Never been to the villages Is it a great place to be [Archive]

View Full Version : Never been to the villages Is it a great place to be

lisa kay

01-04-2015, 09:22 PM

baustgen

01-04-2015, 09:56 PM

Monthly fee for all the amenities golf, pools, meeting rooms is $147 per month for all houses no matter what size. Do not know what $97 to $448 is. Call the sales office and have them send you a sales packet before you arrive. It has all the numbers.

villagetinker

01-04-2015, 10:08 PM

Be sure you get LL of the costs, bond, utilities, mortgage, taxes, etc. It does add up. We missed a few things, not a big problem, but if you are concerned about the monthly costs, the villages website at one time had some estimates. If these are still available, se these as a starting point then ask questions. Confirm your tax situation, etc.

I hope this does not sound negative, we LOVE it here.

Hope this helps.

MikeV

01-04-2015, 10:18 PM

Totally worth it.

Bay Kid

01-05-2015, 07:03 AM

Tons of fun for the money!

kstew43

01-05-2015, 08:23 AM

$147 is ammenities fees

$97 is probably the maintinence fee per month....(different fee depending on home and village)

$448 could be the monthly bond payment...(also difference depending on home) with taxes and insurance added in?

others fees on top of your mortgage would be Taxes and insurance. paid monthly in your mortgage or yearly depending upon who you set it up....

buy a home in lake county.....just $147 no bonds....

hope this helps....

champion6

01-05-2015, 09:38 AM

This should help you. Go to the "Nuts and bolts of The Villages" section of this forum - at the bottom. Read the three messages titled "Moving to the Villages - Part 1, 2 & 3" Lots of useful information about TV.

Bonny

01-05-2015, 12:29 PM

It's an awesome place !! Hope you have a wonderful time here !!

CassieInVa

01-09-2015, 10:09 PM

Is the bond payment made monthly as stated above? For some reason I thought it was yearly unless paid off.

Carla B

01-09-2015, 10:18 PM

The bond payment is made once per year. It appears on your annual property tax statement. If you buy a residence in Lake County, there is no bond payment.

Dr Winston O Boogie jr

01-10-2015, 07:35 AM

I love it here and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The only thing that I would change would to move it closer to a beautiful tropical beach.

We take a two hour ride several times a year to go to Clearwater Beach and that's OK. I'd love to be able to walk to a beach like that.

Other than that, it's the greatest place in the world to live. I haven't shoveled snow in about five years.

BarbaraM

01-10-2015, 09:53 AM

Planning on coming down in march to check out the place sounds nice.I was looking on the monthly fees showed $147.00 month then $97.00 to $448.00.Does that depend on area of the villages or the price of the home?
It's a great place to live. The fees are worth it. I love being retired with lots of fun things to do here. I learned how to golf when I moved here. My husband is very happy about that.

Hunger Mountain

01-10-2015, 11:02 AM

we will get the koolade ready!

Colts Fan

01-11-2015, 10:28 PM

If you are from a state with a state income tax, you will have an offset, since FL does not have an income tax. Titling and registering a car from from out of state is expensive initially, but might be cheaper in the future if your state has a high excise tax when registering your vehicle each year (such as Indiana).

We've only been here a month, but I don't plan on leaving.

Steve & Deanna

01-11-2015, 10:44 PM

Great place to live either full time or part time. The old saying still goes. If you're bored in The Villages, it's your own fault. Lots and lots and lots of stuff to do. We've never regretted buying. Ask questions and do your homework and enjoy. If not now, when???

mtdjed

01-12-2015, 12:19 AM

IF you are thinking of monthly fees to be in The Villages, think $150. Other fees are for services that could be considered taxes or utilities. Water, sewer, trash, etc. and these are reasonable.

romanpaula

01-14-2015, 06:44 AM

DougB

01-14-2015, 06:58 AM

Bonny

01-14-2015, 07:37 AM

kstew43

01-14-2015, 09:14 AM

taxes, insurance, bond payments and maintance fees, with mortgage payments can be ammoritized monthly.

Challenger

01-14-2015, 09:22 AM

I'm not sure what all the hoopla is about but really, the Town Squares, how often do ppl go?? Well yes, if you have company, other than that, aren't they really like a big retail tourist trap with overpriced shops and restaurants.

Really, what am I missing about TV??

It seems almost everything.

We are from Maryland and had expressed the opinion( after probably 25 or more visits) that we would never move to Florida. In 2009 we just happened to drive through the Villages on a whim. Wow!!

We realized that we needed to rethink our plans for retirement and shortly became snowbirds. After a year we were convinced that we should bite the bullet and become Frogs. Friends could not conceive that the things we told them about TV could be true. When our former friends and neighbors began visiting, for the most part, they realized that we and 100,000 others were not exagerating and had in fact made a great decision for our(active) retirement.

TV can not be adequately described in words(they won't believe you)
It must be experienced to be believed.

Allof that from a major league skeptic(moi):gc:

Abby10

01-14-2015, 09:33 AM

I'm not sure what all the hoopla is about but really, the Town Squares, how often do ppl go?? Well yes, if you have company, other than that, aren't they really like a big retail tourist trap with overpriced shops and restaurants.

Really, what am I missing about TV??

I see this is your first post, but I'm gonna bite anyway for the sake of the OP. What are you missing? How about the use of multiple pools, rec centers, golf courses, and 60+ pages of activities that are listed every week, which are all paid for by the less than $150.00 per month amenity fee. I'd say that's a bargain not to be matched anywhere!! And overpriced shops and restaurants? Haven't seen that in The Villages. In checking prices in the few shops that are more high end, they are very comparable to elsewhere.

Abby10

01-14-2015, 09:59 AM

It seems almost everything.

We are from Maryland and had expressed the opinion( after probably 25 or more visits) that we would never move to Florida. In 2009 we just happened to drive through the Villages on a whim. Wow!!

We realized that we needed to rethink our plans for retirement and shortly became snowbirds. After a year we were convinced that we should bite the bullet and become Frogs. Friends could not conceive that the things we told them about TV could be true. When our former friends and neighbors began visiting, for the most part, they realized that we and 100,000 others were not exagerating and had in fact made a great decision for our(active) retirement.

TV can not be adequately described in words(they won't believe you)
It must be experienced to be believed.

Allof that from a major league skeptic(moi):gc:

Challenger - My story pretty much mirrors yours. 10+ years ago my husband asked me if we would end up moving to Florida when we retired, and my immediate response was why would we do that! I didn't even really like Florida that much - you know, the heat, the bugs, etc. Then we made a stop in TV to visit his cousins on our way home from visiting my aunt and uncle in southern Florida and I was hooked! Moving to TV is so much more than moving to Florida. As you said, it can't be described, it must be experienced! We are still snow flakes working up to frog status, but very happy that we purchased in TV.

To the OP, I hope you enjoy your stay in March. Take the trolley tour, spend some time with a sales rep to ask all of your questions, check out all 3 town squares, but most importantly take the time to talk to the people who live there to give you a real feel for what it's like. You will find that easy to do because most villagers love to talk about their new hometown!

coconutmama

01-25-2015, 08:34 AM

As another poster mentioned, the homes in the county of Lady Lake have no bonds. Also there are pre-owned homes where the bond has already been paid off. The Villages is a great place & will keep you young. Make sure you get out to enjoy all that is offered. We love going to the Squares about once every week or 10 days. Too busy to go all the time, but enjoy people watching and the many dining experiences. We also enjoy the special events in the Squares, such as the car shows. You will love it!

Villager Dude

01-25-2015, 06:17 PM

Follow all the advice on this blog. Talk to the people here and ask them all the questions you want. You will find it very affordable . And as one poster stated this is not Florida as we all thought. There is just so much to do you will love it and any friends or family that come visit will as well.

I played golf with a guy that set out many years ago to find the best retirement place in the country. He was a little anal and did not want to make a mistake. After visiting places all across the country he said TV was by far #1 and # 2 did not come close. He and his wife are here having the time of their life.

My wife and I are privileged to live here as well as all my other new found friends at the wonderful playground.

After your visit please report back to let us know your thoughts.

Take Care and have a safe trip.

gpirate

01-25-2015, 08:24 PM

Planning on coming down in march to check out the place sounds nice.I was looking on the monthly fees showed $147.00 month then $97.00 to $448.00.Does that depend on area of the villages or the price of the home?

Lots of add on and home prices higher than most places in Fl. You are leaving out the bond price and range from 23K-0.

More activities than anywhere else I have checked. Depends on what you are looking for and how active you are. Will be more expensive than most.

tomwed

01-25-2015, 09:23 PM

//////

joldnol

01-26-2015, 04:08 PM

Lots of add on and home prices higher than most places in Fl. You are leaving out the bond price and range from 23K-0.

More activities than anywhere else I have checked. Depends on what you are looking for and how active you are. Will be more expensive than most.

The homes are high when compared to neighboring communities but they lack the amenities that TV has. You are paying a higher price for your house to get the lifestyle which is WONDERFUL. You can live like a millionaire on a modest retirement.

yesi3putt2

01-26-2015, 04:34 PM

Moved here 7 yrs ago..happiest 7 years of my life...I'm black and blue from pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming

JerryLBell

01-27-2015, 03:17 PM

bobbym

01-27-2015, 06:48 PM

It�s nice even if they don�t plow the streets all Winter

outlaw

01-28-2015, 10:05 AM

Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded....

2BNTV

01-28-2015, 10:22 AM

Planning on coming down in march to check out the place sounds nice.I was looking on the monthly fees showed $147.00 month then $97.00 to $448.00.Does that depend on area of the villages or the price of the home?

The "nuts and bolts" section will tell you what it costs for 2B/2B pation villa.

The packet the sales office gives you pricing that is accurate but the "nuts and bolts", adds all the other costs that one may incur.

Buying a pre-owned home where the bond is paid off, will save you money. It is affordable but not the cheapest. You are paying for a lifestyle that is unmatched and will help you to think, and stay younger.

You can live like a millionaire without being one. The question becomes, how much will you save in medical bills by being active as opposed to buying outside TV and not having the 2000 activities and clubs you can belong to?

Besides, "what is it worth to get on with the rest of your life"?

TV has to be seen as no amount of words can fully describe it. It is beautiful, the people are great and I know I love the go-go mentality that almost all villagers have.

BTW - Bring your checkbook. :D