Info Overload: Differences in Villages and areas?
 

I am a non resident, not yet visited. Have spent some time poring over TV maps, looking at neighborhoods and roads. Paralysis by analysis has set in.

Trying to identify neighborhoods to avoid (turnpike noise, industrial plants/jails nearby, apartment complexes and high rental proportions, etc.), but still be relatively close to shopping and entertainment.

I understand the majority of new construction is occurring in the south. In 10 years, what will be a central location in the (fairly) newer areas of TV? Assuming "build-out" is actually defined and not changing all the time due to new land purchases and on-going construction, where might the northern part of the southern-most section of the Villages be? Before the recent large shift in southern growth, the most desirable area was near the center of 466a and 466. Where do you think that area might be in 10 years (which are probably being built now or recently or soon)?

Thanks.

Posters on this site are not part of the Family, so any predictions on where TV will be in the next year much less 10 years would just be a wild guess. The developers keep land purchases quite just like Disney did for years.

I think one can speculate but would never bet on results. If there is land to be bought they will build. As long as homes sell developers will continue.

Simple way to think of it is five areas:
Historic - north east of 441
Spanish Springs - North of 466
Lake Sumter - Between 466 and 466A
Brownwood - between 466A and 44
New - south of 44

Each area has a construction style and amenities style though all between 466 and 44 are quite similar.

South of 44 includes new construction. There seems to be more of a focus on nature which brings both nice walking trails and bugs.

Apartments, crowds, and noise are all less then a mile from the squares

You can see on a map where the homes are near the turnpike. Some notice the sound and hate it while others say they don’t notice.

'Paralysis by analysis' ... I had done some eager research before bringing the wife for a visit for Valentines Day 2021. The magic of the Villages can't be found on a website. My advice is get here as soon as you can so you experience each of the 5 zones Bill pointed out. Strategically spend a morning in one area, the spend an afternoon in another. You can get a keen sense of each neighborhood pretty quickly. Good luck with your search.

Cheers,

Dylan

All your questions in last paragraph have been asked many times ………since the first shovel across US441. No one , No one , has ever been able to provide an answer. EXCEPT the Villages Developer, only when they are ready.
You are going to get all kind of responses on this thread……all speculation.
Your best bet. Pause your analysis. Come visit TV and see for yourself. You will see it’s not really that complicated.

El Diablo Joe, Bill 14564's post is right on the money. Frankly, I wouldn't worry about being "central" to the overall area of TV. It will be too big of an area for you to get a lot of value by trying to visit the extremes from the middle, wherever those places may happen to eventually be.
What I think would be more helpful is to try to be central to the amenities you think you'll find most meaningful to you. Supposedly, and I think this is true, if you want to be convenient to the most number of golf courses, probably between the 6s (between 466 and 466A), but there's plenty of golf north of 466, and in the Brownwood Area as well, but as you go to those extremes you'll have a longer commute to some of the tracks. If biking and hiking on the trails is your bag, the newer areas would be more attractive. There will still be golf, but not as much, and some long commutes to much of it.
I thought I could figure it out with a few short visits, and even looking at maps, but what really helped us pin down what we wanted was 3 seasons of renting. You don't need 3 seasons of renting, but the more time you spend here the better you'll understand what you want. There is a reason that so many people change locations within TV, and I think the reason is not having spent enough time in the bubble before buying.
So, what activities and features do you think you'll find most attractive?

Before we purchased our house we rented for a month to explore and decide if this is the place for us and where we wanted to buy.

Lots of growth here and noway to know what you want without spending a lot of time here.

To the OP...........
We wanted to be close to the 441 corridor of retail stores and familiar chain restaurants. We owned a villa in Duval for a few years when we were seasonal residents. Before we sold the villa, we purchased a home in Mallory Square which was even closer to the 441 corridor. I call it my stomping ground.

If that sort of thing is not important to you, then look further south (south of 44 if you want a newer home). It will be a long haul to the stomping ground but you will have to decide what is important to you.

Thank you for your responses. I have booked a trip in December. I appreciate the insights you all provided. Bill14564's (from Rochester?) delineation of the major areas is helpful, I have noticed others remarking on similar (North of 466, the older area, 466-466A, below 466A, and now Bill has shown me a new boundary, below 44.). We are not big golfers, and generally prefer to be close enough to cart to shopping and dining, but not so close as to hear the associated traffic. Generally prefer to be newer areas rather than older, but not need to be in brand new areas. Up to 10 years old works well as far as maturing landscaping, established retail, etc.

As an aside, as far as only the Developer knowing what they will do next, it is worth nothing that Wikipedia indicates the Developer obtained 8,000 acres south of 44, and another 2,600 acres north and south of County Road 470, both tract purchases announced in 2017.

There is a new proposed center of the villages.
 

The Villages VP of Sales Jennifer Parr revealed a few interesting facts in the first day of testimony in a federal trial Monday in federal court in Tampa:

• Parr said under oath that The Villages will double in size and that State Road 44 is now seen by the Morse family as the geographic center of the community.

Sounds like you want to be in the middle of things. I would weigh other factors as well. I have friends in Fenny that are sorry they bought there. Too much noise, houses too close together, etc. I live just south of 466. The quiet and convenience can’t be beat. Why not rent first? That will give you time and perhaps avoid buyer’s remorse.

As each Village is being built and houses go on the market, The Villages sales agents are trained to tell you THIS IS THE BUILDOUT...
:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

Draw a 1.5 mile radius from the center of Sumter Landing on your map; then buy inside that circle south if 466. The further outside that circle you get the thinner the amenities get.

Our decision was much easier. After looking at the rather dated homes and smaller garages in the more northern areas, we knew that we wanted new construction and we love it in Monarch Grove.

Don't overlook new homes in the south come with a hefty bond.

The Villages locations
 

I highly recommend living north of 466A. Shopping and Amenities are more plentiful. Especially if you are a golfer. We live up near 466 and it is fantastic. Good Luck

Middleton is the center based on current planning disclosed.

Continuing The Dream: Volume 11

Continuing The Dream: Volume 11

New home sales continue on a 2,500-3,500 pace per year. Average village size is around 1,000 homes so that's roughly three new village per year.

Ignore the "...where I live is the best" posts. Most everywhere is very nice. Many used homes in prime locations sell before going on the market.

When deciding, keep in mind what MIGHT be the center of TV at some point in time/development and what IS the center of TV expected to be during YOUR lifetime. The age you are currently buying in can make those drastically different.

I think that "over-thinking" is what makes for paralysis, but that's just me. Come and visit and see for yourself what's, what then you can only decide for yourselves. What others think or say .....I'd give it a "meh!" People purchase here mostly for the life-style.

Wow. How friendly and helpful!

It will take a month not to get too lost. Explore by golf cart travel and enjoy.

Just something to consider...if you buy a resale home with no bond, you can fix anything you think needs updating for the price of the big bond you will be paying on the new construction homes.

Another one of your condescending personal attack posts.
Your last sentence would apply to you…………..

Lately, the Riff Raff is creeping in all over many retail areas near SS.
Stay away from Walmart stores on 27/441.
I do all my shopping in the Southern areas.


Maybe, breaking it down by age group is another criterion,
Spanish Springs has older residents .
Lake Sumter Landing bit younger.
Brownwood younger again.
Fenney is (will be?) youngest.
Not a rule set in stone, but a guideline.

We discovered The Villages back in February 2019 to attend a surprise 80th birthday party for my aunt. We came down for a few days to explore and liked what we saw. We stopped by at the Spanish Springs sales office, and fortunately found a great sales person, Paul Brady. He explained everything, and encouraged us to explore north and south. We didn't have that much time but we did understand the new homes were way down South near Fenny. We visited briefly but it was too sterile for us. We also checked out Brownwood town square, and it was rather dead when compared to Lake Sumter and the Spanish Springs town squares.

We decided that the areas between 466 and 466A appeared to be the hot spot neighborhoods. For the next 6 months, we focused our research on that area. We used The Villages website to search for homes in our price range. My aunt's advice was to focus on homes where the lanai faced south or east, and were stucco on the outside.

We made a list, narrowed it down to 45 homes, and in August 2019 returned to find our "part-time" new home.

The list was narrowed when we learned that to fit a car and two golf carts inside a 2 car garage, you had to be clever. We also learned about sink holes and where they'd be more likely. We learned about road noise, too. We saw for ourselves how critters like the anoles and geckos liked to nest up in the vinyl siding if it wasn't installed correctly. We found undisclosed defects in some homes that the owner or agent wasn't aware of.

We learned our agent was a top performer who complimented us on our spreadsheets identifying the homes that met our criteria. It made it easy for him to make routes to see them.

45 homes, over 3 days in August that gave us a good sense of dealing with the rain, heat, and humidity. We toured homes we liked, but we're left with the feeling that they weren't right for us.

After that 3rd day, we met friends for lunch, expressing our disappointment.

They said, "check out Fenny, again" as a lot had changed in 6 months since our first visit.

We stopped by at the Fenny sales office and asked to see a sales person, as our agent wasn't available that day. We asked to see the most recently listed home which was in Marsh Bend. We were wide eyed when we drove along Marsh Bend Trail, lined with the live oaks with the hanging Spanish moss. We passed the Pitch and Putt, and the Lowlands golf course under construction. We entered the neighborhood surrounded by the golf course, and looked at the only 3 homes available for sale at the time. Bra spanking new, and just listed that day, and we liked each of them.

We met with our agent, Paul Brady, the next day. He listened and put together a list of a few more homes to look at in the Fenny area, which was shorthand for Marsh Bend, McClure, Monarch Grove, Fenny, and Linden Isle at the time.

We decided that Marsh Bend appealed to us the best. Asked what it took to buy, gave Paul our credit card number, and put a deposit down on an Iris that faced the right direction.

Closed in September, revisited in October, and moved in permanently in January 2020. And then the pandemic lockdown struck in March, days after we sold and closed on our Oregon home of 40 years.

So glad we were stuck in Florida and Marsh Bend for the pandemic!

For the last year or so, we've seen first hand all the new construction, and explored those new neighborhoods and homes thoroughly.

We're convinced we made the right choice at the right time.

Best to rent first, if you can. There are many variables and many home styles. This place is so huge you need to be here a while before deciding. Best of luck.

But.......was the cost of that bond built into the price of the resale????? Communities with CDDs are somewhat unique in that the developer does not include the cost of the infrastructure that he is responsible for into the home price, but rather has an administrative entity float a bond issue to cover the cost, which is passed on to the new buyer separately. Having paid off the bond, most sellers believe they should also recoup that cost in the selling price. Whether or not they can is a matter of negotiation, but for the moment, it is a seller's market

Welcome!

All good advise. Take a look at a Google Earth map. Brownwood will be the center. There really is no other geographical choice. But "the center" will not be on your top 10 list of important things once you get here. "The Center" of what you enjoy doing is where you will want to be.

Yet I live south of 466A about 1 mile east of Brownwood and.....

There are 3 championship courses within a 10 minute cart ride, 5 within 15 minutes
There are 11 exec courses in the same radius
I agree shopping (other than grocery and pharmacy) is better up by 466, and even better if you live near SS.

Thinking about your current hometown. What do you like about where you live? Do you want to be in the center of your town? Or do you wish you were more convenient to shopping? Maybe closer to major roadways & highways? After all, once you are settled in, this becomes your hometown. Being able to easily get to conveniences may be more important than nightly music, boutiques & bars!
Come down & check it out! You’ll love it! Good luck!

With any IMPORTANT decision, information over load is a common, a normal state of affairs.

Realize it is all a matter of OPINION. Add to that what I call decision bias. I did that, my decision was/is the best. That applies to all.

They have the villages trial. They rent you a new property at reasonably low cost. We had a PLAN, we had TIME. We did that three times, over three years. The old expression and there are many with the same wisdom-measure twice and cut once.

Assuming there is more than one involved. I would suggest writing your thoughts down and then switching lists and discussing in. Writing things down makes people think and eliminate emotion. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. My wife has a license, she drives a golf cart and does it well. I don't know why but she will not drive a car. I would not be happy dropping her off for the this club, or that club or whatever. Where we are,
we have three grocery stores, two with in roughly 3 miles. The third is ????? about 9 miles and she/we go by golf cart. We have the library and government offices three miles away. Three pools, a walk to one of the larger rec centers and a mile or three to several more. Everything is a compromise including budget.

Yes, prices are going up. For many, assuming you have a home you will or have sold to move here, that too is or has gone up. The increased cost here is of set by the cost of staying where you are. Many forget or ignore that reality.

I used to think the same way about the age thing, but first hand experience has proven otherwise. We live between LSL and SS and in the last 6 plus years I have observed a significant change in our neighborhood. When we moved in we were the youngsters in a rather old neighborhood. The aging related housing turnover has been rapid. Our neighborhood has transformed into a relatively young age relative to other parts of the Villages, and we are now about average to slightly older in our neighborhood. With the rate of housing turnover, in a few short years, the North of 466 area could be one of the younger age populated areas within the Villages.

I agree. Unless you actually experience it, you won't get the "feel". Rent one for a month and really visit as many open houses as you can. To each their own.

Take the bus
 

There are tour busses that highlight each section. I took the bus and toured the different sections and settled on the Lake Sumter area. Why. 22 minutes by golf cart to Spanish Springs, 25 minutes to Brownwood. 15 minutes either way by car to major chain shopping. Home Depot, Lowes, you name it. Do you golf? 30+ courses available by golf cart under 30 minutes, most under 20. I can enjoy all 3 town center by golf cart. Regional rec centers are 10 minutes from me. Doctors offices, dentist, chiropractors, drug stores, all about 10 minutes by cart. I agree with one of the posters. You have NO idea until you come here and experience it.

Plan to come down at least twice, for a week or two.

Rent in different areas. Travel around, see what you like about different areas.
Hard to judge variables based on the internet. For example, some of the places around Brownwood are probably close to the turnpike, but you can’t hear the traffic.

Have to agree on the renting comment. Ours is a later in life marriage and we moved here from Tampa and Orlando with a lot of history and knowledge on TV. But we did not make the more serious decisions on what type of house to buy and in what area until we actually lived here for 90 days.

We rented a Villa by Colony just north of 466A (new construction back in 2013 was just south of 466A) , and my wife went to work while I spent the morning on the computer and the afternoon driving by the most promising. Then on Saturday we would get with our realtor for actual tours. Market was about as hot back then as it is today so we never had a long time to think about any house which is why you need to be here to make any real decisions on the house and location.

In the first month, we looked at what activities we liked (tennis, country club golf and polo for example) and thus decided that we wanted north of 466 first and between 466 and 466A second as we liked the older areas and have never regretted it -- probably because we took out time making the decisions on what house and where.

I have a shop off of property for my car hobby (no TV homes we can afford support 7 cars), but other than that, our designer in Chatham is great for us.

Just the thoughts of one 8 year resident.

You can't understand or appreciate The Villages until you've been here. Don't overthink this. Once you're here for awhile and with a good Villages Representative you'll have a much better appreciation of the community. Believe me the good Representatives do not pressure you. Then if you want you can go home and do additional research. It will make a lot more sense.

It's hard to go wrong with your choice of Villages. The developers have made great efforts to make it an active retirement paradise everywhere. If extraneous sound is a concerned you may want to not be near railroads (west side), pickleball courts, town squares (music finishes at 9 though), and yappy dog neighbours. The north has more mature trees, the south has more nature trails. But as it has been said, take your time, visit all around for a month and you'll figure it out.

Having not visited yet I'm curious what about Fenny makes it too noisy. Can't be the turnpike. What about the location of your friends home makes it noisy?

Noise is a major concern of mine and until I visit all I have to go by is looking at a map and speculating on what might be a problem.

Having said that I've lived near Logan airport for 20 years and I barely notice the planes unless they are flying right over head.