Lakeside Landing
 

We moved out of The Villages 11 years ago, and are thinking about returning to the area. I'm very familiar with all the growth that has happened and how it has expanded. We're not much into clubs and socializing, so we don't need all the amenities that TV provides. We're thinking about Lakeside Landing... anybody live there? Pros and cons? Fees and HOAs? Anything you wish you knew before you moved there?

(we don't want Stonecrest as it is too far north, as we want to be closer to an older relative who we would be visiting on a daily basis)

Well, I don’t know where Lakeside Landing is, or Stonecrest or where your older relative lives. Perhaps a few more details would be helpful?

Lakeside Landings is on Rainey Trail (CR472) which is off Buena Vista (near Palmer's Country Club) It is not part of TV.

Here https://www.lakesidelandings.net/

You don’t know where Lakeside Landing or Stonecrest are? Do you live in The Villages? I’m guessing not.

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I know where Stonecrest is (we have friends who bought there), but I've no clue where Lakeside Landing is (and we bought our home in TV almost 3.5 years ago...

Yes, I sure do and I was born in Leesburg where my parents met in high school and I still have no clue where Lakeside Landing or Stonecrest are. I remember when the villages first started. I used to eat at the Cattleman’s Club back when it existed. I haven’t been to the northern part in like 10 years. Too congested and traffic-y

Have you tried searching……..

But if you like it, and don’t care about the amenities, what’s the question?

Have friends who live in Lakeside Landing. It has a wonderful pool with a waterfall, pickle ball, tennis, craft room, and exercise equipment. Pretty much the same amenities you will find at any of the Villages rec centers. The HOA fee includes cable and lawn maintenance. There are a few clubs. Choice of homes include condos that sell in the $230,000 range and newer concrete block homes between $320,00 to $450,000. I believe construction of those homes began in 2016. You will need a street-legal golf cart if you plan to enter the villages to visit the squares or nearby family and friends. I think the HOA differs depending on the type of home. It is somewhere in the $250/month range. This may have recently increased. I do not continually question my friends on what they are paying.

My friends travel frequently and chose Lakeside Landing because outside maintenance is taken care of and they have no worries while they are away. They sold their home in the Villages a few years ago and are quite happy with their decision.

If your plan is to save on monthly expenses vrs the Villages, you will not find it there. Same property taxes, insurance, etc. You can easily find a home in the same price range in the Villages.

A lot of people from Lakeside Landing attend parties and dinners in the villages. You will want to preview the homes and apartments being built in all corners and up and down 301. It might change your decision.

My brother and his wife moved there two years ago to be close to my mom, who lived in TV at the time (she has since passed away). They LOVE it there. It's quiet and well maintained. I don't know all the fees, but I remember that their HOA fee was high (in my opinion), but definitely cheaper than living in the TV.

Asking for opinions is a part of the searching process.

I live in TV and never go up that way so I wouldn't know where Lakeside Landing is. I do however know where Stonecrest is only because we have a friend that lives there.

We live in Lakeside Landings and love it! It’s a beautiful gated community with well-built homes, condos, and townhouses. Our location is “between the sixes” one mile west of Buena Vista & Rainey Trail. We share a border with the Village of Bridgeport at Miona Shores. The Villages of Lynnhaven and Ashland are across the street.

We have younger families as there is only one section of townhouses that are 55+. I would say most of the families have employment with the Villages and most of our kids attend the Villages Charter and High School. Since the HS just moved, we’ve seen a few families move to Middleton to avoid the long commute. Among our residents are owners of some of the most popular restaurants in the Villages, several doctors with Villages Health, and many former Villages residents.

We have two pools, one of which is a resort style pool that is nicer than anything in the Villages; Orange Blossom’s pool is the only thing that comes close. There are two hot tubs, a beautiful cabana area and clubhouse, and several activities in which you can participate. We don’t have “3000 clubs”, so if you’re a joiner or need an activity or club meeting everyday, or if you’re a golfer who’s out there several times a week, this community may not be your cup of tea. Only you can decide.

We are equidistant from Brownwood and Lake Sumter Landing at about 10-15 minutes by car, and about 20 minutes to Spanish Springs. Time in the golf cart is about the same for Sumter and Spanish, but nearly an hour to Brownwood. Yes, you would need a street legal cart to enjoy golf cart access, which will cost about $1000 up front, depending on what your cart needs. (24-Hr Cart Club can handle everything for you and they are fantastic to work with).

Landscape maintenance is included in our assessments, which covers edging, mowing, trimming, weeding, mulch, fertilization, and irrigation. I wouldn’t call it totally maintenance free, but low maintenance. For example, I do extra weed spraying and sometimes do extra bush trimming on my own.

We have multiple HOAs here, which I don’t like, but it’s manageable. Between our Master Association and individual neighborhood association we pay just under $1000 per quarter, or about $330 per month. We are covered by the Villages Fire and Ambulance service, ( the one that just increased), Wildwood Police and Water, and pay Sumter county taxes.

The community is sold out, so there are no more brand new builds, but there is always some inventory on the market. We have no bonds and no CDD fees.

We’re 7 years in, and we still love this community. Im glad we found it because when we were looking, the Villages kept pushing Fenney and points south, which we did not want. If anyone wants to see the community for themselves, send me a PM. I’d be happy to show you around.

Well, it would help to state that those areas are NOT in The Villages....

That said, you will need to setup TWO real estate searches. One via villages.com for VLS properties and another on the MLS (eg with Realty Executives)

Lakeside Landings is a very nice community. It is a truly gated community - not like the Villages. Lawn and landscaping is part of HOA, and their resort pool is nicer than anything in the Villages. No bond. If you don’t golf it’s a very nice option.

I’ve lived in the villages for years and don’t know where they are either. Perhaps if I needed to go there I’d know where they were.

We live at Linden. I didn’t know where those places were either. Thanks for the info. I know where all ok the Golf Courses are.

OP was looking for pros and cons of Lakeside Landing.
Mostly getting replies “I don’t know where it is”. How does that help?

Lakeside Landing is very nice and sports a new assisted living facility, Hearthstone. But be aware that a huge development in under construction just west of it

I know, it's ridiculous.
Does anyone read the question?

Why would NOT knowing where a community outside of TV require a sparky response from you?

Did you mean snarky? :1rotfl:

And also if they are unaware of where the communities are, the OP cannot get good answers to his questions.

and you’re post helps how?

Please keep posts on topic for OPs request of information.

After reading many of the replies, I'm convinced that The Villages is WAY TOO BIG.

It seems like most of the new southern residents have no idea what is north of 466A, and most of the northern residents have no idea what is south of 44. Maybe they should have broken The Villages into 2 communities - Villages North and Villages South.

How would that change awareness?

I am the original poster of the thread, and I would like to thank all those that were helpful and answered my questions. I actually LIVED in TV, and know where everything is located, and that is why I asked specifically about Lakeside Landings. Thank you again for contributing information!

What you may not realize a fair amount of residents have migrated south of 44 from the northern areas of TV. The reality of buy a home and age in place seems to be my parents age. We moved farther south with younger resident neighbors, we seem to have more than 30% of northern residents in our neighborhood.

New residents initially don’t have the same TV trivia that multiple year residents do, but it comes with time. Then again my parents aren’t as tech savvy as some, so even though they would travel everywhere in their golf cart, they rarely venture in their car, to find to new areas beyond TV.

That said I have played golf weekly in the northern parts of all of TV, and rarely does many have an understanding of where Brownwood, Edna’s, Sawgrass, or Middleton, sometimes if it exists. There is knowledge of LSL, but rarely travel that far.

LSL seems like a fine neighborhood. We looked there but chose a home in TV.
We felt the property values were a bit stronger and we wanted a 55+ setting.
We also know some folks who live in LSL and they're quite happy.
Do what's best for you!

You say that you are not much into clubs & socializing, but do not say if you golf, you also do not say if your older relative is your parent. If you are a golfer then the Executive courses would be unavailable to you, in addition to any other benefits of getting a guest ID, as guest IDs are not given to anyone living in Sumter, Marion or Lake Counties that is not a child, grandchild or great grandchild of a resident. Is your older relative your parent?

This just shows the genius of the design philosophy of The Villages. Amenities are distributed throughout, rather than existing in a central local with a growing community surrounding. Those north need not go south, and those south need not go north. Continued growth has little impact on existing sections. Some will argue that growth has caused crowding of golf and restaurants. But I don't happen to agree.

Maybe most have no need to travel north or south for same thing?

Lakeside Landing is for those too cheap to buy in The Villages

Snarky reply, not very kind.
Different folks have different interests.
It's a valid question for someone looking around.

Close enough to take advantages of The Villages and pay Lakeside money