Cost of Living in TV
 

I'm coming down to visit in a couple of weeks to see if I might like to relocate to TV.

For those who have lived in TV for a while do you find it expensive to live in TV compared to other retirement communities in FL?

Or do you consider it not overly expensive and you are satisfied?

If you own your home like we do and more than half of the Villagers you've eliminated that expense. We don't have that many other expenses, the biggest expense we have is our Directv, and that's because I like watching sports and having every movie channel and every other channel available.

With the home, if you have SECO Electric like we do and everyone in Sumter County, it's the cheapest. We have not had a bill over $90 month in six years we've lived here full time. We have a 2 BR 2BA masonry courtyard villa (CYV). In Maryland that was our biggest expensive, electric ran $250 to $400 a month. Amenity Fee was $135 a month, I just noticed it's now $147. That comes once a month on a bill with drinking water and irrigation water and garbage and recycling. The last bill was our highest ever and that was $240 with all those things included. Other than in November when you get one bill for property taxes, bond and maintenance, that's about it for us.

Around town, I paid 2.33 a gallon yesterday for gas. Groceries we get about 75% at Walmart and the more day to day stuff at Publix or Winn Dixie. They are nice stores and have higher prices in general but between the two you can find sales. It's the day to day stuff anyway, like if I need bananas and have to pay $69 cents a pound at Publix, I'm not going to wait a few days just to save 10 cents a pound at Walmart. Plus a new Walmart Grocery store is under construction right now in Colony area, that at CR 466 just off Moyer Loop.

The only thing I noticed that was higher here than in Maryland was my car insurance. I'm with USAA for veterans, so it's the cheapest. I had two cars insured in Maryland for $900 a year. Here it costs just over $800 for one car. My homeowners insurance started at $503 a year when we bought new in 2011, the last two years it has been $711 a year. Property Taxes in Sumter County are also cheaper than in Lake County.

If I was moving here now, I would buy a resale home in Sumter County. A central location between Brownwood and Lake Sumter near Buena Vista Blvd, that makes for easy travel in your golf cart. I would look in Villages Gilchrist, Pinellas and Collier and then spread out from there.

if you have a reasonable newer home, 2000$ a month will handle everything (mortgage, utility, cable net, land and pest and extras). On top u have to pay for your car, etc... but you know those numbers already. $2000 is maybe overkill here. Have 25k$ in bank incase of sinkhole.

Not everyone in Sumter County has SECO. Just bought a house in Santo Domingo in Sumter County and it is serviced by Duke Energy.

The villages actually has numbers for everything that you should counter per month except for your mortgage. Our first house which is a patio villa ran us approximately $10,000 per year for everything except our mortgage.

The costs we anticipated before moving here from PA have either been right on or slightly lower EXCEPT food and entertainment. We eat out more than we anticipated and between The Sharon, Savannah and Straz in Tampa our ticket expenditures are up there....:).

Whatever you think it will cost you...double it, and you will be safe.

compared to NJ, we're living for free

I have a running total of my utility expenses for the last three years. TECO charges are in line. SECO charges are in line but the cost of water compared to gas and electric in my view is out of whack. The water utility company will notice you if your usage is more than what they profile for an average home. Well my first question is what is average?

Secondly...that written notice they send you is self serving. Why? Because it gives them an excuse to say we told you so when they decide to raise their rates again.

Yet they find it in their hearts to allow at least two water bottling companies to help their selves to our water..I suspect we are subsidizing those projects.

Try and get a reasonable explanation from them as to why we have such high base fixed charges, and on top of that a three tier rating system. Compare the costs of what it takes to produce electric and gas to that of water diverting a natural resources that belongs to everyone and you will understand my question.

As to the amenity fee. I have lived here 11 years and in total my amenity fee has increased by 14%.

The "they" is not our water utility company.

Very reasonable, but it is what you make it.

I recently retired here and have a mortgage, a designer home and a corner lot. There are no stock answers to what it costs to live here, but for my wife and myself, we run about $4k per month for everything, food, utilities, entertainment, insurance, yard (corner lots are more to take care of), golf, etc. We bought a new home, so landscape, blinds, and other one time expenses add up for sticker shock. My one suggestion, regardless of what or where you buy, before you move in, have your garage floor painted. Always more challenging, and most folks I know say they wish they did it first.

I agree with this. It costs us about $9k a year with no mortgage. Sumter County...

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I agre with you about the water. Their limits are not sufficient and we are dinged monthly, yet our grass takes a real beating. We almost had to replace it once and 75% now has stones and gardens that require less water. To see water being sold when we are penalized not having enough is outrageous.

Being retired Navy we have lived in California, Ma., RI, Virginia, TN, MA, PA and NY. All the northern states are awful price wise. This is by far the least expensive area I have lived. Taxes, housing, food etc.

We pay less than $400 a year for car insurance through Progressive. You might want to have Villages Insurance run some quotes for you. USAA was not the cheapest for us.

Thank you all for taking the time to post. I do appreciate hearing the many different opinions.

$400. That's cheap! May I ask what coverages. I have geico. Perfect record and pay much more. Are you sure it's 400 a year, not 6 months?

$191 every 6 months. 100/300/100 full coverage.

Just got a quote from AAA 1 car (2008) $285/ 6 mouths

You can find less and more expensive communities. Their are a lot of older posts on costs. Review those and list every possible expense. Then decide which will apply to you now, maybe add some for 10 years from etc. Then try and update to the current costs of the home you buy in that community.

By the way the Villages is in three different counties so be sure you do your costs for the county you are in. Also make sure you use the correct utility co's.

In general I think you will find the costs less in FL with the exception of water.

Progressive it is, will get a quote. Is that thru an agent or online?

I am the outlier. At 3k a month with a designer corner lot 30 year mortgage The Villages is not cheap. Taxes are not cheap, water is not, electric is not. Auto insurance is double in Florida. How can this be??? Well there is a state not too far away that is cheaper than Florida, much cheaper - Alabama 49th cheapest. Only problem is the Villages is not located there.

From an eternal member, Zcaveman, in the "Nuts and Bolts" section on the home page.

Living Costs

There are a number of posts out in TOTV requesting the monthly costs for living in TV. The numbers vary between full time residents and part time residents. I am a full time resident with a 3 bedroom ranch on a base lot with 1392 Sq ft of climate controlled area (added 2/13/2013). Some of the numbers are close to mine. Some are from some of the other posts. This is an attempt to try and put them in one place. Remember, as with many of the other items in this post, this is just an estimate. Actual numbers will depend on your life style and size of residence. The numbers are monthly except where noted.

Water/Sewer (depends on size of yard) $40-80
Garbage $17.90 - (changed 2/13/2013)
Electric $80-225* - annual average $142 (updated 2/13/2013)
Gas $23-80* - annual average $34 (updated 2/13/2013)
Telephone $39.95 (Comcast) (updated 4/12/2015)
Cable (Premium/Digital – No HBO, etc.) $119.30 (Comcast) (updated 4/12/2015)
Internet (broadband) $63.95 (Comcast) (updated 4/12/2015)
Other charges, taxes and fees $22.22 (Comcast) (added 4/12/2015)
Telephone (TracFone – Cell phone) $104/year ** (updated 4/12/2015)
Amenity Fee $145.00 (updated 4/12/2015)
Property Taxes $200-400 ***
Homeowners Insurance $600 and up per year
Automobile Insurance $500 and up per year
Golf Cart Insurance $125 and up per year (added 4/12/2015)
Golf Cart Trail Fees $142 per year
Golf Tee Time Online System $8.00 (added 4/12/2015)
Lawn Care (mow and edge) $45-80 (depends on size of yard)
Shrub and tree trimming $90-$150 – three times a year (my lawn services does this for me) (updated 4/12/2015)
Pest Control ***** $200-300 per year (added 4/12/2015)
Lawn fertilization and treatment ***** $500-600 per year (added 4/12/2015)
Termite treatment $150-$175 per year (added 4/12/2015)
Daily Sun $61.42 per year (updated 4/12/2015)
Dining out (for 2 – no liquor):
Breakfast $15-30 (added 4/12/2015)
Lunch $25-35
Dinner $25-$$$


* This is an average. Electric will be higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Gas will be higher in the winter and lower in the summer.
** Cell phone costs should be about the same as you are paying now. It depends on the plan.
*** Florida resident with Homestead Exemption. No bond. This depends on the appraised value of your home. You can get the millage rate from the county appraiser. In 2013, this included the non-Ad Valorem (CDD4 ($454) / fire ($165) / water/waste ($98) charges.* If you have a bond, it will be included in your taxes. It is a 30 year bond at 6 or 7%.* You will have to calculate that number yourself.
**** Some insurance companies have monthly payment options.
***** Some homeowners prefer to do these treatments themselves.
****** You can do the termite treatment yourself but if you get termites, the expense to correct the problem might be costly.

You might want to print out the "Nuts and Bolts" section as it covers everything you would need to know.

Thank God I never had to square root my life to that degree. My grandmother told me ,"I you have to worry about $$ after you're 40, you'll never retire

I just did an online quote and here are the six month amounts with Progressive.

• Basic is $218, that's your $400 a year (it provides very little coverage, not enough in my opinion) 10K/20K/10K
  
• Choice is $419, which is about what I'm paying now but I have more coverage with USAA 100K/300K/100K
  
• Recommended is $448 equal coverage to what I have with USAA but for more money. 100K/300K/100K

The only thing I didn't get a discount for was snap-shot, I didn't want to have that on my car.

I've been driving since 1965 and have not had any accidents and no tickets since the 80's.

I just got my six month bill today from USAA, it was $428.

I'm a Veteran myself, so I'll definitely check them out if I relocate.

2BNTV - Thank you for posting this information. I had saved on my computer, but it is good information for TV wannabees, even if it is a couple of years old.

Like I posted earlier, my coverage is 100K/300K/100K for $191 every 6 months (just renewed this week). I did use snap-shot when I first signed up and it was only on the car for a couple of months before the discount kicked in. My initial premiums were closer to $250 every 6 months but the rates have been going down just about every renewal over the past 5 years. There's also a pretty good discount for paying in full every 6 months.

Whether or not you decide to change, it's always a good idea to shop around every couple of years. I called Villages Insurance and asked for several quotes. It's a free service and they gave me 4 or 5 options for car, home and golf cart insurance.

Quite a wide variation in the previous posts----from "9-10K/year" to "4K/month". I must be doing something wrong. At least 4K/mo. is in the ballpark. I can't do 9-10K/yr, considering my taxes and bond are $7400/year and the amenity fee/water/sewer is $2900. Cable/internet, cell phones, electric, insurance, auto expense and food push it right up into the 4K/mo range. And then there's golf.........:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

You are so right!

NJ taxes were 6 times higher than here
Car insurance twice as high as here
NJ state income tax down to zero here
Home insurance 1.5 times higher than here
Electric/heating costs 3 times higher in NJ than here

There are some offsets (golf cart, lawn care, bonds, ammenity fees, food, etc.) but it does not come close to the overall savings. Of course it depends from which state you move from and TV cost of living will be somewhat higher than other retirement communties in Florida.

Don't forget the cost of transportation. Leasing a 2017 RR Ghost probably costs about $3,200/mo., a Wraith $3,300 and a Dawn $3,400/mo.

The cost of living up here in MA is ridiculous. The politicians never met a tax they didn't love...

IMHO-100/300/100--is way to low. these limits could bankrupt some people--if you have real assets --get a BIG, umbrella

9K to 10K for a patio villa, dude! Bigger house costs more. :smiley:

Of the unknown variable is what one pays to eat out, entertainment costs and golf costs. :D

Confused
 

How is the above post number 19 by OP also an identical post by a different title "living full time" by the same OP and also post number 19. Just wondering but did like all the responses.

But I'm living in a pup tent on a small lot by the railroad tracks and growing my own food. Must be the golf!:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

That's why those of us who left call it Taxachusetts.


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Say what? :confused:

Post #19 is just a shortened version, of the one they made in post #29. :shrug:


As for overall, day-today cost of living here, I've lived in less expensive locations...as well as more expensive ones.

The big differences I've found, depends on the extracurricular activities one chooses to participate in....and the frequency of those pursuits.

Same thing here in Illinois. Cook County (where I live) will impose a new beverage tax effective July 1 on pop, sports drinks, juice drinks, ice teas, lemonades, even flavored waters and beverages with zero calories. The tax on a 2 liter bottle will be 67 cents, and on a 12 pack the beverage tax will be $1.44. This is in addition to the sales tax already charged on these items. No wonder Illinois has been losing population in the past few years. :(