[villages07]

Frangy is absolutely correct....do not pre-pay any services contracts for a full year in case you're not happy and need to fire them; Even if they make you sign a one year contract be sure you can pay as you go and can bail out with as little as 30 days notice if not satisfied. If a company won't honor these terms then find someone else.

For perspective, monthly lawn maintenance (cut, trim, blow) on a designer sized lot (up to a quarter acre) is approx $50/month (and you pay it all year even though very little activity in the winter). A bargain compared to big city prices.

You'll need a separate vendor for pest control...for example on a 1/4 acre designer lot with Massey to do fertilization, weed and feed, and pest control a contract will cost you approx $600/year. These are broad estimates but give you an idea what to expect.

Also, a big surprise to me was cost of irrigation water, even with watering restrictions. Again, it depends on the size of your lot, but, a quarter acre lot could cost $70-$100/month to water in high use months. There are a number of these services that you may not be familar with now...all the cost of living here. But, no state income tax and so much to do here that I don't spend nearly as much on vacations as before!!! Enjoy.