Opinions Please for Soon-To-Be Frogs
 

My wife and I will be moving to TV later this year. We can't wait. And in the hopes of having some information to base our home-purchase decision on when the time comes, I thought I'd just float this question...

Would any areas or specific villages fit our lifestyle and meet our needs better than others?

Here are some of our interests...not necessarily in order of priority, just as they come to mind: Sports. Of course I'll play golf. We'll probably play tennis and surely play pickleball. I'll also play basketball and softball/baseball. We'll bike ride for both fun and exercise. (Bike riding is a biggie.) We have two very well-behaved Standard Schnauzers. We'll want to walk them and possibly get them to a dog park. I rollerblade. We'll want to swim and work out in a gym. (We'll consider paying a membership if it's reasonable and worthwhile.) Proximity to a Village Center would be nice. (But anywhere in TV is probably close enough.) We love to watch the sunset. And of course we'll probably find a couple of clubs to join.

I know that's probably a list just like almost everybody else would make who lives in TV, but what do you think? All input welcome and much appreciated. :thumbup:

Your needs can be met in any area of The Villages. If you haven't had a visit yet, do come and visit, that would answer may of your questions.

I was thinking the same thing...you can fulfill almost everyone of these in any of the villages. There are no villages better than any other as far as I can tell. I think the one thing to keep in mind is that in the newer areas you will probably find more people that are new to the area and who haven't established a lot of friendships...therefore everyone can explore all TV has to offer together. Good luck, you are going to love it!

First question to ask yourself is 'are you buying a new home or a used home?' If the answer is new, then you have no choice except to buy where new construction is located. Go to the new members forum and check out some of the new homeowners as they settle into their village. If it's a resale you're after, with the addition of the area south of CR 466A now open TV is probably 35-40 square miles. From the new square 'The Paddock' to the opposite end of Buena Vista it is probably about 15 miles. There are now about 70+ villages and 45,000 homes. If you haven't been here you'll really need to explore for yourselves.

I remember watching one of the College All-Star Games on ESPN around 2005 that was held at the Polo Fields. My idea or impression of the TV was the community revolves around the Polo Fields. I bought new in 2011 and we are probably 6 or 7 miles from the Polo Fields, in fact I don't even drive by the Polo Fields unless I'm playing softball this week or going to the VA Clinic. In fact the VA Clinic is in TV and it's 11 miles from my home. Actually when I moved here from the suburbs of Baltimore, I have probably doubled my amount of weekly driving.

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I can see you holding a fish in your avatar.
There's fishing also as well as line dancing daily in the squares, cruising on Lake Sumter and most fun of all there's over 100 miles of golf cart paths.
All yours to enjoy.
:pepper2::gc:

Yep...should have been on my list! That bass came out of the pond in my current back yard...heheh...probably won't be quite as easy in TV. :^)

I believe that there is only 1 dog park in all of the villages, and that is just over the golf cart bridge to the 'historic' side. Be prepared to travel in order to take advantage of all that the villages has to offer.
There is a major build-out to the south of CR 466A, but there are minimal to non-existent shopping and other services in that area. And no regional rec centers in that area yet. On the other hand many of the existing neighborhoods can seem crowded and claustrophobic to some. Drive around, walk around, talk to residents....rent in a neighborhood to get a feel for what it is like to live here. Villagers love to talk.

Your first visit to The Villages can be overwhelming (in a positive way). The place is gigantic with so many things to see and do. If you have never been, I suggest you either rent a home for a month or so or take advantage of their lifestyle preview package. You can then absorb all that The Villages has to offer at your own pace. Go to a bunch of open houses, both new and pre-owned, get a feel for what Village or area you would like to settle down with, cruise around in a golf cart to check out the pools, rec centers, golf courses, stop and ask questions to any Villager you see, etc etc etc. You will be pleasently suprised.

There is a wonderful very large dog park less than a mile outside of The Villages that many of us frequent, called Doggie Do Run just down from 466 where the Publix is. Oh, and WELCOME!

Hi,

The only two things from your list that are location specific is the gym and dog park.

The only decent gym that I found is MVP in Spanish Springs. I live south of 466A, and it takes 20 minutes to drive there in a car. So too far.

There are 3 dog parks in The Villages. The one near me is 10 minutes by car and is crappy. There is one near Spanish Springs in Paradise Village. It's a little small, but the people are fabulous. There is a huge one up near Rt 42 at the most Northern part of The Villages. I haven't been to that one. And there is a private one, off of 466 near the rt 301 side of The Villages.

Sounds like neighborhoods near Spanish Springs will get you everything you need. :)

Good luck and you are gonna love it here!!!!!!

If you want to play softball you should get close to Saddlebrook. No New softball fields have been built yet and they are long overdue. And according to the new map ONLY two fields are being even shown in the new area. It's becoming a problem as those new residents are much too far away from the softball fields!!

Probably the best tennis area is near Glenview.

When you arrive, you will be overwhelmed by the size of TV's. Even if you have been here before, you won't believe how much growth and building out has taken place. Location, Location, Location should be of main concern, particularly since you have stated some specific needs. The newly developed area will, of course, not have all of the things you are looking for immediately. However, TV's encompasses 32 miles and depending on whether or not you don't mind a drive, all of your needs can be met with compromise. Read some of the threads with regard to lack of accessibility and services in the newer areas and decide whether or not this is of any real concern, but best of all, take the advice to rent first and consider purchasing later. Get a good feel for what areas are appealing to you and why. After all, you may find that your wants and needs may change once you have been in residence.

I'd suggest you look at the VIRGINIA TRACE, THE VILLAGES, FLORIDA website for information about the Villages. It will provide you with additional info that the Villages own website doesn't cover. Also suggest you use more than one realty company in helping you find your villages home. We used a rep from the Villages and a rep from ReMax to help in our search as well as researching online sites. Decide what type of home you want to live in, your price range and the location that best suits your everyday needs - more than likely there will be a house for sale in that location. For us proximity to a square was originally a priority but after renting a couple of Januarys, we realized on a full time basis we wouldn't be travelling to one quite as often. We now live 4-5 miles from either of the present squares and it is not an issue. Good luck and have fun researching!

Almost everyone I have ever talked with says their village is the best village so don't worry too much about location. With so many interests you will have to travel a little but it is not that difficult to get around.