I hope this is the right place to post
 

My husband and I can't retire yet unfortunately but since we're closer than not we're looking at the near future. My concerns of course are safety, cost of living, and maintenance not taking up every free minute.

We've looked online at different states and places and a big draw of TV isn't the "lifestyle" and activities, but that if you chose you don't have to go anywhere else. I recently read that an elderly man was shot and killed in his car in a grocery store parking lot. Living in a gated community is great peace of mind, but being shot and killed if you leave to get milk is not.

But we're not rich people, middle class while he's working. Although we do have 401k at retirement we'll have a fixed income. Of course a lot is the unknown with investments, you really can't rely on that as a dedicated income.

So long way to say that TV looks great but also looks like its only for very wealthy people. If that's the case then I'm wasting my time but thank you.

I've looked up COL for TV and every site I find is based on a $250,000 house. Btdt not interested. Is it affordable for the "average Joe"?

There are previous posts on costs of living in the Villages for which you might want to use the search option. Click here for an example. I wouldn't say that you need to be wealthy to live in the Villages, unfortunately there are too may variables to answer your question succintly. For example, what type of home would you buy? New (and associated bond payments) or used (which may or may not still have bond payments to account for in your costs)? Do you have debt, beyond the mortgage which you will be maintaining? Health issues which may require medical care and those associated costs?

As to the parking lot incident to which you referred, I am unaware of any place that has zero crime or incidents. If this is truly a concern of yours, you may find it difficult to relocate anywhere. I find the Villages to be very safe compared to other areas in which I have lived,

By the by, the Villages is not a "gated" community. It IS a fun place to live and offers may opportunities-not all of which cost a thing to enjoy!

Thank you for your lengthly and kind response. I'm not interested in a big fabulous house, been there done that. It was fun with a family but with two, just foolish. I'm more interested in,life, not that the house I live in.

For some answers, no debt. House is paid for. No health issues. Two cars no debt, we believe in cash not credit if avoidable. But although we have zero debt we wil still have a limited retirement income and looking to reduce not increase for things like golf.

Thank you for saying TV is not a gated community.

The Villages is not for wealthy people. They have 2 bedroom new homes from around $150,000 and they also have homes over $1,000,000. Everyone gets to use ALL the SAME amenities. No asks what kind of home you live in. My husband and I are from WA state. Two years ago we had never even heard of The Villages. Came across it accidentally on a vacation. We were amazed. Bought a second home there. This summer we sold our home in WA to move to the Villages full time. We are retired state and federal workers. The utilities, trash, sewer are all cheaper in FL and WA Is very inexpensive compared to the NE (have lived there too) for these things. Our house has increased in value 10%+ in one year. I think that is excellent, compared to WA state homes.

The Villages is not that expensive, really. Bear in mind we are not lving there all the time, but we have had rentals each month on a consistent basis so costs are roughly the same.

We had a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo in Kissimmee and here is a breakdown of what we paid in the Condo and what we pay(ed) in The Villages (on average). This is for a 2 bedroom 1163 sq st Patio Villa against a 2 bedroom 1110 sq ft condo.


Monthly fees

Villages

HOA/Amenities fee $145
Water sewer etc $ 75
Electric (average) $ 80
Phone/Internet/Cable $140
Lawn care etc $ 75
Average month total $515

Condo

HOA/Amenities $350
Water sewer etc Included
Electric $100
Phone/Internet/Cable $135
Lawn care etc Included
Average per month total $585

Annual Fees

The Villages

Property taxes $850
Insurance $800
Bond About $900
Annual total $2550

The Condo

Property Taxes $975
Insurance $725
Bond Nil
Annual Total $1700


Golf (we play a lot)

The Villages

Executive courses/month Free
Championship courses $250

The Condo (playing public courses)

Executive and Championship courses at least $600 per month

So we make the costs roughly equal for monthly and annual necessities. However we are saving at least $350 a month on golf, not including cost of travel and eating away from home!

Come and see what we are like:wave:. Take a Life Style Visit (The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Retirement Hometown - New Home Sales, Home Resales, Build Your Dream Home, Brownwood Paddock Square) and spend a real vacation here. Travel around TV and see what we have and just stop and talk to people. Go to the Squares at night to listen to the music and dance and talk to people - we all love to tell you what a wonderful place this is. Go into the Sales Office and talk to people - and lastly get onto the website and check out the price of pre-owned and new homes, you will be surprised at what your dollar will buy you here! Good luck with your search and come back and tell us what you think once you have seen us!

It really is a great place to live .................... :smiley:

Thank you to all,really. But we are not tax payer governent employees guarenteed an income,my income is based on yours.

To everyone else, thank you for replying. I don't golf, I don't want to golf, so that's not a selling point.

My thing is and always been just caring. We're all in this together, one shot, we all end and begin the same. Or have the potentional. Being so nasty doesn't get you anywhere, but I perfere not to deal with it, and definitely not live wth it.

I think you need to dig a bit deeper into the history of that killing. It apparently wasn't random and was believed to have been set up by the victims daughter.

You can read this article in the Orlando Sentinel

Villages killer is youngest inmate on Florida's death row - Orlando Sentinel

Here is a pretty home and typical too. Look on thevillages.com

Properties of The Villages

I think you need to dig a bit deeper into the history of that killing. It apparently wasn't random and was alleged to have been set up by the victims daughter.

You can read this article in the Orlando Sentinel

Villages killer is youngest inmate on Florida's death row - Orlando Sentinel

I think many of your concerns would be answered with a visit..........when you get ready to retire.

But based on this forum, sorry including you, I posted this before reading replies like yours and I don't want to live with it

I've meet very few "rich" people here. Our home is a cottage with well less than 2000 sq. feet and we love it. We don't need to air condition and clean more than that. Don't be discouraged because The Villages seems only for the rich, it isn't and it just lets us live like we are rich with all the amminities. As far a crime you can just about forget it. Nowhere that I've ever lived that I would feel safe to let my wife go for a walk anytime of the day or night but here.

live with what?

It's sad that you've decided to base a life altering decision on where to retire on a couple of posts on a web site that you didn't like. We are a community of over 100,000 people and I can honestly say that I have found the majority of people to be above average in kindness and generosity. The only way to base a decision on whether or not The Villages is for you is to pay us a visit. You will be astounded by the beauty of the place as well as the kindness of strangers.

Bogie was no more direct than some of the other posts on here.

You must try to understand that this is our home, our village, our city, our way of life and we are astonished to have found it. Many of us did not expect to be this happy and fulfilled and busy and befriended at this age. We are here on a very fun new adventure and we are very, very protective of this life and this place and this way of being.

If you lived here, you might be just like us. And a bit defensive about anything the least bit critical of us happy people who live here in this lovely place that many of us call "lower Paradise".

I totally agree.

I've read and re-read all of the posts in this thread, and I'm sorry but I cannot follow your reasoning.

You are not interested in the lifestyle here , the amenities or golf and you make references to "nastiness" that I don't see in any of the posts. Are you talking about the man who was shot while at a convenience store parking lot? That was in 2008 and was the first ever murder in The Villages. The Villages development began in the early 1970's. One murder in 40 years? This isn't Chicago.

You were surprised that this is not a gated community. Well, it isn't because that would put the responsibility for the cost of road maintenance on the residents. There are gates, but they open to anyone who presses the button at the gate. However, many people who don't know that bypass our development, believing that it is a restricted access community.

Some very nice people have posted detailed information on this thread, attempting to put to rest your concerns about costs and security and urging you to make a Lifestyles Visit to learn more about the area.

You have not been receptive. I say with a sense of sadness, it is your loss.

Good luck.

:wave:

Thanks Carl. Many of us were trying to convey those exact thoughts.

Wrkdhrd,

So far we don't know anything about you. Maybe a $100,000 home and $5,000 golf cart are way above your means. Maybe you come from a very small town. Maybe moving anywhere is way out of your comfort zone. Maybe you are just shy, although your posts don't show that.

Regardless of finances, one thing that draws people to The Villages is a friendly, outgoing and joining attitude. Even if they only walk around smelling the flowers and saying hello to the people they meet. Over time these people may be drawn into activities by their neighbors, and really enjoy living here, without ever golfing or dancing in the squares.

Now, if you have spent your life devoid of these kind of relationships, then you may be very unhappy here. I sense that you and the hubby are solitary people. Maybe you are looking for an affordable place to hang out and be left alone.

A Lifestyle visit will show you what's under the covers here. Don't judge the place by the rantings of people on TOTV. It is a low-risk experiment, that could just get you turned around. I hope you can spare the time and funds to come on over.

on one hand i feel like this thread is being trolled by the o.p.

and on the other hand i feel that the o.p. has already made up their mind that the villages is not the place they want to retire for a number of reasons.

i learned a long time ago that is is often best to stay away from offering opinions that might change another's mind. the times i did attempt to do that always seemed to bite me on the butt and i just got told. 'see! i toldja so!'

perhaps it is best to let wrkdhrd continue to evaluate in their own way if they are so inclined.

i would think you would want to visit before thinking of living in TV...

The first time I saw the villages and Sumter Landing was St. Patrick's Day 2013. I was amazed and in love with everything I experienced. The place is beautiful, the people funny and friendly and soo much to do. I am still here in Fort Lauderdale doing alot of decluttering, repairing and packing. I will become a resident hopefully before the end of the year...For me it is an answer to my prayers. It is true it would be a loss not to experience the Villages

All of us "old" posters have to keep a little skepticism about all others on here unless or until we know them. Knowing them doesn't mean meeting them face to face, but getting a handle on "who" they are.

Some people enter the forum with a different agenda than most of ours. Some are business people looking to see how they can make money on us and some may be from other developments or other entities in conflict with The Villages.

Most people use this forum for just what the title says, to talk, and learn, communicate, banter and of course to debate. We DO know more than the younger realm, we have been here longer.;)

But some come in sometimes with a not healthy agenda and they try to inflame, incite anger, disparage and just be negative.

I am not at all saying that any of these things were the mission of the OP. I think she really is looking for that place that will make her happy.

Unfortunately that place that makes us happy usually exists inside of us.

I will use my friend Rubicon's line this morning.

I opine, you decide.

Good morning all of you dear folks. It's a beautiful day in The Villages.:BigApplause:

I, too, think we have been taken for a ride. Anyone who lurks on this forum knows that nothing brings out the best or worst in us than someone saying how much they want to live here, but cannot/or someone who says we are nasty mean people always fighting amongst ourselves. :( Now I gotta get off the computer and back to reality, the sun is coming up real fast and I don't want to miss a minute of it!

If you are concerned about the affordability of living here you should be sitting down with a CFP to go over your potential retirement income and your investments. That should tell you where you can live based on your income. Then comes the choices of what you want to have for activities and living the rest of your life in a "happy place." We have that here, but we are not the only retirement community open for new residents.
Keep up the good work about being debt free, hard to do at times.

:agree: Gracie said it all!

About the safety issue. The Villages is very safe, in my opinion. But as far as it being a gated community, that's a little misleading. Anyone can enter a Villages gate by pressing a button if they don't have a card to hold up to the scanner. That's because all the roads are public roads, not private.

Century Village in Pembroke Pines FL is a good example of top notch security, if that's what you're looking for. When I went there to visit my aunt, I couldn't get in without a reason. When I told them the reason, they called her and she gave authorization. That's security!

I would just say one of the best things of being FL resident is NO STATE Income tax. Look at the money that frees up.

We saw The Villages by all the ads on Fox News Channel. Then came to look.