Beginning our Journey with our first home at The Villages
 

Hello everyone,

My name is Lora. My husband Mark and I are headed to your beautiful community in February for the first time. We have been excited about our home buying / building process, and are planning on getting started when we arrive.

We have never built a home before, and I would appreciate any suggestions from those who know so much more than we do.

We have chosen a model (Anhinga), and will most likely choose a site near Waters Edge.

I would appreciate any suggestions as to what I should ask when we meet with the staff.

Such as:

1) types of finishes (flooring, cabinetry, countertops, roof, etc.)

2) insulation

3) gas vs electric

4) making changes or additions to the model - remove a wall, put washer / dryer in garage'
additional outlets

5) what does it mean exactly to "stretch" a floorplan?

6) location of lot to choose - noise level (I hear many people comment on this)

7) What does it mean when a floorplan has a C or F after its name?

Building vs. purchasing an existing home in other areas of the Villages.

Thank you all so much for your time and expertise. I have been perusing the forums, and you are all such a wealth of information. I look forward to your guidance!

Lora from RI

You'll get as many different opinions as there are people who post here. Here's mine:

Don't buy brand new, unless you're buying on an empty lot or tearing down an abandoned foreclosure in an established area. Reason: New areas are unproven. Landscaping isn't mature. I mean if you don't mind looking at nothing but houses and saplings for the next five years, I guess - okay? Zero shade trees for at least five years, because that's how long it takes for saplings to become shade trees.

Most stores aren't built yet. You might have to spend the next couple of years driving out of your area to pick up a quart of milk when you run low between grocery shopping.

Yes I know this is sinkhole country. But there are sinkholes caused by natural ground collapses, and sinkholes caused by overdevelopment, or poor workmanship, or lower standards for pipelaying. There have been more of these in the southern areas of The Villages than there have been in the northern areas. Regardless of what caused it, that's just how it is. The Historic section (east of 441 up north) has had maybe 3 little ones in the past five years. Nothing that closed down the whole street, none that have caused property damage, and none that had to divert traffic to road detours. All of them, to my knowledge, were limestone crumbling around sewer pipes in the road, causing 2-4-foot holes that could be repaired in a day.

Personally, if you want a newISH home, you might be better off closer to 466A. Another upside to that, is that while someone else has been owning the home, they've also been paying the bond. So your responsibility for the balance of the bond will be much lower, than buying a new-construction home in the south. SIGNIFICANTLY lower, since the bond fees have gone up over the years. Paying off a $8,000 bond balance vs. paying a new $25,000 bond is a big deal, and the bond is NOT included in the listing price of the home.

On the Historic side, there is no bond, and never was any bond, because it was originally a trailer park and the county can't impose a bond on a developer for rolling in a mobile home and putting it down on cinderblocks. But MOST of those old mobile homes are gone, replaced by luxury double-wides, and some site-build (constructed) homes. There are also a couple of empty lots for sale. Landscaping is mature, traffic is minimal, one of the pools has a jacuzzi hot tub, there are rolling hills so it's not all flat, we do have "standards" for how our property has to look but mostly it's just "neat and tidy" and well maintained, and you can still give it your own personal touch with lawn ornaments and what not. Ours is a very walkable area, even though there are no MMPs or sidewalks except right in front of the rec centers and at Paradise Park. Every store you need/want is within 5 minutes by golf cart, the hospital is across the street, the fire department is next door to the rec center. Two exec golf courses, 1 country club with a restaurant and an 18 hole golf course, two community pools, one family pool, one country club pool (with a waterfall and a jacuzzi), two rec centers, a dog park, archery range, softball fields - no "kissing lanais" or cookie-cutter houses, that's all my idea of a Florida paradise.

5) what does it mean exactly to "stretch" a floorplan?

It means that the standard floorplan has been extended to create more room. Perhaps an additional 2 feet, perhaps 4 feet. It makes the rooms larger, or the garage larger, or the lanai larger. You can extend to the side, to the rear, or (garage) to the front.

Doing this requires a lot that can fit the larger size home.

Our homes are short of storage space because there is no basement. Attic storage is limited because of the extreme heat. So adding square footage in your home or garage is valuable. And not just for storage, also for more living space.

I'll give a few suggestions for whatever they are worth. It's all personal preference so discount offered opinions appropriately.

1. If you are building, then pick a floor plan with 2-car plus a golf cart garage. You want the biggest garage you can affordably get. There is little storage besides the garage in villages homes. Plus, if you get a golf cart, which you probably will, it is convenient to store it in its own garage.

2. Pick your lot very carefully.

The houses are right on top of each other in the villages. Designer homes have no walls between so neighbors are pretty much right there. If you are not careful, you can get "kissing lanais" which are neighboring lanais that look right into each other. You have to consider where the other houses around you sit....if that is yet established. Choosing a corner lot, or one that backs to a wall of some sort, minimizes those risks.

Ideally you want a north-facing lanai, that will keep the lanai shaded, although it may make the garage hotter.

If you go for a view lot, that is great, but it is expensive.

3. Take a tour of some spec houses with floor plans similar to yours. As of today they have at least one Anhinga for sale in Moultrie Creek. You can see you houses sit on the lots, and you can see the floor plan and the finishes. That way you can decide on what you want more easily.

I remember the agent on my 1st home telling me I have a stretch 2 car garage. I told them that is a stretch to call that a 2 car garage! My home now has a real 2 car garage.

None of my business but I would at least look around at existing homes. Lots of advantages, LOCATION, bonds, value, etc.

Building a house takes a long time, and the wait is not necessary if a house that meets your needs is available. Decide what you want in a home and ask a realtor what is available. The turnover rate is such that the market of available homes should meet your needs. There are three general grades of homes. Manufactured, stick-built, and block houses increasing in price in that order. I myself, prefer the stick-built, but that is a personal decision based on available funds.
Location is important depending on your needs. I myself, prefer the northern end because of the greenery. Lake frontage or golf course frontage can give a sense of being in nature even if the houses next to you are 15 feet away. I never liked the thought of having my backyard view being someone else's backyard. I prefer to avoid carpet because something like wood laminate is easier to keep clean. If you want garage parking for two full-size cars, make sure your garage is big enough. I have a two-car garage with an adjacent golf cart garage and that assures plenty of room in the garage. A golf cart is optional, but some people like the feel of golf cart travel.
Noise level can be a concern, but some people like to be close to the action in the squares. If you like quiet, then a location away from main roads may be for you. The lanai is important if you like the feel of being outdoors without the bugs. The lanai can be screened in or weather-sealed for year-round use. I prefer weather-sealed with maximum windows and a mini-split thermal control system.

Welcome!
 

Hi Lora and Mark,

We are Ed and Keely and are moving to Shady Brook next to the Waters Edge next week. Instead of buying a spec home, we bought a corner lot with no other homes behind us. We did not need tons of living space since for us we prefered to spend our money having a good time rather than having a huge house again. My wife wanted a big kitchen so we decided on a Hidden Cove cottage home.

We stretched the front porch, lanai and patio as much as they would allow since those are the things that you want done while the home is being built. We decided to do upgrades later ourselves. We also decided to buy our own washer and dryer instead of what TV was offering.

Good luck!

I too would recommend buying an existing home in a newish area. That would be likely north of 44 & south of 466A. If you choose carefully you can get a house with many upgrades you would like to have. It is all personal choice of course, but some upgrades might be granite counter tops, upgraded faucets, a glass enclosed lanai, with a minisplit air conditioner, sun/privacy shades, upgraded flooring, & upgraded ceiling fans. Additionally it is probably painted inside, which is an upgrade from the builder grade paint. You might find a house with lovely landscaping already in place. As others have previously mentioned, you might be able to find a house without a kissing lanai (I did) & if your budget affords it, a golf cart garage is nice to have. If you choose the area I mentioned you will be close to all sorts of amenities, & shopping, entertainment, & medical services. Contrary to popular belief, there are a mix of ages & lots of socializing.

I do disagree with one of the previous posters who suggested getting a northern facing lanai. I would suggest exactly the opposite. The reason being the majority of windows in the house are in the back. If you get a southern exposure front, it will be like living in a cave. The southern/western exposure windows at the back can be ameliorated by: enclosing the lanai with double paned glass, installing sun shades, installing heat blocking curtains on other windows that allow you to regulate the heat & light, installing a mini split & so on.
Yet another poster suggested looking at the bonds - this is important. Ask your real estate agent for the bond on every house/lot you are considering. If you are looking at a preowned house the remaining bond & the payments can be found online & I will be happy to explain how to find them in another post.

Good Luck & welcome to the Villages!

Welcome Lora and Mark

4) With “tilt wall” construction I do not think you will have much leeway on wall position etc. AFAIK new construction change orders are very limited - my impression chatting with husband/wife Villages realtors.
7) I believe that would be differing facades/elevations. We live in a Zinnia and within a few streets there are two others that look significantly different from the street.

DYODD, I’m just a happy neighbor ������

Wow! You are all so helpful!

Keep 'em coming! I'm taking notes.....

Thank you. Looking forward to meeting you & Mark. Please ask any follow-up questions you like.

I will echo post #8. You might want to consider a new(ish) home in an established neighborhood for a couple of reasons:

First, there have been rumors (as well as discussions on this forum if memory serves) from people purchasing new homes, that the finished product is not built to the level of quality of homes built previously. Things like windows leaking in the rain, water coming up around or through the slab the home is built on and leaking under the flooring, cabinets installed improperly, cabinets installed incorrectly leading to cabinet drawers and doors not closing as they should, things like that; as well as using materials inferior to that of previously built homes. I know of only one first-person report (windows leaking), and in fairness new homes, as I understand it, are under warranty so any (?) problems would be corrected.

Second, moving to a home a few years old in an established neighborhood gives you two advantages. First is the assumption (not always correct) that the original bugs have been worked out, so any problems associated with the original build have been corrected. Second is that you'd get to meet and talk with a few of the neighbors about the neighborhood in question, problems they may know of about the house, etc. etc.

Whichever you decide to do...Welcome! I hope you'll find TV as wonderful as we did. Going on five years now and NO regrets.

We are on our third home. It is our first new construction home. We love it. We are in Shady Brook. Every area in The Villages has its advantages and disadvantages. If you want to design a new home, you will be down here. Water's Edge is being built now. Bets of luck.

Is it fair to assume that the "newer neighborhoods" are in the southern sections?

We are 60 years old. Can you recommend a neighborhood that fits your description - a bit more established, homes that a few years old, landscaped. etc.

Dusty Star and Orange Blossom Baby mentioned " "north of 44 & south of 466A. "

Could you please offer some village names in that area so that I may look at a map?

Again, many thanks to all!

Lora

In my opinion, this is really the only person to answer your question and they did a good job. It’s all personal preference but all these are good suggestions. I bought new, didn’t build and have had zero issues. None whatsoever. Build what YOU want, not what someone else decided to sell.

IMHO, these are questions for your real estate agent. They have answers for all of these questions.


1) types of finishes (flooring, cabinetry, countertops, roof, etc.)

2) insulation --- very basic. Some type of foil insulation.

3) gas vs electric - I think gas will you save you money.

4) making changes or additions to the model - remove a wall, put washer / dryer in garage'
additional outlets ---- Don't put washer dryer in garage!

5) what does it mean exactly to "stretch" a floorplan? They make rooms bigger.

6) location of lot to choose - noise level (I hear many people comment on this) The view is key. The backyard should face a preserve or water.

7) What does it mean when a floorplan has a C or F after its name?

Pretty much going from 466A south to SR 44...

Sanibel
Charlotte
Fernandia
Gilchrest
Pinellas
Collier
Collier @ Antrim Dells
Collier @ Alden Bungalows
Hillsborough
Lake Deaton
Dunedin
LaBelle
Pine Hills*
Pine Ridge*
*Both of these are in Lake County which has slightly higher property taxes and a different Electric Co. Provider (some say it is less reliable in storms...)
Osceola Hills
Osceola Hillas @ Soaring Eagle Preserve (my favorite...:icon_wink:)

Hope this helps...

And there we have it---the Chamber of Commerce advertising infomercial for the hysterical side:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

An advantage to this area is that it is in unincorporated Sumter County. That means that you will not be paying taxes to the city of Wildwood. Or any city, for that matter. This will save you about $1000+ per year on your property taxes.

Also, this area is 5-10 years old, so the bond has been paid down by quite a bit. The total amount is smaller, and the yearly assessment is smaller. Some may even have been paid off in full.

And, it is served by SECO Electric, a cooperative with the lowest electrical rates around.

OP many if not most are posting to buy preowned, or not travel to the new area, because for some it is frightening to not have retail, grocery, DOCTOR, or restaurant within minutes of their house.

We started in 2007 one block over from LSL, then 10 minutes to LSL, then 20 minutes to LSL. Then 17 minutes to LSL. Between the 6’s with every possible retail, grocery, restaurant and a multitude of medical offices. We kept moving farther away from those brick and mortar. A preowned is nice, but neighbors my parents age and then some, wasn’t our ideal areas.

We now are south of 44, we can get to restaurants, grocery, shopping, and medical, within 10 minutes or less.

South has safe and beautiful walking paths, great restaurants outside of the bubble, Kroger trucks are in our neighborhood daily (free delivery), but we do have 2 grocery within 7 minutes, and much younger neighbors.
We moved south to get away from the retail, and congestion traffic in the north. We only see a physician once a year, so honestly unless you are in extremely poor health, or your parents age, why the need to live so close.

We built this last house, needed 4/3, wanted a view, with at least 750sf garage storage space is top of the list. We have never Paid off a bond, and no plans to pay this one. (Our investments are far greater than bond payments).

Pick your lot, build the house that fits you, and most likely your neighbors will be close to your age, bonding because everyone is new.

It's amusing when people living in the least desirable/highest crime areas are giving advice on where to live in the Villages.

1. Yes choose what you prefer up grade counters and floors (we have all tile,) all 3 bathrooms are showers only no tubs.

2. No choice

3. Which ever you prefer (we save about half with gas opposed to all electric)

4. No moving of interior walls, no moving of appliances or adding outlets

5. Stretch is only available if your lot allows usually front and rear

6. We live 4 streets from turnpike, inside home and in our lanai and pool no idea there is a TP..I prefer turnpike than neighbors loud music

7. C for us was 10’ ceilings 8’doors

8. What is your budget? Will you have $$$ to Reno older home, replace roof, hvac, floors, sprinkler system, appliances? Insurance on new premiums can be 50% less than a preowned. New home warranty everything is new. Neighborhood bond is strong because everyone is just moving in. Younger people, unless you prefer live with your parents age group.

Think intelligently…how many time do you grocery shop, or like us have it delivered because I have better things to do with my time and don’t need to touch every bag of frozen peas. How often do you see doctors? How much do you eat out, because restaurants outside the bubble are far better. Once Middleton and Eastport are open you will be with in minutes of the newest, updated area to dine, shop, and enjoy life.

My opinion is always to stay in the villages a few times for at least a month. It is a large diverse area and you need to understand the logistics of travel, recreation and shopping.

It really REALLY depends on your budget, but Fernandina has a lot of variety in sizes and prices available currently. Fernandina is sort of halfway between Morse Blvd on the east, and Buena Vista on the west, somewhat close to 466A but not close enough to feel or hear the traffic. Another option is east of Fernandina, in Sanibel. They have some cute cottages- here's one for sale with an open house tomorrow:

The Villages(R) Homefinder - Find Your Dream Home

Just to give you an idea of what they look like and how this particular model is laid out.

Pick any one thing I said that wasn't true :)

Y'all just jealous. Hysterical side best side.

I agree. Take the time to look at pre-owned as well as new. The pre-owned may need some refurbishing but keep this in mind. Bonds for new homes are over 50k. When you move into a new home, you will need to do landscaping, painting, storage, closets, lanai etc. Do a comparison of what it will cost to refurbish the preowned. Sometimes, you will find a pre-owned is a better bargain. Especially if the location is in an area you highly desire.

You asked for the best locations to purchase a home.This depends on YOUR needs. For example: Are you an avid golfer? An area easily accessible to many golf courses would be your perfect choice. This is the area between the sixes. Plan on joining a club for biking? Attend a club meeting and find out where they meet to begin their excursions. Living closer will be much easier and enjoyable. Like to swim? Find an area near plenty of pools or better yet, some Courtyard Villa neighborhoods have their own pools. This includes Mission Hills, Creekside Landing, and a few others. Love to walk? Find a home where that is easy and SAFE. I can go on, but I think you get the jist.

I believe it is not wise to choose an area based on who you believe will be the best neighbors. Please keep in mind, THIS WILL CHANGE. People move! Choose an area that meets everything you desire to have the retirement of your dreams. Making and KEEPING friends is easy in any location especially if you are close to activities that you enjoy.

Waters Edge is an excellent prime location. It will have great access to Eastport and all of the surrounding amenities in the very near future.

gas or electric? no choice, you have to go with whatever lines have been installed in the area. Some villages are all electric, some are all gas. Beware of the bonds/taxes. In the newer areas, both can be very expensive and you are paying additional taxes to Wildwood as well as Sumter County. The bonds can also be upward to 30,000 or more depending on the size of the house. Also, gets extremely hot and humid here in the summer, so a north facing lanai is best. .Watch out for Coleman Prison, not far from your area. Sign up for the Nextdoor app. lots of information of there. Also, check out the Daily Sun, there are many, many houses already for sale in the southern areas. You have got to ask yourself.....why?

I agree with most of what has been said. Someone said they have a southern facing home and it’s dark as a cave and they are correct. My neighbor across the street has that and their house is dark. My Lanai is southern facing and I love it We have trees in the back, with NO NEIGHBORS. We bought 20 years ago this month. We listed out our priorities. 1) new build 2) Lanai must be souther facing and no no neighbors behind us 3) 2 car garage with Golf Cart garage. AND, that is what we got. We are just south of 466. We have neighbors in the early 60’s move in, and another coupler same age moving in THursday, and age does not matter here, at least not from what we have seen. We have 6 pools within 5 mins, tons of activity on 466 with the new Costco coming soon…(if that matters to you).We have Publix, Walmart and Freshmarket all right on 466 and its a cook and bakers dream. Over time, We made our own enhancements. We added a master closet, did a bump out on the living room, added a very large birdcage with an outdoor kitchen, built a pantry(I like to cook) and did the normal upgrades over the years.. WE love it. We had a huge house up north and I didnt want to move 3 times to find the right house…so we bought a ranch and made improvements which has been perfect as we now have what we want. You can live anywhere, but road noise doesnt ever go away, and “kissing” lanais is something I dont want to ever deal with. We landscaped in the back, put an addition on, and have all the privacy like living I n the country. We live on the backside of a “loop” and our traffic is only those who are living here or visitors coming and going. Its great and so are our neighbors. I wish you luck on your journey…and welcome to the Villages, it was our best move ever, we have been retired for almost 16 years, and been living the dream ever since. Message me with any questions, glad to help you out if I can. My friends bought a corner lot and have more lawn to mow and more grass to water if that matters to you…..

Watch out for the prison????? Watch out for what? No noise, no lights, what are we watching for?

New houses go up for sale after one year because there is money to be made. Period. The exact thing that happened in Richmond after one year. Lots of profit.

Look for a resale and save all the speculation and uncertainty of the new build. If we had done better research we would have done that. We ended up buying basically a half million dollar fixer upper, put another $35K in landscaping and other improvements and now I’m stuck with a house we can’t sell because of all the new stuff coming on the market every week for less money but in the long run will cost more to get built the way you want it

If you want an old dated looking house, then look north of 466a. There are nice areas above 466a but the majority will be old looking. Above 466, these are ancient.
I don’t know anybody buying their 2nd, 3rd or more village house going north, but I do know many people migrating to south of 44 to buy their 2nd/3rd or more house.
Newer updated designs, natural gas option, better bike/walking trails, newer golf courses, younger residents, easy access to the interstate, and it’s quiet with less traffic.
If you shop target/Best Buy on a daily basis, then move north of 466. But if you need Lowe’s/Home Depot on an occasion, they are 20 mins away. Walmart is 15-20 mins away. We rarely travel north of 466, majority travel is 46)a south.
Never buy without checking out the lot/area in person. Stay away from power lines, highway noise, and water plants that can smell.

Do you have a realtor? We just went through this and our realtor team was top notch and walked us through every question. I highly recommend Diana and Jonathan Grantham - nothing but great things to say. Once you get your lot, then you sit down with your designer to walk through options. We had Melissa Stanford - she was awesome. Melissa told us we came to her with so much knowledge and ideas and said our realtor did a tremendous job. Find a realtor and lean on them!!! - Eric Younkin

Consider the things you like to do !
 

If your avid golfers think about a central location near many courses.
All rec centers are not created equal. They offer a hugh variety of activities. It will take some research.
If you like the “ 5 o’clock “ music at the squares nightly, maybe you want to be close to one.
Generally the older areas have an older population, consider the age of your neighborhood. They are younger down south.
Good luck and happy hunting.

House
 

We plan on moving there in the spring of 2026 and plan on renting the rest of our lives. Unless rates drop to 3% again but I doubt that.

I have owned two properties, simultaneously in TV for 5ish years. One in Lake, one in Sumter.

One has SECO for Electric in Sumter, the other has Duke in Lake.

I can count on 1 finger the amount of times the power went out in our Sumter home in the last year. It was on 100% for both Hurricanes.

The Duke home however? I'm going to says 1-2 times a month there's something, maybe a blip, maybe 10 minutes, maybe a day. Power was out for about a day and a half after Milton.

It was a rental property, but we lived there for about 8 months during a remodel of our Sumter home. The power was always having issues. I also got notifications on my phone when we didn't live there because the home had a bunch of remote access(door, thermostat, garage, cameras, doorbell, water monitor)..

I closed on the sale of it last week. I shan't be purchasing another home in Lake(higher taxes) or that has Duke.

Very excited for you! I believe cost will dictate how much you will upgrade. With that being said, I will only share what I almost did. We decided that we wanted a simple home and downsize from our large home back north. I almost bought another large home here but in reality we didn’t need or really want that, nor do I want to clean another large home. As far as space, we have a 1675 sq foot home with a 2 car garage. I told my husband that if we can’t make that work with just the two of us then we need to get rid of more junk! So far so good.
Welcome to TV you will love it here!!

My husband and I purchased a home in the village of Marsh Bend and absolutely LOVE it! When we bought 4 years ago we were considered the southern part of The Villages, but with all the building going on, we’re going to be pretty centrally located. The biggest selling point for us was being walking distance to the Hogeye Preserve. We like to run, walk, bike on a daily basis, and having the paved trails and green space so close has been awesome. Right next to the Hogeye trail is Edna’s on the Green where they have live music every day, food, and drinks. Also in the same area is Pitch and Putt golf as well as an executive course. When we were looking for a house, our requirements were a block house that did not have a kissing lanai that was near green space. I wouldn’t worry too much about not being super close to everything as The Villages builds everything so quickly. When we moved in, there wasn’t even a bridge that connected us to the rest of the villages so we could not access by golf cart. Within a year, all the connecting bridges were completed and we had a shopping center up the road with a grocery store, restaurants, hair salon, etc.

This area has gas stoves.

You also mentioned putting the washer/dryer in the garage. If you plan to live here year round, the garage can be super hot.

Noise is definitely a consideration if you like the quiet. Avoid being too close to the highway, town squares or pickleball courts.

Most people seem to love whatever village they live in, and of course, we all have our own preferences. We have met so many wonderful people! It’s definitely a fun place to live and the process of looking is exciting. Good luck in your search!

I suggest you not only let The Villages realtor show homes but get a private one and search established areas north of 466 and west of 27/441 such as LaZamora as there are many private listings if you want convenient shopping, mature trees and the ability to upgrade an older home if desired. Plenty of listings with new roofs, ac’s and appliances. No bonds and reasonable prices.

Each lot is limited in the models that will be permitted to be built on it. This is also true of stretches. One model may allow a stretch on a certain lot, while another model will not. If you want to build, I suggest that you place first preference on the lot and then see what models are permitted on that lot over being wedded to a specific model. I think all new homes are gas. You will learn a lot once you are here so don't go in with too many pre-specified wants as you need to be very open to the process to see what works best for your needs. There is not too much flexibility in the build process today contrary to the past.