Lifestyle Preview
 

Hi All, I'll be arriving for a lifestyle preview on Tuesday. There is a Realtor who will show me some of the Villa's I picked out as the type I may like.

Do they want to take a person right away to start looking or do you get that day to adjust to TV? I will be checking in and staying in the Brownwood section for five days.

I know there is entertainment at the town square at 5pm. Is there a place nearby I could walk to for an easy casual dinner?

Thanks in advance

We were here three days and didn't get a call. They wait for you to call them many times. The place sells itself. We had no pressure at all. They asked our interests, took us to the Arnold Palmer golf course and showed us an art room and we had to ASK to see houses.

The squares are full of restaurants. Be sure to order a glass of that artificially flavored red drink that we used to give our kids. Cool something.

Oh wait. You don't have to, you will love it here. Welcome home.

Lifestyle Preview
 

Hi New Englander! You can let your real estate agent know when YOU are ready to see homes; you set the timetable, but like previous responder stated-we were never pressured-this place sells itself.
Many good restaurants directly across the street from where you'll be staying. Brownwood Paddock Square has a TooJays which is good, burgers are great at Five Guys, Cody's is o.k. plus there are several other restaurants at Brownwood. Just a heads up: I'm from Cape Cod and the food here is not like back home. All New Englanders miss the food back home! Enjoy your time here.

If you want a new home you need an official Villages realtor. Used houses are sold by both Yillage and independent reactors. Pick up a Daily Sun and explore. Neither are pushed.

Depending on the time of day, you agent will call you that evening or the next morning and ask you when would you like to go to see homes. When we came in 2011 we looked at cottages the first day, then I played golf on an executive 9 hole course and the next day 18 holes on a championship course. We stayed at Lake Sumter Landing (LSL), which has a lot more to see, for example Tue and Thur is market night and vendors will be selling their wares around the square. On the fourth day I called my agent and said I like to see courtyard villas and patio villas, and he took us right out. We spend seven days on our Lifestyle Visit (LSV) and I got a Village map in the sales office and drove around The Villages (TV) quite a lot. I felt after 7 days I knew my way around good, although at that time nothing existed south of 466A. We ended up buying a new courtyard villa (CYV) in what was the newest section in 2011 Tamarind Grove.

You'll probably be at Alden Bunglows on Powell Road, which are courtyard villas (CYV). Directly across that 4 lane road is a big darkish brick building, that's MVP Health Club. About 3 doors past them is McAlister's Deli, they are a sort of fast food deli, great place for lunch. To the right of MVP on the edge of the parking lot is Toojays, also a deli but with meals and table service. If you walk in the direction of Toojays and keep walking, an Italian Restaurant will be on your left, a German restaurant on your right, or you turn right and they'll be Gators Dockside (sports bar) known for wings and burgers and just past that on the left is Cody's Roadhouse, known for steaks.

The golf cart they'll give you to drive around is a basic rental cart that can usually only go 15 mph. Remember don't drive across Powell Road, look for a tunnel. At the entrance to Alden Bungalows there should be a tunnel to your right as you head toward Publix (grocery store) and one to your left. It would be OK for just cruising around the square, but I wouldn't venture much past that in a golf cart. You won't know the lay-of-the-land and you can see so much more by using your car. Enjoy your stay.

You DO Have Choices
 

I used both MLS, outside realtors with mulitiple listings and VLS for properties listed with the Villages (or the builder) for resale homes. I would not use Gail E of the Villages again as she really not working for the best for me, but herself. She also hung me out dry (a situation). The listing agent or the property worked with me to get things done (repairs, etc.) to make me happy while my own agent who showed me the property, Gail fought with me. As for the MLS agent, I will stay away from Jeff Sz, who is totally unprofessional and he will be mad at you if you do not buy a house from him after he showed you 6 homes! My experiences are fresh. I can provide good names if you PM me. I closed on May 22 with a VLS property with a water view in Polo Ridge.

Do try to enjoy the community while you are there. I had a great time there and made some friends and have great neighbors who are very friendly and helpful. They have keys to my house and watching the house and received furniture for me. My house was built in 2001, not new neighborhood. I heard some people suggest that getting newer communities is better. Well, I think that does not always true. There are plenty of friendly folks every where. I talked to a couple who bought a new home a few years ago. They think their neighbor is not friendly at all. I am still communicating with my neighbors even I am in VA. Look forward to go back soon.
I guess, may be you should stop by and waive or talk to the neighbors. I did. Let us know where you land. Bests to you.

Restaurants at Brownwood
 

Hi New Englander,

I copied the list of restaurants at Brownwood from The Villages web site, My personal favorites are City Fire, Gator's Dockside, Cody's and Toojays. Enjoy your Lifestyle Preview Visit! :wave:

CITY FIRE — 561-2078
FIVE GUYS — 399-5535
WORLD OF BEER — 633-9519
GATOR’S DOCKSIDE — 775-4071
RICCIARDI’S ITALIAN TABLE — 391-9939
SCOOPLES — 750-6263
CODY’S ORIGINAL ROADHOUSE — 430-2996
BAVARIAN BREWHAUS — 399-5516
DUNKIN DONUTS — 689-2007
McALISTER’S DELI — 399-5934
TOOJAY’S GOURMET DELI — 350-2122

Hi New Englander,
A very professional, but not pushy Villages realtor is Tony Trussler. Ask for him when you are ready to see homes which would be either new or resales being sold through The Villages.
He's from NE and is very thorough and friendly. We're from MA and came in 2010 and live in Pennecamp. Good luck and you'll love it here. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed. We saw quite a lot in one day and then took a day off before looking again and getting better oriented to layout. Buy a $5 map at the Mercantile Bldg or have your agent bring one to you to help you get oriented.
Nancy

Where in New England are you from?

A map of the above list can be found at The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Active Adult 55+ Retirement Community Click on menu/our lifestyle/town squares/brownwood. Have fun during your visit.

35 miles west of Boston.

Thanks to all of you kind folks for your helpful information. But be careful, if you see a confused yankee who's never driven a golf cart before,, steer clear.

Sounds like you may be near where we used to live...... Westford for a few years then Harvard for over 14 years.

Don't worry about driving a golf cart here. If you can handle Boston area traffic/drivers, you'll be fine! :icon_wink:

I second Raynan suggestion, Tony Trussler was our Villages agent as well, and he is definitely not pushy. After our LSV and return home we put our Baltimore home on the market and sold it in one day. There was really no need to travel back down, since we were buying a new home, you have to take what's been built. So we bought a CYV off the website sight-unseen. That night Tony came over to the home and took pictures inside and out and emailed them to me.

I've seen Tony every year that we've been here, because we've been invited to all of his 'thank you' lunches, I think that's been five of them. As far as his background, Tony is British and you'll know that the minute he talks. From what he told me, he came over to America around 1977 and settled in the New York area he's a Yankee fan, that I know is for sure. Call the Lake Sumter sales office and ask for Tony Trussler if you don't already have a salesman.