Villages near Sumter Landing, Brownwood, Spanish Springs
 

Visited The Villages last weekend for the first time and really loved the area. We particularly loved the areas around Spanish Springs, Brownwood and Sumter Landing. We can't quite remember which Villages were near those areas. We are looking for probably a pre-owned home. Can anyone help with this?

This website has just about everything you would want to know about TV:

VIRGINIA TRACE, THE VILLAGES, FLORIDA

Stay away from Pine Ridge and closer to the squares as the taxes are a lot higher as well as the home prices. Few miles off the cuff you will be saving about 50k-100k on your home as well as lower taxes. Love it here however the closer you are to the squares the more you'll pay. If you are all about location, and don't mind being taken to the cleaners then that is for you. If you want a beautiful home, and a few miles from the squares you can find a real good buy. Courtyard villas are popular and good resale value!

Thanks so much for the info! Really appreciate it!

When we first visited The Villages, we thought it was essential to buy near one of the three squares as we thought we'd practically live there.

Unless we have company or go to a movie or someone "special" is playing, (like Rocky and the Rollers), we very rarely visit the Squares.

I know Mr. & Mrs. Trap go to the Squares frequently, but I think that is unusual. Just one opinion!

Pine Ridge ? Do tell.

Thanks so much! This place is so big I don't know which way to go!!

Welcome to The Villages! I love it here and was fortunate to purchase a new home in Caroline 10 years ago. Lake Sumter Landing was fairly new at that time.

When people first move to TV, they tend to frequent the squares a bit more than they might after being here a while. Do you think proximity to the squares is very important on your list of things you want? If so, I'm sure there are many fine homes you could consider for purchase. Home prices are based on square footage, upgrades, lot size, throughout The Villages. I'm not certain that homes located closer to the squares cost more just because of location.

Previously owned homes may offer upgrades and mature landscaping giving you more time to get right into your retirement fun, though setting up a new home can be fun, too. After you've been here for a while, you'll notice that all Villages are nice and some things you thought were important about house location, aren't as important as they first were. I'm assuming a golf cart purchase is being considered....and getting anyplace in a golf cart is fun...and the time seems fairly quick.

Have fun in your search...you'll have so many home styles to choose from.....enjoy!

An easy way to look up properties for sale without needing to know the village name is with a map, Zillow can show properties this way.

Real Estate - 224 Homes For Sale | Zillow

The map can be adjusted to larger or smaller using the + and - signs on the right. The link above is set up for The Villages, just hover your mouse over the red dots and you'll get a small photo of the home. Click on the dot and information and photos will pop up on the screen. Hit close in the upper right to get rid of the information. You can change the search along the buttons at the top by limiting the price, number of BR's, etc. To bring in a satellite view of actual buildings and landmarks, on the right click on map and then select aerial. To move the map around, when your mouse pointer is a 'hand', you can drag the map to where you like to see.

Zillow homepage Zillow: Real Estate, Apartments, Mortgages & Home Values

Thanks for the information! We drove through Caroline actually and really liked it! All these replies are very helpful!

Thanks ! Very helpful!!

I don't agree if a home is closer to a square, it is more expensive. You will pay more for a view, corner lot, upgrades in home, etc.

I agree it's more important to be closer to shopping, doctors and an activity that you might do on a daily basis, After awhile, most people don't go to the squares as often.

You might want to consider something like Bonnybrook, Summerhill, area. Caroline and Virginia Trace are also beautiful. Close to doctors and shopping and a short ride to the squares. TV is very big so don't get overwhelmed.

Best to send for a map and study it, as there are many choices.

Thanks so much for your input. Really looking forward to moving there!!

Here's another important website for future residents: Village Community Development Districts

Once there scroll down and click on the menu tab for MAPS You will most likely want to review the District maps first and then either the exec golf course map or the recreation map. Tolls are located on each map allowing you to decrease the viewing size and eliminating a lot of scrolling.

Another item of note when folks start 'shopping' around is the need for the cost of the houses' bond payment - a charge for infrastructure of the district and a cost not often included in the sale price of the home. Info re that cost starts here: Residential Bond Assessment Information

We wanted a house with a view - that was it. Now that we've lived here (Hadley) a year and enjoyed the view, I am grateful that we are also near both of our rec centers (Odell & Colony), our neighborhood pool & mail station, a shopping plaza (Colony), 466a and Morse Blvd. Getting to two of the squares (Brownwood & Lake Sumter Landing) is a bit of a trek by golf cart, but definitely doable. We've been to LSL for musical entertainment five times in a year, though I go more frequently for shopping or movies. I use our car a lot; hubby uses the cart for golf. I find I can get to all Drs, Sams Club, and most places all over TV and even in Leesburg in under 15-25minutes (maybe a little longer when the Snowbirds are here - how quickly I forget). I have a good friend in the far reaches of Tamarind Grove who is near her mail station but far from main roads, rec centers, shopping centers etc. Come and rent for a month or two unless you decide exactly what you want relative to your location.

We like Amelia for location and a bit of hilly terrain - hard to find anywhere in Florida. We are close to rec centers and equidistant - about 2.5 miles (less than 10 minutes by cart) from LSL and Colony Publix etc. As other posters indicated, there are many variables to consider when choosing location. Bottom line - if you're in The Villages, you'll have it all its many wonders available to you.

Thanks to all for your feedback! So helpful! I really appreciate it!

Why stay away from Pine Ridge?

It is beautiful there also. Everyone who lives here thinks their Village is the best. We went there yesterday to look at new houses again. All in money wise it is a few dollars more but there is nothing like a new house. There is nothing to worry about, I worried about a whole lot before we moved here and reality is all the worry was for nothing.

I do not agree with this post at all. Home prices here are based on view lots, size of home and have nothing to do with what Village or whether home is new or not.

There are excited and happy and smart people who have chosen Pine Ridge.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...ght=Pine+Ridge


I don't sell real estate. I don't work. I love it here...I love every Village, but I like mine the best. We all do.

There are many incorrect statements Miss Kat, on this forum.

we looked at beautiful home...the putnam model 4 bedrooms with a golf cart garage in Pine Ridge, backed to the street, perfect. $259.....we thought...what a deal....

then we did the tax estimate for lake county, fruit land park...as our villages realtor suggested we do.

with the bond $24900.....the yearly maintance fee for the local $630? and the county taxes, it added up to $7500 a year....thats $625 a month just for taxes...

Way too high for us, But it was a great home.

Finding a home
 

[QUOTE=kitkat1;1281221]Visited The Villages last weekend for the first time and really loved the area. We particularly loved the areas around Spanish Springs,
Hi, we did this and it seemed to work well for us.
1. The Lifestyle program by the Villages, through the Village offices, will set up a Villa Rental for you, with a cart and with Bikes. Then the trolley will take you around or the sales agents will also take you around, no pressure.
2. There are three or more outside regular Realtors, REMax, Grizzard, and Executive Realty.
3. See the Sun Daily paper, they have homes by owner and a lot of info on Sales.
4. Website FSBO.com | Real Estate Homes For Sale By Owner Since 1997 shows a lot of places too.
5. Zillow: Real Estate, Apartments, Mortgages & Home Values can also show homes here.

We really liked Dan Foster at Grizzard Realty on 466.
First decide the area, then house or Villa or Cottage, then price range,,,,,,,, this place is great.

bbbbbb :bigbow:

I thought Lake County didn't allow a bond on the property, and thus, the overall price of the home would look higher because of the lot improvements and street/neighborhood infrastructure would be baked into the home price, not in a separate bond.

Also, a lot of people don't want a 4-bedroom home. They could get a 3-bedroom home there, without the furnishings and cart (which makes for fuzzing price of the actual home), for maybe $25k less, and have pretty much the same thing on the same land.

We live in the geographical center of The Villages in the Village of Sunset Pointe, near Sumter Landing. We did our homework before we purchased and I don't believe this to be accurate. We got a good buy on our home and our taxes are not appreciably more than a home in Pennekamp. Like anywhere else, it depends on the time of year and comparables. It just depends if you want an older home, newer or in between age home.

Yearly maintenance fee? We have no yearly maintenance fee. Are you talking about the amenity fee? That doesn't vary much between houses. We own a 23 year old villa that is a rental and we own a 10 year old designer home in which we live. The amenity fee is the same.

Everyone thinks their village is the best.

I don't know where you live and I cannot be certain about all areas but I think if you look on the back of your tax bill you will find a maintenance fee. As I said, I don't know about all areas.

That seems strange. This link estimates yearly property tax for a 250K home in Fruitland Park in the $3500 area.

Tax Calculator

He is calculating the bond as well as the maintenance fee into the yearly calculation.

Delends.. Check CYV 3 bed 2 bath golf front homesite and you will see that location does matter. Quite a bit.

View lots are more expensive. And that includes any lot that backs to privacy and that includes a road! But a lot's proximity to a square doesn't effect it's cost.

This is not true in Pine Hill and Pine Ridge. Your thought pertains to older areas of TV that are in Lake County. All of these older areas are north of 466. Some are east of 441.

Delends.. Check CYV 3 bed 2 bath golf front homesite and you will see that location does matter. Quite a bit

$419,900
Stoneybrook:
3 BED • 2 BATH • 1602 sq. ft.
VLS: 221381 • 742 ENOLA PL

View Details
220736
$379,700
Stoneybrook:
3 BED • 2 BATH • 1684 sq. ft.
VLS: 220736 • 1424 FILLMORE PL

$249,900
Stoneybrook:
3 BED • 2 BATH • 1556 sq. ft.
VLS: 221608 • 17181 SE 76TH CALEDONIA TER
Furnished

Thus last one on Caledonia looks like quite the deal. Not sure of condition but it is a corner lot , golf, water. Maybe the condition?

They are all view lots and they are all decorated nicely and one is a couple hundred sq fit bigger than the others, but the one on Calegonia is a wonderful price. One is near Havana. One is near Lopez and one backs to 466A.

All 3 are view lots home golf front and all are furnished all are Stoneybrook and the one near Lopez is $249,900, the one near Truman is $379,999 and the one across 466a is $419,900. The one near Looez looks like a steal.

Built in 2003 in Calumet Grove listed for $249K

https://www.thevillages.com/homes/vl...92&w=664&h=498

https://www.thevillages.com/homes/vl...02&w=664&h=498

Built in 2003 in the Village of Briar Meadow listed for $339K

https://www.thevillages.com/homes/vl...93&w=664&h=498

https://www.thevillages.com/homes/vl...64&w=664&h=498

Built in 2007 in the Village of Duval listed for $379K

https://www.thevillages.com/homes/vl...38&w=664&h=498

https://www.thevillages.com/homes/vl...36&w=664&h=498

Built in 2008 in the Village of Bonita listed for $419K

https://www.thevillages.com/homes/vl...89&w=664&h=498

https://www.thevillages.com/homes/vl...82&w=664&h=498

Really?? Stay away?? Prices MAY be higher because there are more designer homes in Pine Ridge. And yes the taxes in Lake County are a scosh higher than other areas but not a deal breaker for a great lot, beautiful home, and convenient amenities. And only 8 minutes to Sumter Landing!

If you look at the square footage of the lots ...they are all different. You pay extra for EVERY INCH of your lot. A house can have same sq footage, same decor but if the lot is only slightly larger, you will pay more.

OP, there are no "bad" villages or locations in The Villages. Once you live in The Villages, you will see there is no "wrong side of the tracks". That said, you might want to pick a village close to a square if your major activity is dancing several nights a week. If golf is your game, a village close to several courses might be your best village pick. If you swim laps every morning, then near a lap pool. Well, you get it by now......

Take your time and spend some time in The Villages. It won't take you long to get the lay of the land here. Good luck and enjoy.

I agree. Lynnhaven, Belvedere, Tall Trees are all wonderful areas! Of course any Village you choose will be beautiful!

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