how that is cheaper than buying a smaller home in the south. The worst thing is that lots of people—perhaps Villagers—either bought homes there to rent out or kept their original homes and rented them out, and the purchase price was cheap enough that younger people with minimal income have moved in, some with drug problems. I would love to see the entire area restricted to buyers and renters who are 55 and over. That would solve most of the crime problems. The area also has some of the funkiest outdoor decoration, which you can find if you drive to the back of the area. Sort of a bohemian vibe. Looks like there would be fun parties there.