Need a backup plan! What is the next best place to The Villages?

[bobk544]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

[Two Bills]

Go to sales office and say you want to buy a home.
Believe me, sales staff will find and sell you one.

[Pairadocs]

Probably should not reply unless I have useful information, but, been through this myself and since we live here, have made visits to many places just out of curiosity and to take a day trip, try a new restaurant on the way, etc. Really have not found anything compelling. We love the beach, and found Margarita Ville VERY nice.... our problem is even with some faults, TV's still works best for golfers. If not for that, we'd probably go to MV near Daytona, but just too spoiled by NOT having to load clubs in the car, use fuel and mileage to drive to a public course or a country club, etc. etc. MV provides a shuttle bus to take residents back and forth to the Atlantic beach, but not to local golf courses. The development itself does not have golf courses, they do have a "town square" model, entertainment, and IF you like the style ( and I DO !!!) the home plans are great. Have neighbors who have sold home here and moved to MV and are VERY happy they did so, but... they are not golfers. We can't go back to that having to driver car to a course, load and unload onto a rented cart, etc. Otherwise, have personal friends, also devout golfers from our old home town, who moved to Top of the World in Ocala. They have never had any regrets and we visit often, have played there, many advantages to Ocala... a great place to live. We also might (if we had to move) consider a university town...as nice as it is here, a university town offers a bit more in general, but we ranked our priorities as #1 Golf, #2 reasonable drive to beaches, and #3 be able to cruise often without added expense of air fare, hotels, cabs, etc. Seen some nice areas for retirement in the Winter Haven area... but probably true in each area of Fl. I can tell you the prices everywhere, as you probably well know, are HIGH ! Good luck in your decision.... make a list and rank your must haves is all I can say. Footnote, we had THREE neighbors move in the last 10 days... one was a health issue to moving to be near adult children, another just wanted to stay here but in a condo like place so they can travel often without any responsibilities of a traditional home, and the other couple found a home on a golf course they wanted. But... none of the homes were ever actually advertised ! All three were actually listed by The Villages properties and SOLD before they were ever listed on the website ! One is directly across from us, never an open house, never anyone came with an agent, it was listed and then a sign "pending" was put in the window two days later ! ! So, it must be very difficult .. they do seem to have a lot of new homes for sale in some of the very newest villages.. have you seen those ?

[dewilson58]

Go to sales office and say you want to buy a home.
Believe me, sales staff will find and sell you one.

Absolutely!!

If your broker knows what you are looking for............they are the first to know when homes are released. There are plenty of homes completed, TV is just not releasing 100% of them.

[GrumpyOldMan]

They sell about 400 homes per month and build the same number. So, the one you wanted may be gone, but another will be coming along soon - really soon, like next month.

If you really like The Villages and want to move here, you will find a home. Just understand, if you find one don't take your time deciding, it will be sold out from under you.

[Art cov]

No place quite like the villages! The lifestyle is everything. If Florida is your plan, then Siesta Key beach to me is about as good as it gets. Of course the closer to the water the more$$$

[Tripngirl]

Probably should not reply unless I have useful information, but, been through this myself and since we live here, have made visits to many places just out of curiosity and to take a day trip, try a new restaurant on the way, etc. Really have not found anything compelling. We love the beach, and found Margarita Ville VERY nice.... our problem is even with some faults, TV's still works best for golfers. If not for that, we'd probably go to MV near Daytona, but just too spoiled by NOT having to load clubs in the car, use fuel and mileage to drive to a public course or a country club, etc. etc. MV provides a shuttle bus to take residents back and forth to the Atlantic beach, but not to local golf courses. The development itself does not have golf courses, they do have a "town square" model, entertainment, and IF you like the style ( and I DO !!!) the home plans are great. Have neighbors who have sold home here and moved to MV and are VERY happy they did so, but... they are not golfers. We can't go back to that having to driver car to a course, load and unload onto a rented cart, etc. Otherwise, have personal friends, also devout golfers from our old home town, who moved to Top of the World in Ocala. They have never had any regrets and we visit often, have played there, many advantages to Ocala... a great place to live. We also might (if we had to move) consider a university town...as nice as it is here, a university town offers a bit more in general, but we ranked our priorities as #1 Golf, #2 reasonable drive to beaches, and #3 be able to cruise often without added expense of air fare, hotels, cabs, etc. Seen some nice areas for retirement in the Winter Haven area... but probably true in each area of Fl. I can tell you the prices everywhere, as you probably well know, are HIGH ! Good luck in your decision.... make a list and rank your must haves is all I can say. Footnote, we had THREE neighbors move in the last 10 days... one was a health issue to moving to be near adult children, another just wanted to stay here but in a condo like place so they can travel often without any responsibilities of a traditional home, and the other couple found a home on a golf course they wanted. But... none of the homes were ever actually advertised ! All three were actually listed by The Villages properties and SOLD before they were ever listed on the website ! One is directly across from us, never an open house, never anyone came with an agent, it was listed and then a sign "pending" was put in the window two days later ! ! So, it must be very difficult .. they do seem to have a lot of new homes for sale in some of the very newest villages.. have you seen those ?
The experiences of your neighbors are all so true. As for buying a home here now you can't be loyal to just one Realtor or The Villages sales peop!e......with the market so actve and several offers on one property it is frustrating. Our experience was frustrating in that often the home would show up on the listings,we'd find out it is prending. It was by chance that we found a property in McClure...spoke to a Village sales person about a home that had a sign, got told that was gone and he asked what/where we were looking ...said he'd call us as he thought he had a listing coming on in two or three days...he called, we ran and we put an offer in. We avoided a bidding war and now we have a place come August. For years we have come to The Villages and never thought this would be the experience when we went to buy.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

Depends on a few things:

What do you consider to be "affordable?"

What is your minimum criteria? How many bedrooms, does it need to be new construction with no landscaping, OR old construction with mature landscaping, or something inbetween?

How many square feet is the LEAST you would accept?

[Babubhat]

YouTube has videos of the various 55 plus community in the area. Look at a few to see if anything else appeals to you

[bobk544]

Depends on a few things:

What do you consider to be "affordable?" 300 to 500

What is your minimum criteria?

How many bedrooms, 3

does it need to be new construction with no landscaping, OK

OR old construction with mature landscaping, OK

or something inbetween? NOT NEAR A BUSY STREET

How many square feet is the LEAST you would accept?
2000

Thanks everyone for the very helpful information and yes, those youtube videos are also very informative, been watching all of the 55plus videos and am relieved to see there are some other 55+ communities out there that look very good, so we're not so much in panic mode anymore, thanks again everyone!

[UpNorth]

No shortage of home inventory in The Villages. As long as you can get used to the sound of the turnpike:icon_wink:

[bandsdavis]

My personal opinion, do not just look in the new section of the Villages. Look into resales north of Rt 44. To me, and this is just my opinion, that's the "real" Villages.

[Loriana]

Spend a week walking through the new yet-to-be released Villages homes and find a couple homes you like and tell the most experienced Villages realtor you can find which houses you would be interested in purchasing. The new houses are released Mon thru Fri at noon and the best new houses sell before they hit the Villages website at 4PM. If you know which new homes you like you can get a jump on everyone else who hasn’t even seen the house. You will check every day with this very available realtor to get the daily released houses at about noon. Be prepared to put a hold for the house of $3,000 on your credit card. If you are first in line you will have 7 days to make the 10% down payment and 30 to 60 days to close. We were there one week and got the daily releases from our realtor each day. Houses are not released on the weekends. Mondays are big days for house releases. We had two new homes picked out ( visit them at night to hear traffic noises etc). On the 7th day we found a newer preowned house (bought it the day it was released) in McClure so we didn’t buy a new house but you get the idea. We will close in August. Happy hunting.

[SIRE1]

If you really like The Villages area, but can't find a place here, you might look at 3 nearby communities. The 2 that are quite close to The Villages are Stonecrest and Spruce Creek South. They are just north of The Villages off 441 near the Walmart store. The third is Del Webb Spruce Creek which is a little farther up 441 near the Camping World store. Many people from these 3 communities come to The Villages for entertainment and have friends who live here. And there are a couple of the other Del Webb communities in Ocala which are another alternative to Top of the World (I don't recall the names of those communities, but a google search could list). The comment I keep hearing, and I believe it to be true, is that you actually get more house for your money in these other Communities. But then, as The Villages marketing brochures say, "in The Villages you are not buying just a house, but a lifestyle" and unfortunately that lifestyle does come as some cost.

[Topspinmo]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

Where I can from. Look at resales, IMO usually get more for you’re money anyway, but some have to buy new and the pay for it.

[patfla06]

We looked at a lot of 55+ in Florida ( lived in Tampa) and there was not one
that could come close to The Villages.

Also be very careful looking in Florida. It should be important to look at things
such as CRIME. Amenities are just a small part of what you should look at.

Personally I would hold off until next year because I think the prices are way too high.

[Calisport]

I agree. I needed a patio villa as a second home. On a Friday at noon the first available homes in a section were available and I reserved my home and 3 others put backup reserves. I'm so glad my Realtor knew what he was doing taking me there at noon. No other houses in that one villa area interested me except the one I saw. And then another tract opened up a month later but closer to the turnpike and prices were higher too. Timing is everything for the new homes.

[peachpit]

We complain about The Villages every day. If only we could find a better place to complain about we would be out of here with our 100% increase in property value and move somewhere else. Any suggestions??? With 10,000 turning 65 every day we will wait it out , but still complain about how bad it is in The Villages. Some call this drinking the cool aid. I have been enjoying my lifestyle for 13 years. We are blessed.

[skippy05]

everything is selling out. this is not limited to the villages. i do not understand it.

[Rwirish]

No brainer, Citrus Hills.

[LateBoomer]

There are some condos in Surfside that are going really cheap now. water views too

[024engine]

Lots of for sale by owner.

[Ele201]

I’ve been thinking about moving to Ocala. You mentioned that there are lots of advantages there. Can you fill me in on those? Thanks. Probably should not reply unless I have useful information, but, been through this myself and since we live here, have made visits to many places just out of curiosity and to take a day trip, try a new restaurant on the way, etc. Really have not found anything compelling. We love the beach, and found Margarita Ville VERY nice.... our problem is even with some faults, TV's still works best for golfers. If not for that, we'd probably go to MV near Daytona, but just too spoiled by NOT having to load clubs in the car, use fuel and mileage to drive to a public course or a country club, etc. etc. MV provides a shuttle bus to take residents back and forth to the Atlantic beach, but not to local golf courses. The development itself does not have golf courses, they do have a "town square" model, entertainment, and IF you like the style ( and I DO !!!) the home plans are great. Have neighbors who have sold home here and moved to MV and are VERY happy they did so, but... they are not golfers. We can't go back to that having to driver car to a course, load and unload onto a rented cart, etc. Otherwise, have personal friends, also devout golfers from our old home town, who moved to Top of the World in Ocala. They have never had any regrets and we visit often, have played there, many advantages to Ocala... a great place to live. We also might (if we had to move) consider a university town...as nice as it is here, a university town offers a bit more in general, but we ranked our priorities as #1 Golf, #2 reasonable drive to beaches, and #3 be able to cruise often without added expense of air fare, hotels, cabs, etc. Seen some nice areas for retirement in the Winter Haven area... but probably true in each area of Fl. I can tell you the prices everywhere, as you probably well know, are HIGH ! Good luck in your decision.... make a list and rank your must haves is all I can say. Footnote, we had THREE neighbors move in the last 10 days... one was a health issue to moving to be near adult children, another just wanted to stay here but in a condo like place so they can travel often without any responsibilities of a traditional home, and the other couple found a home on a golf course they wanted. But... none of the homes were ever actually advertised ! All three were actually listed by The Villages properties and SOLD before they were ever listed on the website ! One is directly across from us, never an open house, never anyone came with an agent, it was listed and then a sign "pending" was put in the window two days later ! ! So, it must be very difficult .. they do seem to have a lot of new homes for sale in some of the very newest villages.. have you seen those ?

[villageuser]

If you’re open to resale, do note that the Village sales do not put their resales into the online MLS system. So there may be more inventory than you are aware of. Still, I’d check with both Village Sales and local realtor offices.

By the way, besides Del Webb and Spruce Creek near us, and. Top of the World in Ocala, I’ve heard lots of good things about Sun City, south of Tampa.

[Joanne19335]

Of course, it depends on your budget. Patio villas are affordable and I have found that pre-owned homes around Nancy Lopez and in the historic section are less expensive. If you want to stay in the Central Florida area, i would look at On Top of the World in Ocala. They are rated very high and you get much more for your money. The one drawback is that you don't own the land--just the structure. I don't consider this a negative, but some people might. If you don't play golf, check out Solvita in Kissimmee.

[BlueStarAirlines]

No brainer, Citrus Hills.

I thought I heard they were not an exclusively 55+ community. Is that accurate?

[HoosierPa]

Sun City Myrtle Beach SC as close to TV that we have found

[Debra Freeman]

Stonecrest is close to TV. It’s also a few miles from The Villages Regional hospital and a few miles the other way all on 441. It’s next to Walmart. You get to be near TV but don’t need to be stuck in all the circles. Get an agent and be willing to buy pre owned wherever to save costs.

[stevekennedy3]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!
There really isn't any. We did the same due diligence starting in 2010. Went all over USA and as far south as Belize. You don't want to move twice. Too expensive. You will find something here. Don't worry. Just come down and spend time looking. Interest rates are still low, so you should be fine.

[Southw2]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

Checkout pennbrooke fairways on state road 44 in Leesburg . Their property is next door to the villages . They have homes from 100,000 to 300.000 . It’s a very lovely community for 55 and older

[nn0wheremann]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!
Depends on what you want, and your age & health. TV is likely best for the long term. When driving an auto becomes less an option, you can get to everything you need by golf cart. Some friends found that not to be the case at On Top Of The World near Ocala. Same true from Margaritaville near Daytona.

[admiral72]

Pelican Preserve near Fort Myers

[GRACEALLEMAN]

2000

Thanks everyone for the very helpful information and yes, those youtube videos are also very informative, been watching all of the 55plus videos and am relieved to see there are some other 55+ communities out there that look very good, so we're not so much in panic mode anymore, thanks again everyone!

I would suggest you watch the newcomers with Jerry and Linda on YouTube. Linda on YouTube. They move to the villages and have a wonderful YouTube see wonderful YouTube series. About the villages the villages. I think we moved here because of that I think we moved here because of them. And we are glad that we did. I heard glad that we did. I heard the top of the world drained all of their water and all of their water features and ponds. It. It looks like a dump And that they do that every year. Don't ask me why

[crash]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

Top of the World is a miniature Villages, with better built and less expensive homes.

[dougancathy]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

top of the world ocala

[juscause]

Honestly, I wouldn't settle for anywhere else. There are a lot of good places to live in Florida, but there is only one Villages. Work with an agent and you'll find what you need.

[davem4616]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

why would you want to settle for 'next best'??

ignore all the hype about there being a shortage of homes for sale and get active with real estate people

homes go on the market every day

give consideration to renting for a period of time to identify the areas in TV that are ideal for you

[La lamy]

There are some condos in Surfside that are going really cheap now. water views too

:shocked: :shocked: :pray:

[akerwin1909]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!
I just looked at the available homes sold by The Villages and the supply has increased. I bought a Courtyard Villa last year and love it. Affordable? It’s far more affordable than many other areas.
There are 3-4 close 55+ communities-StoneCrest, Del Webb Spruce Creek, Del Webb in Ocala and Top of The World
in Ocala. None of them will be like
the Villages however they are close in vicinity alternatives.
You’ll find something in the Villages if you keep your options wide. The Manufactured
homes here are in a very nice area
of The Villages with low taxes.

[La lamy]

I hope you looked at older manufactured homes in the historic side of TV (like Orange Blossom Village) if you're looking for a more affordable home.

[FredJacobs]

Go to sales office and say you want to buy a home.
Believe me, sales staff will find and sell you one.
This is a good idea. Go to the sales office and speak with a salesman. Tell him/her what you are looking for and how much you want to spend. When he/she knows that they have an immediate buyer, I'm sure that they will call you ASAP. Also, consider a re-sale rather than a new home. They are much lower in sales price and may even have paid off the bond.

[CFrance]

There are some condos in Surfside that are going really cheap now. water views too
Have some respect.

[J1ceasar]

First I understand your frustration with pricing currently. Please note The villages does have advantages like free golf and golf cart accessibility. That said however there were at least half a dozen Senior communities within 10 miles of The villages. We live in Pennbrooke Fairways on route 44 -- 5 minutes from The villages . There are 1,200 homes from manufactured, villas townhomes, and block single-family homes anywhere from $100 to 300,000 and 27 Holes of golf with two pools. The homes here are at least 100 to 200,000 less than villages and there are about 6 to 12 available for sale currently where there are normally 60 or more. I can recommend Joe hamblin and wife as a realtor to show you around. There are also one or two other great communities nearby like the plantation ( lived there too) with 3,000 homes much closer to the turnpike where I lived for a while with three or four pools slightly more expensive. Arlington ridge also on route 27, mission inn which is more than these two but less than villages and at least six or eight communities with manufactured homes. You really need to Google Senior communities in lake and Sumter. There is also summercrest . ( Spelling) . . Feel free to email me or phone 352 459 1464 . I am not a real estate agent!

[G.R.I.T.S.]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

Check MLS listings for preowned homes, not just the new Villages listings.

[J1ceasar]

I agree with you that it's becoming ridiculously expensive for a place that was started selling manufactured homes 30 years ago. I live in Peenbrooke Fairways . All the other communities within 10 or 20 miles of The villages or at least 100 or $200,000 cheaper for an average home of 1800 square feet so if you could have afforded The villages 2 years ago, you can afford any of these other wonderful Senior communities. Most have golf courses on site that of course you might have to pay per round of course but if that doesn't matter to you you'll have an extra few hundred thousand in the bank

[DAVES]

2000

Thanks everyone for the very helpful information and yes, those youtube videos are also very informative, been watching all of the 55plus videos and am relieved to see there are some other 55+ communities out there that look very good, so we're not so much in panic mode anymore, thanks again everyone!

Yes, prices are up in the Villages but, I think you will find they are up everywhere. "We're not so much in panic mode." You should never allow yourself to panic. My view, you can be happy anywhere. We retired, a bit of a shock you no longer need to get up early, work late etc-truly a shock. We are ex-New Yorkers. I got stuck entertaining a Japanese
couple. Places to take them? I bought a tourist guide. Tons of people ,from Florida go to New York to vacation. Truth some of them were in my way as i was rushing to work.

As I said, you can be happy anywhere

[jbrown132]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

As most people have not answered your question I would look a Lely resort in Naples. They have several golf courses, activities and you are about 20 minutes to several beautiful beaches. The weather is warmer in the winter and slightly cooler in the summer. I’m not sure about the prices now but about six or seven years ago they were just a little higher than The Villages. Also, the Naples area is beautiful. If I had to do it over again I would definitely have considered there.

[sallyg]

We have lived in the " historic" section and the newest section, south of 44. There are affordable homes still to be found altho it is a daunting task given the size of this place. We seriously looked at Del Webb on 441 just north of the Villages and really liked it. Same with Stonecrest. Both developments are much smaller, but you get a lot more house for your money. If possible, why not rent first? It will save you the hassle of moving a second time. Best of luck.

[John Watkins]

There is a friendly and beautiful 55 Plus community across the street from the Villages that can match the amenities that you pay a ton of money for in the Villages.

You can enjoy life at Water Oak and have a lot of money left for everything else you enjoy.

[Bgillam]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

Sadly, I’m experiencing the same thing. Multiple offers, prices keep going up. Great for sellers but not so good for people who want to buy.

[wganderson13]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!
I bought starter house & forever house here in the Historic side. Love it! Got rid of the car & smart phone- landline only.

[airstreamingypsy]

You want to live in The Villages right?
But you're asking on ''Talk of The Villages'' where are alternative communities. !!!
Please just move to Myrtle Beach or somewhere else.

People like this are what make The Villages less desirable. It used to be a nice place to live, the bigger it gets, and people like this, show how it is no longer friendly.

[airstreamingypsy]

:shocked: :shocked: :pray: I hate that I laughed at this!

You should, there's nothing funny about 150 people dying.

[Babubhat]

Prices are relative to the area you are moving from. If you’re coming from the northeast or west the prices here are still significantly less. Additionally median income is $80,000 a year. These real estate prices are not going to deter those people who make up the majority of new residents

[cj1040]

There is a nice lot next to us on Wilder Path in Chitty Chatty. New houses all around it. Check it out if you want to custom build...there were also about 4 for sale there a while ago_ all new builds.
We almost bought at Top of The World but you won't find as many clubs and classes there which were important to me. Arlington Ridge in Leesburg is small but you get more house for your money. We also liked Margaritaville in Daytona. Citrus Hills is nice but they have hurricane shutters so that is a heads up. If lots of choices for activities was not too of my list I would go to Margaritaville

[sallyh26]

My friends built & bought in Top of The World located in Ocala. They are very pleased & happy there. Can’t hurt to check it out. Good luck👍🏼😎

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

[Bilyclub]

There is a friendly and beautiful 55 Plus community across the street from the Villages that can match the amenities that you pay a ton of money for in the Villages.

You can enjoy life at Water Oak and have a lot of money left for everything else you enjoy.

If you call 2 pools and 18 holes of golf matching amenities. What are the fees there?

[KRMACK55]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!
I wouldn’t live in Florida. It’s too expensive the heat is oppressive and there are gorgeous places up in Northeast Georgia where I’m moving to. You never want to buy into any place where there is a bond on your house it’s called a CDD ! Woodstock Kennesaw is nice as well as Big Csnoe in Georgia. Georgia is now number 1 with FL number 2.

[KRMACK55]

Go to sales office and say you want to buy a home.
Believe me, sales staff will find and sell you one.
Problem is they aren’t entirely candid about real life here. They represent the developer and misleading at least to folks.

[Rose Ann Vinci Igoe]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

Be patient... lots of homes here... worth trying to get in. Now a lot of people looking to BUY, come to the Villages and RENT while they are looking for there forever home. No pressure and take your time to get to know all the wonderful area's here. That will give you a chance to find the best Town you want to live in and the $ you are looking for. Some rent for a year or so, but it would work to your advantage instead of a "plan B". This really is a very well known place and well liked. That maybe a better option... no rush, and YOU can still look at other golf communities in this area, on your own time.

[SusanStCatherine]

There is no other place quite like the villages, especially the social activities (thousands of clubs) and amenities (100 pools) including golf (50 courses) . 55places.com has a lot of information on all retirement communities if you want alternatives.

[KRMACK55]

Probably should not reply unless I have useful information, but, been through this myself and since we live here, have made visits to many places just out of curiosity and to take a day trip, try a new restaurant on the way, etc. Really have not found anything compelling. We love the beach, and found Margarita Ville VERY nice.... our problem is even with some faults, TV's still works best for golfers. If not for that, we'd probably go to MV near Daytona, but just too spoiled by NOT having to load clubs in the car, use fuel and mileage to drive to a public course or a country club, etc. etc. MV provides a shuttle bus to take residents back and forth to the Atlantic beach, but not to local golf courses. The development itself does not have golf courses, they do have a "town square" model, entertainment, and IF you like the style ( and I DO !!!) the home plans are great. Have neighbors who have sold home here and moved to MV and are VERY happy they did so, but... they are not golfers. We can't go back to that having to driver car to a course, load and unload onto a rented cart, etc. Otherwise, have personal friends, also devout golfers from our old home town, who moved to Top of the World in Ocala. They have never had any regrets and we visit often, have played there, many advantages to Ocala... a great place to live. We also might (if we had to move) consider a university town...as nice as it is here, a university town offers a bit more in general, but we ranked our priorities as #1 Golf, #2 reasonable drive to beaches, and #3 be able to cruise often without added expense of air fare, hotels, cabs, etc. Seen some nice areas for retirement in the Winter Haven area... but probably true in each area of Fl. I can tell you the prices everywhere, as you probably well know, are HIGH ! Good luck in your decision.... make a list and rank your must haves is all I can say. Footnote, we had THREE neighbors move in the last 10 days... one was a health issue to moving to be near adult children, another just wanted to stay here but in a condo like place so they can travel often without any responsibilities of a traditional home, and the other couple found a home on a golf course they wanted. But... none of the homes were ever actually advertised ! All three were actually listed by The Villages properties and SOLD before they were ever listed on the website ! One is directly across from us, never an open house, never anyone came with an agent, it was listed and then a sign "pending" was put in the window two days later ! ! So, it must be very difficult .. they do seem to have a lot of new homes for sale in some of the very newest villages.. have you seen those ?
Tell them about the bond the maintenance besides the amenity fee and the increases semi annually on everything here !

[KRMACK55]

The experiences of your neighbors are all so true. As for buying a home here now you can't be loyal to just one Realtor or The Villages sales peop!e......with the market so actve and several offers on one property it is frustrating. Our experience was frustrating in that often the home would show up on the listings,we'd find out it is prending. It was by chance that we found a property in McClure...spoke to a Village sales person about a home that had a sign, got told that was gone and he asked what/where we were looking ...said he'd call us as he thought he had a listing coming on in two or three days...he called, we ran and we put an offer in. We avoided a bidding war and now we have a place come August. For years we have come to The Villages and never thought this would be the experience when we went to buy.
They are not realtors. They are sales people for the developer a big difference

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Where I can from. Look at resales, IMO usually get more for you’re money anyway, but some have to buy new and the pay for it.

You get more for your money, and you get a lower (or no) bond on top of the sales price.
You get the promise of more some time in the future.

Personally, being in the last half of my life, I'd rather not wait for what I want. I already waited 50 years.

[JMintzer]

They are not realtors. They are sales people for the developer a big difference

People keep saying this. Pray tell... What is the "big difference"?

[lstevenson1470]

I was sold on The Villages from our first visit but my husband wanted to look further. We looked at MANY other similar communities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. He finally had to concede that noplace compares to The Villages! We moved here in October of 2020 and haven't regretted it for a minute! Contact Chris Smith at The Villages and I guarantee he will find you the perfect place. His contact info is: (352)391-3587 chris.smith@thevillages.com. Hope to see you in The Villages soon!

[Babubhat]

Tell them about the bond the maintenance besides the amenity fee and the increases semi annually on everything here !

It’s peanuts compared to in increases in the Northeast.

[bobk544]

Thanks again everyone for all your very helpful information and suggestions and this is one of the reasons we really like the Villages and so we now have the makings of a very good visit plan and so when we get down there, we can maximize every minute there!

[Jim1mack]

And they’ll have mature landscaping.

[brfree1411@aol.com]

SOLIVITA look it up, it's much smaller but nice house plans or Margaritaville, it's much smaller. I also liked Valencia, near Ruskin, Fl close to Tampa.

[GrumpyOldMan]

People keep saying this. Pray to tell... What is the "big difference"?

I could be rude and say something like, as Sales People for the Developer, they are more ethical...

But, that is inviting a fight. Some people who live here could be much happier if they moved to someplace else, they obviously hate everything about the villages. However, they continue to live here; maybe they enjoy being unhappy.

I have purchased several homes in my life (I am sure most here have). I can assure you my purchase experience here was orders of magnitude better in every conceivable way than any other purchase experience I have ever had. They were patient, answered every question, never rushed me, never tried to upsell me, and have continued to be a "friend" since I moved here. During my shopping, I mentioned to my "sales agent" that I was impressed with the low-pressure approach. His reply was classic, "I don't need to pressure you; if you don't buy, someone else will. We can't build them as fast as they sell."

Without a doubt, my experience with realtors has always been different (in a bad way).

[Spalumbos62]

You want to live in The Villages right?
But you're asking on ''Talk of The Villages'' where are alternative communities. !!!
Please just move to Myrtle Beach or somewhere else.


Why......why so nasty?

[Bogie Shooter]

Tell them about the bond the maintenance besides the amenity fee and the increases semi annually on everything here !

They are not realtors. They are sales people for the developer a big difference

Always more sour grapes.
Has your house sold yet?

[Babubhat]

I agree. No place else I would rather live. I don’t understand why people are unhappy here. They can just move. Life is too short to suffer. You have a choice

[Spalumbos62]

Yes, prices are up in the Villages but, I think you will find they are up everywhere. "We're not so much in panic mode." You should never allow yourself to panic. My view, you can be happy anywhere. We retired, a bit of a shock you no longer need to get up early, work late etc-truly a shock. We are ex-New Yorkers. I got stuck entertaining a Japanese
couple. Places to take them? I bought a tourist guide. Tons of people ,from Florida go to New York to vacation. Truth some of them were in my way as i was rushing to work.

As I said, you can be happy anywhere


Your post is confusing...I got lost when you were talking about the Japanese couple.???

[Blueblaze]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

I think I must have looked at them all, at least in Florida, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas.

There are MUCH nicer communities, if you just want a nice house near a golf course in Florida. My biggest complaint about The Villages has always been the boring sameness and downright poor build quality of the homes. But NOTHING I ever saw came anywhere close to being a real, functional community of old folks, for the purpose of keeping active in your old age. The others always seemed deserted. Yes, you might see someone shooting pool in the community center, but everywhere we looked, the streets and facilities seemed deserted. I've had a nice house before. Impressing the neighbors no longer holds much interest for me. At this point in my life, I'm a lot more interested in a broad range of recreational activities with people my own age, in a safe neighborhood where I actually know my neighbors.

Citrus Hills in Citrus County was closest we ever came to buying elsewhere. Absolutely beautiful homes. But the golf isn't free, and I didn't even see anyone playing golf the day we were there. We also came close to buying a 5 acre horse property near Citrus Hills, in Pine Ridge. It's not 55+, but they have a golf course and rec center and 30 miles of horse trails. I thought maybe the kids would come see us once in a while if we kept a couple of ponies. But then I remembered how much I hate yard work.

[Pamelah]

There are some condos in Surfside that are going really cheap now. water views too

That is an incredibly thoughtless and heartless comment.

[Pamelah]

:shocked: :shocked: :pray: I hate that I laughed at this!

You laughed?? Have you no respect for all those lives lost? Why would you even admit to laughing?

[kathyspear]

If you want to stay in the Central Florida area, i would look at On Top of the World in Ocala. They are rated very high and you get much more for your money. The one drawback is that you don't own the land--just the structure. I don't consider this a negative, but some people might.

I believe that is true of some homes in OTOW but not all. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

kathy

[Jean G]

The next best thing to living in the villages is going to heaven. I wouldn’t recommend that right now. This is an unusually hot sales market for homes right now. Theoretically if you just wait a few months things will be better.

[Jayhawk]

You have a choice

They chose to bitch and complain.

[dewilson58]

Always more sour grapes.
Has your house sold yet?

:bigbow:

[jaccik1]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

I have been here 3 years. I would move in a heartbeat to St. Pete. With hte way the market is staying put.

[Spec1620]

If you see something you like on the website you can call realtor and put a virtual hold on the home. Then you have I believe 24 hrs to come down and see it. We lost a house we liked in Pine Ridge due to this that only a realtor would know. Lots of houses good luck!

[jfox776722@aol.com]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

I would move into The Plantation on Hwy 27 in south Leesburg. They have golf on property, over 100 clubs of interests, the sub divisions have monthly luncheons for the sub divisions, HOA is $125.00 a month. My sister and brother in law live there and absolutely love it. And you are about 20 minutes from Brownwood Paddock. You can still go to the events at the Villages. Good luck!

[JMintzer]

I could be rude and say something like, as Sales People for the Developer, they are more ethical...

But, that is inviting a fight. Some people who live here could be much happier if they moved to someplace else, they obviously hate everything about the villages. However, they continue to live here; maybe they enjoy being unhappy.

I have purchased several homes in my life (I am sure most here have). I can assure you my purchase experience here was orders of magnitude better in every conceivable way than any other purchase experience I have ever had. They were patient, answered every question, never rushed me, never tried to upsell me, and have continued to be a "friend" since I moved here. During my shopping, I mentioned to my "sales agent" that I was impressed with the low-pressure approach. His reply was classic, "I don't need to pressure you; if you don't buy, someone else will. We can't build them as fast as they sell."

Without a doubt, my experience with realtors has always been different (in a bad way).

Crap! Now you've got me agreeing with you again!

What's next? “Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!”

[Bilyclub]

Tell them about the bond the maintenance besides the amenity fee and the increases semi annually on everything here !
You need to look at other places around here not necessarily in TV. When you consider the price and the huge increases twice a year for amenity fees cable and utilities going up 20% and taxes will go up more there are lots to choose from.
Thank you that’s exactly what happens. Unbeknownst to me i tried to sell my house on my own but the flippers and low ball investors posing as residents here offered less than i paid. Then a buyer from CA who wanted an extra large lot found my Zillow then made an offer and for the first time I’m getting a fair price. I’m leaving the grumpy opinionated villages it’s not real life and it was a big mistake for many people. Zip it if you don’t know what you’re commenting about it.


Slow down with your made up bs. You are constantly posting about the amenity fee being raised twice a year. This is false. Go post on Talk of Dumpy Georgia. Bye Bye

[butlerism]

I am ready to sell. No bond assessment. PM me

[SacDQ]

We came down two separate times on one of the Village sponsored visits. On the second trip we bid on two separate homes one new and one pr-owned and we do don’t get either due to over bidding. The day before going home I contacted our salesman on an Open House on a present home that I found at 1:00 am on the village website.

The rest as they say is History. Never give up and spend time on the Website looking at late model preowned homes as well as new.

[Bogie Shooter]

I am ready to sell. No bond assessment. PM me

Explain bond assessment as you see it.

[Robnlaura]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!

It’s very strange we went a couple of weeks ago they had Tracts of “unreleased” homes the realtors really had nothing to show us. It’s just not a good time to buy anything but with that said the expansion plans are such that they will have plenty of homes.. this shortage will not be around long it will change pretty soon

[Schaumburger]

Always more sour grapes.
Has your house sold yet?


Well said.

[cbv0211]

There are some condos in Surfside that are going really cheap now. water views too

I'm happy that I didn't laugh at this.

[Schaumburger]

I agree. No place else I would rather live. I don’t understand why people are unhappy here. They can just move. Life is too short to suffer. You have a choice

Agree with you.

[ScottYvonne]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous!
Took us two years. We were in NC. We rented on Patrick Afb and it was still hard to get a house. We finally entered into contract through DocuSign and went with it. You have to move fast bc homes are gone quick. Our offer was accepted Friday. I have looked all over Florida for a comparison and there is not one. Top of the world requires $20,000 from the get go. If you want to rent, Patrick Afb is a good place to start. Many retirees live here and some are snowbirds. Can’t beat the security and the beach is right outside the gate. They also rent to civilians. Our rent in $1495 for a three br 2.5 bath. Best military housing we have lived in. Good luck!

Military Housing | Patrick Family Housing | Welcome to Patrick (https://www.patrick-family-housing.com/)

[bobk544]

Many thanks again all, this is my 3rd read of the posts and taking notes so I don't miss anything, very helpful information!

[yankygrl]

It’s very strange we went a couple of weeks ago they had Tracts of “unreleased” homes the realtors really had nothing to show us. It’s just not a good time to buy anything but with that said the expansion plans are such that they will have plenty of homes.. this shortage will not be around long it will change pretty soon
The shortages as I understand the situation is for preowned homes. I just sold one in 3 hours of putting it on the market. If you want new TV is building like crazy BUT you must want really live south of 44 were amenities are still being built.

[DaddyG]

Any place else will be similarly overpriced, if it's any good.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I agree. No place else I would rather live. I don’t understand why people are unhappy here. They can just move. Life is too short to suffer. You have a choice

Not everyone is financially able to "just move." Some people come here thinking this will be perfect for them - and discover it isn't at all what they were expecting. So they stay anyway because they can't afford to do anything else, have no other place to go, and they're too old to just pack up and set out for the great unknown, hoping they don't run out of money for food before they find an affordable, liveable destination elsewhere.

Some people come here with their significant other, and enjoy their lives here as a couple but as soon as one of them dies, the other feels lost and unable to enjoy this happy lifestyle anymore. But they can't afford to move, so they're stuck here. And they feel just as stuck as they are.

You can accept that you're not capable of understanding this dilemma, or you can pretend the dilemma doesn't exist.

But it exists, and being dismissive of anything that doesn't fit your narrative is - dismissive.

[stebooo]

As long as interest rates are on the rise you may seem a slow down. The price rises are everywhere in every state. Low interest rates, low inventory available.

[pabotticelli]

[QUOTE=dewilson58;1971633]Absolutely!!

Yes, homes are increasing in value in the Villages just like all over Florida. If your Real Estate Broker knows what you are looking for and your price range, they can help you.
They are the first to know when homes go on the market. Enlist a reputable Realtor in The Villages and they will find you a home you can afford.

[1couple]

Hello, we are planning a visit to the Villages in February to scope out homes, but it looks like there may not be anything left that's affordable with the way homes are Active one day and Pending the next day with multiple bids, so as a backup plan, can you please tell us where you would move to in Florida if you had to pick up and move again for whatever reason? Many many thank yous! outside of wildwood off boyscout road there are a couple for sale on the river if you don’t mind airboat on the river

[J1ceasar]

Pretty sure they were talking about affordability and you have to admit the prices have gone way up in the last several years

[J1ceasar]

Excellent reply. Moving is one of the top five reasons for a heart attack. And so many people find themselves without a partner after one or two years of the move. I have to say that for many people is very hard to decide to find another person to live with after so many years. I know many suicides because of this.

[J1ceasar]

FYI I'm sure the Realtors have not told you this but the villages has bought a huge track of land in Leesburg off of route 27 for another 20,000 homes so in two or three years you'll have that choice as well

[tvbound]

If a large choice in golfing wasn't so high on our list of 'must-have', there are a number of communities near both coasts whereby you can get a bigger bang for your buck on homes. We lean to the Gulf side over the Atlantic, but haven't seen anywhere on either coast that even comes close to TV when it comes to golfing.

[Hedyg]

There are some condos in Surfside that are going really cheap now. water views too

This is a disgusting and inappropriate comment!

[smacca56]

We lucked out. We planned to put our home on the market in Maine in the Spring 2021 and buy in TV after selling. We wanted to be in the historic section of TV. We saw what we wanted in late January and decided to put in an offer. We had a preapproval but lost that one to a cash offer. We decided we were preapproved and kept looking. Luckily inventory was still good at that time and we found another. Site unseen to us but we have friends that did look at it for us, we actually bid below asking and got it. We sold our house in April and for over asking. It's all about the timing for sure. Glad we didn't wait till now!

[Kingsport]

The Villages is unique due to its size. Critical mass is necessary to sustain infrastructure - particularly for retailing and other services. Many 55+ communities do not have it.

We closed on our re-sale house on June 30, 2021. We had no problem finding a nice one within our budget (of course we would rather have paid less). New places come on the market every day. Be patient, study the market, and move quickly when you see something. We placed our bid the day our house was listed.

If you decide to finance, get pre-qualified through Citizens First Bank. Then, your offer will be viewed by most parties as equivalent to cash. This is because Citizens First has a VERY rigorous pre-qualification process. Also, they are a very professional outfit.

We worked with both a Villages, Inc. realtor and an MLS realtor. Every person and entity we dealt with was very professional and accommodating.
You can PM me for realtor recommendations.

[kkingston57]

I bet that there will be a lot of rentals available soon and rent 1st. Prices should stabilize.

[bobk544]

Thanks again all! super helpful information!

[Sheila Davis]

Spend a week walking through the new yet-to-be released Villages homes and find a couple homes you like and tell the most experienced Villages realtor you can find which houses you would be interested in purchasing. The new houses are released Mon thru Fri at noon and the best new houses sell before they hit the Villages website at 4PM. If you know which new homes you like you can get a jump on everyone else who hasn’t even seen the house. You will check every day with this very available realtor to get the daily released houses at about noon. Be prepared to put a hold for the house of $3,000 on your credit card. If you are first in line you will have 7 days to make the 10% down payment and 30 to 60 days to close. We were there one week and got the daily releases from our realtor each day. Houses are not released on the weekends. Mondays are big days for house releases. We had two new homes picked out ( visit them at night to hear traffic noises etc). On the 7th day we found a newer preowned house (bought it the day it was released) in McClure so we didn’t buy a new house but you get the idea. We will close in August. Happy hunting.

You worked with a Villages sales agent...not a REALTOR!

[juddfl]

You mentioned you wanted a place that you can move from in case your situation changes. Try Water Oaks in Lady Lake. It is a senior community and a few minutes from The Villages. Water Oaks is manufactured homes that are new or used. This is a good place if you decide at a later date to move to The Villages and a lot less expensive. You can get a new home, but if you want a used home, it is a little harder to get one before it sells to someone else. My friend got very close to purchasing a home in Water Oaks 3 times, but finally she got a call today and they accepted her offer. If for some reason, I could not live in The Villages, that's where I would look.

[Babubhat]

Lumber prices are down 8% again today. The cost of construction is declining and should start to be reflected in the new homes

[mmguard]

Unfortunately good friends of ours just went through this last week, they looked at multiple retirement communities all over Florida and this is happening everywhere.
Even if you want to build a new home, you have to first bid on the lot you want and if you get it, the house will take at least 9 months to build.
Good luck but don’t give up!

[JMintzer]

You worked with a Villages sales agent...not a REALTOR!

Why is this such a major sticking point for some peple?

[trekker954]

To add to the response mentioning Stonecrest, it is a good option because you can use your golf cart to get to WalMart (there are two back entrances to this shopping area) and also get to Aldi, Lowes, banks, slew of restaurants, doctors and such and that is all on your side of the road. And just a short ride to Spanish Springs which is open to all the public, so the squares with free music. Plus Stonecrest has its own nice restaurant and a slew of amenities, golf, pickleball, swimming pools, etc. And the houses are a tad less expensive than here in TV.

[Bilyclub]

Why is this such a major sticking point for some people?

The realtor's perpetuate the myth that they are superior to TV sales agents. I wouldn't trust either of them.

[DaleDivine]

[QUOTE=Sheila Davis;1972423]:welcome: Hello, The Villages is an amazing place with a multitude of activities and homes coming on the market all the time. There truly isn't anywhere like this.
Yep, NO other place similar to TV in the world.
And to all that don't like it here and are leaving....
THANK YOU
THANK YOU
THANK YOUUUUUUU....
:bigbow::bigbow::clap2::clap2:

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Lumber prices are down 8% again today. The cost of construction is declining and should start to be reflected in the new homes

In the current environment in the Villages, the price of lumber isn't as large a cost with block construction as traditional northern style homes.

That being said, only if a builder is using a cost plus sales pricing model. . .

good luck

[HoosierPa]

My personal opinion, do not just look in the new section of the Villages. Look into resales north of Rt 44. To me, and this is just my opinion, that's the "real" Villages.

Then you haven’t spent mush time south

[JerryLBell]

I don't think the hot sales are unique to The Villages. Home sales are hot all over. A friends daughter bid $100, 000 over the asking price for a house in Texas... and didn't get the house. When you come in February, perhaps the market will have cooled somewhat.

Start looking online at retirement communities in whatever area you think you might like to move to. If that's north central Florida (the area encompassing The Villages), then look there. Look elsewhere as well if you are flexible. Get an idea not just of prices but of facilities and amenities and anything else affecting your retired lifestyle. That could be proximity of hospitals and doctor or dental offices or it could be libraries, beaches, sports arenas or whatever. What is it you want to do with your retired life and what will you need to sustain you while doing it? Boil it down to the top several communities in your target areas. If at all possible, visit the target areas long enough to go to each of those top several communities for an in-person visit and tour. You may have to schedule these in advance with the community and you might want to leave up to a full day for each (though some can be done in half a day). Come with a checklist and mark off where the communities shine and where they fall flat.

Once you've boiled it down to the top couple of communities, you might want to schedule a week-long stay there, something many communities offer. Try the lifestyle out. You may find that a really large retirement community like The Villages is daunting initially to get around in but after a few days of checking it out, you'll get to know the basics of getting around. You might find a smaller community more to your liking or you might find they lack some key feature you're particularly interested in. Don't try to compare The Villages to any other retirement community in terms of sheer number of activities, clubs, facilities, amenities, etc. as nobody can compare. It's like trying to compare New York City to Podunk on the basis of ethnic food restaurants. Podunk can't compete. However, if all you care about is one particular kind of ethnic food, then Podunk might have it for you.

We visited a LOT of retirement communities in North and South Carolina and in Florida but kept coming back to The Villages. It felt so right for us that we skipped the lifestyle visit and just bought. While we've never regretted it, we do know of some folks who have lived here and moved elsewhere, each for their own particular reasons. The Villages may be perfect for us but it isn't for everybody. Try to figure out what is right for you before committing to any retirement community.

Good luck with this major decision for what can be the best part of your life!

[angelousmc]

Where I can from. Look at resales, IMO usually get more for you’re money anyway, but some have to buy new and the pay for it.

Try Stonecrest 2miles north of tv

[BlueStarAirlines]

We visited a LOT of retirement communities in North and South Carolina and in Florida but kept coming back to The Villages. It felt so right for us that we skipped the lifestyle visit and just bought. While we've never regretted it, we do know of some folks who have lived here and moved elsewhere, each for their own particular reasons. The Villages may be perfect for us but it isn't for everybody. Try to figure out what is right for you before committing to any retirement community.



I think this is the one thing that is missing for a lot of folks. A lot start with the house, but one really needs to start with the lifestyle.

We knew we wanted to drop to one car and have a golf cart as our primary. Only a handful of places in FL have that and I'm being generous there! Activities and clubs are important to the wife, so its hard to find anything even remotely close. We have family at Sun City Center south of Tampa and they have between 150-200 clubs (not all are active). Another point we weighed were things that were important to use like internet (fiber), variety of shopping and places to eat, healthcare, and proximity to a Costco (TV failed there). Its only after you identify places based on that criteria should you go to the next level and see if they have houses you like and can afford.

[VApeople]

The Villages is great for us. Sailfish Point was our second choice.

Sailfish Point, a private club community near Stuart, FL :: Sailfish Point (https://www.sailfishpoint.com/)

[bobk544]

Many thanks again all, very helpful and informative!

[Timothyimitchell]

We checked all of them. If The Villages is a 10. The rest are 5 or lower. Not close.

[Bilyclub]

I think this is the one thing that is missing for a lot of folks. A lot start with the house, but one really needs to start with the lifestyle.

We knew we wanted to drop to one car and have a golf cart as our primary. Only a handful of places in FL have that and I'm being generous there! Activities and clubs are important to the wife, so its hard to find anything even remotely close. We have family at Sun City Center south of Tampa and they have between 150-200 clubs (not all are active). Another point we weighed were things that were important to use like internet (fiber), variety of shopping and places to eat, healthcare, and proximity to a Costco (TV failed there). Its only after you identify places based on that criteria should you go to the next level and see if they have houses you like and can afford.

It's not a bad ride down 75 to the Wesley Chapel Costco. It isn't as convenient, but it's nice to get out of the bubble once and awhile. Just take a cooler.