Homes being close to each other in TV, are all active communities the same?
 

Yes, I know TV has it all, but do all 55plus communities have their homes this close to each other? I would like to hear from those that did extensive research before buying here. Thanks.

We looked at many communities over the years before choosing The Villages. Some are just as close, some are closer and yet others are not as close. They are all different. We are fortunate to have great neighbors and no problems. We were not accustomed to standing on a porch and talking to a neighbor as we always lived on acreage. Here you can stand on your lanai and have a conversation with a neighbor and I kind of like it, it reminds me of when I was growing up in a small Pennsylvania town.

I think when you get to be our age having neighbors close by is a good thing. That is why I like my CYV, I still have some privacy but still enjoy having my neighbors nearby.

You pays your money and takes your choice. Why would you want an acre or three to have to cut, water, and fertilize after you are retired? How many hugh lawn parties do you want to host every year to impress neighbors?

Because we had family who lived in Ocala in Oak Run and in On top of the World we got lots of exposure to 55 Plus communities since 22 years of vacations were spent in Ocala. In Oak Run the homes were very close together, in fact too close for comfort. ON Top of the World was an improvement but the homes were still built close to one another but there was a greater privacy factor. We did wind up with houses in both Oak Run and OTOW but decided we’d prefer the Villages. Here in TV we too are in a CYV and despite the closeness of the buildings there is a better privacy factor than we experienced in Ocala.

My brother had a home built in a Robson 55 and over community called "The Preserve" north of Tucson. He enjoys a nice sized but certainly not huge lot with a view. Frankly, although I like his lot size and the homes there the community is a little remote for my taste. He and his wife love it but I prefer a location nearer shopping, a large selection of restaurants, medical facilities, a nice library and so on.

Luxury Retirement Communities for Active Adults and 55+ Seniors the-preserve- The Preserve

Here is a home listed there. https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...61_rect/11_zm/

I find the Courtyard Villas to be a bit too close, the layout is just way too much like a sardine can. It's claustrophobic, IMO. Some of them have bigger back yard areas and more decorative walls than the new ones I've seen though.

I personally like the Patio Villa and even the old trailer park section layout the best. There's enough land that you aren't smelling the garlic on your neighbor's breath while you have your morning cup of coffee, but if you need a clove for your sauce she'll hear you when you raise your voice to ask her (as long as she remembered to change the battery on her hearing aid).

I'm not fond of the larger properties, mostly because I'm not fond of the "planned landscaping" stuff that you're required to maintain. I do like my privacy and would likely plant high shrubs along the lanai walls if the property didn't already come with them.

I know I am not directly answering your question about the home closeness in the Villages relative to other 55+ communities, but we had the exact same concern so I thought I would share our experience with you. We live up north in a log home on 10 acres located on the end of a long dead end dirt road surrounded by state forest. We could not believe the closeness and lack of privacy in the Villages compared to what we were used to. However, we loved the active Villages lifestyle and still wanted to get a home there as we felt no other community would offer us a better lifestyle. So our home search began, during which we drove the real estate agents crazy. Every time we went to a home showing we informed our agent that we wanted to spend a few minutes surveying the outside surroundings of the home. Very often, we ended up leaving the showing without ever going into the home. We became comfortable that as long as we were not on a busy road, the closeness of the homes and lack of privacy in the front yard was something we could live with. However, we needed a backyard oasis where we could go to and have privacy. Since most homes back yards abut more homes, all with kissing Lanais, what we were looking for was hard to find. Finally, we visited a home where the back yard abutted a wildlife preserve. The homes on either side were closer than we wanted, but we loved the back yard. The home was smaller and older than we wanted, and needed a little work, but the back yard worked. We bought the home, built a big beautiful birdcage with a pool in the back yard, and planted very nice privacy hedges on both sides of the back yard. We now have a true wildlife oasis in our back yard. We have seen bobcats, coyotes, foxes, different kinds of snakes, sand hill cranes, eagles, red tail hawks, and many other critters from our birdcage. The one thing we never see is another person, unless its our lawn mowing guy. We can still occasionally hear our neighbors if they are in their Lanais, but not often. We could have bought a lot more house for the money, but would much rather have our smaller modest home with our back yard oasis. They are out there, but are hard to find and take patience. And, we get to enjoy everything the Villages has to offer, which is the best. Hope this helps and good luck finding your ideal retirement community.

An attempt to attach a picture of a couple bobcats in our back yard as referenced in the last post.

We looked at a few different communities, and I thought all of them had small lots. One advantage of the Villages is if you want a small lot, there are lots of options. If you want a large lot, there are still options. If you want to back up to wildlife so your lot feels big and private, that is also possible. It has something for everyone.

Exactly!

Are bathroom window is about six feet from the neighbors bathroom window. If we both have are windows open we can talk to each other while sitting on the throne. That’s really cool.

Buy a house on a cul de sac. Also, make sure that your bedroom window is not near your neighbor's pool pump, and that it won't be when your neighbor decides to install a pool. Pool pumps are almost always installed on the garage side of the house. If you go to an open house, and the agent is playing music, ask them to turn it off so you can hear any traffic or other noises that the agent may be trying to hide.

Agree with your comments.

Thousands or now I should say hundreds of thousands of us have chosen where we live and some more than once with no regrets.

There are too many choices offered by TV to complain about any select attribute.

The choice is an individual one. And we all have opinions about that which we did not choose for what ever reason.