One Year In The Villages
 

So today is a red letter day for me. Exactly one year ago today, I closed on my patio villa in the Village of Richmond, moving from Colorado.

I felt so lucky securing a villa home in the Richmond lottery last year, after seven previous unsuccessful attempts in this extremely competitive and fast-selling village. I remember my sales agent calling me in Colorado the morning of November 7, 2022, saying I was #1 out of 22, and that I had only two hours to decide to buy our not - sight unseen. I remember walking into my house for the first time, only after I had already closed and wrote the largest check in my life.

So question , would I do it all again? — without a hesitation - yes!! This has been the best year of my life, and this community has exceeded my expectations on every level. I have more friends than I can count. Every day is a new adventure, and I’m on a vacation that never ends. This place is beautiful and the people here are the best. My enthusiasm for TV is even greater now than when I moved here - (so much for the naysayers who wrote me off a year ago, saying I was just a “newbie” who drank the cool-aid and that my feet would eventually touch the ground). Would there be a few things I would have done differently in retrospect, sure, but I don’t regret any of the major decisions I have made.

Life just keeps getting better every day here, and I never want to forget how truly blessed I am to be able to enjoy my active retirement years in such a great place.

If anyone is interested, I am the featured guest today on Jerry and Linda’s Newcomers you tube show.

Thank you to the many great people here on TOTV who have been invaluable by answering my “rookie” questions this past year, and being so patient and kind with me - your advice on living the lifestyle here, home improvements, and other questions have been so helpful and encouraging to me.

Looking forward to meeting many more Villagers while out and about.

Great video including your home tour. Beautiful inside and out. So glad to hear from another happy Villager.

Continue to enjoy.

You always have an uplifting, positive attitude. Congratulations on your first year and I hope there are many many more.

Thank you

Give it a couple more years and the kool aid aftertaste isnt so sweet

Theirs always one.:rant-rave::swear:

Actually there are more than one, but most of us just have them on the ignore list:highfive:

Yeah but they are outnumbered by the other 99% of us that love it here from day one (20 years and counting!!!)

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:censored:

Such a wonderful post, Michael! Congratulations on your first year, it only gets better. Nearing 14 years and never looked back, life is great in The Villages!

You're an asset to the community, Michael. Enjoy. (The naysayers probably put way too much vodka in their Kool-Aid.)

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I look forward to having friends we can do stuff with! Don’t let the naysayers get you down - I’m just wondering why they stay? Anyway, good luck with your home!

I have always enjoyed reading your posts from before you moved here to now---celebrating your first year. My husband and I have lived here 19 years and have enjoyed every year. It has been the best decision we have ever made. So happy you like it here. Happy First Year.

you moved here from Colorado ! WHY ?

Jerry and Linda - oh boy.

I am so happy that you like living in The Villages. My husband and I were moving down in 2018. We had a buyer for our house and went down to pick our new house. The house we wanted, someone got to it before us. There is much competition there for homes.

Well anyway, to make a long story short, our son got married and gave us grandchildren who live ten minutes away from us now. Now we are worried about not seeing them too often if we move down there. Sometimes life throws a curveball. I am hoping that we can eventually get there. The Villages is a fun clean active adult community!

Have fun!

That is funny!

That is funny!

Michael....well said!

Watching your show right now!
 

How funny that I'm actually watching you on Jerry and Linda's show right now! As I was reading this, I thought I'd this the same man? 😄 I was so happy to see you're much happier.

We are currently in the process of selling our home. We are trying to learn everything we can before moving. Love the upgrades you did to your home! So happy you're happy there!

Moving to a low housing cost area like the villages from a high housing value state like colorado, allows one to have financial security and a cushion to enjoy one’s retirement with few financial worries

I remember your arrival on ToTV a year ago. Congrats!

Michael -I love reading all of your positive posts! Like you, I have been absolutely loving my life in the villages… I have never been so active and happy! Congratulations on your first year in The villages and here’s to many more happy years here!

2 I almost puked

:mornincoffee:

Door insert
 

Hey Michael,
I saw you on Thursday's Newcomers video. Congrats on your one year. My wife and I plan on making the move in early 2024 to TV. I saw what you had done to your front door (having someone insert glass where it was all plain looking wood. I know you said it was done by a business in the Spanish Spring area. If you don't mind, what was the name of the place that did this and what was the ballpark cost to you? I'm been creating a detailed budget for our move and want that to be as accurate as possible.

Thanks
- Keith

We did the same two years ago. We absolutely love it here. We too bought sight unseen. We had never even visited The Villages. We only viewed videos of it. Best decision we ever made.

The glass door insert's are done by Entrypoint by Perry's. We paid around $750, prices vary depending on how fancy the insert is. Took about an hour to install.

Yep - I concur! 😀

glass in front door
 

Look at which direction your front door faces. Will it be in direct sunshine all afternoon. If yes, you will be letting a lot of sun & heat into your front vestibular. The sun will fade the floors. May want a warranty from water leaking in.

Good point, however, though my front door faces west, I have a covered lanai in front of the door and then a palm in front of the lanai, that together blocks the direct rays of the afternoon sun. In my situation, I haven’t noticed any increase in “heat” from the glass insert. Each situation would be different.

I will answer for him. Check today's weather. Cold and Snowing like crazy!!!

Another Door Option...
 

Another, less expensive, option is to install a locking storm door. Ours has retractable screen which allows for airflow from the front to back (sliders). My entry is a protected nook so no sun or rain issues.

We really enjoyed your story and absolutely love what you have done to your place. We hope to move there in the next 12-24 months. We visit regularly (we live just over an hour South of TV) and are looking forward to moving there.

Been here 21+ years and still loving it as you will too I hope.
There are disgruntled people everywhere, just ignore them and keep on living and loving your life here.

FYI your villa is in Sumter County not Sumptner. A common rookie mistake.

Congratulations. What a great post. We all would do some things differently, but what’s important (at least to me) is looking back with gratitude and looking forward with positive expectations. I hope you have many more satisfying years in TV. Thanks for sharing.

Probably done with snow like I was. :cold:

Thank you for writing an honest review for your one-year experience in TV. It resonated with me because I just signed my contract on a Patio Villa in the Lake Denham area. I am excited and nervous all at the same time; however, I'm just moving from my small cottage in Pennbrooke Fairways to a larger space in TV. I am excited to connect with the neighbors especially since we are all new to the area. I close on January 5, 2024, and also will write the largest check of my life. It's exciting to be able to purchase a new home with "no mortgage."

My Feelings . . . Exactly!!!
 

My wife and I moved to The Village of Santo Domingo about 3.5 years ago and echo your sentiments. We love it here! The people, especially our neighbors, the amenities, the area, the beauty, the wildlife . . . We love EVERYTHING about The Villages!!!