Driving to Fenney and points south
 

Hubby and I took a nice drive to Fenney, Desoto and McClure area. We walked along the nature trail which was lovely. Within The Villages is just lovely down there.

Having said that, driving to and from points south on 468/Morse Blvd, there is still quite a bit of local housing that looks like Tobacco Road. Not very nice to have to drive through. In fact, there was one home owner who was burning some sort of trash that made an awful stench in the area, not to mention eye watering fumes and billows of smoke. It was just awful. There are Villages homes very close to that back yard "bonfire" when we drove on 468. I wouldn't want to live in close proximity to those non Villages homes.

Please don't take this as bashing of the southern areas of The Villages. Just an observation that is most evident to anyone who drives there.

OP, You are correct in your analysis of the area you speak. I’m surprised that the Village Developer didn’t make an offer these homeowners couldn’t refuse. I observed that a number of these properties have a for sale sign in their front yard. Of course, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Yogi Berra

As a Village resident (Lake Deaton) I can assure you that The Villages has done (and will continue) to do their fair share of burning shrubs, trees, etc, while clearing land to be developed. My guess is the smoke and odor far surpassed that done by the remaining homeowners along 468.

Those homes are all zoned commercial and most if not all have for sale signs, some are now vacant, and a few have been sold just recently. They won't be sold as residential lots and will most likely end up being little commercial strips such as the ones found all around the perimeters of TV with things like nail salons, insurance companies, various retail or commercial small businesses, some of the larger lots may host something even better like an urgent care. Since 468 is going to be 4 lanes all the way down now, those lots would not have been suitable for residential homes. I don't know if you noticed but The Villages Golf Cars has a storefront on 468 now, it's on the North Side in the same building as State Farm Insurance. None of us living down here like those homes that are in desperate need of repair but they were here first and I'm sure had an opportunity to sell before the building plans were finalized. They will most likely get more for their properties than were originally offered by TV now that small commercial developers know what is going on down here.

What about the small cemetery along 468? Plans to keep it there and build around it or relocate it?

That would not be the only cemetery on TV grounds. Look at the cemetery as very quiet neighborhoods with the occasional gathering

There is a cemetery (hidden by trees etc) next to the Caroline Pool/ Mailbox area that was perserved. Little known fact to many Villagers.

We once were interested in buying the house right in front of that Caroline cemetery, my wife ended that thought. Can't remember the price but it was a great deal compared to similar and all of them back there sold. I don't believe cemeteries can be moved and most people are not concerned about them. There is also a large church on 468 that will be in the midst of things.

My problem with Fenney is that it is too far from shopping and restaurants. I live near Colony Plaza, and I still put about 30 miles per day on my car. If I lived in Fenney, I think my mileage would double. It would be about a 20 mile drive just to get to Home Depot.

How many dead people are buried in that particular cemetery?








(Old joke...LOL)

All of them.

It's exactly 7.5 miles from my home in Fenney to the new Lowes so no need to go to Home Depot until they build one down here. We are 10 minutes from Paddock Square, less than 10 minutes to Publix and fuel, 15 minutes to the Leesburg Hospital and Leesburg shopping and very near the Turnpike and I-75 ramps. The stores will come as the homes are sold, they have already started the plazas down here. For now it's no different than what most of us had to go through in our out of state homes before moving here.

All of them.

All of them

A commercial plaza including a Publix will soon be built for residents south of 44. Also a championship golf course. It’s fun to watch this area grow.

I live in McClure (Fenney Area) and it's 11 miles to the nearest Home Depot

And there are always those who are dying to get in. (even older joke)

I stand corrected, if you are referring to the Leesburg Home Depot.

Nope...the one on 441 in Lady Lake

Ditto the above. Meanwhile, there is now road infrastructure in place to come in and out without even seeing these properties unless you happen to have a backyard view of them. Those properties are, or soon will be, too valuable to just hold on to as-is. Most are, in fact, for sale or sold already. I wish I were smart/rich enough to get a hold of one of those parcels and put in a golf-cart accessible gas/convenience store (read WaWa or Circle K). Chances are, if you currently have a view of "tobacco road" (I'm from NC and would be offended if I were a snowflake - haha), you may end up with a view of a fence with a thriving business on the other side.

Geez, nobody bit on your question. The correct answer is all of them!!

Would not be the first cemetery in TV.

It is if you are in the market for a new house, and most are being built in the Fenney area.

Thank you for this information. It will be a while before it's all said and done but it sounds like the area will be wonderful.

I agree to everything you said. Unless a corridor such as 441/27 will be in the future for points south, I would not consider purchasing a home in the Southern Oaks area. I prefer to be a "hop, skip and a jump" to all the restaurants and stores that dot the 441/27 corridor which runs through The Villages.

I really don't care about the stores, I'm close to Ace and Lowes and that's all I personally care about. There are plenty of restaurants within a 10 minute drive of Fenney and many more in Leesburg. There are malls south of Leesburg, can't remember the name of the town but great shopping down there and now with 501 opened to 470, shortcuts have appeared. These stores and chain restaurants that you are concerned about will be down here somewhere in the very near future, retailers would be foolish not to take advantage of the tens of thousands of homeowners that are on their way to Fenney and Southern Oaks. There is a lot of commercial land on the southwest side of Leesburg and that is where I see it going which is great as long as it is not too close to cause traffic such as on 441/27 up north. Build it and they will come, not Sears of course. Come on down and enjoy the south, most of us will never have an opportunity to see any thing like what is happening here for the rest of our lives, watching it happen is part of the fun. I always look forward to GoldwingNut's drone videos as the landscape changes so much in a very short period of time. They are closing 468 between 501 and 301 Monday and Tuesday nights and by the looks of it the 4-lanes are starting to be worked on.

FYI, Lowes and Home Depot are not the same. And, the new Lowes is 5,000 square feet smaller than the Lady Lake Lowes. I have already visited the new Lowes on more than one occasion and then had to go to Home Depot to get what I needed.

It is a problem if you want to buy a new house, and almost all the new houses are being built in the Fenney area. I don't care about the town squares or rec centers, but I want to be close to shopping and restaurants. I understand that some people may not care about that.

I agree with you.

We live in Osceola Hills and we are very impressed with what is happening around Fenney. We love playing golf at Grey Fox, we love the new practice area at Loblolly, and we love the new walking trails that do not allow golf carts.

We often go there on Sunday and walk thru the areas under construction. The new "pitch and putt" course is looking a lot more interesting than we thought it would be.

If we are there on a work day, we can get tacos at the food truck (near Willow Tree pool) we used to frequent when our house was being built in Osceola Hills. They use a great hot sauce.

Before I moved here there were Lowe's and Home Depot's within a half mile of each other. Personally I did not like Home Depot. I am very satisfied getting what I need at the new smaller Lowes, Ace in Wildwood and for a real treat spar's on 44. I didn't come down here to build a barn and I can't think of anything I have needed in the last year and half that I couldn't find at Ace, Spars, or Lowe's after it opened. I would assume a lot of people prefer Home Depot but I'm sure there are just as many that prefer Lowes.

You can build a new home close to shopping by buying a dilapidated prefab home up north and simply tear it down to build a new home of your choice with no bond to pay. Makes sense as you will have the best of both worlds, shopping and a new home, what else could you ask for.

Love Lowes better service and better quality,Plus they take care of veterans all year not just 1 day a year like home depot.For that one reason I stopped shopping Home Depot.

I agree. I've always lived in walking distance to "a store." Either a convenience store, or a pizza joint, or an entire street filled with antiques and boutiques, or in my current home, in walking distance to the supermarket and a couple of restaurants.

I don't plan on walking every time I want to go to these places, but it's great knowing they're close enough that I *can* if I choose to. It's equally great knowing that I live in a neighborhood that is set away from the main road by a few blocks, so I don't have to deal with the noise and lights and traffic.

My preference therefore would be to live perhaps 3-4 blocks from the main drag, and the main drag would be a successful commercial area.

I would bet all of them are dead.

:1rotfl: And I would bet you don't read the whole thread before posting! :icon_wink:

All of them are dead

There is a map, an up to date map of all of The Villages, available at The Mercantile Store online for five dollars. It is worth every penny of it, especially since you are not here. I studied that map before we came here to look for a home. It is good to make notes on it too. Where some of the classes and activities you might want to do are. I spend a lot of time at Laurel Manor Rec center painting and drawing and crafting, and I am an easy golf cart ride from my doctors and Publix and Winn Dixie and many restaurants. I have driven all over The Villages to play golf and if you do not now play golf, you may change your mind. Golf is free if you walk. Also check where dance and exercise classes are that you may like and discussion clubs or political clubs.

Even if you plan to walk, you would be well served with a golf cart and used ones can be picked up for reasonable prices. We bought a used gas cart when we first moved here and I am still driving it and it is doing well at 15 years of age. Gas carts are cheaper to maintain. Electric cart batteries are expensive.

all of them are dead