When was your first visit to The Villages and at what stage was construction?

[Indy-Guy]

My first visit to The Villages was in December of 2003. If I remember correctly they were just starting to build homes South of 466 and Palmer Legends Restaurant was open and the course was open a couple of Months later. Lake Sumter Landing was under construction and they were working 24 hours a day. You could see the lights at night and it looked like a baseball park at night with the bright lights.

I purchased 2 years later. Near Cane Garden.

[gfmucci]

About 4 years ago, we were taking 27 back to Destin from Stuart.* I read about this "sprawling new retirement community straddling 3 counties" a few weeks earlier.* We were both curious and drove in the main entrance into Spanish Springs - parked, walked around a bit - and left after about an hour.* We didn't know there was another town center under construction at the time and had no idea of the extent of development. We just marveled at the energy in Spanish Springs. We came back for a longer stay a year later and then a year after that and finally bought this last February.

[Shirleevee]

About 10 years ago......if memory serves me, Spanish Springs was it then. We visited again, and then Jan. 2008, bought in Poinciana.

Shirleevee

[Barefoot]

Our first visit to TV was March 2007 for a Lifestyle Preview. I knew from the first day that we'd be buying.

Fireboy kept saying "It's just a lifestyle preview, we're not buying, right?" I put in an offer two days later while he was asleep. My motto is "Get'erdone".

[chelsea24]

Our first visit was Feb of 2007. We heard about it from friends that had visited here. It was love at first sight. At the same time vetman's younger brother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. We found this out while we were doing a Lifestyle Preview here. So right then vetman (my hubby) said, this is great, life is too short, let's do it! (Move that is, LOL) So we went home to IL, got the house ready, put it on the market, sold it, vetman retired 3 years earlier then we had planned, came back down in Sept 2007, bought out house and moved in Nov.1st 2007. My husbands brother has since passed away (Jan. 2008) and we thank God everyday that we made this decision. We feel younger, we're having more fun than ever, meeting wonderful new lifelong friends, and enjoying every minute. It's simply the best. :#1:

[jadebox]

For years we had been driving down 441/27 from the Florida Panhandle to Disney and our sons homes. Wondered why the places along the small stretch were spanish design. Finally in 2001 my husband said let's go look around.
We thought it was just manufactured homes and did not want one but thought we would look anyway. There was Spanish Springs town square!!!! AND golf carts!!!We fell in love but were sure there was no way we could afford to live here. We found out we could go through the gates so found there were homes other then manufactured. Went on home. A couple months later we went back and stayed in Leesburg for a couple days. Interviewed people on the square and in Katie Belles. No one could say anything bad about TV. I was so sure that the cost for all the recreation would be $1000 a month or at least $500. Shoot our tiny Country Club social membership was $50 a month. Turned out to be $109 at that time. We did not know that salemen did not bug you so did not go see one. Did finally ride the trolley. The third time I came by myself because I was visiting my sons. My husband said buy a place whille you are there. I could not do that but did look with a salesman. They had started selling CYV that had been used for the Previews. I took info to my husband and a month later he went to TV with me and we bought one of the CYV. Husband was going to retire in 3 years--SURE!!!!! Six months later he put in his resignation and in 2002 we became full time Villagers. Best thing we ever did. It has been fun watching the growth.

[graciegirl]

I think it was about ten years ago. We were vacationing with another couple and he had heard about The Villages and we drove up from Orlando in a terrible rain storm. We went to the Spanish Springs Center and I wondered why they had early American chairs and furniture in a Spanish style building, I thought maybe the business had recently changed hands. We looked a little in the old part, just driving up and down the streets, and I didn't like a number of houses that had a plethora of statues. It never stopped raining. We avoided the people in Spanish Springs Center, because we thought we would be "attacked" with a sales siege.

I later logged on to the sales site, was not impressed with the graphics, the houses and the site in general. My husband knew about all of the golf and had heard good things, and wanted to see it again and I just kept saying, NO. I am not interested!!

Our next visit was in January of this year. We stopped to visit friends who bought in Poinciana, who insisted we stay the night and we drank the water. Our friends took us around and we loved their house and neighborhood.

We came down last month to just see for ourselves on a life style visit. We certainly weren't going to buy a house.

We bought a house in Hadley. We will be down to furnish it in two weeks. We are so happy and excited that we finally found Paradise.

I must say that prior to our lifestyle visit and after we visited our friends in January I started researching homes, prices and everything I could find on TV. I found TOTV and your warmth and friendship, the silliness, the bantering, the opinions, the information, the just plain fun and sometimes intensity of this site really made me fall in love with TV before we returned for the lifestyle visit.

Thank you one and all.

GracieGirl

[Donna]

As Barefoot would say, My motto is "Get'erdone".

It was November of 2004..We went down for a week, on the preview..Drove around, visited several areas, ate at some very nice places and after 2 days I told our realtor I wanted to buy...Ya think I am impulsive :o

[Barefoot]

As Barefoot would say, My motto is "Get'erdone".
It was November of 2004..We went down for a week, on the preview..Drove around, visited several areas, ate at some very nice places and after 2 days I told our realtor I wanted to buy...Ya think I am impulsive :o

Donna, not impulsive, just smart! I bet you've never regretted it.

We live just south of 466 (close to Donna actually). People we've met who live north of 466 tell us they watched Southern Trace and our houses being built. Now we'll be watching Brownwood being built. Hats off to the Developers, what fabulous visionaries.

[nONIE]

ya know Donna, you get that (I love it here feeling )and all the rest is history. Sometimes impulsive is good! If you had thought it to death like engr guy did, it would have taken you 3 visits to make a decision. To my way of thinking thats just a waste of precious time. If you know something feels right, just do it, mabe Im a little impulsive myself but I dobelieve theres something to woman's intuition! ;)

[Rokinronda]

I'll try to be short. RIGHT! 2000 our 21 yr.old daughter moved to Florida. Adament in staying. Super Bowl Sunday 2004, daughter (25), GUESS WHAT MOM? we're having a BABY(due 9-28 my dads birthday)!!! Get er dun! Paint, clean, put house on market. May Day, offer on our house. We meet w/daughter and now son in law in Orlando. Next day went to Plantations of Leesburg because age is 50+. Nothing clicked for us there. Drove N on 27. Stopped at a sales center and they were closed...Mothers Day . Drove N. Hubby had done research, lets check out "the Villages", had lunch, took tour, fell in love, and decided this was it! We could wait till 55. BUT, they were over 80% capacity and we may be approved!! YES! Bought that day. (another story, grrr) Our people backed out in RI. (lost our $5000 deposit here :verymad: ).....sold RI home 8-20-04 ...found home online new MLS list 8-27, flew down 8-28 alone. Bought home! Closed our RI house 9- 27, drove south...here on 9-28 (DUE DATE) at midnight w/3 dogs. Hotel. hotel. Drive to Deerfield beach, give daughter her dog. Waiting for baby! BUT NO. Back here 10-3 for closing 10-4. 10-4, close, hotel, grrrr..no electric at home. 10-5 electric on! HOME!!!!! YAY go to bed........2AM phone call!!!! baby is coming!! drive 4 hours to Hollywood, Fl. On 10-6 at 6AM Taylor Alexis made her debut, minutes before we arrived!! A week later we finally came home, began our new lifestyle, and let me tell you, Sumter opened shortly, thereafter, and the last 3 1/2 years have been our happiest, ever! Taylor now lives 70 minutes south!!!! sorry had to tell the whole story and I did shorten it!! ;) When the grandbabies in RI arrive (sons wedding is next May) we will be snowflakes a bit!

[Sidney Lanier]

Close friends did a lifestyle preview for the month of May a year ago, bought a resale, and moved in in August. In September we were coming to a trade show in Orlando, and our friends invited us to come a few days early to see their new place. We arrived on Labor Day last year, the lightning bolt went off in my head that said five words, 'This IS the rainy day,' and the following day we were sitting with a real estate salesperson. After a ton of research and a ton of time running around looking at Villages listings, multiple listings, and FSBOs, knowing for sure we wanted a resale, we ended up buying privately from the neighbors of our close friends (two houses away) who HAD to sell, and the rest is history--we're officially snowbirds! At this moment our youngest son, his girlfriend, and his sweet Spoiled Rottenweiler are driving down to spend a few days because they just LOVE it there. I can't wait to get back!!!