[PR1234]

We all know that The Villages is THE BEST retirement community in Florida, but where would your second choice be to live? We are thinking of possibly renting somewhere else for a couple of months in 2010....possibly closer to the water. Any ideas??

[The Great Fumar]

Yes , if you want to go the the most beautiful part of florida then head for the pan handle near fort walton beach to a resort beach town named destin , florida
it has pure white sand beaches that look like snow....on a ninety degree day the sand is so white its cool to the touch of your feet. They call it the emerald coast because the ocean is the most beautiful green you've ever seen .......

It has one big problem , it has alabama weather ...december, january , and february it gets very cold at times ......and , oh yes. You can't play golf free for the rest of your life .......not to mention all the other fun things we have here.........

Run up there for a weekend and see for yourself....

Fume

[graciegirl]

Sorry. I have no second choice. It would be The Villages or nothing.

The rest of Florida has beautiful spots: Destin, Rosemary Beach, West Palm, parts of Sarasota and the Keys, South Beach and Fort Myers, but they are small spots and then you leave and lots of Florida is a bit shoddy, or over done, too bright, too colorful, too much neon, kinda....down at it's heels. Miami, once proud, has areas that look like a war zone.

The most beautiful place in the whole state is The Villages. Not a scrap of paper, huge oak trees, breathtaking flowers and landscaping and the people..........oh the people!

[Taj44]

There are many, many beautiful spots in Florida to retire. Naples is especially gorgeous, its by the water, and because of the drop in home prices there, you might be able to find some deals for renting. Good luck.

[spk7951]

If not TV then we certainly would still be in FL. Possibly Top of the World or the new Del Webb community next to totw. We had heard of a small community north of Tampa that is close to the water but I can not remember the name of it (It is not Sun City). Probably would have given them a look see also.

[cybrgeezer]

Actually, I recently made a (very short) list of my choices. TV is at the top, of course.

My No. 2, because of friends there and some attractive local amenities, is the little town of Inverness, FL, about 30 miles or so west of TV.

And No. 3, a VERY distant No. 3, is staying where I am. Still in Florida, but I came to this town for a job and when that's over, I'd like to leave. Its main attraction is that I own the house.

[KayakerNC]

Originally Posted by PR1234

We all know that The Villages is THE BEST retirement community in Florida, but where would your second choice be to live? We are thinking of possibly renting somewhere else for a couple of months in 2010....possibly closer to the water. Any ideas??

#1.The Villages.
#2. Dunedin or Punta Gorda (beautiful small towns near water).

[graciegirl]

But the weather on the shores is a little more daunting at times and the price to be at waters edge is even more daunting. I hope I have not annoyed those who love all of Florida, because more and more I am thinking of it as MY state.

Florida in many areas is like Topsy and just grew, in many areas where there aren't covenants or deed restrictions or just that people are not able to care for their property there is a run down home next to one that is well taken care of. BUT California near Carmel is like that too and it has nothing to do with money.

I am used to Ohio which very recently was predominantly rural and pretty for the most part almost all over. Everyone loves their first home. It is hard not too.

[Taj44]

Originally Posted by KayakerNC

#1.The Villages.
#2. Dunedin or Punta Gorda (beautiful small towns near water).

Punta Gorda is a hidden gem! There was a nice writeup a year or so ago about the area in a retirement type magazine. I like The Villages because of the activites and ease of meeting people, but if activities are not necessarily of importance to you there are other communities like Naples, like Punta Gorda, that are very very beautiful and have a lot to offer. And their climate tends to be a little nicer than what we have here. I don't think Naples got much below mid-40's this winter, while we had weather in the 20's. You really see the difference in the tropical vegetation. Summer temps tend to be the same. As far as deed restrictions, most of the newer retirement communities have them. Home prices in Naples are down about 30%, so there are some good deals.

[SUNNYMARYANN]

Try looking at Mexico Beach just east of Panama City and west of Apalachicola. it is a tiny resort and fishing town with a small population. Emerald green water and sugar white sand. The beaches are NEVER crowded and the people are friendly. You can walk to the beach from any point in town. There is a great fishing pier open to the public no charge and boat launch right in town. The Apalachicola oysters are the best in the world. They also have fishing charter boats available. If you dont want a lot of traffic, noise or neon this is the place to relax on the gulf.

[meriboo]

Go Mexico Beach!!!! It is exactly what SUNNYMARYANN has described. If you are looking to buy a house, ours is for sale.....so we can move to TV. Send me a private message if you want info on the house.

[swrinfla]

Now that I've been in TV for just over 4 years, it's a little hard to remember what else I looked at. Every venue was gorgeous, with great care taken to maintain the most beautiful public areas. And, everyone was friendly, friendly.

In the end, the choice was TV - no question about it.

But, a friend was looking at the same time. She bought in Del Webb's Spruce Creek Country Club just north of TV. Primarily because she could find "the same" house for less, by denying any interest in golf! She's as happy as a clam at high tide, just as I am - and I'm no more a golfer than she is!

SWR