Tell us your Villages buying story!!!

[Indy-Guy]

The Villages, Florida

Wife to be and I had visited The Villages 3 times. This was in the spring of 2005 and I said that if we were going to purchase this was the time and we decided to pass. We had decided we would rent and would not purchase and that was our final decision as we had wavered back and forth many times. So we came to The Villages with no check book and no intention of purchasing.

We checked into our rented villa and chatted with our rental person Marsha Larson who we had rented from on each of our first 2 visits to The Villages.

Marsha said are you going to purchase as many do on their 3rd visit to The Villages. We said no that we would just rent after retirement and live in Indianapolis. Marsha said that many people do the opposite.That they live down here full time and then go back North and rent. You can rent for a couple of months up North in the Summer for less than you can rent down here in the Winter. We looked at each other and smiled then 3 days later we were calling the bank up in Indianapolis to see how we could get the downpayment sent down here. Marsha does not sell for The Villages and had no interest in selling us a place. In fact if we were renting here we would rent a place from her.

We weren't going to live here for several more years. A year later my wife said why don't we move to our place in The Villages and she could work in Florida as well as Indianapolis. I looked at her and said lets go I can retire (what an idea) and all has been great every since.

I truly thought that I would live the rest of my life in Indianapolis I was very happy there. After I saw The Villages I knew that this was a special place and I say to myself everyday that I am very fortunate to be spending the majority of my time here.

When ever I leave I can't wait to get back. It truly is like being on vacation everyday!!!

[Donna]

Okay..We went on the preview visit, we stayed in a CYV in Clifton Villas, I think it was Lynnhaven..We bought after two days..We loved it!

We were the first ones to buy in our neighborhood, that day Collington Villas was just opened for sales..We had the pick of the litter..LOL

We bought a Patio Villa which served it's purpose for the last 4 years, then we decided we wanted something a little bigger with more bedrooms, we just closed on a Wisteria ll..

We love it more and more, each time we go!

[F16 1UB]

Originally was told to check out Springhill area north of Tampa. Beautiful area, we thought, until friends suggested TV. They moved from Pompano Beach intercoastal condo to Sable Chase. We went for a visit, drank the food & ate the water, or something like that, bought an Irish Setter puppy and have been run out of KY. Okay that may not exactly be what happened but... My wife fell in love with the place the 1st day. I was familiar with the general area because my parents lived near TV in the 70's. Wow what a change. We then waited 2 1/2 more years to purchase due to circumstances but our intent was always to relocate south and specifically TV. Looked at preowned homes but the prices kept dropping on new homes so we decided to go with new. Will eventually move to TV once we sell in KY. At least we have a home waiting for us in TV. That's if Fay doesn't decide to create havoc.

F16

[rshoffer]

I'm 58 and my wife is 52. We are both very avid golfers and are from Central Pa. We have been watching TV commercials on The Golf Channel for many years and every time one would come on I'd say to her... "that's where we're going to live soon". Last year she called my bluff and said, "We are flyng to TV in Sept ('07) on The Lifestyle package" We did, of course loved what we saw and.... one problem! neither of us wanted to 'retire' yet. So, in a timespan of 9 months we found a way to continue our careers down here, sold our home in Pa. (in 1 day), bought a home in TV (Dec. '07), and moved in June 6th. Needless to say it was a busy 9 months.

[imbrennan]

I bet our story is the most unusual! We are from England but I was with my husband who was working in the Navy in the Middle East (Oman).

One of the members of our golf club happened to mention that he had bought a house in The Villages, Florida where there was "free golf". Of course my husband's ears pricked up and that was it. We had previously looked at Spain but didn't like it and on the way to Florida my husband said "don't get too excited, probably nothing will come of it". But once we got there we loved it and on the way back on the plane we were already planning how we would finance it.

We bought in February 2002 in Piedmont (a courtyard villa) but decided a few years later that we felt too far out, so we moved a couple of years ago down to another courtyard villa nearer to Sumter Landing, which is very central. As we are Brits we can't spend all year there, but we love it and come as often as we can.

[Sidney Lanier]

Arrived at TV Labor Day 2007 for the first time ever (on our way later that week to Orlando for a trade show) to visit close friends who had just moved to TV from south FL. Lightning bolt went off inside head.... Sat down the next day with a Villages salesperson and collected a ton of info. Went to the trade show, then back to NY, and my wife got online and learned several more tons of info (amazing what's available online...). Returned in mid-October to the same Villages salesperson + a MLS salesperson + a list of FSBOs from the classifieds of the Daily Sun. Assumed that to be snowbirds we'd be looking for a Patio Villa. Ran around like crazy with salespeople and by ourselves looking. Introduced by our friends to their neighbors two houses away from them who had to sell, and we ended up buying their house privately--a small Designer--for little more than the Patio Villas we'd been looking at. Since we'd never visited TV before, obviously we'd never done a Lifestyle Preview; in fact, we didn't take the trolley tour until other friends visiting us from up north wanted to, so we joined them.... We are thrilled with our home and with TV--and we don't even golf!!!

[l2ridehd]

We did 2 Lifestyle previews and looked at lots of homes. We looked at new and resale and FSBO's with both VLS and MLS. We decided on the model we wanted and the village we wanted. But did not buy on either preview. When back home we saw a listing we really liked and made an offer that did not come together. After doing lots and lots of research, building spread sheets, developing a way to determine best value, we picked about 15 homes and flew back down. We bought a home In Poinciana and got it set up just the way we wanted. Well wouldn't you know, once we had that, the exact home we originally wanted in the village we wanted came on the market. So we are now selling the first home in Poinciana, a beautiful designer with a great lot, perfect layout and lots of upgrades. And currently the best value in the Villages, at least using my apples to apples way of comparison. And in September we are closing on the new home in Sunset Pointe, on a golf course, with a pool and is the one we really wanted in the first place. So looks like we may own 3 homes for a while. Will see. If we do than will probably just rent one for the winter and back on the market in the spring. But as my investment lessons have always taught me, buy when everyone else wants to sell and sell when everyone else is buying. So for my thinking right now is the best time possible to be buying. So if I end up with 3 homes, still the best place to currently invest. Plenty of time to sell later. The market will become hot again. Just a matter of time.

[downeaster]

We lived in Jacksonville, Fl. for a number of years. I was in the real estate business. We had plenty of time to shop and having bought and sold a number of my own homes, plus selling a number of homes as an agent, I felt I was qualified to make an intelligent decision.
I had never heard of The Villages 'till a friend from NY State mentioned them.
Three visits later we put our house on the market, got a contract and made a fourth visit to buy our home here.
The buying experience here was nothing like I had ever experienced. Suffice it to say it was a very pleasant experience. A month after we moved in we presented the warranty department with a short punch list which was dealt with promptly and professionally.
That was nearly seven years ago and we have not regretted the decision. In fact, we are in the process of enlarging our Florida room and lanai.

DC

[gingersmom]

We were on vacation in Florida and were driving from Clearwater to Daytona Beach. In the car I read a newspaper article about this crazy place where you could go grocery shopping in your golf cart. Husband said "Save the paper." Wife said, "Heck, I'll remember the name, The Villages." 6 months later when he asked me the name I said "I forgot!" 18 months later the commercial came on the Golf Channel. Husband said "That's the place!" We sent off for the video, came for the tour and bought within 2 months. Still had to wait 2 years to move here, but last Thursday was our 4 year anniversary. Husband never lets me forget that I forgot!

[Barefoot]

We picked TV because it allows large dogs.

Visited the Bubble on a lifestyle preview. Looked at resales, drank the water, fell in love.

Drove home to Canada and then bought a house on the Internet, sight unseen. Best decision we ever made.

Sadly, like the Brits, we are only allowed to stay in the US 183 days out of 365. Still, it is way, way better than never being there at all.

[Sgt Mac]

The Villages, Florida ;)

My wife Maria and I took the lifestyle tour in May 07 after looking at condos in south Florida, as you know The Villages is like no other plase in the world it is more then a great place.
I still had a year till I stopped working But we knew that The Villages would be our next Home

We flew home to Maryland and then bought a house on the Internet, sight unseen. New in Hamingway We will close on Sept 2 and see it for the first time stay for a week then back north till January

Da Sgt and wife

[Barefoot]

The Villages, Florida
We flew home to Maryland and then bought a house on the Internet, sight unseen. New in Hamingway We will close on Sept 2 and see it for the first time

Bravely done Sgt Mac! Congratulations. I bet you'll never regret it!

[galady]

We were on the verge of buying in Sun City, SC. During a short visit to my older sister's vacation rental, my younger sister and I heard about The Villages from my brother in law who had just finished visiting an associate for a great day of golf. The following day,
my sister and I visited, took the Trolley ride and I was hooked. I had to do some fast talking with my husband to take a look---that was all it took. After having our home on the market for a long time, we are now closing on September 12th. Oh boy, we are so very excited to be moving to this great community.

[sandybill2]

We did the "preview" years ago--back when you got "Village Bucks"--weren't retired but loved what we saw. Came back a few times during trips to Florida--staying at La Hacienda Hotel and with friends who were on "preview." Brought my husband's parents for preview last May--they wanted to see what we had been talking about. Husband and I looked at each other--said "why aren't we here?" Went back to Va--disposed of most all our belongings. (We had sold our big house 5 years ago and were living in a small high-rise apt in the City but still had a river cottage, 2 boats and a truck to sell. ) Came back in August--rented a house with the goal of buying and closing in two weeks--actually took us two and a half!!! Found the perfect house for us in Belvedere and here we are!! Still getting used to leaving everyone behind but enjoying he Village Lifestyle.

[under55]

We first started thinking about TV years ago when the information came on VHS. I think before we made our first Lifestyle Tour we had viewed two tapes and 2 new DVD's. We finally went on our first tour last Christmas. We met with our sales agent and he told us that since neither of us were age 55 yet that we could only purchase a resale. We did look at several resale homes. And we also looked at about every other development in the area and decided that TV was the one for us. Once back home we kept watching the FSBO site. We saw a villa that was just set up perfect. We got back in contact with our Villages Agent and told him the offer we wanted to make. He told us that the offer was to low and refused to make it. We did get a hold of another agent who was going to make the offer for us but before we could get back down there to take care of the details the home sold for just $4000 over the offer we wanted to make.
We decided to take a second lifestyle tour with the understanding that we would be assigned a different Village agent and the whole time being spent looking at a list of Villages resales,FSBO's and MLS listings. We had a list of about 20 homes to look at but with one of the criteria being no homes behind us we were able to rule several out once there. But still nothing really stood out to us. Our Village agent told us that she knew of a great building lot and that we should look at it. We then reminded her that we could not buy or build new because we were not 55. She said that we could probably get approval because we would not really be living there full time for a couple of years. Well we went and looked at the Lot and it was perfect. While standing there she called to put a hold on it and it had been sold about hour before that. But that there was one left just 2 lots down. The lot was just fine so we put a hold on it. We then had to go back to the model homes and figure out which one would fit our budget. We ended up with the Camilla and it is now completed and we close on September 17th.

[gingersmom]

I wonder why the associate told you that you could only buy a resale? My husband and I bought out lot in Oct 2002 and the house was completed and closed on 1/20/03. My husband was 52 at the time and I was 48.

[nONIE]

My daughter lives in Mt. Dora and we had driven by TV a half a dozen times on 441 not having any idea what that colorful and unusual complex of Spanish style buildings could possibly be. Every time we drove by it sparked my interest more & more.Then one day we decided to go in and mosey around or is it nosey around. We couldnt believe a place like this existed and also realized we knew people that lived there! We called the people we knew from the Sales office and they insisted on giving us the cooks tour!

they kept telling us how wonderful TV was and how it was paradise and that they were so happy they lived there.( We were thinking yea, yea, yea) but at the same time we were amazed by it all! We decided to rent the following winter and the winter after that and the 3rd winter I really pushed the buying. The rest is history.

I will say that The Villages, Florida kept calling me home, I had never felt this way about any place I had visited in the past. It is a strange and wonderful feeling to know You are "home again". ;D

[graciegirl]

We had visited the Villages with friends about ten years ago and I didn't like it. My husband, Sweetie would live in an outhouse if he could have the golf amenities that TV offered.

January of this year.

We flew into Orlando and had a day before we were expected in Ft. Myers for a high school reunion. (I went to High School in Ohio but that's where it was) We decided to call friends who had a winter place in the Villages and they invited us to visit and insisted we spend the night. You can't brush your teeth without swallowing the water........Then...
everything began to sparkle. People smiled at us everywhere, the plants were greener, the blossoms brighter, the houses nicer, the food more delicious. (It was the water, I since have learned.)

We went to class reunion and listened when friends who lived elsewhere and all over Florida pitched their towns to us. We really didn't even want a place in Florida. Many were critical of The Villages. I still kept thinking about how nice TV was and Sweetie kept thinking about the golf.

We returned to Ohio and I started looking at the houses everyday on TV's site and stumbled across TOTV.

I started asking the negative questions that my friends had placed in my head. I had some negative ideas about the developers and my NOW friends on TOTV really kind of beat me up in a nice way. (Which makes perfect sense to me now) Anyway, I soon became addicted to TOTV and was delighted with the posts. These people are so real, so funny, so crazy, so bright, so grumpy, so mean.............so real.

We arranged to have a lifestyle visit in April of this year. We certainly weren't going to buy...just to look around. Just to see it from staying there. Just to ask some questions, just to avoid the high pressure sales pitch if we could. Just to find out the flaws, just to play a little golf.

Well you know what happened. The most astonishing thing for us and probably the most important in our decision to buy was the LACK of pressure, Shoot the sales rep assigned to us went on vacation after the hour and a half she took us around. Did NOT leave any other person to talk too. What is this all about?

But we managed to get into an unlocked and unsold house we liked, tracked down someone and bought it.

The rest is history. sigh.

[SteveFromNY]

We heard about TV from friends who had relatives in Ocala. While my friends were visiting Ocala, they drove down for an evening of entertainment at SS. They mentioned it to us as we have vacationed in FL for many years and they thought we'd be interested.
I started looking at the web site - back when the starting price on a patio villa was around $71,000 and the premiers started at $300.
I kept watching the prices rise, and kept hearing about TV from many different places. We met some folks who were moving there, we drove by on 301 once and saw the sign, heard about this one's friend who was there, etc, etc. Numerous coincidences that added up to someone calling us.....and the prices kept rising.
We were in a spot where we were seriously considering making a retirement home purchase, and I figured if I could get it at a low price I'd be better off than if I sold my house up north and then bought, because the prices kept rising!
All of this before we'd seen the place. So we made the trip down for a weekend to buy something. We figured if we hated it, we'd sell, after all, the prices kept rising!
Then we saw the place! Went on the tour, rented a golf cart, looked at the models. Our salesman actually tried to talk us out of buying - "Don't you want to think about it more?" he asked. But since we knew the prices would keep rising, we figured even if it's a mistake we'd do OK.
Well, the prices stopped rising (we are still a few percentage points ahead I guess) but none of that matters now. I do not plan on selling or moving again! TV is a little bit of paradise and I plan on staying!

[jojo]

My parents wintered in Venice and I love the west coast. However, after my brother-in-law moved to The Villages we began the debate: Venice vs The Villages. I think the TOTV forum won me over. I do consulting work and travel and my evening treat after I prepared for my workshops or reports was to read TOTV and view houses after the evening news. Then our house sold in ten days instead of the average 120 on market in Columbus OH. Quick trip to TV Memorial Day week. We had worked with a Villages realtor on two previous occasions and she took us out for two days. Didn't see anything so decided that we would probably get a lot and build in Hemingway. On the third day we went with an MLS realtor who happened to be a cousin of my husband's. He had researched and even interviewed the owners. As luck would have it the second of the three houses he showed us just spoke to us. Less than a year old - only lived in two months - great location, view, and upgrades. We closed by mail and moved in July 20 having only seen the house for about two hours. Very happy.