[Driller703]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

I too would recommend buying an existing home in a newish area. That would be likely north of 44 & south of 466A. If you choose carefully you can get a house with many upgrades you would like to have. It is all personal choice of course, but some upgrades might be granite counter tops, upgraded faucets, a glass enclosed lanai, with a minisplit air conditioner, sun/privacy shades, upgraded flooring, & upgraded ceiling fans. Additionally it is probably painted inside, which is an upgrade from the builder grade paint. You might find a house with lovely landscaping already in place. As others have previously mentioned, you might be able to find a house without a kissing lanai (I did) & if your budget affords it, a golf cart garage is nice to have. If you choose the area I mentioned you will be close to all sorts of amenities, & shopping, entertainment, & medical services. Contrary to popular belief, there are a mix of ages & lots of socializing.

I do disagree with one of the previous posters who suggested getting a northern facing lanai. I would suggest exactly the opposite. The reason being the majority of windows in the house are in the back. If you get a southern exposure front, it will be like living in a cave. The southern/western exposure windows at the back can be ameliorated by: enclosing the lanai with double paned glass, installing sun shades, installing heat blocking curtains on other windows that allow you to regulate the heat & light, installing a mini split & so on.
Yet another poster suggested looking at the bonds - this is important. Ask your real estate agent for the bond on every house/lot you are considering. If you are looking at a preowned house the remaining bond & the payments can be found online & I will be happy to explain how to find them in another post.

Good Luck & welcome to the Villages!

By all means, a SOUTH facing lanai is most desirable.