Like The Villages and have a few questions.

[Fishers2tall]

Currently live near Indianapolis and am looking to move to TV in the next several years or sooner if everything works out. I do have a few questions for you lucky folks that have been there a few years or more.
1. Can you buy sinkhole insurance for your home or is that something that is in most Florida homeowner insurance policies now? If it is sold as an extra coverage how much does it cost?
2. Does a single HOA cover every neighborhood in TV?
3. Has there ever been any thought to allowing even one style of privacy fencing for owners of designer and premier model homes? I realize the courtyard villas and verandas have fences but I was hoping to have a larger yard (for my Whippet pooch) than what they typically seem to have.
4. I was told by my Villages realtor that every single home in TV uses an electric heat pump for winter heating even in the sections that have gas available. Is that true? I am hoping this isn’t true because I love my gas furnace!!
5. Last question and all I am looking for is a rough estimate on this. What would monthly housing expense be for a $350,000 new home with no mortgage? From what I can tell once you add all the different taxes plus utilities, bond, insurance, activity fee, etc., it would be in the neighborhood of $1,500 a month if your home was paid for. Some realtors have given me a higher figure, some lower. You folks are the experts. Is $1,500 a month about right?

[villagetinker]

Currently live near Indianapolis and am looking to move to TV in the next several years or sooner if everything works out. I do have a few questions for you lucky folks that have been there a few years or more.
1. Can you buy sinkhole insurance for your home or is that something that is in most Florida homeowner insurance policies now? If it is sold as an extra coverage how much does it cost?
2. Does a single HOA cover every neighborhood in TV?
3. Has there ever been any thought to allowing even one style of privacy fencing for owners of designer and premier model homes? I realize the courtyard villas and verandas have fences but I was hoping to have a larger yard (for my Whippet pooch) than what they typically seem to have.
4. I was told by my Villages realtor that every single home in TV uses an electric heat pump for winter heating even in the sections that have gas available. Is that true? I am hoping this isn’t true because I love my gas furnace!!
5. Last question and all I am looking for is a rough estimate on this. What would monthly housing expense be for a $350,000 new home with no mortgage? From what I can tell once you add all the different taxes plus utilities, bond, insurance, activity fee, etc., it would be in the neighborhood of $1,500 a month if your home was paid for. Some realtors have given me a higher figure, some lower. You folks are the experts. Is $1,500 a month about right?

#1, there are TWO forms of sinkhole insurance, catastrophic ground collapse in included in any house policy this covers you IF the house is condemned, the second OPTIONAL coverage is for a sinkhole that does NOT significantly damage your house, in general there is a 10% deductible then the insurance kicks in. The local insurance can fill in the details.

#2, the is NO HOA, there are DEED restrictions for each CDD, and these are slightly different, the villages website has details for each CDD.

#3, Fencing is generally NOT available, you will need to discuss with your sales representative. I did see some upscale houses with fencing (however I do NOT recall the villages where these were available), since this sounds like a potential deal killer, let your sales rep know your concerns so they can address.

#4, I rarely gets really cold hear, so you will not miss your gas fired heater. Last winter we used the heat function maybe a dozen times.

#5, The villages website had (I think it is still there) an estimate for the basic monthly costs. NOTE: the taxes are different in the 3 counties that the villages occupies, once again your sales rep should be able to give you the CURRENT estimates. You can also look this up on the county websites, but i do not have the web addresses in front of me.

Hope this helps. VT

[jojo]

We have a gas furnace, water heater, and dryer. Live in Amelia.

[Toymeister]

#5 $1065.86/ month +/- 20% for most people with 2k sq ft designer homes with no bond.

Based on actual costs including insurance, taxes in Sumter county, amenities fees, cable and all utilities

Excluding amortization of cost to paint a stucco home or power wash vinyl siding

Updated 17 May 2019 to reflect lawn care and homeowners insurance.

[Toymeister]

4. I was told by my Villages realtor that every single home in TV uses an electric heat pump for winter heating even in the sections that have gas available. Is that true? I am hoping this isn’t true because I love my gas furnace!!


No. If accurate information of a technical nature is important to you fire your relator and get someone competent

[CFrance]

There is an area of designer homes north of 466A that have fenced yards, but I don't remember the village name. If you really want your pooch to run, live somewhere around the area of 466 and CR 101, then join Doggy Doo Run Run. It is 10 acres of the absolute best dog park anywhere near The Villages. There is lots of shade and it is well maintained. You can join monthly (used to be $25 for one dog) or pay $3 per visit.

Another way to get to DDRR if you live in the 466A area is to go up 301 to (I think) the second county route to the right after passing 466--I think it's CR103. Follow that to the end, and you run right into DDRR. Maybe if someone knows the name of that county route, they will post. It takes about 15-20 minutes from 466A & Buena Vista intersection. I know people who take their dogs there every day, sometimes twice a day.

[birdiebill]

We are from Indiana and have no complaints about the heat pump. Of course, we have no choice in The Village of Osceola Hills because there is no natural gas. The heat pump works very well since it seldom gets very cold. If it gets too cold for the heat pump, the auxiliary electric heat strip works to provide heat. It is very economical. SECO rates are very reasonable.

As for fenced yards, I believe in the new area south of hwy 44, there are Veranda style homes which are basically designer homes but come with a fenced back yard. Check with your realtor if you are interested in that area.

[Serenoa]

if I were you I'd buy a Veranda down south in one of the new villages so your dog would at least have a little room to exercise while at home. There are already two very nice canine parks down there: Dudley in the Village of DeSoto, and Rupert in the Village of Linden. And I'm sure there are even more being planned.

[cndlou3]

Currently live near Indianapolis and am looking to move to TV in the next several years or sooner if everything works out. I do have a few questions for you lucky folks that have been there a few years or more.
1. Can you buy sinkhole insurance for your home or is that something that is in most Florida homeowner insurance policies now? If it is sold as an extra coverage how much does it cost?
2. Does a single HOA cover every neighborhood in TV?
3. Has there ever been any thought to allowing even one style of privacy fencing for owners of designer and premier model homes? I realize the courtyard villas and verandas have fences but I was hoping to have a larger yard (for my Whippet pooch) than what they typically seem to have.
4. I was told by my Villages realtor that every single home in TV uses an electric heat pump for winter heating even in the sections that have gas available. Is that true? I am hoping this isn’t true because I love my gas furnace!!
5. Last question and all I am looking for is a rough estimate on this. What would monthly housing expense be for a $350,000 new home with no mortgage? From what I can tell once you add all the different taxes plus utilities, bond, insurance, activity fee, etc., it would be in the neighborhood of $1,500 a month if your home was paid for. Some realtors have given me a higher figure, some lower. You folks are the experts. Is $1,500 a month about right?

We have gas furnace, water heater, dryer and stove and I love it not a big electric appliance fan. We are still snowbirds so our average monthly cost is lower than $1,500.00/ month even with a mortgage.

[coffeebean]

We have all gas appliances, including a gas furnace. I would get another realtor who is more informed.

[Fishers2tall]

A very grateful thank you to everyone who has responded so far. :BigApplause::BigApplause::BigApplause:

[graciegirl]

A very grateful thank you to everyone who has responded so far. :BigApplause::BigApplause::BigApplause:

Live near Geist?

[NotGolfer]

I can't speak to all your questions except for the on re: gas. It depends on the area(s) whether there is gas or electric. For instance in The Village of Amelia...there are "some" with gas and others have electric. I know that some of the older areas have gas and maybe some of the brand new areas do as well. So have your realtor do the research on these so he/she can show you those areas. As far as fences....the newest areas south of Hwy 44 have Veranda homes with fences. I just remembered too that in the Pinehills area there may be some as well. There are restrictions otherwise to them here. Folks can't move in and then add a fence. You may need to be aware of leaving your pets outside regardless of fencing. Probably not a good idea due to the wildlife that prey here.

[thelegges]

At first I missed my gas stove, but as the years have gone by I am adapting. My utilities in TV are half of the cost of our Michigan home, summer or winter.

The gated yard can be a bonus and a curse. Our cameras gives us a glimpse of the occasional predator that would take a small animal.
Our 4 pound Himalayan is equal to the small birds or gecko that taunt her outside the lanai, but if she were outside a hawk or eagle would take her in a minute. Even in an enclosed yard I would be very careful of an unattended fur baby

[JerryLBell]

Our portion of The Villages is all electric. I was concerned about that when moving here as I'd never had electric heat. After two winters here, my concerns have long since vanished in that regard. Our annual electric bill is substantially lower than our combined annual gas and electric bills for our house back in North Carolina. Some people might complain about not having gas for cooking, but I'm not one of them. I've never been a big cook and the few times I had gas, I didn't see what the fuss was about. Some folks like the fact that gas doesn't gradually warm up but instead is 100% on. I didn't like the fact that I never seemed to be able to simmer as the gas flame seemed just too hot even when I had it turned low. Whatever floats your boat. I believe the newer parts of The Villages that are being built now and for the next several years have gas but you really need to check on a house-by-house, neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis if that's important to you.

We no longer have a dog (or, as my wife puts it, "We are between dogs."), so the lack of a fence doesn't concern me either. I see fenced villas and even a handful of fenced designer homes going up in the new areas. Perhaps they or existing homes will be available when you do decided to make the move. What did concern me was the size of the lots. They are, like nearly every retirement community we have visited, pretty small. I was afraid that having neighbors right next door and right behind us would be intrusive. Instead, we're lucky enough to have great neighbors and have become extremely close to the neighbors right behind us. The small yard size is a plus in that I spend so little time having to work on it (I still prefer to mow my own, which is a bit of a rarity here). We also tend to think of the house kind of like a cabin on a cruise ship. You may think you need a huge one but when you get here and find you are out and about all the time enjoying the zillions of activities here, you wonder why you worried.

[Fishers2tall]

Thanks again for all the thoughtful replies! For me the fencing is a convenience thing for me as I sure don’t want to have to walk the dog every time he wants to pee or poop and a quality of life thing for my dog. Whippets love to run and chase small prey like chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits like their bigger relative the greyhound so having a big fenced yard is really nice but I am starting to see that isn’t going to be realistic in The Villages so he will just have to save his running for the dog parks. Also glad to hear that having a gas furnace is a possibility. I get it that you don’t have very many months that you even need the furnace but since a house in The Villages is probably the last house I will ever buy it just makes sense to get it as close to ideal as I can.

[IndianaJones]

Forget the fencing, unless you back up to a wall and can put up a natural barrier, walk the dog on a leash. We moved down from Indy and had to convert to that. Also - get a different realtor, they don't know what they're talking about saying things like "everyone has a heat pump" (we don't). If they lie about one thing...
Also, we've had two neighbors lose animals (cat and dog) to predators - there are plenty around here, and I don't mean alligators. We've seen bobcats and coyotes, not to mention if you have a small animal, I saw a large hawk swoop down on Sunday and pick up a rabbit and fly off with it. I walk my dog, never let them out unsupervised, especially around dusk.

[Nonni252]

The questions asked by the OP are some of the same ones I have so the answers are helping many of us who are considering the move to TV. We also have dogs (small ones) and we have always had the convenience of a fenced in backyard. I never thought I would consider a home without a fenced in yard but I'm changing my view on that. It would be a lifestyle change for sure but it could also be a very positive one for both the dogs and me, giving us more structure to our day and forcing me out of my pjs early in the morning. I'd like to think I'm not too old to change my routine : )

[JSR22]

We moved from a home on 2 acres with a 1/2 acre fenced for the dogs. We quickly learned that we would do a lot of walking. It has worked and no problems. We lost 2 dogs since we have moved here. We bouht a Havanese puppy in December and he is too small to be outside on his own. We put in a pool with a birdcage and he gets a lot of exercise. running in the cage. There are some very nice dog parks that gives the dogs a chance to run.

[fw102807]

Thanks again for all the thoughtful replies! For me the fencing is a convenience thing for me as I sure don’t want to have to walk the dog every time he wants to pee or poop and a quality of life thing for my dog. Whippets love to run and chase small prey like chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits like their bigger relative the greyhound so having a big fenced yard is really nice but I am starting to see that isn’t going to be realistic in The Villages so he will just have to save his running for the dog parks. Also glad to hear that having a gas furnace is a possibility. I get it that you don’t have very many months that you even need the furnace but since a house in The Villages is probably the last house I will ever buy it just makes sense to get it as close to ideal as I can.

We have a corner CYV so we have completely walled in larger sized yard for our dog. We still go out with him but he enjoys walking around exploring and rolling in the grass several times a day in addition to his walks.

[jojo]

We too were used to a fenced yard up north. We have a 17-pound rescue and enjoy walking her. My husband complains that more folks know her name than his. We do have a big bird cage. She gets lots of exercise chasing a squirrel who likes to run across the top of the screen. As others have said, no dog should be left unattended outside.

[Fishers2tall]

Also, we've had two neighbors lose animals (cat and dog) to predators - there are plenty around here, and I don't mean alligators. We've seen bobcats and coyotes, not to mention if you have a small animal, I saw a large hawk swoop down on Sunday and pick up a rabbit and fly off with it. I walk my dog, never let them out unsupervised, especially around dusk.

Appreciate the advice IndianaJones! I honestly hadn’t thought about bobcats. Whippets, being a single coat short hair dog, don’t do well in serious cold or heat so my dog rarely is outside unattended and I can see that will need to always be the case upon buying in the Villages. I will probably end up in a CYV somewhere within a short golf car ride of Lake Sumter. For those of you who have bought in the new villages south of the Florida turnpike like Fenney, Linden, DeSoto, and McClure is there a way to drive your golf cars to Brownwood Square and north or do you have to use your car?

[Toymeister]

Appreciate the advice IndianaJones! I honestly hadn’t thought about bobcats. Whippets, being a single coat short hair dog, don’t do well in serious cold or heat so my dog rarely is outside unattended and I can see that will need to always be the case upon buying in the Villages. I will probably end up in a CYV somewhere within a short golf car ride of Lake Sumter. For those of you who have bought in the new villages south of the Florida turnpike like Fenney, Linden, DeSoto, and McClure is there a way to drive your golf cars to Brownwood Square and north or do you have to use your car?
I would start a new post for this question.

[Dan9871]

You can't drive from Fenny to Brownwood in a golf cart at the moment. However the Villages is working on getting some bridges installed so that you will be able to do that. The piers and the bridge itself for one of them are almost done it mostly they just need put the put the bridge over 44 and drop it on the piers. I don't know when they will be finished and usable but it seems like it shouldn't be more than a few months.

[mulligan]

You can't drive from Fenny to Brownwood in a golf cart at the moment. However the Villages is working on getting some bridges installed so that you will be able to do that. The piers and the bridge itself for one of them are almost done it mostly they just need put the put the bridge over 44 and drop it on the piers. I don't know when they will be finished and usable but it seems like it shouldn't be more than a few months.

My guess would be about a year and a half.

[graciegirl]

You will love the transition from wonderful Indiana to The Villages, Florida. Our daughter was born at Coleman Hospital and we like Hoosiers a bunch.

The Villages is so amazing that it took us a while to believe it wasn't too good to be true. We have lived here now close to thirteen years.

It is so nice to rarely need heat and our stucco home handles electric power beautifully to keep our house cool. I cook a lot and have no difficulty with electric.

There are many people here who will fit you to a T and others who will add flavor and punch to your life. There is a huge mix of mini-geographic origins and mini-cultures. There are those whose mom smacked them for being cheeky and those whose moms must have encouraged them to BE cheeky.

There is so much to do and so many amazing new friends to meet.

I don't get paid for this. I am such a fan of this place.

Hurry HOME.