Smart to rent while looking for right home?
 

We are relocating to TV from Illinois (yippee!) early next year and are thinking about selling our home then renting something small in TV until we find the house we really love and can pay for it outright. Would do unfurnished rental, movers bring all our stuff then once we find a home we can gradually move some stuff ourselves then furniture with local mover. May be a bit more pricey but less stress? Fear is selling current home and flying down to TV for a week and having to pick something just because we have to and not loving it! Has anyone done this before with the renting before buying? Would love ALL opinions, thanks! 😊

I think it's a good idea. It let's you get a feel of the different areas. It takes awhile to get familiar with getting around here and if you don't have any friends or relatives to help you get situated then I suggest renting first. We didn't but we had friends that had been here for a few years before we came. We then passed the experience onto more friends as they moved here. Had them stay with us several times, rented them golf carts and basically got them familiar as to where to shop in and out of The Villages and basically educated them on the different house models and types of lots. Good luck with your decision.

We did exactly what you are thinking of doing. We sold our place in MA, then flew down for a long weekend before that closing and found a long-term, unfurnished rental (we actually found it online and came down to see it and sign the lease). We ended up staying in the rental for about 6 months and it cost us one month's rent to break the lease, but we took our time and found exactly the house we wanted. After we closed we took our time moving the small stuff in, painting, etc. then had local movers move the furniture and big stuff. I think we only paid around $700 to the local guys and they were very good and had us into the new house in one morning.

I've seen way too many stories of people who move 2 or 3 times within TV (and also know a few that did that). Moving is a hassle so we only wanted to do it the way we did.

Our opinion is that what you're thinking of doing is a great idea. Welcome to TV!!

we sort of did the opposite. We had been coming down during the winter and renting for several years trying to decide what to do and knew basically what we wanted. We rented a home to come down and buy before selling our up north home. We ended up buying a freshly built home in Fenney and will now go back and decide what to do with our other home and belongings with no rush. We wanted to do it this was as Fenney has some great prices on new homes which pulled us out of the re-sale market.

We just retired from western suburbs of Chicago. We rented here for five months in the summer as rents are cheap. Wasn't affordable for us in the winter months. We rented at sun city for five months this winter. Great idea to Rent first. So many areas to choose from. Every time I meet someone they give me tips on buying a house here. Very helpful. I would say absolutely rent until you know your options. We went through property management in the villages.

We came down for a week, saw several model houses, and picked the model we wanted. At this time, we were able to buy a lot and build, so our sales agent found a great lot, and we built the house, let it sit empty for around 4-5 months, until we were ready to move. The mortgage rates were such that we decided to use a mortgage and invest the proceeds from the sale of our house up North. Very little stress.
Welcome to TV, hope all goes well.

Thank you for the info! Do you have the name of the local moving company you used? Although we are not going for a while, it's always good to have a personal reference when it comes to any kind of service!

We agree about the rental rates and are actually going to push our home sale back a couple of months so we begin rental no sooner than April. We will be using TV property management company, as well, and after April we can rent weekly so that's a benefit if we need to go that route. Thanks for the info!

Usually unfurnished is a yearly lease. If you sell up north I would store furniture. Rent couple weeks at a time in different areas of the villages. We rented in three villages before we bought. But even if you do buy doesn't mean you can't change your mind and move to another village.

Renting for a while and getting a feel for the pros/cons of different villages, while not being pressed to hurry up and find a place to buy...is definitely a great idea. :thumbup:

I came down to The Villages from N.J. in May 2015. I went to 5 out of 13 appointments that I had at other developments. When I stumbled upon TV I called the remainder of the places I had not made it to yet and cancelled. I knew within a few hours that I had found our new home. Wrapping it up in Jersey was rough but once you get here and get set all the tough things you have to get through to get here are not that big of a deal anymore. I was fortunate that a group of fine people from TOTV who have the patience of a saint counseled and guided us when different questions came up. I consider them very good friends. I also try my best to help new people with advice.

We all have a different path that gets us here. The main thing is to get here in one piece. Slow and steady wins in this case. We came here to buy a new home near Brownwood and ended up in Orange Blossom Gardens. You just never know. Now that we are coming up on our one year anniversay here my wife has mentioned looking at Fenney again. We shall see. Enjoy your journey its the greatest here!

Each person has to decide what is right for her. I came down and 5 days later bought a villa. Came down a year later and bought my 2nd villa. Gotta love TV! I live in one and rent one and life is good!

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A good local mover is Jim Collop's Get it Moved, 352-753-5047, Moving services – Lady Lake, FL - Jim Collop's Get It Moved

This is a very smart idea. While it might be pricey during prime months (Jan-April)..renting the off season is very affordable.

We have a home in an area that we love that will be available from May-Dec 2018...$1000 per month..includes all utilities. It is furnished. My suggestion is that if you fall in love with a house and are ready to make the big move..move furniture just once, into your new home.

Hope to hear from you:
Jean
585 694 3279
jricciuto@rochester.rr.com

we're renting for the third year having skipped this winter as we tried the Southwest which my wife did not like. We seem to like the quiet'country' northern part of The Villages as the 'frogs' call it.

The house we live in is our tenth new home in our life.

I want to point out to you that new homes and resales are priced almost exactly the same...given the lot and view and model are equal.

We bought a new home already built in Hadley the first time. Sold it immediately when we decided to move here year around. Built the second home here. We rented while it was being built. Homes are much less expensive to rent in the summer. If you rent, rent short term, in case you find just what you want and won't have to pay for the house and your too long lease.

Last night at the "Evening with the Developer" the Villages read their selling statistics; They sold more used homes than new last year. They have 1100 homes right now before they run out of built homes.

My favorite pick for a home to live in here and for an easy resale is a designer of 1900+ sq ft not backing on another home. You can find a new one for around 300K. You can back on a rec center, a road, a wall, for that price.

I don't sell real estate, never have. Just love to see how things sell around here.

Good luck to you. I hope you find the perfect home and make the right decision on how to do it.

The Villages - Search for New, Pre-owned Homes and Villas in The Villages, Florida
Here is a Begonia that I think backs on the street;

Just spent a week in TV getting a "feel for the neighborhood". Planning another look see for my significant other in December. Hopefully will be making the big move in mid-2018.

Several things that impressed me were:
- different levels of homes within a village -- my mother will be moving also and we like being able to be in the same village but in separate residences.
- cleanliness and upkeep of the common areas and homesites.
- use of getting around (Buena Vista Blvd and Morse Blvd) and I did not have an issue with the roundabouts
- make a wrong turn on the golf cart but I realize that will come with time
- you can do as much or as little as you want!

Now I just have to count down the days! :-)

renting before buying
 

We sold our home in upstate NY, put our furniture in storage, and came here "homeless" last fall. We rented for two months and it was just the right amount of time to find and close on our new home. Because we were renting during "off season" the rates were very reasonable. We found a multitude of rentals in all areas of TV, available on the web at ****.com.
Good luck! You won't be sorry that you made the move.

We used Village Mover and were very pleased. The owner is Mike Collop at 352-751-2750 and he gave us a firm written quote. Once you get here you will probably see some of their crews while driving around. They typically drive pickup trucks towing large black trailers with the name and phone number of the company on the sides.

We rented 2 winters, 2 different locations, before buying. We certainly found a location that we love but the house is not exactly IT. The plan was that if something we liked better became available in same area, we would move. Well, life got in the way and it didn't happen so we keep improving the home we are in now. At this point, I think we will stay.

Came to TV on May 1, 2013. Bought a home in August of 2013. This afforded me the luxury of looking around and moving into my home at a leisurely pace. As you may know, TV is a very big place and you will have many decisions to make. Make a list of "must haves" and "would like to have" before you start looking for a home. You will know you have the right home when you find one that has all of your must haves and it will feel right.

Picking a location will be your top priority but keep in mind, there is no such thing as a bad neighborhood.
Good luck on your search.

BTW - Make sure you have a map and study it to narrow down, where you might want to live.

AIRBNB maybe a more affordable option for renting.

We got a contract on our home in Ohio, came down and bought in 3 days. Of course we were buying a brand new home so it is easier. We also had our things stored in a POD that way we could request them bring them when we wanted them.

There are many beautiful reasonably priced rental homes in the Villages. All are fully furnished with everything you could possibly need except clothing and personal items. We have been renting for 2 months taking our time looking and signed a contract today.

Spend time in the community before you buy. It seems to be some what common to move several times.
I know a group of 50 homes. Two buillt by people moving from one part of the community to another. 4 up for sale to move to a different community all together. Needs had changed.
Try VillagersHomes4Rent.com for a rental.

A side note we moved all of our funiture from Ohio stored it until buying , hind sight we would have sold every thing in Ohio , saved the expense of moving it and storage plus wear and tear either bought turnkey or puchased new.

We are in a similar situation, only selling our house is not required to happen before we move to TV so we have some flexibility in timing. Half of our furniture is old and not desirous for TV. We are headed down there in a week to do some house shopping after looking at many houses online to see how well our online evaluations correspond with a first hand look. We may end up having to set up an extended rental (2-3 months) for the winter to find something we want to buy. It seems like the best options usually hit the market in March and April. Ugh! It is very difficult trying to assess and purchase from afar. We've also heard the stories of people buying 2-3 times in TV but would love to find our forever place on the first go around and save ourselves the hassle of future moves. It is indeed a complicated process, but we are looking forward to settling in down there sooner than later! This site is very helpful!

I think you are on the right track. We had visited folks we know in TV twice, so were familiar with TV in general. We held on to the large condo in VA for a while then bought here. We rented for two months expecting the process to take a while. After talking to realtor, Joe Cosentino, and touring a couple days, we bought a spec house from the Villages on the second day!
You should know TV is vibrant and dynamic. Of the fifteen families on our block, which was new at the time, only five have not moved. We're not only frogs, but expect to stay on the same lily pad, in the same pond, till we croak.
So, our advice is to take your time, get the home you want and settle down.

we're renting for the third year. We prefer the 'country' of TV

Invest time pays big dividends
 

Your choice...buy immediately just to have a place to go, which will likely lead to you buying a couple more times, till you find your "ideal" home, which many Villagers do, OR, rent, and invest time evaluating your options and buy once.

I relocated to Florida with a truckload of furniture in the Summer of 2012. I rented a air conditioned storage unit, for what turned out to be 15 months before I found my "ideal" home. I rented, two different places (furnished), while evaluating my options. This was the best spent time and resulted in a great fit. Yes, there is a cost for renting a storage space but in my opinion it is less stressful and physically draining than having to move furniture again and again.

Some things I evaluated and you may want to consider, that may not be initially on your mind:
1) Resale value of the Villages home you purchase (even if you don't "plan" to sell it.
2) Type of home: Villa; Ranch; Designer; Premier - all have their strengths and shortcomings
3) Learn the "desirables" many/most people are looking for: such as Golf Car Garage; block/poured concrete construction; and NO ONE or NO house behind you....which is a HUGE deal. Minimal "noise pollution" is a VERY good thing.
4) Proximity to the things you most want to be near, such as The Squares or Village congregation points; Recreation Centers; shopping; medical facilities; and things you do NOT want to be right next to such as a Pickleball Court - great to be near when you want to play, Lousy when people are playing and the noise drives you crazy.
5) If you desire to go to more populated places such as Disney, Orlando, you should evaluate the proximity of your home and ease of access to Interstate....If this is the case, possibly the newly acquired Villages land expansion near Fenney (sp) and Southern Oaks in Leesburg could be a good option .... but these areas are a SIGNIFICANT distance from the Brownwood; Lake Sumter Landing and Spanish Springs.

Just a few things to consider.

Best wishes to you!

OhioBuckeye
 

We rented for 2 yrs. then bought. When you buy listen to the salesman, they'll tell you about 90% of the people that new homes & buying their first home that they'll buy 2 more times, I'm on my 2nd home. But here's what I found out. Houses that are being sold by the previous owner will sell their homes for about the same exact price as a new one. I guess what I'm saying is don't buy the first one you look at, the salesmen make plenty of money, so check out new & pre-owned homes! Also don't be afraid of buying from a person that are selling their home themselves. You'll save lots of money, sometime!

I suggest you rent after you have you sold your house up north. We did that and our sales agent found a furnished home that we could rent monthly while we looked for a home to purchase. We found our home here two days after we arrived and we closed on it five days later! Unfortunately, the timing of our furniture delivery was off by one day and we wound up paying for storage. That was very very expensive. We went through the Villages moving company, and although they were very good and most things arrived in good condition, the storage was unbelievably expensive. I do not suggest that you store your furniture unless you can get an extremely inexpensive place to do so, however, you get what you pay for so that might not be a great idea! Having your furniture delivered to a rented unfurnished home here in the villages after you sell your house up north sounds like a much better idea. You are certainly moving to a wonderful place!

Rented 3 years
 

Slightly different approach, did a few years renting during peak Snowbird times. Work with same realitor and decided we would move to an area that was new and all our neighbors were just moving in. We are South of 466 A, love it.
Went home sold out house 55 days later and bought one on line came down checked it out and 2 1/2 years later and over 5k on the golf cart mileage we are living the life. Enjoy

We rented for the first year and are very happy that we did because TV is quite large and this gave us the opportunity to find out where we really wanted to live full time. We were not sure if we were going to buy at all, but then our landlord needed the house back. We looked at about 20 homes and finally settled in a really great community in Piedmont. We love it. Lots of luck.

I'm sure that there are many different ways to go on this. We came down for a month about 9 months before our projected move date. We spent the time learning the geography of The Villages and learning about the various types and styles of houses. We determined what models we were interested in and what type of items we wanted ie. double garage with golf cart "bump", tiled floors, walk-in shower in master bath etc. We then gave those items to our realtor who had a number of houses ready for us to see when we returned for a long weekend a couple of months later. We decided to move into a new neighborhood since making new friends was on everyone's mind. We enjoyed the driveway parties and other get-togethers with everyone in the neighborhood and we now enjoy a fun social life here in Lake Deaton. Despite what some people think, having neighbors near you is not difficult for everyone. We enjoy our neighbors and the extra money we saved by not having to worry about people living behind us. To each his own. Good luck and enjoy The Villages.

It is absolutely the smart thing to do. It is a large place and will take a while for you to get acclimated and choose the right area and home you want to live in. Most people in TV end up moving three times. We'll probably be looking to change ourselves at some point to gain a golf cart garage that we did not anticipate the need for. We rented for a short time and got into a bind between having to vacate the rental and buy new. In hind site we should have gone for a longer term rental...I would recommend six months, in order not be hurried. Another thing that everyone learns the hard way. Bring nothing....rid yourself of everything that does not have sentimental value including clothes, furniture, books, everything. Well, not all your clothes obviously. Fall cloths have value, but winter clothes have none. You will save a bundle in moving costs, and you should be able to find something to rent that is furnished; that is what we did. Unfortunately, we spent $9k in moving costs and in the two years we've been here almost everything we brought with us is gone. Furniture, books, cloths, electronics....all replaced with more appropriate items for the new life here. The only thing we kept is the car and my motorcycle. Believe me, that $9k would have gone a long way.

I think it is a great idea. the villages is SO BIG and each location has it's pros and cons. ENJOY the less stress by selling first. I've been here 1.5 yr and haven't regretted one second.

Future Villagers
 

:ohdear:We're from Quakertown, PA area and will be moving to TV within the next year. Been renting for the past 4 years in different areas of TV. We've narrowed it down to either Bonnybrook or Duval areas? But the idea of renting for 6 months to be certain and also expierence a summer as well sounds good. We think our type of home choice is a Courtyard Villa or Rancher/Cottage. We also like the Patio Villa (Colony) but think it may be too small for a 12 month home? Any suggestions are appreciated.