Designer vs Villa
 

Help my head is spinning! I cant get to TV soon enough.
I need feedback about the Courtyard Villas and the Designer Homes. What are the plus and minus of each? Any regrets from one over the other? What do I look for when I pick a neighborhood. Some of the homes appear to be quite close to the neighbors and wanting to know if this has been a problem for anybody.

We have just bought a 3 BR/2 Bath CYV but it is because we like privacy and our dog rules our household. Honestly, I think you can get more house (and yard) with a house (of any kind) for the money. Just got to consider the different lifestyle. We are leaving 5 acres and ready to be with a maintenance free yard! I might have gone for the house if it had not been for the dog! Good luck!

Welcome to TOTV. :wave:

In addition to what you will learn from this thread, you may want to enter the following term into a Google search to locate additional threads that have occurred in the past that you can review. Happy searching:

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Very few CYV's have a two car garage, and none have a 2 car + golf car garage - that is a deal killer for us.

Perfect for us, but . . .
 

We also have a 3 BR, 2 bath - 1-1/2 car garage CYV. We don't mind the garage because we have a small car and neither of us are garage putterers - and we both back up well (the driveways are curved). We love the privacy and think we made the right choice for us.

We put 2 golf carts (tandem style) and our car (Honda Fit) in the garage. Most of our neighbors keep their large SUVs in the driveway. The Bonita garage seems extra deep - lots of room for bikes, other stuff in front of the car and on walls.

But - I have met people who didn't buy a CYV for various reasons:
- wife couldn't back out of the garage without going into the neighbor's landscaping
- not enough room in garage for "stuff." (we put in attic stairs and have some stuff up there (Christmas and grandkid stuff, mostly)

Most love the privacy, although when I was renting I had one tenant who thought it was too private for her - of course, she was renting in the summer and you don't see the neighbors out and about as much, and you do tend to have more snowbirds (gone in summer) in villa neighborhoods.

I have met others who sold designers and moved into CYVs (or wish they had bought one) from smaller designers.

I've met several couples or widows who downsized to CYVs after they got older and/or were widowed. Everything maintenance-wise is usually less expensive, although the initial price might be about the same.

If you can, try to rent one of each. We didn't like the lack of privacy in the "kissing lanais" and the even smaller backyard of the designers that backed up against a (usually) villa wall. But all reasons for either style are very valid.

Hey, don't forget the ranch houses or whatever they call them these days! My husband likes to tell people we meet that we live in a "little bitty ranch house" - and we love it! Not everyone in TV lives in designers or can afford one in retirement. And as for all the "stuff" you think you need when you get here - well, you'll find out you don't need 90% of it anymore and appreciate less to clean and take care of. More time to spend having fun!!

Good Info
 

Great thanks for the feedback. Now about the neighborhoods.. Is it all about location? How about new vs established? I like the part about doing with less stuff.

I love my CYV. It is amazingly quiet here. Also, the fence lets you putter in the backyard with or without full clothing!

By the way, I've got mine for sale, decided just yesterday because my husband died. Want a great CYV in a great neighborhood with young retired people? I want to go back to the grandchildren.

I will add that we felt the 2BR CYV's were just too small, not because we needed the sleeping space but because we just needed the third BR for "Stuff" like computer and closet "stuff". We downsized to the bones but still have things that you just can't part with (like quilts made by my mother and grandmother). I'll probably never use them in Fla but still can not give them up!! In our quest to find the right home we did look at a lot of very nice 2 BR's and 90% of the folks selling were doing so to move into larger homes!

As far as location, it seems that everyone loves their village. Personally, I wanted to be fairly close to both current squares and other amenitities. I think your age might be a factor there. At our age we do not feel like we can wait for the newer areas to be completed and established but as fast as TV moves it probably won't be all that long.

We rented a while and in several locations before making our decision.

Good luck and Welcome!! You'll love it!:wave:

Hi NicknRo,
Welcome to TOTV! We're glad you're here. Some additional thoughts...

CYV pros:

• Privacy wall, good especially if you have pets.
• Less yard work.

Designer (or cottage or Premier) pros:

• Room to expand, if desired
• Larger garages available
• Larger lots, if preferred

It's really a matter of personal preference. Same with neighborhoods.

Neighborhood considerations

• Would you prefer to be closer to town squares or closer to shopping?
• In new homes, you move in around same time as neighbors and often establish bonds on this basis. Many of the new neighborhoods have neighborhood parties, etc. Downside might be construction going on for a while.
• More mature landscaping in established neighborhoods. Lower bonds.
• If you golf, are there golf courses you prefer? If so, perhaps you'd like to live closer to these.

Homesite considerations:

• Orientation of lanai. Some prefer east facing to avoid afternoon heat. Others prefer west facing. Does lanai have privacy?
• Do you want a view-- for which you might pay a premium
• Do you want more yard or less?
• Is it near something that might bother you, e.g., train or other noise, overhead transmission lines, sewerage facility. Some love to be near water, some fear alligators.

Some people like to rent in different areas for a while to learn more about what they might prefer. Sounds like you might not want to wait that long, which is certainly understandable! TV is so much about lifestyle. I think if you communicate your budget, likes and dislikes to your real estate agents, you'll find a home that's just right for you.

Yes, agents, not agent singular. Your best bet is to work with both a Villages sales agent and an MLS Realtor because they do not share listings. Get a written buyers agent agreement with the MLS Realtor.

TV is about the lifestyle and there are no bad choices. If you're a typical Villager, you might move three times within TV.

So relax... and happy house hunting. Please keep us posted on your progress and if you have more questions, just ask.

All best,
P

I think that whatever style you pick you'll be very happy with. Everything seems to be quality. Are there ever problems? Sure. The following is my advice regardless of what style you pick.

The one thing I am concerned about with Courtyard villas is the fact that the majority of your neighborhood is probably going to be snowbirds. That is the nature of the beast.

Purchasing a house regardless of which type will probably result in most of your neighbors being full-time residents. This means more neighborhood camaraderie in my opinion.

I would recommend that you purchase a house on a street that is little more than a year old. That way, you'll fit right in with your neighbors and will grow together and probably develop many interests together.

That's been my experience. That's my advice.

Be happy.

C

The courtyard villas have the concrete fence around them, so if you have a dog, that is a BIG plus. They only have a garage and 1/2 (or that was all wen we bought), so only one car and a golf cart, then no storage in the garage to speak of. Don't know about the designers, didn't want that much house to clean. As for the neighborhood.....we rented for 3 months and looked around a lot before picking a neighborhood. We are very happy with our ranch home, and although neighbors are close, we never have an issue with it. pretty quiet neighborhood.

Pturner,

Thank you for posting this helpful checklist of what to consider when selecting a home style and neighborhood.

More than one person has said that the courtyard villa neighborhoods have a higher percentage of snowbirds versus frogs -- I wonder why that is?

NicknRo:

:welcome: to TOTV. This is an excellent post by Pturner. A very smart lady.

P:

Can I hire you as a consultant when I'm ready to buy something in TV? :)

CYV vs. House
 

I think it's easier to leave a CYV for extended periods of time because of less maintenance like yard work. That may be why there are more snow birds buying them.