New Residents Suggestions
 

Some suggestions for new residents moving into the Villages: 1. When checking into or going for Cable TV remember there are "Franchises" and "Corporate Stores" Always go to Corporate Stores and to check to see which are Corporate call the company. This also refers to phone companies, 2. Before you sign up with a contractor be sure to call Seniors vs Crime in Wildwood, Lake Sumter or Marion County and have them look up any complaints about that Contractor and how they were settled, (e.g. Wildwood Senior vs Crime is 352-750-1914 and is located next to the Theator in Wildwood in the police annex.) 3. Be very careful if you are paying anyone "up front". That is a sign of possible future problems with the contractor. 4. Remember the state of Florida does not license Landscapers unless they are also Contractors. 5. Have agreed upon start and stop agreements and signed if possible.
Does anyone have any other suggestions?:ho:

Buy a gasoline Cart 😅

No long term contracts for any services, pest control, lawn maintenance and be very careful of anyone who knocks on your door wanting to test the water

yes--I agree with you!

Remember
 

Remember that if you sign to hire a company/contractor and as an example they perform 10 or 20% of the work and then don't show up the challenge with recovering your investment is they did something so you are arguing how much they performed to your agreement as opposed to the amount of the reimbursement they owe. The contract should contain points to cover this. :bowdown:

Pick-up your dog poop.

:pepper2:

U also have the option NOT to hire anyone. I mow my own grass, power wash my house, & trim the shrubs. NO dog PooP in my yard.

Don't believe everything you read on TOTV.................

There's Fun read'in, & there's Good Info on TOTV. :wave:

We purchased an electric cart. No stink, no noise and less exspensive. The sticking noisy gas carts are a bad idea. We can go about 60 miles on a charge in quiet comfort. Never would buy a primitive stinky loud gas cart. NOTE: If you need more than 60 miles on a charge, go in your car.

If buying a new house, be careful of upgrading -- you'll void home warranties, sometimes for items you're not replacing. Also, if you can, wait at least six months before you start landscaping -- get to know local plants so you can be sure you're going to end up with the look you want.

I agree, they are quieter. Other than that, that 60 miles will go down significantly as the batteries age, while I can go 320 miles on a tank of gas. They are no more "stinky" than your car, unless you were foolish enough to buy a Chevy volt:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl: And as far as using fossil fuels goes, consider how the electricity that charges your batteries is produced.

Carts
 

We have a gas cart and we love it. It does not stink, it works every time and it rides very well. We just sold the electric that came with the home we just purchased. Not sure where you go:undecided:t your ideas about gas carts. Have you ever had one, or are you just repeating things you may have heard?

We also chose electric, bought a par car in 2007 and never had a problem with it and never had dead batteries. There are advantages to gas but they are way too noisy and you have to buy gas somewhere. My wife for some reason based on reading a post somewhere now wants gas but I would still prefer another Par Car.

The new Yamhas are not stinky and are extremely quite:boom::coolsmiley::coolsmiley:

Where in CA did you come from?

Gas is so yesterday :)

Truth be told, my gas cart (2014) does not have a smell and is only a bit louder than an electric. It came from Carts and Clubs and their carts are quiet because of sound deadening material. Of course, the new Yamahas are really quiet. New gas and electric carts are about the same price but used gas carts appear to demand a higher resale price. So, yes, used electric carts are probably less expensive than used gas carts - there is a reason for this - supply and demand. If you look at operating costs, including the price of replacement batteries and the cost of electricity to charge the batteries, you will find that gas carts are generally less expensive than electric carts. Regardless, both are inexpensive to operate.

You claim that gas carts are "a bad idea". Please keep in mind that that is only an opinion, not fact, and I don't see the value in suggesting that other people's choices are "bad ideas". They are simply their choices and I am sure that the vast majority are happy with their decision as I am sure you are happy with yours. Your requirements are not necessarily the same as other peoples' requirements.

You used the word "primitive". I really don't care about the underlying technology as long as it reliable and performs the needed function. Gas carts have internal combustion engines, just like the vast majority of automobiles, but also have the engine start-stop feature that is starting to show up in automobiles. Assuming you are enamored with the latest technology, keep in mind that the lead-acid batteries in your electric cart are a "primitive" form of battery technology. If you happen to have one of the new E-Z-GO carts with lithium-ion batteries then congratulations on being an early adopter but you paid a pretty high price premium for those. I prefer to let early adopters pay the price premiums and I enter the market when technology becomes cost effective.

From your criticisms of gasoline, can I conclude that you also drive an all electric automobile such as one of the Tesla models, Chevy Bolt, or Nissan Leaf?

The topic of this thread is advice to new homeowners. It has morphed into the often and tired old debate about gas vs. electric carts. Please return to the original topic. If you want to revisit the golf cart debate, please start a new thread. Further off topic posts will be deleted.

Moderator

I would add light kits to all ceiling fans then change the switched outlet to switched ceiling fan light. The rewiring is uber simple and done at the switch. On designer homes with 3way switches in the LR you may lose functionality of one of the three ways. Works excellent for all bedrooms.

Here's a Heads-Up if U move to TV from out of state. It can be a hassle to get a Florida drivers license. U will need to show ur birth certificate, marriage license, (if u r married) A bill with ur address on it, SS#, plus ur old drivers license. I had to go back twice just to get a New Birth certificate (it cost me $60 to get a new one) cause they wouldn't take my original one when I was born in 1949!!! Sheeesh, whats up with that? :doh:

Take everything you have. Good Luck!

Suggestions for Newcomers re landscaping
 

We found out (too late) that the sod/grass on our house was only warranted for 30 days.

Think about planning for shade in your yard. Pergola, automatic awning, table with umbrella....many choices. Your outdoor patio, lanai, etc. will be a nice additional "room" for you and your guests if you add the shade protection, especially in the summer months.

It depends on the issue that you are facing. I was able to have warranty resod my yard after 14 months. It did take some perseverance. I did have a ticket opened up at about 6 months.

I seem to recall using my Passport as the primary form of identification. A marriage certificate is only necessary if the name on the primary source of identification is different than the name you want on your driver's license (which may be true if you are using a birth certificate as the primary form of identification). If you don't have a passport then you will probably need a birth certificate. The good news is they have a person screening applicants to make sure you have what is needed so you don't waste time in line.

As I recall they wouldn't accept my passport. I had to get my birth certificate in order to get my SS card in order to get my license. Absurd!

New Residents Suggestions
 

I believe these are the requirements for a "real ID" drivers license.

REAL ID Act - Wikipedia

I believe I got one in my Welcome Package that was sent for closing. It's a brochure of the rules of the road for Roundabouts, if you don't get one, go to a sales office and pick one up. Please read and understand how to operate in TV which has, at last count 33 roundabouts, probably close to 40 now. It is not OK to drive slowly and get in the outside lane and go all the way around the outside lane. There are 2 lanes for a reason.

advice for new residents.
 

Don't contract for any additions, add ons, or services, other than for lawn care, don't buy a golf cart or other change such as removing carpet until you have lived in your home for a month or two and had a chance to talk to your neighbors and others. Turn away all door knockers and seek your own information.

Thank you Moderator
 

Thank you moderator for refocusing this group of help.
The original intent was/is to help those just coming to the Villages as either guests or owners. Some of us have had
experiences since have been here that may/will help those just coming to The Villages. :ho:

Excellent advice. We landscaped too soon, and made some errors we are still correcting.

Licenses
 

Thank you for the information. I'll be in this weekend to get my Florida license and registration.

Just a Couple More
 

As I understand it if you have a TV Dish located on your roof you may be violating the Warranty for the roof? Also
if you hire workers for your home you may want to check to ensure they are insured in order to avoid problems if they accidently get hurt? Again, and repeating an earlier suggestion before hiring a contractor/landscaper, etc. call Seniors vs Crime to find out if they are in their records and if so how the problem(s) were resolved. :mornincoffee:

Walk your neighborhood, meet your neighbors......it's one of the best things about TV. People are great here.

Go to Lake Sumter.............watch a sunset from the bridge.

Enjoy.

Gracie, dear, I totally agree with the unsolicited door knockers. Just last week we had someone wanting to fix our unbroken garage door. And the we had some clown who had "too many steaks and seafood for my customer in Ocala" selling out of the back of a white pickup truck. Took a picture of his license plate (he took a picture of me, LOL) and reported it to the police.

Never accept anything from a solicitor at your door. Call the police and report it. That's only one reason this is a deed-restricted community.