Is TV the best place to retire with little to no savings?

[dhdallas]

I found this article on the GOBankingRates website:

GoBankingRates created a list of the best and worst destinations for retirement when you have no savings. They analyzed the 100 largest cities in the U.S. with a large population of adults ages 65 and older. These cities were then ranked based on the following factors:



Average 2023 home value and property tax, sourced from Zillow
Whether the state taxes Social Security benefits, sourced from the AARP
Annual homemaker services costs
Annual home health aide costs
Annual grocery costs
Annual healthcare costs
Annual utilities cost
Annual transportation costs
Annual necessity costs


After compiling all the data, the team named Foley, Alabama, the best place to retire for those with little to no savings. Joining Foley on the top 10 list is Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the second-place spot, followed by Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, in third, The Villages, Florida, in fourth, and Bella Vista, Arkansas, at No. 5. Rounding out the top 10 is Pinehurst, North Carolina; Green Valley, Arizona; North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Fredericksburg, Texas; and Punta Gorda, Florida.

Best Places To Retire If You Have No Savings | GOBankingRates (https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/best-places-to-retire-no-savings/)

[golfing eagles]

I found this article on the GOBankingRates website:

GoBankingRates created a list of the best and worst destinations for retirement when you have no savings. They analyzed the 100 largest cities in the U.S. with a large population of adults ages 65 and older. These cities were then ranked based on the following factors:



Average 2023 home value and property tax, sourced from Zillow
Whether the state taxes Social Security benefits, sourced from the AARP
Annual homemaker services costs
Annual home health aide costs
Annual grocery costs
Annual healthcare costs
Annual utilities cost
Annual transportation costs
Annual necessity costs


After compiling all the data, the team named Foley, Alabama, the best place to retire for those with little to no savings. Joining Foley on the top 10 list is Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the second-place spot, followed by Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, in third, The Villages, Florida, in fourth, and Bella Vista, Arkansas, at No. 5. Rounding out the top 10 is Pinehurst, North Carolina; Green Valley, Arizona; North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Fredericksburg, Texas; and Punta Gorda, Florida.

Best Places To Retire If You Have No Savings | GOBankingRates (https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/best-places-to-retire-no-savings/)

I would suggest that anyone with no savings is probably not in a position to retire, and there is no "best place" available. (Unless you are the retired former county exec of orange Co., Ca who receives a pension of $387,000/year.)

[ElDiabloJoe]

I would suggest that anyone with no savings is probably not in a position to retire, and there is no "best place" available. (Unless you are the retired former county exec of orange Co., Ca who receives a pension of $387,000/year.)

Is that the one under whose watch OC declared B.K.? Him and the whistleblower (Morlock) are both a$$hats.

[bopat]

Most of these top 10 lists are generated with AI.
You can do the same for yourself:
Groq (https://groq.com/)
"write an article about the top 10 places to retire with little or no savings in the united states"
"write an article about the top 10 dogs that are great for retirees"
"write an article about the top 10 restaurants near the villages, florida"

you just bypass all the ads.

[Rainger99]

Is TV the best place to retire with little to no savings?

The best place with little or no savings? No. But it depends on your social security or pension.

Check this out. However, I am not sure how reliable they are. It says that to live comfortably, it recommends $77,400 for a family and $46,800 for a single person. If you don't have a mortgage, that seems high.

The Villages, FL Cost of Living (https://www.bestplaces.net/cost_of_living/city/florida/the_villages)

This is a cost of living calculator that compares the cost of living in the Villages to other places in the country.

2024 Cost of Living Calculator - Compare Cost of Living by City & State (https://smartasset.com/mortgage/cost-of-living-calculator#O6gV7mXSRt)

[BrianL99]

"write an article about the top 10 restaurants near the villages, florida"

.

Not always what it's cracked up to be.

[Dusty_Star]

Not always what it's cracked up to be.

& if you follow bopat's instruction you get better results as in:

Sure, here are ten of the best restaurants near The Villages, FL:
1.The Chop House - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.
2.The Ocala Prime Steakhouse - Located in nearby Ocala, this steakhouse serves up top-quality steaks, seafood, and other American classics.
3.Harry's Seafood Bar & Grille - Located in nearby Leesburg, this seafood restaurant offers a variety of fresh seafood dishes, including fish tacos, shrimp and grits, and crab cakes.
4.The Corkscrew - Located in nearby Clermont, this wine bar and bistro offers a variety of small plates, flatbreads, and entrees, as well as a wide selection of wines.
5.The Tuscany Italian Bistro - Located in The Villages, this Italian restaurant offers a variety of traditional Italian dishes, including pasta, seafood, and meat dishes.
6.The Amelia's Bistro - Located in nearby Wildwood, this bistro offers a variety of American classics, including burgers, sandwiches, and salads.
7.The Bluefin Grill - Located in The Villages, this seafood restaurant offers a variety of fresh seafood dishes, including sushi, seafood salads, and seafood pasta dishes.
8.The Elan Spanish Restaurant - Located in nearby Clermont, this Spanish restaurant offers a variety of traditional Spanish dishes, including paella, tapas, and empanadas.
9.The Frog and The Fiddle - Located in nearby Summerfield, this British-style pub offers a variety of traditional British dishes, including fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and bangers and mash.1
0.The LaHacienda Mexican Restaurant - Located in nearby Lady Lake, this Mexican restaurant offers a variety of traditional Mexican dishes, including tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Blueblaze]

"Little to no savings" means you're living off your Social Security. The only place I know of where you can do that is wherever you have a home with no mortgage and no car payment. But people who reach retirement age with no savings rarely do that debt-free.

I would not expect to move anywhere to retire if I hadn't saved for 40 years to do it. In fact, I would not expect to ever retire if I hadn't saved for it.

Someday, I may be forced to live off my Social Security in The Villages, if the gooberment cranks up inflation again and steals all my savings. I just hope I'm too feeble to care about where I'm living when that happens. My big fear is that, when Social Security goes belly-up in 10 years, they'll steal that, too. I sure wouldn't want a mortgage in Florida, living off nothing but a government check, on that day that happens.

[BrianL99]

& if you follow bopat's instruction you get better results as in:

Sure, here are ten of the best restaurants near The Villages, FL:
1.The Chop House - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.


I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Anyone or anything that lists Chop House as #1, is of no value to anyone.

No other questions.

[vintageogauge]

One thing for sure is you won't shop at Publix.

[Laker14]

I would suggest that anyone with no savings is probably not in a position to retire, and there is no "best place" available. (Unless you are the retired former county exec of orange Co., Ca who receives a pension of $387,000/year.)

you took the words right out of my mouth.

What's the place place to go skydiving without a parachute?

[DrMack]

Anyone or anything that lists Chop House as #1, is of no value to anyone.

No other questions.

Nasty restaurant choice. Love La Cuisine in Ocala, it gets our number 1

[bopat]

Anyone or anything that lists Chop House as #1, is of no value to anyone.

No other questions.

Ok, let's try it that way:

Groq (https://groq.com/)

What are the top 10 restaurants near the villages, florida. Please exclude Chop House.

Sure, I can help you with that! Here are the top 10 restaurants near The Villages, Florida, excluding Chop House:

1. The Villages Polo Club - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.

2. The Lake Sumter Landing Restaurant - Located on the shores of Lake Sumter, this restaurant offers a variety of seafood dishes, as well as steak and pasta.

3. The Waterfront Restaurant - Located in the Village of Lake Sumter, this restaurant offers a variety of seafood dishes, as well as a great view of Lake Sumter.

4. The Ocala Prime Steakhouse - Located in the heart of Ocala, this steakhouse offers a variety of delicious steaks, as well as seafood and pasta dishes.

5. The Italian Gardens - Located in the heart of The Villages, this family-owned restaurant offers a variety of delicious Italian dishes, including pasta, seafood, and steak.

6. The Bistro on the Greens - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.

7. The Corkscrew Bar & Grille - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta, as well as a great selection of wines.

8. The Bogart's Bar & Grille - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta, as well as a great selection of cocktails.

9. The El Santiago Mexican Grill - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious Mexican dishes, including tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

10. The Sushi Maki - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious sushi rolls, as well as other Japanese dishes.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

[MrChip72]

Ok, let's try it that way:

Groq (https://groq.com/)

What are the top 10 restaurants near the villages, florida. Please exclude Chop House.

Sure, I can help you with that! Here are the top 10 restaurants near The Villages, Florida, excluding Chop House:

1. The Villages Polo Club - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.

2. The Lake Sumter Landing Restaurant - Located on the shores of Lake Sumter, this restaurant offers a variety of seafood dishes, as well as steak and pasta.

3. The Waterfront Restaurant - Located in the Village of Lake Sumter, this restaurant offers a variety of seafood dishes, as well as a great view of Lake Sumter.

4. The Ocala Prime Steakhouse - Located in the heart of Ocala, this steakhouse offers a variety of delicious steaks, as well as seafood and pasta dishes.

5. The Italian Gardens - Located in the heart of The Villages, this family-owned restaurant offers a variety of delicious Italian dishes, including pasta, seafood, and steak.

6. The Bistro on the Greens - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.

7. The Corkscrew Bar & Grille - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta, as well as a great selection of wines.

8. The Bogart's Bar & Grille - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta, as well as a great selection of cocktails.

9. The El Santiago Mexican Grill - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious Mexican dishes, including tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

10. The Sushi Maki - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious sushi rolls, as well as other Japanese dishes.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

I'm pretty sure that 5 of those don't actually exist. Be careful with AI, it actually makes up things sometimes. I use at at work with mixed results.

[MrChip72]

After compiling all the data, the team named Foley, Alabama, the best place to retire for those with little to no savings. Joining Foley on the top 10 list is Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the second-place spot, followed by Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, in third, The Villages, Florida, in fourth, and Bella Vista, Arkansas, at No. 5. Rounding out the top 10 is Pinehurst, North Carolina; Green Valley, Arizona; North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Fredericksburg, Texas; and Punta Gorda, Florida.


Unless you're going to live in the trailer park section of TV, it's certainly not a good place to retired for people with little savings. The rent in TV is much higher than most non-coastal retirement communities in Florida. You would be lucky to rent a smaller home at the rock bottom in any half decent part of TV for $24k/year.

[village dreamer]

maybe, just maybe you should work for a few more years. i dont think you should retire at 35.

[Blackbird45]

An easy way to determine where you are financially is to go onto Google and ask what the average earnings of a couple living in the villages and add a cushion.

[RoadToad]

Home insurance in Florida is horrific. Expensive and hard to get on older homes.
We have friends in Foley, Alabama that love it.

[La lamy]

Hard to believe TV was included. The rent, even for older manufactured homes are so expensive. And if you buy, the amenities fees really add up too.

[Berwin]

& if you follow bopat's instruction you get better results as in:

Sure, here are ten of the best restaurants near The Villages, FL:
9.The Frog and The Fiddle - Located in nearby Summerfield, this British-style pub offers a variety of traditional British dishes, including fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and bangers and mash.

I looked this up because maybe I'd missed this in nearby Summerfield but it appears to be in England. There is a The Frog and Monkey in Mt. Dora.

[Two Bills]

You need at least $10-12,000 just to cover Village overheads, add transport, insurances, etc. and it would, to my mind, make it impossible on SS and few savings.
Mind you, some of the amounts that 'experts' quote to live reasonably well in retirement, are way over the top.
My wife and I have been retired for 28 years now, travelled the world, spent 25 of those winters in warmer climes, 20 in TV. and never had anywhere near the amounts some of the Guru's quoted.
It's how you cut your cloth!

[ithos]

If you only have your SS to fall back on then you may be best off becoming an expat in a country with a much lower cost of living. YouTube has plenty of ideas.

[MandoMan]

I found this article on the GOBankingRates website:

GoBankingRates created a list of the best and worst destinations for retirement when you have no savings. They analyzed the 100 largest cities in the U.S. with a large population of adults ages 65 and older. These cities were then ranked based on the following factors:



Average 2023 home value and property tax, sourced from Zillow
Whether the state taxes Social Security benefits, sourced from the AARP
Annual homemaker services costs
Annual home health aide costs
Annual grocery costs
Annual healthcare costs
Annual utilities cost
Annual transportation costs
Annual necessity costs


After compiling all the data, the team named Foley, Alabama, the best place to retire for those with little to no savings. Joining Foley on the top 10 list is Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the second-place spot, followed by Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, in third, The Villages, Florida, in fourth, and Bella Vista, Arkansas, at No. 5. Rounding out the top 10 is Pinehurst, North Carolina; Green Valley, Arizona; North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Fredericksburg, Texas; and Punta Gorda, Florida.

Best Places To Retire If You Have No Savings | GOBankingRates (https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/best-places-to-retire-no-savings/)

The link is to a company trying to get you to give it your money. If you click on the “Worst Places to Retire” page, what you get is how you can retire if you have less than $500,000 in savings. That’s a LONG way from NO SAVINGS. Here’s what it says about The Villages, the #4 best place to retire with no savings:
4. The Villages, Florida

Percentage of population 65 and older: 85.7%
Average 2023 home value: $418,926
Average 2023 property tax: 0.91%
Whether the state taxes Social Security benefits: No
Annual homemaker services costs: $57,200
Annual home health aide costs: $57,200
Annual grocery costs: $4,591.44
Annual healthcare costs: $6,882.37
Annual utilities cost: $4,124.89
Annual transportation costs: $3,454.73
Annual necessity costs: $19,053.43

A lot of people who only have Social Security get under $20,000 a year. If they are a couple, that may be under $40,000, and it will be cut in half when one dies. How are they supposed to pay $57,000 for a home health aide if they need one? Looks to me like they can’t afford to even stay alive.

The fact is, unless you can sell your home where you came from for enough to pay cash for a home here and maybe even bank some, don’t even look. You can’t afford to make mortgage payments here plus live, even with two Social Security incomes or one and a pension. If you can pay cash for your house here, you can scrape by unless one of you gets very sick. However, there are plenty of older homes within driving distance of here that you can buy for half as much as the average home here, or even a quarter. True, you won’t have access to our clubs or pools or executive golf courses, but you can scrape by, like most retired people.

The alternative is moving here and supplementing Social Security payments by working until the end. I have a friend who is 78 and does okay by working three days a week as an RN at a nursing home. Another is 80 and works as a self-employed home health aide in The Villages and has a reverse mortgage.

[Normal]

Wow, just wow. The article is so off.

The best possibility for the scenario would be to drive a 2002 golf cart, rent (skipping once in a while), skip scan your groceries at a Walmart on occasion and spend the free nights at the corner of Morse and 466?

[Cliff Fr]

Ok, let's try it that way:

Groq (https://groq.com/)

What are the top 10 restaurants near the villages, florida. Please exclude Chop House.

Sure, I can help you with that! Here are the top 10 restaurants near The Villages, Florida, excluding Chop House:

1. The Villages Polo Club - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.

2. The Lake Sumter Landing Restaurant - Located on the shores of Lake Sumter, this restaurant offers a variety of seafood dishes, as well as steak and pasta.

3. The Waterfront Restaurant - Located in the Village of Lake Sumter, this restaurant offers a variety of seafood dishes, as well as a great view of Lake Sumter.

4. The Ocala Prime Steakhouse - Located in the heart of Ocala, this steakhouse offers a variety of delicious steaks, as well as seafood and pasta dishes.

5. The Italian Gardens - Located in the heart of The Villages, this family-owned restaurant offers a variety of delicious Italian dishes, including pasta, seafood, and steak.

6. The Bistro on the Greens - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.

7. The Corkscrew Bar & Grille - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta, as well as a great selection of wines.

8. The Bogart's Bar & Grille - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta, as well as a great selection of cocktails.

9. The El Santiago Mexican Grill - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious Mexican dishes, including tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

10. The Sushi Maki - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious sushi rolls, as well as other Japanese dishes.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

One vote for Ipanema Brazilian steakhouse in Ocala

[elle123]

I found this article on the GOBankingRates website:

GoBankingRates created a list of the best and worst destinations for retirement when you have no savings. They analyzed the 100 largest cities in the U.S. with a large population of adults ages 65 and older. These cities were then ranked based on the following factors:



Average 2023 home value and property tax, sourced from Zillow
Whether the state taxes Social Security benefits, sourced from the AARP
Annual homemaker services costs
Annual home health aide costs
Annual grocery costs
Annual healthcare costs
Annual utilities cost
Annual transportation costs
Annual necessity costs


After compiling all the data, the team named Foley, Alabama, the best place to retire for those with little to no savings. Joining Foley on the top 10 list is Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the second-place spot, followed by Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, in third, The Villages, Florida, in fourth, and Bella Vista, Arkansas, at No. 5. Rounding out the top 10 is Pinehurst, North Carolina; Green Valley, Arizona; North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Fredericksburg, Texas; and Punta Gorda, Florida.

Best Places To Retire If You Have No Savings | GOBankingRates (https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/best-places-to-retire-no-savings/)
You could buy a little **** box in the historic section and with your monthly Social Security
and pension pull it off. I'm sure many are doing just that.

[Villagesgal]

Yes, the Villages is a great place to live if you own your own home with no mortgage and own your own car. If you own your home somewhere else and can buy a home with cash here, and let's get real, you can still buy a home here for under $200,000 in an established area and it will be a good home, not a "dream" home, but a nice home. The monthly expenses here are very low compared to most areas up north or out west. If you have no savings you aren't going to be living like a king back home, and you won't be here, but your day in day out living will be much much better here, more things to do and more value for your money at the grocery store and in general if you know where and how to shop. I've actually been able to save money every month here which I've used for travel. The Villages is a great place to live.

[Robojo]

I found this article on the GOBankingRates website:

GoBankingRates created a list of the best and worst destinations for retirement when you have no savings. They analyzed the 100 largest cities in the U.S. with a large population of adults ages 65 and older. These cities were then ranked based on the following factors:



Average 2023 home value and property tax, sourced from Zillow
Whether the state taxes Social Security benefits, sourced from the AARP
Annual homemaker services costs
Annual home health aide costs
Annual grocery costs
Annual healthcare costs
Annual utilities cost
Annual transportation costs
Annual necessity costs


After compiling all the data, the team named Foley, Alabama, the best place to retire for those with little to no savings. Joining Foley on the top 10 list is Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the second-place spot, followed by Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, in third, The Villages, Florida, in fourth, and Bella Vista, Arkansas, at No. 5. Rounding out the top 10 is Pinehurst, North Carolina; Green Valley, Arizona; North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Fredericksburg, Texas; and Punta Gorda, Florida.

Best Places To Retire If You Have No Savings | GOBankingRates (https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/best-places-to-retire-no-savings/)

No. You have to have money to live here.

[ElDiabloJoe]

Ok, let's try it that way:

Groq (https://groq.com/)

What are the top 10 restaurants near the villages, florida. Please exclude Chop House.

Sure, I can help you with that! Here are the top 10 restaurants near The Villages, Florida, excluding Chop House:

1. The Villages Polo Club - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.

2. The Lake Sumter Landing Restaurant - Located on the shores of Lake Sumter, this restaurant offers a variety of seafood dishes, as well as steak and pasta.

3. The Waterfront Restaurant - Located in the Village of Lake Sumter, this restaurant offers a variety of seafood dishes, as well as a great view of Lake Sumter.

4. The Ocala Prime Steakhouse - Located in the heart of Ocala, this steakhouse offers a variety of delicious steaks, as well as seafood and pasta dishes.

5. The Italian Gardens - Located in the heart of The Villages, this family-owned restaurant offers a variety of delicious Italian dishes, including pasta, seafood, and steak.

6. The Bistro on the Greens - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta.

7. The Corkscrew Bar & Grille - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta, as well as a great selection of wines.

8. The Bogart's Bar & Grille - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious dishes, including steak, seafood, and pasta, as well as a great selection of cocktails.

9. The El Santiago Mexican Grill - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious Mexican dishes, including tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

10. The Sushi Maki - Located in the heart of The Villages, this restaurant offers a variety of delicious sushi rolls, as well as other Japanese dishes.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

It would appear the heart of the villages (LSL?) is nothing but restaurants.

[Normal]

It would appear the heart of the villages (LSL?) is nothing but restaurants.

Just wait till the end of summer, answers may be different when the full blown housing deflation saturates into the area.

[Two Bills]

Just wait till the end of summer, answers may be different when the full blown housing deflation saturates into the area.

Love a cheery post.
Just off to cut my throat!:icon_wink:

[Birdrm]

The link is to a company trying to get you to give it your money. If you click on the “Worst Places to Retire” page, what you get is how you can retire if you have less than $500,000 in savings. That’s a LONG way from NO SAVINGS. Here’s what it says about The Villages, the #4 best place to retire with no savings:
4. The Villages, Florida

Percentage of population 65 and older: 85.7%
Average 2023 home value: $418,926
Average 2023 property tax: 0.91%
Whether the state taxes Social Security benefits: No
Annual homemaker services costs: $57,200
Annual home health aide costs: $57,200
Annual grocery costs: $4,591.44
Annual healthcare costs: $6,882.37
Annual utilities cost: $4,124.89
Annual transportation costs: $3,454.73
Annual necessity costs: $19,053.43

A lot of people who only have Social Security get under $20,000 a year. If they are a couple, that may be under $40,000, and it will be cut in half when one dies. How are they supposed to pay $57,000 for a home health aide if they need one? Looks to me like they can’t afford to even stay alive.

The fact is, unless you can sell your home where you came from for enough to pay cash for a home here and maybe even bank some, don’t even look. You can’t afford to make mortgage payments here plus live, even with two Social Security incomes or one and a pension. If you can pay cash for your house here, you can scrape by unless one of you gets very sick. However, there are plenty of older homes within driving distance of here that you can buy for half as much as the average home here, or even a quarter. True, you won’t have access to our clubs or pools or executive golf courses, but you can scrape by, like most retired people.

The alternative is moving here and supplementing Social Security payments by working until the end. I have a friend who is 78 and does okay by working three days a week as an RN at a nursing home. Another is 80 and works as a self-employed home health aide in The Villages and has a reverse mortgage.

I think the way to live in the Villages without any savings would be to pay cash for the home (no mortgage) and have a decent SS payment $3k a month and some type of pension $1k a month. I believe you could own a home here and live with $4k a month in expenses?

[Hplaw]

Unless you're going to live in the trailer park section of TV, it's certainly not a good place to retired for people with little savings. The rent in TV is much higher than most non-coastal retirement communities in Florida. You would be lucky to rent a smaller home at the rock bottom in any half decent part of TV for $24k/year.

Your reference of "trailer park section" is offensive. The homes there are almost all well maintained landscaped. There are more and more new stick built homes going up. We have rented in the "historic area" and currently in the Sumpter Landing Area. I find many residents look down on you if you have property in the historic area. Another consideration for moving to The Villages.....the majority of people are kind and friendly (as anywhere). But, sad that where you choose to live becomes a snub by many. Are we still in High School?

[Normal]

Love a cheery post.
Just off to cut my throat!:icon_wink:

Think positive, it’s a life style we both have bought into, not an investment! If markets go as forecasted by most, many more will be able to afford what you and I have. That’s a good thing!

[Hplaw]

You could buy a little **** box in the historic section and with your monthly Social Security
and pension pull it off. I'm sure many are doing just that.
WOW! ***** box in the historic section? How disrespectful to those living in the historic area. It's very friendly and "real" there. Not everyone can retire and afford $500,000 plus homes. How nice you may be able to do so, but how sad you refer to those who cannot in this manner.

[Normal]

WOW! ***** box in the historic section? How disrespectful to those living in the historic area. It's very friendly and "real" there. Not everyone can retire and afford $500,000 plus homes. How nice you may be able to do so, but how sad you refer to those who cannot in this manner.

So true.

[MrChip72]

Your reference of "trailer park section" is offensive. The homes there are almost all well maintained landscaped.

My apologies, I meant "mobile home park section".

I was simply stating that it's the only part of the Villages that may be affordable within the budget stated by the OP. It wasn't meant as an insult.

[harby]

Due to my plain honest & wise financial experience, I don t think it s ideal to live in TV...you may find one near TV which is much cheaper with no amenity fee. The average rental cost in TV is about long term 1,800 plus per month plus your internet, tv cable, phone, elec., gas, rental insurance, etc.or you may buy a villa or modular home for 275,000 plus $175 monthly amenity fee, property tax, ins., utilities, lawn care (+frequently lawn mowing), etc. Really depends on your monthly income...don t forget to pay for unexpected appliance, hvac, roofing, maintenance, etc. plus your vehicle that may fall down.
I happen to own 3 TV rental properties and hate to hear how their monthly budget barely goes with their rentals, etc. Hope not to offend you...just want to leave you a honest tip. Chas

[rustyp]

You could buy a little **** box in the historic section and with your monthly Social Security
and pension pull it off. I'm sure many are doing just that.

My apologies, I meant "mobile home park section".

I was simply stating that it's the only part of the Villages that may be affordable within the budget stated by the OP. It wasn't meant as an insult.

Newsflash - many of the homes on the historic side are selling for a higher price than patio villas. In addition the historic side probably has more golf and waterfront homes than any other area in TV.

[rsmurano]

Unless you're going to live in the trailer park section of TV, it's certainly not a good place to retired for people with little savings. The rent in TV is much higher than most non-coastal retirement communities in Florida. You would be lucky to rent a smaller home at the rock bottom in any half decent part of TV for $24k/year.

I know multiple homes that get over $7000 a month in prime season for a designer home with pool. They get $3000 a month in off season

[JMintzer]

Love a cheery post.
Just off to cut my throat!:icon_wink:

When you only know one song... It's the only song you sing...

[kkingston57]

I would suggest that anyone with no savings is probably not in a position to retire, and there is no "best place" available. (Unless you are the retired former county exec of orange Co., Ca who receives a pension of $387,000/year.)

Back in the day there were good pensions. Some people probably can make more money now than when they were working and can now save money and/or live well within their pension and SS, especially if there is not a mortgage

[kkingston57]

Hard to believe TV was included. The rent, even for older manufactured homes are so expensive. And if you buy, the amenities fees really add up too.

Compared to what? Cost of living in S. Florida is at least 30% higher than in TV.

[kkingston57]

No. You have to have money to live here.

Very few places in the US which have a lower living cost. than Central Florida/TV. 30% lower than places on the coast

[MrChip72]

I know multiple homes that get over $7000 a month in prime season for a designer home with pool. They get $3000 a month in off season

We get $6000 in prime season. Designer home with no pool. $3000 off season. South of the turnpike.

[BrianL99]

Your reference of "trailer park section" is offensive. The homes there are almost all well maintained landscaped. There are more and more new stick built homes going up. We have rented in the "historic area" and currently in the Sumpter Landing Area. I find many residents look down on you if you have property in the historic area. Another consideration for moving to The Villages.....the majority of people are kind and friendly (as anywhere). But, sad that where you choose to live becomes a snub by many. Are we still in High School?


"Historic Section/Area" is the greatest euphemism in the history of marketing.

Clio Awards Hall of Fame material.

Back in the 50's-60's, if you had a semi-home with wheels on it, it was called a "trailer".

In 1976, HUD changed the name from "trailer" to "mobile home".

A place where a lot of trailers/mobile homes were parked, was called a trailer park or mobile home park.

In the 1960's a guy named Harold Schwartz bought a mobile home park in central Florida and called it Orange Blossom Gardens.

In 1983, a smart visionary named H. Gary Morse took over Schwartz's business and decided if you owned a mobile home park in certain parts of Florida, you could call it a "Historic Area" and people might buy into it and overlook the obvious. Genius. Pure genius.

[Craig Vernon]

Is TV the best place to retire with little to no savings?

The best place with little or no savings? No. But it depends on your social security or pension.

Check this out. However, I am not sure how reliable they are. It says that to live comfortably, it recommends $77,400 for a family and $46,800 for a single person. If you don't have a mortgage, that seems high.

The Villages, FL Cost of Living (https://www.bestplaces.net/cost_of_living/city/florida/the_villages)

This is a cost of living calculator that compares the cost of living in the Villages to other places in the country.

2024 Cost of Living Calculator - Compare Cost of Living by City & State (https://smartasset.com/mortgage/cost-of-living-calculator#O6gV7mXSRt)

This calculator was interesting, and I think pretty accurate. It gave a conclusion that TV is about 8% more expensive than where I live in Ohio which is pretty accurate, less taxes, more food and housing costs. Thanks...

[Craig Vernon]

One thing for sure is you won't shop at Publix.

You got that right...lol

[Topspinmo]

I found this article on the GOBankingRates website:

GoBankingRates created a list of the best and worst destinations for retirement when you have no savings. They analyzed the 100 largest cities in the U.S. with a large population of adults ages 65 and older. These cities were then ranked based on the following factors:



Average 2023 home value and property tax, sourced from Zillow
Whether the state taxes Social Security benefits, sourced from the AARP
Annual homemaker services costs
Annual home health aide costs
Annual grocery costs
Annual healthcare costs
Annual utilities cost
Annual transportation costs
Annual necessity costs


After compiling all the data, the team named Foley, Alabama, the best place to retire for those with little to no savings. Joining Foley on the top 10 list is Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the second-place spot, followed by Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, in third, The Villages, Florida, in fourth, and Bella Vista, Arkansas, at No. 5. Rounding out the top 10 is Pinehurst, North Carolina; Green Valley, Arizona; North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Fredericksburg, Texas; and Punta Gorda, Florida.

Best Places To Retire If You Have No Savings | GOBankingRates (https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/best-places-to-retire-no-savings/)


I find the villages over Bella vista weird, everything in Arkansas cheaper. Food, taxes, property even gas and electric.

[VApeople]

Your reference of "trailer park section" is offensive.

I don't find the reference to a "trailer park section" offensive at all.

I was raised in a trailer park on San Carlos Island (part of Fort Myers Beach) in the 1950's and I thought it was wonderful. I had a lot of freedom to ride my bike everywhere, even through the 'Arch' and across the 'Swing Bridge' going to the Elementary School in the morning. My parents would usually go fishing during the day and we often had fresh fish (sheepshead or grouper) for dinner.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I'm reading responses that don't relate to the "question."

The topic: Best place to retire with little-to-no savings.

The topic is NOT: Best place to retire with little-to-no income.

The Villages is affordable to us, even though we have little-to-no savings. It's affordable to us because we were able to net a profit from the sale of our house up north above and beyond what we still owed on our mortgage. Combined with a personal loan from a family member for a year, we were able to buy our house in The Villages and move down. A year later, we were debt-free.

We still have little-to-no savings, but we both have our social security checks and hubby has a modest pension. We're able to pay all our bills, our credit card balances are low and we pay them in full every month, we can afford to dine out and enjoy our country club and pool membership dues every year.

Because our income is modest and we're still both on ACA health insurance, our premium is low. But if I end up needing hip replacement surgery this year it'll set me back $9000, because that's the out-of-pocket max for the insurance.

We can pay that, but then we'd need to scramble to pad our savings again so we can handle another emergency or expensive need.

So yes. You absolutely can live here with little-to-no savings. But you need a bit more than that in income.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

"Historic Section/Area" is the greatest euphemism in the history of marketing.

Clio Awards Hall of Fame material.

Back in the 50's-60's, if you had a semi-home with wheels on it, it was called a "trailer".

In 1976, HUD changed the name from "trailer" to "mobile home".

A place where a lot of trailers/mobile homes were parked, was called a trailer park or mobile home park.

In the 1960's a guy named Harold Schwartz bought a mobile home park in central Florida and called it Orange Blossom Gardens.

In 1983, a smart visionary named H. Gary Morse took over Schwartz's business and decided if you owned a mobile home park in certain parts of Florida, you could call it a "Historic Area" and people might buy into it and overlook the obvious. Genius. Pure genius.

The dwellings were known as "mobile homes" and NOT "trailers" prior to 1976. In 1976, there was new code for the standards of building the things, and their name was changed to "manufactured homes."

Trailer homes are an entirely different thing. Trailer homes were the things that "trailed" behind the pick-up truck. You brought it to a site and unhitched it, and there it'd be. A mobile home was brought in on a flatbed, not trailing behind it. Trailer homes, which became popular in the 1920's, fell out of favor after the advent of mobile homes.

The term "trailer park" is now usually considered a pejorative, and its residents are referred to as "trailer trash."

The Villages started as a mobile home park, not a trailer park - which would be more like a long-term or seasonal campground than a residential neighborhood.

The "historic section" is physically separated from the rest of The Villages, isolated on the other side of 441. And unlike the southern part of The Villages, which is separated from the rest of The Villages by 44 and Florida Turnpike, the Historic Section won't ever be expanded.
That can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your interests. For me, it's a great thing. There's no thru-traffic, with the exception of golf carts that want to get to Walmart or BJ's.

[Laker14]

I'm reading responses that don't relate to the "question."

The topic: Best place to retire with little-to-no savings.

The topic is NOT: Best place to retire with little-to-no income.

The Villages is affordable to us, even though we have little-to-no savings. It's affordable to us because we were able to net a profit from the sale of our house up north above and beyond what we still owed on our mortgage. Combined with a personal loan from a family member for a year, we were able to buy our house in The Villages and move down. A year later, we were debt-free.

We still have little-to-no savings, but we both have our social security checks and hubby has a modest pension. We're able to pay all our bills, our credit card balances are low and we pay them in full every month, we can afford to dine out and enjoy our country club and pool membership dues every year.

Because our income is modest and we're still both on ACA health insurance, our premium is low. But if I end up needing hip replacement surgery this year it'll set me back $9000, because that's the out-of-pocket max for the insurance.

We can pay that, but then we'd need to scramble to pad our savings again so we can handle another emergency or expensive need.

So yes. You absolutely can live here with little-to-no savings. But you need a bit more than that in income.

Excellent response.
I have no pension. DW and I have decent SS income and a nice chunk of savings, and live off the SS and investment returns on savings.
I have relatives with almost no savings, but have "his and her" teacher's pensions. They live very nicely. Very nicely, indeed.

So, as you illustrate, it isn't about savings or no savings, it's about cash flow, and there are more than a few ways to accomplish that.

It's fairly easy to calculate COL in TV, and it's simple math to figure out what one can afford today. Less simple is calculating how inflation and health issues will affect today's numbers, but that's another topic altogether.

[Normal]

Excellent response.
I have no pension. DW and I have decent SS income and a nice chunk of savings, and live off the SS and investment returns on savings.
I have relatives with almost no savings, but have "his and her" teacher's pensions. They live very nicely. Very nicely, indeed.

So, as you illustrate, it isn't about savings or no savings, it's about cash flow, and there are more than a few ways to accomplish that.

It's fairly easy to calculate COL in TV, and it's simple math to figure out what one can afford today. Less simple is calculating how inflation and health issues will affect today's numbers, but that's another topic altogether.

Yes, it is all about cash flow. Some call that a savings, some call that investment and yet others call it a pension. The “bottom line” is nomenclature usage.

The poll just happens to call it a savings.

[Laker14]

Having watched my parents' retirement years come and go, I realized that retirement is not one single phase of life, but a series of phases, depending upon age and health.

They retired at 65, and were very healthy. They played golf a lot. My dad was very active socially.
Naturally as years went by they slowed down. Mom died at 75, Dad lived another 11 years, and his retirement needs transitioned from "Active Senior Lifestyle" to quieter, more socially interactive living. He died just before he was about to require some degree of assistance to get him through his day.

I'm convinced that TV is a great place for the first two phases; the physically active phase and the socially active phase. The jury is out, as far as I am concerned, on how well it will serve us if we survive into the "assistance needed" phase, and exactly when we'll hit that wall is at this point, unknown.

Questions about how affordable TV is would be best addressed with consideration for the idea that as much as we might like the idea of it being our "forever" home, that might not be practical, and how we'll afford the exit plan should be given some thought.