Smart to rent while looking for right home?

[Scooter777]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊

[raynan]

I think it's a good idea. It let's you get a feel of the different areas. It takes awhile to get familiar with getting around here and if you don't have any friends or relatives to help you get situated then I suggest renting first. We didn't but we had friends that had been here for a few years before we came. We then passed the experience onto more friends as they moved here. Had them stay with us several times, rented them golf carts and basically got them familiar as to where to shop in and out of The Villages and basically educated them on the different house models and types of lots. Good luck with your decision.

[outahere]

We did exactly what you are thinking of doing. We sold our place in MA, then flew down for a long weekend before that closing and found a long-term, unfurnished rental (we actually found it online and came down to see it and sign the lease). We ended up staying in the rental for about 6 months and it cost us one month's rent to break the lease, but we took our time and found exactly the house we wanted. After we closed we took our time moving the small stuff in, painting, etc. then had local movers move the furniture and big stuff. I think we only paid around $700 to the local guys and they were very good and had us into the new house in one morning.

I've seen way too many stories of people who move 2 or 3 times within TV (and also know a few that did that). Moving is a hassle so we only wanted to do it the way we did.

Our opinion is that what you're thinking of doing is a great idea. Welcome to TV!!

[vintageogauge]

we sort of did the opposite. We had been coming down during the winter and renting for several years trying to decide what to do and knew basically what we wanted. We rented a home to come down and buy before selling our up north home. We ended up buying a freshly built home in Fenney and will now go back and decide what to do with our other home and belongings with no rush. We wanted to do it this was as Fenney has some great prices on new homes which pulled us out of the re-sale market.

[Suzanne0812]

We just retired from western suburbs of Chicago. We rented here for five months in the summer as rents are cheap. Wasn't affordable for us in the winter months. We rented at sun city for five months this winter. Great idea to Rent first. So many areas to choose from. Every time I meet someone they give me tips on buying a house here. Very helpful. I would say absolutely rent until you know your options. We went through property management in the villages.

[villagetinker]

We came down for a week, saw several model houses, and picked the model we wanted. At this time, we were able to buy a lot and build, so our sales agent found a great lot, and we built the house, let it sit empty for around 4-5 months, until we were ready to move. The mortgage rates were such that we decided to use a mortgage and invest the proceeds from the sale of our house up North. Very little stress.
Welcome to TV, hope all goes well.

[Scooter777]

Thank you for the info! Do you have the name of the local moving company you used? Although we are not going for a while, it's always good to have a personal reference when it comes to any kind of service!

[Scooter777]

We agree about the rental rates and are actually going to push our home sale back a couple of months so we begin rental no sooner than April. We will be using TV property management company, as well, and after April we can rent weekly so that's a benefit if we need to go that route. Thanks for the info!

[thelegges]

Usually unfurnished is a yearly lease. If you sell up north I would store furniture. Rent couple weeks at a time in different areas of the villages. We rented in three villages before we bought. But even if you do buy doesn't mean you can't change your mind and move to another village.

[ColdNoMore]

Renting for a while and getting a feel for the pros/cons of different villages, while not being pressed to hurry up and find a place to buy...is definitely a great idea. :thumbup:

[Nucky]

I came down to The Villages from N.J. in May 2015. I went to 5 out of 13 appointments that I had at other developments. When I stumbled upon TV I called the remainder of the places I had not made it to yet and cancelled. I knew within a few hours that I had found our new home. Wrapping it up in Jersey was rough but once you get here and get set all the tough things you have to get through to get here are not that big of a deal anymore. I was fortunate that a group of fine people from TOTV who have the patience of a saint counseled and guided us when different questions came up. I consider them very good friends. I also try my best to help new people with advice.

We all have a different path that gets us here. The main thing is to get here in one piece. Slow and steady wins in this case. We came here to buy a new home near Brownwood and ended up in Orange Blossom Gardens. You just never know. Now that we are coming up on our one year anniversay here my wife has mentioned looking at Fenney again. We shall see. Enjoy your journey its the greatest here!

[Fraugoofy]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊
Each person has to decide what is right for her. I came down and 5 days later bought a villa. Came down a year later and bought my 2nd villa. Gotta love TV! I live in one and rent one and life is good!

Sent from my SM-N910R4 using Tapatalk

[Barefoot]

Once we found The Villages in 2007, we immediately decided to jump in and buy a home in mid Villages.
We decided not to rent. It's expensive to rent during high season, and we had two dogs.
We are seasonal residents. We wanted to get established and make friends in one neighborhood.
We purchased, and we've never regretted it. However renting is probably a better option for more cautious people.

[johnfarr]

A good local mover is Jim Collop's Get it Moved, 352-753-5047, Moving services – Lady Lake, FL - Jim Collop's Get It Moved (http://www.jimcollopsgetitmoved.com/)

[jricciuto]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊
This is a very smart idea. While it might be pricey during prime months (Jan-April)..renting the off season is very affordable.

We have a home in an area that we love that will be available from May-Dec 2018...$1000 per month..includes all utilities. It is furnished. My suggestion is that if you fall in love with a house and are ready to make the big move..move furniture just once, into your new home.

Hope to hear from you:
Jean
585 694 3279
jricciuto@rochester.rr.com

[Greg Nelson]

we're renting for the third year having skipped this winter as we tried the Southwest which my wife did not like. We seem to like the quiet'country' northern part of The Villages as the 'frogs' call it.

[graciegirl]

The house we live in is our tenth new home in our life.

I want to point out to you that new homes and resales are priced almost exactly the same...given the lot and view and model are equal.

We bought a new home already built in Hadley the first time. Sold it immediately when we decided to move here year around. Built the second home here. We rented while it was being built. Homes are much less expensive to rent in the summer. If you rent, rent short term, in case you find just what you want and won't have to pay for the house and your too long lease.

Last night at the "Evening with the Developer" the Villages read their selling statistics; They sold more used homes than new last year. They have 1100 homes right now before they run out of built homes.

My favorite pick for a home to live in here and for an easy resale is a designer of 1900+ sq ft not backing on another home. You can find a new one for around 300K. You can back on a rec center, a road, a wall, for that price.

I don't sell real estate, never have. Just love to see how things sell around here.

Good luck to you. I hope you find the perfect home and make the right decision on how to do it.

The Villages - Search for New, Pre-owned Homes and Villas in The Villages, Florida (https://www.thevillages.com/homefinder/#/S192.53)
Here is a Begonia that I think backs on the street;

[vaborn@comcast.net]

Just spent a week in TV getting a "feel for the neighborhood". Planning another look see for my significant other in December. Hopefully will be making the big move in mid-2018.

Several things that impressed me were:
- different levels of homes within a village -- my mother will be moving also and we like being able to be in the same village but in separate residences.
- cleanliness and upkeep of the common areas and homesites.
- use of getting around (Buena Vista Blvd and Morse Blvd) and I did not have an issue with the roundabouts
- make a wrong turn on the golf cart but I realize that will come with time
- you can do as much or as little as you want!

Now I just have to count down the days! :-)

[Jazzcat]

We sold our home in upstate NY, put our furniture in storage, and came here "homeless" last fall. We rented for two months and it was just the right amount of time to find and close on our new home. Because we were renting during "off season" the rates were very reasonable. We found a multitude of rentals in all areas of TV, available on the web at ****.com.
Good luck! You won't be sorry that you made the move.

[outahere]

Thank you for the info! Do you have the name of the local moving company you used? Although we are not going for a while, it's always good to have a personal reference when it comes to any kind of service!

We used Village Mover and were very pleased. The owner is Mike Collop at 352-751-2750 and he gave us a firm written quote. Once you get here you will probably see some of their crews while driving around. They typically drive pickup trucks towing large black trailers with the name and phone number of the company on the sides.

[big guy]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊

We rented 2 winters, 2 different locations, before buying. We certainly found a location that we love but the house is not exactly IT. The plan was that if something we liked better became available in same area, we would move. Well, life got in the way and it didn't happen so we keep improving the home we are in now. At this point, I think we will stay.

[2BNTV]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊

Came to TV on May 1, 2013. Bought a home in August of 2013. This afforded me the luxury of looking around and moving into my home at a leisurely pace. As you may know, TV is a very big place and you will have many decisions to make. Make a list of "must haves" and "would like to have" before you start looking for a home. You will know you have the right home when you find one that has all of your must haves and it will feel right.

Picking a location will be your top priority but keep in mind, there is no such thing as a bad neighborhood.
Good luck on your search.

BTW - Make sure you have a map and study it to narrow down, where you might want to live.

[hillside19]

AIRBNB maybe a more affordable option for renting.

[jnieman]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊

We got a contract on our home in Ohio, came down and bought in 3 days. Of course we were buying a brand new home so it is easier. We also had our things stored in a POD that way we could request them bring them when we wanted them.

[Talysen1]

There are many beautiful reasonably priced rental homes in the Villages. All are fully furnished with everything you could possibly need except clothing and personal items. We have been renting for 2 months taking our time looking and signed a contract today.

[rjm1cc]

Spend time in the community before you buy. It seems to be some what common to move several times.
I know a group of 50 homes. Two buillt by people moving from one part of the community to another. 4 up for sale to move to a different community all together. Needs had changed.
Try VillagersHomes4Rent.com (http://www.villagershomes4rent.com/) for a rental.

[banjobob]

A side note we moved all of our funiture from Ohio stored it until buying , hind sight we would have sold every thing in Ohio , saved the expense of moving it and storage plus wear and tear either bought turnkey or puchased new.

[JCSCAS]

We are in a similar situation, only selling our house is not required to happen before we move to TV so we have some flexibility in timing. Half of our furniture is old and not desirous for TV. We are headed down there in a week to do some house shopping after looking at many houses online to see how well our online evaluations correspond with a first hand look. We may end up having to set up an extended rental (2-3 months) for the winter to find something we want to buy. It seems like the best options usually hit the market in March and April. Ugh! It is very difficult trying to assess and purchase from afar. We've also heard the stories of people buying 2-3 times in TV but would love to find our forever place on the first go around and save ourselves the hassle of future moves. It is indeed a complicated process, but we are looking forward to settling in down there sooner than later! This site is very helpful!

[Lee Stroud]

I think you are on the right track. We had visited folks we know in TV twice, so were familiar with TV in general. We held on to the large condo in VA for a while then bought here. We rented for two months expecting the process to take a while. After talking to realtor, Joe Cosentino, and touring a couple days, we bought a spec house from the Villages on the second day!
You should know TV is vibrant and dynamic. Of the fifteen families on our block, which was new at the time, only five have not moved. We're not only frogs, but expect to stay on the same lily pad, in the same pond, till we croak.
So, our advice is to take your time, get the home you want and settle down.

[Greg Nelson]

we're renting for the third year. We prefer the 'country' of TV

[gijoe]

Your choice...buy immediately just to have a place to go, which will likely lead to you buying a couple more times, till you find your "ideal" home, which many Villagers do, OR, rent, and invest time evaluating your options and buy once.

I relocated to Florida with a truckload of furniture in the Summer of 2012. I rented a air conditioned storage unit, for what turned out to be 15 months before I found my "ideal" home. I rented, two different places (furnished), while evaluating my options. This was the best spent time and resulted in a great fit. Yes, there is a cost for renting a storage space but in my opinion it is less stressful and physically draining than having to move furniture again and again.

Some things I evaluated and you may want to consider, that may not be initially on your mind:
1) Resale value of the Villages home you purchase (even if you don't "plan" to sell it.
2) Type of home: Villa; Ranch; Designer; Premier - all have their strengths and shortcomings
3) Learn the "desirables" many/most people are looking for: such as Golf Car Garage; block/poured concrete construction; and NO ONE or NO house behind you....which is a HUGE deal. Minimal "noise pollution" is a VERY good thing.
4) Proximity to the things you most want to be near, such as The Squares or Village congregation points; Recreation Centers; shopping; medical facilities; and things you do NOT want to be right next to such as a Pickleball Court - great to be near when you want to play, Lousy when people are playing and the noise drives you crazy.
5) If you desire to go to more populated places such as Disney, Orlando, you should evaluate the proximity of your home and ease of access to Interstate....If this is the case, possibly the newly acquired Villages land expansion near Fenney (sp) and Southern Oaks in Leesburg could be a good option .... but these areas are a SIGNIFICANT distance from the Brownwood; Lake Sumter Landing and Spanish Springs.

Just a few things to consider.

Best wishes to you!

[OhioBuckeye]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊

We rented for 2 yrs. then bought. When you buy listen to the salesman, they'll tell you about 90% of the people that new homes & buying their first home that they'll buy 2 more times, I'm on my 2nd home. But here's what I found out. Houses that are being sold by the previous owner will sell their homes for about the same exact price as a new one. I guess what I'm saying is don't buy the first one you look at, the salesmen make plenty of money, so check out new & pre-owned homes! Also don't be afraid of buying from a person that are selling their home themselves. You'll save lots of money, sometime!

[Retired and happy]

I suggest you rent after you have you sold your house up north. We did that and our sales agent found a furnished home that we could rent monthly while we looked for a home to purchase. We found our home here two days after we arrived and we closed on it five days later! Unfortunately, the timing of our furniture delivery was off by one day and we wound up paying for storage. That was very very expensive. We went through the Villages moving company, and although they were very good and most things arrived in good condition, the storage was unbelievably expensive. I do not suggest that you store your furniture unless you can get an extremely inexpensive place to do so, however, you get what you pay for so that might not be a great idea! Having your furniture delivered to a rented unfurnished home here in the villages after you sell your house up north sounds like a much better idea. You are certainly moving to a wonderful place!

[Dukester]

Slightly different approach, did a few years renting during peak Snowbird times. Work with same realitor and decided we would move to an area that was new and all our neighbors were just moving in. We are South of 466 A, love it.
Went home sold out house 55 days later and bought one on line came down checked it out and 2 1/2 years later and over 5k on the golf cart mileage we are living the life. Enjoy

[diane50]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊

We rented for the first year and are very happy that we did because TV is quite large and this gave us the opportunity to find out where we really wanted to live full time. We were not sure if we were going to buy at all, but then our landlord needed the house back. We looked at about 20 homes and finally settled in a really great community in Piedmont. We love it. Lots of luck.

[mikemalloy]

I'm sure that there are many different ways to go on this. We came down for a month about 9 months before our projected move date. We spent the time learning the geography of The Villages and learning about the various types and styles of houses. We determined what models we were interested in and what type of items we wanted ie. double garage with golf cart "bump", tiled floors, walk-in shower in master bath etc. We then gave those items to our realtor who had a number of houses ready for us to see when we returned for a long weekend a couple of months later. We decided to move into a new neighborhood since making new friends was on everyone's mind. We enjoyed the driveway parties and other get-togethers with everyone in the neighborhood and we now enjoy a fun social life here in Lake Deaton. Despite what some people think, having neighbors near you is not difficult for everyone. We enjoy our neighbors and the extra money we saved by not having to worry about people living behind us. To each his own. Good luck and enjoy The Villages.

[PJackpot]

It is absolutely the smart thing to do. It is a large place and will take a while for you to get acclimated and choose the right area and home you want to live in. Most people in TV end up moving three times. We'll probably be looking to change ourselves at some point to gain a golf cart garage that we did not anticipate the need for. We rented for a short time and got into a bind between having to vacate the rental and buy new. In hind site we should have gone for a longer term rental...I would recommend six months, in order not be hurried. Another thing that everyone learns the hard way. Bring nothing....rid yourself of everything that does not have sentimental value including clothes, furniture, books, everything. Well, not all your clothes obviously. Fall cloths have value, but winter clothes have none. You will save a bundle in moving costs, and you should be able to find something to rent that is furnished; that is what we did. Unfortunately, we spent $9k in moving costs and in the two years we've been here almost everything we brought with us is gone. Furniture, books, cloths, electronics....all replaced with more appropriate items for the new life here. The only thing we kept is the car and my motorcycle. Believe me, that $9k would have gone a long way.

[CindyNah1]

I think it is a great idea. the villages is SO BIG and each location has it's pros and cons. ENJOY the less stress by selling first. I've been here 1.5 yr and haven't regretted one second.

[Barefoot]

Your choice...buy immediately just to have a place to go, which will likely lead to you buying a couple more times.

I realize I'm in a minority, but I think you can overthink things.
You'll probably buy more than once for many, many reasons.
Having more or less company than anticipated, or having an over 19 year old child move in.
Medical reasons, wanting a golf cart garage, desire for a view lot, wanting a summer kitchen, etc.
Or your neighbors move to a new Village and talk you into moving.
I say "Just buy now, you won't regret it". Every Village is wonderful and unique.
You will bloom wherever you're planted.

[linz0818]

:ohdear:We're from Quakertown, PA area and will be moving to TV within the next year. Been renting for the past 4 years in different areas of TV. We've narrowed it down to either Bonnybrook or Duval areas? But the idea of renting for 6 months to be certain and also expierence a summer as well sounds good. We think our type of home choice is a Courtyard Villa or Rancher/Cottage. We also like the Patio Villa (Colony) but think it may be too small for a 12 month home? Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Fraugoofy]

:ohdear:We're from Quakertown, PA area and will be moving to TV within the next year. Been renting for the past 4 years in different areas of TV. We've narrowed it down to either Bonnybrook or Duval areas? But the idea of renting for 6 months to be certain and also expierence a summer as well sounds good. We think our type of home choice is a Courtyard Villa or Rancher/Cottage. We also like the Patio Villa (Colony) but think it may be too small for a 12 month home? Any suggestions are appreciated.
I think it really is a matter of personal choice. Our Villages home ( a patio villa) is 400 more square feet than our Wisconsin home. We are happy in both places... home is where your heart is..P.S. Bonnybrook/Lynnhaven/Ashland is a perfect location, neighbor!

Sent from my SM-N910R4 using Tapatalk

[bassfish]

We did exactly that and we are glad we did. We just bought a house in the same neighborhood and have 2 months left on our lease and that will allow us time to do things to the new house before we move. I think its a smart move.

[Barefoot]

Bonnybrook/Lynnhaven/Ashland is a perfect location, neighbor!
Please add Belvedere to the list of "perfect" locations.

[Scooter777]

I haven't looked at some of the replies on this string recently (I got SO many responses!) and see you answered one of the biggest questions we had! Wondering if it's cheaper to store the furniture and rent a furnished villa or move our furniture into an unfurnished and move again when we find something to buy. Definitely think we'll do the two-move option because we can even keep the rental a bit longer and move some things ourselves. That way the local mover doesn't have as much to move either! Thru is post/string even got referrals to good local movers. We are VERY excited, thanks for your helpful response on storage expenses!!!

[JSR22]

I haven't looked at some of the replies on this string recently (I got SO many responses!) and see you answered one of the biggest questions we had! Wondering if it's cheaper to store the furniture and rent a furnished villa or move our furniture into an unfurnished and move again when we find something to buy. Definitely think we'll do the two-move option because we can even keep the rental a bit longer and move some things ourselves. That way the local mover doesn't have as much to move either! Thru is post/string even got referrals to good local movers. We are VERY excited, thanks for your helpful response on storage expenses!!!

We were 100% positive we wanted a CYV because of our dogs. I flew down to purchase a CYV in Mission Hills. None were available and I needed a month to month rental ASAP because our home in NJ was closing in 5 weeks. Most of the month to month rentals were furnished. We did not bring much furniture. What we shipped down went into storage along with all of our household items. I don't remember the breakdowns of costs but our moving bill was around $7500. The amount included the moving company doing all of the packing. In the end I am very happy that I did not find a CYV when I flew down. After living in our rental I found the villa to be claustrophobic. Only one window did not face a wall. We purchased a designer and it worked out better for us.

[baustgen]

Also moved from Ill. Paid $9000 to move and store furniture for 3 months. If I had to do it again I would have a couple of large storage cubes dropped in my driveway in Illinois and hire a local moving company to pack furniture. Then ship the cubes to Fl and put in storage in Florida in the cubes. Rent furnished during the summer until you finalize on what and where you want to end up. Summer rentals are half of busy season. Then have the cubes dropped at the new location and hire local movers to unload. If you put your furniture in storage you pay to load and just unload the trailer twice. Throw away half your stuff. You will be surprised how much you really do not need once you get here.

[JSR22]

Also moved from Ill. Paid $9000 to move and store furniture for 3 months. If I had to do it again I would have a couple of large storage cubes dropped in my driveway in Illinois and hire a local moving company to pack furniture. Then ship the cubes to Fl and put in storage in Florida in the cubes. Rent furnished during the summer until you finalize on what and where you want to end up. Summer rentals are half of busy season. Then have the cubes dropped at the new location and hire local movers to unload. If you put your furniture in storage you pay to load and just unload the trailer twice. Throw away half your stuff. You will be surprised how much you really do not need once you get here.
I agree do not bring a lot of stuff. There is no place to store it and you probably will not need it. Half of the few piece of furniture I sent never made it through the front door. One of the movers had just moved into his 1st apt and was delighted to take everything I decided that we should not have shipped.

[vintageogauge]

We purchased a home while renting and made our decision in just 3 days although we had been viewing and analyzing homes for several months before coming down and had also spent several winters down here. We chose not to bring our furniture down with a few exceptions. The biggest problem we have is what to do with everything we accumulated over the last 48 years, we are not really hoarders but have one heck of a lot of stuff. We started going through it and either selling, donating, giving away, or trashing lots of stuff. Knowing that we had a lot we ended up buying a 4 bedroom house so that one of the bedrooms will replace at least part of our basement, it is now called the basement room instead of bedroom. Im glad we did this before we got too much older as it is a lot harder getting this stuff out than it was getting it in. Good luck with whatever decisions you make..

[Fraugoofy]

...

[Suzanne0812]

We are from Illinois too and renting in the summer for five months in a furnished home. It is cheap to rent in the summer. Happy to discuss with you.
Suzanne0812@aol.com

[jricciuto]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊
Absolutely rent for at least a month, get a feel for the Villages lifestyle.

Once you decide that this is the right choice for you, start looking for a house. Things can move pretty quick. We actually closed on our house within less than 3 weeks of putting in the purchase offer.

We have a house that is fully furnished and available for long term rent from May 2018-Dec 2018. Please contact me if you are interested in more information

Jean
585 694 3279
or e-mail jricciuto@rochester.rr.com

[daverobertson2000]

we rented 6 different times over 2 years looking around each time. finally we found the house we just had to have. we knew it was the right house as soon as we saw it

[EPutnam1863]

We always advise our friends thinking of relocating to Florida to rent for a whole year, no matter where in Florida, s to get a taste of the climate. We gave up three times trying to live in Florida because we could not even step outside during the hottest months.

[Lottoguy]

We too moved here from Illinois two years ago. We sold or gave away most things that were in our house. I see no reason to move old furniture and so forth down here. Movers are expensive. Plus that heavy wood furniture doesn't look right in Florida. The money we saved on was spent on brand new furniture. We then rented for three months in July thru September. During that time we saw about 5 or 6 houses a day for about a month. During that time we got to know the area much better as well as the type of home we wanted. We ended up buying a designer home in the Village of Piedmont. The home is on a cul-de-sac and has many upgrades already added to the home. When people buy a brand new home the additional upgrades are going to cost lots of money. The northern part of The Villages is now turning over with new home owners moving in. I think it's also the most beautiful area in The Villages. Our street has just 14 homes on it. With six new owners in just the last two years. Renting is an excellent idea. Check out this video for more tips:

12 Buying Tips For THE VILLAGES in FLORIDA - YouTube (https://youtu.be/ogVfYukVRBg)

[MichaelCynthia]

We are doing the same thing, recently sold our home and are coming to TV in late August to buy, but will also find a place to rent if we do not find a home we love. Our plan is to move by January.

[Madelaine Amee]

I think renting here would be a good idea, especially now that TV is so big. When we came here it was small, much smaller and in those days the homes were selling as soon as they were shown. We knew exactly what we wanted and the location we wanted and when we were shown our home we were given just three hours for them to hold it for us before putting it back into the pool. We had to make an instant decision, it is a decision we have never regretted.

Now, with the size of TV and the numerous villages available I would definitely recommend renting - maybe for as long as six months to find what you really want and where you want to be.

[karostay]

We rented 5 homes some north of 466 and some south
Then made our decision

[Lottoguy]

The smartest to thing to do is RENT FIRST for a few months. With the minimum of three months. Spend that first month looking everywhere you might be interested. Take notes of the kind of house you want. Think of the location of the house and how easy or hard it will be to sell later down the road. The Villages is getting bigger so there will be more new homes for sale. For myself and others I have talked to, think twice about buying in that new area south of the Florida Turnpike. Do you want to put up with all of that construction and dirt and dust for the next 3 to 5 years? Just my thoughts....

[Madelaine Amee]

This is a follow up to my post above. We knew this was to be our forever home, so when we planned on what we wanted in a home and home site we knew we wanted to be within easy shopping by both car and golf cart, and to be able to get to doctors and restaurants etc., also we wanted to be closer to Sumter Landing for evening entertainment and we purchased accordingly.

[Schaumburger]

We too moved here from Illinois two years ago. We sold or gave away most things that were in our house. I see no reason to move old furniture and so forth down here. Movers are expensive. Plus that heavy wood furniture doesn't look right in Florida. The money we saved on was spent on brand new furniture. We then rented for three months in July thru September. During that time we saw about 5 or 6 houses a day for about a month. During that time we got to know the area much better as well as the type of home we wanted. We ended up buying a designer home in the Village of Piedmont. The home is on a cul-de-sac and has many upgrades already added to the home. When people buy a brand new home the additional upgrades are going to cost lots of money. The northern part of The Villages is now turning over with new home owners moving in. I think it's also the most beautiful area in The Villages. Our street has just 14 homes on it. With six new owners in just the last two years. Renting is an excellent idea. Check out this video for more tips:

12 Buying Tips For THE VILLAGES in FLORIDA - YouTube (https://youtu.be/ogVfYukVRBg)

Hi lottoguy, Thank you for posting the link to the YouTube video -- excellent tips for prospective buyers in The Villages. I'm sure you are glad you are out of Illinois...the state is still broke, and we still don't have a state budget, and my property taxes (I am in northwest suburban Cook County) on my townhouse went up 29% this year. As of this past week, no Megamillions or Powerball tickets can be sold in Illinois until the state gets a budget. :cus::cus: :ohdear:

[jeriteri]

In my opinion coming down to rent for a month now will tell you where you will want to settle and will be less expension. You can drive around checking out all the areas, go to open houses and see which model you would like, go to the squares, talk to people you meet about their experiences. We put our home on the market and lo and behold it sold right away so now we had to find a home.We had two realtors, one with the villages and one outside realtor that looked for the home we wanted. We actually found the home we wanted on line. We knew the model and we knew the area so we had some friends we made while renting take a look at the place for us and that sealed the deal. It was less stressful because we negotiated the closing date at both places that worked for us so we could have time to do all the things you do when you move. Things like a garage sale, finding a mover, deciding what your going to take and not take. This worked out great for us. To each his own, you will find it here in the villages.

[EviesGP]

Dear All,
We are planning a retirement down there either in mid '18 or mid '19(depending on retirement schedule). I have visited once last year, plan another this winter, and have looked at homes online. I see the various model types, but I was hoping there was something that describes what is unique on each model or type? Based upon these threads, I definitely plan to rent first, but I would like to do as much research as possible, so we're prepared when we get there. Thanks in advance, and thank you for all your valuable opinions. MikeM Vermont
mullinmj@gmail.com

[Wiotte]

Dear All,

We are planning a retirement down there either in mid '18 or mid '19(depending on retirement schedule). I have visited once last year, plan another this winter, and have looked at homes online. I see the various model types, but I was hoping there was something that describes what is unique on each model or type? Based upon these threads, I definitely plan to rent first, but I would like to do as much research as possible, so we're prepared when we get there. Thanks in advance, and thank you for all your valuable opinions. MikeM Vermont

mullinmj@gmail.com



No matter how much research you do you’ll won’t be as prepared until you live here long enough. By that time you’ll be looking for another house in another neighborhood. So, my opinion is to find a house that will be easy to sell once you think you’ll be settled.


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[Scooter777]

Your best bet is to see - in person and online - the type of home you want first...designer, cottage, courtyard or patio villa, what your budget may be and whether you want to buy resale or new. We are in the Village of Fenney - just moved in 2 weeks ago! We have a courtyard villa because we didn't want a lot of upkeep, and there's too much to occupy your time here and then worry about taking care of a big home! Go on The Villages app and look at homes for sale, you can apply filters to narrow your search. Also do the virtual tours. Will give you a much better idea of what you want and don't want. It helped us immensely when we were looking and don't regret it. We absolutely love our home and the location! Good luck!

[asianthree]

We rented three times from 2007 to 2010. We bought our first home in 2010 which we basically used as a vacation home for us and our family. 2012 we bought A cottage home and thought that was It, but 2 car garage was not enough. In 2014 we found a model we loved and moved again. We don’t seem to have an attachment to where we live now. We have owned three houses, but does not mean something else may come along.

[Wiotte]

We rented three times from 2007 to 2010. We bought our first home in 2010 which we basically used as a vacation home for us and our family. 2012 we bought A cottage home and thought that was It, but 2 car garage was not enough. In 2014 we found a model we loved and moved again. We don’t seem to have an attachment to where we live now. We have owned three houses, but does not mean something else may come along.



Interesting thought, you don’t seem to have an attachment.
I’ve thought of that since we feel the same way. It might have to do with the ginormous selection of homes and all the
neighborhoods essentially look and feel the same. Although we much prefer the home were in now. Spec built but with 95% of the amenities we would have had if we built.


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[asianthree]

Interesting thought, you don’t seem to have an attachment.
I’ve thought of that since we feel the same way. It might have to do with the ginormous selection of homes and all the
neighborhoods essentially look and feel the same. Although we much prefer the home were in now. Spec built but with 95% of the amenities we would have had if we built.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We still own our home up north, and so far have no plans on selling, for awhile. It’s our third house we built there also. We love to leave the heat, and I really do love snow. So multiple homes are still our lifestyle.

[simpkinp]

My attachment is to my neighborhood, not a physical house. I am not very materialistic but I value the quality of life with the nicest people in The Villages. A house is just a place to live. A home is near my friends. I’m a total frog, hear til I croak.

[Disappointed TV renter]

We secured a rental while still in Las Vegas through Property Management. After driving 4 days, with pets, we were disappointed by many aspects of the rental process. We have currently put our house hunting on hold to deal with the many issues on the rental property. It's disappointing. 😢

[FenneyGuy]

We secured a rental while still in Las Vegas through Property Management. After driving 4 days, with pets, we were disappointed by many aspects of the rental process. We have currently put our house hunting on hold to deal with the many issues on the rental property. It's disappointing. 😢

I am sorry that you had a bad experience. Perhaps if you share more details, we can offer some suggestions to turn things around for you.

[graciegirl]

We had good friends whose opinions on things we had trusted for many years who bought here and loved it.

So when we came here the first time we were incredulous about all of the wonderful stuff, but trusted our friends would never invest in anything not worth it.

So we went home and studied all of the different models and decided we would come down and buy a courtyard villa and came down and bought a designer. Right next to the Odell pool. Loved it. Loved the neighbors. Loved the Villages.

We are in second home and love this place even more.

I do not work for The Morses, but am a huge fan.

[gap2415]

We rented for short periods then bought a small villa, waited for other house to sell and finally moved to a bigger one. Most of us know when you walk into a house what you like and don't like right away so, what is different about The Villages as there is so much choice. Many answers are in posts above. We found that LSL, Spanish Springs and Brownwood became places we visited less over time. Getting around, in and out of The Villages important hence location. Rec centers are everywhere. If we had to do it again, we wouldn't move so much furniture, just the basics and long-distance moving is very expensive. Moving around her is very, very inexpensive and there are people even to help you put things away, also reasonable, soi if you pick the house you love and have a nasty neighbor, moving is a viable option. Deals come up all the time. If a fantastic deal comes up be ready to pounce and not tied up in a yearly lease. A storage unit is a good choice.
The Villages is not perfect but as you look around, it's way better any over 55 place we have ever found. Here it is less about the house and more about the people enjoying themselves and all the things The Villages haveset in place. People in Mulberry say "Don't tell too many but we have the very best location here! All the way down to Fenny you will hear something similar. In short, they are saying despite a few pluses and minuses, they are happy here. Figure out your price range, spend as little long distance costs as you can, store until ready to pounce, rent short term, are all good options. Welcome, you will love it here.

[dewilson58]

A lot of people rent and get a feel for TV prior to buying. This seems very logical. I'm not that logical, so we selected a floor plan, purchased a lot and built the house based on our selected finishes and kick-outs. Ended up being perfect.......we ain't moving/selling.

Good Luck.

[FenneyGuy]

A lot of people rent and get a feel for TV prior to buying. This seems very logical. I'm not that logical, so we selected a floor plan, purchased a lot and built the house based on our selected finishes and kick-outs. Ended up being perfect.......we ain't moving/selling.

Good Luck.

We are doing the same. We've purchased a lot and have selected a house. We're a delayed start so building won't begin until February which gives us time to sell our current house.

[rubicon]

If I had to do it over again, I would rent in the winter months and have stayed in my dream home in MN

[ricthemic]

If I had to do it over again, I would rent in the winter months and have stayed in my dream home in MN

our solution downsize up north and downsize in The Villages. Lifetime friends, family, healthcare and culture not given up

[ecory]

We sold our home in Michigan and rented in TV in September. Best decision! We rented a furnished home and put our belongings in PODS. We close on our new home on Nov. 6 in Pine Hills

[JoMar]

We rented in the winter for the month of March for two years then for three months in the winter before we moved. Gave us an opportunity to experience the amenities, talk to a bunch of people and learn the different areas. We finally purchased south of 466A and friends questioned our sanity for purchasing so for south. Now it appears we will be close to the center. The Villages is moving away from being one Community and becoming serveral local communities, not a bad thing or a good thing, just a different thing.

[autumnspring]

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊

You will hear prices are going up. My thought so is the price on your current home.

RE: selling your place AND PAYING CASH. In my OPINION mortgage money is still CHEAP. Thanks to GOVERNMENT PROGRESSIVE THOUGHT they cannot disqualify you from a mortgage due to AGE. A 99 year old can get a 30 year mortgage-HUH? Hopefully, you have someone you can show your entire financial situation to and they can properly discuss this with you.

As to pressure. Of course there is pressure. Selling your home. Packing moving, getting rid of stuff you have accumulated is an adventure at best.

For us, we bought our place in the villages before selling our home. LUCK< TIMING< PLANED all apply. We sold our previous place in two weeks, with a full price CASH deal.
Truth, is I had planed it would take longer to sell and it was a bit of pressure to pack and get rid of stuff.

Suggestion-take pictures of everything. The only proof you will have if a box is lost stolen smashed etc is if you have pictures of what you put into the box. I would also take pictures of the condition of your emptied home.

As you know the buyer is entitled to a walk through before closing. I GAVE them perhaps $1,000 worth of furniture, an antique clock, industrial quality shelving a full set of garden tools and power equipment all of which I coulda shoulda sold. Without saying anything to me at the closing they wanted me to leave 1500 in escrow to cover cleaning.
This sort of crap seems to have gotten to be common practice.

We had our stuff on the moving van all was lined up. The buyer who I liked turned into a monster. I was angry not just at them but at myself for misjudging them. My wife typically. publicly said give it to them. My atty since it was not her money apparently had already agreed to this $1500. THEY WERE ALL SHOCKED WHEN I REMEMBERING KRUSHOVE SLAMING HIS SHOE ON THE TABLE, told them loud and clear THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

Your way HOPEFULLY will be less pressure. Less pressure, MORE CONTROL, might cost you a little bit more-there is a good chance it will also allow you to get more for you current home and find a place in the villages that will fit you. Many people here end up buying a bigger or smaller place then they first thought. WOW, do it right the first time and you save moving expenses, furniture that does not fit, closing costs etc etc etc etc

[Barefoot]

WOW, do it right the first time and you save moving expenses, furniture that does not fit, closing costs etc etc etc etc
Unfortunately, circumstances often change as we age.
It's often said that the average Villager moves three times.
I don't think that's a result of poor planning, just lifestyle changes.

[manaboutown]

Unfortunately, circumstances often change as we age.
It's often said that the average Villager moves three times.
I don't think that's a result of poor planning, just lifestyle changes.

Maybe due to the three phases they go through if they live long enough? young old, old, and old old.

[Toymeister]

We secured a rental while still in Las Vegas through Property Management. After driving 4 days, with pets, we were disappointed by many aspects of the rental process. We have currently put our house hunting on hold to deal with the many issues on the rental property. It's disappointing. 😢

I am not blaming you as the victim here but generally most posters report more problems dealing with property management firms than dealing directly with the owners. If you are in a shorter term arrangement I would consider seeking out an owner managed property.

[clogletn]

I have read several comments on here about making sure you settle in a good location. Where is a good location? Or maybe more important, what location to not get into? Can you have a fence anywhere you go or just certain properties? We have a dog. Thanks for any replies. Coming down for a week next moth to start looking around.

[vintageogauge]

If you are coming down next month, start talking to a sales agent now. He or she can answer all of your questions and more before you get here. A week goes by very fast so plan on a fast paced schedule if you want to see all of The Villages and what each has to offer. All locations are good for one reason or another, some are 30 years old some are just being built but they all have their good and bad points, mostly good. Dog fences in most cases are a no no, a courtyard villa has a little yard for dogs, you might want to ask to see some of those. We have a dog, no fence or courtyard, we walk him 3 or 4 times a day and there are also dog parks here and there.

Good luck with your search.

[Fraugoofy]

I have read several comments on here about making sure you settle in a good location. Where is a good location? Or maybe more important, what location to not get into? Can you have a fence anywhere you go or just certain properties? We have a dog. Thanks for any replies. Coming down for a week next moth to start looking around.Location is where you are most comfortable. Villages near Nancy Lopez are not as busy and have less traffic, albeit fewer pools than where I live, in Lynnhaven. Trending is "younger" people moving in near Brownwood. The historic side is a great place for those who don't want to pay a bond. Fenney is desirable to some for price and nature views. The only one that can decide the best location is you. Everywhere in The Villages is wonderful... I don't think you can make a bad choice.

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[Roll With It]

We are planning to buy a home in TV within a year. Prior to buying, we are thinking of renting. Since we will probably be coming down during the winter, the rental prices will be very expensive in The Villages. We are thinking of possibly renting somewhere fairly close to The Villages, but are unfamiliar with the surrounding area. What other nearby towns might be a good option for renting. Any recommendations would really be appreciated. We are very much looking forward to being Villagers in the near future!

[irishrn614]

Back in june we signed a contract to sell our home up north. We got on a plane , came to the villages , and within a week michelle from the villages property management found us a rental . There were many to choose from, with consideration of budget and preference (new/old, furnished/unfurnished, pets). Lease terms options also available.
We too moved furniture and household items (more than necessary). We have no regrets as we explore and enjoy tv without the stressors associated with buying while transitioning from our old life in ny.
Settling into tv includes finding desirable social spiritual financial and medical services. We have a year lease and are very happy with our decision. Good luck with yours

[Lottoguy]

We sold our house in Illinois two years ago. We hardly took anything with us to The Villages. Didn't make sense to bring down old furniture and pay a huge cost to do so. You would be surprised how many people ship their stuff down here only to toss it out a year later. We rented furnished house for three months in the summer months. We took our time because we wanted to make the right decision the first time. You should concentrate first on the location. Then the house that you want. Keep in mind Lake County real estate taxes are higher then Sumter and Marion county. I've heard as much as $1,500 more for a comparable house. Ask lots of questions!! Link for you below for tips:

12 Buying Tips For THE VILLAGES in FLORIDA - YouTube (https://youtu.be/ogVfYukVRBg)