Considering Retiring To The Villages
 

Hi Everyone!

I'm considering retiring and moving to The Villages. I currently live in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. I'm coming to The Villages May 20th - May 23rd.
I'm looking at homes - both new and used. Since I'm single, I don't need a large place to live. I like the floor plans of Colony, Austin, Corpus Christi, Cabot Cove, Ruby and Pearl.
I have a Villages Real Estate Agent who will be taking me around while I'm there.
Hopefully, I will be able to meet some of you while I'm in town.

Larry

I always admire people who read TOTV and still want to move here. It really is a wonderful place to live.

Good luck to you but do think you need more than a weekend to decide if you want to come here and where you might want to live.

We rented for a month and with hindsight could have made it 2.

You’ll also want an MLS realtor. The Villages sales agents can’t sell MLS houses and MLS realtors can’t sell Villages properties.
I don’t know the breakdown of MLS vs Villages homes - but you are probably missing 50% of the homes by only working with one agent.

Also, above is correct, you can’t make a decision in 3 days - you’ll want to be here for a month. The place is huge and each “area” has a different vibe.

Do your thing. Ignore all replies and base your decision on what you see and what can be done here compared to anywhere else.

We were here two days, but my wife already had perused all the homes/layouts and decided her ideal. She found it the 2nd day and we signed/moved in two days later.

I golf...a lot...my wife quilts/moves stuff around the house constantly...even have her mowing the lawn... :-).

Enjoy the trip.
The Agent is a great source of information.......they are selling, but they have a lot of info for newbies.
Try to hit a town square.
Whatever your interests are, ask the Agent how to sample during your trip.
Good Luck.

You will be overwhelmed and astonished. We love it here. Hope you find happiness. My husband and I just like it better every day. It will be fifteen years.

Yes, perfect advice. Get a 'real real estate agent.

Oh please.

I like The Villages agents. They don't PUSH. They don't have to. AND...They can sell new houses and resales. New neighborhoods are fun if you are new and the new homes don't cost any more than used. P.S. I don't sell houses.

They can only sell the resales they have.

They cannot access nor sell any MLS listings.

Have a REAL agent in addition to the Villages agents. That will give you access to a LOT of additional and varied postings.

And NEW home can cost a LOT more than resales. Starting with the $30,000 bond, landscaping, etc. No squares to go to down there, etc etc.

This is a wonderful place to live. Spend some time late afternoon in the evenings at one of the Squares and talk to people at the bars, etc.

That made my choices much easier. And I found that 8 out of 10 people did not buy through the Villages agents.

I wouldn’t take it to bank what village realty says, they will push new homes. That ok if that’s all you interested in. But I would look at all options which includes Other real estate listing? I would be looking online right now what on market that might be interested in.

That says a lot also. Village realtor’s will push new home’s and they are only down “there”.

The Villages agents make the same percentage selling new or used. Our Village agent, Jim McLaughlin, showed us resales when we decided we needed a bigger home. We ended up building. It was cheaper to build.

I am so tired of people saying mean stuff about the newest areas. Someone is always trying to bash the developer and someone is always trying to sell up MLS. No one has to push The Villages.... I love the way The Villages does business. Apparently so do a lot of people. Folks are lined up to buy here. P.S. I don't sell houses and I have never sold houses, but I love watching the market on homes.

My first Villages agent evaded showing me even one resale. Their primary mission is selling new homes for the developer. Be sure your Villages agent is willing to show you resales and find a Realtor to show you MLS listings as well.

Hi Larry,

I actually went through a similar process recently. I started researching the Villages back in November and I learned a lot from TOTV and youtube. I had it all built up in my head and I was so excited to come down for my first visit that I was actually scared it wouldn't be as good as advertised, especially since I had been encouraging my wife that this would be a great spot. We came down the first week of February and heard the music playing in the square, had a great tour day with our Villages realtor. Smitten from the first moment. Purchased a home in the south in De Luna a couple weeks later. In sum, I think you are on the right track. If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Cheers,

Dylan

Someone was just telling me when building was starting south of 466, yes, 466, everyone said you don't want to buy past there, there is nothing there. LOL!!!

Move
 

Definitely get a mls realtor as well. Good luck!

Check out Top of the World in Ocala before you buy here…..A lot more home for the money and better golf courses.

Can't look at new homes.

Come down for a few years and during all seasons and then make an informed intelligent decision.

Moving from Texas
 

We moved here from San Antonio and have found that our Village realtor tried to discourage us from buying fast (we did anyway). We have a new house down South and it is absolutely one of the best decisions we have made. Amazing amount of stuff todo - we prefer Edna’s on the Green to town square (which is 12 minutes away in a golf cart).

Have lived "down there" 3 years, love it. There is no right place or better place, but only the place you like.

Hi Larry,

Not sure if you are a YouTube watcher, but if you are or are not let me suggest you being a single guy considering TV for retirement, YouTuber Rusty Nelson who is on the same journey as you has put out a number videos detailing his experiences from a single's perspective which begin with making his 1st call to book a lifestyle visit. Rusty just completed a month long stay which he rented a patio villa. Also, Rusty is very responsive to answering questions of those who leave them in the comments. Although I will be making the journey to TV with my husband, I very much enjoy Rusty's videos as well as several other TV YouTubers.

Best of luck.

The point is the Villages agents have NO access to MLS listings at all.
They cannot list them,
They cannot show them,
They cannot see them.

There is a whole, bigger world out there in MLS that Village realtors do not talk about or deal with. We closed on house 2 in March. It took us an additional 3 weeks to close because the title agencies were doing 10 closings a day in TV and that was the backlog.

8/10 people use MLS to purchase.

Always excited to see a new person look at our little slice of heaven, but he needs to know how big the resale world actually is.

You should work with an MLS agent too. I work with Exit Realty.

Also check out my YouTube channel. I can’t put the link to the channel because when I do I get a warning from this site because I advertise my real estate business. But if you search my name you will find it. Robyn Cavallaro. It’s all about living in the villages in Florida

What suburb of Dallas? My son lives in Southlake!

I think your info is not quite accurate. Since the opening of the Water Lily Bridge all the squares are very easily and quickly accessible to anyone in a new home area. From Monarch Grove we can get to Brownwood Square in 15 minutes. The new Sawgrass Grove area is coming and there will be entertainment there.

Before we bought new we looked at pre-owned, when we inserted all info that was important to us into our spreadsheet, new came out on top every time.

As someone that has moved DOWN THERE you have no idea what you are talking about. Things are moving fast and within a couple of years, this will be the best place to live unless you are to old and set in your ways.
PS the cost is going up as fast for resales as it is for new and you can build for no more cost or spend as much as you want to have the perfect new home with non of the resale house problems like plumbing and roof replacement.

Also, check out “Single in the Villages” on Facebook. It is a great group!
The Villages 55+ Retirement Community and Being Single. The Facebook Group Single in the Villages. - YouTube

Keep in mind The Villages is no longer a retirement "community", but a retirement "metropolis".

Trying to scare him into staying in Texas?:bigbow:

Well, considering I price the homes continuously I'll differ with you, in a very big way. But, everyone has different ideas of affordable. I absolutely know what I am talking about.

And yes, resales are going up, but new are going crazy because of the cost of raw materials.

Nobody from UP HERE is bashing anybody, but it is interesting that everyone south of the new bridge seems to be bashing and defending themselves as if someone has said something disparaging about them.

Great thing you're coming down to visit, remember there are 10 plus Senior communities near the villages all are much cheaper and have a different vibe than The villages, Plantation , and Pennbrooke Fairways are two you should look at also as well as more in and around Leesburg . Stay at least a week

Use an MLS agent in addition to The Villages agent. They cant sell each others listings. That way you can see everything available in the area you prefer. BTW theres no BAD areas. Make sure you understsnd what the bond is. There are many homes with bonds paid off. Everyplace in TV is beautiful and friendly. Best of luck.

One thing to remember - if you aren't IN the Villages, you cannot partake in any of the activities of the Villages.

Everything in TV is within golfcart range, although most of this is north right now. That will gradually shift as more recreation areas are planned towards the south.

If you purchase outside TV, the only activity you can do is the entertainment at The Squares. Nothing else will be available to you. So, there is a price to pay for being in TV, but it is, in my opinion, well worth it. Bear that in mind as you shop.

Welcome - most everyone here is extremely friendly and will welcome you to TV and show you around!

All the Villages are great to live in!

I came here for a weekend 3 1/2 years ago and moved I am a MLS realtor here. I have 25 years experience and have been in Florida for 13 of those. Villages sales agents are great. They do represent the developer. Seem to be fair. Prices for new have increased because of material costs. The new areas are fine, you have to find what suits you. There are MLS resales in all areas. MLS agents have about half of the resales in the area. Good luck. Andrea Bonivich, Sellstate Superior Realty 281-513-1250

Don’t worry about getting a MLS real estate agent unless the Villages agent can’t find you something you like. You won’t have enough time to use two agents trying to help you.

It took until post #37 to be really helpful to new customer at the koolaid stand. We don't and should not know your financial situation, but as part of your affordability cost, don't forget to add in the cost of the bond or not, when putting the numbers in your financial margarita blender. . .

Make sure you decide what your priorities are, and be sure to look at the different models, and if you decide to build, be sure to check what type of house can go on each lot you are considering. If you decide against a build, and are going for a re-sale, i would rent down here with a pen in your hand every day, and try to be the first for every new listing, as we have seen some very, very nice houses get put under agreement hours after for sale, and some never even make the public view. . . .

but then again, we are all just individual posters on a random internet site.

finance guy

I made my decision after the second roundabout on Buena Vista. Never played golf before I came so it wasn’t about golf. The fact that the place was so well manicured is what got me. After 3 years, not one regret