Cost of living /month in the villages

[IRISHGIRL3US]

Hello, please forgive me if I am not proceeding correctly I am new at this.
I am considering buying a home and would like to know what extra cost per month there are.
ORHER THAN .
Mortgage, bond, electric, insurance. Can someone help?
Kate

[dewilson58]

Did you look on The Villages site??? They show an example. Add 20%.

The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Active Adult 55+ Retirement Community (https://www.thevillages.com/cost-of-living-in-the-villages)

[Tmarkwald]

Hello, please forgive me if I am not proceeding correctly I am new at this.
I am considering buying a home and would like to know what extra cost per month there are.
ORHER THAN .
Mortgage, bond, electric, insurance. Can someone help?
Kate

Amenity Fee - for new purchasers, it is $164/month per household. And bond, if you are purchasing a new home or one with bond remaining. But, you mentioned bond, so you understand that part I guess!

[Bogie Shooter]

Amenity Fee - for new purchasers, it is $164/month per household. And bond, if you are purchasing a new home or one with bond remaining. But, you mentioned bond, so you understand that part I guess!

As noted in the link in post #2..

[Mortal1]

In order for a more complete and useful answer you'd need to provide what you are paying for...taxes...water...garbage pickup...electrical...etc. Now while some of our costs are bundled each month knowing your costs would make it easier for you to know where the savings/greater costs are...Yes?

[champion6]

For more information in TOTV, go down to the bottom section, Nuts and bolts of The Villages. Read the 3 Sticky messages, Part 1,2 & 3. Good luck ... the best is yet to come!

[Decadeofdave]

After normal expenses that you mentioned. You will need lawn cutting, fertilizing of lawn and bushes/trees,
Termite contract and bug spray of home and some bushes. Trees and bushes grow quickly here in the summer. If you snowbird you may need someone to do some trimming in July/August.

[Garywt]

Since you are getting a mortgage your escrow will include taxes, insurance and bond. Other bills I receive are cable, water and sewer, electric, amenity bill including trash fee and we have a loan for our golf cart. For us it is about $2000. a month for that. In addition we have lawn care both mowing and fertilization.

[John_W]

...

[IRISHGIRL3US]

Thank you. I the 164.00 the HOA?

[IRISHGIRL3US]

Thank you. Is the $164.00 considered the HOA?

[IRISHGIRL3US]

Thank you for the very detailed expenses. I appreciate it.

[UsuallyLurking]

IRISHGIRL3US, The Villages breaks down expenses, so the HOA equivalent is the amenity fee ($164) and something called the district assessment fee (shows up on the property tax bill; depends on which district you are in, average is a little under $200), so the total is a little above $350 a month HOA equivalent.

[John_W]

...

[Bogie Shooter]

That $200 district assessment fee tacked onto your tax bill? That should be your bond, so you're paying about $2,400 a year for the bond. Every district is different, mine is District 8 and I pay $1,100 once a year on my tax bill. We also have maintenance on the tax bill, mine is $450. I just consider all three of those fees as the taxes on the property since I'm paying once a year in a lump sum.

Here's a breakdown of my March 11th amenity bill, I live here full time and water the shrubs and trees by hand and use irrigation just a few minutes a week:

Water base $10.07
Water use (3300 gallons) $7.10
Irrigation base $6.75
Irrigation use (420 gallons) .98
Sewage base $14.34
Sewage use $16.96
Amenity Fee 155.94
Sanitation collection $22.94

Total $235.24

I wouldn't call that an amenity bill. It is a services bill that amenity is a part of.

[IRISHGIRL3US]

I was planning g on cash for the house and bond

[paulat585]

Thank you. I the 164.00 the HOA?

Yes, called an amenity fee.

[IRISHGIRL3US]

Does anyone know if there is a bike club

[John_W]

...

[Rwirish]

The exact cost, expensive.

[J1ceasar]

Eating out is a major event here . If you are inclined . Golf, but don't forget no state income taxes .

[J1ceasar]

Great reply .

[J1ceasar]

You should look at your own budget last year . Depending on where you move from . Difference costs are mainly golf cart . Home insurance, the bond., Eating out. Less costs are clothing . More is traveling home to see grandkids, . Many people forget also, religious institute costs, charity , more sun hats sunglasses and swimsuits. You may even spend more on gas if you like to explore or go beach swimming. .Florida has great tourist things , even Disney for some . Enjoy retirement .

[Robyn1963]

Check out my YouTube channel. I have an episode about that subject

http://How Much Does it Really Cost to Live in The Villages + BONUS TIP https://youtu.be/brmdf0mQd8c

[Bigfoot#5]

I'm thinking of buying a site built home with a rubber membrane roof. Does anyone know how many of these exist in Villages and who reseals these when needed?
thanks.

[Bellavita]

You will pay two water bills one for inside the other for yard it adds up


Hello, please forgive me if I am not proceeding correctly I am new at this.
I am considering buying a home and would like to know what extra cost per month there are.
ORHER THAN .
Mortgage, bond, electric, insurance. Can someone help?
Kate

[La lamy]

Check out my YouTube channel. I have an episode about that subject

http://How Much Does it Really Cost to Live in The Villages + BONUS TIP https://youtu.be/brmdf0mQd8c

If anyone is trying to go to this link, I found there was a typo of too many periods. It is: http://How Much Does it Really Cost.be/brmdf0mQd8c

They're not allowing the link to be printed properly, please disregard.

[La lamy]

If anyone is trying to go to this link, I found there was a typo of too many periods. It is: http://How Much Does it Really Cost.be/brmdf0mQd8c

Whoa it messed up again. http://How Much Does it Really Cost.be/brmdf0mQd8c

[Corvettegal]

Check out this video from The Villages newcomers for information on costs

How Much Money Do I Need To Live In The Villages - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZC-3_HcS5I)

[Robyn1963]

Check out my youtube channel. This episode speaks about the cost to live in The Villages
How Much Does it Really Cost to Live in The Villages + BONUS TIP - YouTube (https://youtu.be/brmdf0mQd8c)

[richs631]

Hello, please forgive me if I am not proceeding correctly I am new at this.
I am considering buying a home and would like to know what extra cost per month there are.
ORHER THAN .
Mortgage, bond, electric, insurance. Can someone help?
Kate

Your amenity fee, garbage, water and sewer bills come on one bill, you can conservatively expect to pay between $230 and $260 bucks total.
Other cost are about $55 bucks a month for lawn cutting and about $550 a year for fertilizer and bug control

[Gunny2403]

For the above mentioned figure $175/mo

[jimbo2012]

water the shrubs and trees by hand and use irrigation just a few minutes a week:

FYI the water from your hose is potable water at a higher cost than irrigation water

.

[Kahuna32162]

There are lots of other expenses that can be added to your list, all of which are optional.

Home warranty insurance (if not purchasing new) approx $65/month
HVAC Service Plan (2 yearly maintenance checkups) approx $200/year
Satellite/Cable (Direct TV, Xfinity, Dish, ect) approx $120/month
Premium add ons (Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Disney+) approx $15/month each
Internet (Comcast, Centurylink, AT&T) depending on speed $40 to $80/month

Others to add to your list
Cell Phones
Lawn and shrub care
Pest Control
Pool Maintenance (if you have one, personally, would not live in Florida without one)
Housekeeping
Golf and Car Insurance

[Jean G]

Pest control for house and yard, chemical treatment of yard, mowing trimming, AC maintenance, tankless hot water heater maintenance, sprinkler maintenance,
Home improvements and exterior improvements appear to be regular events throughout the villages.
Also consider if you have a golf cart, you have the additional insurance and maintenance for that.

[DAVES]

Hello, please forgive me if I am not proceeding correctly I am new at this.
I am considering buying a home and would like to know what extra cost per month there are.
ORHER THAN .
Mortgage, bond, electric, insurance. Can someone help?
Kate

I assume you are trying to budget. People are all different. I have a long time friend, I was shocked that he knows how many rolls of toilet paper he use and how many his wife uses.

My view, you are always better having more than you think you will need. It is very unlikely that social security, pensions etc after taxes will keep up with rising costs.

Inflation. We are told the goal is 2%. Food, and medical are going up far faster than that.
Using the 2% number in 36 years you will need two dollars to buy what a dollar buys today.
Two percent is way below the real average long term inflation rate.

[John_W]

..,.

[DAVES]

I was planning g on cash for the house and bond

We really cannot answer all this for you. Cash for the house and the bond?
I find it interesting and shocking to view reality. You can get a 30 year mortgage at the average age in the villages of 70 and pay, around 2% interest. That interest can be deductible for some. Odds of living to 100 and living in the same place for the next 30 years??????? So fuzzy math 2%-30% is 1.4%. The bond, the interest is 5% at least mine was. I was told the interest is due to go down in two years. Be sure to verify everything I am saying.

On a mortgage, I think there is a prepayment penalty if you pay it off in less than two years. That is a matter of law. It is there in a mortgage, fine print, somewhere. There are also closing costs. Roughly 4,000. That too is there. Might also be fine print. Some people, slight of hand, put the closing costs into the loan amount.

There is some value to not having to pay a mortgage and or the bond. Is it worth the cost, the loss of the use of your money. The long term 30 years return on your money,
only you can answer that.

Not having enough income to qualify for a mortgage? I was told by the bank I needed a letter from my brokerage that I signed a letter that they would withdraw ????? dollars from my account and send me a check. I'm sure both knew the reality. The brokerage told me they regularly get this request no trouble, no cost to do it and you can cancel it as soon as the mortgage is issued. A phone call no cost to do it.

[OhioBuckeye]

The biggest expense you’ll see if you never lived in a gated community, sorta, is your amenity $164. a month. So hopefully you play golf or one of the other things TV offer. Otherwise if you just want to live in TV & do nothing get used to donating some money, another thing is paying for you bond if you have one. Water in Florida is a little higher than probably what your used to. Lots of FUN things to do there. But don’t think it’s heaven, you have the same kind of people there as everywhere. But the sign coming into TV is pretty close, “Friendliness place in America”. God Bless America & TV!

[bp243]

Hello, please forgive me if I am not proceeding correctly I am new at this.
I am considering buying a home and would like to know what extra cost per month there are.
ORHER THAN .
Mortgage, bond, electric, insurance. Can someone help?
Kate

The monthly fees can vary dramatically depending on what services you desire. In general it seems that monthly fees can run between $800-$1400/month for regular expenses.

[fastboat]

Hello, please forgive me if I am not proceeding correctly I am new at this.
I am considering buying a home and would like to know what extra cost per month there are.
ORHER THAN .
Mortgage, bond, electric, insurance. Can someone help?
Kate

Just some friendly advice. Your bond payment is over a 30 year period and if I remember correctly it's at something like 6%. The interest you're paying is NOT tax deductible on your federal income tax. If you can borrow that much, take out a home equity loan, probably at a much better interest rate, pay off the bond and you CAN deduct the interest on that home equity loan. Every little bit counts! :welcome:

[g-man]

Potentially welcome, Irishgirl3US, John W (sage) gave a pretty succinct breakdown of his expenses. Depending on the type of house and size, your financial obligations probably won't be similar. Your area of purchase will somewhat influence what your expenses could be. I've been here about 4 years, and was leery of expenses initially, but found out quickly you are better off than you think.

If you purchase in the northern portion of TV, your bond will be much lower or paid off, but you have an older house with potential home improvements or upkeep looming. A new house in southern portion will have a new bond attached to the fees, but worry free house issues for awhile. Potential younger crowd in the south with new purchase. As far as I can tell, taxes are not the same in the 3 counties TV cover. A concrete house does not need power washing as a wooden structure with vinyl siding. Lawn care is up to owner, mow on your own or outsource to one of many lawn maintenance crews (monthly fees vary).

Regardless, if you are moving down here and selling your northern home, you really should have no financial issues. Your mortgage company will make certain you can readily afford your mortgage. The other potential fees are not out of line. You will be fine.

[rickgstone@hotmail.com]

There isn't much in my extras I found. My amenities, garbage, water (both irrigation & drinking) and sewage comes on one bill every month and averages about $235. I have a masonry 2BR CYV built in 2011 that I bought new.

Electric last bill was $85, it's usually between $80 to $95.

I paid cash for my home, so I have no mortgage and when I pay my taxes, usually in November the bond is included with the taxes. My bond was $14,000 so I pay $1100 every year for the bond. In addition there is a yearly maintenance fee and mine was $450, that is also included on the tax bill.

I do my own yard maintenance, since I have a CYV I was able to remove all my grass and have just shrubs, palm trees and gravel. I trim my shrubs myself, fertilize and just yesterday I power-washed my back patio, and I will do my driveway this afternoon. I bought Ryobi Power-Washer with a buffer attachment type head at Home Depot. CYV are great for those who want less yard work and a privacy fenced backyard.

I have Directv and that $135 a month. I have Century Link for internet and home phone, the internet if 100 mbps and the phone is a regular type phone with unlimited long distance included. That's $90 a month. I'm going soon get rid of the home phone and go with two Consumer Cellular smart phones for $45 a month and the internet will then be $49 a month guaranteed for life.

My homeowner's insurance I bought through The Villages Insurance Agency, they are located at each square. I was with American Integrity in 2011 and it was $505 a year, by 2018 it had risen to $985. I switched to Cabrillo Coastal and in 2019 it was $565 and in 2020 it was $619. That includes catastrophic ground collapse and sink hole with 10% deductible. Living in this section of Florida, it's referred to as 'sink hole alley', don't buy insurance without sink hole coverage.

I generally don't carry or have much cash on hand. I buy gas, all food, all restaurants and most everything else with my Master Card and I get one bill at the end of each month. That's really my biggest expense, the day-to-day living costs. I buy my gas at the Walmart at Colony and I buy my groceries at the Walmart at Colony and occasional items at Publix that Walmart might out. Also by using a charge, I get 2% back on all purchases from my CC. I purchase some items on Amazon and eBay, once again the CC is used.

One of my biggest expenses was the MVP Gym membership at Brownwood. My first five years I paid $109 a month in for my wife and me, but since 2018 it has been included free with my United Health Medicare Advantage plan. United Health plan is one of two plans accepted by TV Health Care System, so that good to have since you'll see their medical buildings throughout TV. There is no premiums for the plan, your Medicare pays the costs. So once you're 65 it really doesn't cost you anything. I also have VA Medical coverage and we a large fairly new (built in 2010) medical center in the north end of TV that covers 16,000 veterans.

Honestly I don't know why so many people pay so much for extras, my monthly expenses run about $600 to $800 not counting my credit card. I have no loans, paid cash for the home, paid cash for the golf cart, paid cash for the car. I say, when retire be lean and clean. That's what I do. Here's the home I pay these expenses for, it will be ten years old next month and this photo was taken in 2019.

https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/144343302_1852811758216681_4369577954074846208_o.j pg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=dbeb18&_nc_ohc=ujkdjI21Oq0AX88_6Nr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=8cbc4dad3b6531c1bd6f949d56562366&oe=60839424
Thanks for the info. It was very informative and I for one appreciate the time you took to write this article. Thanks again. Rick Stone

[lindaelane]

Here is a list of all my costs (I have no bond):

Per month:

Mortgage $1280 (15 year at 2.85% - I chose not to pay off due to low percent)
Electric: $87 (each month, they "level" costs per month)
Gas $34 (each month, leveled)
Cable/Internet/Phone $146 (I like a "land line", e.g. VOIP, adds $20 to this bill however)
Property Tax $317 ($3800 per annum...include "village only taxes" of about $500)
Homeowner's Insurance $89
"LSSA" (similar to HOA...include water, trash, "amenities", etc.) $221
Lawn and Pest (necessary here) $80

Total: $974 without mortgage, $2254 with mortgage

I have small, 2 bedroom "courtyard villa".

You could cut expenses by not having a mortgage, and by having no cable TV or landline, but otherwise, you should plan to spend this much or more.

Also, local stores, e.g. the local Publix, typically charge 10-20 percent more than stores 15 miles away. The think we are all rich.

[John_W]

...

[John_W]

...

[talleyjm]

There isn't much in my extras I found. My amenities, garbage, water (both irrigation & drinking) and sewage comes on one bill every month and averages about $235. I have a masonry 2BR CYV built in 2011 that I bought new.

Electric last bill was $85, it's usually between $80 to $95.

I paid cash for my home, so I have no mortgage and when I pay my taxes, usually in November the bond is included with the taxes. My bond was $14,000 so I pay $1100 every year for the bond. In addition there is a yearly maintenance fee and mine was $450, that is also included on the tax bill.

I do my own yard maintenance, since I have a CYV I was able to remove all my grass and have just shrubs, palm trees and gravel. I trim my shrubs myself, fertilize and just yesterday I power-washed my back patio, and I will do my driveway this afternoon. I bought Ryobi Power-Washer with a buffer attachment type head at Home Depot. CYV are great for those who want less yard work and a privacy fenced backyard.

I have Directv and that $135 a month. I have Century Link for internet and home phone, the internet if 100 mbps and the phone is a regular type phone with unlimited long distance included. That's $90 a month. I'm going soon get rid of the home phone and go with two Consumer Cellular smart phones for $45 a month and the internet will then be $49 a month guaranteed for life.

My homeowner's insurance I bought through The Villages Insurance Agency, they are located at each square. I was with American Integrity in 2011 and it was $505 a year, by 2018 it had risen to $985. I switched to Cabrillo Coastal and in 2019 it was $565 and in 2020 it was $619. That includes catastrophic ground collapse and sink hole with 10% deductible. Living in this section of Florida, it's referred to as 'sink hole alley', don't buy insurance without sink hole coverage.

I generally don't carry or have much cash on hand. I buy gas, all food, all restaurants and most everything else with my Master Card and I get one bill at the end of each month. That's really my biggest expense, the day-to-day living costs. I buy my gas at the Walmart at Colony and I buy my groceries at the Walmart at Colony and occasional items at Publix that Walmart might out. Also by using a charge, I get 2% back on all purchases from my CC. I purchase some items on Amazon and eBay, once again the CC is used.

One of my biggest expenses was the MVP Gym membership at Brownwood. My first five years I paid $109 a month in for my wife and me, but since 2018 it has been included free with my United Health Medicare Advantage plan. United Health plan is one of two plans accepted by TV Health Care System, so that good to have since you'll see their medical buildings throughout TV. There is no premiums for the plan, your Medicare pays the costs. So once you're 65 it really doesn't cost you anything. I also have VA Medical coverage and we a large fairly new (built in 2010) medical center in the north end of TV that covers 16,000 veterans.

Honestly I don't know why so many people pay so much for extras, my monthly expenses run about $600 to $800 not counting my credit card. I have no loans, paid cash for the home, paid cash for the golf cart, paid cash for the car. I say, when retire be lean and clean. That's what I do. Here's the home I pay these expenses for, it will be ten years old next month and this photo was taken in 2019.

https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/144343302_1852811758216681_4369577954074846208_o.j pg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=dbeb18&_nc_ohc=ujkdjI21Oq0AX88_6Nr&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=8cbc4dad3b6531c1bd6f949d56562366&oe=60839424

Such a beautiful home - love the color of your house and landscaping. :bigbow:

[John_W]

...

[I'm "AJ"]

I'm seriously considering a move to TV from Tennessee in approximately 3 years. I'm impressed with the available activities, the weather, and especially with the low crime rate of TV. All of the responses are awesome; I thank everyone who responded because I had the same questions. I do have a few more questions that you may be able to answer...

I read there is a penalty for paying off a mortgage in under 2 years. Is this a set amount or a percent of the financed amount? If I pay off the house after 25 months the penalty no longer applies, right?

How is the bond determined? Is it a set rate or based on the property sales price? What should I expect the cost will be for a 350K home?

The amenity fee... Does this go up annually or is it a fixed price from the date of sale? Am I correct that the amenity fee and lawn management are the only different/additional costs over having property outside of TV?

Can I have tomato or other plants in the back yard? Please give me a general idea of the rules for the outside part of the property.

I used to live one mile from the coast in NC so I am familiar with hurricanes. In the past have you have had significant damage from hurricanes or are you far enough inland that the winds and flooding usually isn't a major concern there?

Anything may happen in three years but after about a year of weighing options TV is ahead of other places. Perhaps I can come down and rent for a week this summer.

[kathyspear]

After I made that comment about getting permission, someone posted that they were glad their villas never got approval, they couldn't stand to get up everyday and look out their window and see a green villa. I might of thought than when I was in the Army, but nowadays I think it's very tropical looking and blends with shrubs. Here's the original color.



What the heck is wrong with people??!! Even if I hated the color of your house -- which I don't, I think it looks very nice -- I certainly would not volunteer that opinion on a public web site. I just don't understand some people. Didn't his/her mother teach them to say something nice or keep quiet??

kathy

[Pairadocs]

Hello, please forgive me if I am not proceeding correctly I am new at this.
I am considering buying a home and would like to know what extra cost per month there are.
ORHER THAN .
Mortgage, bond, electric, insurance. Can someone help?
Kate
Other than the items you mentioned, it's so difficult to give a meaningful estimate. So much depends on you and your life style. Do you mow your own lawn ? (many many lots here are very small, no need for riding mower at all). Are you willing to attach a bottle to your hose and spend 20-30 minutes twice a year hosting it down ? Or, would you prefer to use that half hour for a shuffleboard game ? Most homes here are one story on a slab; so, are you willing to wash your own windows ? Only you can decide what you are willing to do. Some will hire people to just sit on the ground and pull weeds from flower gardens once every few weeks, others enjoy this necessary task themselves and "pay" themselves the $15 or so an hour. Only you can determine your expenses past the basics you mentioned. Always check out beforehand what your property taxes will likely be, definitely check out the price of insurance on the property you expect to purchase, and if you are not willing to do any kind of work yourself, begin now calling and getting a realistic look at what it will cost to have your bushes and trees trimming, your lawn mowed, you house washed, your sprinkler system maintained with new filter screens, cleared of roots and grass (it is NOT inexpensive to have all this done for you), and any other routine things you want to pay for. It's the only way you'll really know what to expect.