[MadJayhawk]

We are thinking about moving from Sun City West AZ to TV. We are thinking about building a new home (we like the Lily) because we have some requirements most used homes do not have: a quilting room big enough so it can be used as bedroom (murphy bed) too, all tile floors, bathtub in the master bath, a glass enclosed lanai, garage cabinets, north facing lanai, etc. etc. etc.

How hard is it to get the builders in TV to put these things in or is it a 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get" type of thing where no alternations are permissible?

How important was it to you to have a large lot? Did you adjust to a small lot with neighbors about 30 feet away listening to what you listen to? Are there restrictions on landscaping?

Finally, not quite on topic: Allergies? Pollen? Ragweed?

[l2ridehd]

What you see is what you get. All of those things can be done post purchase if your lot allows size wise. If I was looking for what your after, I would NOT even consider new. Buy a resale where probably some of that is already done, get a large lot where footprint modifications can be done, and then make the changes you want. So far for us, allergies have improved in TV from Virginia.

[villages07]

Welcome Jayhawk,

You will have a tough time finding a resale with tub in the Master bath. If that is a deal breaker, then new will be the way to go. As L2 says, many of the requirements you have would have to be done post construction as The Villages has limits on what mods you can do during construction.

Having homes close on the sides hasn't been an issue.... But if privacy is a concern it's more important what is behind you and how far away. You can do a lot of screening with landscaping. The only major limitation is that hedges cannot exceed four feet in height....though this is probably only enforced via complaint. If two neighbors agree on a higher back "hedge" I doubt the deed compliance folks would ever see or cite it.

As an aside, I'd be curious to hear your comparisons of The Villages to Sun City. When doing my research on TV, that was the only comparable sized development that had been around for awhile. One of my concerns with TV, was and is how will the community and structures age over time. Will it still be as nice twenty years from now as it is today.

Good luck!!

[graciegirl]

Hi there Madjayhawk!!

I think you will find all of the things you are looking for in a resale Premier home; little bigger lot, bathtub in master, etc. I have seen some like this lately listed in the 400's.

If that isn't for you than we find being close to neighbors is an adjustment, but it has gone quite well. You can effectively screen the view of your neighbors with landscaping, (and it grows FAST here). One person had several posts about being annoyed by the sound from a TV on a neighbors lanai). I don't think that happens frequently, but if it happens it is annoying.

There are lots that back onto streets, walls, rec centers (ours does) and of course the more expensive golf course and water views.

If you see a house that you like on the Villages resale site, or on a realtors site, you can note its' house number and go to sumterpa.com and it will give you the original price, age and it will show a virtual map of how it is placed compared to other homes. (This is for Sumter county, but Sumter county is where the majority of homes in The Villages are located)

I hope you find just what you like here. It really is absolutely wonderful.

[SALYBOW]

We jsut built a new home and in the areas in which they are building now it is possible to get a larger lot. Our lot is 103.6 long and our lanai is 20 feet from the neighbors line. When they build, since thier lot is also big, we will be about 40 feet away. This does not seem too small so far.

a quilting room big enough so it can be used as bedroom (murphy bed) too, all tile floors, bathtub in the master bath, a glass enclosed lanai, garage cabinets, north facing lanai, etc. etc. etc.

Big room-- the Lily has one or the Iris can be extended.
all tile florrs are an option in all designers
Bathtub in the Master bath is a possibility in the designer homes, but we have the walk in shower and it is to die for. Our tub is in the guest bath.

Garage cabinets can be installed but much cheaper on the aftermarket
Glass enclosed lania is after market, I would strongly suggest you extend your lanai!
North facing etc is a possibility.. Ours is East facing and I would suggest considering that. The morning sun is delightful.
ETC, ETC, ETC there is someone who will do almost anything on the aftermarket
There are various landscaping packages available and most are quite lovely. If not there are about 6 million peole willing to add to your yard.

It used to be that the builder could not be swayed but lately, possibly due to the economy, there have been exceptions made in my neighborhood.

As far as I can tell, people get threir homes looking as they would like them to be one way or another.

We are pleased that we moved here. They are doing upkeep constantly. It is truly beautiful.

Hope this helps

[Mikeod]

We bought in TV in 2006, when there were no options available and you had two hours to decide if you wanted the home they offered. Homes were completed and then given to the agents to sell. What you saw is what you got. If you didn't want the house, there was someone right there who would take it.

When we discussed our needs/desires with the agent, we told him we wanted no home behind us and at least 25 feet in the back. He told us it was possible, but there are not many lots that will fit that requirement. Four months later, we got a call that he had a home that met our requirements. We have no home behind us and 25-40 feet of back yard. He also filled all of our other needs/desires with this home except no golf cart garage.

Since they now sell lots and you have options as to what home and what features you want, things are different. Let the agent know what you are looking for in a home with regards to lot size and home features. They should be able to steer you to something that will fill most, if not all, your needs. Now, if you're looking for a 1-2 acre lot, not gonna happen.

[MadJayhawk]

To get 5 excellent responses when I had hoped for just one half-way knowledgeable ones is amazing. You TVers are fantastic.

Comparing Sun City and TV I can say this since we took a tour of TV a week ago. We have lived in Sun City West for 5 years. First, there are actually 4 Sun City branded communities in this area. Sun City (the original one started in 1960), Sun City West, Sun City Grand, and Sun City Festival. All built by Del Webb which is now Pulte. 17,000 people live in SCW. SCW has older but good facilities that are constantly being upgraded. The one big difference is not the number of organizations, facilities, and activities (TV wins those numbers hands down) but that SCW has crafts clubs such as woodshop, silversmithing, model railroading, stained glass, computers, sewing, ceramics, lapidary, metal shop, art, weaving, photography, that have their own rooms and in some cases their own , buildings. See http://www.scwclubs.com I did not see any rooms like this in TV. Other than that the two communities are very similar. Our annual Rec Center fee is around $750 for two people. That gives us access to every facility. Golf costs around $27 a round. Each club has a membership fee. Woodshop has a $25 annual fee and pickleball has $15. There is a facilities fee that you pay when you first buy your house. I do not know what that is now. We have 4 rec centers that have pools, gyms, meeting rooms, and crafts rooms. If you have any other questions about Sun City West I will try to answer them. The Rec Center has a decent website at http://www.rcscw.com/

[Pturner]

Hi MadJayHawk,

First, welcome to TOTV! All these helpful posts are probably enough to make you want to pack your bags and move to where all these friendly, helpful people live, right?

Here's an additional thought to consider. Any of your requirements can no doubt be found here. It could be more of a challenge to find all of them. You might expand your chances considerably if you remain open to either building or buying a re-sale.

You could explain your requirements to a TV sales agent, who could scout out both a lot and viable resales listed with TV. In addition, you could get an MLS buyer's agent to scout out resales in TV that are listed on the MLS. You could compare the cost of any modifications needed to a resale to the cost of building new with floor-plan modifications. Remember to include the cost of the bond for each option when comparing costs!

Another advantage of at least considering a resale is it expands your options for where within TV you would like to locate.

Start with a Lifestyle Visit. That will enable you to get a feel for the community and locations within it.

I am curious why you are considering moving from Sun City West to TV. Not that I question it!! I think TV is Lower Paradise. I'm just curious. Also curious whether/ how much Sun City West lets you customize your home. Thanks for sharing.