Originally Posted by annie

I want to thank everyone for all the replies so far. It will certainly give me a lot to think about.

You will probably get a quick response from Handie with the picture like that. Just a joke. :joke:

[Donna]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac

You will probably get a quick response from Handie with the picture like that. Just a joke. :joke:

Oh Tal..that is not nice to say about Our Handi...

Originally Posted by Donna

Oh Tal..that is not nice to say about Our Handi...

How many seconds do you think it will take Handie once on TOTV to reply to Annie with a picture like that? I think it took me about 4? :joke:

[golfnut]

When I was Annie's age I was not the least bit interested in retirement communitites, this of course assumes that this is a recent picture of Annie.

[JohnN]

LOL, I like the girls pics, I may be old but I ain't dead.

And back on thread, while I've considered Stonecrest and others (and visited), TV is my choice, I want to be IN the action, not traveling to it.

[nanci2539]

I posted this on another thread concerning the TV bond.

We had our home built here in IL. The builder/developer became a good friend and we socialize with him and his wife often. When we visited TV a few years ago, we were turned off by this "bond" thing!

Over dinner, I asked our builder friend why TV had this bond as it was the only place we looked at in FLA that had it!

He kind of smiled and said that when you have a home built; regardless of where you have the home built; you are going to pay the infrastructure costs. It's rare that it's separated as most developers/builders put it in the price of the home. In has vast circle of friends, he doesn't know one developer with deep enough pockets to pay for the roads; utilities wires, water lines, etc. I asked him what it would have cost me if he, the builder, paid for the "bond" (they don't call it a bond here, they don't call it anything_. He replied "if I paid for the cost of the infrastructure, deduct $20,000".

So, the way I look at it, TV is just being up front about it. Maybe they should rethink this and just put the cost in the overall price of the home.

[chuckinca]

Nancy:

My guess is that it is a cashflow issue. If the developer paid the fees to the local agencies they would probably have to pay them prior to building the houses. In TV where they are building or have unsold a thousand or so houses at all times, it could mean that the developer would be out the fees which could be $20 Mil or more. They would always be out that money until TV was built and sold out.

The developer made a deal with the agencies that the agencies would accept payment by the buyers at a much later date instead of from the developer up front. I would imagine that the agencies didn't do that out of the kindness of their hearts and probably upped the fees to cover the late payments.

The deal saved the developer the $20 Mil or so that he would have had locked up by the agencies until the last homes were sold (maybe for a period of ten years or so - which means the developer can invest the $20 Mil and turn it into maybe $50 Mil in 10 years or so). Good business. The developer makes out, the agencies make out and the (insert appropriate adjective) buyers are happy to pay the higher costs.

[Frangyomory]

People are "bounced" out if they don't have a Village ID but that's only if they are asked for one. Some people use the pools and say they left their ID home and the rec folks tell them not to forget next time. I have this on good authority from other residents and rec employees. And, yes, some of the sales staff of other locations absolutely do tell potential buyers how they can use Villages entertainment, etc. without paying the fees if they buy there.


Don't kid yourself. Everyone in real estate is not totally honest. There are a few lemons in all types of industry.

[gfmucci]

Originally Posted by chuckinca

The developer made a deal with the agencies that the agencies would accept payment by the buyers at a much later date instead of from the developer up front. I would imagine that the agencies didn't do that out of the kindness of their hearts and probably upped the fees to cover the late payments.

The deal saved the developer the $20 Mil or so that he would have had locked up by the agencies until the last homes were sold (maybe for a period of ten years or so - which means the developer can invest the $20 Mil and turn it into maybe $50 Mil in 10 years or so). Good business. The developer makes out, the agencies make out and the (insert appropriate adjective) buyers are happy to pay the higher costs.

We all desperately need Community Development District (CDD) training! Simply, the infrastructure (water, sewer, drainage, roads, etc.) is built in advance and financed over a long term through bonds, the payment of which is shared by new land owners, the home buyers. The "builder" just builds and charges for the home and lot.

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by gfmucci

We all desperately need Community Development District (CDD) training! Simply, the infrastructure (water, sewer, drainage, roads, etc.) is built in advance and financed over a long term through bonds, the payment of which is shared by new land owners, the home buyers. The "builder" just builds and charges for the home and lot.

The infrastructure inside TV is built and paid for by the developer and the cost pro-rated and passed on in each home sale - I don't believe the county came in and installed those items for the developer.

I believe the charges by the local agencies (county, city, sewer dist, water and power companies, schools, mosquito district, library, animal control folks, etc) are primarily "impact" fees due to the cost to service the new residents and are primarily to reimburse local expenses outside TV.

[BAILY]

Gee I just found this site. I live in Windermere Florida .We were looking into retirement communities as my husband will retire next year . We will be looking at a lot of different locations in Fl, N.C and GA Before we make our move .I feel it's smart to look around due to not wanting to move again. But I AM REALLY SURPRIZED AT THE FEED BACK SOME NOT SO NICE .Gee I thought it was fun in a retirement community

[Avista]

Baily, So sorry you got a neg impression about The Villages. We moved here in Feb. from Tampa. Just love living here. Have you visited? What I like about The Villages is that it offers so much. We love traveling by golf cart. Went down to one car, and are really saving on gas. I hope you come see us and see for yourself.

[Indy-Guy]

When the people who live in Stonecrest have guest do they spend the most time showing them The Villages or Stonecrest.

I wonder how they phrase the fact that I am showing you The Villages but I live in Stonecrest?

Do they ask their guest to excuse the heavy traffic as they drive down 27/441 to get to The Villages and say that is why they didn't buy in The Villages.

Do they not show and tell them about The Villages?

I have often wondered how they present this situation.

[chuckinca]

Baily: Got a pic we can see?

Indy Guy: Just guessing - probably just like you take someone thru traffic to get to the local mall.
Since all the TV folks are in carts, sure seems to be a bunch of outsider riffraff driving down 441 or on Morse, etc; maybe the State Police should be called to give them all tickets for misappropriation of TV roadway amenities.

[redwitch]

Originally Posted by chuckinca

Since all the TV folks are in carts, sure seems to be a bunch of outsider riffraff driving down 441 or on Morse, etc; maybe the State Police should be called to give them all tickets for misappropriation of TV roadway amenities.

Not all of us TV folks have golf carts. This household has a Miata and a scooter. So, some of us on Morse Blvd. and on 441 are not riffraff. lovehorse crap