What are the DOWNSIDES of TV?

[daryll40]

I've been reading up on The Villages and read a lot of GOOD stuff. But I'm wondering about the bad stuff. This board seems to have "selection bias", which, I guess, is to be expected. But what about posts from people who decided the TV was not for them...either they didn't buy in the first place or they lived there then moved out. Where can I get this info. I'm not looking to trash or bash TV, but just rather want to here from those who did not see find it as great as most of you do.

[Avista]

Wish airports were closer.

[buggyone]

I met my first person last week who was so very unhappy with The Villages that she wanted to move away quickly. Turns out the reason she was unhappy was that she had always lived close to family and now she is 1500 miles away. Her husband is 100% happy here. She can't stand it here. I asked if she had visited any clubs or interest groups and she said she just stays in her house all day and all night while her husband plays golf in the day and goes out with golfing friends at night to local watering holes.

[billethkid]

I guess you are interested in what the smallest of percentages of people who do not care for TV.....while the 98% of us enjoy it every single day.

There are the usual minority reports...too big...too small...to uppity...to middle of the road...too hot...to cold...too flat....to good to be true...etc.....etc...etc.....mostly whiny type stuff.

The really good thing is for the most part people who like it here are somewhat alike in what they were looking for.....


btk

[Bonny]

I can tell you what I don't like about the Villages. Here we go..... Ummmm... hold on, give me a minute... I'm thinking...oh yea, I remember. Not a good pizza place around. Oops, never mind, someone said we have one now that Flippers is opened. I guess that took care of that. LOL
Just kidding around. Actually there isn't much not to love here. It really is an awesome place & lots of great people.:)

[buggyone]

I guess you are interested in what the smallest of percentages of people who do not care for TV.....while the 98% of us enjoy it every single day.

There are the usual minority reports...too big...too small...to uppity...to middle of the road...too hot...to cold...too flat....to good to be true...etc.....etc...etc.....mostly whiny type stuff.

The really good thing is for the most part people who like it here are somewhat alike in what they were looking for.....


btk

I have even heard some non-Villagers say that this is a hotbed of Republicans. So what? Rarely, do we discuss politics at the golf course, at dinner, at friend's houses, and only in a light-hearted manner at the watering hole. Everyone gets along mighty well together. Friendships have been made among opposing views and I have not heard of friendships being broken because of politics here.

[dkrhardy]

We have visited 6 or 7 times, just bought a new CYV, and move in 3 weeks. We have found no negative issues. Our friends love it in TV also. There are some folks that need to be close to family, those are the ones that may not enjoy TV as much as the rest of us. That may be the only downside.
Don & Kaz

[Barefoot]

I've been reading up on The Villages and read a lot of GOOD stuff. But I'm wondering about the bad stuff.

I could tell you 20 things most people love about TV, but that isn't your topic.

No question, there is a lot of turnover in The Villages. Just look at the number of resale properties for sale on VLS and MLS. You won't hear from people who have moved on because they're not on TOTV! People move on not necessarily for "bad" reasons. In any retirement community you'll get residents leaving for expected reasons: because of medical issues, loss of a partner, or to be closer to family.

Other reasons I hear from people who would like to move: to be closer to the ocean, and to have more privacy. After five or six years, I occasionally hear from friends that they're bored with knowing what to expect each and every day. They've seen the parades, danced in the town squares, and played all the golf courses. When they moved to TV, it was new and very exciting. Now there is a sense of predictability about each day. So they want to experience some new adventures. There is nothing wrong, or flawed, about people who move out of TV. It's not for everyone. But the majority of people who live in TV really love it!

[rjm1cc]

I've been reading up on The Villages and read a lot of GOOD stuff. But I'm wondering about the bad stuff. This board seems to have "selection bias", which, I guess, is to be expected. But what about posts from people who decided the TV was not for them...either they didn't buy in the first place or they lived there then moved out. Where can I get this info. I'm not looking to trash or bash TV, but just rather want to here from those who did not see find it as great as most of you do.I have been a visitor. Not a buyer. To really test the waters try and rent a home for as long as you can. From my perspective it was too big. Took to long to go to wherever we wanted to go, if that was out side of our village. I was not there in the winter and was afraid it would be too crowed. But since it is big you can probably find what ever you want.

I have heard a few times that some of the resales are because the individual has gone from being a part time residence to full time and wanted a larger home. Also the size of the garage seems to be a problem and a reason some move. Thus make sure you will be happy with the space in the garage and probably take an option to expand wherever you buy.

[LvmyPug2]

Its tough for me to come up with any big negatives but here are a few minor things:
1) The Villages is sort of in the middle of nowhere so full scale shopping malls, fine dining, professional theater, etc you find in metro areas are over an hour away.
2) Prices (housing, gas, groceries, etc) tend to be a bit higher than surrounding areas.
3) It is a very politcally conservative community. As someone who tends to be more of a liberal, I do at times feel like a fish out of water. Fortunately most people (including me) don't talk politics.
4) Crowds during the winter

As I said, these are all very minor and I happily accept these "negatives" because my list of what is wonderful about this place would be 10x longer.

[uujudy]

. . After five or six years, I occasionally hear from friends that they're bored with knowing what to expect each and every day. They've seen the parades, danced in the town squares, and played all the golf courses. When they moved to TV, it was new and very exciting. Now there is a sense of predictability about each day. So they want to experience some new adventures. . .

BORED? :22yikes: Seriously? With another new adventure just waiting for them in the Thursday Recreation Guide or The Lifelong Learning Catalogue? How can this be?

Daryll, when you asked for the downside to living in The Villages my first thought was... There's too much to do, and not enough time!

Downside:
It's very easy to be overscheduled here. There are so many exciting new things to do & learn & explore that some nights I just fall into bed exhausted.
I have to keep a planner.
I have to set the alarm clock.
And then there are the expenses: I need tap dancing shoes, a jingly hip scarf for zumba, a new cute bathing suit, watercolor painting supplies and paper, numerous tote bags to carry all my things to all the different classes... and the list goes on.

I can understand being bored with the predictability of each day if you retired somewhere else, but I can't imagine where else they would choose to live that would give them so many opportunities for new adventures.

[Ashton]

Snakes, sinkholes, extreme right wing owner, and we were not thrilled with the quality of construction JMHO

[rubicon]

I have even heard some non-Villagers say that this is a hotbed of Republicans. So what? Rarely, do we discuss politics at the golf course, at dinner, at friend's houses, and only in a light-hearted manner at the watering hole. Everyone gets along mighty well together. Friendships have been made among opposing views and I have not heard of friendships being broken because of politics here.

"hotbed of Republicans":1rotfl: buggyone that was funny

[pooh]

Just because one lives in The Villages doesn't mean they are isolated from the world. There are many activities and events here, but there are surrounding communities that offer events, opportunities, too. Some still want to work, some need to help and volunteer, some want to try new things, getting bored is more of a personal choice or feeling than anything else. It is easy to overdo when a new resident. As time passes, one becomes more selective of where to use their time. You don't have to go to the square every night. I wonder what some who are dissatisfied with this area would do in retirement where they left? If there is a downside, maybe it's there is TOO much to do.....:laugh:

[rubicon]

What are the downsides of TV? The truth> I don't think you can handle the truth?

[pooh]

BORED? :22yikes: Seriously? With another new adventure just waiting for them in the Thursday Recreation Guide or The Lifelong Learning Catalogue? How can this be?

Daryll, when you asked for the downside to living in The Villages my first thought was... There's too much to do, and not enough time!

Downside:
It's very easy to be overscheduled here. There are so many exciting new things to do & learn & explore that some nights I just fall into bed exhausted.
I have to keep a planner.
I have to set the alarm clock.
And then there are the expenses: I need tap dancing shoes, a jingly hip scarf for zumba, a new cute bathing suit, watercolor painting supplies and paper, numerous tote bags to carry all my things to all the different classes... and the list goes on.

I can understand being bored with the predictability of each day if you retired somewhere else, but I can't imagine where else they would choose to live that would give them so many opportunities for new adventures.

Don't forget, you have to take your weather radio to the fire station every week......:laugh::laugh:

[jimbo2012]

the quality of construction JMHO

Care to elaborate on that comment before I build?

[Taltarzac725]

Most of the people I know who have moved from the Villages wanted to be closer to their family, or had moved into a neighborhood with bad neighbors and did not want to stay any longer in the Villages, or lost an important part of their family and could not take the daily reminders of their grief, or really missed the excitement of a major city like NY, Chicago or LA. Some also moved because of a promotion in their work life to some other city and state.

Think it depends where you go with respect to finding too many detractors with respect to your politics. Some Villagers do not seem all that interested in your politics, others can be.

I would like to see a Lionsgate movie in the Villages though and would like it if there were a quaility theater troupe.

[uujudy]

Don't forget, you have to take your weather radio to the fire station every week......:laugh::laugh:

OMG! Forgot to add that to my planner! Thanks for the reminder, Pooh! :laugh:

[hdh1470]

Care to elaborate on that comment before I build?

I have found the quality much better then I have seen In new areas of chicago suburbs.Never spoke to anybody that had concerns.Even better then I saw in Boca Raton when we lived and worked their in early 80s.

[Russ_Boston]

Snakes? Haven't seen one yet. Maybe smashed on the road.

But I'm sure they are around. But not a big negative as far as I can tell.

[Bonny]

Snakes, sinkholes, extreme right wing owner, and we were not thrilled with the quality of construction JMHO
We have been here over 12 years. We have built to beautiful homes. I think the quality is great. We have made a lot of friends here & they say the same thing.

[jane032657]

The downfall for us is that we own a beautiful home there and we cannot move permanantly until around October. My complaint, it is too far away from Seattle so I cannot just come quickly for a visit!!! I cannot wait to be there and call it home. I am thrilled the malls are far away, that it is somewhat isolated, that there is more to do than there is time in a day, that the sunsets are breathtaking, that the people are smiling and living life. I am a great cook and so fine dining is at our house. If I get tired of Happy Hour in the town square we will do Happy Hour in our backyard while we look at the lake, the park and the birds. I have strong political opinions but they are mine and I do not care what others believe if they are good human beings and do not speak in terms of racism, sexism, or maliciousness of others. Every place has things that may not be to our liking, but no place has all the things to like that The Villages does.

[Happinow]

We've only been here about 7 weeks, so things are still pretty new to us. The only thing I can think of that may be a downside is you have to go a ways to get to a lot of places, but once you go, there's everything you could possibly want. We were used to going no more than 5-7 minutes away to get to everything and now if we want to go to 27/441 it takes us 15 or so minutes. I hardly call that "far" but just not what we are accustomed to. We are probably more "homebodies" than most so we built a pool and a very large lanai area so that we would have everything that we wanted right here. I feel good knowing that when, and if we get bored, we have a ton of activities to choose from. The Villages may not be for everyone, but it's the right place for us! Best of luck with your decision.

[keithwand]

We have been here 3 weeks since moving from Winter Park, FL where we moved to from MI in 2004.
So here goes
Negatives: Costco and Total Wine are 1 hour away.
Positives: Everything else.
Before visiting we thought "what are the positives?"
Then we visited and are living here 5 months later.

[eweissenbach]

I think that for one to be truly happy here, or anywhere for that matter, they have to evalute carefully if this is what they want. My wife and I love TV because we love all the activities available. We have lived for nine years on a lake in a rather isolated area and while the lake itself offers many activities, and we have all the water toys, pontoon, bass boat, waverunner, etc, there is only so much of that one can do. We have few resturaunts closer than an hour away and shopping is not handy, even groceries are 20 minutes away.

Our kids are all about an hour away and we see them often, but it takes some effort, not to mention gas. Because we have three grown children and six grandchildren who all live in the same area, we will never live full-time in TV. My wife would not be happy living anywhere that was a plane trip away from the kids and grandkids on a full-time basis, and I probably would not either. Many of the people I have heard express unhappiness here were upset about being far away from their family. Now I know many have managed to work that out to thier satisfaction, many others cannot. Someone who tended to be introverted and who did not enjoy meeting new people, or joining in activities with strangers, would be likely unhappy in TV. If you don't like to dance, play golf, listen to live music, ride around in open air carts then there are probably better choices for you.

Our plan is to purchase a place in TV and live about six months there and six months near our children. We are planning to puchase a place together with our good friends with whom we have shared rentals the last two years, to make it financially practical for all of us, not to mention we have a very compatible and synergistic relationship.

My advice is to evaluate what you want to accomplish in a move, and what kind of place might best offer that lifestyle. TV is paradise for those who like it here because there is no place that offers more of the kind of activities and, yes, lifestyle that they covet. However, if that lifestyle isn't your cup of tea, there may be many other places available that offer the things you are looking for.

[JoeC1947]

Downside.....1 hour happy hour at LSL and a 2 hour happy hour at SP.
As you can see, if that's all I have to complain about, then there really is no downside.

[asianthree]

takes us too long to drive down. wish we could be there more

[asianthree]

oh yea i hate paying for trash pickup when we are not there, and bright house needs to be available in all areas

[hulababy]

ok I'm going to be perfectly honest here. I've been here long enough now so I can explain to you why some may find it negative. Although I love the villages it is NOT for everyone. It is getting crowded!! Like a city. Some are NOT happy with waiting in lines to get in classes. The classes can get so crowded you may have to take a number to get in and then get turned away. Doesn't happen to me because I don't attend those type of classes but friends of mine tell me it does happen. The squares can get so crowded, parking can be difficult, chairs hard to come by.Restaurants, especially in winter can have very long wait lines. We need much more than they are keeping up with. We need more softball fields, gyms, movie theaters, a LARGE DANCE hall (which I don't think they are adding to the new square) We need a nice theater. Savannah is not comfortable. Our homes are close to each other. For me it's a positive, but some a negative. Kids are driving around in golf carts. Yesterday I saw four 10 yr olds driving around hanging out of it laughing. Accidents waiting to happen. Don't know what is wrong with some grandparents. Over all, I love it. I love the lifestyle, I love the people but I can see why some do leave. I would suggest to anyone to rent for a year or two and feel out the lifestyle and then decide whether it is for you or not. Good luck on your decision. Those are just some thoughts that immediately came to mind. And one very important thing to note: without all these wonderful volunteers to run the clubs we would not have the lifestyle we do. They are absolutely fantastic in what they do and offer us for entertainment and lifestyle!!

[RichieLion]

Downside.....1 hour happy hour at LSL and a 2 hour happy hour at SP.
As you can see, if that's all I have to complain about, then there really is no downside.

Bingo!!; that's my biggest complaint also. I'm not usually an early supper guy, so the 5 to 6 pm happy hour at LSL doesn't suit me as well as the 5 to 7 pm happy hour at SP, and I live closer to LSL. OK, really it's no big deal.

My only other want here would be a really good Italian Deli. Why oh why can't I get good deli here in The beautiful Villages?

[skip0358]

Didn't do their homework

We researched and looked at other retirement communities before buying here. We're coming up on 3 years. We moved to a new neighborhood,have made great friends,have a great time. We've met and seen on here of people who aren't happy. They claim they didn't know this or that, to many people and crowded ( true in the winter it's busy). My taxes are cheaper,my utilities are cheaper,my insurance is cheaper,food I find about the same. I don't pay state income tax so our pention goes further, all our bars,resteraunts,movie theathers, my doctors etc. are within 5 miles of my house, I only need the car for off property chores.I can take a shuttle to the airport anytime I need to.As for the house construction and price you can deff get a bigger house for a cheaper price elsewhere but you'll be coming to TV for a lot of your entertainment. I still think they build a darn good home for what we pay for them. They do use roof trusses and OSB instead of plywood but so are a lot of other builders today. All I can say is ask questions on TOTV and do your homework. One thing I did find more then up north was mr car registration which was a 1 shot deal. Good luck and don't worry about the small stuff.

[daryll40]

These are great answers. I appreciate your candor. Keep 'em comin'

[jane032657]

The Villages in my eyes is a tourist area. People are coming to see what it is about. It is talked about as Adult Disneyland. Lifestyle visits are inexpensive. People enjoy being snowbirds or coming down to visit in their hometown winter months. So yes it will get crowded. I lived on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia for five years, another paradise, fabulous. Quiet, goregous, peaceful, only access was ferry/boat and sea plane. Then summer comes. Population doubles. Traffic lines coming from ferry (no street lights on island so now you might have five minutes of summer traffic figuring out the roads). But that crowdedness creates jobs and income and vibrancy for the community. Same for TV. All of us were a part of making The Villages crowded before moving there because we came to visit and experience everything. It just is how it is because of what it is. That is what makes it The Villages.

[asianthree]

my sprint service sucks

[Bosoxfan]

:cus::laugh:The days are too short!!

[ssmith]

From a Wannabe...We have visited many times (too young to retire) and have found only 1 unhappy couple. You see they are not the type to join -in. They don't take advantage of what TV has to offer in clubs or activities so for them living somewhere else would have been better. They did admit that they both lost their health shortly after they moved in and that may contribute to their opinion of the place.

Also there is another thread you should check out that has about 50 pages to it ...look under search above ...someone else help me with the name of it....something like what do you hate about TV.

[jebartle]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:, Hmmm!, I'm thinking....Hmmm!, Let's see, What Downsides in TV, I know, you have not moved to the Villages yet!

[2BNTV]

From a Wannabe...We have visited many times (too young to retire) and have found only 1 unhappy couple. You see they are not the type to join -in. They don't take advantage of what TV has to offer in clubs or activities so for them living somewhere else would have been better. They did admit that they both lost their health shortly after they moved in and that may contribute to their opinion of the place.

Also there is another thread you should check out that has about 50 pages to it ...look under search above ...someone else help me with the name of it....something like what do you hate about TV.


Here you go with the title and link.

Everybody seems to love TV I would like to hear what you hate besides

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/everybody-seems-love-villages-i-would-like-hear-what-you-hate-beside-9370/

[rubicon]

The Villages in my eyes is a tourist area. People are coming to see what it is about. It is talked about as Adult Disneyland. Lifestyle visits are inexpensive. People enjoy being snowbirds or coming down to visit in their hometown winter months. So yes it will get crowded. I lived on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia for five years, another paradise, fabulous. Quiet, goregous, peaceful, only access was ferry/boat and sea plane. Then summer comes. Population doubles. Traffic lines coming from ferry (no street lights on island so now you might have five minutes of summer traffic figuring out the roads). But that crowdedness creates jobs and income and vibrancy for the community. Same for TV. All of us were a part of making The Villages crowded before moving there because we came to visit and experience everything. It just is how it is because of what it is. That is what makes it The Villages.

Bingo...its why this place does not feel like my home. TV's form of government is also a concern, county Property and School taxes are high, utilities are high especiallty water, insurance is high. I paid half as much for my insurance in the Minneapolis area for a house that was double the square footage.

[jgbama]

I'm wondering if once TV finishes building new homes, if some of the "tourist resort" feeling will subside some. The lifestyle visits will end as there will be no more new homes to sale. I realize everyone will not live here full-time, and some homes were purchased for investment and for rental.

The only downside we found out after several years of visiting, was the residential areas aren't truly gated. We fell in love with TV in April 2005. Our week down in 2006 was to ask, in person, just what you are asking here. We found one gentleman who said, "it's getting too big".

We soon will be "FROGS"! From TOTV and our many visits, we have seen and learned some the annoyances, which some have posted here already. Even knowing that, they are things we are prepared to deal with. No matter where you live, there are things that drive you crazy (loud music from the car next to you, inconsiderate people, people driving too fast, etc.) I don't think you will find any "surprises" that you haven't already experienced.

Make sure you understand what living in a Community Development District means and what additional expenses you'll have. If you find them acceptable, then get rid of your junk (like we are doing) and COME JOIN US in lower paradise!!

We are absolutely GIDDY ABOUT BECOMING FROGS! :a040::MOJE_whot::pepper2:

[ilovetv]

If TV feels like a "tourist area", it is because everyone comes from somewhere else.....none of us was born and raised here. "Tourist" communities I've lived near are termed "tourist" towns because the majority of people go there to vacation, spend their money, and leave. Tourists do not care about taking care of the properties they are using for lodging, recreation, golfing on, etc. That is not the case with TV.

Here in TV, people come here to live.......on a permanent vacation. We've worked like animals for 40 years to finally be able to take a vacation that does not end in a week or two, and that does not require us to "clean out and empty the condo completely" (translation: Mom spends the last 48 hours of "vacation" cleaning and doing 15 loads of laundry so the car/van trunk is not full of stinky, moldy beach towels, t-shirts, etc. upon arriving home after driving for 20 hours). It's also a permanent vacation because we go places and do things without getting a babysitter or listening to little kids crying, fussing and running around wearing us out.

I really don't see how comparisons can be made between TV and, let's say, Minneapolis. The reasons for locating in TV or the other location are like night and day, starting with the weather.

[njbchbum]

we're another couple who finds that the biggest thing wrong with the villages is that it is too far from new jersey! ;)

and as for being snowbirds rather than frogs - not a problem - we love our winter reunions with our frog friends - i don't think we eat home for a week! we spend the summer at the jersey shore so we know all about the reputations of part-time residents [we call them bennies because they come here for the benefits of sun, sand and surf!] - we are invaded between memorial day and labor day - problem is we don't get to meet a lot of them and the ones we do meet are rarely here for more than a two week vacation. i have NO qualms about returning to my florida real estate and adapting my life to its wintertime cycle! and to those that DO complain about us snowbirds returning i simply reply "pfft!" or suggest that they find another community.

[jbdlfan]

Well, we have tried The Villages and have found that it is not for us. We will be buying property outside and building instead. Now, I must admit, we are much younger than most here and that is part of the issue. Another issue is that we just can't justify the cost. We can build a better home on more property for less costs. I figure I can have my own pool and still pay to golf in TV for what I am saving. This is a personal thing for us. We came, we tried and will be leaving.

[kentucky blue]

Most of the people I know who have moved from the Villages wanted to be closer to their family, or had moved into a neighborhood with bad neighbors and did not want to stay any longer in the Villages, or lost an important part of their family and could not take the daily reminders of their grief, or really missed the excitement of a major city like NY, Chicago or LA. Some also moved because of a promotion in their work life to some other city and state.

.

TV is terrific,but i could never be a frog.I need to have the second home so i can travel back and forth and be close to family and friends,and enjoy the best of both worlds.I just wish the airports were closer to TV, need the Morse's to build one in TV, i would be one happy dude.

[bluedog103]

I had, and still have a big problem with the small building lots. Even the larger lots are tiny compared to what we're used to. It's something we discussed at length prior to buying in TV. We figured we could tolerate it since we never plan to be full time TV residents.
The first two winters in TV were quite a bit colder that we expected. I talked with a lot of locals and they assured me that those winters were colder than usual. Last winter the weather was fantastic. I hope the mild winters continue. The only thing we were trying to escape in buying in Florida was the cold, snowy New York winters. Another stretch of cold winters will mean a for sale sign on the TV house.
Other than those two issues we're very happy in TV. We've made a lot of friends and are probably busier than we want to be but it's fun. We're active in our church and in several local organizations, both within TV and out of the bubble.
When we visit friends in Stonecrest and Spruce Creek it's interesting that they seem just as happy in their new digs as we are in ours. I guess home really is where you hang your hat.

[eweissenbach]

I had, and still have a big problem with the small building lots. Even the larger lots are tiny compared to what we're used to. It's something we discussed at length prior to buying in TV. We figured we could tolerate it since we never plan to be full time TV residents.
The first two winters in TV were quite a bit colder that we expected. I talked with a lot of locals and they assured me that those winters were colder than usual. Last winter the weather was fantastic. I hope the mild winters continue. The only thing we were trying to escape in buying in Florida was the cold, snowy New York winters. Another stretch of cold winters will mean a for sale sign on the TV house.
Other than those two issues we're very happy in TV. We've made a lot of friends and are probably busier than we want to be but it's fun. We're active in our church and in several local organizations, both within TV and out of the bubble.
When we visit friends in Stonecrest and Spruce Creek it's interesting that they seem just as happy in their new digs as we are in ours. I guess home really is where you hang your hat.

As for the lot sizes, I for one am ready for a small lot. We have had several homes with 3 to 8 acre lots, and currently have a 2/3 acre lake lot that is as much work as a small farm. Time to play more and work less.

We too have met people from both Stonecrest and Spruce Creek, and they say they are happy, and from all appearences, are. However, when you dig into their thinking they have, without exception, at least one of the couple who is extemely non-social. I don't mean that as a negative, but one or both simply don't like mixing with strangers, and don't really like a lot of outside activities. One man we met who used to live in TV, and now lives in Stonecrest was just furious about the mail situation in TV, having clustered mailboxes where everyone went at 4:30 and about ran each other over. I am not exaggerating, that is why he left the Villages and moved to Stonecrest. Everyone has different ideas about what life should be about, and most definitely not everyone is cut out for The Villages. One reason TV is so great for most that are there is because they are among like-minded, active, outgoing people. The people who are not probably don't buy there for the most part, and in most cases probably shouldn't.

[bluedog103]

I haven't met any introverts in Stonecrest or Spruce Creek. Granted, I only know a few couples in each place but they're just as friendly and outgoing as anyone I know in TV. They just found the other areas more to their liking. We're close friends with another couple from Lake Panasoffkee and they think we're all nuts in TV, in a nice way. Like most of us, they're from up north and are extremely busy in their Florida home. They're both friendly and likable and I'm sure would bored silly in TV. They just have a different lifestyle. I'm fortunate to have met them through a lodge I belong to in Leesburg.

[jane032657]

I was not speaking negatively when I said I though TV is like a tourist area. I like those kind of towns because things stay vibrant and it is fun to live where other people come to visit and are happy being there and enjoying life. We have a half acre in Seattle and are happy to be transitioning to a beautiful backyard with little upkeep, we pay a lot now for weekly landscaping in Seattle as we do not have time to look after property this size with so much lush greenery and flowers. There are lots of places to buy less expensive and bigger more palatial homes in Florida-it is a foreclosure paradise except in TV, though there are some there too. You are paying for the lifestyle, the beauty and maintenance of everywhere you turn; the activties, entertainment, golf cart roads, etc. If you love it, live it. If you don't, choose somewhere else. It seems so simple to me. When you make your choice of where to go, you do so because it fulfills you. If you find a lot wrong with a place, look elsewhere. My husband would never have considered retirement before we found TV. He always says when his clients retire, and then he meets with them a few months later, they tell him how they fell off the roof cleaning the gutters or are not doing anything because of the rainy weather....it was not attractive to him. Then he saw everyone living life with retirement, and now we will too! Thank you The Villages!

[Floridagal]

I enjoy living here, except for one reason. I hear of blocks that are very close and people go out for lunch, dinner or just sit in someone's house and spend a nice evening. The block I live on is not all that friendly. We say hello and that is about as far as it does. No body seems to want to get together as a group. So I have found friends in other villages and they are very friendly and you can always count on them and we do alot of things together.

[gmcneill]

I am neither a grandparent nor a dog owner but I wish that TV had:

1. A large playground with age-specific play structures that are fun and interesting.

2. A true passive park with several acres of open space and shaded areas.

3. A modern dog park.

[jblum315]

I agree

[rubicon]

I am neither a grandparent nor a dog owner but I wish that TV had:

1. A large playground with age-specific play structures that are fun and interesting.

2. A true passive park with several acres of open space and shaded areas.

3. A modern dog park.

gmcneill: if there are such areas available I assure you the Developer will put a house on it. "The Village Lifestyle" is what the Developer sells and so that "Lifestyle" costs people a hefty premium. But what you discover is that people who purchased outside TV benefit from that "Lifestyle"..They have access and utilize the golf cartpaths, golf courses, town squares, etc without paying amenities, fees , etc. What I hear in defense of this is "well they can't use our rec centers or pools, etc. I'll make book that they can and do. If I am wrong the cost of amenities still don't justify what is given in return. I have met folks who left TV and moved down the road for that reason.
Finally "Selling the Lifestyle" is so profitable that is my understanding the Developer has developed a seminar for other Developers on how to sell "The Lifestyle" concept and getting a hefty price for it.

[2 Oldcrabs]

Do not like: Sinkholes, Winter Crowds, Chair Saving at the squares, Speeding Golf Carts and Roundabouts. As for the quailty of the house, it is "track housing" nothing better, nothing worse. But as long as it DOES NOT SNOW here, I like it.:pepper2:

[hulababy]

Warning I love leaving my windows open in nice weather so does back door neighbor. If your going to have some HOT SEX involving sceaming, they can hear you. ha Homes are that close!! And we have an extra deep lot. can't imagine if we didn't.

[asianthree]

Really does everyone go get their mail at 4:30? i guess i am not in the loop of mail pickup

[Dennis Ga]

The only thing I can think of is there are not enough time in the day to get everything done that you would like to do. :pepper2:

[graciegirl]

gmcneill: if there are such areas available I assure you the Developer will put a house on it. "The Village Lifestyle" is what the Developer sells and so that "Lifestyle" costs people a hefty premium. But what you discover is that people who purchased outside TV benefit from that "Lifestyle"..They have access and utilize the golf cartpaths, golf courses, town squares, etc without paying amenities, fees , etc. What I hear in defense of this is "well they can't use our rec centers or pools, etc. I'll make book that they can and do. If I am wrong the cost of amenities still don't justify what is given in return. I have met folks who left TV and moved down the road for that reason.
Finally "Selling the Lifestyle" is so profitable that is my understanding the Developer has developed a seminar for other Developers on how to sell "The Lifestyle" concept and getting a hefty price for it.

Your understanding of a seminar for other developers sounds pretty far fetched to me Rubicon. I respectfully disagree about the developer "putting a house" on ALL available property. First, the area was all planned out at the beginning. AND there are acres and acres and acrea of nothing but beautifully maintained green space along the roadways, my favorite being the area around Buena Vista and Stillwater. To me that area reminds me of my vision of heaven, the other one.

I grant we could have a lot of things that we don't have, many have mentioned indoor pools, more dog parks, charging stations for golf carts, separate golf cart paths all over, separate walking paths all over, separate bike paths all over,someone to police the saving seats, etc. etc. etc. We have so many things here for our $135 a month and yet we want more, more, more. We could have more but someone has to pay for them.

We have things so nice that others come into our campus and try to use them. I think our ambassadors do a fairly good job of checking pool passes and definitely checking ID's on the golf courses. They are told not to be challenging or rude to anyone and I haven't run into those behaviors from the ID checkers at all.

I do agree Rubicon that you can get bigger homes and larger lots for the same money outside The Villages. But. Not many choose to do that. And if they do they want a different set of things for themselves that brought me here to Florida that I said I would NEVER live in and brought me to the happiest part of my life.

[jane032657]

I am still trying to understand why there is anger about certain things? I said it before, it is a choice to live anywhere, so if you do not like what is at TV or anywhere else, why focus on moving or living there? I am not referring to people who wish for certain things, more about the animosity of what TV is. It is what it is, so choose accordingly where you want to live, what you want to pay, what type of home you want, what you will sacrifice to be somewhere, and whether or not what the developer does, who he supports, how he lives his life, what plans he executes, and what he does for his wealth building is so distasteful to you that there is no way you can enjoy TV without being mad! Come to TV if you will enjoy it. There are so many other places to live too, it is a big country and big world. I think "just smile and be happy" should define retirement. I hope I am right about that.

[Bonny]

:agree: :BigApplause:

[Bogie Shooter]

I am still trying to understand why there is anger about certain things? I said it before, it is a choice to live anywhere, so if you do not like what is at TV or anywhere else, why focus on moving or living there? I am not referring to people who wish for certain things, more about the animosity of what TV is. It is what it is, so choose accordingly where you want to live, what you want to pay, what type of home you want, what you will sacrifice to be somewhere, and whether or not what the developer does, who he supports, how he lives his life, what plans he executes, and what he does for his wealth building is so distasteful to you that there is no way you can enjoy TV without being mad! Come to TV if you will enjoy it. There are so many other places to live too, it is a big country and big world. I think "just smile and be happy" should define retirement. I hope I am right about that.

Ah, what you forget-some people just like to hear themselves whine.
I agree with you, if it ain't what you thought just move on.

[janmcn]

Ah, what you forget-some people just like to hear themselves whine.
I agree with you, if it ain't what you thought just move on.

If you look at the number of almost new homes for sale, fully furnished, golf cart included, quick close possible, it would seem people are taking your advice.

[asianthree]

the downsides seem to be few and far between, for a place so large i think we chose well

[eweissenbach]

There are slightly more than 40 million seniors (over 65) in the U.S.
There will be approximately 110,000 residents in TV by build out
That means that the villages needs to appeal to .00275% of the senior citizens of the U.S. (and of course, many are under 65
The Villages sold approximately 1% of the new homes built in 2011 in the U.S.

Looking at these figures I would assume; a.) That everyone eligible does not need or even have the opportunity to live in TV for it to be a success b.) That the Villages must be more appealing than the average community for seniors, by a long shot

There are currently 39,890,000 seniors that cannot fit into TV, so I hope, for their sake, TV isn't their dream destination.

For the 110,000 that ultimately make it - they are fortunate indeed.

[eweissenbach]

If you look at the number of almost new homes for sale, fully furnished, golf cart included, quick close possible, it would seem people are taking your advice.

After looking at dozens of resale homes in TV over the last three years, and always asking why the owners are leaving, I have found....

The majority seem to be buying a newer, bigger, or smaller home in The Villages.
Many are leaving because of illness or death of a spouse
A few want to move back to be closer to family
A very few seem to be moving in with a child to save on expenses

In other words, most are staying in TV, and most who are not, don't seem to be leaving because they don't like TV.

[senior citizen]

We've only been here about 7 weeks, so things are still pretty new to us. The only thing I can think of that may be a downside is you have to go a ways to get to a lot of places, but once you go, there's everything you could possibly want. We were used to going no more than 5-7 minutes away to get to everything and now if we want to go to 27/441 it takes us 15 or so minutes. I hardly call that "far" but just not what we are accustomed to. We are probably more "homebodies" than most so we built a pool and a very large lanai area so that we would have everything that we wanted right here. I feel good knowing that when, and if we get bored, we have a ton of activities to choose from. The Villages may not be for everyone, but it's the right place for us! Best of luck with your decision.

You sound like our kind of people. We also enjoy our home and would definitely put in our own pool with birdcage off the lanai. Our adult children and grandchildren would love it and say they would visit often.

Since I agree with another poster that the airport is too far away and quite HUGE, we are happy to host family and friends in our own home.

We are not bar / saloon people......so that wouldn't be a draw for us.
Neither would be the nightly entertainment in the town squares, although originally I thought it would be.

However, the entire area is beautifully landscaped and was very pleasant; the homes we stayed in were finely built.......so nothing to complain about there...........like you, we are used to having all of our small town services close by....within a few minute....meaning couple of minute drive or walk........so I do "hear you" re the distances to get places.

We were there during perfectly gorgeous weather..........such as we are experiencing now in Vermont. However, each time we drive north in our state, through the central portion that was totally devasted by the floods from Irene, landslides, bridges and roads destroyed (and just now being repaired).........even with our beautiful weather, we do realize that as we "age in place" we'd be better off in The Villages......in a flat home, with no steps.......and in a warmer climate........although the humidity is not a favorite of ours........so far, it's the middle atlantic states that have had the worst weather.......and Florida seems to be quite peaceful for now.

This book I am reading , "Evil in Paradise" portrays the Villages as people with lots of "past lives" and I'm not talking reincarnation.......plus some of the characters are now showing more violent natures........not all live in The Villages, but do interact with them (in the plot of the book)....but the ones who own businesses on the highways on the perimeter of TV, seem to have very criminal natures..........whomever that author is who wrote the book.......does have his or her "area down pat". I wonder how much of this new book is factual........and how much is just written for sensationalism?? Who is this author that knows so much about TV?

As far as density, the book is almost comical in how the "neighbors" keep track of other neighbors' comings and goings.......maybe the houses are too close? Also, in the book, what you see in the retired folks isn't necessarily what they were "before" they came to TV. Again, past lives.

The book claims the population is 90,000 in THE VILLAGES.
We had thought it was 70,000. Still huge....considering we live in a totally self contained town of 16,000 which has everything, including two colleges, a great hospital and every service one needs without leaving town.

We saw no snakes or other creepy things, except one coyote.......which obviously you can't say.......but we saw it for sure. Have them here as well.........

My husband is always talking about TV........whereas, originally, I was the one who thought it would be great. I think he misses the heated inground pool under the birdcage and off the lanai.......

We had one in our other home (still in Vermont) which took a lot more work as far as cleaning, uncovering, covering, etc..........

We are slowly coming to terms with the fact that TV would be good for us, irregardless of the traffic and the summer heat. It's a very pretty place........for sure.

We love all of our grandchildren (six of them) but as they grow we can see they are super busy with extracurricular and school / church activities.........so being in close proximity is not necessary; if you build it they will come !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bogie Shooter]

You sound like our kind of people. We also enjoy our home and would definitely put in our own pool with birdcage off the lanai. Our adult children and grandchildren would love it and say they would visit often.

Since I agree with another poster that the airport is too far away and quite HUGE, we are happy to host family and friends in our own home.

We are not bar / saloon people......so that wouldn't be a draw for us.
Neither would be the nightly entertainment in the town squares, although originally I thought it would be.

However, the entire area is beautifully landscaped and was very pleasant; the homes we stayed in were finely built.......so nothing to complain about there...........like you, we are used to having all of our small town services close by....within a few minute....meaning couple of minute drive or walk........so I do "hear you" re the distances to get places.

We were there during perfectly gorgeous weather..........such as we are experiencing now in Vermont. However, each time we drive north in our state, through the central portion that was totally devasted by the floods from Irene, landslides, bridges and roads destroyed (and just now being repaired).........even with our beautiful weather, we do realize that as we "age in place" we'd be better off in The Villages......in a flat home, with no steps.......and in a warmer climate........although the humidity is not a favorite of ours........so far, it's the middle atlantic states that have had the worst weather.......and Florida seems to be quite peaceful for now.

This book I am reading , "Evil in Paradise" portrays the Villages as people with lots of "past lives" and I'm not talking reincarnation.......plus some of the characters are now showing more violent natures........not all live in The Villages, but do interact with them (in the plot of the book)....but the ones who own businesses on the highways on the perimeter of TV, seem to have very criminal natures..........whomever that author is who wrote the book.......does have his or her "area down pat". I wonder how much of this new book is factual........and how much is just written for sensationalism?? Who is this author that knows so much about TV?

As far as density, the book is almost comical in how the "neighbors" keep track of other neighbors' comings and goings.......maybe the houses are too close? Also, in the book, what you see in the retired folks isn't necessarily what they were "before" they came to TV. Again, past lives.

The book claims the population is 90,000 in THE VILLAGES.
We had thought it was 70,000. Still huge....considering we live in a totally self contained town of 16,000 which has everything, including two colleges, a great hospital and every service one needs without leaving town.

We saw no snakes or other creepy things, except one coyote.......which obviously you can't say.......but we saw it for sure. Have them here as well.........

My husband is always talking about TV........whereas, originally, I was the one who thought it would be great. I think he misses the heated inground pool under the birdcage and off the lanai.......

We had one in our other home (still in Vermont) which took a lot more work as far as cleaning, uncovering, covering, etc..........

We are slowly coming to terms with the fact that TV would be good for us, irregardless of the traffic and the summer heat. It's a very pretty place........for sure.

We love all of our grandchildren (six of them) but as they grow we can see they are super busy with extracurricular and school / church activities.........so being in close proximity is not necessary; if you build it they will come !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The book "Evils in Paradise" you are reading and ask who the author is? Help!

Maybe this will help, from Amazon;

book description.
Cathy Roberts has it all-an exciting life in a fabulous retirement community, a beautiful home, an expensive automobile, a doting husband, and five wonderful grandchildren. But it isn't enough for the attractive, well-spoken Cathy. Filled with an insatiable desire for self-gratification, she wants more. Then, as fate would have it, she meets a handsome and single ex-truck driver, Eric Lowe, and the sparks begin to fly. Captivated by the exciting and much younger Lowe, she wants to spend the rest of her life with him, free from the constraints of her marriage. During a chance meeting with a troubled Harley rider at a local bar, Cathy finds her ticket to freedom. The resulting story takes the reader on a gripping journey filled with broken promises, forbidden liaisons, violent confrontations, and finally, murder.

About the Author:
In his fifth novel, R B Conroy uses the setting of his winter home in central Florida to create yet another murder-mystery thriller. The Villages, Florida, a diverse and exciting community, provides the backdrop for this spine tingling tale of greed, deception, and murder. As this book goes to print, Conroy is hard at work on the outline for his next exciting novel.
R B Conroy's other novels include: Devil Rising, Return of the Gun, In My Father's Image and Deadly Game.

Sure sounds like fiction to me.

[JSR22]

The book is based on events in Naples Fl and the author is Renee Relf.

[cgalloway6]

Your understanding of a seminar for other developers sounds pretty far fetched to me Rubicon. I respectfully disagree about the developer "putting a house" on ALL available property. First, the area was all planned out at the beginning. AND there are acres and acres and acrea of nothing but beautifully maintained green space along the roadways, my favorite being the area around Buena Vista and Stillwater. To me that area reminds me of my vision of heaven, the other one.

I grant we could have a lot of things that we don't have, many have mentioned indoor pools, more dog parks, charging stations for golf carts, separate golf carts all over, separate walking paths all over, separate bike paths all over,someone to police the saving seats, etc. etc. etc. We have so many things here for our $135 a month and yet we want more, more, more. We could have more but someone has to pay for them.

We have things so nice that others come into our campus and try to use them. I think our ambassadors do a fairly good job of checking pool passes and definitely checking ID's on the golf courses. They are told not to be challenging or rude to anyone and I haven't run into those behaviors from the ID checkers at all.

I do agree Rubicon that you can get bigger homes and larger lots for the same money outside The Villages. But. Not many choose to do that. And if they do they want a different set of things for themselves that brought me here to Florida that I said I would NEVER live in and brought me to the happiest part of my life.

By the way, our only granddaughter graduated from college last month and started her career in television production today. Life is very good.
If you don't like it here there is absolutely no problem selling your home. We listed our home last month, had an offer in 2 days, a contract the next day for about 97-98% of the listing price which was 10% higher than we paid a year earlier. We closed 3 weeks later. We are building a home in one of the new areas with a larger garage and better view and look forward to full time residency although it won't be for a few years. If you don't like it in TV there are plenty ready to take your place.

[jackz]

There are slightly more than 40 million seniors (over 65) in the U.S.
There will be approximately 110,000 residents in TV by build out
That means that the villages needs to appeal to .00275% of the senior citizens of the U.S. (and of course, many are under 65
The Villages sold approximately 1% of the new homes built in 2011 in the U.S.

Looking at these figures I would assume; a.) That everyone eligible does not need or even have the opportunity to live in TV for it to be a success b.) That the Villages must be more appealing than the average community for seniors, by a long shot

There are currently 39,890,000 seniors that cannot fit into TV, so I hope, for their sake, TV isn't their dream destination.

For the 110,000 that ultimately make it - they are fortunate indeed.

Good points, let's not forget our residents from Canada and the UK as well.

[senior citizen]

The book "Evils in Paradise" you are reading and ask who the author is? Help!

Maybe this will help, from Amazon;

book description.
Cathy Roberts has it all-an exciting life in a fabulous retirement community, a beautiful home, an expensive automobile, a doting husband, and five wonderful grandchildren. But it isn't enough for the attractive, well-spoken Cathy. Filled with an insatiable desire for self-gratification, she wants more. Then, as fate would have it, she meets a handsome and single ex-truck driver, Eric Lowe, and the sparks begin to fly. Captivated by the exciting and much younger Lowe, she wants to spend the rest of her life with him, free from the constraints of her marriage. During a chance meeting with a troubled Harley rider at a local bar, Cathy finds her ticket to freedom. The resulting story takes the reader on a gripping journey filled with broken promises, forbidden liaisons, violent confrontations, and finally, murder.

About the Author:
In his fifth novel, R B Conroy uses the setting of his winter home in central Florida to create yet another murder-mystery thriller. The Villages, Florida, a diverse and exciting community, provides the backdrop for this spine tingling tale of greed, deception, and murder. As this book goes to print, Conroy is hard at work on the outline for his next exciting novel.
R B Conroy's other novels include: Devil Rising, Return of the Gun, In My Father's Image and Deadly Game.

Sure sounds like fiction to me.

I'm sure you are right. I found the same information above last week after the original poster mentioned the book she was reading, giving the title and saying it was set in THE VILLAGES...........saying that it was really good.

I believe I also copied and pasted same above info.....after I ordered the book on my Kindle. But thanks anyway...............

My first impression of the book was that it was kind of immature writing.

I put it aside for awhile........picked it up and decided to continue on as it was mentioning a lot of places we saw or roads we drove on or villages we passed through..............now, like I said, it is becoming comical .

I'll keep reading for awhile...........

But, who is this author? I know the name. I mean who is he or she?

Do they actually live in TV? THANK YOU.

[Barefoot]

Good points, let's not forget our residents from Canada and the UK as well.

Thanks Jack! There are a lot of Canucks and Brits in TV. However we all have to maintain residences in our home countries since we are limited (by the U.S. Government) to spending less than 182 days in the USA in any calendar year. I think our outlook is a little different than Frogs. We always get really excited when it is our time to travel to The Villages. It's always a welcome destination to avoid the ice, snow and rotten winter weather. We would stay longer than six months if the US Government would let us. And as Bluedog said, having a small lot isn't a problem if you have a second home up north.

It always amazes me how many resale homes are available in NEWER areas. Some with pools and summer kitchens and many improvements. Obviously people intended to spend a lot of time there and poured a lot of money into improvements. I doubt all the owners could be selling for medical reasons. I always wonder at the back stories of these homes.

[Bonny]

I have a friend that bought in Santiago when we did in 2000. After 2 years, she thought she was homesick for Plano, Texas & her kids, so she sold here & moved back. Within a year, she bought another house here & moved back. 2 years later she sold that house & moved to Arizona to help take care of her mom. It didn't work out & a year later she bought another house in the Villages. The following year, her husband died & she sold again & went by her kids. You just never know.

[Ragman]

I am really surprised with the present and future size of TV that a larger, more modern facility for concerts, plays, etc. is not in the offing.

Savannah only has a capacity of about 800 and is getting a bit long in tooth.

I guess the developer has no incentive for building a new facility and given the governmental structure that route isn't possible either.

:wave:

[graciegirl]

People talk about a new and beautiful facility to house performances....and that would be wonderful...but those kinds of businesses are struggling all across the U.S.

Bottom line...it has to pay for itself.

[ydnar9]

We stayed there twice for a month and really liked it a lot. The reason we may not live there is that it is too expensive for us to purchase. I would not purchase a manufactured home for full time because of insurance issues when it gets older and also values will decline so that leaves stick built homes. The area where the manufactured homes are is a really nice mature area with all the trees and winding roads though. We live on SS and a small pension and can not afford what the homes cost in The Villages so we are looking elsewhere. That would be the only reason for not purchasing there.

[senior citizen]

If you look at the number of almost new homes for sale, fully furnished, golf cart included, quick close possible, it would seem people are taking your advice.

The homes are beautiful that are listed for resale. TV is lovely to visit.
Everything is available for a senior citizen's needs.

In my humble opinion, I think that many can't tolerate the summer heat and humidity.

Although not perhaps as intense a sun as on the beach on either coast, the sun is still very powerful. Combine that with the humidity and the heat index is out of this world. Even up north, people just cannot tolerate the heat. We've been lucky to have a cooler dryer summer up here compared to the rest of the country.

My one fear would be if there was a massive hurricane or otherwise caused POWER OUTAGE. I would hate to be in Florida (anywhere) in the summertime.......without airconditioning. I still have memories of those people standing in line for water after Hurricane Andrew hit the coast....20 or so years ago.

If an outdoor generator isn't allowed..........what would the average resident of TV do when the temps and humidity are excruciatingly high and there is no central "air".

I'm sure those who come from the southern states can tolerate the heat and humidity much more so than the New Englanders or northerners.

[Schaumburger]

I met my first person last week who was so very unhappy with The Villages that she wanted to move away quickly. Turns out the reason she was unhappy was that she had always lived close to family and now she is 1500 miles away. Her husband is 100% happy here. She can't stand it here. I asked if she had visited any clubs or interest groups and she said she just stays in her house all day and all night while her husband plays golf in the day and goes out with golfing friends at night to local watering holes.

Just from a wannabee's perspective...this woman may not be giving TV a fair shot. If all she does is stay at home all day and night without trying to get involved in something -- club, class, volunteer project, golf lessons, pickleball, etc. I believe some people "choose" to be unhappy. I hope she finds some happiness here. Just my 2 cents.

[Schaumburger]

As for the lot sizes, I for one am ready for a small lot. We have had several homes with 3 to 8 acre lots, and currently have a 2/3 acre lake lot that is as much work as a small farm. Time to play more and work less.

We too have met people from both Stonecrest and Spruce Creek, and they say they are happy, and from all appearences, are. However, when you dig into their thinking they have, without exception, at least one of the couple who is extemely non-social. I don't mean that as a negative, but one or both simply don't like mixing with strangers, and don't really like a lot of outside activities. One man we met who used to live in TV, and now lives in Stonecrest was just furious about the mail situation in TV, having clustered mailboxes where everyone went at 4:30 and about ran each other over. I am not exaggerating, that is why he left the Villages and moved to Stonecrest. Everyone has different ideas about what life should be about, and most definitely not everyone is cut out for The Villages. One reason TV is so great for most that are there is because they are among like-minded, active, outgoing people. The people who are not probably don't buy there for the most part, and in most cases probably shouldn't.

During my 3 times renting in TV, I spent a fair amount of time at the pools in the different villages I rented in. I was able to observe residents coming and going from the mail stations in 3 different villages -- now this was not at high season, but I never noticed anyone running over each other at the mail stations. Wow, moving because he had to go to a mail station to get his mail. I am just happy when my mail carrier closes the lid on my mailbox so my mail doesn't get wet on a rainy day! Actually I like the idea of common mail stations as I know my mail won't get wet or taken from my mailbox.

[senior citizen]

During my 3 times renting in TV, I spent a fair amount of time at the pools in the different villages I rented in. I was able to observe residents coming and going from the mail stations in 3 different villages -- now this was not at high season, but I never noticed anyone running over each other at the mail stations. Wow, moving because he had to go to a mail station to get his mail. I am just happy when my mail carrier closes the lid on my mailbox so my mail doesn't get wet on a rainy day! Actually I like the idea of common mail stations as I know my mail won't get wet or taken from my mailbox.

Neither did we Schaumburger. My husband even ordered something for our grandbaby and it was delivered to a larger box at the clustered mailbox area..........however, you are MUCH YOUNGER than us and most retirees to TV....plus, we ourselves, would prefer if our mail was delivered to our door, especially as we get older into our 80's and beyond. Walking in the heat to the clustered mailbox station or even riding in the golf cart, may not be comfy in the summertime. We like to think ahead for our own golden years.........

Heck.......even now, after having our mailbox down on our road for the past twenty years, having to walk up and down a slightly steep driveway to fetch said mail every day........is NOT as convenient as when we had the mailbox right on our front porch.........same neighborhood; they just figure this street is on the outskirts of the village and everyone got roadside mail boxes..........on a post. We put our own in obviously, but do miss the convenience of having it delivered right to the front door.

Rain, snow, sleet, ice, etc......are good reasons for up here.
Perhaps heat and humidity for down there. Or, just old age.
Even the "young at heart" and "spry" villagers of today will grow old in the future.

Our rental home was in fairly close proximity to the mailboxes...but still not the same. NO REASON TO MOVE THOUGH.......just talking convenience.

The lifestyle visit home was also very close to the mailboxes.

However, as we drove through various villages, not all the residents would be so fortunate........what if they were ill or not feeling well?
Their bills and such just would not be "at hand".......

I can understand the reasoning behind why they moved. Many folks today have major knee replacement surgeries and find it hard to walk distances.
To each his own..........

So, those developements (a realtor keeps sending me info on them) have mailboxes at their front doors????????????

[Bonny]

If I were sick or had a knee replacement, I have many friends that would be more then happy to help out & get my mail for me as I would be more than happy to do for them. Love our friends in the Villages ! They are awesome.

[senior citizen]

If you look at the number of almost new homes for sale, fully furnished, golf cart included, quick close possible, it would seem people are taking your advice.

I AGREE.

A possibility as to why there are so many new homes on the market is that people get used to their ways and habits back at "home" wherever that may be. They may miss the "familiar".

These may be the same "kids" that got homesick at summer camp......

Up in New England (I'm not talking cities like Boston) it takes a very very long time to fit in to a community of native New Englanders whose roots go deep for generations............we found that out when we arrived, but were accepted and slowly made wonderful friendships that lasted through the 44 years........people up here are not as gregarious as perhaps in other locales........but their hearts are in the right place.

Craftsmen, artists, writers, etc.... all solitary folks, gravitate to New England. It seems more gregarious sorts gravitate to TV.

Not everyone wants to be busy 24/7. Not everyone needs company 24/7.

It is wonderful that so many activities are AVAILABLE as we noticed in the Daily Sun each day.............but if one was not overextended back "home", they surely will not want to be overextended in TV.

The introverted types might be artists and like to paint alone on their lanai.........or write the great American novel. They also might love when their adult children and grandchildren visit.........whereas those who never had children, couldn't care less about that aspect of living in a wonderful sunny climate or treating the children to Disney World.
Too bad it's such a long drive away..........

Family oriented people will miss their family.
No doubt about it.

Those who love the town squares for the dancing and socializing will have that as their focal point...........others couldn't care less.

Different strokes for different folks. It's what makes the world go round.

[Bogie Shooter]

Neither did we Schaumburger. My husband even ordered something for our grandbaby and it was delivered to a larger box at the clustered mailbox area..........however, you are MUCH YOUNGER than us and most retirees to TV....plus, we ourselves, would prefer if our mail was delivered to our door, especially as we get older into our 80's and beyond. Walking in the heat to the clustered mailbox station or even riding in the golf cart, may not be comfy in the summertime. We like to think ahead for our own golden years.........

Heck.......even now, after having our mailbox down on our road for the past twenty years, having to walk up and down a slightly steep driveway to fetch said mail every day........is NOT as convenient as when we had the mailbox right on our front porch.........same neighborhood; they just figure this street is on the outskirts of the village and everyone got roadside mail boxes..........on a post. We put our own in obviously, but do miss the convenience of having it delivered right to the front door.

Rain, snow, sleet, ice, etc......are good reasons for up here.
Perhaps heat and humidity for down there. Or, just old age.
Even the "young at heart" and "spry" villagers of today will grow old in the future.

Our rental home was in fairly close proximity to the mailboxes...but still not the same. NO REASON TO MOVE THOUGH.......just talking convenience.

The lifestyle visit home was also very close to the mailboxes.

However, as we drove through various villages, not all the residents would be so fortunate........what if they were ill or not feeling well?
Their bills and such just would not be "at hand".......

I can understand the reasoning behind why they moved. Many folks today have major knee replacement surgeries and find it hard to walk distances.
To each his own..........

So, those developements (a realtor keeps sending me info on them) have mailboxes at their front doors????????????

The poor old people you describe should be in a nursing home not an active lifestyle community!
We will reach that point someday. But to infer that TV has to change the mail distribution system to accomodate us as we grow old is wishful thinking. As neighbors, many of us have picked up an ailing neighbors mail........not a big deal.

[senior citizen]

The poor old people you describe should be in a nursing home not an active lifestyle community!
We will reach that point someday. But to infer that TV has to change the mail distribution system to accomodate us as we grow old is wishful thinking. As neighbors, many of us have picked up an ailing neighbors mail........not a big deal.

That is very kind of you to pick up the ailing neighbors' mail, which any of us would also be happy to assist our elders in doing..........but I didn't realize there was an age limit for residing in TV? I know it's 55 and up.
But what is the cut off age?

It's not like Soylent Green where they turn the elders into fertilizer cubes, is it? Not everyone that's 80+ lives in a nursing home.

But I get your point..........but obviously, you're one of the youngens.
When you live a little longer........you'll see various stages of aging in place.......among your friends, family, neighbors. We've seen it all, even in those much younger...........

No one said TV should change the mail distribution system. It's a HUGE COMPLEX.......and if it works as it is, fine. Just I can understand why people would miss the convenience of having their mail at their door.

We didn't have a problem with it as we only got mail once; something that had been ordered for a grandbaby that would be visiting. In our situation, it was fairly close near the community pool........but we did drive through other villages where the mail was NOT near most of the homes...........

[hotrodgirl]

You know, I would ALWAYS offer to help a neighbor in need. Pick up mail, fix a meal, run an errand. I am certain in every small neighborhood thetre are those willing to do what humankind does, and that is aid those who need a bit of help. You (Sr Citizen) speak of aging, but my mother was working and driving until she was 90. She was a pro-am golfer, active in her community, active in church, a musician, and generally busy and happy person. Unfortunately I lost her at almost 95 to pneumonia and other complications and she was indeed in nursing care the last few months. But she had a propensity for life and sometimes I think we can control or destiny to a certain point. I intend to be a forward thinking, active and busy senior at TV and fully expect a good life barring any unforeseen medical problems that may occur. We all age, but we needn't give up our quality of life! My 2 cents....

[graciegirl]

Snakes, sinkholes, extreme right wing owner, and we were not thrilled with the quality of construction JMHO


I would guess of the three you are more repulsed by the Republican owner. I challenge another of your posts that also demeaned the quality of construction.

My husband and I have built seven homes in our life time and bought three new ones. The most recent one in Ohio was custom with some fine things in it like lovely open wood stairway and 20 foot ceiling in great room and it was much larger than the home we have here.

Our new home here was built as well if not better as that home in Ohio that was custom.. And that goes for the one we just sold in Hadley too.

I get real annoyed with critics who don't like the developers large contributions to the Republican party and then demean the quality of the homes here.

The developers build fine houses at all levels of price and the lifestyle is unequaled if you are a golfer.:spoken:

[jgbama]

I think it has been said several times, maybe not on this thread, but we all should have done our "homework" before deciding to move to TV. We close next Monday, after 9 visits over 7 years, talking to owners and visitors alike, and endless hours looking at homes, reading TOTV threads, and even attended an CDD orientation about 5 years ago.

To move to TV, thinking the crowds, speeders, grandkids will go away is foolish. Will I complain about crowds, speeders, grandkids, etc. after we move? Probably. . . because TV will go from a great place to visit to being MY HOMETOWN!!. I'll want to preserve the things we fell in love with at TV. We chose TV for it's beauty, the friendly and caring people, the activities, the diversity, safety, quick response by the paramedics, closeness to Orlando, etc. etc. Oh yeah, keeping my clubs on MY golf cart! :laugh:

Regardless of where you live in TV, old section or new section, you will be quickly accepted if you reach out that hand of friendship. I've heard that said about Silver Lakes, Orange Blossom, Santiago, and our soon to be new neighborhood of Rio Grande! Being neighborly, considerate, courteous and friendly has no age. You may have to get out of your "comfort zone" briefly, but wow, you won't have to wait twenty years to establish yourself as a "local", which you will experience most everywhere else.

So, the only downside is - WE AREN'T THERE YET, BUT WILL BE IN ABOUT A MONTH! :pepper2::2excited::pepper2:

[cgalloway6]

Neither did we Schaumburger. My husband even ordered something for our grandbaby and it was delivered to a larger box at the clustered mailbox area..........however, you are MUCH YOUNGER than us and most retirees to TV....plus, we ourselves, would prefer if our mail was delivered to our door, especially as we get older into our 80's and beyond. Walking in the heat to the clustered mailbox station or even riding in the golf cart, may not be comfy in the summertime. We like to think ahead for our own golden years.........

Heck.......even now, after having our mailbox down on our road for the past twenty years, having to walk up and down a slightly steep driveway to fetch said mail every day........is NOT as convenient as when we had the mailbox right on our front porch.........same neighborhood; they just figure this street is on the outskirts of the village and everyone got roadside mail boxes..........on a post. We put our own in obviously, but do miss the convenience of having it delivered right to the front door.

Rain, snow, sleet, ice, etc......are good reasons for up here.
Perhaps heat and humidity for down there. Or, just old age.
Even the "young at heart" and "spry" villagers of today will grow old in the future.

Our rental home was in fairly close proximity to the mailboxes...but still not the same. NO REASON TO MOVE THOUGH.......just talking convenience.

The lifestyle visit home was also very close to the mailboxes.

However, as we drove through various villages, not all the residents would be so fortunate........what if they were ill or not feeling well?
Their bills and such just would not be "at hand".......

I can understand the reasoning behind why they moved. Many folks today have major knee replacement surgeries and find it hard to walk distances.
To each his own..........

So, those developements (a realtor keeps sending me info on them) have mailboxes at their front doors????????????
The only things we get in the mail anymore are flyers, ads and requests for money(donations not bills). Everything is online. Even magazines have digital editions which take up much less room on a Kindle or Nook than piling up on a table, waiting to be recycled or just tossed.

[billethkid]

and for some going to get the mail may be their only reason left to get out of the house for some fresh air, sun light and moving of the old body parts.

btk

[jgbama]

I enjoy living here, except for one reason. I hear of blocks that are very close and people go out for lunch, dinner or just sit in someone's house and spend a nice evening. The block I live on is not all that friendly. We say hello and that is about as far as it does. No body seems to want to get together as a group. So I have found friends in other villages and they are very friendly and you can always count on them and we do alot of things together.

That very well could be one of the reasons people move within TV (i.e. "the average Villager moves 3 times"), to be closer to friendlier, more active neighborhoods or people they have made good friends with. :beer3:

[JohnN]

Downsides,

first, I love TV,
traffic can be rough in the cool season, facilities can get crowded, you have to plan.
that's about it

[eweissenbach]

Downsides,

first, I love TV,
traffic can be rough in the cool season, facilities can get crowded, you have to plan.
that's about it

Having been here the first two times in April and hearing of the crowded resturaunts, streets, squares, etc in Jan - Mar, we were very aprehensive and curious when we came in February this year. However, we were amazed at the ease of getting seats in resturaunts, parking for the squares, traffic, and even golf tee times. In my opinion, the crowded conditions in the winter are overstated by many. Now if you are here June through September, I am sure you feel it is congested by comparison, but for someone who is a part timer it is easier than most large cities by far.

[Cynbod]

Having been here the first two times in April and hearing of the crowded resturaunts, streets, squares, etc in Jan - Mar, we were very aprehensive and curious when we came in February this year. However, we were amazed at the ease of getting seats in resturaunts, parking for the squares, traffic, and even golf tee times. In my opinion, the crowded conditions in the winter are overstated by many. Now if you are here June through September, I am sure you feel it is congested by comparison, but for someone who is a part timer it is easier than most large cities by far.

This is good to hear. We will spend our first winter in TV this year and were concerned about how crowded it would be. :pepper2:

[duffysmom]

I've had the privilege of living in different areas of Florida for many years and I have to chuckle when people say it's crowded here in TV in Winter. Any half way decent town in Florida is busy in the Winter; it's the climate that brings everyone South. I'm willing to pay the price which isn't much of a problem for me, I plan my day knowing that things will be crowded and enjoy the Summer when it's less crowded all the while thanking God for the beauty all around me. Regarding mail stations, we are rapidly moving toward digital mail so in the not to distant future the shrinking US Postal Service will be a thing of the past.:laugh:

The heat and humidity in the beautiful Hudson Valley in NY could be brutal; the difference here in Florida is the most fantastic light each and every day. In NY we frequently had heat coupled with a haze that was depressing. Just my humble opinion.

[bluedog103]

I've had the privilege of living in different areas of Florida for many years and I have to chuckle when people say it's crowded here in TV in Winter. Any half way decent town in Florida is busy in the Winter; it's the climate that brings everyone South. I'm willing to pay the price which isn't much of a problem for me, I plan my day knowing that things will be crowded and enjoy the Summer when it's less crowded all the while thanking God for the beauty all around me. Regarding mail stations, we are rapidly moving toward digital mail so in the not to distant future the shrinking US Postal Service will be a thing of the past.:laugh:

The heat and humidity in the beautiful Hudson Valley in NY could be brutal; the difference here in Florida is the most fantastic light each and every day. In NY we frequently had heat coupled with a haze that was depressing. Just my humble opinion.
Here in the Hudson Valley it pretty hot last week but it's beautiful this week. The hot spells are measured in days not weeks or months. Humidity is never as high in the summer as in central Florida and it's never depressing, in my opinion. There's no nicer place during spring, summer and fall. Winter is another story. That's why we're in Florida for the cold season.

[jgbama]

Downsides,

first, I love TV,
traffic can be rough in the cool season, facilities can get crowded, you have to plan.
that's about it

Having been here the first two times in April and hearing of the crowded resturaunts, streets, squares, etc in Jan - Mar, we were very aprehensive and curious when we came in February this year. However, we were amazed at the ease of getting seats in resturaunts, parking for the squares, traffic, and even golf tee times. In my opinion, the crowded conditions in the winter are overstated by many. Now if you are here June through September, I am sure you feel it is congested by comparison, but for someone who is a part timer it is easier than most large cities by far.


Thank you both. We have only been down once in the peak season, this past February. But it was only for 3 days to buy a house (which didn't happen).

We didn't feel it was all that crowded, but your two posts make me feel better prepared to deal with next year, since we will be permanent residents in a couple of months. Anyone else considering moving to TV feeling better now?

To you both I say, "SALUTE"!! :ho: :highfive: :thumbup:

[CMANN]

I've been reading up on The Villages and read a lot of GOOD stuff. But I'm wondering about the bad stuff. This board seems to have "selection bias", which, I guess, is to be expected. But what about posts from people who decided the TV was not for them...either they didn't buy in the first place or they lived there then moved out. Where can I get this info. I'm not looking to trash or bash TV, but just rather want to here from those who did not see find it as great as most of you do.

The one drawback that I see is that most of us will not be here as long as we would like to be.

[Challenger]

The one drawback that I see is that most of us will not be here as long as we would like to be.

Amen

[senior citizen]

I've had the privilege of living in different areas of Florida for many years and I have to chuckle when people say it's crowded here in TV in Winter. Any half way decent town in Florida is busy in the Winter; it's the climate that brings everyone South. I'm willing to pay the price which isn't much of a problem for me, I plan my day knowing that things will be crowded and enjoy the Summer when it's less crowded all the while thanking God for the beauty all around me. Regarding mail stations, we are rapidly moving toward digital mail so in the not to distant future the shrinking US Postal Service will be a thing of the past.:laugh:

The heat and humidity in the beautiful Hudson Valley in NY could be brutal; the difference here in Florida is the most fantastic light each and every day. In NY we frequently had heat coupled with a haze that was depressing. Just my humble opinion.

Excellent point about the digital mail. We've noticed less and less and less paper mail last year as well as this year..........

Everyone uses Blue Mountain e-cards nowadays , so that cuts down the gift card sending.........(they are musical and quite clever; improved from the early days).........many people pay their bills online or for the year in advance........even catalogues have shrunken or become non existent as many folks shop online....

I agree about the U.S. Postal Service.

What has increased though, are the FEDEX and UPS deliveries.......
Do they deliver to the home?????? What if a signature is needed?
Not usually, but if it's a valuable item, it might be. Just wondering.

What about folks who get gifts from places like Shari's Berries (choc. dipped strawberries which are perishable) or Kansas City Steak Co.???? Omaha Steaks????
That wouldn't be delivered to the mail area, correct??? So, UPS and FEDEX does deliver to the door????

At holiday time I receive canoli's and tira misu cakes from Ferrara's Bakery in New York City...........all perishable , whipped cream, etc.
They do send it via the U.S. MAIL.........I'm pretty sure of that. I don't think UPS delivers the packages.

Thanks in advance..........

[graciegirl]

Excellent point about the digital mail. We've noticed less and less and less paper mail last year as well as this year..........

Everyone uses Blue Mountain e-cards nowadays , so that cuts down the gift card sending.........(they are musical and quite clever; improved from the early days).........many people pay their bills online or for the year in advance........even catalogues have shrunken or become non existent as many folks shop online....

I agree about the U.S. Postal Service.

What has increased though, are the FEDEX and UPS deliveries.......
Do they deliver to the home?????? What if a signature is needed?
Not usually, but if it's a valuable item, it might be. Just wondering.

What about folks who get gifts from places like Shari's Berries (choc. dipped strawberries which are perishable) or Kansas City Steak Co.???? Omaha Steaks????
That wouldn't be delivered to the mail area, correct??? So, UPS and FEDEX does deliver to the door????

At holiday time I receive canoli's and tira misu cakes from Ferrara's Bakery in New York City...........all perishable , whipped cream, etc.
They do send it via the U.S. MAIL.........I'm pretty sure of that. I don't think UPS delivers the packages.

Thanks in advance..........

UPS packages are delivered to your door.
Things that have to be signed for are delivered to your door.
The mail kiosks are air conditioned.

You can take you golf cart to the mail kiosk.

It's all good, Senior.

That book yoo are reading is fiction. I am betting that the author must have been here once and decided it was a good backdrop for a book.

[senior citizen]

You know, I would ALWAYS offer to help a neighbor in need. Pick up mail, fix a meal, run an errand. I am certain in every small neighborhood thetre are those willing to do what humankind does, and that is aid those who need a bit of help. You (Sr Citizen) speak of aging, but my mother was working and driving until she was 90. She was a pro-am golfer, active in her community, active in church, a musician, and generally busy and happy person. Unfortunately I lost her at almost 95 to pneumonia and other complications and she was indeed in nursing care the last few months. But she had a propensity for life and sometimes I think we can control or destiny to a certain point. I intend to be a forward thinking, active and busy senior at TV and fully expect a good life barring any unforeseen medical problems that may occur. We all age, but we needn't give up our quality of life! My 2 cents....


"Unforseen" is always possible.......and does occur.....sorry for your loss.
Losing one's mom is very difficult, to say the least.

Aging is a fact of life. Visit a skilled nursing facility as we did every day for 18 months at the end of my own 91 year old mom's long journey with Alzheimers. Like your mom, she was also super active; in great shape as told to me by our neighbor, friend and her internist.......that she had the heart, lungs, bones, etc., etc. of a much younger person........illness free except for the "brain"........at the end. I still remember when her doctor called me with that "news"; I recall exactly where I was sitting when the phone rang........she had been taken to the hospital when she became "dizzy" momentarily from the new drug Aricept that her other doctor, a gerontologist (?) had prescribed for her.....as a test.....so they did some brain scans, etc.etc., etc............the doc said that for her age, all of her organs, etc. were that of a much younger woman.

Alzheimers is for sure "The Long Goodbye". She lived with us for six years until I could not bathe her anymore............and if you want to see aging up close and personal, visit a nursing home. Not assisted living........but the Alzheimer's wing.

Many of our elderly friends and neighbors were all there at the same time as my mom.........many of my friend's parents as well.......the end of an era...........no, they didn't play tennis and golf, but they were active in their community and church, etc........and PHYSICALLY HEALTHY and very mobile until the dementia hit........so one really never knows, does one?

Everyone ages. We don't have our heads in the sand as we've seen it up close and personal............it kind of just sneaks up on one.

Some things that one never imagined would happen, do happen.

My mom was always "young at heart" as well as in great shape physically. Who would have figured she'd end up that way?

She had never had a single surgery in her 91 years, never broken a bone; had all her original "parts"..........and had never been on prescription meds until the Aricept, which didn't help at all......just made her light headed. He took her off of it. Dizziness can cause falls and broken bones.

Again, we saw all of our peers / friends / neighbors' parents take the same trip..........I "inherited" my mom when I was 49........she moved in with us for 6 years.....then assisted living for 2 years, followed by skilled nursing care facility for 18 months.........it truly is the "long goodbye".

My mom was one of the most positive thinking ladies I knew.
I'm sure she never thought she'd end up that way. It's very sad, to say the least.

[graciegirl]

UPS packages are delivered to your door.
Things that have to be signed for are delivered to your door.
The mail kiosks are air conditioned.

You can take you golf cart to the mail kiosk.

It's all good, Senior.

That book yoo are reading is fiction. I am betting that the author must have been here once and decided it was a good backdrop for a book.

bump

[senior citizen]

UPS packages are delivered to your door.
Things that have to be signed for are delivered to your door.
The mail kiosks are air conditioned.

You can take you golf cart to the mail kiosk.

It's all good, Senior.

That book yoo are reading is fiction. I am betting that the author must have been here once and decided it was a good backdrop for a book.

Thanks Gracie.......we did go to the mailboxes.....

I finished the book. At the ending page, on my Kindle, was his photo plus a statement that his winter home was in central Florida. He knew an awful lot about The Villages.......even mentioning Harmeswood near the end of the "story"............

Only one fact I wondered about........in the beginning of the book, he had the house in Bridgeport at Lake Miona having a SECOND FLOOR.

Other than that, his descriptions seemed pretty much on target......

[rubicon]

I've been reading up on The Villages and read a lot of GOOD stuff. But I'm wondering about the bad stuff. This board seems to have "selection bias", which, I guess, is to be expected. But what about posts from people who decided the TV was not for them...either they didn't buy in the first place or they lived there then moved out. Where can I get this info. I'm not looking to trash or bash TV, but just rather want to here from those who did not see find it as great as most of you do.

daryll40: The first downside to living in The Villages is not being able to ask what is the downside in living in The Villages.

[senior citizen]

Here in the Hudson Valley it pretty hot last week but it's beautiful this week. The hot spells are measured in days not weeks or months. Humidity is never as high in the summer as in central Florida and it's never depressing, in my opinion. There's no nicer place during spring, summer and fall. Winter is another story. That's why we're in Florida for the cold season.

So true.....that the heat is measured in days, not weeks or months.

Many Floridians drive up to Vermont during the summer months and say, "Why is it so hot up here?" That's when there is a "rare" 95 degree day or two and most folks and many restaurants /stores / shops / galleries DO NOT have airconditioning. But the heat soon breaks and it's back to great weather.

We've had a wonderful summer up here while other states are quite hot.

We are "dry" though .....and in need of rain.........but lately it's been very cool in the mornings and might rise to 80 by late late afternoon and then dip again for evening and overnight.........however, the humidity will return........but our sun is not as INTENSE......as Florida.

We've driven up the middle of our state 4 times recently and got to see the extreme damage done by tropical storm IRENE last August......N.Y. State's farmlands were also badly flooded.

In Vermont we saw houses tilted over........still.
Bridges washed out and just now being repaired.
Roads cut in half. Water is powerful.
Barns were washed away........down river.......

Every state has "something"..........however, in all of our 42 years up here, this is the WORST damage we've ever seen.........Vermont even made the national news last August and September, which is quite unusual.

[senior citizen]

Just from a wannabee's perspective...this woman may not be giving TV a fair shot. If all she does is stay at home all day and night without trying to get involved in something -- club, class, volunteer project, golf lessons, pickleball, etc. I believe some people "choose" to be unhappy. I hope she finds some happiness here. Just my 2 cents.

The two times we resided in Florida........1972 for one full year and then in 1994 for FOUR MONTHS........before returning north.....we were never choosing to be "unhappy".

We had a 2 year old and a 5 year old the first time around.
We just missed the "four seasons" and the beauty of those 4 seasons.
Now, truthfully, we couldn't care in the least if winter never arrived.
In 1973 we returned and bought our third home, on the same street as our second home, same neighborhood, same neighbors and settled in for the next 25 years until our kids graduated university and married, went off on their own, etc.

At that time, now 1994, still in our late 40's, we decided we wanted a condo on the beach..........sold the big sprawling home with inground pool, etc.......and headed for Florida once again.

By the way, we vacationed in Florida every single year of our marriage and knew both coasts........but only interior Disney World as far as central Florida was concerned.

Well, again, we "did not choose to be unhappy". My mom's third husband had passed away and we had to close down two homes to bring her along with us.........discovering that she was in the early stages of Alzheimers Disease.........very confused. Long story short, we decided to sell the condo on the beach (totally remodeled beautifully by us) and return to ours and her "support system" in Vermont...........it was the right decision for the past twenty years............

A minor part of that decision (besides the Alzheimers) was the rigid rules of condo living............the "organization" or whatever it is called, were extremely elderly and extremely rigid ; not allowing washers and dryers in the units, etc...........among other things. There was NO pest control.
Nuff said. The condo and the location was gorgeous.....but we were SO VERY HAPPY to return to our little town where everyone knew everyone and no one had show I.D. or sign a contract for work done in your own home........too much red tape in Florida.........

We had just flown back and were driving up to our new house (same old neighborhood which draws us back like a magnet).........when the Town Clerk, our neighbor of long standing, stopped and said, "DO YOU WANT ME TO PUT YOU THREE BACK ON OUR VOTING REGISTRY?" We said, "Sure". No I.D. to show, no papers to sign..........just our word and a handshake is all that's needed up here. It is a different world.

Although everything ended up well and we did make a profit on the beachfront condo.......we found out that the "carpenters" for the kitchen remodel had some type of lein on their business...........not sure if I spelled lein right or if that is the right word.........but it affected our sale...........they were recommended by the kitchen cabinet store.
Luckily, our bathroom guys, etc. all were A o.k..........as were the tile guys, the painters and the carpeting guys...........

We also had been "misled" by the realtor who wore a surgical mask.
How dumb can I be? He never disclosed that the area was known for the red tide bacteria..........we soon found ourselves coughing all the time, including my elderly mom............hubby had serious pneumonia like symptoms......as did I later, after the fact, just from walking on the beach or sitting on one of our two balconies.
It felt like we were strangling. We are not hypochondriacs. Never need to visit a doctor. Once we left the area, it cleared up. I did my research.
Red tide has been there forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's in the air....causes bronchial problems, etc.

Just my two cents. We are happy folks by nature.
No one chooses to be unhappy.

Sometimes life just happens........

We are in the stage now where the heat feels better than the cold.
The Villages has everything we would want in a new place......
We might rent for awhile and keep our northern home rather than go through our past experiences again..........it does seem like a lot of folks rent through the winter seasons...........it's cheaper in the long run than buying and selling and buying and selling..............

I actually know of no one who chooses to be unhappy. Life circumstances can interfere with the best of plans, however......

As far as other posters who do not like grandchildren visiting????
I haven't understood that............unless they are very impolite, unruly kids.

Family is everything..........we are proud of ours, having been married almost 50 years.........

[Vic&Judy]

"Unforseen" is always possible.......and does occur.....sorry for your loss.
Losing one's mom is very difficult, to say the least.

Aging is a fact of life. Visit a skilled nursing facility as we did every day for 18 months at the end of my own 91 year old mom's long journey with Alzheimers. Like your mom, she was also super active; in great shape as told to me by our neighbor, friend and her internist.......that she had the heart, lungs, bones, etc., etc. of a much younger person........illness free except for the "brain"........at the end. I still remember when her doctor called me with that "news"; I recall exactly where I was sitting when the phone rang........she had been taken to the hospital when she became "dizzy" momentarily from the new drug Aricept that her other doctor, a gerontologist (?) had prescribed for her.....as a test.....so they did some brain scans, etc.etc., etc............the doc said that for her age, all of her organs, etc. were that of a much younger woman.

Alzheimers is for sure "The Long Goodbye". She lived with us for six years until I could not bathe her anymore............and if you want to see aging up close and personal, visit a nursing home. Not assisted living........but the Alzheimer's wing.

Many of our elderly friends and neighbors were all there at the same time as my mom.........many of my friend's parents as well.......the end of an era...........no, they didn't play tennis and golf, but they were active in their community and church, etc........and PHYSICALLY HEALTHY and very mobile until the dementia hit........so one really never knows, does one?

Everyone ages. We don't have our heads in the sand as we've seen it up close and personal............it kind of just sneaks up on one.

Some things that one never imagined would happen, do happen.

My mom was always "young at heart" as well as in great shape physically. Who would have figured she'd end up that way?

She had never had a single surgery in her 91 years, never broken a bone; had all her original "parts"..........and had never been on prescription meds until the Aricept, which didn't help at all......just made her light headed. He took her off of it. Dizziness can cause falls and broken bones.

Again, we saw all of our peers / friends / neighbors' parents take the same trip..........I "inherited" my mom when I was 49........she moved in with us for 6 years.....then assisted living for 2 years, followed by skilled nursing care facility for 18 months.........it truly is the "long goodbye".

My mom was one of the most positive thinking ladies I knew.
I'm sure she never thought she'd end up that way. It's very sad, to say the least.
This is a terrific....if sobering....reminder that the continuum of life has an inevitable endpoint. It's said that a major differentiation of humans from other species is the ability to contemplate their own mortality; while we can never be absolutely sure that we're truly unique in this cerebral ability, it certainly is part of the human condition and becomes more meaningful as we age.

Coping with the loss of a loved one is very difficult, as can be the challenge of aging for the living. We often hear trite phrases such as "enjoy every minute" or "every day could be your last" or my personal favorite "don't sweat the small stuff...you're going to be dead a long time" but I've never figured out how to incorporate this in a realistic way into the real world of challenges, disappointments and conflicts. But I have learned to look back on each day and be grateful for the "good stuff" and reflect on the lessons learned from the bad. Each day presents a new chance for fun, love, learning and joy.

Vic

[lightworker888]

Schaumburger, I too believe that "happiness is a choice". However my understanding of this is that we choose to make the best of a situation and focus on the pro's. However if the location is making it difficult to be happy in, then it may become necessary to change the location. I love TV and think it offers more than anyone could ask for in one location. That being said, I am sure that there are many people who do not get pleasure from participating in any of the activities and would be happier on their own in a smaller community or closer to their family on a daily basis, or many other reasons that I can't even fathom. So choosing to be happy becomes that much more difficult. Perhaps if she could be happy for her husband that might work for a while, but in the long run, happiness has to come from within and although there are some women who enjoy pleasing their husbands as a source of their pleasure, if she is home alone for the most part, it is easy to understand why she is unhappy. In truth, there are probably many more factors involved in why someone is unhappy, but I just wanted to note that we can always "choose" happiness, but TV isn't the easiest place for everyone to be able to choose it, if that makes any sense.

BTW there is a good book called "Happiness in a Choice" by Barry Kaufman that speaks to this topic. It was written 20+ years ago but is still relevant today. We took a couples workshop with him back then and it was very impactful. Really helped to identify the beliefs that are keeping us stuck in emotional places that no longer serve us. Still use some of the ideas that we learned.

Glad that you are making the choice to live with that understanding. To me it makes the most sense and it sure makes life fun and joyful. Have you seen the Laughing Yoga group? I want to attend when we get back down. I missed the meeting as we were leaving when I saw it in the REC News.

I'm currently reading a book by Neale Donald Walsh called "Happier than God" (2008) and it is a really good read. He wrote the series "Conversations with God" which were very cutting edge for the general public back then. Did a few workshops with him and found him to be really down to earth, light hearted, and practical so I enjoy his writing as it doesn't feel like a burden to plough through, yet very thought provoking. It is all about choice, and choice making. So I've come full circle in this longwinded post!

LW888

[senior citizen]

This is a terrific....if sobering....reminder that the continuum of life has an inevitable endpoint. It's said that a major differentiation of humans from other species is the ability to contemplate their own mortality; while we can never be absolutely sure that we're truly unique in this cerebral ability, it certainly is part of the human condition and becomes more meaningful as we age.

Coping with the loss of a loved one is very difficult, as can be the challenge of aging for the living. We often hear trite phrases such as "enjoy every minute" or "every day could be your last" or my personal favorite "don't sweat the small stuff...you're going to be dead a long time" but I've never figured out how to incorporate this in a realistic way into the real world of challenges, disappointments and conflicts. But I have learned to look back on each day and be grateful for the "good stuff" and reflect on the lessons learned from the bad. Each day presents a new chance for fun, love, learning and joy.

Vic

Thanks Vic. Very intelligent post.

Truthfully, I never thought of aging until "the long goodbye" with my mom. It was quite the learning experience.......not only being with her but all of her peers during that last 18 months in the Alzheimers wing at the skilled nursing facility......

At home was a bit different, even though I had to bathe and feed her, dress her, etc............at least I was doing something for her. She still knew me and my husband and our adult children.......

Once in the wheelchair, in diapers, in the nursing home........unable to speak, only remembering her parents and siblings from 1911, 1918, etc. all we could do was spoon feed her some ice cream ........it was the only means of "communicating"..........a crash course in the kind of aging no one wants to experience for their loved one.

It was a wonderful place, two minutes from our home.........the nurses, bathing attendants, personal aides, were all angels of mercy....in my humble opinion. We could visit at any time of day or night.

Her passing was very peaceful; she had signed a "comfort care" only document.........so palliative care it was. Basically, it's dehydration.
No fluids.......just a type of popsicle swab in the mouth........some oxygen and frequent injections of morphine...........the nurses sat with me.....all day into the evening.......she died on my dad's b.day.....and her own mom's death day............not to be all maudlin, but I did feel her spirit "freed"..........and dreamt of her afterward......"happy", "young again" and "free".........it's sad losing them but it was time to go.

So, yes, enjoy each day you have............but not too wild now !!!

[Bosoxfan]

:shrug:Bingo...its why this place does not feel like my home. TV's form of government is also a concern, county Property and School taxes are high, utilities are high especiallty water, insurance is high. I paid half as much for my insurance in the Minneapolis area for a house that was double the square footage.

:shrug: what? two differnt points of view from where I'm sitting...Bingo:shrug:

[senior citizen]

daryll40: The first downside to living in The Villages is not being able to ask what is the downside in living in The Villages.

It's the , for want of a better word, "politically correct folks" who do not allow for freedom of speech or opinion on the state of Florida in general.

Anyone who has lived in "small town America" or New England knows that everyone has opinions and sometimes gripes about the town they live in.

It's all taken with a grain of salt.

We read our own local newspaper every morning and laugh at the antics of the local yokals. We don't DENY it ever happened......just as we do not deny the bad weather or flooding, etc.......or in Florida's case, that sinkholes are so prevalent.

For someone to deny that N.E. has pot holes on the roads after winter is just "having their head in the sand".......or to deny that northeners cannot tolerate high heat and humidity, ditto. Even Floridians come up here as tourists to our town and COMPLAIN about the heat and humidity.

I will agree that there is a small faction that cannot tolerate freedom of speech....or asking questions that potential "buyers" seem to repeatedly "need to know". No place is perfect. We've seen most of the beauty of the United States and Canada.......however, again.....no place is perfect.

[Tweety Bird]

Snakes? Haven't seen one yet. Maybe smashed on the road.

But I'm sure they are around. But not a big negative as far as I can tell.

Hey Russ, I had a snake hiding in my "stuff" in the garage. A scary moment. He finally slithered out when prodded.

[graciegirl]

...

[2BNTV]

I don't know how long I can stay gone. Did you notice Bill is missing too?[/QUOTE]

Bill is taking a vacation from TOTV. :popcorn: :popcorn:

[KathieI]

Hey Russ, I had a snake hiding in my "stuff" in the garage. A scary moment. He finally slithered out when prodded.

Yeah, I've had a few myself. They seem to be coming up from the pond because of the rain. They don't scare me, they are harmless but I worry about the dogs eating them, YUCK!!!!!

Tweety, Do not keep your garage doors open, they will come inside. So far, they've only been outside or in my lanai.

[swimdawg]

No indoor pools in TV.

[senior citizen]

If you like your say in how things are run, this isn't the place for you. It is totally new to me too. I don't even understand how the folks north of 466 got "free" and can elect people who can make decisions.

I don't know what happened in the past to get us to this point. The lawsuits, the farmer who didn't want the villages to expand into Sumter County, why exactly the POA sued the developer, what really is going on now about the signs.

Somehow there is a bunch of people who seem to hate the developer and I really don't know why? It makes me nervous. I can't see anything wrong here.

I don't understand why people aren't happy with how things are.

I have become so disenchanted with the feelings I am getting that I think it may be time to take a vacation from TOTV.

I don't think it is possible to correct all misconceptions. There must be more to it than I know. I just can't help anymore. I feel down and sad.

I know that I have plenty of friends here but it feels like enemies are here too and I don't know how I made people feel that way.

Please, I don't mean for nice people to rush to my support. I know you would. This isn't a bid for attention.

I don't know how long I can stay gone. Did you notice Bill is missing too?


Exactly whose post are you replying to? I must have missed something.
Your helpful replies are always pretty much on target, thoughtful, kindhearted and helpful. Why stay gone?

I just re read most of the earlier posts and I must have missed something.

Which villages are the ones north of 466 that have all this freedom?
After retirement, I doubt that too many would want to be "active" again in community affairs such as town politics. Not even sure of what the TV town politics consist of.

In my own post, right before yours, I mentioned being able to speak one's mind freely.........but then I got lost in your posting.

[Posh 08]

:popcorn:If you like your say in how things are run, this isn't the place for you. It is totally new to me too. I don't even understand how the folks north of 466 got "free" and can elect people who can make decisions.

I don't know what happened in the past to get us to this point. The lawsuits, the farmer who didn't want the villages to expand into Sumter County, why exactly the POA sued the developer, what really is going on now about the signs.

Somehow there is a bunch of people who seem to hate the developer and I really don't know why? It makes me nervous. I can't see anything wrong here.

I don't understand why people aren't happy with how things are.

I have become so disenchanted with the feelings I am getting that I think it may be time to take a vacation from TOTV.

I don't think it is possible to correct all misconceptions. There must be more to it than I know. I just can't help anymore. I feel down and sad.

I know that I have plenty of friends here but it feels like enemies are here too and I don't know how I made people feel that way.

Please, I don't mean for nice people to rush to my support. I know you would. This isn't a bid for attention.

I don't know how long I can stay gone. Did you notice Bill is missing too?

And Skyguy missing?

[Posh 08]

:popcorn:If you like your say in how things are run, this isn't the place for you. It is totally new to me too. I don't even understand how the folks north of 466 got "free" and can elect people who can make decisions.

I don't know what happened in the past to get us to this point. The lawsuits, the farmer who didn't want the villages to expand into Sumter County, why exactly the POA sued the developer, what really is going on now about the signs.

Somehow there is a bunch of people who seem to hate the developer and I really don't know why? It makes me nervous. I can't see anything wrong here.

I don't understand why people aren't happy with how things are.

I have become so disenchanted with the feelings I am getting that I think it may be time to take a vacation from TOTV.

I don't think it is possible to correct all misconceptions. There must be more to it than I know. I just can't help anymore. I feel down and sad.

I know that I have plenty of friends here but it feels like enemies are here too and I don't know how I made people feel that way.

Please, I don't mean for nice people to rush to my support. I know you would. This isn't a bid for attention.

I don't know how long I can stay gone. Did you notice Bill is missing too?

And Skyguy missing? Cheer up GG it's just dog days.

[Madelaine Amee]

If you like your say in how things are run, this isn't the place for you. It is totally new to me too. I don't even understand how the folks north of 466 got "free" and can elect people who can make decisions.


It's a long story as to how we came to "govern" ourselves, but we are fortunate to have an amazingly smart group of people north of 466 who "run" our area of TV. They are totally dedicated, work extremely long hours and have access to some very successful retired professionals living here.

[BobKat1]

Online forums (TOTV included) are famous for making mountains out of mole hills on just about any topic you can name.

They are enjoyable, but you can't really take them too seriously. Life is too short for that. All IMHO of course.

[lovesports]

Downsides to me.
Houses too close together. City noise with sirens and traffic. Too hot in the summers and not enough trees. No indoor pool or basketball gym. Overcrowded and scary accidents. Not close enough to ocean, airport, malls etc.

Am I happy here. Very. But I was happier when it was smaller, fields of buffalo and there was room at classes, town squares etc. Everyone waved and was friendly. Reminded me of a small town.

Would I move. Not if I could help it. We have a beautiful home here and many friends.
I like to take a vacation on water with lots of trees and true friendliness of a smart town. No traffic, no crowds, quiet. Spend the day on the water fishing. Walk through real parks with flowers and biking paths. But then I like to come back to the busyness of the Villages.
As has been said, My friends in other developments are just as happy. Look for what feels right for you.

[mickey100]

I don't think that the lawsuits that were mentioned in a previous post necessarily mean that people "hate the developer" or that they are unhappy here. It just means that the developer had been asked to pay his fair share, he didn't and so they were exercising their legal rights. As others have said, no place is perfect. Its perfectly okay to voice your concerns about changes you would like to see that you think would make The Villages a better place. That is not a bad thing, and it doesn't make you a negative person, IMHO. In all, I think most people are happy here and enjoy their lifestyle, but there are always ways we could make things better. Let's keep an open mind.