Live in the Center of The Villages?

[JimJoe]

I watch the homes for sale TV very carefully. One question I have always had is what protection is there for homes that on the outside boarder of TV from unpleasant neighbors or land uses such as farm smell, commercial development, or any of the things that the restrictive covenants everyone in TV agrees to when they buy here?
For example, I have looked at homes where the back yard faces private property with sheds nearby, animals, etc. It seems like those homes could have the worst of both worlds; restrictions on their use, but none on their rear neighbor.
Any one here live on the boarder or hear of any such problems?
Thanks!
JJ

[Army Guy]

I do not live on the edge of TV, as I live in Bonita, but you are 100% correct. You have no protection nor can you put up a fence etc to block view, etc.

Army Guy

[JimJoe]

The no fence is a very good point. And who protects you from livestock smell, industrial activity, or noise pollution?
And the thing I worry about the most is this. Crime finds money. It seems to me the homes with backyards on the edge of TV would be a prime target for outsiders to enter TV, hit the wealthy old people who do not deserve to enjoy life and who are weak and defenseless (do I dare say I want a gun for self defense), and escape with no fear of being seen or caught by TV watch or caring neighbors.
Or maybe I am just a worry wart.
JJ

I do not live on the edge of TV, as I live in Bonita, but you are 100% correct. You have no protection nor can you put up a fence etc to block view, etc.

Army Guy

[chuckinca]

At one time there was much discussion on TOTV regarding loud and frequent train whistles near the West side of the Calumet area.


.

[jblum8156]

Well, I for one wish that Wildwood still had passenger train service. But I don't live near enough to be bothered by the train whistles, and I can imagine that it was a nuisance.

[ladylake1]

I live in Santiage and I hear the trains in the late evening. They probably are there at other times but I haven't noticed them.

[graciegirl]

Aww come on JimJoe. Living on the borders and near a field with livestock could be nice.

If you are from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois....etc. etc. you are used to certain smells.

[swrinfla]

JimJoe:

As usual, Gracie is right!

That said, it may be a tiny bit true that the edges of TV may be a tiny bit more liable for break-ins and such. BUT, these things are so rare that few think much about them.

Yes, keep your doors and windows locked, don't leave your garage door open overnight or even for a little while, just as you would at home; you'll be quite comfortable!

SWR
:beer3:

[JimJoe]

Come on what? Did you read what I wrote? I WANT to live on the edge for the very reasons you state, but I am just asking if anyone has information or concerns like mine?
Why did you say Come on JimJoe? I am from Iowa, I am used to the smell of hog lots, and that is exactly the type of problem that would I would check into before buying near an agricultural area.
I definitely believe that the negatives must be weighed against positives on such an important decision as buying a home, even in TV.
JJ

Aww come on JimJoe. Living on the borders and near a field with livestock could be nice.

If you are from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois....etc. etc. you are used to certain smells.

[Pturner]

I watch the homes for sale TV very carefully. One question I have always had is what protection is there for homes that on the outside boarder of TV from unpleasant neighbors or land uses such as farm smell, commercial development, or any of the things that the restrictive covenants everyone in TV agrees to when they buy here?
For example, I have looked at homes where the back yard faces private property with sheds nearby, animals, etc. It seems like those homes could have the worst of both worlds; restrictions on their use, but none on their rear neighbor.
Any one here live on the boarder or hear of any such problems?
Thanks!
JJ

Buying a home for a view you don't own is more often than not a risk/reward proposition. If adjoining or nearby property stays the same, the homeowner might have the best of both worlds: a scenic view and extra privacy.

However, farmland or any undeveloped property doesn't necessarily stay that way forever. At planning and zoning hearings across America, homeowners have protested proposed development of nearby properties outside their subdivisions. Anyone buying near the borders of any subdivision should be familiar at least with what is currently outside the boundary, as well as the county's future land use plan. Even then, there are no guarantees.

That said, there are relatively few homes in the vast expanse of TV that border or will border TV's perimeter. So don't be too concerned. It's easier to find a home in TV that's not on the border than one that is.

As for crime, I've never seen any evidence that homes along the borders of TV have crime problems; and I doubt that they do. I suspect that as TV continues to develop, the new perimeter also will have adequate buffers and barriers.

Just my thoughts and I could be wrong.

[graciegirl]

Sorry JimJoe. I was teasin' you a bit. I am glad to hear you are from Iowa. Nice state too.

PTurner is right as usual, you NEVER know what a lot not built on or a nice view might become, even a golf course, but you can worry yourself silly and waste this perfect day.

I don't think you need to worry about crime too much at this time. But things could change.

Srwinfla is right too. He always is. He is my friend.

Don't worry JimJoe. Be happy.

It is my fault, I didn't read your post correctly.

[JimJoe]

Buying a home for a view you don't own is more often than not a risk/reward proposition. If adjoining or nearby property stays the same, the homeowner might have the best of both worlds: a scenic view and extra privacy.

However, farmland or any undeveloped property doesn't necessarily stay that way forever. At planning and zoning hearings across America, homeowners have protested proposed development of nearby properties outside their subdivisions. Anyone buying near the borders of any subdivision should be familiar at least with what is currently outside the boundary, as well as the county's future land use plan. Even then, there are no guarantees.

That said, there are relatively few homes in the vast expanse of TV that border or will border TV's perimeter. So don't be too concerned. It's easier to find a home in TV that's not on the border than one that is.

As for crime, I've never seen any evidence that homes along the borders of TV have crime problems; and I doubt that they do. I suspect that as TV continues to develop, the new perimeter also will have adequate buffers and barriers.

Just my thoughts and I could be wrong.

Thanks!!
JK

[redwitch]

From what I've seen, TV puts up barriers of some kind for areas that are developed near open spaces. The horse pastures in Santiago have shrubbery (and I've never noticed any "horsey" odors when visiting my friend who backs right up to the pastures). Some areas of Hadley, Hemingway and Duval have high walls. I imagine that houses close to non-TV land will have some type of barriers that will make it at least a little difficult for burglaries to occur (not the kind of publicity/statistics TV would want).

There is no question that homes adjacent to empty land or streets or golf cart paths are more vulnerable than those with kissing lanais or bordering golf courses or even the ponds, but, so far, crimes here have been minimal. I'm sure that with the increase in population there will be more crime here, but I'm willing to bet it will still be much lower than the national average and that will be true whether living in the center of a village or the outskirts of TV.

One other thing to remember is that we do have Community Watch. While they're not law enforcement officers or even security guards by any stretch, they are a deterrent since they do patrol every street in every village. Another plus we have is that the local sheriffs work very hard to catch miscreants in TV (we do pay the majority of their paychecks and they love working in TV). This is known to the "locals" and is another plus to crime deterrent. (I have yet to hear of a crime committed in TV where the culprit wasn't ultimately caught.)

So, I might be a little more cautious -- no unlocked cars or doors, dowels in the sliders, timers when out of town, etc. -- but I wouldn't be overly concerned living on the outskirts, unless, perhaps, it is right on the border of Wildwood, then I might seriously hesitate.

[justanormalgirl]

Since we have been 'shopping from home' for our Florida house I make good use of Google Earth. I get the address of every home I want to see and check out GE to see what's around it. It has changed my mind on a property more than once.

Oh, and, I'm from Illinois..........no funny smells here :)

[champion6]

Oh, and, I'm from Illinois..........no funny smells here :)I'm sure you're joking... right? :shrug: I grew up on a hog farm near Seneca - about 80 miles SW of Chicago. When I was a kid, my "city cousins" couldn't understand how I could EVER stand living on a farm and put up with the smell.

Which leads leads me to another thought... I have come to realize that when I move to TV, I will won't be able to enjoy the wonderful smell of freshly tilled black dirt in the spring.

[ijusluvit]

We live on Nancy Lopez, with an enormous sand trap in front of us, then a large green and the cart path. The path is next to a very high berm, with a long tight line of mature trees completely blocking the farm beyond it. Literally, when I look through my birdcage I can only see the roof of one other distant TV home. One evening we heard a cow mooing rather loudly. My wife, who grew up on a dairy farm smiled and said 'her calf wandered away.' The farm has been for sale for years, but if it is ever developed, we will not be able to see even the roofs of any buildings.
This is the most peaceful place we could ever imagine. Places on the border can be like heaven.
You can find one too if you carefully do your homework.

[justanormalgirl]

I'm sure you're joking... right? :shrug: I grew up on a hog farm near Seneca - about 80 miles SW of Chicago. When I was a kid, my "city cousins" couldn't understand how I could EVER stand living on a farm and put up with the smell.

Which leads leads me to another thought... I have come to realize that when I move to TV, I will won't be able to enjoy the wonderful smell of freshly tilled black dirt in the spring.

O.k. maybe I should clarify that statement............no 'bad' smells where I live. I do enjoy the smells of fresh turned black dirt, fresh mowed grass and rain, my coffee in the morning and my dogs after a bath! If we want to 'enjoy' the other smells we have to take a drive through the country :)

[skyguy79]

O.k. maybe I should clarify that statement............no 'bad' smells where I live. I do enjoy the smells of fresh turned black dirt, fresh mowed grass and rain, my coffee in the morning and my dogs after a bath! If we want to 'enjoy' the other smells we have to take a drive through the country :)When driving by a cow pasture here in upstate New York last summer, I'd swear I heard one cow take a few sniffs and say to the other cow... "Dat me or you Elsie?" And the other cow answered back... "Neither Bula! I think it's dat guy driving by in his car!"
http://freeemoticonsandsmileys.com/animated%20emoticons/Animal%20Animated%20Emoticons/cow3.gifhttp://www.findemoticon.com/animated%20emoticons/Animal%20Animated%20Emoticons/cow5.gif

[l2ridehd]

I personally would not buy on the edge of TV. And I would not buy on a busy street, near the train tracks or where I can see the power line towers or near a sewage treatment plant. Every one of those impact property value or have the potential to impact property value. While having a nice farm view is great today, tomorrow it might be a shopping mall or a drag strip or a strip club or a drive in restaurant open 24 hours. I guess anything could change in the future, but the more control over that change and the limitations to it, the better off you will be from a value perspective. I have tracked resale values for 4 years now and all those things impact sale price in a negative way. Especially the power lines. House for house there is a significant sale price impact on those homes that abut the power lines. Even a few rows of homes away there is still an impact. I know someone will identify the exception and someone else will buy there because it is doubtful it will change, but believe me when looking at many homes sold close to them the impact stands out.

[Taj44]

I personally would not buy on the edge of TV. And I would not buy on a busy street, near the train tracks or where I can see the power line towers or near a sewage treatment plant. Every one of those impact property value or have the potential to impact property value. While having a nice farm view is great today, tomorrow it might be a shopping mall or a drag strip or a strip club or a drive in restaurant open 24 hours. I guess anything could change in the future, but the more control over that change and the limitations to it, the better off you will be from a value perspective. I have tracked resale values for 4 years now and all those things impact sale price in a negative way. Especially the power lines. House for house there is a significant sale price impact on those homes that abut the power lines. Even a few rows of homes away there is still an impact. I know someone will identify the exception and someone else will buy there because it is doubtful it will change, but believe me when looking at many homes sold close to them the impact stands out.

Excellent post. When we bought a few years ago, there was a horse pasture a couple of streets over that was wonderful. We could hear the horses whinny, and it felt like a little bit of our home up north. Within a year, the farm was gone and replaced by a new housing development. We have since sold and moved on to another neighborhood, but you just never know. I especially agree with the powerline comment. I find the lines unattractive, and have spoken to quite a few people that didn't buy their new home in a particular area, because of power lines, so I'm sure it applies to re-sales as well. I think a nice, central location, on a quiet street, is more valuable than a location on the perimeter, with potential noise or other problems.

[Boudicca]

We live at the end of Buttonwood Run, adjacent to farmland. There is a country road dividing TV from "out there". We enjoy the sound of horses whinnying, roosters crowing when I walk our dog at the crack of dawn, and hear the occasional "moo" from cows. Its all rather pleasant, (smells as well) as is the train whistle. Opposite our home, a row of Designor homes abutt the split rail dividing fence from the county road. While there is no barrier type fence, most of those homes have LARGE evergreen shrubs providing privacy. As for crime, my husband is a retired Richmond VA detective - and knows the crime rate here is nowhere NEAR what it was in an inner city. On the other side of that rosy view coin, apparently the average Village resident moves 3 times - perhaps we will move into the Sumter Landing area at some future date!

[Army Guy]

I2ridehd, as always an excellent post, which I agree with totally. As we had discussed several years ago when we bought our villa, as another poster had done, me & the wife looked at sat. photos to find all the powerlines, busy roads, sewage plant, etc.

Army Guy

[ijusluvit]

We live on Nancy Lopez, with an enormous sand trap in front of us, then a large green and the cart path. The path is next to a very high berm, with a long tight line of mature trees completely blocking the farm beyond it. Literally, when I look through my birdcage I can only see the roof of one other distant TV home. One evening we heard a cow mooing rather loudly. My wife, who grew up on a dairy farm smiled and said 'her calf wandered away.' The farm has been for sale for years, but if it is ever developed, we will not be able to see even the roofs of any buildings.
This is the most peaceful place we could ever imagine. Places on the border can be like heaven.
You can find one too if you carefully do your homework.

Here's a suggestion: a home on Tailfer Ave. shown on the Villages real estate website. It's on a lovely corner lot on the border with a separate private view on two sides.

[NJblue]

From a security perspective, I would think that bordering a farm would be safer than living "inside" TV and backing up to a pool or rec center. Thieves don't want to walk long distances from where they park their get away vehicle and would probably prefer parking in a parking lot of a pool or rec center and walking a short distance to the back of a victim's house.

[maybesomeday]

At least for preowned homes the price the market brings should reflect the power lines or sewage plant etc when you buy as well as when you sell.

[Tbugs]

JimJoe is right about different things in The Villages. I was playing golf on a course in the village of Calumet. Beautiful course and beautiful homes but the train tracks are very close by and the train noise and whistles would disturb me if I lived there. There was also a working farm just on the other side of the fence and it did have some farm smells - but not bad.

I do hear the train whistles late at night but it is faraway and is kind of a comforting sound - at a distance.

There are no hog lots here - thank goodness!

I have heard that there have been burglaries of unfinished houses in the areas such as Buttonwood. It has been the appliances being stolen. Wildwood is in a direct line to that and is a rather economically depressed area with a higher crime rate.

The Community Watch has no arrest or detain authority but they will call the police if necessary.

Personally, I feel 100% safe here. I go walking the panda (see the picture) at midnight with no problem.

[duffysmom]

:agree:I personally would not buy on the edge of TV. And I would not buy on a busy street, near the train tracks or where I can see the power line towers or near a sewage treatment plant. Every one of those impact property value or have the potential to impact property value. While having a nice farm view is great today, tomorrow it might be a shopping mall or a drag strip or a strip club or a drive in restaurant open 24 hours. I guess anything could change in the future, but the more control over that change and the limitations to it, the better off you will be from a value perspective. I have tracked resale values for 4 years now and all those things impact sale price in a negative way. Especially the power lines. House for house there is a significant sale price impact on those homes that abut the power lines. Even a few rows of homes away there is still an impact. I know someone will identify the exception and someone else will buy there because it is doubtful it will change, but believe me when looking at many homes sold close to them the impact stands out.
:agree:

[Shimpy]

The day we purchased our home in Buttonwood we looked at 3 similiar homes and one was on the border of TV. My wife remarked how nice to be next to all those trees. The TV rep said that property was not TV. As I told my wife, In a few years they could build a 24 hour truck stop there.

[JimJoe]

The day we purchased our home in Buttonwood we looked at 3 similiar homes and one was on the border of TV. My wife remarked how nice to be next to all those trees. The TV rep said that property was not TV. As I told my wife, In a few years they could build a 24 hour truck stop there.

Or a Hog Lot or a retirement home for me. Ya never know.
:p
JJ