[brostholder]

I first read these posts over a year ago when we purchased our CYV in The Villages. Now we are finally getting ready to make the move and I went back and searched for the posts. They are proving to be so very helpful. Thanks again for the information and thanks for performing a very helpful service.

[jacksdaughter]

I want to thank you for your information. We are considering TV's and your post answers some questions that we have.

[AriaGrandparents2013]

Excellent........and very helpful information, much appreciated.

[folkh]

Thank you for all your time and information. Enjoyed reading and learning.

H&B

[thelegges]

Originally Posted by PJOHNS2654

why not? You can cancel newspaper, cable, telphone auto ins. etc.

because they can...you have to get over it everyone else does we pay year round and are only snowflakes

[uprivergirl]

Thank You for all the information. We are coming in May and will be looking at homes in TV. You have answered so many of our questions. We have been trying to collect as much information as we can before we visit, It will help us make up our mind.

[fancy514]

We are moving to TV in 2 weeks. Any advise on internet providers, satellite, land lines etc ? thanks for any information.

[jebartle]

If you go with Comcast, I highly recommend getting your own router and modem, will save you tons

Originally Posted by fancy514

We are moving to TV in 2 weeks. Any advise on internet providers, satellite, land lines etc ? thanks for any information.

[DigitalGranny]

Actually the trash thing is my pet peeve. Not only do they charge you when you are not there, but when you buy your home, trash removal charges start the day of the closing - not the day you move in. Also, if you're like us, the move-in trash was not picked up and since we were headed back to our other home the next day, we had to dispose of it ourselves! WM has yet to remove one piece of trash from my home, but they sent us an $85 invoice that they claim they are powerless to alter!

[rdhdleo]

Can a link for newbies be added for Brighthouse and Century Link Prism? We just switched from awful Comcast to Century Link prism and what a HUGE difference!!! So much more for your money! I apologize if I missed the liks

[amandabrecon]

I am new to TOTV and can't figure out how to start a new post.
I watched their help video and I don't see what they show.
Anyway, we are not happy with our lawn care company. They do fine with mowing and bushes but can't seem to get them to do the sprinkler which we also pay them for.
Does anyone have a reliable company that knows what they are doing, when to mow, when to trim shrubs and how to keep the sprinkler system working well? Ours hits the heads and then never shows up to fix them. Frustrating!
Thanks!!
amandabrecon

[SheilaO]

Originally Posted by zcaveman

(Continued from Part 2)


TAXES, FEES, BONDS

Amenity Fees
Amenities fees are used to pay for the upkeep of recreational facilities. Check with your sales person to find out what the current starting fee is. The Deed Restrictions document outlines the Amenity process and the rate. Basically, the fees go up annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Please check your Deed Restrictions to see what your terms are. If you purchase a pre-owned home, there are differences. The start of your amenity fees is the date of the contract for purchase of the lot. I am not sure but I think the contract signing date of the original house is used for pre-owned homes. Not positive on that.

Bonds
The purpose of the bond is to recover the costs of the infrastructure (sewer, water, streets, electric, cable, etc.) in your section. The bond is calculated based on the cost of the infrastructure for that section divided by the number of houses in the section. The annual amount of the bond payoff will be part of your property tax bill. I am pretty sure that the bond is a 30 year bond at 7% interest. It is like a 30 year mortgage. The bonds are fairly high south of 466. The bond goes down very little each year as most of the payment goes to interest. Be very sure to cover the bond, bond payment, length of the bond interest rate and payoff options with your sales rep or realtor. If you are buying a pre-owned property, be sure to find out how much is left on the bond.

Executive Trail Fees
If you want to use a golf cart as a driver OR a passenger when you play the executive courses, you can pay $3.50 a round or you can pay an Executive Trail Fee. The annual Executive Trail Fee costs $141.24 as of this writing and covers one to four residents living in the same household playing golf for one year. There is a six month version available for the seasonal residents for $105.93. If you are a priority member, the Executive Trail Fee for you is included as part of your priority membership. If your spouse is NOT a priority member, the Executive Trail Fee will cost him/her $105.93. There is also a six month version available for $79.45. Please go to www.thevillages.net to see the Executive Trail Fee Rates and Application.

Florida Homestead Exemption
If this is your primary home, you will get a $50,000 homestead exemption when you reside in your new home as of January 1st of that year. Be sure to file for your homestead exemption if you are a permanent resident. You will need a Florida Drivers License for registration. Please go to Sumter County Property Appraiser - Joey Hooten - Bushnell, Florida - 352-569-6800 to see more detailed information on the Homestead Exemption and the requirements and benefits.

Property Taxes
Property taxes in Florida are not much different than anywhere else that I know of. You are taxed based on the assessed value of your house (less the Homestead Exemption if this is your primary residence). You also pay for schools, water management, and other services including fire services, waste management, etc. You will receive the property tax bill in September and you will get a 4% discount if you pay in November, 3% in December, 2% in January and 1% in February. You will be delinquent if not paid by April 1st. If you have a homestead exemption, property taxes cannot be raised by more that 3% a year and non-homestead homes have a cap of 10%.

State Taxes
Florida has no State Income Tax. If you move from a state with state income taxes, you will have to file a resident and non-resident return for the year you earned income in both states. You will need to keep track on what your income was in your home state and out of your home state and what interest you earned on accounts both in and out of your home state. Of course, you should contact your home state and get the proper tax information so you do everything properly. TurboTax handles both resident and non-resident returns.


UTILITIES

Electric and Gas
When you move to Florida, they are going to want a deposit. You can call your local gas and electric companies and get a form that says that you were a good payer for the past year. You can get a form from your new companies (TECO/SECO) and attach that form and send it in and get your deposit back right away.

Electric SECO 1-866-605-6383 (Marion, Sumter and parts of Lake County)
Gas TECO 1-877-832-6747

Telephone, Cable, Satellite, Internet Service
Find out who your telephone carrier is in The Villages so that you can order your telephone prior to actually moving down. That way you can set up an appointment with them to have the telephone installed when you get here. We did not order until we were here and it took about a week to get the telephone installed. I was not a cell phone user at that time so it was difficult

• Telephone – Embarq 1-866-304-6820
• Cable – Comcast 352-687-2758
• Satellite – Dish 1-800-333-3474

DIRECT TV 1-888-777-2454

• Internet – Embarq DSL 1- 866-304-6820
• Comcast CABLE 1-800-266-2278

(Special deals if you bundle all the services)

LINKS

These are links to various Villages sites and some other sites:

The Villages - The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Retirement Hometown - New Home Sales, Home Resales, Build Your Dream Home, Brownwood Paddock Square
The Villages.Net - https://www.thevillages.net/
Villages Pre-owned Homes - http://www.thevillages.com/homes/vls/index_new.asp
VCDD Development Districts - Village Community Development Districts
The Villages Voice (VHA) - http://www.thevillagesvoice.com/
Florida DMV - Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Florida State Government - Florida Government, Florida Code, FL State, Florida Law | GovEngine.com
Florida Attractions - Florida Tourist Attractions
Florida Parks - Welcome to Florida State Parks
Silver Springs (Ocala) - | Florida's natural beauty.

Additional Items:

Pet ID Tags: When you find out what your address and telephone number will be, it is worth a trip to Petco to get a pet ID tag made with your/his name, address and telephone number in case your pet gets out of the house. Too often a pet gets out and is lost because the finder has no way to identify the owner.

Remember that these are strictly my thoughts and should only be considered or rejected in light of what you want or need and can do on your own. Check with the sales reps, neighbors, insurance reps, financial advisors, etc before making any decisions based on these items.

I hope some of this helps or at least gives you something to think about.

Thank you for a lot of great info for those of us who are new.

[NY_Newbie]

Thanks for all your tips. Just bought in Hadley. Will be snow birds for now but with visits in between. Can't take another winter in the Northeast.

[Tom Gagnon]

thanks for all the helpful info.

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by Tom Gagnon

thanks for all the helpful info.

Still good to see people read zcaveman's insightful three part post on moving to TV.

Unfortunately, Z has become an "eternal member" so there won't be any updates.