FL move: Villages or shoreline?
 

Hi guys: I'm a single guy less than a year away from retiring and moving to FL.
It seems to me there are two choices:
1) Move to TV get a house and cart and make lots of new friends and commence with having fun.
2) Move to the shore area to enjoy what makes FL special, the awesome beautiful beach communities that put you in that everyday vacation spirit.

Has anyone struggled with this decision prior to deciding on TV?

#2 can include the attributes of choice #1 however #1 can not include the attributes of #2. My decision was easier than your will be since I don't like the beach.

Shoreline like by the gulf or ocean? Make sure you can afford the insurance at those locations. Hurricane insurance is expensive.

My neighbor had a condo at the beach. He said all they did was go to the beach and then decide where to go out to eat. He moved to TV in order to be more active. If you decide on the beach, look for a private community that would have amenities and a club.

I missed the part of you being a single guy just retiring (assumption fairly young). I have had several friends visit me that fall more into your demographics than mine. They all decided the fishing is better by the sea.

You can only walk the beach and stare at the water so many times. TV is in the middle of the state and a short drive to either coast. If you’re looking to stay active with a variety of things to do every day TV is the choice

I grew up on the coastline, graduated St. Petersburg High '68, and also lived in Pensacola for six years. I miss the beach, but when I lived there I only went a couple of times a year, which you can accomplish with a two hour drive from TV. Other activities for me would be golf, yes there are courses nearby, but many are private or require part membership, or are more expensive. Homes near the water require higher insurance rates and maybe even flood insurance. Then the hurricanes, here in TV I've ridden out two without leaving, at the beach, you'll be evacuating.

If you needed proving, go to Treasure Island or St. Pete Beach and look for a condo for under $200K, it won't on the beach but within a few blocks. See how it goes, after a year if you don't like, you can resell it and at very least break even. If you don't mind college kids and like being around younger people, families, spring breakers, go to Panama City Beach. A whole lot of condos there for 30 miles, beautiful beaches and a lot of things to do. They get more real winter weather however.

My neighbor that I play golf with, for some reason has gotten really into fishing big time. He and wife have gone to the beach just about every week for the past year. They even spent a week in Destin in the panhandle and two trips to Key Largo in the Keys. Their favorite place is Venice Beach, they were just there for a week. I haven't been to Venice in 40 years, so I can't tell you much about it. For really good prices look at Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte areas, you can get a masonry home on a canal with a pool for in the $300,000 range. Here's a link.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...oom%22%3A13%7D

Unless you're right on the beach what's the difference ? Those storm surges are getting bigger and scarier.

We love the beach as well but hate the devastation caused by the salt water. As others have said, it breaks down to personal choice and what you will enjoy doing in retirement. For the beach, I really like the Naples area and beaches. Lots of golf, water activities, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. For The Villages, I chose it for the beauty, people, golf, activities, restaurants, and like-minded individuals. I think you would find more of a "neighborhood" feel in TV.

TV or Beach
 

Thanks guys I really appreciate the responses and perspectives.
I'm 64 and was either thinking TV for all the fun or Sarasota area for the beach and local flavor. You folks are right, those HOA fees can run easily > $700 / mo.
In TV I presume there's so many options of things to do and new friends to meet that you do not miss being within 20 minutes of beach.

My good buddy lives in Sarasota and he likes it there, but that's his home town too.
I like The VIllages, and then to visit the beach for a bit now and then.

If you do come to TV, there are singles clubs. There is 3 squares with a live bands and plenty dancing everyday. There is many bars, the MVP Gym at Brownwood I go to has a lot of women and many are single, there's a lot of places. My neighbor who is single and when he wants to meet and talk to women goes to City Fire outside bar at LSL. He also used match.com and met a nice girl that way.

The Villages Singles Club |

City Fire at Lake Sumter Landing, is always packed.

https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...78&oe=601BCE20

Brownwood Square gets some of the younger residents and has some big crowds.

https://www.thevillagesentertainment.../brownwood.jpg

Check out the squares on the webcams.

The Villages Squares Webcams

Zippy, I'm a recent retiree and also single. I struggled with the same decision so I did both. I have a house in the Villages and one in southeast Florida two miles from the beach.

If you can't do both, it comes down to a decision between wanting all the activities and other attractions of the Villages, or do you want the beach lifestyle? Unless you'd like to be at the beach or on the water almost every day, my opinion is that the Villages will keep you more engaged with a wider variety of things to do in your retirement.

If you consider doing both like some of us here, you might be surprised how cheap a decent condo can be near the beach. Check out condos on or near Daytona Beach.

This also comes right to mind, in Delray Beach, a happening place in southeast Florida. You can still get a one bedroom for under $50k. But yes, condos have monthly fees. You can expect $250-600 for those, for all the amenities, water, cable, etc. Kings Point, Delray Beach, FL Real Estate & Homes for Sale | realtor.com(R)

I was also very torn over these two choices. I grew up in a beach town and love the beach. One of my two complaints about The Villages is that it is so far from a good beach. The other is that it is so far from a major highway.

I think that I ended up here #1 because I could afford it. If I was going to live near a beach, it would be on the Gulf and preferably Clearwater, or Naples. But real estate there is so much more and insurance is outrageous because of potential hurricane damage.

In retrospect, it's been a great move. Although I do miss being able to go to the beach as much as I would have liked, there is so much to do here that it makes up for it. I can drive to Clearwater Beach a few times a year and get my fix. I don't know what I'd be doing with myself every day if I lived there however.

Zippy, Fort Island Gulf beach is the closest beach to the Villages - a little over an hour away. Like the old daily commute for many of us when we worked!