The Villages "OR BUST!"
 

Only 11 more days until we arrive in the Villages for a whole week to find a new home. We are desperately downsizing here in California to get ready for our big move. Hopefully we will be a permanent resident there by the end of October. Now the big decision is what village do we choose for a rental until we decide where to buy. I don't look forward to the move but I can't wait to join the Villages new "lifestyle".

Have a safe trip and take your time. Any area is fine for renting. Just fit your budget and space needs and go from there. You will love this next adventure in your life.

North Carolina Transplant
 

Thanks. Born in Greensboro, NC but lived most of my life in California and the western USA. Florida is a new adventure. We are golfing addicts and can't wait to tee it up in the Villages.

Renting is a smart idea. The location you rent probably does not matter, but if you can I would try and pick a community that sold in your price range and has few rentals. The key is you are giving yourself time to explore and make sure you like the community.

People golf here? Who knew?

Almost any village is a great village! Good luck.

Any village is good!!! You might want to be equal distance between SS and LSL for nightlife. Most people prefer to be near shopping and doctors as after a few months, one does not go to the squares as often.

It's all worth the effort, believe me! The pain will go away once your here.

Congrats. Best wishes as you start living the dream. :smiley:

we have a home for rent fully furnished for short or long term AND is also available for sale. Call us 952-465-7942 and we will provide weblink to view the house.

Good luck in your search. We took the "tour" in August of last year, bought in October, closed in November and moved in the middle of May. Ms. Callaway Guy drew a circle in the between 466 and 466A and that's where we ended up. We love it here.

It's all good, wherever you choose to settle.

May I suggest you rent close to Lake Sumter Landing because your time here is limited and this would be a central location.

Yes, cross country moving is an enormous task, one that we have all done. Stressful and a lot of work, but worth it.

Now you hurry up and get here and start up that wine club.

Look here for rentals
VillagersHomes4Rent.com

Available long term unfurnished rentals.
 

Thanks. We check out that web site everyday along with others. Most rentals that pop up are gone within a few days. There are a few that we plan on reviewing when we arrive in the Villages next week. Hopefully there will be more. Thanks for all the comments.

Fred & Suzie

I agree with those who posted to rent where you are most likely to buy. Do you want a new home or pre-owned, there are advantages to both. The new homes are all generally south of 466A and most closer to Morse Blvd now. The terrain is not as well established but you can have a good selection of homes. The pre-owned homes are all over, many in older, well established sections, and you can sometimes get a good "deal" on them, some may have the bond paid down/off, some have nice improvements to the property. Some say it is easier to make friends in a new neighborhood where everyone is in the same boat, but my limited experience has shown me this really is America's friendliest hometown (except for about 1% curmudgeons, which is a lot lower than the national average)
I bought 1 1/2 years ago, I was lucky in that I had done a lot of research and already knew I wanted a new designer house on a golf course. Even so there were about 50 to look at, mostly in the Hillsborough/Pinellas/Collier/Lake Deaton area.
If you are undecided, I would stay near LSL as a central location and explore from there. Take a tour, see the sights, certainly play golf, but most important talk to the residents---we had tons of people walk up to us, ask us if we were considering buying, and just had friendly conversation with a wealth of information imparted. I'm hoping to move full time in October as well, so maybe we'll be neighbors!

The past week at the Villages was fantastic.
 

Our first week touring the Villages was great. We found the perfect rental in the Village of Dunedin south of 466A. We are close to Bonefay Country Club where we discovered a breakfast buffet to die for. Enjoyed visiting all three town centers. Our favorite so far is Spanish Springs. Got to see a great display of restored cars on Saturday and the music was very good too.

Now comes the hard part of moving everything from California to the Villages by the end of October. Don't look forward to the move but we really look forward to spending our retirement in the Villages. This past week went too fast but it confirmed our belief that a new and exciting lifestyle is waiting for us when we return.

Fred & Suzie

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