[Michael 61]

I already knew I’d love it here in winter, so I did my first 7-night lifestyle visit the end of June 2022 for one week (Alden Bungalows). Came back and did a second 7-night lifestyle visit August 2022 (DeLuna). At this point I knew I wanted to buy, but was unsure new or resale. So I came back a third time in October 2022 and leased an existing home for several weeks (Fernandina). I rode my golf cart everywhere during these visits. Several nights I would visit the entertainment at all three squares in a single night! Ate out every night, so I sampled close to 25 different restaurants in the bubble during this time. Checked out what a Publix was like, checked out availability to doctor’s offices, visited countless rec centers, went for lots of walks, and most importantly, I talked to anyone who would be willing to chat with me, and picked their brains about endless subjects concerning life in The Villages. I found good places to meet and chat with locals was outside Starbuck’s at Lake Sumter, outside Dunkin at Brownwood, the outdoor bars around Brownwood, the folks working the front desks at the rec centers, locals lounging by the neighborhood pools, and folks waiting for shows in the lobbies of the Savannah and Sharon. I also did a few short trips outside the bubble, as I wanted to get a feeling for traffic on the turnpike going to Orlando, and for I-75 up to Ocala. I also made one trip to the beach (Clearwater) as I wanted to time how long that trip would take with traffic. Even with these three trips I was basically just scratching the surface of life in The Villages, but I felt it was sufficient to make an informed decision whether to move in (in addition to my years of online research).