HELP ME: Impressions... Are they correct??
 

Thank you for reading, this may become lengthy by me trying to explain (sorry)... ok, here goes ...:024:

We have done a lot of research (for years) on places to retire. We have visited communities from Florida to Washington state. Yes, we have visited (for just two days) The Villages, that was about 4 years ago now.

We really like the community for all the variety of things to do and in a large community, there is no doubt that we would find people who share our interests. We really like the idea of downsizing to one car and a golf cart. (sounds like A LOT of fun!) :jester:

HOWEVER ..... The Villages has fallen from our #1 choice to the bottom of the list. :undecided:

HELP US ...PLEASE ... :pray:

We are very much afraid of The Villages because of impressions that we continue to get from the people. When we were there, looking a home out if curiosity, the woman two doors down the street came over and gave us a very hard time. She was complaining about us and to us about everything else too. It really shocked us! We now watch Skip's videos of The Villages and he seems to be calling everyone there "Stupid" or "Idiots" for one thing or another...

We do not want to live in a community of whiners and busy-bodies. But this is the exact impression we get every time we look at The Villages. ( I am NOT saying that I think everyone is like that - please, I am just trying to communicate our impressions from afar).

Please, honestly tell me: Is there an abnormally high percentage of these people in the villages? Are there areas that have fewer of these people? Have you (those already living in The Villages) found this to be an issue and what did you do about it to get some peace?

Again, thank you TREMENDOUSLY for your time and honest feedback. I want nothing more than to find a nice place for us to retire. A place where my wife and I can live where we are able to go for walks together, enjoy dining together and pursue our hobbies for the next (30?) years.

So you visited for 2 days 4 years ago and you have these impressions? NO, you have those impressions from the people on this board and possibly on the several Facebook forums and from Skip (who I love). You may also be reading the rag news website which is just total clickbait. I would say maybe you need to do some research by Visiting more. Remember there are a lot of people who just come on here to gripe (and it is way worse on a few of the facebook sites). This is not representative of TV at all.

The problem is that other communities are not big enough to have a forum like this, so you don't hear any of the bad stuff.

Here is my view - TV is great. We love it. Everyone we know who lives there loves it. Skip loves it. Most of the people on this forum love it. The only way to find out is to go and spend time there - rent a house for a month and see if you like it. You will find the friendliest people on the planet in TV. Lots of fun, but they are people with all their faults. If you find a place where the people have no faults, let me know :)

They call it the bubble for a reason - it is a very happy place. Now, if you would like to actually come and see for yourself for longer than 2 days, I have 2 rental homes I would be more than willing to rent to you. One is in Hillsborough - about 2 blocks from Skip - available July, August, and September right now. September is great - less heat and no crowds. Unfortunately rented through next April after that. I have another home in Fernandina about a mile west of Skip - That is rented out except December, but I would make you a nice deal on December, and Christmas is lovely in the villages. Now one of the reasons I don't have a lot of months available is PEOPLE LOVE TV! Houses rent very well because of this.

Full disclosure - we are there a lot, but don't live there full time yet. I hate it every time I have to leave, but I still have not hit my number yet and have to work, and I have a great job up north. Part of what gets me worked up is people that CAN live there because they are retired and are scared because of a few bad eggs. This is a city of over 100,000 people, there are going to be a few bad ones. Sorry, that is the truth. I am counting the days until I retire and can live in TV full time and get away from the crappy weather up north!

Ed

I think Ed said it well.

My reputation precedes me that I am really smitten with this wonderful place and how it's run, and I have a half a dozen dear close friends who are women and we have several couples we love to spend time with and he has some really nice golfing buddies. I think finding your niche and your own friends makes this place really special. This Forum is not how people act to me in real life....EVER. I can't imagine my husband ever treating anyone like some of the posts here. Most people here have earned the right to rest on their laurels and to enjoy life pleasantly, and they do. There are some and they will always be anonymous who are terribly angry and upset most of the time. Their glass is half empty.

I will attempt to address your concerns. The Villages is a diverse community of some 120,000 people who have come looking for the best possible landing spot for their "golden years". Some believe they have found nirvana and some probably hate it. I have heard from hundreds of the former and virtually none of the latter, though they undoubtedly exist. No one besides you can determine which camp, or somewhere in between, you are likely to land. I too have been to many retirement areas and communities, and have decided that TV has more going for it in terms of the things my wife and I like and enjoy, than any other. There are those who want to be on or very near the beach, others that desire a college town, others who want four distinct seasons, and on and on. Everyone's reasons for deciding their preferences are valid for them.

I watch Skip Smith's videos as well and I don't get the sense that he is painting everyone as stupid, only the extreme cases that show up in the online news, many or even most of whom are not even from The Villages. That is also part of Skip's shtick if you will. He repeatedly has stated how glad he is he retired to TV and how active and engaged he and Sue are here.

There is no place that is perfect for everyone thank God, or it would be impossibly expensive and exclusive. Just ask yourselves what you want out of retirement, what activities you would most enjoy, and what kind of climate would best suit you, then choose a community that best fits all your criteria. In the end no place you choose will be totally without some grumpy people or some level of stupidity, but I can assure you that The Villages will have as great, if not a greater percentage of contented, friendly, happy people as any other you may choose.

Even though I do not live in TV yet, three 5 day to one month long visits made it my first choice as a retirement community and I have visited several across the country, not only Florida. TV is way ahead of the pack!

I believe the things that you are noticing are a function of age as in dare I say it - grouchy old people. That is a common denominator in any over 55 community.

If you are considering one over 55 community over another for this reason you are just not considering the impact of aging on personality.

Honestly, no one wants to live in a community of whiners and busy bodies. It may not be a good fit for you.

The ONLY community without
 

any whiners or busy bodies is the cemetery. The villages is a great place to live.

:agree: The onset of dementia ain't pretty!

I don't think TV is much different than a lot of other 55+ retirement communities, where you've packed in (relatively small home lots for the most part) a lot of people, with a freeway system for golf carts that can be used year-around, but can get very crowded and who at this age...are pretty 'set in their ways.' :D

I can tell you though, that being able to get outside all year (most of the time in shorts) and play golf or whatever else you like to do...helps with the 'cabin fever' that you may experience in Alaska. :shrug:

Make sure you're also ready for almost perfect flatness and lack of any mountains...compared to where you are now.

Good luck in your choice. :thumbup:

I think you may have misunderstood. I love it here. I'm a good fit.

You will surround yourself with people you enjoy no matter where you live. When I encounter grouchies I simply smile a little bigger and talk a little nicer. There are grouchies everywhere and no more concentrated in TV than anywhere else...I find that I have closer friends in TV than I ever had up north... and I am still a 50/50... Rae

Sent from my SM-N920R4 using Tapatalk

Here's my view.
 

There was a time a few years ago when I would have given an unequivocally positive review of The Villages. That time would have been before the Morse family began developing The Villages south of County Road 466A,

But, between 2010 and 2017, the population of The Villages area grew almost 33 percent, from 94,279 in 2010 to 125,165 in 2017. According to U.S. Census data released in March 2018, The Villages was the 10th in the annual list of fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. There is a reason for this growth. The variety of attractive activities, and the attractive landscaping and infrastructure are undeniable.

But one result of this explosive growth is very crowded town squares during the daily evening free entertainment. Long ago we began taking our own folding camp chairs to the squares when we went. If spending time at these events are not what you are looking for then you won't care too much about this. But, it is an indication of the overcrowding that has become typical of many events in The Villages.

Golf continues to be a major attraction for those who like that sort of thing. I never acquired the habit.

In my opinion, the majority of the houses in The Villages are built too close together, and noise from the neighbors television is a frequent complaint, particularly when trying to enjoy a quiet evening on your lanai. Barbara and I were fortunate to find a house on the end of a cul-de-sac which resulted in a pie shaped lot, and no neighbors houses crowded up next to it or behind it. There are also some houses that back up to wildlife refuge areas.

Regarding grumpy people, it is inevitable that you will find a certain proportion of old grumps in a retirement community of over 125,000 people, many of whom came from northern climes and who are very disturbed by the weather, and living cheek-to-jowl with bugs, alligators and other wildlife.

My greatest joy in The Villages is moving about in a golf cart. I love the fact that you can go virtually anywhere in the official bounds of The Villages by golf cart. For me this is recreation. One of the activities I have enjoyed is going by golf cart to a local pond where I can do a little fishing, or just feed the wild birds that gather at the pond.

When we first arrived Barbara and I established a circle of friends who have become close friends through thick and thin. Our social group has endured the deaths of two of the husbands, my descent into physical disability, and the failing health of other members. But the friendships remain.

Your life in The Villages, like life anywhere, is what you make of it. Find friends with similar interests. Avoid people with negative attitudes. I don't believe you can find a better, more varied, or better maintained infrastructure than The Villages.

(You are considering retirement communities where it snows? Incredible.)

Love it here. You should take the Lifestyle program visit. Everyone on this topic have already spoken of the advantages of living here. If you can get a house in an active neighborhood with a lot of group socials, golf groups, card groups, mah jong groups, book clubs plus all the options offered at the rec ctrs and sports clubs you will have a much healthier and happier life than you could ever have possibly imagined. It makes you feel so much younger. And, if you meet a couple of grumps on the way, tell them to have a nice day and move on. Life is too short and you will find that you will meet some of the nicest people from all over the world that have landed here. It is a large place but most people enjoy the activities in their neighborhood and acquire best friends who stick by you through thick and thin, travel together and help out in emergencies, a great support system and near many healthcare options which at this time of life you have to take that into account. Try it out for longer than 2 days. Converse with people you meet in the squares or at restaurants and get a better feel for the place and you'll be surprised how welcoming it is.

The the few whiners and busy-bodies are in a state of discontent because they spend their entire day on-line feeding on and believing all the negativity others of their kind keep spitting out in an every widening and vicious circle.
The rest of us are out having a good time and too busy to worry about such nonsense as we enjoy life here in The Villages. 4000-5000 homes sold here every year would not be happening if it was as bad as the on-line trolls make it out to be. Some people just aren't happy unless they are making someone else miserable.
Come back, stay a while, learn the truth for yourself, you'll not regret the decision to give The Villages a chance.
My wife and I grew up in military families and I did 20 years in the Navy, we moved every few years, after I retired from the Navy we moved two more times before moving to The Villages, this has been the BEST place we both have ever lived.

I second this (except for the military part as we weren't a part of that). I belong to a couple of social media sites from up north (former towns) and those folks aren't of the Over 55 variety and you'll get the whiners and negatives there too so think they "live" behind screens all over!!! We love it here---been here 9 yrs and it's all flown by so quickly. Do try the "Life-styles" and get a truer feel of what it's like here (though even that is too short). You must be intrigued, otherwise you'd not have posted. I'd bet you will come and love it here as well.

Going from top of the list to the bottom of the list? Really?

You have concluded these few whiners and complainers are representative of the over 100,000 residents here in TV.

It is your prerogative to do so. However, please be aware it is an incorrect conclusion.

How can anyone possibly extrapolate isolated incidents to such a magnitude?

Knowing there are many more good reasons and good residents here in TV, your same logic should have you extrapolate from them as well. The difference? Instead of isolated incidents there will be thousands and thousands of positive exchanges.

Good luck!!

Find a place, anywhere in this country, or maybe even on the globe, where 100,000+ people live in relative close proximity to each other and there aren't whiners and complainers among them. When you find it, come share it here and then move there. Don't let the few sour your own views and opinions. Most importantly, spend some more time here and decide for yourself. I hear story after story of people that came here for a few days and sometimes even a few hours and they decide to buy property. If that works for some, good for them. But TV offers the Lifestyle program where you can spend at least a week, relatively cheap, and live like a regular villager, under no sales pressure, and decide for yourself. Also, there are many rental properties that are inexpensive and easy to find, outside of "snowbird season" and you can literally spend months here, uncommitted, and decide if it's right for you. I've been here quite a few times over the past 6 or 7 years visiting my parents who live here. I fell in love with it on the first trip, even at my relatively young age. Last summer, I spent a month here before making a final decision to sell my home and relocate here. I choose to tune the whiners out. If I'm happy, I don't really care if they are not. Many have found that whining and complaining gets them attention and sometimes even gets them things for free, so it just makes them whine louder.

As for Skip's videos, I watch them regularly and enjoy them. He tells it like it is but there is entertainment value among the truth. My impression is that he likes it here and takes any complaints in stride. The idiots and morons he refers to are people who make the news for doing idiotic and moronic things, not literally every other person who lives here. But if you didn't read about it in the news or from his videos, 99% of us would never even know it happened and it would have no impact on our enjoyment of The Villages. Many of the stories he comes across are rooted in sorry, lazy adult children who cannot find their own way in life and they move here to freeload off of their elderly parents and still manage to continue the mischief that probably put them in the situation to wind up living with their parents again to start with. They aren't on every corner or even every street. TV is a big area with many homes and many people - there will always be bad apples just based on the law of averages.

Nobody should talk you into or out of moving here, or anywhere else for that matter. Invest the time to decide for yourself.

:ho:

There are people who are downers in every community. If down the road you do land in a better place then The Villages let me know where it is. If you concentrate on the negative here then you probably won't reap the benefits of living here.

I am a follower of Mr. Skip and think he is a very interesting and well-intentioned man and very informative. It can't be easy to come up with something so involved every day. He provides a commentary based on his experience here and has gone as far as mentioning his news station during his show. Don't get me wrong I still apreciate his effort but don't agree with every view.

Rent in The Villages for a little while and then make your decision. This is a wonderful way of life beyond our expectation's. Good Luck hope you make the best decision for you. I notice some people suffer from analysis paralysis. Jump in time is wasting.

I came to The Villages for a Lifestyle visit almost a year ago. I went around the area with my sales agent and picked out a few villages, including Fenney (just dirt at that time) that interested me. The next day I went to look at Spanish Springs on my own. I was in a clothing store standing in line at the cashier talking with others waiting saying I may move to The Villages.

People were giving me their opinions (mostly good) and a lady came up to me asking where I was looking. I stated the decision now was between three and she informed me she was in one of them. She proceeded to grill me about keeping the lawns up, and how she would make sure I would not fall behind on the upkeep because she would report me...she just kept on and on. I looked at her and said she had made my job a lot easier and her neighborhood was off my list.

The cashier loved the response and told me she had never worked in an area with so many mean people. Then I went to a restaurant and sat by a table with a group of people. They did not impress me and I will not go into the subject matter.

Why am I going through this? Because I did not listen to others. I looked at our needs and The Villages fit the bill. Fenney was the neighborhood chosen and I cannot imaging better neighbors and friendlier people. They are so supportive of my fiancé and his medical issues. I LOVE The Villages. Everywhere I go most people are smiling and happy to be here. They are inclusive to us and not exclusive. Did I say I love it here? Thank goodness I did not let a few alter my decision. Look at your needs, your personality. Don't let a few make a decision for you.

You will come across a few haters of anything good just about anywhere. We have lived in the Villages since June 2005 and find it quite enjoyable. We have great neighbors for the most part and the only problems are the traffic in the on season, heat in the summer, and a few other things that come with living in Florida's largest retirement community.

The neighborhood you chose is probably one of your most important decisions.

You haven't made a decision and she's already threatening you? That's disgusting. I LOVED your response.

Ditto! :BigApplause:

I have had very few bad firsthand experiences, mostly on the streets and roads. If I didn't frequent this forum or read the online news, I would be pretty much unaware of any behavior issues in TV.

The most on the money post....100% accurate!!

My two cents. You will always get some bad actors in the group of 100,000 people. You will get people you just can't stand. However, there are a lot of very good people in the group also. You don't have to buy the house with the crank. It's karma, the most she is a pain, the longer that house will be on sale and the longer it will have a stream of new people. She should have brought you a cake, you buy, then she gets cranky (lol).

As to the villages. If you are going to live here year round and you do not like lightening and thunder, well, this is the lightening and thunder capital of the US. If you do not like pollen, well this place has tons of it. If you do not like noise, well, you may get a neighbor who is retired also and they think retirement is fun and noise. If you like going out to new restaurants then you will get bored quick. Outside of the villages you will see trailer parks. I mean right outside the villages. Orlando airport doesn't really connect to other Florida cities and if they do the price is high.

The good things: The lower in the villages the friendlier it seems because they also are new to the villages. The golf cart thing is great, just be sure to get a larger garage (I hear that complaint a lot). Don't worry about the traffic, just drive safe and you will be okay. Just remember its just like a car and people don't always follow yours (or the) rules. There are many activities if you are into them, and if you golf, I cannot think of a better place in the US. So many different course (the opposite of restaurants). If you get good neighbors then you will have instant friends who will watch your back and property. Lots of ex-military and ex-law enforcement in the villages.

Washington is nice, but the taxes and rules aren't. No homeless problem in the villages and crime is low here. Food is plenty. If you like the entertainment, it is here. You can get a new house, or you can get a manufactured home (really cheap and they don't look all that bad).

So, good luck to you and the villages can always use more good people.

I'm surprised no one has asked which 3 communities have vaulted to the top of the Villages .. Perhaps some of the members of this forum have had experience with them !

My view
 

Re: neighbor conflicts
Years ago I met a guy, who lived in Germany. He was married to a German duchess complete with a castle and I don't recall but over 20 acres. I recall him telling me that he and his neighbor also with a huge property were fighting over an oak tree that was on the property line. As I recall the story, he said if another 20 years pass it will under German law be grandfathered in.

For many of the posters and complainers AND SELF APPOINTED DIRECTORS. THINK! Does it matter? Are you perfect? We all hear about some of the crazy disputes that can get started

Tied by a tree. Before buying here, someone else I knew who lived in a planned community got into a dispute over where his tree was. As I viewed the story, the tree,planted by him, had been there for years. Some neighbor decided to turn it into an issue. The community
hired attys to force him to remove it. The case went on for years. So, he was paying for the atty against him, or part of the cost, in his common charges and he was paying for his own atty. I never asked but, surely that was a very expensive tree for all. The end, he passed awy years ago.
Far as I know the case was still going on. I assume his daughter sold the place as she never lived there. MORAL?
BEATS ME.

You will notice that only the badly behaved are in the news. The normal, well behaved people are in the majority and don’t make the news.

The Villages is the best and most wonderful place I’ve ever lived. You can be as active or quiet as you want.
There are so many different activities you can be busy all day long.

People here have a zest for life and are happy to be here.

You got good advice about coming and renting and living the lifestyle. Best of luck.

I would be more concerned that after living in Alaska are you going to be able to tolerate the heat and the flatness of Florida.
Florida is the polar opposite of Alaska.

Wishing you good luck in your search.

I would suggest you rent a house here for several months in each of 2 or 3 widely-scattered Villages to experience reality. Two days, years ago, are not truly indicative of life here. If you approach this with an open mind, you will meet lots of happy and interesting people. --(Along with a few grouches!) Find your spot and give it a try. Pre-owned houses sell very quickly here, normally within days rather than months "up North", if you don't like it. We looked all over the USA for the perfect retirement place. We have been very happy here for 10 years now, and are in the process of building in a newly developed part of The Villages. It will be our third home here and we have enjoyed all of them. New construction just continues to offer different and more desirable features and it is very easy to find your "circle" of friends because we're all in the same retirement boat and headed towards the same destination. Some residents are easy to be around and others just don't quite fit what we look for in friends. Strange thing, is as you move to different areas, you still have old friends in the former locations and they are all close enough to continue relationships easily. For us, the hard part is finding enough time to see everyone you want, when you want.

I guess the cats out of the bag. They had
a recall of all the Debbie Downers in the
world and they all came here.

http://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-conte...bie-Downer.jpg

That's the point I was trying to make and I think I was misunderstood. I think we were being trolled. I think the intention of the original post was to provoke contended individuals [99.9%] to defend the villages. Someone looks at the place 4 years ago and brings it up now. I don't think so.

That question was answered years ago for me...by a very expensive attorney golfing buddy of mine.

He said that his favorite clients are the ones that say...




"It's not the money...it's the principle." :D

"Polar opposite." :D


I like that! :thumbup:

PRINCIPLE.....a lost attribute

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.

John Quincy Adams"

"Our principles are the springs of our actions; our actions, the springs of our happiness or misery. Too much care, therefore, cannot be taken in forming our principles."

"Phillip Skelton"

Hold on...what was the woman who was complaining about the OP complaining about just based on the OP looking at a house?

I don't get it.

You can get a bad neighbor, so it's best to avoid a kissing Lanai. I think the number one reason people give for leaving the Villages are small lots and they could not adjust to it.

Very few people leave, vertically anyway.

I did hear one new reason, the husband was having too much fun.

It's as close to perfect as it gets. I think. It tends to have a lot of old people though.

Being poor anywhere ain't good. Good to have enough money to travel etc.

The most interesting comment on this thread was the poster who said The Villages is a diverse community. Compared to what? I think The Villages has to be one of the most non-diverse communities in the country. And, it is one reason why I like it here.

My theory behind it is if you were basing your opinions that happened four years ago, in a two day span, you might want to either consider re-evaluating, or just looking somewhere else.
Four years ago we were on our second house in TV. I really don’t think any of us can advise you as what to do, other than mentioning you might want to consider staying longer than two days.

TV has gone through unbelievable changes in the last year, much less in four years.