Living Full Time
 

I am visiting TV in a couple of week and taking the LifeStyle preview. Being single if I did wind up buying, it would be some type of Villa.

I realize it gets very hot and steamy for several months but I would live there full time. All year except maybe two weeks in August.

These Villas, are they just for snowbirds or do some people live in them full time all year?

Sure, you have residents that live in Villas full-time. But you do have more Snowflakes/Snowbirds in Villas too.

If I was you, I wouldn't rule out a cottage or designer home without comparing the prices---especially true if you want a two car garage. Good luck and enjoy your visit.

It's a combination and varies by neighborhood. When you are looking around make sure you talk to the residents in the neighborhood you are investigating.

People live in all types of home year round.

I'm from Revere, Massachusetts and I love it here year round. Going back to Mass in August makes no sense because it's likely to be just as hot and humid up there.

The biggest difference with the summer weather is that it just last longer. We get 4-5 months of 90 and humid where as southern New England may get one or two months.

I agree with Just Jim. I'm married, but I bought a three bedroom, two bath cottage home with a two car garage. You might think that it's too much for a single person or even a married couple, but you'll be very comfortable and you won't have to worry when friends and relatives from the frozen tundra want to visit.

There are three bedroom, 2 full bath cottage homes available for about the same price as a two bedroom two bath villa.

Hi,

I am single too....here full time. I bought a house but it is on the market and I hope it sells!!! because I just put a contract on a villa. I think there are all kinds of people everywhere. It amazes me that snowbirds have huge houses here just for a few months. Others have villas.
Hope that helps!

As a single man my wishes are to be comfortable but live within my budget, not only for housing but transportation needs, travel, entertainment, eating out and so on. I don't want anything too large to rattle around in but I do not want to feel confined. In many respects I suppose it is all what you are used to or have become used to as long as it is affordable over the long term. Personally I know which home models in TV would work for me (I do have a favorite!) and which will not.

I'm single and live in TV all year round. A 2B/2B villa with a 1 1/2 car garage is more than enough for me. It allows company to stay over and small enough to clean quickly.

The garage will fit a car plus a golf cart!

Your question is good. If you live in a neighborhood that has 50% snow birds vs one without snow birds I think you will get better socialization in one without snow birds.

I would rent for several months in the summer and look around at the various neighborhoods to see how many people are around. I was in one neighborhood that seemed to be deserted on the street my house was on.

That's kinda what I'm leaning to. I don't want on need a big place.

Do you miss Wonderland?

My sales rep from TV told me that in the newer areas there is around 50% of the homes populated year round, in the older areas it is about 75%. That makes sense to me because a lot of younger people buy into the newer areas and still either have a job up north and rent their homes or do not fully make the move until later in their life.

Last summer was hot, this summer may be even hotter-going to Highlands, NC--may buy a summer get away- IMHO, after 10 AM- its too hot to be outdoors June-Sept

I would rather deal with a Florida summer anytime than a Chicago winter . . . and this past winter in Chicago was mild . . . no snow at all in January and February. But that is not normal for those of you who are familiar with Chicago winters.

And as luck would have it, today it is 57 degrees in Chicago. :sad: I see it is 93 today in TV. I would rather be in TV. See you at the squares in early September for my visit.

That must be in the mountains because it is hot here in the Raleigh area

If I Was You,
 

You should also realize that the above cottage/designer home has double bond, double property tax, higher mortgage, hm insurance and utility cost... So you can enjoy that third bedroom...95% of time unused.

I play golf four to five days a week at 10:00 am and often hit balls as well. If you don't get out in the heat, you don 't get used to it. If you spend all f your time in AC you'l never get acclimated to the weather here. It's the same as someone who never goes outside int he winter up north.

Why would anyone move to Florida if they didn't want to live in warm weather?

Last summer we spent about 3 weeks in upstate NY, Ohio and West Virginia. It was hot there too and not everybody had whole house air conditioning. All places we stayed at did but then we would go visit people we knew and they didn't. It was hot. Would have been better to stay at home.

Having central air conditioning with reasonable electric costs is wonderful.

I live in a CYV community in Tamarind Grove, fairly new it was built in spring 2011 and sold out by July. It was built right after Buttonwood and right before St. James. We have 13 CYV's on my street and 3 are snowbirds and all have left for the summer. We have 10 occupied villas year round, so the snowbirds are only about 20% on our street.

When I visit in a couple of weeks I got a feeling I may be overwhelmed by the shear size of TV. One of TV realtors is going to show me around. I know for sure I want a two bedroom with garage and screen in lanai. As far as living in FL year round, I'm all for it. I just can't take the cold weather up here anymore.

Don't approach your visit looking at The Villages as this huge behemouth. We all live in Villages and all have access to amenities, shopping and food (did I mention food). It's no different than any city, you live in one area and only occassionaly visit other areas. Example, we live in Hillsboroug. We have 3 Championship courses, 1 Regional Rec Center, 3 Neighborhood rec centers and 4 Adult pools within 10 minutes by cart. Brownwood is 8 minutes and that's movies restuaraunts and shopping. Winn Dixie and Publix take care of food shopping. We are 20 minuts from Lake Sumpter Landing (by cart). Anything north of Sumter is for the Savannah Center or The Sharon to see shows. Don't try and think you need to have access to the entire Villages, you don't.

Friends of mine in their 50's have a slightly bigger house than mine and use to have a much larger house in Long Island, NY. When she said, I wish I had a bigger house.

I informed her that as we get older, you won't jump out of bed saying, "oh great, I get to clean this big house again". :smiley:

BTW - Being from NY and CT, I don't miss the winters at all. Last winter before moving here, (2012), was hurricane Sandy and we had 3 feet of snow in one snowfall.

My brother-in-law worked there and my father was on the Revere Police Dept and worked a lot of details at the track.

When I do go back I do a few things. First I must go to the beach. Then I get a roast beef at Kelley's and then go to dinner at DeMaino's.

Do you remember the blizzard of 1978? In my opinion, that was the greatest of them all.

ah, Kelly's Roast beef sandwich. Legendary!

You can break it down by the age of the homes, which can also help determine price, establishment of the neighborhood, repairs, etc.

• Homes North of 466 along Buena Vista were built years 2000 thru about 2007.
• Homes north of 466 along Morse built 1990 thru 2000.
• Homes between 466 and 466A built between 2005 and 2012.
• Homes south of 466A built 2011 to present.

Others who have better knowledge can help update these years.