Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

Let me say thank you in advance for any info that you kind people can give me.

I'm a mailman from Texas and have been thining of retiring at The Villages, but I can't get much real info as to the actual cost of living there. I'll turn 50 in January and my retirement date is February 2014, so I need to know if it is a possibility so I can pan for it, or if I need to just move forward and get the whole idea out of my head. I would probably only need a villa, 1 or 2 bedrooms. I really don't want for my wife and I to have much space to upkeep in retirement, plus the expense of a larger place would make it more unlikely I can afford it or a mailmans retirement plus my wifes retirement.

I'm very interested in Golf and the related costs too. Golf cart costs and costs of repairs also, cost of chargers if electric, costs of repairs on gas models, etc.

So, the "real deal" on the fees, costs of living, things you must pay for that you wouldn't think of, real numbers of the expenses it takes to live there, etc, is appreciated.

Either make my day or bust my bubble...I'm a big boy... I can handle it.

Thanks again.

Re: Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

Check out this link for monthly costs:

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/sm...pic,956.0.html


There is a topic called "Golf Cart Prices in the Villages" that has a lot of info on carts - search for it

Re: Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

I just figured out the monthly costs on our patio villa. We are snowbirds so the utility costs may be low but this should give you an idea
North Sumpter utility $58.18
Amenity fee $130
TECO Peoples gas $24.09
Sumpter Electric Coop $47.23
Lawn care $35
Embarq (basic telephone and DSL) $113.83
Zoysia Green (Lawn Care) $22.91
Comcast cable (basic service) somewhere around $10.
Plus taxes, assessment, insurance & bond payments
Hope this helps

Re: Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

Have you been to the villages on the lifestyle preview, if not you should consider doing it for your next vacation, it is really the best way to start.

Re: Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

Our guestimate was around $1,000 per month for everything, (with no bond or mortgage): Including taxes, house insurance, golf cart insurance, gas, electric, water/trash, amenities, lawn mowing, pest control, weed pulling, power washing house, repairs, and it goes on. :o

Our taxes are higher as we aren't homesteaded, and we probably pay more for lawn services as we aren't around in the summer. Our house is only 1200 square feet. We don't like air conditioning and hardly ever use it. Your own personal situation will govern what you pay. If you are homesteaded your taxes are lower; and I'm sure you can keep monthly expenses much lower by doing your own lawn care and maintenance and keeping your air conditioning use to a minimum.

Hope this helps.

Re: Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

Add to all the other expenses you have read about, (1) your annual contract for termite protection and (2) your quarterly contract for having your airconditioning and heating system maintained. It is like having extra insurance to protect you against loss of some very expensive equipment and your basic home. People sometimes go without these two items but it really not a good thing to do. If and when you ever decide to put your house up for sale, nobody wants to buy a home that has not had these contracts. Would you want to take a chance? :bigthumbsup:

Re: Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

Thanks for all the comments...I really appreciate it.

Y'all keep them coming, I want to gather all the info I can about The Villages.

BTW, how much does the housing cost there...you know, for the smaller units.

Re: Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

$75K for an old single wide on a nice lot (ur mainly paying for the lot) in the "Historic Section" East of 441. $125K for a nice double wide.

And up from there.



http://www.thevillages.com/homes/vls/search.asp

Re: Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

Well, first off, we had the same struggles that you're having now. We weren't sure if we could afford it either. My husband retired at 55, I still worked full time after we moved here, and yes we are full time residents. Now we've been here 6 years, I'm now 55 and have been able to cut down to 3 days a week working, (I'd go crazy if I didn't at least work part time. My husband also works part time now, he got a job working with GMS, the golf division, not for the money, but mostly for the benefits. (helps with golf). We both golf so it can get costly. However, we also have the priority membership, which helps somewhat. Your golf fees a little cheaper, but mainly it helps in prime season to secure tee times. As for utilities, mind you, we moved from the Buffalo area. Enough said, yes our bills are much cheaper, even with running air conditioning in the summer, our gas and electric don't come anywhere near what we were paying. Water, I think is alittle expensive, but it was cheap back north. we only paid $25- 30 every quarter. Here we pay around $60/month. Taxes are cheaper, even with the CDD and those of course will vary depending on the county, the size of the house. We own one of the smaller designer homes, on a cul de sac and taxes run approximately 2300. which includes the bond. We choose not to pay it off. Car insurance is cheaper, food is about the same, maybe alittle higher. But we don't spend as much on clothing (everything's casual here). Of course depending on what your expenses are in Texas, you should be able to live a very comfortable life here. We're not millionaires, but we sure have it good. Granted the houses have gone up quite a bit since we moved here, we probably wouldn't be able to afford the house we have now, if we were moving here now. (and it's not one of the premier homes either) We're very happy and have not once regretted the move. So go ahead and grab the bubble. Life is short, take chances. You're gonna love it here!!!

Re: Need the "real deal" on the Villages actual cost of living
 

Food prices are interesting here. They're about 20-40% less than the Bay Area, so I guess it is relative. However, I did expect them to be less. For example, milk is $3.59/gallon, bread anywhere from $0.99 for some really bad stuff to $3.99 for premium (I prefer the Italian bread for $1.59 at Sweetbay), produce is pricy, so is meat. So, you do have to shop carefully. Fortunately, if you check out the sales, it is not hard to go from Wal-Mart for staples to Albertson's for their 10 for $1.00 specials to Public and Sweetbay for their sales since they're all relatively close. Gas is presently $3.08/gallon. Restaurants are pretty standard in pricing. Guess the chains charge the same nationwide nowadays.

You can find a lot of free or cheap entertainment.

Hope this helps in your factoring. Good luck on your decision. TV is a great place to live and a lot of fun.