[Boomer]

Aaaaaaauuuuugh!!!! That title was supposed to say Along with buying “The Lifestyle” comes buying “The Future of the Lifestyle.” How is that future protected?

But that did not fit and then I tried to shorten it and then the phone rang and then I accidentally hit submit and then I got a lame title that says nothing and you can't change a title once it posts and where is Mr. Tony when you need him? And, oh well, I need help, so much help. Lots and lots of help....so please help me with these questions so I can get into the sunshine and out of miserable winters.

(But hey at least the accidental title was succinct. But I do not know how to do succinct. That title really was an accident....I try to make titles kind of specific...Oh well, I digress. Geez.)

This is the year when we could end up making the decision about whether or not to buy a snowbird place in TV. The decision to buy a second home is much easier to put off than the decision to buy a primary residence. And in my case, I need to make darned sure I want to deal with what it takes to own two homes – especially considering that we do not want to use the second one as a rental. We just want to have it there whenever we want to be there.

It is looking like 2010 could be the year to decide, but first there are some things I need to understand clearly. (I have always asked a lot of questions. When I was a little kid, my mom used to tell me that I asked more questions than a Philadelphia lawyer, and then I would ask her why the lawyer was always from Philadelphia.)

I have also had people say to me, “Boomer, you really think about stuff.”

And so it is. And there are many times when I consider all this thinking and asking questions to be a real curse. But I am not likely to change now, and I hope you will bear with me and help me out. So here goes….

The main thing I need to understand before buying is how the Lifestyle is protected when the developer is finished marketing TV.

When we visited the first time in 2007, we attended one of those meetings about how the governance works. But I did not understand all of it. And after I asked our TV rep a lot of questions, I still was not clear on how it all works. And so I backed up to breathe. We were in no hurry anyway.

But now, as I sit here looking out on this wretched winter here in gray, gray, gray Ohio, I know it is time to tie up these loose ends on these questions and move forward with the decision.

There is a wealth of knowledge here on TOTV and many of you are happy owners there. And I know that you must have asked the same questions and that you feel comfortable with the answers you found.

So please help me out. I need to understand, too. And I don’t. Not that I think there is anything wrong. But because I just do not get it because it is so different from anything in my frame of reference.

How is the future of TV’s Lifestyle protected by the governance that will be in place when the developer is finished marketing?

When the developer is finished, is there a plan for the music to continue in the squares every night? For the landscaping to still be so beautifully maintained? Will the Lifelong Learning College go on? And all that other great stuff you have there? TV is about so much more than just the golf courses and swimming pools. Those are wonderful, but it is the other stuff that makes TV so special.

And how is all that money from the amenities fees handled? Are the amenities fees invested? If so, under what guidelines? And who makes any investment decisions?

Do I understand correctly that the transition of governance is already taking place in some areas of TV? If so, how is that working out? Is there something in place in the law that prevents the emergence of little fiefdoms?

I understand buying the Lifestyle. It is unique and quite wonderful. If somebody cannot have a good time in TV then somebody is not trying. That part I get completely. But I need to understand the bigger picture. And I think there are those among us here who can help me to do that. I am asking that you educate me.

Thank you.

Boomer