Quote:
Originally Posted by oldpilot
I've lurked here for over a week and find your enthusiasm for TV life style very impressive! It's like the old song: "how you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen TV" or; can 90,000 people be wrong? It appears not.
I'm a single male, age 76 with fairly good health. My career was in aviation; Air Force and airline.
I'm considering moving out of CA. I would be grateful for your feedback about my considerations listed below.
1. Weather: I live a few blocks from the Ocean in Newport Beach, CA. We enjoy great year-around weather. Summers are mostly mid-seventies. Winters are very mild and seldom below sixty. We think fifty is a winter storm. Once, after a light rain shower; the local news paper showed a photo of a patio chair tipped over with the caption; STORM DAMAGE. The local TV station zooms in on water trickling down the gutter.
Could I cope with FL hot and humid summers? My main outdoor activity is walking, which takes about 90 minutes. At the end I'm perspiring even in 65 degree weather.
1-A. If you moved to TV from any Southern Cal coastal area, could you describe your adjustment to TV weather? Are you coping? Do you regret leaving CA weather?
2. Air conditioning is not needed here. Could you estimate your annual air/con costs and state the square footage of your house. I presume smaller SF means lower cost.
2-A. If purchasing new; is a/c standard or included in the house price? If standard; do you know what SEER rating & brand is used? Bigger SEER number costs more but is more efficient and quieter and uses less power to run.
3. Maids in this area are usually $20 an hour or $80-$100 for six hours work. What are maid costs in TV?
4. Do you maintain your own yards? If so, what are the labor costs for lawn service?
5. Can Property Taxes be substantially different for two equal lots/houses depending are the county or CCD?
6. A 4 mile walk is my main outdoor activity; what is the bug/mosquito situation? Can't be too bad with that many folks out playing golf.
7. If two properties were otherwise identical with one bond fully paid and the other bond mostly outstanding; would the total price be the same?
8. When I see prebuilt ready to purchase Aspen model for say $240,000; does that include the price of the bond? I'd love to know the price of an Aspen with all the maximum stretched walls.
9. What seasons do you use the lanai? How important is the lanai orientation to privacy from neighbors and from neighbor's noise? In photos; it appears sitting on the lanai means free entertainment from the neighbors air conditioning noise.
10. I have no family to look after me if my health were to fail. Not a fun subject, but I'd like to know if transitioning to assisted living is available in TV? For that reason; I might buy a floor plan that would permit a live-in assistant should the need ever arise. I'm hoping to go during sleep but it's hard to plan these events.
10-A. No one here in CA knows any of the answers to the three great questions in life. If you have someone in TV with these answers it would be helpful in my moving decision. (1. When will I die? 2. How will I die? 3. What happens after I die?) OK, some do have an answer for #3.
11. Properties in TV are approximately 1/5th of prices here, but it appears that aside from a mortgage; monthly costs may be more in TV with assessments, bonds, sales taxes, amenities etc. etc. Your utilities seem higher.
If one is living off fixed income with virtually no safe Return On Investment available; my consideration is that should I live ten years with eventual inflation or hyper-inflation I might not be able to pay the bills.
If you got this far; God Bless You. My possible 2500 mile move from a 40 year residence is, you will appreciate, a major decision.
One might surmise from lurking on this forum that you are very much like my older brother; wonderful, outgoing, congenial, never met a soul who didn't already seem like a 20 year friend. Alas, I'm a quieter more private person. Slower to make friends. Decent to be sure, but not a glad hander.
Many thanks in advance for your comments.
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The one thing you would be escaping is the threat of earthquakes.
My brother in law lives in L.A. and they are always getting something; our friends live in San Diego , ditto as far as earthquake tremors......
Our son and his wife were just visiting again in La Jolla near San Diego where he said the weather was beautiful this past Sunday.
You already are aware of the high price of real estate in California.
Prices in TV are quite low compared to other parts of the nation.
We live in Vermont and cannot tolerate the humidity here, thus have been wondering the same thing you are wondering..........
From what we just heard, this has been the hottest summer on record ever......all over. Luckily, our nights are starting to get down into the 40's and 30's which is very pleasant. However, the mornings till early afternoon are still humid. As they say, it isn't the HEAT, it's the humidity.
Our son said California was indeed hot but a lot more green trees than Colorado has. The West has been extremely hot , not to mention all the forest fires.
Each place has "something". The Villages was beautiful last time we visited. My husband would have bought a house right then and there.
We were there in October and November and the weather was PERFECT.
We are not sure if we could tolerate the summer months and do not want to maintain a northern home and a southern home (meaning to escape the summer heat and return to Vermont).
We figure going through one more winter should do it and help our decision making process along..........that and the fact that homes are beginning to sell again up here..........after quite a stagnant real estate market.
Good luck and best wishes in coming to your decision.......
p.s. Send for the video and the home plans; call the Mercantile Store for the $5 street map of all the villages..........