[margaretmattson]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Lopez Legacy isn't close to the town squares. It's around 25 minutes by golf cart to Sumter, and around 20 minutes by golf cart to Spanish Springs. Longer for shopping other than the Publix plaza on 441 next to the hospital.

Palmer Legends is very close to Sumter Landing - just a few minutes away.

Lopez is 6 miles from Spanish Springs and 7 miles from Lake Sumter. Lots of shopping and restaurants on 466 are approx 8 miles.

If you purchase on the Morse Blvd side instead of Buena Vista , both squares will be 2-4 miles away. Shopping and restaurants can be reached in minutes in nearly every direction. Brownwood is 9 miles away. Sawgrass Grove 12 miles. Plus MANY golf courses scattered throughout.

[rrman77]

Originally Posted by Craig Vernon

It has been said that villagers on average move three times and many answers have been given as to why. The logical answer is that villagers moved three times because they could due to a stable six percent appreciation of value on their homes. Current inflated values from COVID may not allow for three moves so I hope I get my purchase right the first time.... Coming soon to a village near you.

So friends and family can't find you 😂🤪😂

[Craig Vernon]

Wow...Thank you all for the great insight. Wife and I will be in for the month of May and the research will continue. Retirement end of this year or soon after. If new build will take 4-6 months per VLS agent. Thanks again one and all. Be thankful for all you have in TV!

[Guzzel]

Spot on!!

[FloridaLady]

I have lived here a few years and still have just under 2 from retirement age. Financially it was not possible for me to rent for a month before moving and still pay my rent up north. Lifestyle visit or 2 can be enough. Decided like Sumter area best so that makes it easier. No plans to move again

[Packer Fan]

Craig - here is my take. That villagers all move 3 times ranks up there with "The villages is the VD capital of the world", and "The Lufa's are for swinging". The problem is SIMPLE MATH. Now math is not a strong suit for most people, so here it is. Since I bought in Hillsborough in 2014, I would say conservatively half the residents are original. This would mean that the half that moved would ALL have to move elsewhere in TV and ALL have to move 6 times to average 3. The idea is rediculous on its face. Now some do move 3 times, some more, but it is not the norm.

To be honest, I think you have been around the villages enough times to know where everything is, and where you want to buy. Just be thoughtful, and don't over downsize and you will be fine.

[Dilligas]

Tip…..buy location and view and livable size for next 20-30 years. Get larger garage than you think necessary. Don’t need 4/5 bedrooms for 1 or 2 weeks of visitors.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Villagevip

Three moves in T.V. is obvious... Everyone gives up, on the third move...

Like baseball. Three strikes and you are out.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by JRcorvette

Yep we are on house number 4… 1 small to see if we liked it we were snowbirds. 2 A larger house but it backed up to Powell Rd which got crazy busy. 3 A 4 br with a pool and spa. The pool was expensive and not used all that much and we made a ton of money on the sale. 4 A 3 BR no pool but a large birdcage area and outdoor kitchen…. Perfect.

I find it humorous that people want their OWN pool. Then they do at least some of the maintenance on it, but they often won't cut their OWN GRASS. The main reason that I go to a neighborhood pool is to socialize with the neighbors. And, I can enjoy it WITHOUT having to maintain it.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Switter

Yeah, I think this is the scenario I'm in. I bought last summer and probably overpaid a little for the place I bought, but I also sold my place in Minnesota for a great profit and was able to reduce my mortgage down here significantly. I don't think I could swing that again.

I think if you can find an area you like you should be OK. For example, if you like the quiet, then you don't wanna be right on a busy road like Morse, Buena Vista, or the turnpike and you wouldn't want to be too close to a rec center (Pickleball courts) or town square. I remember I was looking at a cheaper place on El Camino Real that backed right up to the road, which can get pretty busy. After I bought my place I would regularly drive on El Camino Real and noticed a sewer smell close to the location of the other house. Turns out there's a sewer plant nearby. Really glad I didn't buy that place.

From my observations, the north part of the villages has less traffic. This is probably because as the villages goes south, it gets geographically wider, which means more homes, more people, and more traffic. That's not necessarily good or bad it just depends on what you like.

The north (north of 466) is more like regular neighborhoods with mature oak trees, whereas as you go south it's more palm trees and resort-like.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, it's very easy to get distracted by aesthetics of the villages while looking around (because it's all so beautiful) and you can end up missing the little things in a specific location that could turn out to be really important for you later on. I suspect that accounts for at least some of people who move multiple times.

One thing happened to us was that we moved to a house on a lake. Which was very nice most of the time. Then SURPRISE !!!! in 2017 it dried up during June or July and then in September, Irma hit and filled it back up. While the lake was dried out, besides all the fish dying out, the area started to SMELL like swamp gas as the underwater vegetation dried out and DECAYED. Then and to this day, I believe that the powers that be pumped out the lake during the drought to WASTE the water by spraying it out over the various GOLF COURSES. I imagine that golf course grass is more important than human lungs getting messed up by the STINK of swamp gas.
.....So, basically, everything has an upside and a downside. The trick with real estate is to TRY and visualize if there are any downsides that you don't see at first.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

I find it humorous that people want their OWN pool. Then they do at least some of the maintenance on it, but they often won't cut their OWN GRASS. The main reason that I go to a neighborhood pool is to socialize with the neighbors. And, I can enjoy it WITHOUT having to maintain it.

You must be very old school or haven’t owned a pool in a very long time.

Maintenance on a pool in modern day is walk out start clean program from IPhone drop C3PO pool robot (name optional) sit, enjoy a book, have a cold drink and 90 minutes later pool sides, bottom, and steps completely clean of all debris. Control pool completely from IPhone.

Every Monday take water sample for free testing while out for lunch. 3 minutes to drop in chemical. Done. Heating, chemical, on salt water for 18x32’ is $36 on month.

We also have Chillers for summers that you won’t find in any public pool in TV. Even in Winter with liquid cover we rarely drop more than 4 degrees. Swim 4 miles a day year round, anytime I choose. I love peace and quiet and midnight swims.

We have weekly dine arounds at homes and restaurants with 4-40 friends

Not sure why everyone say pools are work. Maybe just not up on todays pool maintenance

Oh we mow our own lawn with ECO mower, blower, trimmer. We have WIFI vacuum /mop robot for inside (R2D2) along with WiFi washer/dryer, and range. Life is no longer a chore or requires cleaning services that we used while working.

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by asianthree

You must be very old school or haven’t owned a pool in a very long time.

Maintenance on a pool in modern day is walk out start clean program from IPhone drop C3PO pool robot (name optional) sit, enjoy a book, have a cold drink and 90 minutes later pool sides, bottom, and steps completely clean of all debris. Control pool completely from IPhone.

Every Monday take water sample for free testing while out for lunch. 3 minutes to drop in chemical. Done. Heating, chemical, on salt water for 18x32’ is $36 on month.

We also have Chillers for summers that you won’t find in any public pool in TV. Even in Winter with liquid cover we rarely drop more than 4 degrees. Swim 4 miles a day year round, anytime I choose. I love peace and quiet and midnight swims.

We have weekly dine arounds at homes and restaurants with 4-40 friends

Not sure why everyone say pools are work. Maybe just not up on todays pool maintenance

Oh we mow our own lawn with ECO mower, blower, trimmer. We have WIFI vacuum /mop robot for inside (R2D2) along with WiFi washer/dryer, and range. Life is no longer a chore or requires cleaning services that we used while working.

Having to remove solar panels, then reinstall, when roof needs repaired or replaced, constant monitoring of chemicals, leaves, cleaning large lanai (especially after heavy rain or wind storm), covering when toddlers are around. No thanks! We sold our home with pool and will not get another.

[DeweyBeach]

Not sure I would move villages just to be closer to friends we made. The reason we chose TV is because of all the options with activities and networking. Crowding your eggs in one basket invites broken hearts and wallets.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

Lopez is 6 miles from Spanish Springs and 7 miles from Lake Sumter. Lots of shopping and restaurants on 466 are approx 8 miles.

If you purchase on the Morse Blvd side instead of Buena Vista , both squares will be 2-4 miles away. Shopping and restaurants can be reached in minutes in nearly every direction. Brownwood is 9 miles away. Sawgrass Grove 12 miles. Plus MANY golf courses scattered throughout.

They specified they were looking at either Lopez or Palmer.

Lopez doesn't have a "Morse Blvd side." It's off of Buena Vista, wayyyy up at the very top of The Villages. Their reasoning was close proximity to shopping and the town squares. Lopez doesn't have a close proximity to shopping or town squares, it's miles away from both. Palmer, on the other hand, is less than a mile from Sumter, and depending on which village near Palmer you choose, it's in walking distance.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by huge-pigeons

I know people that have moved 7 times within the villages. I also know many couples who have moved 3 or more times.
Within 6 months after buying a new designer home, we were looking.
Some of the responses on this site were right on like not knowing the area 1st before buying. When new in TV, you have no clue where are all your clubs are, pickleball/tennis groups play, shopping to match your lifestyle, new or used home, pond view/golf course view, pool, and many more. I know friends that move every 2 years to live off this income in retirement.
There are also many people leaving the older sections of the villages to move to the younger crowd/new homes south of 44, and now south of meggison.
When traveling in the north parts of the villages, the houses look small and dated, and I can see why people move around in the villages.i know people that sold their designer homes south of 44 and bought in Richmond and Newell to come out with cash after selling their original homes.
Even staying for a month in the villages doesn’t give you enough time to figure out all you can do here and where do you want to live. If you don’t mind traveling to go to places, then you can live anywhere in the villages. If you want new, you have no choice: you are going to meggison or further south.

Just curious.......which north parts of The Villages are you referring to? North of 466, south of 466 or both? I'm in the LSL area and wondering if you are referring to this area as having "homes that look small and dated."