Is this place for real?!
 

It started with an emailed youtube link from a friend about a "Precision Golf Cart Drill Team" a couple months ago... (Sent to me because my neighborhood has a Preceision Lawn Chair Drill Team that I belong to, and have marched with, in our town's 4th of July parade for the last 24 years.)

The cart video was funny but what caught my interest was this huge retirement development that had about 100 MILES of golf cart roads, tunnels and bridges. Shopping, recreation centers, entertainment, restaurants via golf carts!? Huh? The Villages? I spent 2-3 weeks every summer in Largo, FL for 10 years and hadn't heard about this place.

So after enjoying a dozen videos, reading Leisureville(!), watching The Villages DVD and, most importantly, reading this forum <THANKS!>, I have rented a house (with cart) in the village of Lynnhaven for the month of May to see and experience this place for myself!!

I sold my house in 2006 and downsized to an apartment, then retired in 2008, so if this place looks like a good fit maybe I'll make the "hop".

Hi Midvale,
Your first post! Welcome to TOTV. You have come to the right place for answers.

Is this place real? Why, yes, which can be confusing since this is The Magic Kingdom for adults.

visiting TV
 

Hope you like it as well as we do!, nothing like a golf cart ride!

Sounds like you've already done some homework, Ron. I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay!

Oh, and one more thing - - - - make sure you bring your checkbook when you come in May. You're just liable to find a home to buy while you're in TV!!! :pepper2:

And welcome to TOTV!

Bill :)

Yes, for real and more!

Welcome to TOTV!

?
 

Welcome. Do you belong to Midvale? Played there and liked it very much.:wave:

Welcome
 

It's sure is the Real Deal! and more. First Post :posting: Welcome to TOTV.

H

contact the villages and set up a lifestyle business for about six days. They will charge you a reasonable fee but then they will give you freebies equivalent to or more than you paid.

You have to come here. There is no way for you to even begin to understand what this place is like unless you see it. And then you still may not believe it.

I AGREE 100%.......You just have to see The Villages and immerse yourself in this Disney World for Adults.
............. Sure am glad we were lucky enough enough to be shown this place.

When friends said they retired to The Villages in "Central Florida", I suggested they increase OR change their Meds.......
.........................................then we came to Visit them......
.......NUFF SAID.......
"REE-DEEP....REE-DEEP".....WE ended up being Frogs.

IMHO, if you can not find a dozen things to do EVERYDAY here......you are not looking at what is available to you.....

Nice post Ron, welcome. (I'm fairly new too.) We plan a visit in June...maybe we can compare notes after. Good luck.

Welcome to you Ron.

Yesterday was just a typical day here in Lower Paradise.

Had lunch with the girls at a country club for less than six dollars, sat on the front porch and chatted with husband and neighbors with a nice icy drink, worked on a portrait, homework for my art class, danced a little and listened to live music at Lake Sumter Landing and all under a blue sky with a slight breeze and the temperature in the low eighties.

Oh also met and exchanged information with a nice couple who we met, were paired with playing nine holes.

Sat on the lanai in the evening, the roses perfuming the warm darkness.

We are so happy here. It is so much better than we ever imagined.

Come and visit and we will see that you meet some of the posters on this forum.

You will LOVE it.

Nope!

Lived 1 1/2 miles from the club. The greens keeper lives on our street.

Hope you got to play it. I worked with the Pro's dad. The Lodge at Woodcliff. :)

Change!
 

:1rotfl::1rotfl::clap2:

Definitely call The Villages to set up a Lifestyle Preview stay, for a few days or a week, sometime before you rent. This will allow you to stay affordably in a newer home close to Lake Sumter Landing with golf cart provided, and they give you free stuff to try out the golf, restaurants, etc.

The Lifestyle Preview stay/plan will get you oriented much better than you can on your own, and there are NO sales pressures nor presentations required. An agent is assigned to you to get you situated in your home for the stay, and he/she is your "concierge" while you're here. If you want to see properties, they'll do it, and if you don't, that's fine too. But you'd be missing a lot of fun by not seeing some selected properties for sale with an agent. It's interesting how so many homes that are alike in floor plans etc. can look so different with decorating and upgrades.

See videos here (whole channel w. videos from TV, sent in monthly V-mails:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uebSAovc4ks&feature=relmfu]The Villages Lifestyle Preview Plan - YouTube[/ame]

:welcome: After 5 trips and 10 weeks in TV, it just keeps getting better. It's mind boggling to think of how much I haven't even tried, yet.:ohdear:

Sounds like a good idea.
Unfortunately between the Easter holiday, kids visiting here and myself seeing friends and family along the east coast on the way down, there won't be enough time to squeeze a Lifestyle in before I arrive. I do plan on looking at houses while I'm there with one of their reps. I have already spoken with a Florida mortgage associate...

Looks like I will be forced to bomb around The Villages for a month on my own which doesn't sound too grim! I'll bring my kayak.

You'll be hooked, trust me! lol. We love the Villages, and real or not, it's still a fun place to be (so if I'm dreaming, don't pinch me, I don't want to wake up, lol)

Let us know how your May visit goes...:a040:

this place is just fabulous...

affordable, clean, safe, friendly, and tons of things to do that you can't do anywhere else. it just gets better.

Midvale, I have rented twice last year in TV, and I will be back renting in June (wish I could stay for the a whole month like you, but I'm still working full time). I haven't been on a Lifestyle Preview Visit yet -- I'm saving it for 2013. You won't lack for things to do -- go to open houses -- they are held every day in TV -- drive around and get lost in the golf cart -- people will give you directions if you pull over to the side of the golf cart paths and pull out a golf cart trail map. Get the weekly Recreation News which I believe is published every Thursday, and can be found at the Rec Centers -- you may find some clubs that interest you and perhaps attend a meeting. Go to the Squares at Spanish Springs and Lake Sumter Landing and people watch at night when the dancers and live music are available. Ask questions of the residents -- most are happy to share information about living in TV. Have a great time and post your experiences of renting in Lynnhaven and what you think about TV. :welcome:

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm certain to get lost. I plan on keeping my phone on with GPS and set to Google Maps most of the time!! I see if I choose directions via bicycle a lot of the cart paths show up.

ALL of the multi-modal paths should be showing up that way on Google maps........thanks to memason! He's the guy who did that. If you find there's something amiss with any of those paths, just drop him a PM.

Bill :)

Mike did that? WOW.

Mike you da man!!

Thanks Mike! :clap2:

The Paths
 

The Cart Paths on Google is awsome!

Thank you for your efforts. :wave:

Welcome to TOTV.

Hope you like the Villages. Easy to get lost in the Villages because many of the houses look quite a bit alike. Hopefully, a lot of the snowbird traffic will be gone by when you come in May.

For those who might not have seen memason's thread from a few months back re: the multi-modal paths - - -

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...t-paths-47354/

Bill :)

Recommend the $5 map
 

Ron, I would recommend you purchase the $5 map of TV from Banner Merchantile in Lake Sumter Landing or the TV sales rep you are working with may give it to you for free. The new maps are supposed to be updated with the new villages under construction south of 466A --Sanibel, Charlotte and Fernandina. I believe the map is also sold at other locations besides Banner Merchantile in LSL -- another poster will hopefully know where.

TV Sales Centers have the $5 maps as well.

Bill :)