Rent first before you buy?

[Gulfcoast]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

[GreySkies]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

Not only am I currently renting in TV but I also rented at Margaritaville, Citris Hills and On Top Of The World. I am retired and I have the time so why not make the best of the time off and sample them all. I left The Villages for last because of the size and logistics of this community.

I have been in TV for 2 months of what was first a 6 month lease but I have already extended it to a year since COVID-19 has changed the dynamics of what is considered the norm. What I did learn from renting in the other communities is that they are not a good fit for me and I have removed them from consideration.

If you can rent first it is the best advice you can follow because as you may read as you progress through this forum, The Villages is not for everyone.

[JoMar]

We rented for four years before we bought. During that time we, of course drove all over the place in a golf cart and got so lost lol. We also talked to random people that lived here, learned how the government worked and attended several meetings, and the risks associated with locations. We learned that we wanted electric carts, wanted to be as far south as we could, at the time which was Hillsborough, felt they were out of their minds for asking what they were asking for golf course or pond view lots (based on what they sell for today we should have bought many), we learned what a CDD is responsible for and what the Developer is and is not responsible for. We learned that the majority of the people that live here are "glass is half full" people (and still are). They retired to enjoy life and spend most of their time doing just that and avoid conflict, which is why most seem ok with the anonymous complaint system, avoid discussing politics and don't care what you did in your past life or how much you made. We learned that we live in the best neighborhood in The Villages (and so does most everyone else). With all the recreation and learning opportunities we learned that if we are bored it's our fault (and we aren't bored). We also found out that when someone is disgruntled they continue to live here because their other half loves it here and isn't moving (also gives a view on who is in control lol). We learned that stuff here is always changing (there were many changes in the years we rented) and if that made us uncomfortable then this may not be our kind of place because the changes won't always be what we think they should be. Since we love change and the excitement and new life it brings it has never been an issue but if you are change adverse you need to think about your choice.. We learned that the diversity of the people that live around us expose us to new views, new customs, new food and new interests. We learned that Florida has a lot of things to offer and exploring new venues and getting lost (again) all adds to the fun of living here. Hope that helps from our view.

Wow, we have been here for six years plus the 4 means we have been here in some form for 10 years. I guess I will add that time really seems to go quickly when you get here :)

[Stu from NYC]

We spent two long weekends here and last June rented for a month.

Saw quite a few houses while we were here and gave us a much better idea as to style of house and location.

Told us that we wanted to be in an established neighborhood where the amenities were already there and shopping was in a reasonable distance from our house.

Moved here in Feb just in time for covid.

In retrospect like the location but wish we would have bought something a bit larger.
Hindsight says should have rented for longer say 3 months.

Apparently most people here do not stay in their first house here but move once or twice. To me it is rather a hassle and not sure we want to do that.

[kathyspear]

We did not rent first but I wish we had. I loved our first house but NOT the location, so after a year we bought a similar home in another area. Our new home is closer to shopping and restaurants AND to my sister and her hubs who moved here a few years earlier. At the time renting seemed like a lot of bother but with 20-20 hindsight I definitely wish we had done it. Selling a house costs a lot of money and moving twice was a pain in the ***.

YMMV.

kathy

[Cupcake57]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

I came from the cold midwest in January to rent in the Villages as a home base while I looked at other 55 plus areas in Florida. I wasn't interested in the Villages when I came, but was having so much darn fun driving that golf cart all over the place, hitting all the pools, exploring, and shopping. The first week I went thru the newspaper and wrote down 19 different events I wanted to do weekly; mostly water aerobics and yoga! I got so busy that I didn't have time to look at all the art classes or want to leave for day trips to look at other communities.

Exploring gave me the opportunity to see what areas I liked the best; I chose south of 44 for the beautiful trails and live oak trees; newer areas are supposed to attract younger people whose social groups are still forming, but I found everyone to be very friendly.

I went to lots of open houses to see what models I liked, and finally called a realtor and made it official--I had drank the koolaid. And I bought a house. Because of the pandemic, the bank allowed me to do a 90 day closing rather than the standard 30.

After COVID hit, things slowed down but I stayed until mid May and enjoyed exploring on the golf cart. I finally came back to the midwest to sell my house here, did not return for the closing on my new house, and I'm anxious to return to start Chapter 3 (or 4) of my life. First order of business when I get back to the Villages--buy a golf cart.

[Stu from NYC]

Amazes me how many people move here and decide to move again and again.

Not exactly cheap to go from house to house.

[asianthree]

We rented from 07 - 10. Different areas. Bought first Vaca home a PV in 2010 new. Started spending more time, bought cottage with 2car in 2012. One retired in 2014 and bought designer with golf cart garage. Easy to sell on your own here and make a profit. Plus no attachment to any home here. We still have our lake house up north for hot weather

[EdFNJ]

We rented for a month in Sept 2016, went back north, sold our home in 24hrs on Nov 1 2016 at first open house, closed Jan 2 2017, drove down here with nothing but our clothes and some junk in a small Pod took a 3 month rental in Orange Blossom to look for a place and bought after 7 weeks. Yes, renting is a good idea.

[tophcfa]

We were lucky enough to have good friends that own a house in the Villages who invited us to visit several times. With each visit, as we got older and became seniors, the Villages grew on us more. Then our friends gave us an extended stay at their home as a gift. During that time my wife and I experienced as much of the Villages lifestyle as we could fit in and we were sold on becoming Villagers. We also took a couple of winter trips to Myrtle Beach and quickly realized if one really wants to escape winters the you need to go further south. When we decided to purchase a home we got a rental so that we could take our time and not get hurried into making the wrong decision. We really wanted to buy the right home the first time and not experiment and wind up moving. We wanted to live either north of 466 or just south of Lake Sumter, have a private back yard with room to add a good size pool/birdcage, and not be on a busy road. It all worked out great. Good luck : )

[tvbound]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

The first time we rented solidified our decision to eventually move there and the second time we rented was for a longer period, so that we could investigate more to get an idea of where we wanted to buy. As soon as it's safer to travel (per our own determination), we plan on renting again in TV while we take our time looking for the home we want to buy (between 466 and 466A). Ironically, we're even renting now because we sold our house and land in anticipation of coming to The Villages in early summer, then Covid hit so we're just hanging out until we feel comfortable going back down there and eventually becoming frogs. So my suggestion is to definitely rent first and take your time looking around.

[claricecolin]

Amazes me how many people move here and decide to move again and again.

Not exactly cheap to go from house to house.

Depends on when you did it. My parents moved here in 2001 and brought their third and final house in 2010. Made a profit each time with no mortgage only moving with bedroom furniture and personal items. Furnished each house new. So it depends on what is desired and what may change.

They also spent 2 winters traveling and trying out different areas before deciding. They basically stumbled upon The Villages while looking at top of the world. Did a lifestyle visit then rented before deciding. Brought a courtyard villa and gave it a year to see if this was where they wanted to be.

[Topspinmo]

Amazes me how many people move here and decide to move again and again.

Not exactly cheap to go from house to house.

If you do it wisely you can make little money?

[Goldwingnut]

And this is exactly the target customer for The Lofts. Rent for a year on a lease, decide you like the place and then either buy or build, break the lease with ease if you build or buy through a Villages realtor (ok, sales person). They're not stupid, they know exactly what they are doing, fishing in a barrel.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

we visited on a lifestyle visit, after being recommended by a friend who had just come back. So went came down, and on day 4 bought a plot which was both underpriced and in a perfect location for our tastes, and custom built a begonia. Impulse buy, maybe, looks that way, but then again, we have been traveling the southeast to find out where we want to retire. Will we get there? I hope so, but not quite able to move and have healthcare insurance not bankrupt us yet. However, we both also have bought and sold houses before, and knew that we were looking for certain items, outdoor lifestyle with golf and nearby amenities.

We have friends trying to figure out retirement, not happy being retired in New England, and only having one season of enjoyment which is threatened with climate change. so to each their own, but move before you can't if you are so inclined

sportsguy

[Laker14]

I will be renting this year for my third rental year. If you have the patience for it, and can find rentals you like, you can learn a lot.

What I've learned that has suited me: First place was wonderful except it backed up to Canal St...I found the noise from Canal St. annoying. I was glad I didn't own the place. Incidentally, it wasn't cars or trucks that bothered me the most, it was the steady onslaught of gas carts.
Also rented a villa. The unit was fine, but I found I did not enjoy living in a street of villas. Nothing wrong with it, just not my cup of tea.
Also rented in a "regular" neighborhood and found this much more to my liking. Also learned a lot about what I like in a house design, and what I don't.

I am leaning towards a purchase this winter. Mind still not totally made up on that, and Dear Wife and I are not on the same page yet, but what we've learned from renting has been well worth the time and effort, should we decide to purchase.

Also, while we like TV a lot, and should we make the move it will be to TV vs. some other warm weather locale, renting without making the commitment has allowed us to experience what TV is all about. It's not perfect. There are aspects of it we find somewhat disappointing. But hey, that's life, right? On balance, we like it a lot. I think our satisfaction will be increased by having had that information BEFORE we made the jump, rather than after.

[Stu from NYC]

I will be renting this year for my third rental year. If you have the patience for it, and can find rentals you like, you can learn a lot.

What I've learned that has suited me: First place was wonderful except it backed up to Canal St...I found the noise from Canal St. annoying. I was glad I didn't own the place. Incidentally, it wasn't cars or trucks that bothered me the most, it was the steady onslaught of gas carts.
Also rented a villa. The unit was fine, but I found I did not enjoy living in a street of villas. Nothing wrong with it, just not my cup of tea.
Also rented in a "regular" neighborhood and found this much more to my liking. Also learned a lot about what I like in a house design, and what I don't.

I am leaning towards a purchase this winter. Mind still not totally made up on that, and Dear Wife and I are not on the same page yet, but what we've learned from renting has been well worth the time and effort, should we decide to purchase.

Also, while we like TV a lot, and should we make the move it will be to TV vs. some other warm weather locale, renting without making the commitment has allowed us to experience what TV is all about. It's not perfect. There are aspects of it we find somewhat disappointing. But hey, that's life, right? On balance, we like it a lot. I think our satisfaction will be increased by having had that information BEFORE we made the jump, rather than after.

We saw some very nice houses though that backed up onto a very busy street.

Salesrep tried to talk us into it by saying that when inside would hardly hear any noise.

Of course when outside would hear it all.

Thankfully our rental time allowed us to see all kinds of locations.

[Gulfcoast]

Thanks everyone. This is all very good information to have. I think that we'll plan on renting before we buy but we'll need to figure out the best way for us to do that. I appreciate all of your insights!

[Stu from NYC]

Thanks everyone. This is all very good information to have. I think that we'll plan on renting before we buy but we'll need to figure out the best way for us to do that. I appreciate all of your insights!

We did it via Village Sales and did get too see a lot of choices.

Worked out well but no idea how much if anything it might have added to our rental cost.

[Kasper1658]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

Yes,we did and it payed off.#1 we bought bigger a lot of people said they bought their too small and were moving to something larger. #2 after renting we had a better idea were we wanted to live ,closer to town, how big of a garage, one golf cart or two, better idea of what style house.

[Colby]

We rented for two months with no intention to live here, had never visited and had friends here we wanted to spend time with. 3 weeks later we bought a lot in Fenney, sold our house and moved here permanently. 2 years in and zero regrets and just grateful the “newer” area south of 44 had started as the beauty and nature here suit us to a tee.

[gradnjw]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

We rented two winters before buying. First we rented a courtyard villa for a couple reasons. It was less expensive to rent, and we wanted to see what that size would feel like to live in. The following year we rented a lovely home.
We learned that a villa is a little small, especially the garage and curved driveway. Also, the closeness to other villas was sometimes an issue. One neighbor let their dog out in the enclosed yard, where it proceeded to bark nonstop until taken back in. For the second rental, we learned that we liked the size better and the roomier garage (plus golf cart garage), and that we did not prefer that floor plan.
Both rentals were in the same village, so we became very familiar with being south of 466A and north of 44. Renting definitely helped us narrow search to a specific area and to the size of the home we wanted. And we are very happy with our choice!
Good luck with your decision-making! Hope to see in TV someday!

[wsachs]

Rented here for three years. First, one month, then two months and then three. Decided after that it was probably cheaper in the long run to buy as I was going to go for 6th months next. And since my rentals were in Pennecamp, Amelia and Woodbury I had a good idea of the good things about each location and was able to pick the area I bought in, Lynnhave (by the Charter School) that was located near amenities, stores, Dr's offices, restaurants, etc.

[Mike Hostnik]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

We bought during a Lifestyle Preview stay. We moved many times in our life so we were experienced in knowing how to find the floor plan we wanted. Most people do not have this Much experience. We got the floor plan but got very lucky that we love the area because we only had limited understanding of the differences throughout The Villages.

Since moving here we bought two rental properties. In two years we have had five different renters book a stay and take there time to look for there future home. Based on their feedback, my recommendation would be to rent first.

There is no bad area in the Villages. However, there are better areas based on your interest and activity. The Villages are pushing the new properties in the south. They lack a Town Square and for some a golf cart ride to a Town Square and the entertainment is a must.

Golf is available everywhere but the course options do vary between the north, central and south.

My successful renters spent time picking their preferred area first then looked for the floor plan in that area. One took two years before the home they wanted hit the market. I also believe they saved money in the long run as they were not motivated buyers. They negotiated lower prices on homes they bought. Best wishes if you are looking to buy.

[Miss B GA]

I highly recommend renting first. My plan was to rent for eight months but within three months I ended up purchasing a house. I went everywhere during that first month (open houses, classes, club meetings). I had a preconceived notion of where I wanted to live but that quickly changed. A few things I learned while renting: a courtyard villa is too small, a gas-powered golf cart is a must, a new home was preferable over a previously owned one, and I wanted to be south of 466A. Three years later, I couldn't be happier. Everything is a personal choice so it's best to explore your options before committing. Good luck!

[JudyLife]

We rented 4 separate times since 2016, got to know the areas & TV in general, what was on offer, looked at some houses each time & bought in 2018. Would deff rent first, particularly wanted to know if we could cope with the summer heat/humidity.

[CarrieOn]

Awesome unbiased post
thanks for your time..
I’ll be a resident 9/28/20 and am to the moon & back..
I started off visiting a friend for New Years..day 2, I was working with her realtor..amazing patient man..
Came for 1 life style..
Bought the house I’m moving into 9/28 on my 5 th visit..I had 50 New homes saved To view,but quickly narrowed them down when I saw the backyards in person..
I’m sure renting here may be the way to go for many..but we knew immediately where we wanted to live..
I actually purchased a home 2/14 and was to close on it 3/20 right when Covid hit and everything shut down..I freaked out because of the pandemic as everyone was..and cancelled my closing..lost a huge wad.. (still trying to swallow that)
BUT THRILLED we didn’t buy that house!! It was way tooooo small and would have moved in 2 years anyways!!
See Y’All Soon!!

[joe & kathy]

This is a good way to see and try all thats available to you. We did it and it helped us make up our minds.

[sallyg]

Renting first is an excellent idea. The Villages is so huge you may find you prefer one area over another based on golf courses, rec centers, or proximity to shopping, medical etc. each area has its advantages and disadvantages.

[rlcooper70]

Rented for four years .... great experience ... got the lay of the land and was able to make a better decision about where to buy and live. Is the reason Villagers typically move twice that they didn't rent before buying?

[deestatham@aol.com]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

We rented a furnished home for 2 years and ended up buying it! We were so glad to be able to test the neighbors and neighborhood before making a decision. We liked it so much, we bought it, furniture and all. We had sold all of our furniture before moving to TV because we knew it wouldn’t fit in Florida and the cost to move it was astronomical. So glad we did because we would never have been able to sell it here. We have about 70 boxes of stuff in a storage unit that we brought with us, personal things we couldn’t do without. Anyhow, we are SO glad we did it this way. We had lived in our house for 34 years. Moving was stressful. Doing it the way we did reduced a lot of that stress. We’ve been here 5 years, Sept. 1, and love it.

[chrissy2231]

All you need to know is if what you want is to indulge yourself in hobbies & make new friends, renting is not necessary. Why pay storage fees and move twice? Go with your gut!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Amazes me how many people move here and decide to move again and again.

Not exactly cheap to go from house to house.

Some people want to upgrade and some want to downsize.

A lot of people come here and buy a huge house and find that with only two of them living in it, it is unnecessary.

Other's buy a tiny house and find that they have relatives coming to visit and staying with them so they need more room.

Some people move into neighborhoods and either don't like where they are or perhaps have a problem with the neighbor.

I don't know which is correct but on average, a Villages resident will move three times or have three homes. But there are a lot of different reasons.

I came here in 2012 and bought a tiny manufactured home in Silver Lake. When they began building new homes in this neighborhood, I decided to buy one thinking that the manufactured homes were going to start going down in value. I was wrong but I'm still very happy with my move.

[GreySkies]

And this is exactly the target customer for The Lofts. Rent for a year on a lease,

I considered the Lofts and was on a waiting list for the first available rentals. However the more I researched rentals the more I decided to go another route. I found I could rent a nice 1450 sq. ft. 3 bedroom home, fully furnished for less than a 1 bedroom "box" at The Lofts. I am sure for some The Loft's will be a great choice, for me I needed a bit more space and privacy.

[CTFORSBERG]

Great question and for us, back in 2005, we were so excited we just went ahead and bought a place after seeing at least 20. In all honesty we should have rented first. It gives you the last of the land, as many have mentioned here and, most importantly, gives you the opportunity to see if the villages is for you. Make it an adventure and have a blast!! Best of luck and stay safe. God Bless.

[kendi]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

We stayed at friends once near Sumter. Did 2 life style stays, then the 4th year we rented for a month. It wasn’t until we rented that I wanted to buy. The determining factor was the location. I just love it South of the turnpike. The other areas were nice to visit, but not live imo.

[Joyce952]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

We did rent for two months and then bought a home. We had no intentions of buying when we rented but we started looking at open houses and fell for one home and were able to buy it. We stay about 4-5 months in Florida and the rest of the time in Massachusetts but we are currently debating on moving to Florida full time. It all depends on this virus at this point. Massachusetts currently seems safer right now then Florida

[meridian5850]

We never rented, but came for the lifestyle preview and decided this was the place to retire to. We weren't quite ready to retire at that time, so we came down in the summers on vacation and rented a house for the week. Since it was off season we had no problem finding homes that could be rented weekly. Did all our exploring and looked at many houses and started to compile a list of must haves and would like to haves. We looked at homes every day on the Villages website for 3 years. When we pulled the trigger in fall of 2017, we knew what we wanted, came up with a list of about a dozen homes we thought would work for us and sent them to the sales person we had worked with every time we came down. Flew down, she showed us the homes we wanted to see plus a few others and found the one. Put a hold on it so we could think it over and committed the next day. It had everything on our must have list and almost everything on our would like to have list.

Since moving here, we did our landscaping, had the master bedroom closet done for more storage the first year, screened the entry and added insulation above the garage the second year, then bought a spa and added a birdcage earlier this year. Just added A/C to the garage last month. With a few minor projects we're in the process of starting in a few weeks, our home will be perfect for us and is likely to be the only one.

[dewilson58]

I never rented prior to.
Renting has been a good thing for many people.........so can't knock it.
I knew what I wanted, but "if you don't know, you don't know"


GOOD LUCK!!!

[particle]

Wish we would have rented first. We chose the wrong floor plan and regretted it for 5 yrs before selling and purchasing the right one.

[OhioBuckeye]

Good advice, then you can’t blame anybody for buying if you don’t like it here!

[Gulfcoast]

We will definitely be downsizing and I want to avoid the mistake of buying something too small. If I had to choose today, I would go for a 3 bedroom CYV on a corner lot that is within walking distance of a town square. But I'm wondering if we would wind up regretting the limited parking/garage space and curved driveway in a CYV, The only way to know if a CYV would work for us is to actually stay in one I suppose. Renting would also give us a better idea as to what amenities we would like to be near - not just today but down the road.

Renting does add an additional step into the process but if it helps us to find a home/area that we are happy with, it'll be worth it.

[KRM0614]

I did not know I was given the quick rush and wish I had rented them I would have never bought here. Problems with the house trying to get person show up for mowing. If you are alive especially a woman there is nothing for you. I’m also not elderly and never hung out with women. Biggest mistake I made and costly

[colsojd]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

Yes I rented for two winters and so glad I did to truly understand where the amenities that I most enjoyed were and how close I wanted to be. I rented in the northern 1/3 and bought in the middle and so happy I did. All is good but why face an unnecessary move and the expense later. Renting was a reasonable cost to gain such insights. Maybe 1 period of rental is all you need. Not sure you would get enough with a lifestyle visit in a week but its better that renting, or worse, buying blindly on a short visit. I did meet some people who bought on their first day of visit and had regrets later.

[Stu from NYC]

I never rented prior to.
Renting has been a good thing for many people.........so can't knock it.
I knew what I wanted, but "if you don't know, you don't know"


GOOD LUCK!!!

As a wise man once said, You dont know what you dont know.

[Gulfcoast]

I did not know I was given the quick rush and wish I had rented them I would have never bought here. Problems with the house trying to get person show up for mowing. If you are alive especially a woman there is nothing for you. I’m also not elderly and never hung out with women. Biggest mistake I made and costly

I'm sorry that you felt rushed into buying but I am genuinely surprised that you aren't finding things to do in TV. I'm a woman and from what I have seen I could easily fill a day with all sorts of activities - clubs, classes, the swimming pool, fitness center, walking paths, shopping....my husband and I have a lot in common and I adore him but we also have different interests and the wide variety of activities in TV is very appealing to me. TV is also within a reasonable drive of Anna Maria Island and Clearwater Beach for easy weekend getaways. I'm just not seeing the downside of being there.

If you are more of a homebody who is not really there for the activities then I can see how TV would not be your cup of tea. I'm actually a bit of an introvert, myself, but I still like getting out and doing things. I'm not a cliquish person but I'm also not especially bothered by cliques if that makes sense. Give me a good friend or two to go shopping and have lunch with - I'm happy.

[bp243]

Just a thought if you're looking for a home and are unsure where to even begin. Sign in to Zillow.com, select your housing desires (location, price, pool, reserve, golf course, etc) and Zillow will send you daily choices of the homes that fall in your parameters. Another option is to contact Chris and Lynn Bartlett , Re Max Realtors. They will send you regular updates of places for sale that meet your parameters. After a few months of looking in both places, Chris came up with the perfect home and negotiated the deal to our satisfaction. He handled all of the issues with precision!

[celiarw]

We didn't rent first. We visited, then went north and watched for homes in our price range to come on the market. There were quite a few in October of 2014, so we came down one weekend & bought! We still love our decision - we have an inground pool on a busy street in an older section. Not for everyone, but as many have said there are no bad areas in TV! Welcome home!

[bill_rich@verizon.net]

Definitely rent before you buy. We visited twice with different friends in season of 2018. Then rented off season in fall of 2018 & again in Spring of 2019. We thought we wanted a smaller home with a pool. Found it too small & hardly used the pool. Then rented a designer home without a pool - which fit our needs much better. Bought a designer home “between the sixes” last summer. We are so glad we put our toes in the water before jumping in. Good luck.

[valuemkt]

Two lifestyle visits in 2014 and 2016 made our search easier. We knew we wanted to be between Lake Sumter and Brownwood. So we bought there prior to retirement and mostly rented the house out. By the time we were ready for the permanent move last year, we decided that our lovely designer home was too small, and contracted to build a custom home "below 44". So even with a lot of research, we're on "Number 2" and very happy

[bpascani]

We did, and were glad we did. We have moved many times and, since the first one (before kids) , we have always picked the area that we thought would be best, and rented for a year or so. Now here, kids being grown, we didn't really care what area we were in, as long as it was north of hwy 44. We just wanted to make sure this i where we wanted to be. Since our past rentals have either ended early, with a penalty, (usually rented for 1yr), or, one time, had to be extended, we were fortunate to get a 6 1/2 mo lase down here, with month to month after that, with 60 days notice. After 4 -5 mos., we decided to stay, contracted with 2 agents (1 Village, one MLS) and finally found and moved in early Nov 2019, and out of our rental Early Dec 2019. Many seem to buy on their 1st trip out. We were not those people, but both of our agents were very patient and understanding. Best of luck to you!

[Gulfcoast]

It's interesting to me that so many of you have found that your initial choice in homes was too small to meet your needs. Is that because you found yourself bringing more stuff with you than you initially thought that you would, is it a matter of having more frequent visitors than expected, is it a lack of storage in the TV homes, are the actual room sizes/closets tiny compared to the home that you moved from?

Right now, I am thinking of bringing the bare minimum, probably buying all new furniture and having a fenced in yard that is as maintenance free as possible while still giving my dogs some grass to do their bizness on. I'm wondering if I'm vastly underestimating the amount of yard equipment and workshop tools that we would need to bring. Obviously, we will still have a house to maintain and a yard to keep up even if it is smaller than the home we own now.

[dewilson58]

As a wise man once said, You dont know what you dont know.


I don't know that wise man.


:1rotfl:

[Stu from NYC]

It's interesting to me that so many of you have found that your initial choice in homes was too small to meet your needs. Is that because you found yourself bringing more stuff with you than you initially thought that you would, is it a matter of having more frequent visitors than expected, is it a lack of storage in the TV homes, are the actual room sizes/closets tiny compared to the home that you moved from?

Right now, I am thinking of bringing the bare minimum, probably buying all new furniture and having a fenced in yard that is as maintenance free as possible while still giving my dogs some grass to do their bizness on. I'm wondering if I'm vastly underestimating the amount of yard equipment and workshop tools that we would need to bring. Obviously, we will still have a house to maintain and a yard to keep up even if it is smaller than the home we own now.

In our case lack of storage. Garage here is considerably smaller than the garage where we came from so we lost a lot of storage space.

Also came from 3200 sq ft to 2000 sq ft and from 4 bedrooms to 3.

To gain space back we are in the process of converting our lanai to Florida room

[clwahlstrom]

We rented one year for one month and the next for three months before we decided to sell our home in California. When we rented for three months, we got a better idea of the areas that we liked. And bought accordingly. We actually decided to move before we even sold our house in California

[clwahlstrom]

We sold mostly everything prior to moving, and just had a small pod take it out and stored it for a couple months before we actually moved here

[Gulfcoast]

In our case lack of storage. Garage here is considerably smaller than the garage where we came from so we lost a lot of storage space.

Also came from 3200 sq ft to 2000 sq ft and from 4 bedrooms to 3.

To gain space back we are in the process of converting our lanai to Florida room

I think that one of the biggest shocks about moving to Florida from our house up north was the loss of a basement. All of the stuff that was on the unfinished side of our basement got put out in the garage. Mentally, I knew that this was going to be the case and, thankfully, we picked a model with a 3 car garage because by the time we put the workshop and yard tools, holiday decorations, lawn tractor, lawn mower, bicycles, etc in that garage we could only fit one car inside comfortably although we could squeeze 2 in if we're expecting a bad storm/hail.

The idea of having to pare it all down to fit into a one or two car garage seems sort of daunting. We have lots of camping equipment, fishing and beach gear in addition to the yard and household tools plus holiday decorations. The one thing we definitely won't need to bring to TV is our lawn tractor.

From an interior standpoint (bedrooms/kitchen/baths/living areas) I think we'll be good. It's the danged storage areas/garage that will cause us issues when it comes to downsizing.

[condomom22]

My plan was to rent for 6 - 12 months, unpacking only what we needed and kept all other boxes in the garage. I wanted to make sure TV was the right place for us. I went to many open houses to determine what models would would work for us and recorded the positives and negatives of each model. I also found out I could survive the summer weather here. So I bought a home just before the 6 months was up. I recommend it if you can handle making two moves.

[rmd2]

Before I bought I rented in 3 different places for about 1 1/2 years. Renting was my best decision. It gave me enough time to find out what I wanted to do and where I spent most of my time. When I decided to buy I bought a home near 466. Still my best decision. I love this location! Also I initially thought I wanted a 2/2 villa but after trying it out found I wanted a 3 bedroom/2 bath/2 car garage.

[Bonawitzk]

I rented first as well until I found the area that I liked the most. Then bought. While I await to move to TVs full-time, my home is available to rent starting mid-Jan 2021. 2 bed/2 bath. Waterfront view. Call or text me @ 717-856-3427 for details. No smoking/no pets.

[La lamy]

Highly recommend many months of renting before buying. Try out all the different activities in different locations, which square you prefer to go to, which shopping area you feel comfortable in. Even figuring out if you don't mind hearing pickleball playing if you are near a rec center, fumes from golf carts if you face a golf course etc...

[tedquick]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?'''

My wife and I visited 5 or 6 times before we bought. Each visit was a week or two. We wanted to find out how we were going to live in our new world before we purchased. After we determined that we chose our area and then purchased a floor plan that we had decided on during our trips. Actually we bought our home over the internet because we knew the area, and the plan we wanted. We purchased about 7 years ago and love everything about our location, home and village. Best of luck to you.

[JerryLBell]

My wife and I visited on the recommendation of her cousin, who had come through to visit friends who had moved here. We were impressed but not yet ready to retire or buy. We stopped the following year on a vacation and were impressed all over again. We came a third year to do a direct comparison with a list of about a dozen retirement communities we'd researched online. On the drive home to North Carolina, we decided we were definitely going to buy in The Villages. We also decided we really liked a model of home we had toured. We got home, went through the list of houses of that model that were available, picked out one, contacted the realtor and bought it. We weren't able to retire yet so we owned the house for about a year and a half before we could actually retire and move here. We had definitely planned on at least doing the lifestyle visit and possibly renting a month or two before making such a move but we were so convinced by our visits and comparisons that we took a chance and bought without doing either.

Any regrets? Sure. We regret that we couldn't have retired a bit earlier and moved here when we bought. We also regret that we couldn't have retired even earlier and bought and moved here years ago. Retirement life here is the best job either of us have ever had.

[Chloe Girl]

We rented 4 or 5 times a month at a time before we bought. At 2 places we rented, the train woke us up at wee hours of the morning so we knew we didn't want to live in those areas. We finally ended up buying in the north end of The Villages not only because we found the style of house that we wanted but because we are a cart ride away from a care center, imaging center, grocery shopping and easy accessibility to 27/441. You really have to do your homework before purchasing. I've heard a lot of complaints about folks hearing too much road noise from the turnpike or too much noise from the prison. DUH!!!

[Rsenholzi]

I rented for a month for 4 years before I bought and moved down permanently. I rented in different areas- near Sumter and brownwood. When I was finally ready to buy , I told the real estate what model I was looking for and the area I wanted . When looking with her , she took me to the area and model but showed me other models . Didn’t like any until she showed me the model I bought. It had an even bigger kitchen as well as a bigger back yard. I had already decided I loved the privacy of the courtyard villas and only wanted one of those. Ultimately , I bought for the property as well as the kitchen. I was able to add on a larger lanai and put a birdcage over my patio. Renting helped me decided what was important to me- kitchen and backyard and that’s how I finally chose the house I have now. I will not have to move 3 times because of this strategy. My advice- make a list of what is important to you. Look at the models to find those and then rent it in different areas. Once you have done that , you will find your dream house

[nynic]

Moved from Maine 2012 after my husband passed. Had no intention of becoming a Floridian but as an 'old widow lady from Maine
w/2 cats' facing ME winters on our own was not an option. The Lifestyle experience sold me but had to have a preview of the FL summers via a rental. Rented July-August-Sept to see if I could cope w/ the heat. Nine years later we are true Floridians and have made a "climate adjustment"..... do all your running around stuff in the AM! That pretty much applies to June - Oct. RENT FIRST!!

[John41]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

We rented for a month in Chatham and learned the train blew its horn very loud. So then we made sure to look for homes out of hearing distance of the train. I imagine some RR fans would love it though.

[dkaufnelson]

Yes, great idea to rent before buying for all the above mentioned reasons. Northern sections more established landscaping, more trees [shade], closer to restaurants/shopping, older homes, low bonds if any. Between 466 and 466A more central to Villages amenities; new, southern areas more nature/trees, walking/biking trails, new homes, higher ceilings, higher bonds, often younger residents etc. Courtyards/patio villas have much lower bonds than designer homes of same size. Moving into an established neighborhood is harder to make friends as they don't usually still offer all the neighborhood parties, like new neighborhoods do. Don't buy bigger than you will need for 1-2 people, as most residents don't entertain in their homes and meet at Villages rec centers/restaurants/clubs for entertainment/socializing. Make sure garage size is what you'll need for accommodating cars, golf carts, work space, storage. Big yards require more upkeep, more landscaping and higher water bills. Courtyards much bigger now than many realize [ up to 1800 sq ft if you want ], many have 2 car garages down south and low maintenance makes them great for snowbirds. TV is a great place for those who like to stay very active with many physical/mental, fun activities for everyone, but probably not worth the increased costs to live here if you aren't the active lifestyle type of person. Many other retirement places are cheaper for those who prefer a quiet lifestyle and staying at home relaxing more. Just depends on the type of retirement lifestyle you want!

[kathyspear]

We rented for a month in Chatham and learned the train blew its horn very loud. So then we made sure to look for homes out of hearing distance of the train. I imagine some RR fans would love it though.

Our previous house was in Calumet Grove and we could occasionally hear the train, mostly at night. I actually found it relaxing, as did my brother (who lives with us) and my sister (who lives elsewhere in TV). We think it is because we grew up in an area where we could sometimes hear a train off in the distance.

My husband hated it. I don't think the sound bothered him, per se. He just felt like he paid a lot of money for that house and he shouldn't have to hear noise.

One man's trash is another man's treasure, eh?

kathy

[Stu from NYC]

Our previous house was in Calumet Grove and we could occasionally hear the train, mostly at night. I actually found it relaxing, as did my brother (who lives with us) and my sister (who lives elsewhere in TV). We think it is because we grew up in an area where we could sometimes hear a train off in the distance.

My husband hated it. I don't think the sound bothered him, per se. He just felt like he paid a lot of money for that house and he shouldn't have to hear noise.

One man's trash is another man's treasure, eh?

kathy

For us would depend how loud the train was. In our previous home in Va the train was about a mile away and it was not that loud or often so no problem.

Now if trains came every 5 minutes or so might have had a different opinion

[Dgizzi]

Amazes me how many people move here and decide to move again and again.

Not exactly cheap to go from house to house.
I know right! Guess they have money to do that. I met a couple who have lived in the villages 5 yrs and this is their 3rd house. I met another couple who live by Brownwood. Their first house was 12 min from town. They moved and now 4 min from town! I moved from Ohio sept 2017 into a 55 and older place, didn’t like it or the town. Got lucky to sell after only 2 1/2 yrs. I ain’t moving no more...I hope..

[JSR22]

I highly recommend renting. We were positive we wanted the largest CYV because of our dogs. We rented a CYV while we were searching for homes. I discovered I felt claustrophobic. Every window looked out to a fence except a small window over the kitchen sink. We bought a large designer with room for a pool. We walk the dogs several times a day and it has worked out fine. The bonus my own pool.

[slpierce21@gmail.com]

Yes rent before buying...you want to make sure you buy in the right area...I love the Sumter area the best

[talleyjm]

I often hear people recommend renting in TV before buying. I'm curious to know who followed that advice (or wish that they did) and what they learned from renting first. Did renting change your mind about where you bought or what style home you wanted?

We bought our Courtyard Villa sight unseen! Visited TV for a week and didn’t find a house we wanted to buy. Went back to Virginia and found one online in TV that we liked. Called our realtor and asked him to check it out for us. He gave us a thumbs-up and said seller was highly motivated - she offered to sell the house turnkey if we wanted for no additional cost. Leather sofas and beautiful high end furniture. We put a contract on the house and saw it for the first time at closing! Second home we have bought sight unseen. And ended up loving both purchases. I think we have good intuition and some luck on our side!

[Elkiehound]

I can understand renting for a month, however wouldn't it be better to research and put all that rental money towards upgrades?

[RI401]

We stayed at friends once near Sumter. Did 2 life style stays, then the 4th year we rented for a month. It wasn’t until we rented that I wanted to buy. The determining factor was the location. I just love it South of the turnpike. The other areas were nice to visit, but not live imo.

Whats a lifestyle stay? Im planning on renting this winter briefly to test the waters. Just turned 55, will keep the house up north. Any advice for younger people? Wife is 49 and very active, gym, kayaking, dining. Dont want to have her first impression be dull.
Thanks
Bud

[RI401]

'''

My wife and I visited 5 or 6 times before we bought. Each visit was a week or two. We wanted to find out how we were going to live in our new world before we purchased. After we determined that we chose our area and then purchased a floor plan that we had decided on during our trips. Actually we bought our home over the internet because we knew the area, and the plan we wanted. We purchased about 7 years ago and love everything about our location, home and village. Best of luck to you.

Ted,
looking to rent as you did, whats a good area to start? We are younger, active but like privacy(if thats possible) We visited the main town square last year, seemed very busy. Would be spending half year there and half in New England.
Bud

[Kenswing]

Whats a lifestyle stay? Im planning on renting this winter briefly to test the waters. Just turned 55, will keep the house up north. Any advice for younger people? Wife is 49 and very active, gym, kayaking, dining. Dont want to have her first impression be dull.
Thanks
BudBasically you stay in a fully furnished Villages owned home. You can stay from 4 to 7 days. You pay a nightly fee but it's cheaper than a hotel. You'll have full use of a couple of bicycles and a golf cart.

They will babysit you as much as or little as you'd like. Here's the The Villages webpage with more info. The Villages Lifestyle Preview Plan (https://www.thevillages.com/lifestyle-preview-plan/)

[srpack]

We bought a small house 7 years ago. At first I wished we had bought something larger but 7 years later, I'm happy that we have a small house. We are older and large or small enough to manage. Hopefully can manage til death due us part.

[charmed59]

Hopefully they will move the Lifestyle Preview properties to the newer areas soon. Right now you are near Brownwood, and despite giving you a cart for your use, you have to get in a car and drive to see the new homes and new amenities. It’s hard to get an idea of the lifestyle without living in the area.