Comparable active adult communities
 

While it's pretty obvious everyone in TV loves it there, and I'm sure we would love it there too, we still would like to compare it to other active adult communities in Florida. Is there anyone who has any recommendations on other communities we should check into so we can get a good comparison to TV? Is there anything you can tell us about the other active adult communities? Thanks to everyone who helps us with all our questions.

If you come and stay at TV on the lifestyle preview program there are at least 20 other communitites within a half hour drive you can check out...gn

Comparable communities? There are none!

:agree::agree::agree:

A Little too short of an answer but I also agree. We researched many locations around the country. We researched many active adult communities.
There are many nice active adult communities but...

The key here is size and organization. TV is the largest in the world of its type. The largest golf cart community in the world. You can play golf, if you wish, all year and never play the same course more than twice. (No extra charge) All of the "active adult" communities that came up when I Googled were very small in comparison. Most have a golf course or two. TV has, what, about 30? Most have a (One) recreation center. TV has local centers with pools. Regional centers. so many that I don't know them all.

TV is twice the size of the "City" that I moved from. There is so much to pick from that you can be busy every day or you can choose to do very little.

In short, you cannot compare anything to The Villages. It is unique. Not everyone will want to live here but they will not live at the competition because there is none.

Don't take my word for it, Google it.

Good luck

Yoda

I did a lot of research before buying in TV. I did extensive Internet study of over 80 so called active retirement communities. I narrowed that down to about a dozen from that study. I visited 10 of those places and actually spent time in 6 of them. There is really nothing that comes close to TV. The question you need to answer is what type of retirement you really want. Some folks much prefer the quiet mountain lake in WV with the changing seasons and nothing for miles around. If that is you, you will hate TV. Or maybe you want the ocean and the small town where you can walk to everything and never take out the car except for the trip to Home Depot. Try Seal Beach CA, it has all that. I want golf, music, dancing, the college of life long learning, the pools, the true golf cart life style and TV is the only place that has all that. It is unique, it is huge, it has everything I need.

Active Adult Communities
 

While I could not agree more with Yoda and the other responders, you did ask for some names to compare The Villages to. Here are some in the area that I either looked at or through others am familiar with.

Stone Creek in Ocala
On Top of The World in Ocala
Solivita near Orlando
Stonecrest located near The Villages (I have not visited Stonecrest)
Lakes of Mount Dora
The Plantation in Leesburg

There are many other communities in Orlando and Leesburg. All of these are nice communities. If your only interest is playing golf, some of developments listed above may work for you. If you think you want a community filled with interesting clubs, great shopping, a huge number of restaurants, incredible recreation facilities, continuing education courses and endless concerts and special events, there really is only one choice.

Very good post. While I totally agree that The Villages are a one of a kind place, some folks do retire to central Florida to other nice 55+ communities.

I am NOT saying anything negative about The Villages. I enjoy visiting there, and I know there is a world of difference between visiting there and living there.

Other nice communities in the area that have not yet been mentioned is Legacy in Leesburg. Our place in The Plantation is another choice. While not The Villages, we do have 3 large activity centers, pools, hot tubs, fitness centers, etc. We have under 3000 homes in 21 smaller neighborhoods. We have 2 large 18 hole golf courses. Some folks like this size, and consider larger communities too big and busy.

We have no CDD fees, and our HOA fees are only $85.00 per month. Our HOA is fiscally very sound. The community is built out.

This is one of the biggest choices in life that you make. I tell people to visit the area. Rent a place, ( like mine...;-) ) for a few weeks and check out ALL the areas. One will just "feel right".

Good luck!! Frank

Oh. You are lost when you drink the water here.
 

I did absolutely NO research because I was NOT going to retire in Florida. My parents did and I thought it was bore-ing! Sweetie,who is my darling husband wanted to have a house in Florida, but I did not.

We just stopped for an overnight visit with old friends who had a winter home in Poinciana (one of the villages) and I lost my heart, my sense, and all prior ideas on the subject.

I have been to almost every area in Florida. I have enjoyed South Beach, West Palm, Sanibel Island, Sarasota and have seen Mickey Mouse more than I have fingers and toes. All of those mentioned were my favorite spots for a vacation, but I wouldn't want to LIVE there.

Well, that was until I entered the purified air of The Villages and began to meet some sweet, sassy, smart, silly, serious, serene, smarmy, sage, Southern, senile, stunning, superior and social folks who would become my friends. (you know who you are)

I dare you to find anything to compare. I dee double dare you!:throwtomatoes::D:1rotfl:

We did our research over an 8 year span visiting retirement communities in other areas of Florida and other states. Just as everyone says nothing compares to The Villages. We have stayed two different times just to make sure this is what we wanted. I love you can get around with a golf cart, to the wonderful stores, restaurants, pools, recreations, coffee shops etc. Most all of the other communities did have some things nearby but you would have to leave your complex and use your car to get there. We felt that The Villages is more of an active adult community. So do visit the area and the others, check them out and decide what will fit the lifestyle you want. We visited Hilton Head, Mount Dora, Top of the World, some down near Orlando and Bonita Springs, Fort Meyers, and Naples.

Can anyone recommend any active communities in the Carolina's or Tennessee that have boating?

Do a search for Cooper Homes. They have a pretty large development on some lakes in Tennessee (Lake Tellico, I beleive). They were involved with the develpment of Hot Springs Village and Bella Vista in Arkansas and seem to do a nice job.

Not to mention spontaneous
:beer3:

Add Citrus Hills to your visit list. Lovely homes at affordable prices. Two or three golf courses and other ammenities. We stayed there twice on visits but did not select it as our retirement site. We visited in the summer and the place was a ghost town at night because of so many snow birds. TV homes cost more for what you get but the community makes it worth it all.

Sun City
 

Sun City Tampa area. Anybody know anything about it?

Hey everyone we are in Hadley ....Come on over!
 

As we returned to The Villages tonight we saw two large new billboards near the new, not yet finished fly over bridge on 44 and 301. They were from other senior communities nearby and one said "See Us before you decide" or something close and the other equally as large was also on the road to The Villages.

It just struck me as the other two were desperate and dateless. :shrug:
The Villages doesn't have to advertise near them.

Another odd thought as we were coming home, I think that for a new person TV is kind of hard to find. It is kind of "hidden away."

Sounds not too much different than other companies selling something. Cars come to mind. In most of the ads from just about every car manufacturer compares their car's features, pricing etc. to competitive models.

Just so you know, by far and away , the largest number of people that move to the villages are from the state of florida. That should tell you a little something.

When my parents decided to move to the area from Arkansas, they decided on Stonecrest, against my huge protests. They were able to get a very large house on a very large lot at about 20% less than TV. They new they had made a mistake within 4 months and put there house in Stonecrest up for sale. It took a year and a half to get it sold and they lost about $40k. They were able to find a very nice house in TV.

Not that everyones experience of stonecrest would be the same but they hated their neighbors, they paid over 6 grand to just have my father join the golf course the first year. they only had one 18 hole and one 9 hole course and the Daily Sun is the best propoganda in the world. Everyday they read about all the fun things going on in TV.

jeffy

Sun City Center is an example of a build our gone bad.

Sun City WAS the place to be. It is getting old and the fees are much higher then TV's.
If I were 20 years older and not very active I would consider it.
Not much to do.......streets roll up at 8pm and there is not the entertainment like here.
You can purchase a very nice home for about 20% under what it would cost here tho....

I live in Stonecrest. My husband and I absolutely love our house. We are able to reach the villages by golf cart path. We have 2 separate gates right into Walmart via remote gate. We searched alot of communities also. Feel free to write back for additional info.

Is Stonecrest built out, or they still building new homes?

We looked at Sun City in Hilton Head and came away with the same impression.

What about the West Coast?
 

Did any of you look at places out west? We visited the villages for a week in 2006 and had fun. I still think we will end up there, :eclipsee_gold_cup:,but my husband is concerned it is so far from our Son in Seattle. He has friends who are in Vegas and Arizona. There are alot of people from Hawaii in Henderson outside of Vegas. But the Vegas? I don't know.:shrug: And it takes a whole day now to get home to Hawaii. We have lived on the mainland for over 30 years but my husband still likes to go to Ohau every year.


impressions,
Trudy

Other Communities
 

To the best of my know you will not find anything that is comparable to TV. Other communities are much smaller.

We looked at Sun City Grand in AZ a few years ago when it was fairly new and the real estate boom was just starting. It was nice, as were the homes, but we were a few years away from retirement and didn't pursue anything.

South Carolina taxes are much lower than Florida so if it is the budget you are concerned about this Sun City Hilton Head deserves a look. While there are fewer amenities there are also fewer people. Buildout is about 8200 homes and they have about 1300 or so to go. SCHH is also very close to the beautiful beaches and many restaurants and other attractions such as Sea Pines Lighhouse area and South Beach. HHI also has its own airpport and and Bluffton SC where SCHH is located has many stores as well as two very large factory outlets. Savannah GA is about 20 minutes away and Savannah Airport is about 30 Minutes away and far less complicated than Orlando.

I've a lot of friends that opted for Arizona,
I prefer Florida and TV in particular

They are still building new homes. When we purchased our house last year they were getting ready to open a whole new model park.

We looked at sun City too. there wasn't much around there. I like how we have so many choices of stores and restaraunts. prices were high and the houses needed alot of updating.

The wife and I actually looked into several places around Phoenix and Sedona areas. But our concern was, "water". The aquaifer that these areas used is actually dropping very fast and that concerned us. Also looked at the San Antonio area and they had the same problem.

Army Guy