Lifestyle visits - How many will they allow
 

We have had 2 visits so far and we are still up in the air about moving. We are now probably 75% leaning toward the move but would like to come again. Do you know how many visits are allowed?

Thanks.

Why not just rent a place for a week or two.
Research at your own pace, and see all the options, not just what the sales person wants you to see and hear.
Speak with the locals for more balanced opinions.

If you've got a Villages realtor, I'd bet they'll give you another lifestyle visit if 1) they think you're serious and 2) you ask.

We did 3 lifestyle, before we bought first house.

We rented for a month and spent time with a village rep and a MLS rep and explored.

No. But I bet the people that you arranged your first two visits do.

If you're not 95% sure after two lifestyle visits, than I would suggest you would be better off renting for an extended period of time instead.

Theoretically you're only supposed to get one. But they usually allow two. I don't know of anyone who's gotten three or more. If you want the Villages customer service with your next visit, just call Hometown Property Management and ask to rent for however long you want. They'll hook you up with a home that fits your needs.

And when your here call and find an agent to show you houses

If you decide to rent on your own, make sure the place includes Village Ids for yourself and wife. Owners sometimes don't want to give that up; they'd rather stay with a friend and continue to enjoy the amenities.

Rent for a month from rent Rent From A Villager | Rental Homes in The Villages Florida | Advertise Your Village Rental. Plenty of homes from small to large with golf carts for you to see. We did a couple lifestyle visits but renting is a far different more realistic experience, IMO

I’d say if you don’t know by now better to stay where you are. If you want to relocate here but just don’t which village, then you’d better rent for a month or two.

Call the Villages.

Next logical step would be an extended rental. We did 2 lifestyles and then rented for 3 consecutive winters.we finally purchased and are moving in at the end of the month.

Rent off season
 

Summer is here and you should be able to rent for a month off season, at a reasonable rate.

Keep in mind that many Villagers end of buying three homes.. We ended up visiting multi times, and figure out what style of home, and The Villages that suited our needs the best,

It was not what we originally thought. So sure, some Villages purchased their first home, without even seeing it, but they end up buying another one a few years later. Take you time and find the one that suits you.

Pony up and make a decision!
We first drive into Florida looking at several places south of Orlando. Liked the grounds, but none of the houses.
On the way back to Georgia, we spontaneously stopped by TV. Driving thru SS, then LSL.
Walked into their sales center, looked at their Eastport 3D model, liked what we saw.
Walked to the nearest realtor and asked if she was busy. Told her we wanted a view lot, exchanged info and went home.
We passed on the first round of view lots. Bid for 1 lot the second time around and got it. Moved in last October.
Never looked back, couldn’t be happier!

We bought on our 4th lifestyle visit so they definitely allow more than two. You don't get all the free stuff like golf and tickets but you get the villa and golf cart.

Visits
 

We did 4 or five at different times at different locations, bought and have lived there for 5 years. We are now selling and moving out of the overcrowding and to many outsiders using the facilities and causing problems. It was a great place but to much traffic and to many people. The villages actually called us and asked if we would like another lifestyle visit for one of our trips. Good luck on your next visit

I know someone who just did their 4th. Said you just get fewer perks - but almost everything. 4 lifestyle visits - not sure why it's allowed.

You bought five years ago and suddenly TV is overcrowd?
As for outsiders using facilities, it is a minimal occurrence, or are you including Snowbirds and renters with outsiders?

Rent a place for a month or two so that you have an opportunity to "live in The Villages". You'll no longer be a "visitor" and really get the feel of being a full time resident. You should be able to make a fully informed decision by the end of your stay.

Why not just ask The Villages sales associate

Renting first is the best idea.
 

We just built a house.
I would never consider building here again. Although I love my neighbors there were just too many No’s when asking if we could vary from the “example model” A resale home would have already put out the expenses for, and the list is long…gutters, landscaping, window treatments, water system and irrigation filters, electrical plugs where needed, pantry and closet build outs.
Then there are the extras that some might like such as epoxy coated garage floors, if you decide because one of you is tall and the other of you is short, you may have to switch out one brand new toilet(the villages only gives you one choice when building and all bathrooms get either standard or tall) and everything I have listed is on your own dime! We had to hire a plumber to remove one tall toilet so I could have a standard one to use in our house.

Not to mention and this makes me so mad, if you get a cook top hood, they make it sound like you would expect. The backsplash should look finished. Every picture I see in any magazine has the backsplash going all the way up to a reasonable height before stopping. They don’t show you a picture while designing and you think it will look like some picture you saw everywhere but here. Here what you get is such poor quality that I want to rip it all out and start over(at my cost)! See attached picture.

There are beautiful resale homes that are just a few years old, in perfect shape. You will be better off not building.

We did zero lifestyle visits before buying. We only viewed The Villages via videos and pulled the trigger to buy a house we never visited too. Our realtor showed it to us through a video walk through. When you know…you know. Best thing we ever did. Go with your gut.

The lifestyle visits are limited and taking in the Villages takes a month or more of visits at least to see everything from Spanish Springs to Eastport and beyond, IMO. At least that was our experience.

Crowded? I guess that’s subjective. I don’t find The Villages crowded at all. Everything is close and convenient. I’m use to commuting 15 miles to work taking 90 minutes to get there. That is crowded in my book. Living here is a breeze.

If you're 75% sure you should rent a home for a month in the area you think might fit your lifestyle preferences. We rented three different times in different neighborhoods, then bought and never regretted it.

We rented for 3 months twice and bought when we rented the 3rd time. That was seven years ago. By the time we bought we had friends from both snowbirds and frogs. We have been loving it for 7 years now, with no change in how good a decisioon it was to live here.

If you're not sure after two visits, rent for a month.

Totally agree! We don’t notice crowds at all, but we are in a southern village (DeLuna) that’s kinda off the beaten path from the older villages. When we travel around TV by cart we go past many recreation centers that are practically empty (pools, courts, etc), even during snowbird season.

Only Rental Way
 

There are exactly zero chances of renting without full time passes. There is huge difference. No one should settle for less than full time passes when renting. There are rentals everywhere SO BE CHOOSY.

You need to come in August when the temperatures are highest and there is a threat of a hurricane. Read about world temps increasing rapidly in the last 10 years. I think that this year will have stronger hurricanes and tornadoes. Look into the Carolinas or Tn.

Great post. Try getting a stone yard. Even though the water cost is high here.

Research and due diligence before purchase and build, and you would have avoided all those pitfalls. The information is there in front of you if you look for yourself.

^Absolutely right! 100%. Notice how the temps rapidly increasing the last 10 years parallels the popularity and number of lithium cars and golf cars? They absolutely contribute to climate change and are damaging our mother earth's environment for future generations!

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Why not ask the Villages, then you’ll get the true answer.

As long as there are empty lifestyle homes, TV is happy to take your money as many times as it takes to sell any home.

people I know have had a half a dozen

We did 3, first one they picked us up in limo at MCO and put us in a house in Spanish Springs area. Second one we stayed in a 4 story townhouse behind SpanishSprings Square and got Village Dollars, spendable anywhere in The Villages. Third one we stayed in one of the large homes in Lake Sumter Landing on the water. We also rented a few times between the lifestyle visits. Finally purchased on a quick trip in 2009, with plans for snowbirding for a year or two but ended up selling our home in Maryland and retiring four months after buying. Had to rent for a month until the house was built. Lifestyle visits have gotten less attractive each year but are still a good deal. If you are a ready buyer your agent should be able to accommodate you.