[Dotboyd]

Originally Posted by MplsPete

I'm planning on moving to TV in 3-12 months. We did a Lifestyle Visit last December for 3-4 days, in Newell.
There are two bits of advice I frequently see touted here, which I wonder about . . .

1. Many, many times I see advice from people on TOTV, you must rent in TV for a week, a month, 3 months, 6 months, a year, multiple years! to see if it's really what you want. Seriously? I figure another visit for two weeks in July, to see if I can live with the heat. That's it. The rest: you deal with.

2. The Village you choose is really important. Seriously? I think I have the idea: up NORTH: more golf, more businesses. some areas may have road noise, or electrical lines nearby, NEW homes are pretty much only south of Newell, or W of the turnpike, in a dusty area of new construction, with quarries, prisons, and noisy high schools nearby. Otherwise it's preowned. Then there's this wisdom that the people are fundamentally different in, say, Santiago versus Fernandina, I guess some Villages don't live up to the "friendliest hometown" standard.
I lean toward the north myself: I don't like the bond costs, and up N they are likely lower.
My Wife is only 60; she's thinking retire at 62, then draw her SS (a pittance) Don't tell her but I want to see her keep working until 65 (Medicare) and I hope she could find suitable employment as a non-professional in a big healthcare facility, those are usually good jobs and benefits, and benevolent employers, else it will likely be Publix. I think I saw some big healthcare facilities in TV near the middle and in the NE areas. A - - - LONG - - - drive from where the NEW houses are, which is what my wife thinks she needs. Well, what did Mick Jagger say about that? (You can't always get what you want.) TLDR: Is all this hype about village X vs Y mostly BS?

I will address one thing: your wife working. I worked at Leesburg Hospital for 7 years after we moved to TV. We live in Osceola Hills which is 1 mile from 44 then the hospital is about 12 miles after that. So if the south is your preference, try to chose an area easy to get to 44. If you like north of 466, The Villages Hospital would be closer, although a nurse that lives off of 42 said it takes her about 20 minutes down 42 then 441 to get to Leesburg. The traffic on 441 around the hospital is heavy. Both hospitals are owned by UF Health in Gainesville. There are also Urgent Cares and free standing ERs around both places. I worked until full retirement 66/6months and did feel I couldn't participate in a lot that went on. Good Luck.