Upcoming Lifestyle Visit...Need suggestions

[Beth P]

It's OFFICIAL! I am NOW retired. My husband and I are coming down in late June for a 5 day lifestyle visit. What are some "must dos" that you would put on our list?

[JaclynC]

You should visit each of the Town Squares. Each one is unique in their own way. Visit them in the evening when there is free live music every night. Rent a golf cart to travel around inside The Villages. Visit the Eisenhower Recreation Center near Brownwood Square. Visit the neighborhood pools, and visit the open houses. Bonifay Country Club is a really nice and affordable place to eat. I love The Brownwood movie theater, so I would try and catch a movie there. If you like to golf, there is free golf at the executive golf courses. Congratulations on your retirement! Talk to the residents and they will all tell you that they love living this lifestyle.

[ugotme]

WELCOME!

In a word my advice is - EXPLORE!

Visit each of the squares. Eat at various restaurants. Take the Trolley tour.Visit the pools and rec. centers. Take your golf cart for a spin! Get a map. If you get lost people will be more than happy to help.

Talk to everyone. In my opinion 98.5% of the people here are very nice and are willing to discuss all facets of TV.

When we came for our visit there was no pressure - if you don't want to look at houses fine, if you do just let your rep know.

I realize this is very broad and non-specific, but this is the way to get to know The Villages.

GOOD LUCK !

[DEWRDW]

Ask questions - you may want to make a list before you come so you don't forget anything - if you go to the squares talk to people - make sure you get a Daily Sun Newspaper - they have them in the paper boxes - lots of info in the paper - ride around - if you are into exercise stop at the MVP Athletic Club in Brownwood - it's great - good luck and congrats on your retirement - where are you from?

[Beth P]

Thanks for the suggestions. We are coming from the Atlanta area.

[2BNTV]

You have received very good suggestions.

I think you might want to prioritize what things you enjoy doing the most and go from there.

The most thing is to talk to anyone and everyone about TV. If it stands still for two seconds, start talking. :smiley:

If you make a list, you will never get everything done, so try to stay in the moment, as 4 days will go bye in the blink of an eye. If you plan too many things, you will feel rushed, and not be able to relax, while your here!!!

[uprivergirl]

We did our preview for 5 days and wished we had more time. We played golf at 2 different course, explored in the golf cart and of course got lost but some great folks always helped us find our way. We went to all 3 town squares for the entertainment. We saw a polo game, rode the boat. Went to the farmers market and talked to as many people as we could. We also played bunco one day at Seaside. We checked out some homes. We didn't want to leave TV and I feel I left my heart there. We are trying to sell or house in Ca. and we long to be back soon.

Enjoy every minute and make sure you get the map. Enjoy you retirement by becoming a Villager.

[graciegirl]

You are welcome to stop by our house and we will give you a kool refreshing drink. And some snacks too. Answer questions and share our experiences.


And some hugs.

[baustgen]

Do not try and go without a $5 map. Get them at a sales office. Explore on a golf cart. Go to open houses. Get the Daily Sun. Use both Village and MLS realtors. Learn about bonds.

[Lauren Sweeny]

Talk to anyone you feel comfortable approaching( those who smile at you ?) Sit down at one of the squares ,musical performance and chat . My hubby and I would be happy to have you come sit and converse during your downtime,just PM us for phone number and address . We want you to feel welcome and allow you to express your concerns and questions in a comfortable friendly hone!

[Beth P]

Again, thanks for all suggestions, and invites! Already have a map our realtor sent us...check. Can't wait to explore!!!

[John_W]

We did a 7 day LSV in April 2011 and then moved here permanently two months later. I would try the activities you enjoy and maybe would be doing if you moved here. If you bowl, go to the two bowling alleys and play a few games. On our lifestyle visit I played 18 holes of golf at Cane Garden (a championship course) and 9 holes at Heron (executive course). If you like to work out and exercise, go to the new MVP Gym at Brownwood. If you like movies, go see some shows at any of the three theaters.

I always started the day off by reading the Sun Newspaper. For the first two days, we would make contact with our salesman and on day one, we looked at all the Courtyard Villa models and Patio Villas. The next day we looked at several Cottage models. From day three onward, we were on our own, except when we made contact with the salesman when he arranged for our golf. He also gave us tours of the various rec centers and pools.

[mtdjed]

I agree with all previous posts but would add to take the time to explore some neighboring areas such as Mt Dora, Ocala, Inverness, Crystal River etc. The Villages are great but you will want to see some other local sights at times.

Best wishes on your new career.

[Yucatan2]

If you have your laptop with you, check the villages.com website (or the newspaper) to see where the open houses are in the morning, and go see a few. Look at the older sections as well as the new construction. We rented a home in the older section for one month, looked at tons of homes for sale......found one we liked.....it was still available when we were ready a few months later and the price had come down! (This was listed with an outside realtor, so contact one of them too.) Otherwise we explored like crazy, visiting every recreation center and country club. They are so different, you have to see them all! Just have a great time, you WILL be back....5 days is not enough!

[Beth P]

Great suggestions all. Thanks! My husband wants to play bridge one day. Any recs on active bridge groups at the rec centers?

[Old_As_Dirt]

Make sure you visit the Historic side, which is Lake County, and the town of Lady Lake. In my opinion it has more to offer the new homeowner than all the others.

[Villages Kahuna]

You've gotten good suggestions here. Rent a golf cart. They're inexpensive and you can get around a lot easier. This time of year, make sure they give you one with rain curtains (for the almost daily, short, late afternoon showers).

Schedule an appointment to see both new and pre-owned homes with a sales agent. You can get a really good flavor of what's available in a half day or so. If you're really serious about buying, allow more time than that. There will be no pressure from the agent. And I mean NO pressure. They know full well that The Villages sells itself.

And as many have suggested, go out of your way to meet people. Ask them what they like about TV and what they don't like. One list will be long and the other very, very short. I'd be amazed if you meet any grouchy or negative people.

Have fun.

[RVRoadie]

Bring a GPS with updated maps, especially if you want to look at homes. Golf carts are a lot of fun, but the learning curve for getting around The Villages is pretty steep, and only comes with time and experience. There are many tunnels that have to be navigated, and lots of potential to miss a golf cart turn and end up in place you are not supposed to be in a golf cart. Plus, the GPS is of little use on the golf cart paths.

[LeeM]

We had a fabulous time during our lifestyle visit. One of the highlights was the Donna and Dunning show at Katie Belles. Just fabulous. I also enjoyed my personal trolley tour ride (I was the only one on the bus!). Visiting LSL town square for music in the evening was a lot of fun also. And driving around in the golf cart was awesome!

[graciegirl]

Bring a GPS with updated maps, especially if you want to look at homes. Golf carts are a lot of fun, but the learning curve for getting around The Villages is pretty steep, and only comes with time and experience. There are many tunnels that have to be navigated, and lots of potential to miss a golf cart turn and end up in place you are not supposed to be in a golf cart. Plus, the GPS is of little use on the golf cart paths.



Excellent post.

[buggyone]

The golf cart is a great suggestion. Do not worry about getting lost in your cart. You WILL get lost - just pull to the side of the cart path and within a minute ot two, a Villager will ask if you need help. In many cases, they will not only direct you to your destination, but will say "follow me" and lead you to whete you want to go.

Arrange for an off-site MLS realtor to help you find a pre-owned home as well as using a Villages realtor. Neither can show each others listings.

A pre-owned home is usually a better deal, in my viewpoint. Lower bond or no bond, negotiable price, established landscaping, extras already built in, no surprises on what may be built in the area.

You will see a great community and a great place to live.

[alemorkam]

be sure to check out all the homes listed in the MLS system which The Villages sales agent cannot show you. Previous posters have shared that you need a Villages Sales agent AND MLS agent to see everything available. we used focusonthevillages.com to look at MLS listings. check it out and welcome to The Villages.