First time posters only.
 

Each day there are hundreds of people who visit Talk of The Villages, read what has been said, but never post. Please jump in and say hello. Make you first post here, so that you will become part of the wonderful group that regularly posts here.

Thanks and Welcome.

:welcome:

Your Administrators.

Re: First time posters only.
 

Hello all, this is my first post on this site. I find the wide range of comments to be very informative.My wife and I have been interested in The Villages for quite some time now and have visited TV several times over the past ten years and enjoyed each visit more than the last. It was really hard leaving TV each time and returning to the old grind. We probably shouldn't have visited at all until we were old enough to retire. My wife and I will both retire in June and we are stepping up our interest in TV and this site has been a wonderful source of information. We really appreciate the honest comments that are posted on this site. We need to hear the non sugar coated, real people comments that are posted here. I have read about hidden expenses involved with living in TV. Can anyone shed a little light on this? Also, what are sink holes? As far as I know we don't have those in Ohio. Are there places in TV where sink holes are more of a problem than other areas? Thanks for the info.

Re: First time posters only.
 

Sink Hole: Florida is really a large sand bar with many small lakes and underground springs.
Frequently the upper layer of sand will cave into the underground spring (a sink hole) and if there is anything on the upper sand it also falls into the hole.

Homeowner's insurance needs to include sink hole coverage (for the full value of your property and more). Need hurricane and wind coverage too. In California, nobody can afford earthquake coverage and hardly anyone has it but in Florida around TV hurricane coverage is only about $150 with $500 deductable (much higher on on the coast).

Just don't seem right!

Re: First time posters only.
 

Thanks for the info. From your response, it would seem that the risk of a sink hole would be equal thruout TV, but I still wonder if there is an area to avoid? I would hate to come down and fall in love with a property and buy it and end up in China.

Re: First time posters only.
 

My 3rd. post... I think I'm getting the hang of it.
Q.- for Chuckinca - where did you buy H.O. Ins. that had hurricane ins. with it for $150.00
and only a $500.00 deductable? ( Just talking about the hurricane portion of the policy)

Do you have a place here in TV? Who is your coverage with ? Please help.

Re: First time posters only.
 

Got it thru the AAA office next to Perkins on 441, carrier is ASI, American Strategic Insurance. Total cost was under $600 per year (third year we have had the policy and includes sinkhole coverage). AAA in TV is a bit weird as they sold us homeowner's from ASI and Auto from Travelers. AAA in Calif has sold us these coverages from AAA for the past 25 years (???)

Re: First time posters only.
 

duffer4384,

Perhaps this link will answer some of your questions about sinkholes:
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/sm...ic,1034.0.html

Re: First time posters only.
 

Hello! Also my 1st time posting. I've been reading the comments for a few months and appreciate all of the information. Have been researching various areas in FL with the thought of becoming a snowbird (at least initially) while still enjoying the late spring, summer, early fall of the northeast. I'm a golfer so I know I would enjoy that part of 'heaven' in TV. My major areas of concern/interest are the insurance & tax rates in the TV area, actually FL as a whole and the bond/no bond issues. Now that I am an 'official' poster I'll have to review my notes/questions and get further feedback. Thanks for the opportunity to join in your discussions.

Re: First time posters only.
 

Thanks for the link punkpup, lots of good info.

Re: First time posters only.
 

Thank you for the welcome. My husband and I (he is 65 and I am 55) are Canadians from Ontario and are renting for 2 mos this year in TV. We want to "try it out" I guess. My biggest concern is that my husband is a bit of a workaholic and has a very bad knee and I just hope he finds some friends to "play with" LOL. :) He loves to entertain and eat good food, golfing, baseball but with his knee he cannot walk hardly any distance. He is getting a knee replacement when we get back to Canada. Keeping him busy will be a challenge.I on the other hand am quite happy on my own, reading, sunning, swimming or shopping and I think I will be fine. The weather is the big draw for me. We shall see. I do have a few questions and will post them later.
I think the chatting amongst friends is great but for me I would like to pull from the knowledge of the "locals" about other stuff at least until I am in TV and get my bearings. TTYL and thank you .

Re: First time posters only.
 

TH,
you know you can't title something like this and not have us regulars peek! Come on all of you TV "wannabe"s"! Join us! Some of us are "snowflakes" ,some "full-timers", some "wannabes"! Some just "flakes"! Ask questions! Lots of answers here! ;D

Becky

Re: First time posters only.
 

My husband and I are putting our house on the market this spring. We live in Columbus Ohio. We have visited the Villages on several occasions as his brother lives there. Our problem is that he has a small business – developing software, and wants to move two of his employees. So our move is complicated by his finding office space and housing for two employees. Oh my – I envy those who can just sell their home and move. I do consulting work and travel a lot but will just fly out of Orlando. Thank you for this forum – I read it daily. So many questions have been answered plus things I’ve not thought of. You all are a great group and we look forward to seeing you some day.

Re: First time posters only.
 

Hi,

This is my first post. I have been spending some time the last 2 days reading the various postings and find the information very interesting and helpful. Thank you.

I have just started looking into TV as a retirement option. I visited a friend there about a year ago and really enjoyed my stay.

I would like some help understanding the bond. Some recommend not paying it off up front, but to pay it off over 30 years at 7%.

Does the bank consider the bond part of the cost of the house, so that you could add it to the listed sale price and put 20% down and still get a conventional mortgage for the difference?

I would think that if you rolled the bond into a mortgage, then the interest would be tax deductable, and the present mortgage rates are less than 7%.

Is the interest tax deductable if you do not make it part of your mortgage?

Thanks in advance for your comments!

Re: First time posters only.
 

Richc,

Many more people will see your question and reply with helpful information if you would post this question as another thread in this forum.

Thanks
Jan Kokochak, administrator
Talk of The Villages

Re: First time posters only.
 

We are long time residents but first time posters here. As I read through some of the threads I notice a lot of people are mis-informed. I hope to help that situation by sharing my knowledge of TV.

mm

Re: First time posters only.
 

Welcome,mailme.
Look forward to your posts. Sometimes we need all the help we can get when we are new to TV. I am forever grateful to the folks on this Blog, so please share with us.
Beady

Re: First time posters only.
 

This is my first post, tho I have been lurking around for some time. Have had our house in NC on the market since July, but everyone knows how the market is (not) moving right now. So we bit the bullet and bought a patio villa (sight unseen) in Dec. figuring when our house does sell, we have a place to go. The villa had been empty a while and a bit of a fixer-upper (which we love to do), and the price was right. It has a lovely lush corner lot and location we really like and as a realtor myself I know those are things you can't change later. Our plan is to get it all fixed up, live in it awhile, then buy something bigger when the other house sells, as I have my heart set on a Gardenia. Then hopefully convince my Dad to sell his house and buy the villa. He golfs everyday- so this is the perfect place for him too...
We brought a truckload of furniture down a couple of weeks ago. My hubby stayed a week as he won't officially retire til the house sells, but I'm here for the month of Feb. (at least). He'll come down some weekends tho as that Allegiant Airline has one-way $19 nonstops to Sanford right now. (How can they Do that??)
We bought a golf cart which wasn't delivered til after my husband went back, and tho getting the car and cart in the garage is a tight fit, I'm getting more confident with the space,,, nope, no dings. And I love zipping around on that little cart. I'm getting involved in some things but have been spending alot of time revamping the new place.
Was so glad to have found TOTV. I have been interested in reading all the experiences of new and long term Villagers, and got lots of good info from the forums.

Re: First time posters only.
 

Mintjulep,

http://www.millan.net/minimations/sm...lcomesmile.gif.... to TOTV...This is a great place for information of all kinds..

You will make lots of friends here and every one is willing to help..Stop in the chat room, there are lots of friendly people there and it can be lots of fun...
http://www.millan.net/minimations/sm...hatsmileys.gif
Best of luck to you...http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/yes.gif

Donna

Re: First time posters only.
 

Mintjulep. welcome.

Re: First time posters only.
 

Thanx!!! And yep,,, have found everyone I've encountered to be extremely friendly and helpful. And my neighbors seem so nice, when we 'upsize', will probably want to stay in this same neighborhood. I have caught myself driving around looking at Gardenias that are for sale. And checking online, which is how I found the villa... Yikes!!! Can't go there yet tho!!!
And we do like this villa so much,,, it'll be hard to let go of. But we need more space for visiting family later,,, and I NEED A BIGGER GARAGE!!!

Re: First time posters only.
 

Good Morning, Mintjulep,

Your post caught my attention this morning. We are not yet in TV, but our plan also is to buy a patio villa and possibly move to something bigger at a later time -- or maybe just stay in the patio villa. We would not be living there year-round, at least at first.

I had to laugh when I read what you said about the garage squeeze you find yourself in. A couple of years ago, we downsized houses. It was one of the best decisions we ever made. The only thing we missed was our 3-car garage. I am a Midwesterner, and we do so love our garages and basements. But in exchange for sunshine almost every day, we can give up a lot of space.

I watch the patio villa market from afar for now. We don't mind fixer-uppers either. - a little fixing up anyway. We have done some major projects in homes we have owned. We don't want to do that anymore, but a little fixing up is fun.

It turned out to be for the best that we did not buy in TV at the time we visited, but maybe next trip.

Meanwhile, there are signs that the decision must be becoming a little more clear.

I have found that recently I have begun to acquire, here and there, a few pieces of wood furniture which I put in the basement. I have a dresser now and a couple of side tables and a dining table. The plan is to hit them with some white paint, rub them with something, beat them up a little, and Voila - shabby chic. (I don't quite understand the process yet but will figure it out.)

The next step in the plan is to throw the "new" white furniture into a POD or something and ship it to a patio villa in TV. For now, it is all still in the planning stages.

I hope that's what I'm doing - making Florida furniture.

If that's not what this is, maybe I am turning into one of those hoarders that I see on those television shows where someone like Oprah or whoever has to go in to save them from themselves.

Uh oh. I digress. It's what I do.

Anyway, Mintjulep, enjoy your wonderful new adventure. I hope you will share your progress.

We may be doing the same thing soon.

Boomer

Re: First time posters only.
 

Boomer,
We do feel very fortunate having made such a good purchase sight unseen. We did have some friends who live here check it out and send us pictures and also had an inspection done.
And the fix up is mostly cosmetic stuff and a little yard work, (my hubby should be a landscaper in his next life, so no problem).
Nothing like the last big project of tiling our 600 sq. ft. porch ourselves,,, our poor knees...

I am looking for someone to switch the laundry room to the inside like alot of them have now.
And plan to move the fridge down and add cabinets on that back kitchen wall.
The rest we can do ourselves.

Our villa seems spacious inside, but we only brought about half of what we will bring when our house sells. And I know then I will miss all the storage that I've been used to.
But maybe that'll make me quit being such a ratpack. I really do want (and need) to simplify my life and getting rid of all the never used stuff is part of it.

I'm partly staying here so my husband can have a huge garage sale (this weekend), and I don't have to see stuff I think I NEED to keep be sold. He doesn't want me there for that. LOL!!
Says we won't get rid of anything if I'm there. Course,,I don't know where we'll ever put all of the Christmas stuff he doesn't want to part with.

But so far, the garage has been my hardest adjustment. It's very tight after the huge 3 car.
Aside from the laundry, it has an extra fridge and a washtub, and one of those curb things, plus all the yard and paint tools we brought. I can barely squeeze by to walk out.

One thing about it,,, it'll be easy to upsize later after this downsize...

And good luck to you on finding a great villa for all your 'new' Florida furniture...
MJ