Future Villages resident
 

Hello,
New member here. Looking to move to the Villages in the next 2-3 years, will be looking to rent this January for a month to really get into the lifestyle. My wife and I have been to the Villages several times before but only stayed for a week or so with relatives. Cant wait to spend a month in sunny Florida!

Good luck getting a rental for January as a lot of them seem to rent several months to a year in advance! Keep your on this forum as homeowners who rent out often report here when their renters back out at the last moment. This could give you additional opportunities if you don't find any otherwise.

I would NOT have been able to spend a month here before I retired and still be able to go back to work! A week-long stay feels like a vacation to me but anything two weeks or longer feels like I've moved in!

Assuming your from a cold weather climate, a month in TV will warm your bones and make the rest of winter bearable.

A month will also let you get a feel for the lifestyle.

Do yourself a favor and buy a map so when you do move, it might help you decide where you want to be.

As they say in real estate, "location, location, location".

Thanks everybody for the input. I have a unique situation where I am retiring early then going back to "work" for 2-3 years. Taking a month or two off in between. I know most people go to the Villages to retire, but what is job market like within 20-30 minutes of the Villages?

If you're into home construction, the market is booming! Not knowing what your career has been, I don't know what kind of opportunities there may be for you in a half-hour radius of The Villages. Most of the small towns around TV are not exactly affluent. Prior to TV, they were mostly rural, supporting agriculture and a fair amount of cattle production. There are no high-tech centers or major office buildings of which I am aware. A lot of the folks of our age who are either a little short of cash or just feel life is too unstructured without a job seem to end up in the service industry, working at grocery stores, restaurants, retail, etc., or forming their own small, home-based businesses.

January weather is often not ideal. It is the mid winter and not like the north or northeast, it is still often not the balmy weather you may be desiring. Finding a January rental may be next to impossible, as the vast majority of renters will rent for no less than 2-3 months in the Jan-Mar timeframe, so good luck. You might get lucky but it will be a tough get. As far as employment there are plenty of minimum wage part or full time jobs available with The Villages; gate guard, golf course attendant, Rec center attendant, community watch. If you desire a real job at a decent wage, you may have to go to Ocala or Orlando area. If you are a sales person, then real estate is always a possibility. Again - good luck

If you REALLY want to know what it's like to live full time in the Villages, rent in July or August instead. Then you'll be able to experience the true meaning of "hot and humid."

Seconding the comment about January weather. I much prefer July and August in The Villages to January. I play outside sports every morning, am often in the pool in the afternoons in the summer, and we enjoy the squares in the evening. We also eat most of our meals on our lanai in the summer but rarely in January. However, despite the cool January weather I love The Villages. Wishing you a wonderful visit.

Way back in 1969 I took my wife from D.C.down to Winterhaven, FL in January. We visited my aunt who lived there. It was miserably cold, rainy and gloomy. I said to my aunt "This is Florida, why isn't it warm and sunny in January?" She told me I needed to go to South Florida, Miami or even The Bahamas. We ended up renting a car, driving to Miami, taking a cruise to The Bahamas. It was great! Bottom line: If you want a sunny warm January, go to South Florida.

January in The Villages is tons better than January up north! I enjoy it because you can wear jeans and sweatshirts and not be walking out the door and hitting a wall of heat. Walking the dog, playing sports--much better for me in January than in July. It's sunny and cool. Bring it on!

Thanks for all of the input. I'm kinda of at a weird situation a work. I wont know when my last day is until 12/10. If I can get a last minute cancellation then great if not it will have to be another month. We have been to The Villages several times throughout different times of the year. Generally it is much nicer there in January than in Pennsylvania. Our relative lived in St. Charles are but we like the Spanish springs area.