Any pointers for upcoming life style visit?
 

Leaving the Northeast (Mass) Dec 3 for a 7 day Life Style visit. Any last minute pointers? I've been lurking on this site for over two years and find all of you very helpful in your responses.

Get the Villages GPS app on your phone, beats unfolding one of those large maps (no one told us this, wore out 2 maps the week we were here) to find your way around. Don't go into a roundabout beside another vehicle (in case they decide they own the road and turn in front of you). If you go out to eat, go mid afternoon to avoid 30-45 minute waits. Take in a sunset at the cart pull-off on the bridge over Lake Sumter.

From your first day here, enjoy it. It's the first day of the rest of your life.

-Take the different trolley tours
-Have breakfast or lunch in the screen porch at the Fenney Grill-
very peaceful and pretty
-Take a walk in the Sharon Rose Wichens Preserve
-Visit the Eisenhower Recreation Center

Enjoy!

Definitely take the trolley tours -- call The Villages sales office for information on departure times. Visit the 3 squares - Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing and Brownwood -- free entertainment and dancing nightly from 5 to 9 on each square. There are open houses held daily in The Villages if you want to look at homes -- open houses are listed in The Daily Sun newspaper. Don't hesitate to ask questions when you meet a Villager. Most Villagers are happy to tell you about their experiences. Have a great time!

Make a list of homes you want to see. Don't see more than three in one day. Be out the door before dawn and don't come back until way after dark. Bring your checkbook because you just never know!

Definitely the trolley tours-very helpful. Do that the first day. Before you come, look at the floor plans on TV website and choose some that would fit your lifestyle. Then look at what neighborhoods have these floor plans. Make a list of "must haves" and "would likes". For us a must have was a fence and a cottage home. So we moved to Fenney. But do not discount pre owned in other neighborhoods. Have fun, I knew this was the right choice the 3rd day.

On your days not looking at houses, drive the golf cart as much as possible. Drive it to each town square. The golf cart is a big part of The Villages experience.

1)trolley tours...as to the rest...half the fun is figuring it out for yourself. It's not like any of the responses you read here will really be designed with you in mind...they are what other folks who aren't you did/decided. As for the villages gps...forget it...get the $5 map and go for a ride...you'll get turned around a few times, but getting lost here is like trying to find a corner in a round room. Have fun...eat at the country clubs...as it's approaching the flood stage with people I do suggest going a few hours ahead of normal eating hours unless you like to wait and a bit and noisy crowds(seems many folks are hard of hearing and worse when it comes to listening).

You will be hooked up with a Villages RE agent. I hope you get one willing to show you preowned as well as new homes. If you get serious about buying be sure to find a Realtor to show you MLS listings as VIllages agents can only show VLS listings.

The Villages agents will show you anything you want to see. New, used or anything at all. When we hooked up with the one assigned to us. She asked our interests and she showed us the golf courses and the art rooms.

We had to ASK her to show us houses.

Then she was gone. It was her vacation.

We had to ask for a new one when we found a house we loved on our own and decided to buy it.

We waited a half an hour too long to decide and it was gone.

The houses and The Villages sell themselves.

I am not a realtor, never have been and don't know or work for the developer.

I am just a very.....VERY happy villager of almost ten years.

P.S. The new rep and his wife became our friends. Sold us our second home here too. I LOVED that there is NO pressure from Village agents. NONE. Nada.

Don't be in a hurry to buy. Take your time and ask questions of people anywhere here. Ask them what they like best and least.

Best tip we received during our last visit in October was to take 301 between the Alden Bungalows in Brownwood to Spanish Springs when you need to get somewhere quickly. You are going between the North and South ends of the Villages. We went to the car show and were able to get reservations at Katie Belles for dinner, but wanted to change clothes for dancing! 301 worked well.

If you're doing serious house hunting look for things that can't be changed after you buy like the lot and square footage. I've heard the average Villager moves three times while living here. That may be overstated but I know many do.

Make sure you take note of how crowded it is. Many people are very dissatisfied with how crowded it has become since moving here. December isn't the busiest month but more crowded than in the summer months.

Enjoy your visit!

Being assigned a Villages RE agent is the best. Ours was GREAT. Ended up being a friend of the family. Have recommended him to three other couples. The wealth of knowledge is great.

Once you have seen enough houses (make sure you have an idea of size and price......it will focus your time), then jump on the golf cart and tour around. Hit a town square or two. Enjoy the sunset on the lake at Sumter.

Your agent will give you a Villages map.......find rec centers and other locations of interest.

Good Luck.

Life style visit
 

Do play a round of golf. They will help you with tee times. You can rent clubs at the country clubs so you don't have to pack your own. My wife is a beginner and she was really self conscious. However going around the course gives you a complete different perspective. She only played shots she was comfortable with so we had a great time.
Don't spend every day looking at houses unless you are ready to buy. Pick a couple of floor plans that interest you to view. You can really get a lot of information on homes online. What you can't do online is get a feel how neighborhoods tie together with recreation centers, trails, etc. So get out in the cart and get lost. A friendly villager will give you directions to get back.

Visit the recreation centers. If you see a upcoming meeting that you might be interested in ask if you might attend to observe.

Ask lots of questions and be observant. One evening while listening to music on the square my wife notice someone with our college logo on it. We both attended a small college so that caught our eye. We struck up a conversation and before you knew it we were getting that couples complete history of their transition to the villages.
We've been visiting the villages since once a year for the last 7. We're still 2 years away from moving but the lifestyle visit really got us started.

The bigest lie you will be told by sales agents is, "Build out is imminent!"