[Mack184]

As a recent newcomer to TOTV I have been looking around and reading many different topic threads old and new. I know this is an old thread, but after reading the many responses here, I thought I would add my two cents to this discussion. Maybe there will be some new responses and maybe not.

My wife's mother & dad have been living in TV for some time now. They have a nice home in Belvedere and love it there. My father-in-law is an excellent spokesman for the so-called Villages "lifestyle".

Over the past couple of years my wife's mom & dad made it clear that they would be very happy if their daughter was a bit closer to them at this point in their lives. We have been considering a move into the area for a couple of years.

This past April we came to town and we spent some time with Gerald Bowles from TV and also looked at some homes in Stonecrest. We returned in September and looked at approximately 15 homes in TV, Stonecrest & Del Webb-Spruce Creek Golf Club. Ultimately we bought in Stonecrest. Here's why..

First and foremost we are not retired, nor are we in any danger of it happening any time soon. When we arrive at the beginning of 2013 we will both be continuing our careers working all week long. We will not have time at this point in our lives for the various groups, gangs, clubs and most of the other amenities that TV has to offer. But even if we did have that kind of time available it really wouldn't be a big draw for us. While we are not unfriendly people, we are not "group" people. We don't play golf, we don't want a golf cart and I wouldn't play pickleball if you had a gun to my head.

Now before anybody gets all crazy and thinks I'm saying bad things about TV and the "lifestyle", I'm not. All I'm saying is that it's not for us.

We really disliked the postage-stamp size of the home lots, and at this point in our lives we still needed a bigger home. And to be frank, the infamous "bond" was a real joy killer.

What we needed was a big house with a few amenities like the pools and NO KIDS. We will likely use the pools every day of the year. Other than that, I can't think of anything else that's provided that we would use.

Our biggest need was to be close to my wife's parents, and for that Stonecrest fit our needs far better than TV.

As I read these posts I also noticed a number of posters referring to OUR stores & OUR restaurants & OUR hospital. Hmmm...While I certainly agree that amenities provided by TV such as the pools, golf courses, rec centers, sports fields and the nightly entertainment should be reserved for TV residents & their guests, TV amenity fees DO NOT subsidize or otherwise support private, open-to-the-public businesses. That's like saying that someone who lives in Ocala has no right to drive to Leesburg and eat at a restaurant there! It makes no sense.

Privately owned business are just that. They are open to the public. The restaurants at TV golf clubhouses? That's a differernt thing. The Villages hospital is owned by Leesburg Regional Medical Center and by law must be open to the public. TV amenity fees do not pay for the hospital. Villages Hospital is just as public as Munroe Regional or any other hospital.

Oddly, I would think that TV residents would welcome people from anywhere to come in and eat at the various restaurants, buy groceries at the local supermarkets and patronize the other local businesses. Why not? The more people who come and spend, the more successful the local businessman is. What in the world is wrong with that?

One of my old bosses & mentors had a saying.."There's an a** for every chair". We found our chair at Stonecrest. Glad to know you found yours at TV. You'll see us around TV as we spend time with my wife's mom & dad, but no..I won't be trying to swim in your pool. That's yours. You paid for it.

Cheers!