Yes, some people are able to look at the big picture, and some people are caught up in their little Villages bubble. We all have seen much nicer views, nicer homes, for less money elsewhere. For us, the value of a home has to include a certain level of quality to warrant that type of price. We just haven't seen a house or view with that level yet, not in The Villages.

It would be so much fun for you to go shopping, look for a nice home somewhere.

We who are caught up in the "Little Village Bubble" have among us some of the brightest and most successful by all standards, of people who live anywhere. People who have bought here and choose to stay here are not dummies.

The homes are very easy to sell and to gain a profit from at this point. If someone stays here and that someone is terribly unhappy, that is their choice.

I do not understand the constant negative hammering. I have to believe that we are as satisfied and as happy as our own personality allows us to be. I cannot see how anyone could constantly belittle this wonderful place. I cannot understand.

I agree Gracie, the Villages homes will always be marketable and with the developer still building, there is a relative degree of stability in new home prices. Yes they are rising but not by huge amounts.

Home sales seem to be recovering in FL and prices will always go up as demand increases.

We bought in Kissimmee after the bubble burst. In 2010 we bought our condo (which had sold for $347,500 in 2006) for $63,000 fully furnished, significantly below pre-bubble price. The market had recovered significantly by this past January and we sold for $80,000. Now, I see same size condos in the same community selling for closer to $90,000. The shortage of housing in the Orlando area has been driving prices up.

However, I feel the Villages is different. There does not appear to be a shortage of housing and the increases in prices of new homes are because of other costs (materials, labor etc). And as new home prices increase so do the prices of pre-owned homes.

I think an investment in a property in TV is a sound investment, perhaps not absolutely recession proof, but like any good investment there will be ups and downs in marketability but will any long time owner say their property is now worth less than they paid for it? I would say few, if any.

The exciting thing is that we know people want to purchase a home and live in TV because of what it is, not just for future value.

There are people who bought in 2006 who might disagree with that. And since they were selling 400+ homes per month, there could be quite a few. I agree that the prices probably didn't drop as much as other places, such as Orlando and Naples, and they have recovered pretty well, although perhaps not up to 2006 levels.

If you like The Villages, and want to retire here, fine. If you're looking to make an investment for a profit, there are so many variables in the housing market, experts are saying that housing is a crummy investment.