If You Build It They Will Come

[darbyduff]

I found this website by going to the Mallary Square website and I live in Colorado!!. (we're coming as soon as the house sells!)

I love it and it is now part of my every day!!! I have learned so very much about the Villages and it give me a pulse on whats going on with all of you lucky enough to be living down there! I have noticed that a negative posting brings out the lookers more than something tame but I think thats human nature! I saw the headline SEX IN THE VILLAGES and don't you know that I had to stop and read it! Everything takes time and slowly you will see this site build in volume! I know I'm here every day and share every thing I read with my husband!!! Keep up the very good work!!!!!!

[REDCART]

Darbyduff like yourself, we're also part-time owners and we try to stay connected with the Villages. You're also probably using these other web sites to stay connected:

http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/
http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=reporter

[darbyduff]

Unfortunately we are not part-time owners. :'( :'( We are trying desperately to sell our home in Colorado so we can live the lifestyle as permanent Villagers. It seems to be taking forever so I am keeping up with our new home town until we can get down there.

By going on the Villages website, Mallory Square (where we hope to live) and this site, we can live vicariously through all of you!

I really hope that all of you will support this great gathering place!

[REDCART]

Just curious, what's so special about Mallory Square? The Villages has over 58 villages to choose among--all nice neighborhoods. We chose Mallory to be close to my sister in Virginia Trace and oh by the way, we love our neighbors in Mallory. I've always liked Polo Ridge, maybe because of it's location and proximity to 466 and shopping.

[darbyduff]

The only reason for Mallory Square is that is where they are building our model at the moment. If it takes any longer to sell our home in Colo., we'll probably be living by the new town square!!!

We looked at pre-owned homes on our first visit but found that a new home may be less expensive and your not paying for the ex owners "must haves". The only thing that I will really miss in the new villages are the trees that are in the older sections of the Village.

We went to look at Mallory this last March right after the tornado and it was so really sad to see the devastation. .... Tornado's don't hit in the same place twice do they......?

Would you or anyone else have other Villages that maybe a bit more desirable? ???

[REDCART]

Darbyduff, I follow the re-sales just to stay current with property appreciation and also because my mother is interested. It appears to me that resales are almost always higher than a comparable new home. Besides the "enhanced" landscaping and additions added by the owner, resales allow you to see the finished neighborhood. The resales appear to close very quickly which suggests that they're priced competitively. Just keep in mind that folks who purchased in Belevedere and Bonnybrook in 2003, purchased before Lake Sumter was a reality, as did the folks who purchased in Largo before Brownwood was announced. Each village has a mix (more or less) of all types and prices in housing.

I've heard people say that when you buy into a new neighborhood, people tend to be more friendly because everyone is new there.

[darbyduff]

gryoung, I have heard the same thing about the new villages. As an example.......

We stopped at the mail boxes in Mallary to look out over the area and of course the damage. Along came this gentleman on his golf cart.. one thing led to another and before we knew it we were in his cart, riding to see all the damage to his house and others. After, we walked around the area where they were building the new homes....peeking into windows...dreaming about "when" and lo and behold here comes a couple in a golf cart to say "howdy"!! Again, one thing led to another and we're exchanging phone numbers, making promises to call and planning dinner that evening etc.....

We then went over to Cain Gardens for a bite to eat....(One of my favorite places in the Villages) Ended up talking to a couple one table over... long story short....... we are invited to stay the night up in their Tennessee home on our way down to Florida when we move....paying the bill at the bar..guy walks up and invites my husband to play a round with him in the morning......... (This all happened within a 2 hour period!!1)

Sorry guys...... You just can't meet anyone in the Villages!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D

[REDCART]

Agreed, there must be something in The Villages water. My wife talks to people everywhere---post office, supermarket, gas station. I am on the other hand not quite as outgoing. Yet, in the Villages, I can kill the morning just standing outside talking with my neighbors.

When I'm back in Yonkers, NY walking the dog, I tried saying hello, good evening to people I'd see on the street. They completely ignore me like I'm hitting them up for money. I keep doing it just to have some fun. The Villages is a nice people experience. And with a friendly dog, even better!

BTW, Cain Garden is one of our favorites. We were never really happy about Mallory Hill CC (too noisy) but Cain was always a good experience for us.

We came down right after the tornado in February. It was an inspiration to see people rebuilding.

[darbyduff]

gryoung,

I tried to do the same thing up here....talk to the people on the street, say "Hi", "how ya doing" and they can't wait to get to their phone to dial 911! (It wouldn't be so bad, but I work for the courts!!!!)

The first visit to the villages we stayed in one of the Village homes behind Southern Trace Shopping Center and played a couple of courses around "Lynnhaven???" etc. I also loved that area but I would like to be in a village between Lake Sumpter and the new downtown. The best of both worlds, so to speak. You live around there... what do you think?

Weigh in anyone who has a "must" live village. We are still open to suggestions.

[REDCART]

We came down for the week's Lifestyle tour in October 2005. They put us in one of the Cherry Lyn Villas in the Village of Belvedere, just inside the gate. The back of the villa was on a golf course. It seemed just perfect. We thought the location was ideal--close to 466 and shopping, until the night sky was lit up every night with VHS football games. When the wind was right, you could even hear the game and the music.

From that experience, we realized that maybe being so close to schools and the extracurricular events may not be so great. The point is you need to be aware of stuff (for lack of a more accurate word) like sewer treatment plants, power transformers, freight trains, or schools, maybe even major intersections which might detract from your Villages experience. When you're excited about a new home and have a limited time to make a decision, it's very easy to overlook these benign nuisances but nuisances they are, and you'll have to live with them after you move in. So rather than ask about the perfect village, you really need to drive around wherever you think you'd like to live because even the most perfect village must surely have some areas which are well, less than perfect.

[darbyduff]

Good Point!

One thing we didn't think about was the possable noise problems that living close to your neighbors might bring. My husband wants nothing to do with yard work so he loved the homes that had almost no back yard and butted up to your neighbors patio. Well having read a post here regarding the noise level of one villager's neighbors, we are rethinking that idea.

The biggest problem for us is the way we're going to have to close..... long distance. When we get a contract on our home we will call our sales lady in the Villages. At that point she will look for the model we want..call us...send us some pictures and if we give her the ok (based solely on her word and the pictures we see) then she will try to set up a closing that corresponds with our closing up here. Then we will have approx. 1 month to pack, get the movers here and start the road trip to Florida! Whew!!!

See the dilemma? We of course have a lot of new questions to ask her when we get that far (thanks to you and others) but we really are going into this pretty blind.

[Indy-Guy]

I live in the village of Poinciana in Sullivan Villa's and love the location no complaints. There is alot of road construction South of Cane Garden Country Club. This is a lot of construction and is Southwest of the corner of Bailey Trail and St. Charles Place. I have been told that they are flinishing up the last 4 holes of the last 9 for Cane Garden and also there will be 2 more exec courses there as well. I think that will be a good location. It is 12 min by golf cart to Lake Sumter Landing.

My wife and I are leaving for Evergreen Colorado at 5:00PM hope there is no snow up there. We were there for Memorial day 2 years ago and it snowed.

[darbyduff]

Hey Indy guy..,.

Hope I can catch you before you leave....Evergreen got snow a couple of days ago. :(

Bring your woolies! Temp. over the weekend in Denver should be around 70-75!

[REDCART]

Darbyduff, if you somehow wind up with inconsiderate neighbors which could happen anywhere, you'll need a half-acre to separate your homes to have any peace and quiet. In the Villages, there's close and closer. It's certainly not for everyone. We've had relatives visit us and their first impression was "too close for my taste."

[darbyduff]

I've heard that from several of my friends who have previewed the Village's website, but I remind them that a lot of seniors have made the choice to live in senior living apartment buildings here. You can't get any closer than that!

Then I have the friends who say..."You want to move to Florida???" Our standard reply is .."No, we don't want to move to Florida.....We want to move to the Villages....it just happens to be in Florida!!!"

I'm just curious.... When do they project the new village square will be completed and has anyone played the new course out there?? Havana isn't it? My husband stood very still on one of the hills out there with the course in the distance. I asked him what he was doing and like every "Golfaholic" he said...."Playing the course in my mind"!