[Tom C]

Ok, I know this is like asking, “What is your favorite Wine?”, but here goes...

If you had to do it all over again, What are the TOP 3 things you would insist on having (including location within The Villages) for your your home?

Please don’t pick on others input, just tell me YOUR top 3 and WHY. I am hoping to sharpen my list (yes, I have my top 3, but YOU could change that!).

PS - My beautiful bride has her top 3 also, so we may be seeking our top 6!

Thank you!!

[Gpsma]

1. Bigger lanai
2. Bigger slab outside the lanai to cook
3.Bigger garage

Big Courtyard Villa
2 car garage
Location near LSL

These were our must haves

[eweissenbach]

1. Bigger Garage
2. Bigger lanai
3. Bigger Garage

[tophcfa]

Location, enough room for a pool, and privacy in our back yard where the pool would go in. We did all three and are very happy with our choice. Would not do anything different given the budget we had to work within. If there is anything we would like to be better about our home it would be either a bigger garage or a separate golf cart garage. And don't underestimate the importance of the privacy in the back yard. I guess peoples home locations in their past life dictate this requirement. People who move from NYC might not be comfortable with privacy and prefer being next to a town square or on a busy road listening to sirens most of the day. Folks like us, who are from the country, value our privacy dearly, and one of the biggest problems finding the right home in the Villages is that almost all reasonably affordable homes are right on top of each other with back yards that literally kiss each other.

[Nucky]

Location, Location, Location. I know the old saying but it is a little different here. You could have the perfect spot and if you like to have friendly neighbors and don't then your spot is a dud. Everyone wants to be close to the square. I think this is the most overly rated consideration that new people have. Once your here a week it doesn't really matter. Bigger, fancier is bettererer. Not a chance. We have a Manufactured Home that is about 1500 Sq Ft and it is much too big.

1) Friendly Neighborhood without being overbearing. (You can find this out B/4 buying)
2) Being Close to the Neighborhood Pool and Shopping turned out to be important although we didn't know it beforehand.
3) Something smaller than what you are accustomed to because the kids are not going to be hawking a meal from you on a constant basis. As you age
smaller is better.
4) Take your time but don't suffer from Analysation Paralyzation. Jump in. Chances are you will be alright. Check the neighborhood for undesirables thru the
Police Dept.
5) I always wondered what the unknown would be? You know the Dealkiller! After two years No surprises yet. (A little surprised at having no power for a
week after
Irma). I believe lessons were learned by everyone and next time (God Forbid) will be better.
6) We hope you guys move into our neighborhood. It's older and not for everyone but it is where we are going to stay. There was some talk of moving but
that has
seemed to have subsided. If we want a house we will build new over here In the Hysterical Section or buy a house a few years old. Keep in touch. Your
house is here.

[CFrance]

1. CYV with either the back wall looking over a street instead of someone else's roof, or a view
2. No grass
3. Enclosed lanai leading to patio with awning.

I've found it, but the owner doesn't want to sell it yet.

[Two Bills]

1. Get a really fast Golf Cart. (30mph minimum)

2. Get a 'Special Person Pass' that lets me park anywhere, ignore stop signs, save seats on squares, and in general be a PIA..

3. Learn to smoke Humungous Cigars, so I can stink out the squares, whilst getting drunk and objectionable at City Fire bar.

Oh! and a bigger garage!

[Chatbrat]

astro turf instead of grass

3 car garage-instead of 2 + golf cart

[ColdNoMore]

1. Separate golf cart garage.
2. Wider/deeper 2 car garage (if they make them bigger than my current 2 car garage).
3. No huge, moss-shedding oak in the yard.

Then again, more garage would probably just lead to more stuff...of which I already have enough.

[l2ridehd]

I am one of the many who moved after buying here. And there were reasons why we did it. As all the above have already stated, a bigger garage. I now have a 3 car over 1000 sq ft and it's just about right. Neighborhood. Some are very active and some do nothing. Find out what the one you're planning to buy in does. We could stay busy 7 days a week just doing neighborhood things. Golf, Bocce, parties, travel, dinners, there are so many planned activities in our neighborhood it's mind boggling. But believe me that is a good thing. They are not all that way. Some it's hard to get anything going. Home space for the things you do. Could mean small or it could mean big. Think about what you want to do. Are you having lots of grandkids and guests? Do you have hobbies that need space? Or do you want to travel and never be home? Think all those things through before deciding what size home you want.

1. Garage size
2. Neighborhood
3. House size based for YOUR lifestyle

Things that you think are important but are not.
1. Being close to a square. Once your here full time you go maybe once a month.
2. Back yard privacy. Nice to have but a lower priority. You can landscape that issue away if necessary. Except backing to a busy street. And those are any street in bold print on the Villages map. That is an issue you can never fix. And the golf carts and dog walkers start at O dark 30.
3. Close to shopping. It's actually close almost everywhere. And you really only go once a week at most.
4. Close to decent medical care. If this is an issue, don't move here. It's poor here at best case. Worst of any place I have ever lived. Fortunately I don't need much yet, so it's OK.
5. Close to places to eat out. There is not a single eating place in the Villages worth being near. All are just OK at best.

[birdiebill]

1. Designer home around 1800 to 1900 sq ft of living space in Sumter County on a basic lot with at least offset lanais with the house behind us.
2. Had to have a two car and a golf cart garage even though we only have one car. But we have two golf carts.
3. After looking at many different designer homes at open houses, we had to have a certain open floor plan in the living/dining area like was in the Sunflower/Begonia series and a Roman shower in the master bath.
4. A slightly enlarged lanai and three foot expansion on the den/third bedroom.

[Madelaine Amee]

Rear view is a Championship GC between SS and LSL and no further south than Miona.

A 3/2 ranch which you have re-designed to suit YOU. The ranch has no wasted space.

Oversized sun room overlooking GC.

I have all of that and I am not moving.

[Bay Kid]

Bigger garage!

[dewilson58]

Since our purchase, we have:

1) Expanded our three stall garage into four stall.

2) Put on a birdcage, out door kitchen and a bar area.

3) Crown molding, driveway & landscaping.

Now all that said..........we did this intentionally. It is much cheaper to do this after-market and we had a much better variety of improvement options to choose from.

Sooooooooooo, if we did it All Over??.......we would change NOTHING.
(whoops, wrong thread)