Monarch Grove

[michtofla]

Just saw a picture in the ************* of how close the houses in Monarch Grove are to the Turnpike. Why would anyone in their right mind buy a house so close to the Turnpike and then complain about the noise? They should sell their house and move into a memory care facility!

[PugMom]

yeah, it's hard to imagine someone buying near a major roadway would expect quiet.

[Fredman]

Probably got a good deal because of the road. Let the buyer beware.

[Stu from NYC]

Got a good price and thought they could live with the noise.

Surprise.

[bagboy]

I'm having a hard time believing that picture from the hyphen news site of the tanker truck close to the house is really the turnpike. Granted, the truck appears very close to the house. I looked at Google maps, and Hickey Way where alot of the complaints come from, the turnpike is close, but not as close as hyphen news wants us to believe.

[gdennis317]

Not like the Turnpike was built after the house. Now they want everyone to pay for their wall? Which would then raise their property value?

[vintageogauge]

Only a small part of Monarch Grove is that near to the turnpike and the buyers knew it when they purchased the homes, most evidently don't mind the noise and got very good deals on their homes. We had a similar situation in Ohio where a development was built along the pike and the homes all sold and continue to sell as re-sales.

[New Englander]

They knew the turnpike was right there with traffic noise 24/7 and they bought anyway. They have to live with it.

[dhdallas]

Caveat emptor! I just bought a new build in Bradford and immediately ruled out Monarch Grove due to the proximity of the highway and the high voltage power lines & towers (which were "Photo-shopped" out of some photos). I didn't even need to physically go there, just looking at the map was enough.

Do NOT expect the developer or the neighbors to pay for a sound barrier because the buyer didn't do his due diligence!

[VApeople]

We live in Osceola Hills and we like to drive through the new Southern areas to see what is happening.

Yesterday we drove thru Hawkins and saw the massive amount of earth moving being done to build the new golf course. We noticed they are building large earthen berms between the golf course and the Turnpike, maybe to keep golf balls from flying onto the Turnpike and also to make it a little quieter for the golfers.

Would it be reasonable to build some berms between Monarch Grove and the Turnpike?

[golfing eagles]

We live in Osceola Hills and we like to drive through the new Southern areas to see what is happening.

Yesterday we drove thru Hawkins and saw the massive amount of earth moving being done to build the new golf course. We noticed they are building large earthen berms between the golf course and the Turnpike, maybe to keep golf balls from flying onto the Turnpike and also to make it a little quieter for the golfers.

Would it be reasonable to build some berms between Monarch Grove and the Turnpike?

In general, I don't believe in bailing out people who make bad decisions. However, in this case, there are a few things to consider. It's usually in the developer's best interest to make the residents happy, it's good PR and in the long run might help sell more houses. Better to have happy residents bragging about what TV did for their noise problem than having them run and complain to the Orlando newspaper and television stations, who are not very sympathetic to TV to start with. Furthermore, the developer had to be very aware of the (potential) noise problem and sold the homes anyway. The best time for noise abatement would have been when building. Did these home sell at a "discount" because of noise? I don't know, but if they did I'm less sympathetic to the homeowners, who were in that case essentially paid to live with traffic noise.

[Joe V.]

In general, I don't believe in bailing out people who make bad decisions. However, in this case, there are a few things to consider. It's usually in the developer's best interest to make the residents happy, it's good PR and in the long run might help sell more houses. Better to have happy residents bragging about what TV did for their noise problem than having them run and complain to the Orlando newspaper and television stations, who are not very sympathetic to TV to start with. Furthermore, the developer had to be very aware of the (potential) noise problem and sold the homes anyway. The best time for noise abatement would have been when building. Did these home sell at a "discount" because of noise? I don't know, but if they did I'm less sympathetic to the homeowners, who were in that case essentially paid to live with traffic noise.

We are in Monarch Grove, but not the homes in question on Hickey Way. We do hear the highway but after a year it is just white background noise to us. Several of these folks scoped out and bought their new homes during the original lock-down for the China Flu. The turnpike was almost dead quiet. You could walk back and forth across the turnpike before one or two trucks would drive by. These folks did not get the full impact of just how noisy that highway really can be. I believe the person who started that noise abatement petition does not even live in these particular homes. The couple of folks I do know who live in these homes got them at a discount and are actually happy there.

[vintageogauge]

Caveat emptor! I just bought a new build in Bradford and immediately ruled out Monarch Grove due to the proximity of the highway and the high voltage power lines & towers (which were "Photo-shopped" out of some photos). I didn't even need to physically go there, just looking at the map was enough.

Do NOT expect the developer or the neighbors to pay for a sound barrier because the buyer didn't do his due diligence!

Where are there high voltage towers in Monarch Grove. To the best of my recollection, and I could be wrong, they are in Chitty Chatty, Marsh Bend, and DeLuna.

[Number 10 GI]

At one time many years ago as a kid we lived within 30 yards of a busy train track. After a month we didn't hear the trains anymore. Some people may never adjust to the noise from the turnpike but they knew it was there when they bought.

[tophcfa]

In general, I don't believe in bailing out people who make bad decisions. However, in this case, there are a few things to consider. It's usually in the developer's best interest to make the residents happy, it's good PR and in the long run might help sell more houses. Better to have happy residents bragging about what TV did for their noise problem than having them run and complain to the Orlando newspaper and television stations, who are not very sympathetic to TV to start with. Furthermore, the developer had to be very aware of the (potential) noise problem and sold the homes anyway. The best time for noise abatement would have been when building. Did these home sell at a "discount" because of noise? I don't know, but if they did I'm less sympathetic to the homeowners, who were in that case essentially paid to live with traffic noise.

Didn't that all go out the window with the Hacienda Hills fiasco?

[golfing eagles]

Didn't that all go out the window with the Hacienda Hills fiasco?

Better for them not to compound the problem

[valuemkt]

I find it amazing the amount of people giving their opinion about people in Monarch Grove making a horrible decision to live there. Many of the same people who think buying below 44 is like going to no-mans land .. or putting themselves at risk being close to coleman prison .. blah blah. Actually, the great majority of folks that actually live there LOVE IT. I owned in Buttonwood and liked it a lot. But I LOVE Monarch Grove. the people, the house, the location. So, for those looking to buy below 44, PLEASE make sure you consider the source of opinions.. as the majority of negative ones are from folks that frankly don;t know what they are talking about. Monarch Grove, as a resident, has great people, and is an active community with largely very happy people.h

[golfing eagles]

I find it amazing the amount of people giving their opinion about people in Monarch Grove making a horrible decision to live there. Many of the same people who think buying below 44 is like going to no-mans land .. or putting themselves at risk being close to coleman prison .. blah blah. Actually, the great majority of folks that actually live there LOVE IT. I owned in Buttonwood and liked it a lot. But I LOVE Monarch Grove. the people, the house, the location. So, for those looking to buy below 44, PLEASE make sure you consider the source of opinions.. as the majority of negative ones are from folks that frankly don;t know what they are talking about. Monarch Grove, as a resident, has great people, and is an active community with largely very happy people.h

I'm sure that's true. I think many of the comments are directed at the minority who are complaining about the noise from the turnpike and feel the developer should do something about it, at no cost to them, just the rest of us.

[Stu from NYC]

I find it amazing the amount of people giving their opinion about people in Monarch Grove making a horrible decision to live there. Many of the same people who think buying below 44 is like going to no-mans land .. or putting themselves at risk being close to coleman prison .. blah blah. Actually, the great majority of folks that actually live there LOVE IT. I owned in Buttonwood and liked it a lot. But I LOVE Monarch Grove. the people, the house, the location. So, for those looking to buy below 44, PLEASE make sure you consider the source of opinions.. as the majority of negative ones are from folks that frankly don;t know what they are talking about. Monarch Grove, as a resident, has great people, and is an active community with largely very happy people.h

People want to live south of route 44 is their business.

When they than complain about their location when they knew it was right by an interstate hard for me to have sympathy.

[VApeople]

I LOVE Monarch Grove. the people, the house, the location.

Monarch Grove looks very desirable to us, in a large part because it is easy to get in and out onto a main road. No matter where you live in MG, it is easy to take Corbin Trail or Reagan Road out to 501.

[gregcharlesnelson@gmail]

We're just south of 42 very quiet

[Rwirish]

The turnpike is close, very close.

[Scott O]

Caveat emptor! I just bought a new build in Bradford and immediately ruled out Monarch Grove due to the proximity of the highway and the high voltage power lines & towers (which were "Photo-shopped" out of some photos). I didn't even need to physically go there, just looking at the map was enough.

Do NOT expect the developer or the neighbors to pay for a sound barrier because the buyer didn't do his due diligence!
There was no high voltage lines photo shopped out of the pictures, because there is none in Monarch Grove and there is one street in Monarch Grove that backs up to the turnpike, Hickey Way...so we’d appreciate getting the facts before making statements. Apparently you should have physically came here to see that...

[Scott O]

Monarch Grove looks very desirable to us, in a large part because it is easy to get in and out onto a main road. No matter where you live in MG, it is easy to take Corbin Trail or Reagan Road out to 501.
It is very desirable, and it shows because there is only about 3-4 homes available in the entire community. We love it here...those who complain, most likely have never stepped foot past the gate..

[Scott O]

Where are there high voltage towers in Monarch Grove. To the best of my recollection, and I could be wrong, they are in Chitty Chatty, Marsh Bend, and DeLuna.
No you are correct, there is none in Monarch Grove and there is in the areas you mentioned.

[dougjb]

Are you kidding? The developer probably charged a lot premium for the deep view.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

TRUTH ---->I find it amazing the amount of people giving their opinion about people in Monarch Grove making a horrible decision to live there. Many of the same people who think buying below 44 is like going to no-mans land .. or putting themselves at risk being close to coleman prison .. blah blah. Actually, the great majority of folks that actually live there LOVE IT. I owned in Buttonwood and liked it a lot. But I LOVE Monarch Grove. the people, the house, the location. So, for those looking to buy below 44, PLEASE make sure you consider the source of opinions.. as the majority of negative ones are from folks that frankly don;t know what they are talking about. Monarch Grove, as a resident, has great people, and is an active community with largely very happy people.h

Online forum talk gives one a peek into those neighborhood party conversations where people criticize others for not being like themselves, lack of respect for differences of individuals, for having a different opinion, or for complete comfirnation bias.. We see the highway from the front door. Meh, about the noise. . . but we could care less about your opinion or to desire to reinforce your judgement about our purchase. GFY is more appropriate about your judgmental attitude of others who might be just as happy to be here as you are.

sportsguy

[askcarl]

Buyer beware fits. Common Sense.

Lot across from Mail pickup/owners pool. Two exits point directly into the back of homes across the street. Headlight pollution every night.

Streets that end with a left or right turn option. Every vehicle is pointed straight into the front of a home.

Under High Tension Power Lines.

A town square. Happy Times or Noise pollution?

Undeveloped land behind the lot (Trailwinds Village shopping center, et all)

Waterfront - Alligators

Golf Course - 365 day parade of golf carts, golfers talking etc...

Prison - Light pollution and escapee risk

Active Rock quarry Boom!

And yet.... every lot in The Villages will be Sold.

Visit a location multiple times of the day. Drive around all roads in a 5 mile radius. Research various mapping websites. Google maps isn't up to date in all areas. Try to visualize how vacant land usage could impact. These seem prudent steps (to me) prior to buying a "For-ever-home".

Or, have the mindset of Change. Living someplace I don't like, Change. Repeat until your heirs are dividing what assets are left.

Making a poor choice and expecting others to fix it is a pathway to misery.

[Girlcopper]

In general, I don't believe in bailing out people who make bad decisions. However, in this case, there are a few things to consider. It's usually in the developer's best interest to make the residents happy, it's good PR and in the long run might help sell more houses. Better to have happy residents bragging about what TV did for their noise problem than having them run and complain to the Orlando newspaper and television stations, who are not very sympathetic to TV to start with. Furthermore, the developer had to be very aware of the (potential) noise problem and sold the homes anyway. The best time for noise abatement would have been when building. Did these home sell at a "discount" because of noise? I don't know, but if they did I'm less sympathetic to the homeowners, who were in that case essentially paid to live with traffic noise.
Cant blame the builders. Blame the buyers who felt they were getting a bargain price n jumpedon it. They saw the turnpike, they saw the area and bought anyway and now want to complain.

[askcarl]

The turnpike is close, very close.

Yup, been here since sometime in 1964 when the Orlando to Wildwood section opened.

Wiki:History section

In 1961, Governor Collins approved the sale of $80 million in bonds to finance the parkway extension from Fort Pierce to Wildwood, adding another 156 miles (251 km) of roadway and shifting Interstate 75's route 6 miles (10 km) eastward from its original alignment. The extension was opened in three stages: a 61-mile (98 km) section between Yeehaw Junction and Orlando opened on July 17, 1963, a section linking Fort Pierce and Yeehaw Junction opened on November 22, 1963, and the section between Orlando and the northern terminus of I-75 opened on July 24, 1964, completing the mainline.

[EileenK]

We bought in Monarch Grove and when we were shown the house it was perfectly quiet. Highway more than a mile from us. However, when the wind is in a certain direction, the noise from the highway was very loud. I asked about new windows and sliders and they would never call back. The sliders and windows were so thin that they should be illegal. Truth be told the house was poorly made and the Samsung appliances were the cheapest quality I’ve ever seen. TV and Samsung should be ashamed of themselves. No discount price at all! Well trained sales staff. Only took us a couple months to wise up that The Villages doesn’t give a rats ass about you. They just try to get every last dime out of your pocket...almost elder abuse. We found the people extremely snooty as well. Sold the house 5 months later and got the heck out of there. What’s up with the pumping stations and the smell? The workers put all sorts of debris down the pipes. Hey, I could go on for a long time but don’t put blame on people for buying there. Put the blame where it belongs on TV. Showing you houses when the noise is low and promising that if anything is wrong in the first year they correct it.

[banjobob]

In general, I don't believe in bailing out people who make bad decisions. However, in this case, there are a few things to consider. It's usually in the developer's best interest to make the residents happy, it's good PR and in the long run might help sell more houses. Better to have happy residents bragging about what TV did for their noise problem than having them run and complain to the Orlando newspaper and television stations, who are not very sympathetic to TV to start with. Furthermore, the developer had to be very aware of the (potential) noise problem and sold the homes anyway. The best time for noise abatement would have been when building. Did these home sell at a "discount" because of noise? I don't know, but if they did I'm less sympathetic to the homeowners, who were in that case essentially paid to live with traffic noise.
I don’t think the developer is concerned about it, witness the sinkhole fiasco in Calumet Grove. Bad PR is not a worry to them.

[MSchad]

Where are there high voltage towers in Monarch Grove. To the best of my recollection, and I could be wrong, they are in Chitty Chatty, Marsh Bend, and DeLuna.
You are correct. No power lines in Monarch Grove. Poster just stirring the pot.

[JoannMH]

I live in MG...in fact on Hickey Way. The traffic does become white noise and I do not hear it inside. I built a pool with a fountain that drowns out the traffic noise when I am outside and landscaping hides the toll road. I do not see any electric wires and not sure where they are. But I have a wonderful water view with a huge oak tree that is sometimes filled with beautiful birds; the sunsets are stunning and I enjoy them every night from my lanai; I can easily walk to Riverbend recreation center and all the amenities that come with that; the huge Everglades Recreation Center and the new Magnolia Plaza are a very short golf cart or bike ride away; Sawgrass Grove will be a wonderful gathering place for entertainment and dining and will be right next to MG; a putting green and championship golf coarse will be very close by; the new Florida University hospital and Lifestyle Center are all right next to MG.........need I go on?

[Marathon Man]

We bought in Monarch Grove and when we were shown the house it was perfectly quiet. Highway more than a mile from us. However, when the wind is in a certain direction, the noise from the highway was very loud. I asked about new windows and sliders and they would never call back. The sliders and windows were so thin that they should be illegal. Truth be told the house was poorly made and the Samsung appliances were the cheapest quality I’ve ever seen. TV and Samsung should be ashamed of themselves. No discount price at all! Well trained sales staff. Only took us a couple months to wise up that The Villages doesn’t give a rats ass about you. They just try to get every last dime out of your pocket...almost elder abuse. We found the people extremely snooty as well. Sold the house 5 months later and got the heck out of there. What’s up with the pumping stations and the smell? The workers put all sorts of debris down the pipes. Hey, I could go on for a long time but don’t put blame on people for buying there. Put the blame where it belongs on TV. Showing you houses when the noise is low and promising that if anything is wrong in the first year they correct it.

So, the salesmen are able to predict when the highway noise will be low?

And they sold only to snooty people?

I suspect the neighbors are a little happier now.

[dhdallas]

Where are there high voltage towers in Monarch Grove. To the best of my recollection, and I could be wrong, they are in Chitty Chatty, Marsh Bend, and DeLuna.

You are right. It was a house in Marsh Bend that had the power lines photo-shopped out. I looked up my old list of favorites when I was house shopping. Sorry...

[vintageogauge]

You are right. It was a house in Marsh Bend that had the power lines photo-shopped out. I looked up my old list of favorites when I was house shopping. Sorry...

You should edit your other post as it looks bad for those who may be trying to sell a home there.

[NotGolfer]

Noise? When we lived up north, we lived about 6 or 7 miles from the Interstate. IF we had our windows open on a summer evening, you could hear the noise but it wasn't loud. We also lived about 8 miles from a race-track (another direction) and when they were in season, you'd hear the zoom/zoom of those as well. It depends on how quiet the air outside is, wind etc. Here, we live not far from LSL but when it's quiet outside (think evening) you can hear the train whistles from Wildwood. IF we wanted true quiet---maybe move to Montana in the middle of no-where. I'd think most urban areas have some kind of noise factors going on. When I read the article (even the headline)...my thought was did they not know they were buying a home near the turn-pike?? Asking the developer to do something about the noise seems to me to be like closing the barn-door after the animals escape. Deal or no deal---do your due-diligence.

[Villages Kahuna]

There are several such noisy areas to avoid...

—All the houses near the railroad tracks on the western side of The Villages

—The houses nearby the prison (bright lights at night) and the quarry (frequent blasting)

—And yes, all the houses nearby the turnpike (not only noise, but also the unhealthy air quality from exhaust fumes)

Don’t expect a Properties of The Villages sales rep to point these issues out to you.

[Stu from NYC]

There are several such noisy areas to avoid...

—All the houses near the railroad tracks on the western side of The Villages

—The houses nearby the prison (bright lights at night) and the quarry (frequent blasting)

—And yes, all the houses nearby the turnpike (not only noise, but also the unhealthy air quality from exhaust fumes)

Don’t expect a Properties of The Villages sales rep to point these issues out to you.

I am sure the village sales rep are told what they can and cannot say. Not to mention they are getting paid a commission to sell and will only point out the positives.

Buying a house for say $ 400,000 or so without doing a thorough investigation of the neighborhood is rather a foolish thing to do.

[Chitown]

Just saw a picture in the ************* of how close the houses in Monarch Grove are to the Turnpike. Why would anyone in their right mind buy a house so close to the Turnpike and then complain about the noise? They should sell their house and move into a memory care facility!

Only a small part of Monarch Grove is against the turnpike. When you get a few blocks away you very rarely here anything. In fact enter Monarch Grove at its main entrance at Marsh Bend Trail and listed. You won’t hear a thing until you get close to the turnpike. As far as houses being to close it’s simply not true. I lived in Mallory and visit other villages all the time, I see no difference. In fact except for some who live on the block next to the turnpike who are not happy, everyone I know in Monarch Grove loves it.

[bakon]

Monarch Grove is very nice. We looked three years before buying. We also looked at Hickey about six months before finding ours. We heard noise but still looked. Wasn’t for us. These houses were not reduced at time. But all areas reduce after builder decides it’s time to move his money. As for the highway noise, we all know they should have put up more barrier. If you barrier a golf course why wouldn’t you do it for homes? As for noise in general it travels in the villages. We rented in Pine Hills or Ridge for years and could hear 44 at night across the preserve and past Belle Glade and Ocsiolla. Has to be five miles straight shot from house to 44. Other times could hear birds and frogs on the water.

[Mrprez]

There are several such noisy areas to avoid...

—All the houses near the railroad tracks on the western side of The Villages

—The houses nearby the prison (bright lights at night) and the quarry (frequent blasting)

—And yes, all the houses nearby the turnpike (not only noise, but also the unhealthy air quality from exhaust fumes)

Don’t expect a Properties of The Villages sales rep to point these issues out to you.

I only have experience with one TV rep, and she would not even show us a house that she herself would not buy. Don’t throw them all in the same basket.

[John41]

We bought in Monarch Grove and when we were shown the house it was perfectly quiet. Highway more than a mile from us. However, when the wind is in a certain direction, the noise from the highway was very loud. I asked about new windows and sliders and they would never call back. The sliders and windows were so thin that they should be illegal. Truth be told the house was poorly made and the Samsung appliances were the cheapest quality I’ve ever seen. TV and Samsung should be ashamed of themselves. No discount price at all! Well trained sales staff. Only took us a couple months to wise up that The Villages doesn’t give a rats ass about you. They just try to get every last dime out of your pocket...almost elder abuse. We found the people extremely snooty as well. Sold the house 5 months later and got the heck out of there. What’s up with the pumping stations and the smell? The workers put all sorts of debris down the pipes. Hey, I could go on for a long time but don’t put blame on people for buying there. Put the blame where it belongs on TV. Showing you houses when the noise is low and promising that if anything is wrong in the first year they correct it.

You have a good point. When TV takes your $100,000 premium for a view lot, they don’t tell you apartments will block your view in a few years. Once they have your money they don’t give a rats a$$ about you.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

We bought in Monarch Grove and when we were shown the house it was perfectly quiet. Highway more than a mile from us. However, when the wind is in a certain direction, the noise from the highway was very loud. I asked about new windows and sliders and they would never call back. The sliders and windows were so thin that they should be illegal. Truth be told the house was poorly made and the Samsung appliances were the cheapest quality I’ve ever seen. TV and Samsung should be ashamed of themselves. No discount price at all! Well trained sales staff. Only took us a couple months to wise up that The Villages doesn’t give a rats ass about you. They just try to get every last dime out of your pocket...almost elder abuse. We found the people extremely snooty as well. Sold the house 5 months later and got the heck out of there. What’s up with the pumping stations and the smell? The workers put all sorts of debris down the pipes. Hey, I could go on for a long time but don’t put blame on people for buying there. Put the blame where it belongs on TV. Showing you houses when the noise is low and promising that if anything is wrong in the first year they correct it. when there is no highway noise , the appliances are adequate, didn’t you have option to upgrade appliances, I’ve owned 5 new homes in villages and windows and slider still seem to be working well even in the first home 20 years ago and still has first roof ( I have friends who bought it ) I would also like to know how you were able to sell in 5 months when there always was a restriction of a year , it might come in handy for me in future. As far as people being snobby , I read this post and can see why they might have been to you

[vintageogauge]

There are several such noisy areas to avoid...

—All the houses near the railroad tracks on the western side of The Villages

—The houses nearby the prison (bright lights at night) and the quarry (frequent blasting)

—And yes, all the houses nearby the turnpike (not only noise, but also the unhealthy air quality from exhaust fumes)

Don’t expect a Properties of The Villages sales rep to point these issues out to you.

I've lived in Fenney for 3-1/2 years and have yet to hear a sound from the prison or see bright lights, there are acres of heavy woods between TV and the prison. The quarry blasting is not frequent it is once every 4 to 6 weeks and it lasts a maximum of 3 seconds. Wherever you are thinking of buying, park your car and walk around at different times of the day, talk to residents to get their feelings, and don't listen to all the negativity on this forum.

[Mrprez]

You can sell in the first year, you just can’t sell for more than you paid plus improvements.

[Curtisbwp]

Ditto! Also people who by houses near rail road tracks and the people who hear the loud speakers at Coleman prison

[vintageogauge]

Ditto! Also people who by houses near rail road tracks and the people who hear the loud speakers at Coleman prison

What a ridiculous statement. If you are concerned about loudspeakers in Coleman which I have never heard since moving here 3 plus years ago, don't buy a home near any of the squares, softball fields, rec. centers, picked ball, tennis, basketball, golf courses, people with lawn mowers or power washers, neighbors with gas golf cars, and barking dogs.

[graciegirl]

Didn't that all go out the window with the Hacienda Hills fiasco?

I didn't think that building rental Apartments where the defunct Hacienda Hills restaurant was is a FIASCO.

Does anyone have a picture of how they are coming along? Betcha a nickel that they will fit seamlessly into calm, every day life.

I could be wrong. I have been many times.

[kcrazorbackfan]

I live in MG...in fact on Hickey Way. The traffic does become white noise and I do not hear it inside. I built a pool with a fountain that drowns out the traffic noise when I am outside and landscaping hides the toll road. I do not see any electric wires and not sure where they are. But I have a wonderful water view with a huge oak tree that is sometimes filled with beautiful birds; the sunsets are stunning and I enjoy them every night from my lanai; I can easily walk to Riverbend recreation center and all the amenities that come with that; the huge Everglades Recreation Center and the new Magnolia Plaza are a very short golf cart or bike ride away; Sawgrass Grove will be a wonderful gathering place for entertainment and dining and will be right next to MG; a putting green and championship golf coarse will be very close by; the new Florida University hospital and Lifestyle Center are all right next to MG.........need I go on?

We live in Bradford, another target for increasing criticism, and we love it here. Those that criticize or spread false statements about where they don't live are sad misinformed people pi**ed off at life and the people that have a better life than they do.

[vintageogauge]

We live in Bradford, another target for increasing criticism, and we love it here. Those that criticize or spread false statements about where they don't live are sad misinformed people pi**ed off at life and the people that have a better life than they do.

How true it is, this has been going on since the first truck crossed 44, it started out as "Fenney Bashing" and then spread to the other villages down here. It is a great life down south and very few of us are unhappy.

[graciegirl]

I've lived in Fenney for 3-1/2 years and have yet to hear a sound from the prison or see bright lights, there are acres of heavy woods between TV and the prison. The quarry blasting is not frequent it is once every 4 to 6 weeks and it lasts a maximum of 3 seconds. Wherever you are thinking of buying, park your car and walk around at different times of the day, talk to residents to get their feelings, and don't listen to all the negativity on this forum.

I understand. Some comments are from anonymous folks who don't live here.

I heard the same negative comments when we first were building our home. Been here now nine years and it is very convenient to everything and the homes have escalated in price well over 100K. Our Village is directly on 466. Love the location.

[Stu from NYC]

Grew up in Brooklyn in a neighborhood along the flight path of JFK.

If the winds were right every 90 seconds or so a plane came over and all conversation outside would stop.

When my parents bought the house air traffic was much less than it was over the 25 years they lived there.

We did get used to the noise but taught me to understand the location before we purchased any property.

[CALiz]

I live in Monarch Grove interior and we do hear the road noise (really didn't when we looked at the house back in the end of February). Some days it is louder than others, but we hope to put in some landscaping and maybe a fountain to mask the noise. One thought about funding a wall, if the builder is unwilling to install a wall, thinking maybe we could organize several fundraising events, and grant writing efforts "to pay for the wall".....definitely need to develop some angle how it is for betterment of all (including future house sales)... Could be advertised for improvement for housing along the entire length of the turnpike, as construction continues along turnpike....... Just a thought.

[mulligan]

Before you fund anything involving construction I would look at 2 things. The turnpike right of way, and the right of way/easement for the 16 inch gas pipeline that is buried between your homes and the turnpike.

[Stu from NYC]

Before you fund anything involving construction I would look at 2 things. The turnpike right of way, and the right of way/easement for the 16 inch gas pipeline that is buried between your homes and the turnpike.

Also ask the ARC.

[STLRAY]

I friend bought in Linden earlier this year. They thought they would be fine with the noise from the turnpike but have now changed their minds and are looking elsewhere. I stayed with them last weekend when I was in TV for a lifestyle visit and it did not bother me except on their lanai.

[Stu from NYC]

I friend bought in Linden earlier this year. They thought they would be fine with the noise from the turnpike but have now changed their minds and are looking elsewhere. I stayed with them last weekend when I was in TV for a lifestyle visit and it did not bother me except on their lanai.

Change the lanai into a Florida room with double pained glass and would imagine noise would be greatly reduced.

[John41]

Before you fund anything involving construction I would look at 2 things. The turnpike right of way, and the right of way/easement for the 16 inch gas pipeline that is buried between your homes and the turnpike.

Was that potentially dangerous gas pipeline disclosed to buyers as required by law?

[vintageogauge]

Was that potentially dangerous gas pipeline disclosed to buyers as required by law?

The information you are referring to is not accurate. The main distribution gas line does not run parallel to the Turnpike, it runs east to west and crosses the turnpike so nothing to disclose.

[coffeebean]

We bought in Monarch Grove and when we were shown the house it was perfectly quiet. Highway more than a mile from us. However, when the wind is in a certain direction, the noise from the highway was very loud. I asked about new windows and sliders and they would never call back. The sliders and windows were so thin that they should be illegal. Truth be told the house was poorly made and the Samsung appliances were the cheapest quality I’ve ever seen. TV and Samsung should be ashamed of themselves. No discount price at all! Well trained sales staff. Only took us a couple months to wise up that The Villages doesn’t give a rats ass about you. They just try to get every last dime out of your pocket...almost elder abuse. We found the people extremely snooty as well. Sold the house 5 months later and got the heck out of there. What’s up with the pumping stations and the smell? The workers put all sorts of debris down the pipes. Hey, I could go on for a long time but don’t put blame on people for buying there. Put the blame where it belongs on TV. Showing you houses when the noise is low and promising that if anything is wrong in the first year they correct it.

WOW. You are ruffling some feathers with this post.

[coffeebean]

Change the lanai into a Florida room with double pained glass and would imagine noise would be greatly reduced.

Then the outdoor space is gone. Some folks, including myself, enjoy eating outside with the food coming right off the BBQ. I love eating in the fresh air on our lanai. We don't use this space in the summer though as it is too hot and humid.

[vintageogauge]

Then the outdoor space is gone. Some folks, including myself, enjoy eating outside with the food coming right off the BBQ. I love eating in the fresh air on our lanai. We don't use this space in the summer though as it is too hot and humid.

We simply open the sliders to have the same fresh air as when it was not enclosed. It also extends the number of months that you can use it.

[Stu from NYC]

Then the outdoor space is gone. Some folks, including myself, enjoy eating outside with the food coming right off the BBQ. I love eating in the fresh air on our lanai. We don't use this space in the summer though as it is too hot and humid.

We just had this done as we have a western exposure. Nice area to sit outside with sliders open and read now that it has cooled down and when we get to the summer months keep sliders closed most of the time.

[coffeebean]

I understand the use of sliders in an enclosed lanai. I guess that is the best of both worlds.

[Neils]

Being able to jump on the turnpike right from the backyard can make a commute to Disney a lot shorter ride and save at least 15 min each way.

[Schaumburger]

I'm having a hard time believing that picture from the hyphen news site of the tanker truck close to the house is really the turnpike. Granted, the truck appears very close to the house. I looked at Google maps, and Hickey Way where alot of the complaints come from, the turnpike is close, but not as close as hyphen news wants us to believe.

Last year when visiting TV, I went to an open house on Hickey Way. I remember that name of the street because Hickey was the last name of the former CEO of the company I used to work for. The lanai was in the rear. Low price for a cottage style home (under $220K). The back yard was not large. At the end of the back yard was a slope, at the top of the slope, easily climbable, was the turnpike. The noise on the lanai was really bad. How anyone could relax on that lanai...wow. from the back yard I could easily read the logos of the semis driving by. I sure that house eventually sold. It wouldn't have been purchased by me.

[Bilyclub]

The information you are referring to is not accurate. The main distribution gas line does not run parallel to the Turnpike, it runs east to west and crosses the turnpike so nothing to disclose.

The Villages local distribution line might do that, but not that big pipeline on the West side of the Turnpike. Looks like it turns South just the other side of the service plaza.