SOOOO Much to Learn!
 

We are life-long Michigan residents who have traveled in our motorhome when vacationing and "snowbirding", and discovered TV this winter! Well.....needless to say, we came home at Christmas and listed our home in Michigan and will be moving to one of your neighborhoods as soon as our home sells! :a040: We have soooooooooooo much to learn! My husband and I have been frequenting many forums and TV sites, trying to learn about home humidity control, landscaping, bug control, etc. in Florida.....as it differs greatly from Michigan. We'd would also welcome any and all advice offered on any topic! We've found a wonderful Village Real Estate Agent, as well as a great MLS Agent that understands the area.
Thank you in advance! :bigbow:

Just a few initial things. Read the new member forum and the sticky above the general forum on helpful advice. Remember everyone has opinions, but where you live, the type of house, and amenities you want to be close to are individual decisions that should be made with your real estate agent. Be fully informed on bonds, taxes, amenity and other fees you will be paying in various areas. Good luck on your journey.

you might want to consider renting for 6 months to get aquatinted with everything that is here. We have new neighbors that did exactly that and found their dream home.

We sent you a PM Len & Mary

I highly recommend you buy the book by Ryan Erisman, Inside The Bubble - A Complete Guide To The Villages.
This book was extremely valuable and helpful to us as we tried to learn details about The Villages as we planned our move 5 years ago. The book is constantly updated and I believe it is available online at:
Inside the bubble.net

We moved to the Villages from Michigan five years ago and have really enjoyed ourselves. One thing to remember is that you will have to unclutter. Your home in TV will not have a basement and you will not have an attic. Besides your vehicles, your garage will be you primary storage space.
Most of the furniture we now have was purchased after we move here. Our furniture from Michigan didn't seem to go well in Florida. It makes little sense to move furniture here from Michigan if you're going to replace it after moving. Good luck on your move and welcome.

Yes I would consider renting. Probably furnished. Consider storing your stuff in pods.
VH4R Home Rentals in The Villages

You can learn lots of good information at this website:
Village Community Development Districts

And lots more great information here:
Welcome Back

When you get here, join the Michigan club.

The Michigan Club South (for people who live south of County Road 466) is one of the best clubs in The Villages! Good luck on your move. You will love it here!

Rent first
 

Air bnb has lots of rentals. You need to get a feel if what’s important to you . Fir us, it was proximity to Publix and banks, restaurants etc. we live in polo ridge

Pelican roost is a rental available after May 24. Comes with golf cart. Try the place to see where you want to be

We retired one year ago and decided to move to TV from Colorado although we both grew up in MI, and yes, renting a home makes perfect sense. We downsized considerably and still had a large moving truck which I'm glad we didn't get rid of everything, nice to not have everything in our lives completely different. Renting an unfurnished home is much less expensive and gave us a chance to breathe and get to know the different areas. TV is very diverse and has a lot to offer. We had a 12 mo lease, found a home in August, closed in Sept and the landlords were kind enough to let us out of our lease a couple months early. We love it, you will too! Merry Christmas!

I just looked this book up on Amazon and it is listed for $610.30! At the Inside the Bubble.net the ebook is $27.00, paperback $47.00.

Renting worked for us.
 

I am very happy we rented prior to buying. I was 100% positive I wanted a 3 bedroom courtyard villa on a large corner lot. That is exactly what we rented. After 2 months I knew that would never work. Every window faced a wall except a small kitchen window over the sink. It was claustrophobic for me. We landed up with a large designer on a pie shaped piece of property. Put in a pool and birdcage and I am 100% happy.

Here are some threads that discuss some topics that may be of interest.
CAUTION: Like everywhere else we have the Debbie downers that find something negative to say. I would disregard their comments.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...light=villager

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...light=villager

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...oving+villages

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...oving+villages

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...oving+villages

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...oving+villages