From another state

[TOMCAT]

If you moved from another state to live in the Villages, what was your feeling. I seem to be overwhelmed with worry. Leaving a job, selling a house. I did not think this would happen to me. I know some of you are snowbirds, but would like to hear from the permanent residents. 😳

[graciegirl]

If you moved from another state to live in the Villages, what was your feeling. I seem to be overwhelmed with worry. Leaving a job, selling a house. I did not think this would happen to me. I know some of you are snowbirds, but would like to hear from the permanent residents. 😳

I think it takes a lot of courage to move from a place you have lived all of your life to a new one. It is very difficult to get rid of possessions you have loved and enjoyed or just got used to. It is hard work also and stressful to sell a house and leave familiar surroundings and favorite places. It is a lot like being a pioneer. AND it is listed as a stressor in some lists psychiatrists have made.

Most of us land beautifully and find many similar traits in those around us and quickly assimilate into NOT going to work and learning new skills and enjoying not having to meet deadlines...here in this beautiful place, planned for grown up people. Good luck and

Welcome HOME.

[jsw14]

Hmmm, Worry... Naw, our move to TV, was the Best move from Tennessee we ever made... Frog's...

[graciegirl]

Hmmm, Worry... Naw, our move to TV, was the Best move from Tennessee we ever made... Frog's...

You are not a Canadian? Isn't your avatar a Mountie?

Well I'll be.

[TOMCAT]

Thank you so much. My blood pressure has been a little high with what we want to do. I usually have normal blood pressure. I just took an early buyout with my job, I am 59. I was going to wait until at least 62. My husband is retired already. I see you a lot posting on this site and you always have such smart
replied.

[TOMCAT]

I think it takes a lot of courage to move from a place you have lived all of your life to a new one. It is very difficult to get rid of possessions you have loved and enjoyed or just got used to. It is hard work also and stressful to sell a house and leave familiar surroundings and favorite places. It is a lot like being a pioneer. AND it is listed as a stressor in some lists psychiatrists have made.

Most of us land beautifully and find many similar traits in those around us and quickly assimilate into NOT going to work and learning new skills and enjoying not having to meet deadlines...here in this beautiful place, planned for grown up people. Good luck and

Welcome HOME.
Thank you so much. My blood pressure has been a little high with what we want to do. I usually have normal blood pressure. I just took an early buyout with my job, I am 59. I was going to wait until at least 62. My husband is retired already. I see you a lot posting on this site and you always have such smart
replies.

[TOMCAT]

So happy for you.

[dewilson58]

You are close to your original retirement target date. You took an early out. You have probably done the math and financially you are set. Now is the time to sit back and decide what you want in your next phase.

Determine if you are coming to TV fulltime, or as a snow. Determine if you want to rent for a year or two or just jump in with both feet. Determine what you want in retirement......how active, how passive, how much travel......map it out. Once you have a map/plan, you might be able to enjoy this transition.

Good Luck.
You WILL love it.

[TOMCAT]

Thanks

[jsw14]

You are not a Canadian? Isn't your avatar a Mountie?

Well I'll be.

......

[thelegges]

If you moved from another state to live in the Villages, what was your feeling. I seem to be overwhelmed with worry. Leaving a job, selling a house. I did not think this would happen to me. I know some of you are snowbirds, but would like to hear from the permanent residents. 😳

We visited many times since 07. Didn't buy our first house in until 2010.

Full retirement didn't come until 2015 for one of us and the other is still working full-time . Since only one of us lives here full-time it doesn't seem that stressful More like a very long vacation. We spent lots of time with our financial advisor before we made any decisions.

We have slowly moved stuff down taking our time since we still have our other home. Must have stuff first, and when there is no more room will sell everything else.

TV is not for everyone and we made sure by renting it was the place for us. Of course we have also moved the normal 2.5 times in TV to different areas.

[SKIMAN]

I came here after working for my company for 41 years .I retired at 58 when I come here people said your only 58 why did you retired . I worked outside for all those years didn't work in a office had a very physical job that's why. couldn't afford to retire a live in Connecticut on my pension or be a snowbird owning 2 places. it's simple math if you can afford 2 places do it . everyone here has a different life style an it's all base on what you have at the end of the month in the checking account.mind is simple an I like it that way. family some people can't be away from family an it's usually one of the spouses that can't be away from the kids.you have all the answers figure it out together.

[Taltarzac725]

If you moved from another state to live in the Villages, what was your feeling. I seem to be overwhelmed with worry. Leaving a job, selling a house. I did not think this would happen to me. I know some of you are snowbirds, but would like to hear from the permanent residents. 😳

We moved from Northern CA to Florida in 1996. Hard thing to do to pull up roots and the like and come to an unfamiliar place. We were following my parents' grand kids which made it better but then a divorce loomed and these grand kids moved back to Northern CA and we came to the Villages in 2005. There were many nice people to greet us as soon as we moved in to our new neighborhood. I hope you find the new home town like we did in 2005. It does depend a lot on lucking out and having good neighbors.

[VILLAGERBB]

We moved from California in 2015. Retirement and moving are stressful and overwhelming. Once you have a plan you might be more at ease. What is your biggest worry? You are in for a treat. TV is a wonderful place to be!

If you moved from another state to live in the Villages, what was your feeling. I seem to be overwhelmed with worry. Leaving a job, selling a house. I did not think this would happen to me. I know some of you are snowbirds, but would like to hear from the permanent residents. 😳

[TOMCAT]

I came here after working for my company for 41 years .I retired at 58 when I come here people said your only 58 why did you retired . I worked outside for all those years didn't work in a office had a very physical job that's why. couldn't afford to retire a live in Connecticut on my pension or be a snowbird owning 2 places. it's simple math if you can afford 2 places do it . everyone here has a different life style an it's all base on what you have at the end of the month in the checking account.mind is simple an I like it that way. family some people can't be away from family an it's usually one of the spouses that can't be away from the kids.you have all the answers figure it out together.

Long time to work physically. Have fun in your retirement.

[TOMCAT]

We moved from California in 2015. Retirement and moving are stressful and overwhelming. Once you have a plan you might be more at ease. What is your biggest worry? You are in for a treat. TV is a wonderful place to be!

This is our plan. To be living in the villagers by next year. My biggest worry is are we going to be happy with what we will be doing. The unknown can be stressful. When we came several times it did seem so nice. Clean, safe, quiet and just love the activities and squares and can drive golf carts around.

Will miss my son. He will be married next year. He will be in VA but his in laws live close to me in LI. I didn't expect him to marry a woman from where he grew up. That came on unexpectingly and we could celebrate the holidays together. Cannot do that in Florida.

[fw102807]

Came down here, bought a house, sold our house in New Hampshire and never looked back. The only snow and ice I ever want to see again is in pictures and as for "the fall foliage" looks nice for 2 weeks and then all falls down and starts to rot. It was a pretty easy adjustment for me.

[Schaumburger]

This is our plan. To be living in the villagers by next year. My biggest worry is are we going to be happy with what we will be doing. The unknown can be stressful. When we came several times it did seem so nice. Clean, safe, quiet and just love the activities and squares and can drive golf carts around.

Will miss my son. He will be married next year. He will be in VA but his in laws live close to me in LI. I didn't expect him to marry a woman from where he grew up. That came on unexpectingly and we could celebrate the holidays together. Cannot do that in Florida.

Hello Tomcat, From one wannabee to another, I hope your move to The Villages is as smooth and stress-free as possible and that you find a home that you and your husband are happy in. Happy house hunting! :wave:

[TOMCAT]

[QUOTE=Schaumburger;1451977]Hello Tomcat, From one wannabee to another, I hope your move to The Villages is as smooth and stress-free as possible and that you find a home that you and your husband are happy in. Happy house hunting! :wave:[/QUOTE

Well hello Schaumburget. Yes trying to make that move. Just retired. My coworkers were upset with it because I left very fast with an early buyout. You do not get a lot of time. My job was somewhat stressful and busy. Felt very bad. Taking it step by step. Sometimes I think I should go back and work a few more years just for them. 😔

[JoMar]

We visited here for a couple years before making the decision, and once made, never looked back We alsways took the position that the worse thing that could happen is we would sell here and move back....the best thing was we would move here and they would ship us back :). Possessions, to us, were a representation of what was, not what will be. Kids got first choice, then neighbors, then an auctioneer, then the usual charities then the trash. It actually was liberating. New house, different stuff. Making new friends here is both easy and educational. Our current friends are from all over the place so we experience different food, attitudes, cultures and experiences. An added benefit is that if we plan on traveling someplace it's a safe bet someone here is from there and can provide all sort of insights. Our old friends from PA stay in touch, will come to visit and keep us informed of changes that happen back there. The kids and grand kids did have an issue when we told them we were going but that went away after their first visit. They understood it was time for us. It does seem they show up more frequently lately :). What finally convinced us when we found our amenity fee included snow removal. Home is here.

[Nucky]

See all the good info you got. I miss Christmas Eve with our Grandchildren but there are only so many days we have to live and I'm not living mine for that. The kids are so busy with school, sports, friends, Thankfully they have a good little life going for themselves. Skype is a wonderful thing.

In my opinion if any move is for a Geographical Cure it won't work. Relax and enjoy the experience. All the hardships you face getting here are soon forgotten. You have made some great contacts on your thread. Good Job Already!

[Schaumburger]

[QUOTE=Schaumburger;1451977]Hello Tomcat, From one wannabee to another, I hope your move to The Villages is as smooth and stress-free as possible and that you find a home that you and your husband are happy in. Happy house hunting! :wave:[/QUOTE

Well hello Schaumburget. Yes trying to make that move. Just retired. My coworkers were upset with it because I left very fast with an early buyout. You do not get a lot of time. My job was somewhat stressful and busy. Felt very bad. Taking it step by step. Sometimes I think I should go back and work a few more years just for them. 😔

Tomcat, I have heard it said that most people on their deathbed don't say "I wish I had spent more time at the office." I still work full-time, and although I like my job (most days) and most of my coworkers, I certainly won't miss it when I decide to take the leap and leave...it won't be this year or probably next year, but after that who knows? My only tie to the Midwest is the need to be within a reasonable distance of where my dad lives in case of an emergency.

So breathe in and breathe out. Think of the snow you won't missing shoveling, and the fact that you won't need to wear a heavy coat, gloves and boots in January once you move to TV.

[TOMCAT]

See all the good info you got. I miss Christmas Eve with our Grandchildren but there are only so many days we have to live and I'm not living mine for that. The kids are so busy with school, sports, friends, Thankfully they have a good little life going for themselves. Skype is a wonderful thing.

In my opinion if any move is for a Geographical Cure it won't work. Relax and enjoy the experience. All the hardships you face getting here are soon forgotten. You have made some great contacts on your thread. Good Job Already!

Thanks.

[lanabanana73]

I always ask myself in any new situation, "What's the worst thing that can happen?". In this case, the answer would be that you don't like it, you sell your Villages house and you move back to where you came from, or to somewhere new. Another choice would be to start working again, but from your Villages location. Life is full of choices. I hope I am never too afraid to "go for it"!

[Barefoot]

You are not a Canadian? Isn't your avatar a Mountie?
:evil6:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKawC2yN4enC_hXQAugKuyBLWzvCMuM uqKRrejG3eahrD3kd4V

[Chi33]

I always ask myself in any new situation, "What's the worst thing that can happen?". In this case, the answer would be that you don't like it, you sell your Villages house and you move back to where you came from, or to somewhere new. Another choice would be to start working again, but from your Villages location. Life is full of choices. I hope I am never too afraid to "go for it"!

Message me if you want my feelings on my first summer. What is the worst that could happen? Irma? I stuck it out for the summer. It isn't easy to sell a house and buy another one at the same time (if it was, I may think of another place). There is a lot of good here. Summer isn't one. Newer homes are nice (don't get a small garage). Service people are hit/miss but there is a lot of miss so be careful. If you could move The Villages somewhere without lightning and without hurricanes it would be okay. You get used to the heat. However if you do not wear sunscreen (me) you will get a farmer's tan.

[CFrance]

This is our plan. To be living in the villagers by next year. My biggest worry is are we going to be happy with what we will be doing. The unknown can be stressful. When we came several times it did seem so nice. Clean, safe, quiet and just love the activities and squares and can drive golf carts around.

Will miss my son. He will be married next year. He will be in VA but his in laws live close to me in LI. I didn't expect him to marry a woman from where he grew up. That came on unexpectingly and we could celebrate the holidays together. Cannot do that in Florida.
You know, make sure to give it a while to settle in. You will have to make new friends, learn to live in a different climate, pick up some new interests. This all takes time. You may not be able to just jump in running and never look back. Our lives here are so different now than they were when we first got here. We are "sort of" introverts in that we don't jump into all the neighborhood stuff imediately but prefer to make friends accidentally.

We've been here five years now. The first year there were constant changes vis-a-vis people, places, hobbies. It took us a bit to settle in, but that first winter when it was 80 degrees most days sealed it.;)

I'm just saying it might take a bit of time, so don't panic if everything is not peaches and cream right from the get-go.

[Barefoot]

We are "sort of" introverts in that we don't jump into all the neighborhood stuff imediately but prefer to make friends accidentally. It is a friendly community, however I agree that it takes some time to get to know your neighbors well, experiment with various clubs, decide on your interests, make good friends, and learn how to play mahjong and golf. :laugh:

[jsw14]

:evil6:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKawC2yN4enC_hXQAugKuyBLWzvCMuM uqKRrejG3eahrD3kd4V

Here's a Full view of "Dudley-Do-Right" ...........

http://i65.tinypic.com/jhzl1l.jpg

[CFrance]

It is a friendly community, however I agree that it takes some time to get to know your neighbors well, experiment with various clubs, decide on your interests, make good friends, and learn how to play mahjong and golf. :laugh:

You were one of my happy accidents.;)

[Nucky]

You are in the best hand right now TOMCAT. They will give you opinions from the point of view that you need. They are the greatest. Take Care.

[Soxman]

TOMCAT I can relate. MY spouse had been retired for many years, but I was still working. I took early retirement at age 56. It was scarry to leave a job, leave our home of 25 years, our friends, and move to an entirely new place. The good thing here is everyone wants to make new friends, so you can easily get involved. Money is the main thing I worried about, retiring so early. You can get something part time or even full time if you like. Just settle in beforehand making any big decisions. If you need friends, I am always looking for new contacts.

Sox mans wife.

[Soxman]

Biggest thing to remember is to slow down, physically and mentally. The rest follows naturally.

[TOMCAT]

TOMCAT I can relate. MY spouse had been retired for many years, but I was still working. I took early retirement at age 56. It was scarry to leave a job, leave our home of 25 years, our friends, and move to an entirely new place. The good thing here is everyone wants to make new friends, so you can easily get involved. Money is the main thing I worried about, retiring so early. You can get something part time or even full time if you like. Just settle in beforehand making any big decisions. If you need friends, I am always looking for new contacts.

Sox mans wife.
Your story sounds similar to mine. Thanks so much. How long in the Villages now. I guess you feel much better now.

[TOMCAT]

I always ask myself in any new situation, "What's the worst thing that can happen?". In this case, the answer would be that you don't like it, you sell your Villages house and you move back to where you came from, or to somewhere new. Another choice would be to start working again, but from your Villages location. Life is full of choices. I hope I am never too afraid to "go for it"!
Thanks

[TOMCAT]

TOMCAT I can relate. MY spouse had been retired for many years, but I was still working. I took early retirement at age 56. It was scarry to leave a job, leave our home of 25 years, our friends, and move to an entirely new place. The good thing here is everyone wants to make new friends, so you can easily get involved. Money is the main thing I worried about, retiring so early. You can get something part time or even full time if you like. Just settle in beforehand making any big decisions. If you need friends, I am always looking for new contacts.

Sox mans wife.
I thought I had this all planned out. I wanted to leave and live in the Villages 3 years ago. I was all calm. Now I am getting to be a bundle of nerves.

[TOMCAT]

Your story sounds similar to mine. Thanks so much. How long in the Villages now. I guess you feel much better now.
My husband has been retired for a good many years now also. I am a Yankees mans wife. Is that Red Sox or White Sox.

[TOMCAT]

Thank you everyone for helping me feel better.

[graciegirl]

Thank you everyone for helping me feel better.

I want you to know that what you are feeling is very typical and very difficult and most of us felt the very same.

There are many wonderful folks here waiting to be your friends.

Sleep well.

[Barefoot]

We are "sort of" introverts in that we don't jump into all the neighborhood stuff imediately but prefer to make friends accidentally.

You were one of my happy accidents.;)

I'm relieved! I thought making friends accidentally was similar to "easy come, easy go."

I want you to know that what you are feeling is very typical and very difficult and most of us felt the very same.

Most of us felt the same stresses and insecurities that you're feeling.
And we barrelled ahead and bought a house in TV anyway.
And now we take credit for making the best decision of our life, it's that great! :clap2::MOJE_whot:

[TOMCAT]

You are all so nice.

[lake5798]

You must due your due diligence when making a decision to move. I always suggest renting for at least 3 months here and ask a lot of questions to locals, on pros /cons of living in TV. It is not for everyone!!

[zmarkp]

I'm betting that in a year or so you'll be thinking, "Yeah, one of the best decisions I've ever made!".

[TOMCAT]

I'm betting that in a year or so you'll be thinking, "Yeah, one of the best decisions I've ever made!".
I hope so. Thanks.

[TOMCAT]

I want you to know that what you are feeling is very typical and very difficult and most of us felt the very same.

There are many wonderful folks here waiting to be your friends.

Sleep well.

Thank you so much for caring.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

If you moved from another state to live in the Villages, what was your feeling. I seem to be overwhelmed with worry. Leaving a job, selling a house. I did not think this would happen to me. I know some of you are snowbirds, but would like to hear from the permanent residents. 😳

Are you serious? What are you worried about? You didn't think what would happen to you? You'd retire and come to live in paradise?

I've lived in different states and countries and The Villages by far is the greatest place that I've ever lived.

[TexasHoldEm]

Well said!

[mellincf]

Going through the same thing right now. It's the timing that has me worried. Close on my house, close on the new house, utilities, movers, car license and insurance, doctors, dentists, animals, painters & flooring & exterminators (I'm buying a resale). I know some of this can wait, but wow. Lots to make lists about...

[Peggylee]

Hurry up and get here. Best move we ever made. Came from Wisconsin.

[fw102807]

Going through the same thing right now. It's the timing that has me worried. Close on my house, close on the new house, utilities, movers, car license and insurance, doctors, dentists, animals, painters & flooring & exterminators (I'm buying a resale). I know some of this can wait, but wow. Lots to make lists about...

Yup, we went through this last year. Not going to tell you it wasn't a nightmare but it was totally worth it.

[vaborn@comcast.net]

Going through the same thing right now. It's the timing that has me worried. Close on my house, close on the new house, utilities, movers, car license and insurance, doctors, dentists, animals, painters & flooring & exterminators (I'm buying a resale). I know some of this can wait, but wow. Lots to make lists about...

FYI - for a married woman who has changed her name, she must provide either a passport or a copy of her birth certificate and all marriage certificates (if she was married more than once). Learned this the hard way. Luckily my daughter lives in my birth state and was able to get the documents and send to me. If only I had brought my passport with me. We are not moving to TV full-time until next year but wanted to get this done on our recent trip.

Congratulations on your retirement!

[gigberk]

I have done 35 years in NJ, 35 in VA and I'm here nearly five years. As someone noted above, you can learn to leave the drudge of work and deadlines and find a whole new "family of friends" within shouting distance of your front door. The activities will quickly make you forget the working years. You can be as busy as you want or just sit on your duff and no-one will make you feel like you've made the wrong choice. You be able to try things that have been on the back burner for years becase you'll now have the time. And, Florida's "Friendliest Home Town" is not just a saying; it's a life style. Yes, it's an adjustment but well worth it. gigabyte

[TimeForChange]

I retired at 63. My wife worked for four more years. We lived in North Atlanta. I still could kick myself for letting her work. We should have moved in 2008 but waited till 2012. I lost four great years I could have been here. You just have to make the make the commitment and do it. It was hard for us and we brought way too much stuff with us to TV. My attic over the garage almost fell in from the weight of stuff in the attic. When we moved to this house we got rid of all the stuff we should not have brought. Now own two homes here and rent one. FROG "here till I croak"!

[unkieoyde]

If you moved from another state to live in the Villages, what was your feeling. I seem to be overwhelmed with worry. Leaving a job, selling a house. I did not think this would happen to me. I know some of you are snowbirds, but would like to hear from the permanent residents. 😳

We moved from PA in 1997 to a home we had built in TV. Spent 19 years of a beautiful life there. Age sent us back to PA a year ago. If you find a house you really like, don't hesitate, it could be the move of your life. unkieoyde Ex-Villager

[bluedivergirl]

We are just starting our third year. We'd known for years we wanted to retire in Florida, the question was Where? We traveled all over Fl, learned we could get much more house in other communities.

But wait ~ there is no-one on the street. The rec center (singular) is deserted. We decided we wanted to live in a community, not a house. So you've made a good start.

It was particularly hard for DH to sell furniture that wouldn't transition. We did have some minor squabbles as we dealt with our (sometimes unrecognized) anxiety. After our home was in reasonable order, that faded away.

Now we have several very good friends, and many acquaintances. We bowl, play water volleyball. DH goes to billiards; I play cards. He golfs; I go to yoga ( a free two hour Hatha yoga class!) My friends up north are amazed.

We have no regrets, and no plans to move. Just be sure to buy plenty of garage space!

[Villagesgal]

We did the move at 46 and 52 from 3,000 miles away. Best thing we ever did. Our youngest turned 18 and moved out so here we came. My husband died 10 years later at 62. Had we waited we never would have had those amazing 10 years. I went back to work and will retire again in 2 years. Go for it. This is a wonderful place to live. Sometimes leaving what's familiar brings with it many new sides to you you never knew existed. Life is good, enjoy it and embrace all it has to offer. You'll be happy you did. Good wishes.

[Henryk]

FYI - for a married woman who has changed her name, she must provide either a passport or a copy of her birth certificate and all marriage certificates (if she was married more than once). Learned this the hard way. Luckily my daughter lives in my birth state and was able to get the documents and send to me. If only I had brought my passport with me. We are not moving to TV full-time until next year but wanted to get this done on our recent trip.

Congratulations on your retirement!

A passport by itself will not suffice in some instances. For example, if I remember correctly, you need a Florida state ID or driver's license to file for homestead--which saves you A LOT on real estate taxes.

[vaborn@comcast.net]

A passport by itself will not suffice in some instances. For example, if I remember correctly, you need a Florida state ID or driver's license to file for homestead--which saves you A LOT on real estate taxes.

That is correct. You need to get driver's license first, which establishes residency, and then apply for homestead exemption.

[vaborn@comcast.net]

FYI - for a married woman who has changed her name, she must provide either a passport or a copy of her birth certificate and all marriage certificates (if she was married more than once). Learned this the hard way. Luckily my daughter lives in my birth state and was able to get the documents and send to me. If only I had brought my passport with me. We are not moving to TV full-time until next year but wanted to get this done on our recent trip.

Congratulations on your retirement!

You will also need your old driver's license and your social security card.

[rubicon]

If you moved from another state to live in the Villages, what was your feeling. I seem to be overwhelmed with worry. Leaving a job, selling a house. I did not think this would happen to me. I know some of you are snowbird, but would like to hear from the permanent residents. 😳

You are indeed being given some sound advice. Life changing decisions such as this can place one in a quandary.

We have moved so often that after a period of time we get restless. We would have moved from The Villages long ago. However the more important consideration is not moving from for us but the moving to.

We left the Minneapolis area which we loved but could do so because we had no family ties.

We move to The Villages primarily because of the tax advantages. Winters were a minor concern;albeit being away from winters for 11 years would be a factor for me now but not my wife who simply has been having a difficult time with the heat.

Essentially what I am suggesting is that if after all considerations moving to offers you more in the rewards you seek then you have asked and answered your question. If you have sufficient funds perhaps being a seasonal resident would be more to your liking

Best of luck to you

[Coptrv1011]

Hello, I know how you feel, I jumped in with both feet, was pretty much settled and then came Irma. Since I've never experienced a hurricane I decided to leave..... while I was away I wondered if I had made a mistake as well.

[yammie]

The Villages is a wonderful place but it is not for everyone. If you can be a snowbird, you have it all. If you are leaving family, especially young grandchildren, consider renting for a while to see how you feel about being away from them. I wish we had. It is very expensive to settle in, fix up your house the way you want it and then decide you'd rather be back home. Coming from the northeast it is especially difficult to be able to go back because of the rise in housing prices.
If you are absolutely certain this is what you want, go for it, but if not, rent.

[JerryLBell]

We were born and raised in Michigan, moved to North Carolina 20 years ago and retired and moved to The Villages this February. We are full-time residents and have just finished our first summer (and first hurricane) here. I'll try to give you our impressions on what concerns we had and what to expect.

The Heat. Florida is a bit warmer than North Carolina (or, more accurately, just as warm but for a bit longer) and definitely warmer than Michigan. It will be similarly warmer than New York. For us, that's a plus as I never want to rake leaves or shovel snow again. Is it unbearably hot? It might seem so at first (North Carolina seemed that way to us at first) but I'd say it really isn't. It's flat-out gorgeous in the fall, winter and spring and the real heat is limited to the long summer. However, you don't have to be out in it. In the hottest part of the day, stay home or go to a rec center or take in a movie or go bowling or go shopping or whatever. Learn to take naps (I've become quite expert at that). Go out in the mornings or in the evenings to do outdoor things (golfing, bicycling, swimming, walking, dancing, whatever). The Villages is full of activities and while many of them are outdoors in nature and can be done in seasons where you might have been stuck inside in New York, many of them are indoors. There are hundreds if not thousands of clubs and classes and whatever that you can do inside.

Natural Disasters. Florida was in the news recently with hurricane Irma ripping through. The Villages got off very, very easily compared to some coastal communities. Some trees came down, some damage was done, there was a little (surprisingly little, actually) flooding, some power outages (again, surprisingly little) and some new sinkholes opened up. We've seen that hurricanes can happen anywhere on the east coast or along the Gulf and they seem to be getting worse. That said, new homes in The Villages are built to the latest in standards for hurricane resistance, there is a LOT in the way of wetlands, water retention ponds, lakes, water holes and even golf courses and lawns to soak up a LOT of water and the staff at The Villages did and are doing a bang-up job prepping for the hurricane and cleaning up afterwards. Some folks complain that it's been over a week and the flooded golf courses aren't open yet, but compared to areas hard-hit by hurricanes in the last few years (Houston, New Jersey, The Keys, etc.), this place handled it very well. There are potholes here, but they are everywhere in Florida and more common elsewhere than you might realize. There have been tornadoes in Florida but they've been everywhere I've lived. Florida is the lightning capital of the world (seriously), so stay in doors during electrical storms and maybe get a whole-home surge suppressor and/or lighting rods. I'm not aware of earthquakes being a thing here. By the way, we stayed here for Irma and it was pretty noisy and a little exciting but had no damage or flooding and never lost power. If a cat 4 hurricane were going to sweep in across the state, we'd have bugged out.

The Expense. The Villages are not cheap to live in. The houses come in a range of prices from under $100,000 (think smaller and pre-owned) to way over $1,000,000. They aren't nearly as expensive as those in very pricey metro areas (NYC, California, etc.) but not as cheap as rural areas in many states or even depressed urban areas (think Detroit). The newer houses are well-built though not high-end custom level. There's the bond on new properties and the monthly amenities bill plus you'll certainly spend more on air conditioning down here than up there (though WAY less on heating). Taxes are generally low, gas prices a little above average and food prices about average for what I've seen. It would be great to compare the cost of living to other Villages-like community in other states, but there simply are no Villages-like communities anywhere else. You have to compare it to far, far scaled-down communities elsewhere. I would say it compares pretty favorably to them but has so much more to offer in terms of activities that comparisons become difficult. One other thing about expenses is that there are plenty of opportunities to spend money, whether it's on dining, shopping, travel or whatever. That's true to some extent at every decent retirement community and even more true at The Villages. There's plenty of free stuff to do but also plenty of non-free stuff as well. You do have to learn to control yourself a bit.

The People. I can't speak for every other state, but we looked at and visited dozens of active retirement communities before buying at The Villages. People are just way more friendly here than we ran into elsewhere. Maybe we are just all having such a good time that we bubble over with enthusiasm or maybe it's something in the water. Whatever it is, people are out and about having fun and so many of them seem to want to share the fun with everyone they meet. Honestly, people tell me I sound like a salesman for The Villages because I just want to tell everybody about it. Or maybe I've just lucked into a great neighborhood with great neighbors. However, every time I've stopped in a public place and looked puzzled, I've had people volunteer to help me out. Every time I've posted a question on this forum, I've had great responses from several people.

The Food. If you've lived in one state your whole life, moving to ANY other state means that you're going to find new things to try and like but also that there will be some things you just won't be able to find anywhere in the new state. Moving from Michigan to North Carolina made us realize that there are a handful of things only available in Michigan that we simply like while in Michigan but came to crave in North Carolina. For us it was Koegel's hot dogs, bi-color corn on the cob, blueberries and weird sodas like Vernor's Ginger Ale and Ruby Red Squirt. Moving to Florida made us miss really good watermelons, barbecue and peanuts. However, we were surprised to find that some of those foods are actually available in the area. There are enough "immigrants" from other states that some of the local stores bring in out-of-state goods and some out-of-state vendors (like Koegel) actually come to the state once or twice a year for local sales. Also, since there are a lot of middle-class Villagers (as well as upper-middle-class and upper-class), restaurants tend to be more mid-level chains and not a ton of really high-end dining. Some folks with more money than me have complained on this forum and elsewhere that "really, really good" dining is hard to find. I'm pretty happy with the choices here but will happy when even more choices come in with all the new growth.

The Diversity (or lack thereof). If you come from an area with a rich ethnic, racial and/or national diversity, you might find that The Villages is stunningly homogeneous. It's wall-to-wall white folks here. However, if you look at active retirement communities (or at least the ones we looked at), you'll find them to be the same way. I don't know if it's the economics that favored white folks that allows them to afford to live here or if it's a cultural thing that a larger percentage of white folks are willing to move away from kids and grandkids to an active retirement community or just what. It does NOT seem to be any attempt on the part of the owners or the folks who live here to exclude anybody else. I met a lady the other night who says that she and her wife moved here because The Villages has a pretty healthy acceptance of the LGBTQ community, so there's that. It's just that I'm used to working with African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinos and folks from Asia, Africa and Europe and I just don't seem to run into them here. I have met a few from Canada, but they are legally required to live just under 6 months a year here before returning home.

People's Ages. If you haven't moved to a retirement community, you'll be a little take back by the fact that people are older here. OK, you knew that going in, but it's weird to be working one day with folks ranging from their 20s to their 60s and the next day be retired and living with folks from their 60s to their 90s. You look around in the local restaurants and it's a sea of grey and white hair and baldness. I mean, it's not like I'm a spring chicken, but I'm used to a great age diversity. But damn, the people are so friendly that you quickly get accustomed to it. It's also weird that folks 10 years or more older than you are bicycling faster and farther than you, whipping your behind at pickelball and dancing the night away while you're ready to collapse.

The Politics. If you're moving from a blue or purple state to Florida, be prepared for the fact that it is a red state. The owner's of The Villages are conservative, invite conservative speakers to town, support them financially and tend to cover conservative issues more closely than progressive issues in their privately-owned newspaper, radio station, TV channel and web media empire. However, the residents of The Villages tend (according to voter records) to be about 1/3 Republican, 1/3 Democrat and 1/3 independent. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you'll find folks here who agree with you. Republican may be a little louder about their feelings than Democrats (from my experience) but the majority of folks just don't talk politics that much at all. Hey, we say that we're living in "the bubble" for a reason!

Shopping. There are a lot of cute little shops in the town squares and a decent variety of shopping around The Villages. However, the closest malls (in Leesburg and Ocala) are not exactly huge or upscale. A handful of stores people really want (Costco and Trader Joes chief among them) haven't come here yet. You may find yourself trekking down to Orlando (bout an hour away) to shop the larger malls and/or the outlet malls if that's your thing.

The Golf Carts. This is a VERY golf cart-friendly community. Some folks tell you not to buy one at first; to rent one to see if you really like it. I was convinced from the start that I wanted to dump our second car and get me a golf cart and I've never regretted it. I ordered it several weeks before we moved here and picked it up the first week here. I drive around with a big silly grin on my face wherever I go. I just really like it. Your feelings may be different. We have driven from the south end clear up to Spanish Springs and it is definitely slower, but hey. I'm retired. I'm NOT in a hurry any more.

The Crowds. I'm told that a third or so of Villages are snowbirds and things get very crowded and busy here in the winter. I've visited in October, November and December and lived here from February to September so I think I've seen the range. Yes, it does get busier. Reservations get harder to make. Restaurants are more crowded. Hey, more than 100,000 people call The Villages home and it continues to grow. But it still seems to me to be manageable.

The Size. The Villages can be overwhelming. We got SO lost the first time we visited. The second time not as much. By the third time, we had a vague idea of where we were most of the time. And that's when we bought. We moved ourselves in several visits, one trailer-load at a time and each time we got more confident. I was going to program our car's GPS with the locations of the town square and all the main shopping plazas and such once we moved here but within a couple of weeks, I realized I pretty much knew my way around all the main streets. There are a zillion residential streets, but that's what the GPS (or the GPS app on your smartphone) is for.

The Life Change. OK, going from a working life style to a retired life style will be a different experience for everybody. That's true of moving to The Villages, moving elsewhere or not moving at all. Neither my wife nor I miss our jobs but she misses her co-workers, friends and neighbors from North Carolina and family from Michigan and has taken a while to adjust from her job-related responsibilities and valued expertise to the more free-form lifestyle. For me, there was no adjustment at all. I think I was mentally retired for a year before physically retiring. I just bloody love being retired and being retired in The Villages. You'll have to see how it affects you. You may find yourself wanting to get a job or volunteer just to keep busy or to feel like you're contributing. There are plenty of jobs here and tons of fabulous volunteer opportunities. Or you may throw yourself into playing full-time and wonder, like I do, how you ever managed to find 40 or 50 hours a week to go to work.

Being a Hotel. Yes, when your family and friends find out you've moved here and are an hour or so away from Disney, Universal, Sea World, Busch Gardens, etc., etc., you WILL find some folks fishing for an invitation to visit. Hey, that beats leaving here and driving back up there to visit them! Also, if you enjoy the theme parks, they have some awesome deals for Florida residents. For example, we found it cheaper to get an annual pass to the four major Disney parks than to visit each of them for a single day.

Being Pioneers. We didn't feel like we were pioneers moving here. We'd already done that by moving from MI to NC 20 years ago. Also, my mother-in-law moved from Michigan to Arizona to an active retirement community 30+ years ago without knowing a soul there and having nobody to take with her (her husband had recently passed). She totally blossomed in that environment and inspired us to plan and work and save to be able to live the active retirement lifestyle ourselves. There's no guarantees in life, but the vast majority of folks who moved to The Villages seem to be pretty darned pleased with it.

Good luck with your decision and on your retirement to wherever you end up!

[OCsun]

Wow! Great post Jerry L Bell!

[jsw14]

Hmmm, Question? Is this the first Chapter of the Book U R writing Jerry L Bell? I Like it....

[pgc4340]

If you moved from another state to live in the Villages, what was your feeling. I seem to be overwhelmed with worry. Leaving a job, selling a house. I did not think this would happen to me. I know some of you are snowbirds, but would like to hear from the permanent residents. 😳

We moved here from out of state 22 years ago, so some of what we experienced might not apply. We built a home here, and afterwards realized how much we were rushed through the whole process, from picking a lot, being pushed with a deadline or we'd lose the lot we bought, to picking out everything for our house. We fell for what the salesman said, that we didn't need to be present while it was being built. Big, BIG mistake!!! The quality of work which was supposedly approved and signed off on was terrible. During the years we have replaced carpet, and updated the interior of the house. The original upgraded carpet and pad were installed so poorly, were never fixed properly, so two years later we got tired of dealing with it so had it replaced by a company outside of The Villages. To our surprise the original carpet had been installed over screws, marijuana butts, dirt, small pieces of wood and scraps of paper. They obviously did not bother to even sweep the slab before installing! Then when we remodeled our kitchen which had upgraded cabinets, we realized just how poorly the upgraded cabinets were made and installed. For instance the sides of the cabinets on either side of the stove were nothing but fiberboard covered with contact paper which had shrunk and peeled back. You can imagine the surprise and near miss of injury to the crew who was tearing down the original upper cabinets experienced when they unscrewed one cabinet from the wall, only to have 3 other upper cabinets fall down with it. There were screwed to each other, but had never been attached to the wall. When sheetrock was torn out, we found soda cans which still had liquid in them, paper soda cups with plastic tops and straws still in place, and crumbled up wrappers from take out food sitting within the frame for the wall.. Tools and boxes of nails were left on braces between 2x4's and so much other garbage and building supplies it was ridiculous. We had a crack in the ceiling at the end of our entry hall. When we had our ceilings scraped and refinished before having crown molding installed, they had a devil of a time repairing that crack because it kept reappearing. It turned out that when the original drywall was put up in that area, where two pieces met, there was absolutely nothing to which it could be attached, hence the reappearing crack. When we built the house we added 4 feet onto the master bath and 7 feet onto the master bedroom. Nowhere in the plans did it show us that there would be a difference in ceiling height between the existing size of the rooms and the square footage we added on, but in both rooms there is a crazy slope from the original height of the ceilings down to the 8 foot height they made the addon portions. We paid for highly upgraded insulation on our home. We discovered later that the addon on square footage is not insulated at all! The Villages fights tooth and nail to keep from correcting any mistakes they make! We should rented a place and stayed locally during the build! If we had it to do over again, we would have never built here. We have had other homes built, but never experienced the problems we have had with The Villages product. Next, Run! Run! You pay more for a house in The Villages than elsewhere, and you are getting much less for your money on a postage stamp lot. They are selling a lifestyle, but keep in mind, they change the rules of that lifestyle as they are going along. Things have changed from the early days of The Villages. Oh by the way, don't be fooled into thinking you are buying into a gated community, because the gates don't keep anyone out. In fact if a resident pulls up to a gate in one lane, and a visitor in the other at the same time, visitors are most often let through first! This was to be our retirement home, but after seeing the increase in crime and other more petty things which are going on, we are biting the bullet and moving on! I had never had a home break in until I moved to The Villages. We were robbed in broad daylight during a two hour window and lost $40,000 of property, some of which was not replaceable. Our neighbor went away for overnight and came home to find he had been robbed of $50,000 of property. I hope no one falls for the idea of a "Villages certified resale home", because our newer neighbors bought one of those. The seller was complaining about the number of repairs which they were being dinged for, and which were causing them to lose some profit on the sale. I saw what the new owners encountered when they moved in, and are still living with. I am also sure that the previous owner did not disclose other, major, major problems they had with that home, but hired people for cash to cover it up, saying they wouldn't live to see the house fall down! What a mess! It appears a "Villages certification" might mean that the buyers are certified to buy a hidden mess. BTW, I won't go into the problems we experienced with leaking windows and the cheap fake wood they used on the outside of our house. Their solution, cover it with metal from a manufactured home supplier! Good Luck if you intend to live here. We've had enough!

[TOMCAT]

[QUOTE=JerryLBell;1453274]We were born and raised in Michigan, moved to North Carolina 20 years ago and retired and moved to The Villages this February. We are full-time residents and have just finished our first summer (and first hurricane) here. I'll try to give you our impressions on what concerns we had and what to expect.

The Heat. Florida is a bit warmer than North Carolina (or, more accurately, just as warm but for a bit longer) and definitely warmer than Michigan. It will be similarly warmer than New York. For us, that's a plus as I never want to rake leaves or shovel snow again. Is it unbearably hot? It might seem so at first (North Carolina seemed that way to us at first) but I'd say it really isn't. It's flat-out gorgeous in the fall, winter and spring and the real heat is limited to the long summer. However, you don't have to be out in it. In the hottest part of the day, stay home or go to a rec center or take in a movie or go bowling or go shopping or whatever. Learn to take naps (I've become quite expert at that). Go out in the mornings or in the evenings to do outdoor things (golfing, bicycling, swimming, walking, dancing, whatever). The Villages is full of activities and while many of them are outdoors in nature and can be done in seasons where you might have been stuck inside in New York, many of them are indoors. There are hundreds if not thousands of clubs and classes and whatever that you can do inside.

Natural Disasters. Florida was in the news recently with hurricane Irma ripping through. The Villages got off very, very easily compared to some coastal communities. Some trees came down, some damage was done, there was a little (surprisingly little, actually) flooding, some power outages (again, surprisingly little) and some new sinkholes opened up. We've seen that hurricanes can happen anywhere on the east coast or along the Gulf and they seem to be getting worse. That said, new homes in The Villages are built to the latest in standards for hurricane resistance, there is a LOT in the way of wetlands, water retention ponds, lakes, water holes and even golf courses and lawns to soak up a LOT of water and the staff at The Villages did and are doing a bang-up job prepping for the hurricane and cleaning up afterwards. Some folks complain that it's been over a week and the flooded golf courses aren't open yet, but compared to areas hard-hit by hurricanes in the last few years (Houston, New Jersey, The Keys, etc.), this place handled it very well. There are potholes here, but they are everywhere in Florida and more common elsewhere than you might realize. There have been tornadoes in Florida but they've been everywhere I've lived. Florida is the lightning capital of the world (seriously), so stay in doors during electrical storms and maybe get a whole-home surge suppressor and/or lighting rods. I'm not aware of earthquakes being a thing here. By the way, we stayed here for Irma and it was pretty noisy and a little exciting but had no damage or flooding and never lost power. If a cat 4 hurricane were going to sweep in across the state, we'd have bugged out.

The Expense. The Villages are not cheap to live in. The houses come in a range of prices from under $100,000 (think smaller and pre-owned) to way over $1,000,000. They aren't nearly as expensive as those in very pricey metro areas (NYC, California, etc.) but not as cheap as rural areas in many states or even depressed urban areas (think Detroit). The newer houses are well-built though not high-end custom level. There's the bond on new properties and the monthly amenities bill plus you'll certainly spend more on air conditioning down here than up there (though WAY less on heating). Taxes are generally low, gas prices a little above average and food prices about average for what I've seen. It would be great to compare the cost of living to other Villages-like community in other states, but there simply are no Villages-like communities anywhere else. You have to compare it to far, far scaled-down communities elsewhere. I would say it compares pretty favorably to them but has so much more to offer in terms of activities that comparisons become difficult. One other thing about expenses is that there are plenty of opportunities to spend money, whether it's on dining, shopping, travel or whatever. That's true to some extent at every decent retirement community and even more true at The Villages. There's plenty of free stuff to do but also plenty of non-free stuff as well. You do have to learn to control yourself a bit.

The People. I can't speak for every other state, but we looked at and visited dozens of active retirement communities before buying at The Villages. People are just way more friendly here than we ran into elsewhere. Maybe we are just all having such a good time that we bubble over with enthusiasm or maybe it's something in the water. Whatever it is, people are out and about having fun and so many of them seem to want to share the fun with everyone they meet. Honestly, people tell me I sound like a salesman for The Villages because I just want to tell everybody about it. Or maybe I've just lucked into a great neighborhood with great neighbors. However, every time I've stopped in a public place and looked puzzled, I've had people volunteer to help me out. Every time I've posted a question on this forum, I've had great responses from several people.

The Food. If you've lived in one state your whole life, moving to ANY other state means that you're going to find new things to try and like but also that there will be some things you just won't be able to find anywhere in the new state. Moving from Michigan to North Carolina made us realize that there are a handful of things only available in Michigan that we simply like while in Michigan but came to crave in North Carolina. For us it was Koegel's hot dogs, bi-color corn on the cob, blueberries and weird sodas like Vernor's Ginger Ale and Ruby Red Squirt. Moving to Florida made us miss really good watermelons, barbecue and peanuts. However, we were surprised to find that some of those foods are actually available in the area. There are enough "immigrants" from other states that some of the local stores bring in out-of-state goods and some out-of-state vendors (like Koegel) actually come to the state once or twice a year for local sales. Also, since there are a lot of middle-class Villagers (as well as upper-middle-class and upper-class), restaurants tend to be more mid-level chains and not a ton of really high-end dining. Some folks with more money than me have complained on this forum and elsewhere that "really, really good" dining is hard to find. I'm pretty happy with the choices here but will happy when even more choices come in with all the new growth.

The Diversity (or lack thereof). If you come from an area with a rich ethnic, racial and/or national diversity, you might find that The Villages is stunningly homogeneous. It's wall-to-wall white folks here. However, if you look at active retirement communities (or at least the ones we looked at), you'll find them to be the same way. I don't know if it's the economics that favored white folks that allows them to afford to live here or if it's a cultural thing that a larger percentage of white folks are willing to move away from kids and grandkids to an active retirement community or just what. It does NOT seem to be any attempt on the part of the owners or the folks who live here to exclude anybody else. I met a lady the other night who says that she and her wife moved here because The Villages has a pretty healthy acceptance of the LGBTQ community, so there's that. It's just that I'm used to working with African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinos and folks from Asia, Africa and Europe and I just don't seem to run into them here. I have met a few from Canada, but they are legally required to live just under 6 months a year here before returning home.

People's Ages. If you haven't moved to a retirement community, you'll be a little take back by the fact that people are older here. OK, you knew that going in, but it's weird to be working one day with folks ranging from their 20s to their 60s and the next day be retired and living with folks from their 60s to their 90s. You look around in the local restaurants and it's a sea of grey and white hair and baldness. I mean, it's not like I'm a spring chicken, but I'm used to a great age diversity. But damn, the people are so friendly that you quickly get accustomed to it. It's also weird that folks 10 years or more older than you are bicycling faster and farther than you, whipping your behind at pickelball and dancing the night away while you're ready to collapse.

The Politics. If you're moving from a blue or purple state to Florida, be prepared for the fact that it is a red state. The owner's of The Villages are conservative, invite conservative speakers to town, support them financially and tend to cover conservative issues more closely than progressive issues in their privately-owned newspaper, radio station, TV channel and web media empire. However, the residents of The Villages tend (according to voter records) to be about 1/3 Republican, 1/3 Democrat and 1/3 independent. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you'll find folks here who agree with you. Republican may be a little louder about their feelings than Democrats (from my experience) but the majority of folks just don't talk politics that much at all. Hey, we say that we're living in "the bubble" for a reason!

Shopping. There are a lot of cute little shops in the town

The Golf Carts. This is a VERY golf cart-friendly community. Some folks tell you not to buy one at first; to rent one to see if you really like it. I was convinced from the start that I wanted to dump our second car and get me a golf cart and I've never regretted it. I ordered it several weeks before we moved here and picked it up the first week here. I drive around with a big silly grin on my face wherever I go. I just really like it. Your feelings may be different. We have driven from the south end clear up to Spanish Springs and it is definitely slower, but hey. I'm retired. I'm NOT in a hurry any more.

The Crowds. I'm told that a third or so of Villages are snowbirds and things get very crowded and busy here in the winter. I've visited in October, November and December and lived here from February to September so I think I've seen the range. Yes, it does get busier. Reservations get harder to make. Restaurants are more crowded. Hey, more than 100,000 people call The Villages home and it continues to grow. But it still seems to me to be manageable.

The Size. The Villages can be overwhelming. We got SO lost the first time we visited. The second time not as much. By the third time, we had a vague idea of where we were most of the time. And that's when we bought. We moved ourselves in several visits, one trailer-load at a time and each time we got more confident. I was going to program our car's GPS with the locations of the town square and all the main shopping plazas and such once we moved here but within a couple of weeks, I realized I pretty much knew my way around all the main streets. There are a zillion residential streets, but that's what the GPS (or the GPS app on your smartphone) is for.

The Life Change. OK, going from a working life style to a retired life style will be a different experience for everybody. That's true of moving to The Villages, moving elsewhere or not moving at all. Neither my wife nor I miss our jobs but she misses her co-workers, friends and neighbors from North Carolina and family from Michigan and has taken a while to adjust from her job-related responsibilities and valued expertise to the more free-form lifestyle. For me, there was no adjustment at all. I think I was mentally retired for a year before physically retiring. I just bloody love being retired and being retired in The Villages. You'll have to see how it affects you. You may find yourself wanting to get a job or volunteer just to keep busy or to feel like you're contributing. There are plenty of jobs here and tons of fabulous volunteer opportunities. Or you may throw yourself into playing full-time and wonder, like I do, how you ever managed to find 40 or 50 hours a week to go to work.

Being a Hotel. Yes, when your family and friends find out you've moved here and are an hour or so away from Disney, Universal, Sea World, Busch Gardens, etc., etc., you WILL find some folks fishing for an invitation to visit. Hey, that beats leaving here and driving back up there to visit them! Also, if you enjoy the theme parks, they have some awesome deals for Florida residents. For example, we found it cheaper to get an annual pass to the four major Disney parks than to visit each of them for a single day.

Being Pioneers. We didn't feel like we were pioneers moving here. We'd already done that by moving from MI to NC 20 years ago. Also, my mother-in-law moved from Michigan to Arizona to an active retirement community 30+ years ago without knowing a soul there and having nobody to take with her (her husband had recently passed). She totally blossomed in that environment and inspired us to plan and work and save to be able to live the active retirement lifestyle ourselves. There's no guarantees in life, but the vast majority of folks who moved to The Villages seem to be pretty darned pleased with it

Thank you do much. You expressed it very well.

[TOMCAT]

We moved here from out of state 22 years ago, so some of what we experienced might not apply. We built a home here, and afterwards realized how much we were rushed through the whole process, from picking a lot, being pushed with a deadline or we'd lose the lot we bought, to picking out everything for our house. We fell for what the salesman said, that we didn't need to be present while it was being built. Big, BIG mistake!!! The quality of work which was supposedly approved and signed off on was terrible. During the years we have replaced carpet, and updated the interior of the house. The original upgraded carpet and pad were installed so poorly, were never fixed properly, so two years later we got tired of dealing with it so had it replaced by a company outside of The Villages. To our surprise the original carpet had been installed over screws, marijuana butts, dirt, small pieces of wood and scraps of paper. They obviously did not bother to even sweep the slab before installing! Then when we remodeled our kitchen which had upgraded cabinets, we realized just how poorly the upgraded cabinets were made and installed. For instance the sides of the cabinets on either side of the stove were nothing but fiberboard covered with contact paper which had shrunk and peeled back. You can imagine the surprise and near miss of injury to the crew who was tearing down the original upper cabinets experienced when they unscrewed one cabinet from the wall, only to have 3 other upper cabinets fall down with it. There were screwed to each other, but had never been attached to the wall. When sheetrock was torn out, we found soda cans which still had liquid in them, paper soda cups with plastic tops and straws still in place, and crumbled up wrappers from take out food sitting within the frame for the wall.. Tools and boxes of nails were left on braces between 2x4's and so much other garbage and building supplies it was ridiculous. We had a crack in the ceiling at the end of our entry hall. When we had our ceilings scraped and refinished before having crown molding installed, they had a devil of a time repairing that crack because it kept reappearing. It turned out that when the original drywall was put up in that area, where two pieces met, there was absolutely nothing to which it could be attached, hence the reappearing crack. When we built the house we added 4 feet onto the master bath and 7 feet onto the master bedroom. Nowhere in the plans did it show us that there would be a difference in ceiling height between the existing size of the rooms and the square footage we added on, but in both rooms there is a crazy slope from the original height of the ceilings down to the 8 foot height they made the addon portions. We paid for highly upgraded insulation on our home. We discovered later that the addon on square footage is not insulated at all! The Villages fights tooth and nail to keep from correcting any mistakes they make! We should rented a place and stayed locally during the build! If we had it to do over again, we would have never built here. We have had other homes built, but never experienced the problems we have had with The Villages product. Next, Run! Run! You pay more for a house in The Villages than elsewhere, and you are getting much less for your money on a postage stamp lot. They are selling a lifestyle, but keep in mind, they change the rules of that lifestyle as they are going along. Things have changed from the early days of The Villages. Oh by the way, don't be fooled into thinking you are buying into a gated community, because the gates don't keep anyone out. In fact if a resident pulls up to a gate in one lane, and a visitor in the other at the same time, visitors are most often let through first! This was to be our retirement home, but after seeing the increase in crime and other more petty things which are going on, we are biting the bullet and moving on! I had never had a home break in until I moved to The Villages. We were robbed in broad daylight during a two hour window and lost $40,000 of property, some of which was not replaceable. Our neighbor went away for overnight and came home to find he had been robbed of $50,000 of property. I hope no one falls for the idea of a "Villages certified resale home", because our newer neighbors bought one of those. The seller was complaining about the number of repairs which they were being dinged for, and which were causing them to lose some profit on the sale. I saw what the new owners encountered when they moved in, and are still living with. I am also sure that the previous owner did not disclose other, major, major problems they had with that home, but hired people for cash to cover it up, saying they wouldn't live to see the house fall down! What a mess! It appears a "Villages certification" might mean that the buyers are certified to buy a hidden mess. BTW, I won't go into the problems we experienced with leaking windows and the cheap fake wood they used on the outside of our house. Their solution, cover it with metal from a manufactured home supplier! Good Luck if you intend to live here. We've had enough!
So sorry to hear of your problems. That is discouraging as to all the encouraging comments that were posted.

[TOMCAT]

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