Avg. monthly cost as per Villages website
 

Don't know if this is current, but it's from the Villages website... Do you feel like this is pretty accurate?

Thanks!

Average monthly costs for Villagers:

$164.00 Contractual Amenities Fee
60.00 Sewer
31.00 Water
148.00 Average Gas / Electric
19.00 Trash Collection
60.00 Basic Cable Television
100.00 Insurance
239.17 Average Taxes
191.00 Development District Assessment

$1012.17 Total Per Month*

all in all, pretty darned close. I could question a couple items up or down a tad, but it's not a bad estimate. I consider my circumstances as middle-of-the-road.

Depending on what you spend on the home, taxes could go far higher, insurance too.

I think the bottom line to live in a typical $300,000 designer house is fairly accurate. I don't know what the Development District Assessment is, unless that is part of your tax bill. The basic cable television cost is too low. You can barely get internet service for that cost.

A better way to estimate these costs is to view the actual tax bills and utility bills for houses in the neighborhood where you plan to live, and to price out the cable television service you want. These are all available as public information. The only things that are not public are electric and gas bills.

I don't think basic cable includes internet and also you would need to factor in lawn maintenance

District assessment must be the bond payment. On average this is good some things might be higher or lower. Including mortgage and golf cart loan I budget just over $2000 a month.

Taxes are way too low if you live in Lake County (at least homes in the Fruitland Park section of Lake). If Devt District Assessment is annual maintenance fee that comes with tax bill then the amount listed is too high.

Water higher rate, trash $3 more. If you can get cable and net for that price take it and run. Wildwood and Lake taxes higher.
PV about $1000. Per month
Cottage/ ranch about $1200-1300
Designer $1400

Lot size makes a difference, and the lawn maintenance is missing.
Anywhere from $35 to $150 a month
We have all three categories, and that’s roughly what each house runs per month in Sumter

What type home, patio villa, CYV, cottage or designer home, big difference in most items by the size, county and sometimes the price of the home.

My 2BR 2BA masonry CYV was built in 2011 in Sumter County, District 8 Village of Tamarind Grove. So we probably have the smallest footprint just above a patio villa. I'll make some things simpler with the actual bills. I don't know what your Development District Assessment is exactly. I have no lawn maintenance, all my grass was removed and I do my own watering, weeding and trimming, here's what I pay.

Bill #1) Amenities, drinking water, irrigation water, sewage, thrash is all on one bill, averages $235 to $245 a monthh, depends on how much I water the yard

Bill #2) Electric is SECO, averages $79 to $91 dollars a month

Bill #3) Directv averages $160 a month for 300+ channels but no premium channels, but does include NFL Sunday Ticket

Bill #4) Century Link fiber optic high speed internet $49 a month for life

Bill #5) I also have a home phone with Century Link about $43 a month, it actually comes with the other bill, but since you may have a different phone I'll separate it

That's $588 a month, then you can break down the two bills below in 12 amounts if you want, I pay them in a lump sum.


Once a year) Homeowners Insurance with 10% sink hole with Cabrillo Coastal Insurance through the Villages Insurance $619 a year

Once a year) Taxes, Bond, Maintenance & Fire Dept one bill $2600 a year

Here's an actual photo so you know what I'm referring to as a CYV (Courtyard Villa)

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...cd&oe=6025C6EB

These figures are high in some areas - I have a 3 bedroom courtyard villa built in 2004.

The lawn maintenance, which includes cutting the grass, and maintaining it, annual termite inspection is not listed there. The cable is very low and doesnt include internet. I have a triple basic package through exfinity, includes phone, TV and internet and its 185. Monthly. My lawn care annual with the lawn treatment and weed removal 1200.

I pay $2,000 a year to the pool company for cleaning and chemicals. Then there is mowing, fertilizing, weeding and pruning. I don’t do anything at all outside. Not cheap. But I clean my own house and do my own repairs.

Add in general : 1-2% for home maintenance.
Add for cell / phones.
Add tv / internet 100-150
Also restaurants, golf, movies, golf carts , auto insurance.
Now the good - less new clothing only shorts etc . But gas money if you drive to beaches etc beaches. Golf balls .
Also insect control and sparting . Can be 100 a month depending on your landscape .

I pay $50 per month for lawn maintenance.

03-Feb-2018
COST OF LIVING IN MY HOUSE

$ 55.00 LAWN (INCLUDES PRUNING TWICE A YEAR)
$ 108.00 DIRECTV
$ 65.00 CABLE (CENTURYLINK - CABLE)
$ 146.00 ELECTRICITY (AUGUST - MOSTLY A/C)
$ 77.00 GAS (AUGUST - FURNACE+HOT WATER+DRYER)
$ 220.00 UTILITY (WATER+GARBAGE+AMENITY)
$ 12.00 MID. FLORIDA PEST (LAWN BUGS, EVERY 3 MONTHS $37/3)
$ 13.30 MID. FLORIDA PEST (SHRUB BUGS, EVERY 3 MONTHS $40/3)
$ 20.50 TERMITE (MASSEY $246/12)
$ 238.00 PROPERTY TAX ($2853/12)
$ 9.20 HOUSE P-WASH ($110 FOR 2 TIMES/YEAR)
$ 13.00 INSURANCE - GOLF CART (2 CARTS $151/12)
$ 87.00 INSURANCE - HOMEOWNERS ($1040/12)
_______
$ 1064.00 EVERY MONTH

Its not how much you spend, its how you manage what you spend, live in with your means and you'll be happy.

My husband and I just bought a 1800 ft.² frame home in the village of Santiago, for $250000 and our homeowners insurance policy came to $1423. A bit higher than their estimate.

Obviously, the size of house and location greatly impacts the cost of living in the villages. I just bought a new home in Marsh Bend and I calculate my total costs to be about 1.5 times what you've illustrated in your post for the same list of items. Check out this video on Youtube, I found it helpful when I was doing my research.

How Much Money Do I Need To Live In The Villages - YouTube

The tax estimate doesn’t seem to include Bond repayment. Our house still has a bond payment of roughly $800/year on a 12 year old home. Cable TV with high speed internet is $110/month with Comcast.

Monthly Costs
 

Pest control is a must if you don’t want bugs in your house. We $50 every two months to stay bug free.

District Development Assessment is the bond.

Love your inclusion of golf balls! Going through lots, due to errant shots!

What insurance company offers sink hole insurance plz?

Add money for:

Irrigation. - $35.00 (average over the year)
Land line / Internet - $90
Hurricane insurance - add to insurance.
I'd estimate $333 a month for taxes

With the exception of any amenities fees, you'd pay this or more to live ANYWHERE. Not sure what the point is here...

What is DDA? And internet is $50

They leave out many things which are common, if not needed, around here. Most people use a lawn service, A/C service, insect spraying, internet, etc. We have found our monthly bills average about $1200 above the mortgage. If you golf you also may want to pay the trail fees which are about $150/year.

I believe that the purpose of asking for these estimates was to help others determine if they could afford to buy a home here. It might even be to determine if they could hold on to their current home - AND buy here too.

Our lawn gets the pesticides from the treatment guy, he's $50/month. We mow our own lawn and do our own gardening and trimming and edging.

The "basic cable" in the OP's post we swapped out with Internet service; we cut the cord and pay for YouTubeTV, which is an extra $70 I think, now.

Our taxes are a little higher since our home is less valuable overall but we live in Lake County.

The OP's list is about right for us, give or take $100 a month. Our electricity averaged at $90/month this past year. Last month was high because we had the heat on almost every day.

I've been tracking monthly costs for the past two years. Here are my averages over a 2 year period.
My lawn care costs are probably higher than most due to having a corner lot.

Amenity fee $148
Irrigation Water $40
Trash Collection $22
Potable Water/Sewer $60
Gas (TECO) $40
Electric (SECO) $75
Internet/Streaming TV $120
Lawn care $95
Insect control/lawn treatment $60
Property Taxes $415
Insurance $112
Development District Assessment $205
Golf Cart Insurance $17

Monthly total: $1408

Budget? I have a friend who I regularly tease for the way the thinks. Truth he in an e-mail stated how many rolls of toilet paper he and his wife use a year. No he is not down to his last dollars.

My income was never steady. We are retired. I am too old and too broken to go back to work. When we moved here I took what I thought it would cost. Added 20% to all the numbers and made sure I could cover them. You are far better off having more than you need than less. One simple way to do that is to spend less than you have.

Budget? Fixed vs variable expenses? Wants vs needs? Etc. Rising costs?

This is more accurate quote then Village one based on owning a Ranch size home and not being a Fl resident, taxes are higher then other quote. Maintenance on corner lot with pool puts us in about $1300 a month since we have to pay to have everything maintained. When we bought 4.5 years ago it was under about $1100 but have had to add other lawn services and the basics have all increased.

So much per month? A recent conversation with a friend not in the villages. He lives in a similar kind of place. I don't recall his home. Truth I do not look. I just wish everyone well not like too many people my home is bigger, my car is etc. I truly do not care.

He is needing a new roof. Reminder his home is average-whatever that means.
He figures 25,000 for a roof. He figures what investments he will sell to raise that.
Selling investments, will cost him dividends-money coming in. Budget? I do not either.
People do not usually BUDGET for a 25,000 roof or AC replacement not sure and debate is a waste of time-about 7,000. A true cost per month everything has a life span.

Mine is nowhere near that high, depends on where you live, size of house , usage etc.

Guess we are different, 2 of our homes were new, so budget little different than the preowned we bought. I budgeted for new roof, new HVAC (just replaced) new flooring, paint, and adding larger birdcage. But then again any house anywhere will need the same budget, except maybe a birdcage

Made me go check my costs for 2020. We live on a corner lot, designer home, just over 2000 sq. ft. Estimate home value just around 400k. Our average was $1,317.32 per month. This dies not include anything outside original post except lawn maintenance costs and internet.

Cost dependent on how many living in home, if you leave lights on etc, how much you water lawn and on and on. The only thing I’m sure of with your estimate is the amenities fees are correct.

Man the living is good here in "Clampettville"!

We have Sumter Co. designer/hibiscus, 3 BR, inside laundry, etc.. Taxes run $2600 but year round residents so homestead. Have never found insurance for $100 except first year or two after building, from then on, up to present which is $195 mo. for American Integrity (not a highly rated company actually, but best we could find), electric in Sumter is a co-op so (according to friends) our bills are much lower than theirs in Marion Co. Runs about $78-$82 in the AC months, in the "winters" when heat is necessary at night, average bill is $60-$65. Have Comcast basic plus, no "extras" like HBO, Disney, etc., do have DVR, and have two outlets (use Roku in other rooms), and internet. Also have 2 cell phones with Comcast on the initial offer plan so never pay more than $11(often nothing extra) a month for the two phones, not each. Bill for all is $152 a month IF we don't cancel, change plans, etc. We inquired and internet alone is over $60 if you do not take any TV, phone, etc. services so with the cell phone unlimited talk and text for 2 phones, and staying within the free data most months, we have kept the present plan we've had for years now. Amenities are less $160, and only two people so water is quite a bit lower than the figure given by the poster, but waste water used on lawn, drinking water, sewer, garbage, are all on one monthly bill that runs $181 a month most months. It's really difficult to get averages as we've found which of the three counties you live in makes quite a difference, as does homestead exemption for full time Florida residents.

For those trying to estimate, "lawn maintenance" can be GREATLY reduced with little imposition. Most lots are small, even with designer plans (or end lots which are much more to maintain). A self propelled mower is at the very most a 30 min. job, usually less. The hardware stores all sell VERY effective insect, weed, feed, and disease self contained bottles that simply attach to your hose and takes less than 15 minutes to apply with no mess or mixing, or fuss ! Lawn disease here is most often spread by lawn services, almost none "disinfect, or spray the equipment" to prevent this, though the university ag people have told me they TRY to have workshops for folks who do commercial yard work but it's not been practiced we were told. The new, clean, quick hose applicators run $9-$15, at 4 applications a year, very effective. Another neighbor also tipped us off to a very easy and powerful house wash product in it's own application bottle you simply dispose of when done. No power washer needed and it works very well on the mold we get in Florida ! Dr. reminded us that by walking behind a self-propelled mower for a few minutes we get some exercise benefit, though not like going to the gym...LOL ! Anyway, for those trying to construct a retirement budget, you may see many mentions of various expenses that can easily be eliminated or greatly controlled is all I wanted to point out.

True, but you will find many residents are not capable of doing their own lawn maintenance. I would say in our neighborhood 1/2 could not walk behind a mower, much less edge, and trim bushes..Up north we have 1 acre of lawn, to maintain, I take care of that with a self propelled for 1/3, and tractor for the rest. Altogether it takes 3 to 4 hours every 5 days. Then the snow takes its place.
I gladly pay here, for someone to mow, trim all the bushes, palms, edge, and weed the beds.


As far as pest, we bought a home that was a do it yourself pest control. Had to have Daisy from deans to check on house for termites, before closing. $400, plus treatment. Home inspection caught the issue, and the seller paid all costs. If termites were present, we would have backed out of the deal.