Regrets
 

You have been gone for 2 years so I suggest you take a good look at the changes. Especially the traffic. I have been here for 22 yrs. The traffic is a huge deterrent for me. Quality medical care is hard to find. Good restaurants are few.

No regrets
 

Been here 14 years through all the growth.
You can be as private as you want or as social as you want.
Great life

Okay, here it is: They closed down two or our three movie theaters, Country Club restaurants pre-covid had full breakfast buffets on weekdays (gone!), and Katie Belle's (one of the best night spots in The Villages) was closed to be converted into apartments. Each generation of the Morse family is greedier than the one before. Other than that,The Villages is a great place.

No regrets for me, however we originally were completely set on buying a specific home in a different Village. If we had bought that home, I feel like we would have had some regrets.

Pay very close attention on the distance between the home you buy and the amenities that are important to you. The home that we almost bought was very far from the closest adult pool. We go to the adult pool in our village almost everyday when it's nice outside.

Also pay attention to negative things that could affect your enjoyment like being close to a larger body of water which can mean big mosquito issues, or close to a big or noisy roadway. I have some acquaintances that back onto a very busy golf cart path that leads to Brownwood. They hear golf carts buzzing by their lanai around every 30-60 seconds between 7am-9pm everyday.

And the only theater still open, has rarely had a movie sold out. Even playing old movies, trying to attract more business. You can still go to breakfast buffet, with only a small worry about sneezing contaminated food:clap2:

The age old..Why did KBs close, in “07” it’s heyday people spent money, therefore profit. Then the custom of ordering water, and sitting for hours at a time, was the downfall of KB’s. So blame residents who were toooooo cheap to buy food and drink. Residents failed to keep KBs

Everyone knows taking a loss on business either on Theaters or KB’s will always cause a closure. As far as family they could always sell out, and TV could just dry up and blow away. I doubt that’s ever going to happen. Maybe one of your family could marry into developer family, bet you would have a different thought process

Movie theaters are a dying industry.
I would like weekend breakfast buffets, but if the operators of the CC restaurants thought they could make money from the buffets, they would return.
Katie Belle’s was a loss leader. Closing KB hasn’t hurt TV growth.
Aren’t we only at the second generation of Morse family? The first generation were billionaires too.

Summers have always been hot and Hurricanes have always hit Florida.

We moved from middle Tennessee 20 years ago and love it here. I would move back if I found it necessary, but only to East Tennessee. Nashville area is not conducive to retirement living.

For those of you that have lived or are living in the Knoxville area: How does that area compare to TV (Ocala-Orlando) as far as medical and culture offerings? I think cost of living is lower in TN (property taxes and insurance) and I know TN has the Smokies, 4 seasons and occasional snow. Thanks.

Agree 100% rent for 3 months if you can, maybe overlapping into summer to get a feel for the heat and humidity April-June . The rent will be less too at those times.

None at all! You will not find any other place like The Villages....as far as 'things to do'. Lots of entertainment and options. It's a 'win...win'. :coolsmiley:

Here are four common reasons why some have regretted moving here and left after 6-12 + months later.

Spouse can’t live without Grandchildren. Or the need to move to their grandchildren area, to be come sitter for the parents. Sometimes ending in very unhappy spouse, separation or divorce.

Health, not just unhappy with healthcare, but unable to handle the issues themselves, and need children to help with care.

Memory Care, no longer capable of being in their home, and children move them to be closer

Death, leaving one spouse who can’t handle the loss, or children deciding the surviving parent can’t handle life alone, forcing the parent to sell, and move back home.

One, wished we had done it sooner.

Well said. I see too many people at bars doing the water thing. These places should charge at least $1for water refills beyond the first glass unless they order food. Then maybe they would either order a drink/food, or vacate the seat for a paying customer.

Too many don't realize paying a server or bartender to serve water is a money loser for the business.

No regrets moving to The Villages!
 

We have enjoyed our 8+ years living in Brownwood - having grocery stores and restaurants close-by and connecting with neighbors who have become like family! Unfortunately, because of health issues, we had to move 45 minutes away to be near our son and daughter-in-law since neither of us can now drive. We recently listed our house for sale and really miss all the conveniences and activities in The Villages. We kept all our doctors here since they're so great. We're grateful we followed our hearts and bought a house after being here for a month's vacation! No regrets!

No regrets. Just A LOT of gratitude to the developers for coming up with this retirement heaven.

Lived in The Villages over 14yrs. No regrets. Sold our house and moving back home to be close to grandchildren. You will love it as long as the pull to be near family is not to great.

not a single regret here, we should've done it sooner!

Villages Health only accepts select Medicare Advantage plans. They do not accept traditional medicare.

Been here since my early 50's and no regrets. TV has served us well over many years. Of course, as with any transition there are learning curves, but we adjust, or we change it.

NONE!

More traffic, busy stores and restaurants? Yes. Just as any other place worth going or being.

The life style we bought into 22 years ago is the same today.

We are not bothered or affected by what is going on outside our original "geographic circle".

Absolutely none! Except for the developers, summers, medical providers, restaurants, homevestors, old people, terrible pickleball players, executive greens, local politicians and bad roundabout drivers, living under the reign of the morse family hegemony is great. I’m not leaving.

We moved here about 4 years ago from just outside Nashville. We'd like to go back but it's just not in the cards right now. Actually wish we never moved. Had more room, less nosey, more friendly, more activity that was actual fun, and a larger house at less per SF.

The only negatives are the heat and humidity and more recently traffic. Otherwise there's nowhere better.

Visit in the summer or better still rent for 3 months in the SUMMER. Experience the Heat and possible HURRICANES for yourself and read about predictions for each year to be hotter. Then you can judge if Florida is for you. The Villages has many good points, but the summer is too HOT for many retired people. You need to experience it yourself.

Of course they are and of course they do. But a certain poster just HAS to keep beating that dead horse...

Stone yards are horrible. They radiate heat in the summer and choke living things underneath them.

It'd be better if we used natural fertilizers like chicken manure and worm casings for our flower beds, and replaced grass with low-growing plants like peanut plant, that needs little to no maintenance at all and no mowing. And grew plants that were natural insect repellents, while at the same time attracting pollinators.

I have no regrets about moving here.

Try not to be steered to the very south end, currently Middleton/Eastport. Smaller lots, less amenities and I think possibly more expensive. I’ve been here almost 15 years, 3 homes and owned some rentals. All were/are above 44.

Yes, we do. We thought we would be happy here so we gave it a go. We have been full timers for 7 years. We don't golf at all but, that is OK. Over the last 7 years, the head count here has seemed to double.

This is great for business, not so much for residents in our opinion. Let me explain a bit.

The traffic on main roads (if you use them) is almost unbearable. Bumper to bumper most of the time, 7 days a week with a mix of workers and retirees.
This is multiplied by 3 when the "snow birds" come back. Ugg, that dreaded time.

Most of the "working class" know how to drive. Most of the "residents" suck at driving but, they "think" they can drive just fine. The answer is no they can't. Not a car and not a cart. This is a big issue for us. Drivers often smashing into other vehicles (or people),due to hitting the gas instead of the brakes or just unaware.

Dining. One would think the dining out here would be fantastic, but it is mediocre for the most part at best. Why? Because you have to eat somewhere and with so many customers, restaurants don't need to be "the best", they just have to make food.

There are a few good places but not many if you like good food. We tend to leave TV when we go out to eat or just go to the few that are consistently good, not hit or miss.

Entertainment. The squares are chuck full ALWAYS. If you don't go early, parking is an issue.
If you don't mind walking a bit, all is good.

limited yard space, (small lots). Again, we thought we could handle it. Neighbor's are way too close. If your windows are open and you fart, they know.

If you can deal with all of this or find OK, you will love it here. But, all of this is getting worse by the day with all the "new" places going up.

FYI, we plan to move out. Just not for us, even if we are getting old.

And we are now on our second house south of 44. We love it here.

I would agree with you on the resataurants. But as far as "bumper to bumper traffic all day long", I just don't see that. And we get out and about every day as we are into many activities, golf, softball, riding our motorcycle and going to the gym at Brownwood every day just to mention a few.
But we mostly go North of 44.

We also go the LSL or Brownwood about 2 times a week. Lots of people yes, but overcrowded no.
We love it here, but it's not a good fit for everyone, no place is.
Just my opinion.

Agreed. We can’t seem to find this bad traffic people keep complaining about either.

The worst congestion we see is on the roads outside TV such as 27 through Leesburg.

Morse and 44 has its moments for about a half hour in the afternoon rush but most people know not to go through there at that time.

The only thick crowds we see at the squares is during events like the recent strawberry festival.

None of these make me second guess moving here, but to each their own I guess.

I regret moving to FL and the Villages. Too many people, FL water is DISGUSTING, apparently FL hates nature (loves development, poisoning lakes/ponds, etc), auto insurance rates are insane, and healthcare is mediocre at best.

If I could get my spouse on board, we' d be living somewhere with better water quality, a lot more nature, fewer people, much lower property taxes and lower car ins rates.

Is there such a place?

Out West. I should have moved West instead of South.

Only one movie theater now here in the Villages. We have been here since June of 2005. All -in-all was a good move from Palm Harbor, Florida. This is near Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Oldsmar, etc. on the Gulf Coast. We had to worry about hurricanes and the like even if we were at about 20 feet sea level and a few hundred feet from Lake Tarpon which probably has a few hundred if not more gators. If Lake Tarpon raised 21 feet we would have had alligators taking a dip in our pool and trying to make Mai Tais in our kitchen.

Can you be more specific? California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho?

Arizona seems to have a lot of retirement communities. I remember touring one with a huge fountain.

Sorry you do not like it here but great amenities, met lots of good folks, joined quite a few clubs and never have socialized as much as we do here.