Rec Center fitness fees.
 

First off I have a free membership through insurance at MVP. What I find odd is there are actual membership fees for rec center fitness. Not only fees but fees that are inline or more than big name gyms. Some gyms that are 24/7 and 4x the size of rec center gyms are actually cheaper than our rec center gyms. I personally don't mind paying for things but I don't like being overcharged. I also find it odd that our rec center gyms don't accept any insurance like so many other gyms do.

Actually TV might be the only retirement community that actually charges extra on top of amenity fees for its fitness room.

Don't get me wrong I'm blessed and fortunate to be living in TV and not actually complaining but merely trying to understand the justification of rec center membership fees. Surely there is some explanation. Have a great day!

I agree the fees are over the top plus no indoor pools. I have no idea why the residents aren't able to swim in the evening after the sun goes down & the chance of a sunburn is non existent.
This is the only 55+ community that has no indoor pool or an indoor gym for general use.

I walked into the so-called gym at Seabreeze back when we first moved here in 2011 and there was 6 people working out, and I felt crowded. I had bought weights a few years earlier, so I continued using them at home and my wife and me would walk about three miles a day.

As soon MVP at Brownwood opened in 2013 I became a member. I paid $109 a month with tax for both of us and it was worth it, especially if you take classes. About 4 years ago United Health included Anytime Fitness in the Silver Slipper program, and I knew a few people who quit MVP and joined one of them. On the southside there was an Anytime Fitness on 44 between Morse and Buena Vista.

For past 2-1/2 years United Health started the Optum Program and MVP has been free, I think that was January 2019 that started and that helped the budget.

You're right about most places the gym is free and it's usually huge. Then again, they advertise that because the gym, one pool and one golf course is about all they have.

Nope...you really are complaining...as is your right. But the cost will only go down if enough won't pay the fee. It's called "supply and demand". Our countries economy was once based on it. Now it's based on gimme, gimme, gimme...too expensive! That's why you don't have to pay for it.

In a retirement community, only a very small percentage of the people actually use the indoor fitness equipment. So, I think it is appropriate to require the ones who use it to pay for the equipment and the maintenance.

I personally was surprised there was a fee for MVP, and don't think there should be. I was more surprised to find out they no longer accept insurance as payment, as almost all the outside gyms in the area do. As far as pools, as a regular swimmer, who is full time employed, very disappointed in the hours the pools are open, and that we don't have any indoor pools.
There are many things I like here, but these are nonetheless disappointing to me.

I would point out that only one fulltime employee is needed to monitor a Village rec center, which includes multiple indoor and outdoor facilities, as well as 2 or 3 neighborhood swimming pools. But, I believe they always have a fulltime employee to monitor the fitness equipment in the regional centers.

I would not like to pay for indoor pools used at most a few weeks out of the year. The cost comes to us. Just as excessive and unneeded spending for anything comes to us. I imagine that the fitness centers pay employees to keep them clean and to keep people from incorrectly using the equipment. That costs money. I don't use the fitness centers. I don't think a large percentage of people do, given we can pull weeds and trim bushes and sweep the lanai and swim laps and play pickleball and walk all around this lovely place.

Fiscally TIGHT...Gracie.

A lot of people don’t golf but still have to pay for the course maintenance

Your assumptions are wrong. MVP is not owned by TV, they're a private company and who makes a profit. I'm going 3 days a week to Brownwood MVP and they still accept my United Health Insurance, the same premium free plan the TV Medical accepts.

The championship courses are owned by TV, the green fees pay for their upkeep and profit, if you don't golf you don't pay a dime. The executives are own by the community, your CDD owns them and they're are one of the free amenities that you enjoy as a resident of the TV.

The amenities are not free. We all pay an amenity fee part of which is for golf course maintenance.

Really? The only one? :faint:

Retirement Communities in the U.S. by areas says there are over 300 "55+ communities" in Florida. Must be thousands in the US. Thanks for researching them all for us. :icon_wink:

Did any of the others have 214 pickleball courts, 215 bocce courts, 210 shuffleboard courts, 100 rec. facilities, or 693 holes of golf? Oh and what..... maybe 100 heated pools? :popcorn:

Yes, it's in your $150 monthly amenity fee covers everything. It doesn't matter if you play shuffleboard, bocce ball, horse shoes, tennis, pickleball, any activity is essentially free for a low monthly fee of $150, yes you pay whether you play or not, I consider a small price to for all those activities. Find another retirement community that charges less than $150.

I am not upset about the cost. I am upset about the idea that just because one person is not interested in something none of us should have it. I do not use shuffleboard, bocce ball, horse shoes, tennis, pickleball or golf but I would like a fitness center.

There is no such thing as free. We pay for the golf courses through the amenity fees. I think all golf courses should be privately owned and the golfers pay fees to maintain the course. I don't play golf, never have and never will, so why should I have to pay for their upkeep.

I don't play softball, why should I have to pay for the field maintenance?

I don't play pickelball, why should I have to pay for the court maintenance?

I don't play basketball, why should I pay for the court maintenance?

I don't shoot air guns or do archery, why should I have to pay for the range maintenance?

I don't use the rec centers, why should I have to pay for the maintenance, upkeep, utilities, and staffing?

The list goes on and on, take your pick. The bottom line is that it is a package deal for the amenities, you don't pick and choose and pay for things piecemeal. If it was piecemealed, you couldn't afford to live here and there would be very few amenities.

The fitness centers are a separate budget and operating entity from the rest of the amenities. They are run by the Parks and Recreation Department, but they are not funded from amenity fees, they are funded by the users of the facilities. As said previously, they have different staffing requirements and operating requirements than the other amenities.

Does anyone really believe that there would be sufficient utilization after 8 PM or at 5 in the morning to justify the staffing costs? Except for at the town squares, they roll up the sidewalks around here 30 minutes after sun goes down.

No one said anything about hours. The rec centers could continue to operate as they currently do just start accepting silver sneakers for those who are eligible instead of charging residents.

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl: How could that happen..... we're talking a place where people lined up at 3 a.m. to get a FREE pineapple when Sweetbay opened in LSL. :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Anything FREE tickles me! :ho:

I think, if The Villages accepted Silver Sneakers, the Medicare advantage plans would be paying money to The Villages for that benefit. And, The Villages would be required to allow non-residents to use the fitness centers, because they would need to provide the benefit to anyone who subscribed to the Medicare advantage plans that included Silver Sneakers. This would also discriminate against people under 65.

I think both of them are getting used to it and I saw one taking lessons at Arnold Palmer.

:1rotfl: Thanks for the chuckle.

MVP is a private gym. Why would you be surprised a company charges a fee?

Because you live in The Villages and the fees are paid by all. Does not matter if you use them or not ,those of us that do enjoy them thank you for not using a tee time.

I agree. It would be nice to include the rec center weight and cardio as part of the amenities. The fees are about the same as the private club fees with smaller facilities. Still I use the one at Mulberry. The staff is most pleasant and it is convenient.
I agree that at least the adults only pools could be open extended hours perhaps on occasion. Having a few pools open late probably wouldn’t be a budget buster.
But as a recently arrived resident I am having a blast. What a wonderful place to live.

Fair enough but for what?
 

All this is well said but you elude to your own solution.

TV has some of the lowest HOA fees that I have found. When I visited OTOW and Del Webb I found those fees to be $350 to over $500 per month. Yes they have free gym equipment use.
Let us all get together and go to TV management and ask them to charge everyone here another $60 per month, then you can get you workout 1/2 price, those of us that don’t use it will pay the rest for you.
Oh while we are there, I hold, so let us demand that they collect another $100 per month per resident for free golf everywhere, I don’t mind, this would help me and the community needs to subsidize my activity too.

Come on people we have a bargain, we get great value and yes you could get a lot more but it has to be paid gor. How much do you want to spend?

It's only an excessive fee if nobody uses it like you but just imagine if we didn't have golf courses or fitness centers I guarantee you half the people in The villages never use a golf course or 90% of what's available but you need it for resale. And by the way there are retirement communities in Leesburg with indoor pools as there are in Orlando as well so la vida is one of them in Orlando and there are several on route 27 that have indoor pools. By the way pools are one of the biggest expenses any community can have because of the maintenance and electrical costs and insurance

You're very right and less and less people play golf every year as well as you'll notice tennis. But the fact of the matter is you need golf courses tennis pools and gyms as well as someone to run the activities if you want to have a true community. This all helps in resale because whether or not you do something the next buyer of your home wants these facilities to be there

You always did not check out the other dozen communities in Leesburg that are much cheaper than villages. There are some communities that pay $160 a month for HOA fees. There are some that pay more I live in Pembroke four miles down the road and pay $250 and this is what I get included. Grass cutting, golf course, a gym, two pools, and HOA a management company, we also get internet service 300 MBS, and cable. The last two save us about $100 a month over probably what you're paying. Yes golf can cost more what about 70% of the people do not play golf in any community. Oh and by the way how homes cost 30- 50% less than your homes by the SQ foot . And I bet we have a lot less type A personalities driving around thinking they're entitled because they live in The villages.

Unfortunately, those of us not on Medicare can't get "free" memberships. MVP is more expensive than the Villages Fitness. I think it's a rip off, but have no choice if I want to save money and have the convenience of working out close to home. Next year it's MVP for free and I'll also be old enough for a COVID vaccine.

All I need is access to the weight machines, which I find very helpful when I get around to using them, which is rarely. Laurel Center’s fitness room is five minutes from my house, and I pay $5 a visit. That sure beats $109 a month at MVP for classes I’d never take.

You have no problem enjoying the beauty a golf course provides as you drive by. Imagine if there was no open space and it was all houses. You would change your mind fast

I know people who recently went to MVP and they no longer accept all the insurance plans they used to. Some of us are grandfathered in so we still don't pay, but I think they accept only 1-2 plans now.

But you couldn’t wait to join talk of the villages. I’ve seen pembrook pines, no thanks

Penbrooke Fairways in Leesburg compare to The Villages is night and day. One restaurant, no shopping, Dr offices, PAC, movie theaters, only 9 holes of championship golf etc. Their website specifies 3 miles from TV I wonder why?

True that!!! :clap2:

I am wondering why you say things like this?

I think you might be feeling jealous when you drive around these beautiful neighborhoods and see people from every walk of life (as soon as the Pandemic is stymied) happily involved in a myriad of things and enjoying so many things.

I feel....lucky, blessed, happy, and so GLAD we decided to buy here but I don't think I feel "entitled" and I am not sure if I am a "Type A" or not. I admit to being a little bit influenced by being the oldest in my family.

No, there are lots of things insurance pays for that are based on age because it is medically needed. That does not equate to age discrimination.

I posted this on the first page, I have the same United Health plan for people over 65 that TV accepts in their medical centers. I was just at MVP twice this week, no fees. Apparently your friends are not on United Health's Villages plan, or they are not 65, but I never heard of being grandfathered in?

I didn't to MVP from late March (they closed at that time) until October, they reopened I think in August. They never mentioned anything to me about paying, being grandfathered, or my plan was not good anymore. Your friends have told you wrong, or are not in the group I'm in.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For those looking for a pool, indoor and outdoor, you don't have to go far, Stonecrest in Summerfield have both.

Stonecrest in Summerfield indoor pool

https://images.estately.net/29_G5037...1612208492.jpg

Stonecrest outdoor pool

https://images.estately.net/29_G5037...1612208491.jpg

As I mentioned on the first page, yes you'll have a indoor pool, but you'll have just one golf course. Here's the last review from a week ago on Golf Now about their course.

Cheap ok, but so is a cow pasture. The greens are totally wiped out. The fairways are rough ! What is so bad is that it has a pretty nice layout and mix of holes. Too bad they let the thing go to crap. Sorry, but move along, don’t waste your time here until they get a new grounds keeper !

Stonecrest HOA Fees

$204 month Classic & Estate series
$319 Garden series
$432 condo