We booked our Lifestyle Preview

[cclosser]

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I just booked our lifestyle preview for the second week in December -- I hope the weather cooperates. We're looking forward to spending some time experiencing all that TV has to offer.

I've spent the last month looking at this site and appreciate the abundance of material it covers. We've got a couple of years before we both can retire but we'd like to get a head start on looking for our next hometown.

I hope we won't be too late to purchase a new home 2 or 3 years from now.

Looking forward to our visit,
Craig

[Tom Hannon]

Welcome aboard Craig & Becky. You will love the place. I wish I was there in December to welcome you personally. Enjoy your visit. PS: Warning... The golf cart you will be given is slow.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Craig - Don't forget to bring your checkbook along in December. You just might find something in TV you can't live without!!!

And welcome to TOTV!!!

Bill :)

[2BNTV]

Craig:

I see this is your first post so :welcome: to TOTV.

I believe new homes will still be built two or three years down to road but conventional wisdom says to "bring your checkbook".

I'm sure you'll love your time in TV and you may wind up buying.

It's happened before!!!!!!

[Uptown Girl]

Welcome!:wave:
Hope your visit will be all you hope it to be and more!
Don't forget to view a sunset or two.... they are wonderful here!

[Bosoxfan]

Welcome & enjoy all this wonderful place has to offer!

[cclosser]

Thanks for the greetings everyone... Can't wait until we get down there.

Craig

[tainsley]

Thanks for the greetings everyone... Can't wait until we get down there.

Craig

:wave: Welcome!

[bonrich]

Heed the advice from the posters. Bring your checkbook, or a direct line to your financial advisor! Happened that way to us last year. Who would have thunk it.......:boom:

[Single Track]

Hi there,
I'm scheduled for my Lifestyle Preview Visit beginning Tuesday, 11/1. Only five days to go for me and I can't wait. I've spent the past 2 years reading all the great info on this site and feeling the warmth of everyone. As soon as I can retire, I will be a villager. No matter who I contacted on this board, they were quick to respond and do whatever they possibly could do to take me under their wing for my one-week visit. So go ahead and ask away, you won't be disappointed in the response you'll get.

Have fun!

[Single Track]

Welcome aboard Craig & Becky. You will love the place. I wish I was there in December to welcome you personally. Enjoy your visit. PS: Warning... The golf cart you will be given is slow.

Hello Tom,
How can you be so sure that it will be slow? Is it because they are gas? because they are old? because they don't trust new people speeding?

Will I get a ticket for going too slow? Will I get some ugly looks from those who wished I had stayed home with my slow golf cart? Yikes!

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Hello Tom,
How can you be so sure that it will be slow? Is it because they are gas? because they are old? because they don't trust new people speeding?

Will I get a ticket for going too slow? Will I get some ugly looks from those who wished I had stayed home with my slow golf cart? Yikes!

Yamaha carts come from the factory set to only run around 13 mph. The Villages Golf Cart store just leaves them set that way.

No tickets for going slow. Just wave to everyone as they pass you.............and don't be in too big of a hurry!!

Bill :)

[jack_pine]

We booked our LSV a few weeks ago for mid-January. Does anyone know when you get the exact address?

[eweissenbach]

We booked our LSV a few weeks ago for mid-January. Does anyone know when you get the exact address?

The day you check in, unless it has changed.

[jack_pine]

Just wondered because we are having a cart delivered and he is asking for it.................

[eweissenbach]

Just wondered because we are having a cart delivered and he is asking for it.................

You get a cart with the LSP you know. Anyway, perhaps the cart provider (Jim Followell?) can call the Villages Sales Office a few days ahead and get that info.

[Pturner]

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I just booked our lifestyle preview for the second week in December -- I hope the weather cooperates. We're looking forward to spending some time experiencing all that TV has to offer.

I've spent the last month looking at this site and appreciate the abundance of material it covers. We've got a couple of years before we both can retire but we'd like to get a head start on looking for our next hometown.

I hope we won't be too late to purchase a new home 2 or 3 years from now.

Looking forward to our visit,
Craig

Craig and Becky,
Welcome to TOTV! I'm excited for you, as I know you will love it here. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Hi there,
I'm scheduled for my Lifestyle Preview Visit beginning Tuesday, 11/1. Only five days to go for me and I can't wait. I've spent the past 2 years reading all the great info on this site and feeling the warmth of everyone. As soon as I can retire, I will be a villager. No matter who I contacted on this board, they were quick to respond and do whatever they possibly could do to take me under their wing for my one-week visit. So go ahead and ask away, you won't be disappointed in the response you'll get.

Have fun!

Single Track,
What a nice post. Have a fabulous time! Wish I would be in town to meet you.

We booked our LSV a few weeks ago for mid-January. Does anyone know when you get the exact address?

Jack, you might want to call the sales office and ask the best way to coordinate delivery of the cart. Have a great trip.


I hope all of you will keep us posted on your visit here. Don't forget to try as many flavors as possible of TV's Kool refreshing drink. :)

[jack_pine]

We will post a review and are looking forward to it. We are renting a 4 seat gas cart. We are sharing a place with the wife's cousin and husband. That way we can all go together or go our separate ways to check things out. It's a 2-fer.

[eweissenbach]

We will post a review and are looking forward to it. We are renting a 4 seat gas cart. We are sharing a place with the wife's cousin and husband. That way we can all go together or go our separate ways to check things out. It's a 2-fer.

Good plan! We also had another couple along on our LSP and it enhanced the experience greatly.

[lovsthosebigdogs]

We are coming for our first visit also right after Thanksgiving and will be staying for only 5 days because we are still working. We are so looking forward to it but I don't remember the office calling it a "Lifestyle Visit." What exactly is that and is there another kind of visit? We are so excited because we have been following the posts and reading anything we can about TV. Sort of like looking in the candy store window until we can retire and get ourselves INSIDE the store fpr real. We probably have 4 years until we can move down full time. One reason is that we currently have 4 dogs, one is very old and one is 9. Until he is gone we can't think of moving with the 2 dog limit. Can anyone tell us if they are serious about that? That would hold us back for certain until afterwards and I don't want to lose my beloved dogs any sooner than old age and heaven has to take them. The other 2 are younger and hopefully would be alive, healthy and coming with us when we move. One of the reasons we chose TV out of all the places in the United States is the CYV with the fence and the fenced dog parks. I've NEVER seen that before and it impressed me. Also LOVE all the activities and the friendly reputation of the people.

[jack_pine]

I am guessing it is a lifestyle visit. The name is just branding. I have heard you can move with more than 2 pups, maybe not 4, not sure. But when you are down to 2 you have to stay there.

Someone else would have to verify that though. Have seen a lot of conversation on that. Sounds like you have the same love for our 4 legged kids as we do.

[Single Track]

We booked our LSV a few weeks ago for mid-January. Does anyone know when you get the exact address?

I am scheduled there on Tuesday, Nov 1, and I just called today to see what the address is. They told me it is not assigned until the day before so I guess I'll have to wait. The only said I'd be very pleased with the place and that it is Creekside Cabanas.

Have fun.

[Yorio]

If it's the same place I stayed last year, you can even walk to Sumter Landing shopping and restaurant areas. The developer calls it Lifestyle Preview Package and all the free bells and whistles come with the rent. Since I don't think they moved the rentals to other areas, I am sure the place you are renting is close to Sumter Landing market squares.

[eweissenbach]

I am scheduled there on Tuesday, Nov 1, and I just called today to see what the address is. They told me it is not assigned until the day before so I guess I'll have to wait. The only said I'd be very pleased with the place and that it is Creekside Cabanas.

Have fun.

The Creekside Cabanas are very nice and centrally located. 2 blocks or so to Sumter market square very close to Palmer and lake miona rec center. You can get to anywhere in TV from there in reasonable time. Most are courtyard villas. You will fall in love.

[John_W]

A few weeks before we were to arrive April 21st we were emailed a video tour of a Creekside Cabana and were told that is where we would be staying. When we arrived they took us to the east side of LSL to the Lakeshore Cottages. That's the homes to the right when you cross over the Morse Bridge going south. They're nothing like a cottage or a cabana, ours was 3BR 2BA masonry home furnished by Southern Lifestyles that listed for $400,000. Believe it or not, I was somewhat disappointed because we were in the market for a CYV and I wanted to see what it was like to live in one.

Keep in mind that may be where you stay. It's a very exclusive community of only 48 homes with their own community pool and walking distance to LSL. I was told the ones on the edge of the lake go for $600,000. I drove through there not too long ago and saw the LSV bicycles and golf cart still in the garage. In the end, I enjoyed our stay there very much and I have my whole lifetime left to live in a CYV.

[cclosser]

Thanks again to everyone for the warm greetings – it’s really nice to see how helpful people are on this site. I do have a couple of questions that have been on my mind for the past few years since my first visit (only about 8 hours) a few years ago.

1) With TV being so big, how can you decide which neighborhood to live in? Are some better than others? What are some of the differences to look for? I think we’re leaning towards a Designer series home, but it looks like they’re offered in almost all of the neighborhoods.

2) We’ll probably focus on either a new home or one that is only a few years old. Do homes in the 2-3 year age bracket regularly come up on the market?

3) On our first trip to TV, all you could purchase was a completed spec home with very little input on the construction process. I see from TV’s website that you can order a standard designed home and pick out all of your options – Does anyone know if you pay a premium for this process versus just purchasing a spec home?

4) And lastly – if we decide to purchase a home but are unable to relocate to TV for a couple of years, is there a service I can contract to manage the upkeep of the home while I’m away? I probably would only visit 2-3 times per year (maybe less), and we wouldn’t want to place it in the rental market.

Thanks to everyone for your consideration in answering some of these questions.

Craig

[eweissenbach]

Thanks again to everyone for the warm greetings – it’s really nice to see how helpful people are on this site. I do have a couple of questions that have been on my mind for the past few years since my first visit (only about 8 hours) a few years ago.

1) With TV being so big, how can you decide which neighborhood to live in? Are some better than others? What are some of the differences to look for? I think we’re leaning towards a Designer series home, but it looks like they’re offered in almost all of the neighborhoods.The neighborhood is a very personal choice. Many like the "historic" area in Lake County for the affordable manufactured homes and the less restrictive covenants. Many like the northeastern Marion County areas for the more manageable traffic among other things. Many like the central areas near 466 as they are close to both existing squares. Many prefer the new areas as their neighborhood grows into TV together. There are compelling reasons to purchase in any area of TV.

2) We’ll probably focus on either a new home or one that is only a few years old. Do homes in the 2-3 year age bracket regularly come up on the market?Yes. The homes in the south and southwest, near 466A often come up for sale. The upside they are nearly new, the downside, they generally have a substantial remaining bond.

3) On our first trip to TV, all you could purchase was a completed spec home with very little input on the construction process. I see from TV’s website that you can order a standard designed home and pick out all of your options – Does anyone know if you pay a premium for this process versus just purchasing a spec home?

4) And lastly – if we decide to purchase a home but are unable to relocate to TV for a couple of years, is there a service I can contract to manage the upkeep of the home while I’m away? I probably would only visit 2-3 times per year (maybe less), and we wouldn’t want to place it in the rental market. Yes there are several, Dee (redwitch on this site) is excellent and you can PM her for information

Thanks to everyone for your consideration in answering some of these questions.

Craig ....

[Bill-n-Brillo]

What eweissenbach said!

Plus..............



3) On our first trip to TV, all you could purchase was a completed spec home with very little input on the construction process. I see from TV’s website that you can order a standard designed home and pick out all of your options – Does anyone know if you pay a premium for this process versus just purchasing a spec home? A premium per se? No. But after a completed spec home is in inventory for a while, the developer will post the price then show a discount on it, all in an effort to get it sold. So if it's the right house for you, a new spec home with a discount can be a good deal. Also, as Ed stated, don't overlook the resale market.

.......

Bill :)

[cclosser]

Excellent information. Thank you very much. And thanks to Bill as well. It should be an interesting 4 days for us.

Craig

[superbonnie]

We just got home two weeks ago and went down with no plan to buy. In fact we had booked a house for the winter . After our second day my husband was in love with the place. I had been looking at resale homes for some time on the villages site and an MLS site. We went out with both agents when we decided to buy and canceled our rental. We did end up buying with The Villages, but got some very helpful information from our MLS agent Sandy Krumrine, she is a village resident. We chose Pennecamp because it had some newer homes. We ended up buying a courtyard villa that is only a year old and was turnkey. This way we won't have to buy furniture right away and we have a place to run to when CT living gets too cold for us. Enjoy your visit and don't believe the Kool Aid stories. It is all in the water! Bring your checkbook.

[Tom Hannon]

MUST be something in the water!!!!!
Smile And Be Happy. Mary

The water is from The Fountain Of Youth.

[RichieB]

The water is from The Fountain Of Youth.

Maybe the "something in the water" is Ponce de Leon (-:

[2BNTV]

The water is from The Fountain Of Youth.

Rodney Dangerfield said, "I'm still looking fot the fountain of middle age".

"60 is the new 40". :)

[SunCity]

someone mentioned something about a kool drink. beware. it's good stuff.

[Ebsmom]

Hi Craig and Becky,
We booked a week stay as well the 2nd week of Dec and have a friend joining us also.. We were told we will be in the Creekside Cabana's 2bd/2bath..Would be nice to actually meet people that have posted on here that are coming when we do..Our check in date is the 15th..Let us know if you want to meet while we are all there experiencing The Villages:) We plan to take advantage of the Golf, enjoy the movies, Restaurants, Shopping and Rec Facilities as much as we can. We had a one nite visit to TV's in Oct and traded our RV Trip for Dec in order to come experience the LSP at TV's.
Ebsmom aka Bev
USNRet92 aka Dave

[cclosser]

Hi Craig and Becky,
We booked a week stay as well the 2nd week of Dec and have a friend joining us also.. We were told we will be in the Creekside Cabana's 2bd/2bath..Would be nice to actually meet people that have posted on here that are coming when we do..Our check in date is the 15th..Let us know if you want to meet while we are all there experiencing The Villages:) We plan to take advantage of the Golf, enjoy the movies, Restaurants, Shopping and Rec Facilities as much as we can. We had a one nite visit to TV's in Oct and traded our RV Trip for Dec in order to come experience the LSP at TV's.
Ebsmom aka Bev
USNRet92 aka Dave

Hi Bev,
Thanks for the offer -- that would have been fun but our schedules are a little different. We check-in on 12/9 and will only be in TV for 4 days.

Thanks again and I hope you have a great trip!

Craig

[jojo]

Usually some TOTV folks show up at Crispers (on 466) on the 3rd Friday which would be Dec. 16 around 3:00. I think recently more new folks have been attending. Hope that might work for you.

Hi Craig and Becky,
We booked a week stay as well the 2nd week of Dec and have a friend joining us also.. We were told we will be in the Creekside Cabana's 2bd/2bath..Would be nice to actually meet people that have posted on here that are coming when we do..Our check in date is the 15th..Let us know if you want to meet while we are all there experiencing The Villages:) We plan to take advantage of the Golf, enjoy the movies, Restaurants, Shopping and Rec Facilities as much as we can. We had a one nite visit to TV's in Oct and traded our RV Trip for Dec in order to come experience the LSP at TV's.
Ebsmom aka Bev
USNRet92 aka Dave

[Ebsmom]

Thanks JoJo I'll pass that info on to my husband and our friend... Sorry Craig and Becky our paths don't cross and we hope your visit is beyond wonderful..Hope the weather is pleasant for everyone that takes a visit!

[RichieB]

I'm trying to get my wife to agree to a Lifestyle Visit, but if she gets wind of all the predatory animals running around, she won't make the trip for a visit, nonetheless move there !!

[Schaumburger]

I'm trying to get my wife to agree to a Lifestyle Visit, but if she gets wind of all the predatory animals running around, she won't make the trip for a visit, nonetheless move there !!

RichieB, I'm just a wannabee, but I've visited TV 3 times, each visit was for a week, so I'm certainly not an expert on animal life in The Villages, but I did not see any predatory animals while I rented in TV. I did see a few very small, harmless geckos or anoles running across the sidewalks to get back into the bushes, but as far as alligators or birds of prey, I did not see any, but while renting I wasn't venturing near bodies of water nor did I bring my cat with me (he is an indoor only cat anyway).

It has been mentioned several times on TOTV to not leave pets unattended in your yard in TV, but I wouldn't leave a pet unattended in my yard in suburban Chicago either. So I wouldn't worry about running into predatory animals in TV unless you venture into a pond. I hope you are able to convince your wife to go on a Lifestyle Preview Visit.

[RichieB]

I want to do exactly what you did - visit for a week. I'm sold on making the trip, but "it takes two to tango," as they say.

We'll see........

[Sadie1313]

We booked our LSV a few weeks ago for mid-January. Does anyone know when you get the exact address?

Hi Jack_pine, We did the LSV 3 times before we were able to sell our home, and finally come here to purchase our new home in TV. You'll get the address when you get here. You'll meet at the sales office, with someone who will take you to your home. They'll show you how everything works, give you the keys to the home and to the Golf Cart, maps, vouchers for restaurants, bowling, golf, movies, etc. Of course they'll answer any questions you might have. Make sure to visit the Town Squares, and chat with people....don't be shy about it. People here are more than happy to tell you how happy they are living here, and give you suggestions on where to go, and what to see. Just have fun, and see everything you can while you're here. Good Luck Trish

[Sadie1313]

Just wondered because we are having a cart delivered and he is asking for it.................

Do you need more than one cart? The LSV program comes with a 2 seater golf cart. It's in the garage when you get to the home. Trish