A close second?

[Nonni252]

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[Braddock]

Renting a house in Bonita Springs for the month of July. Have lived here in TV for 7 years.
Thinking of GL Homes Valencia Bonita.
Like it here but checking options.

[Nonni252]

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[JerryLBell]

My wife and I checked several other communities before deciding on The Villages. Most were very nice in their own way, but none of them afforded the sheer variety and quality of activities that are available here. Since we were looking for a VERY active retirement, this was definitely the place for us.

If you're looking primarily for activities as the main draw, we couldn't find anybody even remotely close. If you're looking primarily for nice houses at comparable (or even a bit cheaper) prices, there are many retirement communities in the north central Florida area.

If you're looking primarily for weather, well we ALL share the same weather here in Florida!

If you're looking for friendly people, you'll probably find them at any of the communities as we're all in the same boat - retired and enjoying it!

If you're looking for nearby great medical facilities, there are probably retirement communities nearer to Orlando, Florida or Jacksonville that might meet your needs. However, none of them are all that far from The Villages and we've got a pretty large selection of good (or even very good) facilities drawn to the area by the sheer number of senior patients/customers here.

If you're looking for fine dining, The Villages may be a little shy on that but the selection of decent (if not exactly fine) dining is huge compared to most other communities.

If you're looking for great shopping, you may be better off trying to find some place close to Orlando, Florida or Jacksonville. Remember that retirement communities tend to be built where land is cheap and that means retail support from surrounding communities tends to be very thing for most. Again, The Villages size has gone a long way to attract businesses that other communities simply cannot.

If you're looking for proximity to theme parks (hey, it's Florida after all!), The Villages is a little over an hour from Disney, SeaWorld, Universal, Busch Gardens, etc. Close enough to go down for a few hours on an annual pass and get home without exhausting yourself and far enough to not be surrounded by the traffic. But then, so are several other communities.

Good luck on finding the right community for you!

[manaboutown]

GL (which stands for Good Luck) builds good to almost top quality homes. I visited their Valencia Bay development on the east coast a while back. Their Boca Bridges development looks fantastic on their website.

[CFrance]

There is also Plantation Bay over by Ormond Beach.

[Nonni252]

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[manaboutown]

The sheer number of incredible places in Florida is quite amazing! We live in an active adult community in Las Vegas but NV doesn't even come close to the choices in sunny Florida. For me the social activities in an adult community are the biggest draw - I like to be busy - but hubby would like to be close to the water. Fortunately for me, he is a firm believer in "happy wife, happy life." Thank you again for all the great help you've given us.

Are you in Sun City in Summerlin by any chance?

[eweissenbach]

I am certain there are many wonderful choices among the many retirement communities in Florida and elsewhere. None of them is likely to meet all the needs of every individual or couple. in making a case for The Villages I would point out that no other 55+ community is even close to the scale of TV. There has to be a reason that so many people have chosen this community over so many others. Now, the other side of that coin could be, perhaps the size has become a negative for some people. It has not adversely affected me in the least, but I can listen to that argument with some level of understanding. I am a golfer and the golf here is pretty good, quite accessible, and relatively inexpensive. Most other retirement communities offer far less golfing options, if any, and more expensive fees. You can live on or close to the beach elsewhere, but generally the golf is relatively expensive and less available. I like the beach, but frankly, I don't need to be at the beach every day. From TV we can get to a day at the beach within two hours on the gulf or the Atlantic and that scratches that itch for me every 2-4 weeks. Everyone has different needs, desires, passions, and turn-offs so many choices are available to cater to those differences. Hopefully you will find the closest to perfect place for you. Have fun on your lifestyle preview!

[Kilmacowen]

If you desire to live near the coast, you should come in February to see if you can tolerate the traffic. Five lanes each side, sometimes total gridlock just to go out to dinner or supermarket. Here, all I need is a golf cart.

[NotGolfer]

We have friends who have a place in Ponte Verde. While their home was nice (huge actually) the activities there weren't as plentiful as here in The Villages. They have to drive "out of their bubble" for shopping, doctoring etc. NOT as convenient as we have it here. I think they said 5 miles minimum, depending on what they were going for. Further for other reasons. Yes, it's close to beaches but with that they get more "weather" effects than we do here as well. If you golf---they don't have a golf course but the professional course is near-by. The pool is a water-park shared with Nocatee and families. When we visited it seemed they only had one rec. center too. While the houses were nice the amenities wouldn't appeal to us. It's different strokes for different folks...but you can't beat The Villages!!!

[Nonni252]

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[rjm1cc]

When you were exploring options, were there any communities in FL that were a close second to TV? We'll be doing a LifeStyle visit in August but we will also check out other areas of FL. A 55+ community is a must as well as FL. Lakewood Ranch Del Webb (close to Sarasota) looks good as well as Ponte Vedra (Nocatee).

Central Fl is a good Fl location in terms of hurricanes. Take a look at Ocala and On Top if The World.

[Midnight Cowgirl]

If you desire to live near the coast, you should come in February to see if you can tolerate the traffic. Five lanes each side, sometimes total gridlock just to go out to dinner or supermarket. Here, all I need is a golf cart.


Not true.

I lived in the greater Ft. Lauderdale area for many years and Federal Highway, the main north/south thoroughfare always moved as does A1A by the coast.

Traffic? Of course. But gridlocks are few and far between.

[John_W]

I grew up in St. Petersburg and when my dad retired in 1984 they moved 60 miles north to Spring Hill, Florida. A new retirement community at the time, Timber Pines. That Hernando County community is long completed but about 3 miles south a sister community was built, Heritage Pines, which is in Pasco County so they list Hudson as the town even though it's next to Spring Hill.

Heritage Pines is built out, but is much newer, completely gated with a real security gate and all the amenities you would really need. For shopping and eating out, US Hwy 19 is right out side your door. Just below Hudson is Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. The prettiest beaches in the world and only about 45 minutes to Tampa for professional sports and airport.

Heritage Pines Florida | Hudson, FL Retirement Communities | 55places (https://www.55places.com/florida/communities/heritage-pines-florida#homes-for-sale)

You'll find great prices, this home is currently on the market for $196K

https://images.55places.com/Ny8V7bBcX-H24lke2XsATpRHPU0=/fit-in/1000x1000/nhds-mlsphotos/original/mfrmls/8100e9e5492f9a381129dfcaa08f11d3.jpg

Homesowners association

Heritage Pines Country Club - Hudson, FL - Home (https://www.heritagepines.net/)

Golf Course

https://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/4/8/7/1/ar126955477817849.jpg

https://sharieoakland.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/heritage-pines-04-new-1600x770.png

[Aw Man]

When you were exploring options, were there any communities in FL that were a close second to TV? We'll be doing a LifeStyle visit in August but we will also check out other areas of FL as well.

We both love to golf. My wife loves the Executive courses in The Villages.
If my wife didn’t golf, We’d definitely be living in Stonecrest !!! (Much more house for the money in a beautiful fully-gated community close to The Villages on the north side of 441)

[CFrance]

Not true.

I lived in the greater Ft. Lauderdale area for many years and Federal Highway, the main north/south thoroughfare always moved as does A1A by the coast.

Traffic? Of course. But gridlocks are few and far between.
Over near Flagler and Ormond Beach, the traffic in February was fine. At Bradenton Beach in February, the traffic could get backed up pretty badly. Those are two areas outside of TV that I have experience with in February.

Some people think the traffic in TV in the winter is absolutely horrible. I have to laugh at that.

[Nucky]

Over near Flagler and Ormond Beach, the traffic in February was fine. At Bradenton Beach in February, the traffic could get backed up pretty badly. Those are two areas outside of TV that I have experience with in February.

Some people think the traffic in TV in the winter is absolutely horrible. I have to laugh at that.

We get an alert on the cell phone that Traffic in your are may be heavy for the next 30 minutes. That means 12 cars instead of 8.

We liked Boca but it was a No Go because of the weather and the Money is Nuts compared to The Villages. The Close 2nd was OTOTW but the Non-Land Ownership Thing was a Small Problemo. It was the Stopper. We like it here just a little bit. :icon_wink:

[manaboutown]

Traffic on Longboat Key during the season is very heavy. Winterhaven, Auburndale and Lakeland not so much.

[CFrance]

We get an alert on the cell phone that Traffic in your are may be heavy for the next 30 minutes. That means 12 cars instead of 8.

We liked Boca but it was a No Go because of the weather and the Money is Nuts compared to The Villages. The Close 2nd was OTOTW but the Non-Land Ownership Thing was a Small Problemo. It was the Stopper. We like it here just a little bit. :icon_wink:
There was a place I loved. Placida, on the ICW. Todo expensivo. It was near to Boca Grande, wonderful restaurants. My friend who lives in Placida said the billionaires had edged out the millionaires. This was ten years ago. Oh my. But the traffic wasn't too bad, in case you're interested.

[Ljaprea]

We are renting in the villages for a year to see if we really like it. One thing I can tell you is we are very disappointed that the only type of house you can design is the designer series. We would love to be able to design a courtyard or a veranda in our choice of finishes and colors because we have a large dog and need a fence (and fences are only allowed in courtyards and verandas) but that is not an option here. That is causing us to look other places to see if we have that option. And several other places do allow design and fences on all of properties if approved. We absolutely love the villages but for now, it’s just a little too restrictive for us to think about buying here unless we happen to stumble upon a spec home that is exactly what we want. :-(

[Ljaprea]

We also looked at Latitudes over in Daytona- liked those homes very much but common areas were not yet completed.

[rlcooper70]

I love that reply - hits the nail on the head. There is no other place offering the variety and frequency of activities as The Villages. It's a lifestyle decision.

Advice? Move out when you are inactive.

[IndianaJones]

There are apparently 4 Latitude (Margaritaville) communities being developed (the one in Hilton Head looks really nice). They're not built around golf - in fact, it appears only TV is "truly" built around golf, sticking true to H. Schwartz's "free golf for life" concept. And you think snowbirds are thick here? Go to Naples in July, then go back to visit in January - Marco Island traffic is intense that time of year. Tampa, Sarasota, St. Pete, Clearwater - same deal. There's not much out there to really compare to TV - it is unique in the golf course/rec center sphere, but not so unique in the population shifts during summer/winter!

[Marshabk]

I'm here over 14 years from Brevard county on the east coast of FL where I'd lived since 1964. I researched on the web active retirement communities in FL in 2005. I cannot live in a cold
climate anymore.
Of all the places I found on the internet, The Villages was the only one with multiple activities and varying levels of homes. Coming here was the best decision I made for myself after being widowed and I made a lot of other mistakes. I still marvel that this beautiful, amazing place is available and that I can live here. It is a Geriatric Disneyland! Thank you for being!

[GuyGolf]

On Top of the World was 2nd. We're still considering that 2nd choice since we seldom use most amenities, other than golf. TV seems to be more money hungry by neglecting the amenity we mostly moved here for, golf. Also the winter crown make us want to move to a smaller community where we can go to dinner without long waiting time...
In addition to a worthless code enforcement, many snowbirds don't care much about what their property looks like; and of course as we get older, we seem to care less once we can't do what is needed to do to keep our property in good condition. Which TV likes so we move to another village...

[Catfishjeff]

We are about to move to The Villages from southern California. We’ve spent many weeks in Florida checking out all sorts of 55+ communities. We are golfers and we found TV golf to be far superior to what’s offered at other communities. The vast choices in golf are amazing and nobody should ever be bored from playing the same course over and over which is what would happen at most other developments. Also, with the shopping and medical care all available within the bubble, as we age we won’t have to be driving miles to shop and see doctors. In fact, we can reach both via golf carts. We have this funny theory that when the kids take the car keys away, we’ll still be able to drive our golf carts. Naturally coming from CA the so called “heavy traffic” created by the snowbirds makes us laugh. We were in TV in January and a traffic jam meant we had to wait a minute rather than 30 seconds to drive across Powell Rd. Of course we also have the option of turning right and using the next round about to put us going in the opposite direction. As for waiting to eat dinner when the snowbirds are in, that’s certainly true if you’ve joined the senior dinner schedule of eating early. But in our experience, eating out the end of January was a breeze because we didn’t try until 7pm. Having no Costco is a bit of a bummer but we are finding that Sams Club has pretty much the same stuff. We did see some home designs that we like better so we photographed them and will bring some of those concepts with us to TV. Bottom line - we can’t wait to get moved.

[Nonni252]

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[emb2458]

Dell Web and Dell Web Spruce Creek. No Bond and Amenity fee a lot less. Just outside The Villages towards Ocala on Hwy 441 past Walmart.

[sallybowron]

Nope, only Here. Our friends lived down in Bonita Springs and left there to come here. They told us about the oteher aress but said TV was best.

[justjim]

We looked at all the Florida Retirement communities 14-15 years ago and The Villages by far had the lifestyle and activities like none other. I believe that is still true today. The only issue we have with The Villages is health care. There are several Threads on this subject and many posts regarding TVRH and also the fact that the health system supported by The Villages will only accept their United Health Care Advantage plan. Perhaps some changes will come with the large clinic being built near Brownwood on State Route 44. Ocala, Gainesville, Tampa and Orlando are not far but any stay there can be rather inconvenient. As we age, health care becomes a high priority.

[sabinfl]

The 5-7 p m Happy Hour @ Spanish Springs Town Square.

[justjim]

The 5-7 p m Happy Hour @ Spanish Springs Town Square.

What to do now that it will be cut to 5-6 pm? Things change...:boom:

[manaboutown]

What to do now that it will be cut to 5-6 pm? Things change...:boom:

Drink faster!

[Barborv]

I did 2-3 years of research visiting communities down the east coast, crossing over to the west coast and up. The Villages was my last stop on our last venture. This was about 5-6 years ago. Was just looking and if found something, we needed to rent till we make the move permanently when we retire. Still have 2-3 years to go! Most of the communities were boring and didn't excite me and didn't have much rental potential. This is also because friends of ours bought an incredible house in a community in Clermont and we stayed there for a week one time, and there was the one typical, but beautiful new clubhouse. BORING!!! I even asked my friend what club she goes to and she named one that met 4 times a year! There wasn't mush else that interested her. Solivita I really liked (before I saw the Villages) because it had somewhat of a little townish area.But, once outside the gates, you wouldn't want to venture after sunset! Other places down south, were very nice, but pretty empty in the summer, and boy was it hot down there in the summer. Not great if you want a full time community. Another place I liked was on top of the World, but a lot of the activities and classes they show in the brochure you have to pay for! Sun city in Tampa was a big community, but the center for most of the activities felt like I was back in high school and old looking. Of course there is the newer area, but you have to drive through the old section that isn't aesthetically nice looking. The Villages of Citrus Hills was also lovely, but again, small and not exciting to me. We came to the Villages for a two day visit, stayed in the hotel in Spanish Springs. Let me add that we also wanted a place that we wouldn't have trouble renting for several years. The Villages real estate person, Gail Evans, assured us that it would rent in no time. After thinking about it over night, we decided to take the leap. I fell in love with the community as soon as I hit the town square that evening. Well, not only did our place rent, I had it rented before I even closed on the property. And this was all done with us living back home in NY. Two years after that , we wound up purchasing another place for investment purposes. Had a renter before I even bought the place. This also was all done from NY. I have been coming and visiting TV 2-3 times a year which I rent from someone off season for the last 5 years b/c my places are rented long term. I am now in the process of finding my perfect retirement home for when we come down full time in 2-3 years and of course if we find our perfect home sooner than later, I will be renting that as well! I can't stop talking about the Villages to people, and I encourage them to check it out. To me, it doesn't feel like a retirement community. It fells like you are in a big large community where you see young people all the time. I have clubs that I go to every time I'm down there and even made acquaintances at these clubs. Can't wait to make it full time and make my acquaintances full time friends!.

[tagjr1]

The town squares get old real fast, especially during snowbird season. Any time a good group plays there is so many people, a lot of them from outside TV. Drunks from happy hours and the local pubs around the square can be a nuisance. To make matters worse the fake gates allow any and everyone into the community no matter what time of the day.

[Nonni252]

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[thelegges]

Have had a place on both coasts, one loves the water, one loves the golf. No matter where we go, traffic is not a big deal, we eat early and late. We miss our Lifetime gym, and there is nothing here to compare. We are looking into out of bubble 24/7 indoor pool facilities. Driving a car for us not a big deal.

Weather in the winter is much cooler than when we were farther south. As for hurricane issues, it’s just a house.
Our grocery, and shopping almost always internet driven, not brick and mortar.

That said TV with golf won out for now, but I can see down the road when golf becomes less doable, water may win again. Nothing like walking on the beach.

Take your time visit as many as you find interesting. But if you choose TV and down the road fall out of love, selling here is quick and easy

[Down Sized]

The 5-7 p m Happy Hour @ Spanish Springs Town Square.

With the recent change to this, will your mind to move?

[peachpit]

The Villages? Sometimes I start to feel negative about The Villages. This feeling causes me to start looking at other places to move. Brother chose Las Vegas, sisters North and South Carolina. The feeling will probably never go away. But after eleven years of looking, can't find any property that comes even close to The Villages. Nothing warms my heart more than being out of town and then driving back onto The Villages property. This place is truly beautiful and all I have to do is leave it and come back and those negative feeling are gone. We rented here two times before buying. It was just an obsession between our first rental and our purchase. Constantly on TOTV's and watching the cameras at Sumter Landing and Spanish springs. So please, if someone comes across a better property (this side of heaven), let the rest of us Villages know so we can move on from this place.

[FenneyFanatic]

This place is one of a kind! For us, there was no second choice..