[walkr]

I've just read the thread about homes with a water view. Buying a house that backs up to a street is a less expensive option to get rear privacy. Could those of you who have a home that backs up to a street share your experiences: car noise, ambulances, people walking by while you are on your lanai, and (my biggest concern) any increased incidence of break-ins.

I've noticed that the houses that back up to large streets like Morse have deeper back yards. So if your house backs up to one of the smaller roads, where the houses are closer to the road, how does that affect noise, break-ins, etc?

I tried to do a search for info on homes that back up to a street but didn't find a thread that specifically covered that. So if this has already been covered, I apologize.

Thanks.

[Donna2]

Originally Posted by walkr

I've just read the thread about homes with a water view. Buying a house that backs up to a street is a less expensive option to get rear privacy. Could those of you who have a home that backs up to a street share your experiences: car noise, ambulances, people walking by while you are on your lanai, and (my biggest concern) any increased incidence of break-ins.

I've noticed that the houses that back up to large streets like Morse have deeper back yards. So if your house backs up to one of the smaller roads, where the houses are closer to the road, how does that affect noise, break-ins, etc?

I tried to do a search for info on homes that back up to a street but didn't find a thread that specifically covered that. So if this has already been covered, I apologize.

Thanks.

Thanks for posting this. I will be interested in the answers as we had the same thoughts when we had out 7 day lifestyle visit.

[swrinfla]

I don't back up to a street, but I've made the following observation.

If it's a fairly busy street and there really isn't all that much "back" yard (I'm thinking especially Belvedere), almost everyone has enclosed their lanai with windows. I'd guess they got too tired of the constant traffic noise.

It was one of my criteria when I bought - stay away from the main drags.

SWR

[Rag Bagger]

I don't think so. Maybe it depends on the location but on Odell Circle the back yard shares a sidewalk. with constant foot traffic 30 feet from your lanai. And then there is the constant noise of lawn mowers going by...I mean gas powered golf carts. Add to all that the auto traffic, yikes. Not for me. We have friends that have one of those lots and they are constantly needing to clean the lanai from road grime too. It reminds me of the people that build really nice homes overlooking expressways. I don't understand.

When we were looking two years ago those were actually premium lots. Go figure.

[graciegirl]

One pays more for a lot that backs up to a street than for an interior lot and many people want the privacy in the back of their home.

Every time I drive down Odell from the square, I marvel at how many people don't pull their blinds at night.

Not that I have ever seen anything...........interesting.

I really have never thought of a lot facing the street as a safety issue. You can't park on the street...

[Mallory]

We do back up to O'Dell, our lanai is screened but not closed, we have a fairly good sized backyard although not huge, and do have a sidwalk at the edge of our property. We love to sit out on the lanai and even sometimes in the backyard and couldn't be happier with the location. A little landscaping helps deflect some of the line of sight traffic and noise but it's really been no problem.

As for the carts and walkers, many of our walking friends stop in to chat and the cart drivers often give us a friendly "hello" with their horn. Frankly, we'd be concerned if we weren't getting the friendly greetings. Ambulances and fire trucks are a concern but more because it means some of our friends and fellow Villagers may be in trouble.

We told our sales rep (Ron Delk, who is the best as I've noted in other threads) that we wanted privacy in the back and he found it for us. We knew the area and bought the house based on his digital pictures and, yes, there was a premium on this lot at the time. He made us completely aware that O'Dell was behind us and the potential for traffic, walkers, carts, etc. As I said previously, it hasn't been a problem.

Sorry but you can't have our place. We're here 'til we croak.

[BB14616]

I guess everyone is different. Personally, I wouldn't like people looking in my windows from the street, and the sound of traffic and golf carts would be pretty annoying.

[Rag Bagger]

I made that reference to expressway homes. Living anywhere in the TV is far from living along an x-way. I am sure it is pleasant to talk and interface with the foot traffic along your lanai after all this is Floridas Friendliest Home Town.

I still don't thnk I could tolerate those stinkin noisey gas carts. Maybe we should start a thread to outlaw gas carts!! Duck!!

[BobKat1]

Originally Posted by BB14616

I guess everyone is different. Personally, I wouldn't like people looking in my windows from the street, and the sound of traffic and golf carts would be pretty annoying.

Same here. We'd prefer more privacy and quiet and would be willing to pay a resonable premium for it.

[Russ_Boston]

Rented a home on Bailey Trl last May. We did that for the explicit reason of testing out a street lanai. It was directly across the street from the 1st/2nd hole on Cane. Beautiful view BUT way too noisy. And May is an OFF season. We couldn't even really watch a movie on the TV when we wanted to. During the day was OK but still there was a tremendous amount of foot traffic which provided no privacy either.

The first year we rented we had an interior lot with a 'kissing lanai'. NO GOOD.

Then we had the street lanai. NO GOOD.

This year we have a villa on a golf course. We are hoping this will help us make our decision.

Good luck with yours.

[gratton]

Originally Posted by walkr

I've just read the thread about homes with a water view. Buying a house that backs up to a street is a less expensive option to get rear privacy. Could those of you who have a home that backs up to a street share your experiences: car noise, ambulances, people walking by while you are on your lanai, and (my biggest concern) any increased incidence of break-ins.

I've noticed that the houses that back up to large streets like Morse have deeper back yards. So if your house backs up to one of the smaller roads, where the houses are closer to the road, how does that affect noise, break-ins, etc?

I tried to do a search for info on homes that back up to a street but didn't find a thread that specifically covered that. So if this has already been covered, I apologize.
Thanks.

Our home backs up to a street, Rio Grand. I was a little concerned at 1st but now enjoy it, You do see all kinds of folks driving there carts and cars but believe it or not its enjoyable, If we don't want to see then we close our curtains. Some of our neighbors plant hedges, The best thing is that you are not looking into a back yard or lanai of your neighbor at all. If you want an addition there is no problem at all either because you have plenty of land to add one. And the best thing is that you can't hear your back door neighbor talking to his or her company and no body can hear you. We have been here for going on eight years now and love it here in our location Also you cant smell the gas from any vehicles at all


Thanks.[/QUOTE]

[ceejay]

Driving down O'Dell on Saturday, we saw people out sunbathing in their "backyard". I, for one, would hate that lack of privacy. Then again, I wasn't that pretty young thing in the bikini!

[Bogie Shooter]

That don't fit TV profile!

[krausaj]

We have a house that backs to Odell, and the noise factor during the day has improved now that the bulk of new construction has ended. At night there's virtually no noise. The big plus to this location is the view from the lanai of the palms and the golf course directly across the street. When we were shopping, we looked at a house on an interior lot, and got scared off because the house directly behind had a telescope on his lanai. No thank you!

[Donna2]

Originally Posted by Lincoln

I made that reference to expressway homes. Living anywhere in the TV is far from living along an x-way. I am sure it is pleasant to talk and interface with the foot traffic along your lanai after all this is Floridas Friendliest Home Town.

I still don't thnk I could tolerate those stinkin noisey gas carts. Maybe we should start a thread to outlaw gas carts!! Duck!!

I have only spent 7 days in the Villages but I don't remember any "stinkin" gas smells. The cart we had was gas and I didn't smell it in the garage or anywhere else. Is it perhaps the old carts that smell?