Why did you move WITHIN The Villages?

[Patents111]

Hi, many of you have moved from one Villages house to another Villages house. As I look to buy here, at my age I’m hoping to make my first house purchase my last to avoid moving again. It would be very useful for me to hear your motivation for moving from one TV house to another. Your experiences will give me a keener eye to make a wiser first selection. Many thanks.

[dewilson58]

Some want bigger, Some want smaller, Some want different floor plans, Some cash in on profits, Some like to move, Some are never satisfied, Some want different traffic patterns, Some have spouses who die.

[CFrance]

Hi, many of you have moved from one Villages house to another Villages house. As I look to buy here, at my age I’m hoping to make my first house purchase my last to avoid moving again. It would be very useful for me to hear your motivation for moving from one TV house to another. Your experiences will give me a keener eye to make a wiser first selection. Many thanks.
I can only speak to our experience, although I think a lot of people want a bigger house or better lot.
In our case, our designer became too big for us when we bought another home elsewhere and became snowbirds. We downsized to a CYV as we do not get a lot of company (kids live out of the country and mostly we see them by traveling with them), so our 3BR Couryard Villa is a great size for us. We also enjoy the positioning of the house better (no roof to look at out the back because it backs up to a street) and the patio, to which we added a remote control awning. And come spring, we can close the whole thing up and leave. There is no grass to worry about maintaining.
I wanted a CYV right off the bat, but my husband thought he needed a bigger garage. He immediately took to the CYV and tells me, "So glad I talked you into this!"
I don't regret starting life in TV in a designer. It was a fantastic house. Just more than we needed.

[Toymeister]

'Moved' as in sold a rental which was to be our forever home because we happened to find an eleven month home in a price escalating market

Eleven months is significant because the original purchasers could not sell at a profit within one year (they do get improvements cost). Eighteen months in and we have exceeded 50% appreciation.

It also is larger, has a pool/spa, and water/golf view.

[JohnN]

We had a patio villa while snowbirds and learned 1) our way around TV and 2) if we really liked TV. 1) We did and 2) we do.

When moving here full-time, we carefully looked around and found a 3BR corner stucco CYV that's low maintenance and just room enough. When the kids come down, the 3rd BR helps a lot and when they're not here, it's a cozy study/reading room.

Best wishes.

[Byte1]

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[JSR22]

Hi, many of you have moved from one Villages house to another Villages house. As I look to buy here, at my age I’m hoping to make my first house purchase my last to avoid moving again. It would be very useful for me to hear your motivation for moving from one TV house to another. Your experiences will give me a keener eye to make a wiser first selection. Many thanks.

We are here 9 years and are in our original home. I did not want to have to move again. I knew I wanted a Gardenia that was stretched, an existing or room to build a pool, no columns, no kissing lanai and minimal carpeting. Found the exact house I wanted on the first day of looking! We have no intention of moving.

[Stu from NYC]

We went from 3200 sq ft to 2000 moving here and sometimes think we need more room especially if both kids came down at same time.

[Nucky]

We had three different homes in mind when we landed in The Villages. Manufactured Home, Patio Villa & CYV. We picked the Manufactured Home because it seemed to be the least risk money-wise if the entire operation wasn't what it appeared to be. We were scheduled to move or at least seriously start looking again just after the beginning of 2021 but I was injured at home and it never happened and now I put the brakes on leaving because I can't stand the thought of departing from our neighborhood.

I am. anti-big house. Not a chance. Our Manufactured Home is too big for us. :1rotfl: I really would like a CYV so we could easily handle a substantial size dog as we age. We'll see. If we end up staying where we are that would be fine also. The advantage to moving would be a little bit of peace of mind when the weather radio goes off. :pray:

[rjn5656]

Pool, view and golf cart garage made it worthwhile for me to move.

[Velvet]

We thought about moving. When we bought we did not value some things enough, such as; a large lanai, sunset views, sidewalks, distance between houses. But, we also did not expect to have our incredibly helpful and knowledgeable neighbors. Some are just plain fun to be with, others lend a compressor that they just happen to have on hand, when our AC conked out. So it makes it incredibly difficult to move somewhere else.

[Debfrommaine]

Gypsie spirit, never lived in a house more than five years since day I was born. Love adventure, change, decorating and have a very tolerant husband who puts up with me lol. Never had a house I didn't like. Hubby starts to worry when I get the for sale sign dusted off!

[kkingston57]

Before moving to TV we had a 2200 sq ft. home with a 600 Sq Ft family/livingroom and moved into a 1700 Sq Ft home and a small(180 sf ft) living room. Bought the smaller home due to location(on a golf course)

Hard to downsize and considering buying a larger home. If you want to NOT move more than once, make sure that you get the right sized home and no home behind you. Even if there is open land behind a new home, you need to make sure that new home/development can not go in later.

You should be OK. This area does not seem to be an area like the ones depicted in TV show Fear thy Neighbor.

[Graspher]

Pre-purchase we researched TV for 2 years - did 3 one week lifestyles during different seasons of the year - rented for a year in the bubble - created a checklist of desired items - waited for just the right house - then bought our forever home.

One and done....

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

At some point we'll need a different house. We're in a manufactured home which we love. But it'll need a completely new floor at some point (it's basically just particle board under the carpet in the 2 bedrooms and the planks in the rest of the house. And eventually it'll need a new roof, and the shed doesn't really suit our needs and we'd like to finish it (it's partially insulated on 2 of the 4 walls and half the ceiling, which is a complete waste, so we'll have to take all that old exposed insulation out, and replace the entire shed with new insulation).

But rather than move to a new location, we'll probably just have this house removed and replace it with a "fixed" structure. Or heck - maybe we'll roll in an updated, upgraded, expanded ultra-luxury double-wide with the washer and dryer inside the house, plus a real actual garage. We probably won't leave the property, we love our neighborhood and the location.

[GrumpyOldMan]

We almost moved and at the last moment changed our minds.

We are of the group that bought smaller and thought a 2 Bedroom with being enough for 2 people. We now are considering a 3 bedroom to have a room dedicated to being an office. The alternative is to convert our lanai which we do not use at all, into an office.

We found a used 3/2 we really liked. But after doing the math and figuring all the costs, and how much we would have to do in upgraded to the 3/2 to get features we upgraded in our 2/2. We decided it just didn't make sense for us.

The problems I hear from neighbors have all be addressed here. Bought too small, bought too large, don't like the neighbors, don't like the location, etc. The best advice I have heard, if you can afford it, is to rent here for a YEAR. That's right one year before buying. But, depending on the market movement, it might be better to buy and spend as little as you can, don't do any upgrades and then sell in a year and get what you really want.

[asianthree]

First house patio villa,1.5 garage for vaca home. Second house, cottage two car garage. 3 house designer, 2 car plus golf car. Looking for 4th house with a view, room for a pool. No attachment to any homes here. If it’s a better fit , we will move.

Moving and packing can be done in 1 days for me, with a uhaul and a dolly.

Common reasons for moving in TV.
Bigger Garage
View
Larger or small SF
Death

[graciegirl]

Tested the waters with a new designer in Hadley. After four years decided to move here full time and thought we'd enjoy more space and built a Premier. Love both of the neighborhoods. Enjoyed building.

[Marathon Man]

Once Southern Oaks (the new area south of Rt44) became large enough, we moved. We recognized that "the new formula" was more appealing to us. We have not regretted our move at all.

[joseppe]

Sometimes you find you've ended up next to a Crappy neighbor with a barking Dog and then you realize you could make some money by selling your house.

[bonicka]

We moved because we didn’t realize how important more garage space, including a golf cart garage would be. Also, our family loves to visit, and the third bedroom was too small for twin beds, which we needed as the grandchildren started getting bigger. We also didn’t realize how much we wouldn’t like having homes so close behind us. We just got caught up in the excitement of buying originally, and didn’t think through everything enough before we bought. Good for you to think everything out.

[rjn5656]

Biggest thing I regretted on my first home here was not getting a golf cart garage.

[NotGolfer]

Before moving here 12 yrs ago, we'd moved over 20X over the 50-something years. We said THIS would be the last move either before we left this earth OR if the kids moved us to a home. We went from 2K (give or take) sq. ft. house to one half it's size. It was hard to down-size but glad we did it. Our present house is a 3/2 and seemed just right when we purchased it. Sometimes we've thought "maybe" we should look into a 2/2 villa but the thought of gathering boxes and going all through the actual process almost makes me sick. So I think we'll stay put. That said, we know folks who've moved the rumored 3X here and we also know some who've moved more than that. I think it's because the lure of something new is always on their minds. For us---we're settled and satisfied.

[nick demis]

Some want bigger, Some want smaller, Some want different floor plans, Some cash in on profits, Some like to move, Some are never satisfied, Some want different traffic patterns, Some have spouses who die.

Almost perfectly put. I'd add, we all get older and things change.

[Black Beauty]

We rented for 3 years in the 'far north' across from Mulberry Rec Center. Very quiet up here, which being from rural Minnesota we like. We ended up buying the perfect CYV with a large garage 24x24 that is perfect for my beloved Ford Thunderbird (03) and plenty of room for the Edge and the golf cart. We are on the golf course with a water view with 120 feet of frontage. (average is 50 feet) We can be out of the bubble in 30 seconds! very happy..right dear?

[paulajr]

Hi, many of you have moved from one Villages house to another Villages house. As I look to buy here, at my age I’m hoping to make my first house purchase my last to avoid moving again. It would be very useful for me to hear your motivation for moving from one TV house to another. Your experiences will give me a keener eye to make a wiser first selection. Many thanks.

After a few years it became very apparent that we REALLY wanted our own pool. Community pools get really hot..and not refreshing..during the hot summer days. We also wanted to be able to go in whenever we wanted, day or night.
As others have stated, it is hard to leave once you have neighbors you bond with. We were lucky to find something in our same Village, close to our old hood. 😊.

[Joe C.]

I'm in the process of moving in the next few weeks. My first house (a Lantana) was gorgeous. But it didn't have a large lanai or golf cart garage. After living here for four years and getting into a routine, I realized that my lanai was way too small (only 6'x27') and could only fit two chairs. My garage became cluttered, and couldn't fit both cars and a golf cart, so one car had to stay in the driveway. Also, my wife always wanted a "view", so when the opportunity to move arrived, I put my house on the market and took the plunge.

My advice, is to think about what you are going to do, and what your needs will be for your activities. Ask around about your neighbors (but don't ask the seller), and give consideration about your location relative to your doctor's office, food shopping, rec center and pool location and street traffic. It's always better to live at the end of the street away from all the traffic.
Good luck.

[rrb48310]

Well Frogs need more room than Snowbirds. We have a very nice home that worked when we were snowbirds but after becoming full time (Frog here until we croak) all our stuff didn't fit (even after downsizing). We did plan on a larger home when we became full time. We wanted a view site, golf cart garage and room for our grandchildren and their families.

[Patents111]

I appreciate each of you taking the time sharing your experiences. This will be my first home buying experience without a wife- so no one to please but myself, but without that second set of eyes and wise advice. A realtor at TV told me he sees couples come first time to TV and give themselves one week to buy their perfect house, and it usually turns out poorly.
Getting an extended rental makes sense- maybe several one or two month rentals in different house type/locations. I’ve read various comments about lanai direction, kissing lanais, pickle ball and golf course noise, town square music, club and event access, road access, etc, etc— but it won’t all make sense until I actually live it, I guess. So thank you all for being my second set of eyes and wise advice. I don’t fear getting it wrong the first time as long as I’ve made the effort to get it right.
I’ll keep monitoring in case others have more to add- see all you great people soon.

[LizzieBorden]

I was fortunate to have a friend here before I moved. When I was thinking I would do the same, I asked her what she would do differently. The only thing was to buy it now and continue working at her job to have enough working capital to make your enhancements to your property before you retired and not have to dip into your savings/investments. I followed that advice. In 2005 I met with a realtor with my list of wants and on the first day, the 4th house in, I purchased my new home. Back then you couldnt build what you wanted, and they only sold what they built so we couldnt pick out a model, lot, etc. I wanted property with a southern facing lanai to enable a sunrise on the left and a sunset on the right. I also knew I wanted a window over my kitchen sink and now I look out over the fields, etc. it’s beautiful . No immediate neighbors in my back yard that could look into my lanai, open concept, 3/2.I wanted to be able to add a bird cage and one day, an outdoor kitchen. We also wanted to close to publix as I am person who enjoys cooking and entertaining and like to be near the grocery etc. We also wanted to be close to Sumter landing. At the time we didnt know about Pickleball, but started playing it and realized we were just far enough away from the courts that we didnt hear the noise at 7AM everyday, so that should be a consideration at all. Some dont mind it, I know I would mind it. We also do not have any neighbors behind our home, only open fields with no guarantee that someday it might be sold…16 years and we still fortunate. Over the years we tore up the carpets and put tile down, we paved our driveway with pavers and did a full landscaping job and have since added stacking walls etc. Back north, I had a 4500 square foot home and a pool. I knew as I aged I wanted smaller and no pool as we have 6 within 5 mins of our home. We live near the highschool and 466 and our location is perfect for us. We have made the 3rd bedroom into a den/TV room/Office, expanded our living room, and birdcage and added storage cabinets in the garage along the front and sides for our stuff. We only brought our personal belongings with us and bought all new furniture etc when we bought our home. We basically started over, but I was able to do that over a period of time as we didnt official move in until 2007. Before we added the birdcage, we also had a line dug and natural gas line place to accommodate our Webber grill. Five years ago, we finally got to add our outdoor kitchen and our natural gas line was already in place. I also knew as I aged, I didnt want to lug the gas tank. We also have added a sunbrella top over the bird cage which makes it even more enjoyable… Hope these comments help. My only regret is the lack of a golf cart garage but we have managed as we are. Good luck.

[asiebel]

We bought a small house when we were snowbirds and a Lily when we came full time. Our house is just right and we feel we can stay here unless we get ill. Also, after the first house we learned you don't need a huge yard!

[Joanne19335]

We are here 9 years and are in our original home. I did not want to have to move again. I knew I wanted a Gardenia that was stretched, an existing or room to build a pool, no columns, no kissing lanai and minimal carpeting. Found the exact house I wanted on the first day of looking! We have no intention of moving.

I was fortunate enough to find a corner lot with no one behind and neighbors to die for. I have invested thousands in upgrades and am convenient to everything I like to do. My next move will be in a pine box to the crematory. My move from up north was a nightmare and I still have flashbacks!

[La lamy]

Hi, many of you have moved from one Villages house to another Villages house. As I look to buy here, at my age I’m hoping to make my first house purchase my last to avoid moving again. It would be very useful for me to hear your motivation for moving from one TV house to another. Your experiences will give me a keener eye to make a wiser first selection. Many thanks.

You don't mention this as an option, but I was very grateful to rent and test a couple places before knowing where I wanted my forever home to be. Being away from noise like trains, pickleball and music if that's an issue for you, being nearer to fave rec center/activities, the kind of view and lot/house size might all be contributing factors to make sure you're happy long term. All the best to you!

[LianneMigiano]

Was sure this is the community we wanted to retire to after the first visit to my cousin's TV home! Had a 2400 sq ft home on 1+ acres in CT prior to buying a 1500 sq ft CYV on a "postage stamp" in 2010. We're more in love with our location (Belle Aire Village) than we were when we bought it. We are close to shopping to our north, east & south. The CYV has perfect privacy for our needs. The size is fine for just the 2 of us. Two of our age 55+ children have moved here in recent years. We have no grass to mow (and no lawn care people showing up in our backyard at unannounced times)! We can stroll around in our what-evers whenever we want. Our fur babies can go out in the courtyard safely. The ONLY reason either one of us would ever move is if one of us died and the other couldn't afford the costs of the home by themselves.

[DDToto41]

Hi, many of you have moved from one Villages house to another Villages house. As I look to buy here, at my age I’m hoping to make my first house purchase my last to avoid moving again. It would be very useful for me to hear your motivation for moving from one TV house to another. Your experiences will give me a keener eye to make a wiser first selection. Many thanks.

I have been here since 2005. I live in the same house since 2005. I live in a good neighborhood with the best neighbors who welcome all new residents. I wouldn't move from here for nothing. The people that move either down size or up size homes, or change neighbors. :)

[Villagesgal]

Did a lot of looking at floor plans before we decided to build. Waited for a golf course lot with a water view, we lived on a lake up north so wanted to look out at water. Took 2 years to get the lot we wanted, by then we knew exactly what model and what changes to it to make. Downsized from 4,000 sq ft to 1700 sq ft 3 bedroom. Perfect house, perfect view, perfect location, good neighborhood. Been here over 15 years, still love it all. Neighbors come and go, location, view and model you live in doesn't change, go for that, not neighbors and you'll be happy. Don't worry about yard work either, gardeners are cheap here. We love the yard, did have it professionally landscaped after moving in. Remember, remodeling is much cheaper than moving. You'll love it here, we do. Welcome.

[2BNTV]

I am a one and done type guy! Moved to TV eight years ago and still in the same home!

1. I would make a list of "must haves" and "would like to have" in the home you would like to purchase.

2. Leave some money, for upgrades to your liking as no home is going to suit your tastes perfectly.

3. As they say in real estate, location, location and location. Get a map and decide where it might be the best location for you or better yet, visit..

Only you can decide what's best for you.

Me, I guess I lucked out. :smiley:

[yankygrl]

Hi, many of you have moved from one Villages house to another Villages house. As I look to buy here, at my age I’m hoping to make my first house purchase my last to avoid moving again. It would be very useful for me to hear your motivation for moving from one TV house to another. Your experiences will give me a keener eye to make a wiser first selection. Many thanks.
Have lived here 11 years. On house #3 and definitely my last one . Loved first house (a begonia) in buttonwood on corner lot but 4 years later hubby wanted a pool. We’d already enclosed lanai and added lots of trees and plant beds so on to house #2 in Lake Deaton (expanded begonia, a bit different floor plan with pool and large birdcage). Added stand alone jacuzzi and $100k outdoor kitchen. 7 years later the unexpected death of my husband prompted me to buy #3 - returned to buttonwood, smaller home unfortunately not a begonia. So make sure exactly what model you love in an area you like and begin your TV journey.

[Kenswing]

We're (hopefully) one and done. We spent a lot of time deciding what we wanted in a house. We spent a lot of time researching areas that we would like to live. We hooked up with a sales agent we were very comfortable with. When the right lot came up that met the requirements for the house we wanted to build we jumped on it.

We've been here for three months now and couldn't be happier.

[damille]

We've been in the same home here for 13 years, and don't plan to move as we love our neighbors. In hindsight however, we would have purchased a home with a golf cart garage, a home with an open kitchen, and an east facing lanai. If you buy a west facing lanai, you'll get the blazing afternoon sun which will make the lanai unusable unless you glass in and add some air conditioning.

[patfla06]

Bought an Ivy (4/2) and did not want a pool/spa/outdoor kitchen like we had in our Tampa house.

We have a lake view and closed in and air conditioned the lanai.

So happy we downsized and simplified our life while still have the room
for a study/t.v. room, and 2 guest rooms.

This is only our 4th house in 39 years so we get attached to our houses.
Never want to move again.

[Garywt]

We bought a Villa and plan on staying in it. We do not want to have to clean more house as we get older. We have been in our northern home for 26 years so no reason to move again in The Villages.

[NHsnow1]

We bought an Anchor in 2012. We like to cook so loved the kitchen. Sold in 2016 for a Laurel Oak, bigger with a much bigger lot with a wall behind. Much greater privacy. Put a pool and hot tub in and never looked back. We love our home and our neighbors. We have friends and family visiting throughout the winter.

[joelfmi]

I have and found a lot of pro's and con's. I don't want to list the con's because they are two numerous to list. All I can say do your home work first then if you like to move than their do so.

[JerryLBell]

We had a place we loved with great neighbors, including the couple in the house behind ours. Unfortunately, she had a major stroke event and died. Six months later, he had died of pancreatic cancer. Then my wife's mother moved in with us to get out of the solitary confinement they were putting everybody in assisted living into. After 10 months, she had a fall that led to a major brain bleed and died. Not long after that, another neighbor died of a long-standing brain issue. We looked around our house and saw just too many places where our friends and family could no longer be. We decided to look around, found a great house with a view out the back yard, some more space and some nice features. We fortunately got it just before housing prices went nuts. We miss our old neighbors but honestly, we were missing them even while still living near them thanks to the isolation that the pandemic brought on. We never expected to move but are now quite happy in the new house.

[wganderson13]

Hi, many of you have moved from one Villages house to another Villages house. As I look to buy here, at my age I’m hoping to make my first house purchase my last to avoid moving again. It would be very useful for me to hear your motivation for moving from one TV house to another. Your experiences will give me a keener eye to make a wiser first selection. Many thanks.

Went from water view to on the water at Paradise Lake on Aloha Way. Spent my sons inheritance , never been happier.

[rogerk]

I only moved after almost 20 years in our original CYV. Loved the floor plan but hated the limited garage space. New CYV have much more garage space. When I remarried, after my wife passed away, we decided to sell her Villages Ranch and my CYV and buy an “our house”.

After almost 3 years we are very happy with our new home.

In my humble opinion, most people worry too much about location/Village and not enough about the floor plan of their home. Does it work for them? Find the home you love, new or preowned, and don’t worry about the neighborhood too much. There really isn’t a bad neighborhood. ������

[Tim C.]

Hopefully we never will wish to move. but things happen and you have to be adaptable

[Marathon Man]

I only moved after almost 20 years in our original CYV. Loved the floor plan but hated the limited garage space. New CYV have much more garage space. When I remarried, after my wife passed away, we decided to sell her Villages Ranch and my CYV and buy an “our house”.

After almost 3 years we are very happy with our new home.

In my humble opinion, most people worry too much about location/Village and not enough about the floor plan of their home. Does it work for them? Find the home you love, new or preowned, and don’t worry about the neighborhood too much. There really isn’t a bad neighborhood. ������

Good advice.

[THUNDERCHIEF]

Court yard villa is like living in a box, with no parking for guests

[Luggage]

If you play golf, The villages is certainly ideal. However remember there are at least a dozen other Senior communities within 10 to 30 minutes of The villages that may suit you better and are certainly 30 to 50% cheaper.


I appreciate each of you taking the time sharing your experiences. This will be my first home buying experience without a wife- so no one to please but myself, but without that second set of eyes and wise advice. A realtor at TV told me he sees couples come first time to TV and give themselves one week to buy their perfect house, and it usually turns out poorly.
Getting an extended rental makes sense- maybe several one or two month rentals in different house type/locations. I’ve read various comments about lanai direction, kissing lanais, pickle ball and golf course noise, town square music, club and event access, road access, etc, etc— but it won’t all make sense until I actually live it, I guess. So thank you all for being my second set of eyes and wise advice. I don’t fear getting it wrong the first time as long as I’ve made the effort to get it right.
I’ll keep monitoring in case others have more to add- see all you great people soon.

[Patents111]

If you play golf, The villages is certainly ideal. However remember there are at least a dozen other Senior communities within 10 to 30 minutes of The villages that may suit you better and are certainly 30 to 50% cheaper.
Thank you all for sharing your personal journeys and wise counsel and being my pairs of eyes. You have each found your place of happiness. A bit of planning and adaptability, alignment of head and heart has worked for you all and will hopefully work for me. You each deserve this reward for a lifetime of making the best of what life has thrown your way. Be well all.

[brianherlihy]

we are moving to fiend better neighbors we have had a neighbor talk bad to my wife and i wood like to clock him and i would not so we will just move on and living by sumter

[Gobragh]

When I bought my first house in the villages, the other homes around me were not built yet. One of the reasons I moved was my street became a through street. There were lots of people speeding in their cars and lots of traffic.
Another reason I moved is that my Lanai in my first home was small. I enjoyed being out on the lanai but felt I couldn’t fully enjoy it because it was so small.
The third reason I moved from my first house was that my garage even though it was a two car garage it was very tight trying to squeeze in the golf cart as well. So my new house has a two car garage with a golf cart garage.
The last reason why I moved from my first house, was the position of my house in regards to the sun. Also my new home has less windows than my first home which makes it a lot cooler in my new house.

Hope this helps in making your decision. I feel that my second home here in the villages will be my last. I made sure that the realtor looked for all the items I wanted on my list. Which they did.

[HoosierPa]

More house / less money in new area. That was 18 months ago. Not the case now. We love our new house in Marsh Bend.

[Two Bills]

Gypsie spirit, never lived in a house more than five years since day I was born. Love adventure, change, decorating and have a very tolerant husband who puts up with me lol. Never had a house I didn't like. Hubby starts to worry when I get the for sale sign dusted off!

Are you my wife, using another username?:icon_wink: