Thank You SnowBirds
 

Full-Timers are looking at the Snowbird population backwards. They aren't in TV clogging up everything for 1/2 a year- they are AWAY for 1/2 a year making things less crowed. If they were year round residents it would be crowed all the time. During the months they are away- and NOT using the amenities they are still Paying EVERY month. If they didn't pay while they were gone your amenity fees would possibly double. So, they pay year round, every month, and stay away freeing up space for half a year. Thank you Snowbirds.

snow birds taste like chicken

Thank God they dont taste like gator..they would be here all year long.

Nary a day goes by, there's not a negative posts about "snowbirds".

I've never seen a post from a snowbird, complaining that "non-snowbirds" are a bunch of opinionated, unappreciative, entitled dolts, who shouldn't be driving on public roads or MMP's.

It's abundantly clear, which of the 2 constituencies are able to behave like reasonable, respectable, intelligent adults.

Absolutely correct. And there are some who do not even use the facilities even 6 month. We personally are friends with three different couples who only come for week or two at a time but come several times a year that can total as little as 6 or as much as 16, depending on their schedules, family obligations, etc. NONE of the three couples will rent out their homes between because they don't want to decide to spend some time here in Florida and then not be able to go because someone is renting their house (or in once case, it's a courtyard villa). Yes, life would be quite expensive here if not for "snowbirds" at least if not for "part time resident" owners ! On top of that, can you imagine the cost of living IF some people got their wish; those who want to ban all non Village residents from eating in any restaurants here, shopping in any stores, using "0UR" streets "WE" pay for (actually PUBLIC streets EVERYONE pays for...LOL !), and don't want any of "those" people in "our" theaters, watching "our movies"...LOL, LOL, LOL. What really puzzles me is, why those who want to live in an actual private community, where the only people who enter are questioned and must be invited... why don't the people who want that move to such places ? There are several as close as Orlando area ! HOW did they end up here, CHOOSING the Villages, then wanting to make even public things like entertainment (paid for by the money collected from ALL Floridians via taxes directed to promote tourism, and private money from public businesses), and the stores around the squares exclusive ONLY for them ! ? And the appear to be serious, not just having fun on this "social bulletin board"

Now that's a really old one. Hubby born and raised here, this was a common bumper sticker as far back as 1960's. Guess other Floridians did not appreciate the financial benefits of individuals who do not use full time, what they pay for !

Such wisdom and truth. Such a gracious attitude, a civil, MATURE response. Let's take a pole, do MOST people on here actually hate their neighbors who do not live here year round ? On our street, the homes are pretty good sized properties, yet, most of us (neighbors) really try to look after our part time neighbor's places, keep an eye open for anything that doesn't look 'normal", and keep their phone numbers and email addresses to alert them. Is this REALLY NOT the way most of you operate toward your neighbors who are not full-time ? Honestly, I guess I am very naive, really did believe most villages and neighborhoods treated their other neighbors the same ! ? Lot's of what ? Hate ? Jealously ? (that some folks can afford multiple homes maybe ?) Resentment ? (This might be "far out" but, do some folks resent that others have family, grands and great grands, and don't live here full time ? What is it in people that causes this linear type of thinking ?

Neither!

Truth is that a lot of "full time residents" are actually gone a lot of the time traveling. Boating, cruising, traveling in cars, trailers or motorhomes, touring overseas, etc. Some may only leave a few weeks per year. Others may be gone traveling for several months at a time over the course of a year. Snowbirds are just a name to put on the crowded conditions of the high season. Everyone prefers things to be uncrowded, except for the retailers. Full time or part time, we are all in this together.
PEACE!

You just described me and my wife... Although, she is able to spend more time in TV than I can...

I'm still working (for anther 15 months or so), and until I can fully retire, I'll be a part timer.

We won't rent out our place because we have it set up the way WE want it and we don't want to have to "re-do" the house when we become Frogs...

I bought my first "second home" at age 25. I have enjoyed owning 3 different properties over the years that were not my primary residences. These second homes always cost more, but they have given me the flexibility to come and go as I please (I never rented any of them).
Now, at age 62, my primary residence is in TV, with a second home "up north" in New England.
I find it curious & amusing that most "full timers" in TV refer to Lady Lake as "up north". I guess they don't remember where they came from, not many (yes, there are exceptions) came from "down south".
In Northern New England, if you were not born and raised there, you are from "away", and not "one of them". Here you are called a "snowbird". Makes no difference where you are, someone will call you "something".
Big deal, why does anyone care what someone else calls them? Too many "thin skins" these days.

Snowbird threads are appearing like dog poop threads .
Too many accomplishing nothing.🤬

Well said, old friend.

Overstatement and exaggeration is alright if done gently.

A gentle lie is often required.

We will miss you, birdies. Hurry back.

;)

Absolutely correct.

It's just a few full-times..................those few complain about a lot of things........probably make up 90% of the ToTV complainers.

:duck:

Well said, two thumbs up!

If a snowbird is defined as somebody who owns a house here and comes down and uses it for 6 months a year, I have no complaint. I do complain about the renters (aka tourists) who come down and rent from a day to three months though. The Villages needs rental restrictions starting with a 3 or 6 month mimimum rental period like every other 55+ community I know of.

Don’t forget all the businesses that can thrive because of the snowbirds

When I lived in Northern Michigan I was called a “yooper”, those below the bridge (Mackinac) were called “trolls”. The downside to having the better name was about 200 inches of snow.

The new group to Pick on are AIRBNB Owners! The Snowbirds have enough money to support 2 households…Reading these postings in the hot summer sound empty , with no one to hate.. let’s all get along and hate the Spruce Creek residents who use our pools

Starting with 3 months?

We visited firends the first time we came down, then, the next year we rented (thru TV) for 2 months. During that time we bought our home...

So, according to you, we should have been required to rent "a minimum" of 3-6 months? Yeah, no...

Thanks for having us. I feel sorry for anyone who decides never to come to TV based upon some of the vitriol displayed on TOTV. It misrepresents hugely the attitudes one actually encounters in the flesh here.

Your post is thought provoking. There could be factors like jealousy or resentment at play. I mean let’s face it, anyone who can afford to maintain two homes is in a pretty fortunate position. It appears they have “the best of both worlds.”

In a broader sense, the pandemic brought this out. People who live in NYC for example, who have second homes were able to get away and avoid feeling cloistered and “stuck” in a small space. If you didn’t have that option, you just stuck it out until it was over.

Getting back to The Villages, and as you also mentioned, there’s the complicated factor of accessibility to kids/grandkids and yes even parents, as they get older and aren’t able to care for themselves. Anyway, who knows for sure what anyone else is thinking, but it was worth pondering.

Thanks OP. You are absolutely correct!!!

Don’t be concerned I’ll be back in February, see you then!!! 😊

Don’t be concerned I’ll be back in February, see you then!!! 😊

You are welcome...
 

You are Welcome.

In my unofficial recollection of “snowbird” complaints, the complainer often always jumps to the conclusion that anything that goes wrong is immediately assumed to be caused by a snowbird, since a full time resident is incapable of making mistakes. I find it difficult to believe that every infraction is a part time resident of TV. Yet whenever a cart driver behaves badly, parks poorly, is rude at a restaurant, have noisy grandkids visit, etc. that they must be snowbirds.
As a part time resident I doubt I am easily identified as such, but every time something gets reported here a snowbird is blamed. Do we have some identifying marks that make us easy to spot? If I move here full time do I gain some power of infallibility?

I tend to agree with you on short term rentals. Luckily we don't have many around us, but that could change.

There is one downside to longterm only, if the renter is an a** hole you're stuck with them for 3 months or more. lol

I'm told I would taste like old tough and stringy chicken.:a040:

Adios

No, like rooster. Because they “crow”.

It’s ironic how all the same stuff happens during the slow season, albeit on a smaller scale because there are simply less people around, and there aren’t snowbirds around to blame it on. Also, during the summer people complain because golf courses are closed for renovations and it’s the snowbirds fault because they wouldn’t close courses when the snowbirds are in the Villages. Could it possibly be that you can’t renovate a course when it’s not growing season and grass is dormant?

Funny thing non-snowbirds actually pay extra fees for water to cover the potential snowbirds. It's called "base" fees.

Three fees for water, in, out and base plus in, out and base sewer. Fees on fees. Just in case a homeowner decides to go back up north after their other properties have thawed out after winter. Call it a "you MIGHT turn off your h2o for months fee".

So yeah, non-snowbirds do pay for snowbirds. Not to mention FL doesn't NEED snowbirds to stay afloat. Snowbirds offer variety for sure. But there is a non-stop flow of permanent residents storming FL so not thinking snowbirds are the bloodline to T V nor FL success.

Surely water charges are based on consumption.
Never heard of special deals for Snowbird Only Water.

Is there any chance you'll give me your contact, for whatever you're smokin'?

It's apparently really HIGH quality.

There are no special deals on water for snowbirds, that poster is quite confused. At best, the fee could be interpreted as a fee against the snowbirds since they pay it whether they use water or not.

Your water service (both if you have a separate irrigation meter) and your sewer service all come with a "base rate" for providing the service at all. Perhaps this covers meter reading or infrastructure maintenance. Everyone pays this base rate even if they use zero water for the month.

If water does flow through the meter then there is a charge per gallon as well.

Excellent, thanks for your post...
Now that "SnowBirds" are leaving - as always - here comes the golf cart "Brats" to stay with grandmaaaa! :boom:

Yes, we are snowbirds because we maintain a home in Ohio where we have family and friends. If my spouse died, I want a place to return to where I can be assured of loved ones to care for me when I need their help. I feel fortunate to be able to maintain two homes, although we find it can be stressful and expensive. I know I couldn't do this alone, so I will sell our home here turnkey and return north. We love it here, but our grandkids are grown now so we seldom have family visits anymore. Thanks, Villages, for the fun, sun, and friends we enjoy while in FL, many of whom are also snowbirds like us.

///

I am so grateful to the "non-snowbirds" that are paying more for my share of water I donate back 5 months of Kool Aid per year.