[Mikeod]

Originally Posted by BobKat1

The only (unavoidable) negative we've found with TV is the increasing size, traffic and congestion. Most people adapt to it, but going in, it's good to know about these things.

It also depends on where you came here from. After years of negotiating the freeways in LA and San Diego during rush hour, the congestion during the winter in TV is not a problem. Although the summer months are heavenly as far as traffic is concerned.

[senior citizen]

...

[jsw14]

Well, my thought's on this thread is>>> We are All coming & going in some-way or another............

[Army Guy]

Wow, let me start off by saying that I was taken aback from some of the comments that have been stated. And I know I will probably get alot more from some statements that I will write in response to them, but as those of you who know me, I am not mean spirited, I am probably one of the easy going folks you will meet, yes I am tolerant of many things and people and do believe in to each their own. Now with that being said.

1st. My wife and I HAVE NEVER BEEN SNOWBIRDS as has been stated on here. Who ever has stated that does not know us at all. We purchased our villa in June of 09, and at the same time began to get things together to retire from the Army and my wife a DA Civilian, at the same time we did major remodeling of the inside where we could not stay, but where down EVERY Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun and stayed at the WaterFront during this process, then in Oct 09 we began to stay in our villa. We continued to come down EVERY Fri, Sat, Sun, using our car and truck to begin moving ourselves downhere while our retirements progessed so we would not have to pay for a moving van. My wife worked 4 tens so had every Friday off and I took leave and passes since I had my paperwork in. There was a holdup in my retirement and I could not leave till Apr 11, but we continued to still be at TV EVERY weekend. How could we do this? Our old home was only 425 miles away and I like to drive so not a problem, so we where in TV for 12-18 days a month plus Holidays, Leave, etc every month. So once again, false claim we were snowbirds.
2nd I am a man of truth, and for those don't believe what I have said, in my past posts, you are not seeing the forest for the trees. Again, true facts, we went to SS last night and in EVERY Store and where we ate dinner, all we spoke with and the workers all expressed joy that the snowbirds where gone, because of their attitudes. Once again not all, but enough that they are all tired of it. Not my words but theirs, as it seems some think I am making a one man stand against them with things that I have been told directly by snowbirds.
I am sorry, if some do not agree or believe it, but folks these are valid facts, and that is all that I am stating. I could tell you of personal attacks that have been directed to my wife and I by snowbirds because we are frogs but I will not as then some would really think I was telling stories.
Again, folks I am not being mean just passing on facts about some. Just wanted to know the percent of each as it seems we are becoming more of Florida's Friendly Resort/Vacation Home Town.
Army Guy

[jimbo2012]

Why in the world would you be the subject of several personal attacks?

[jsw14]

I'm a Army Guy too, 69 & 70 in Thailand. Corps of Eng. Building roads........That's when life was Fun!....

[cappyjon431]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

Yes, it is good to know.

When we were there in October and November, the traffic flow seemed good and the parking availability wasn't too bad, not like it appears to be during the winter months. Only one Sunday we had to wait in a very long "line" on the boardwalk area near The Lighthouse Restaurant, only because we went "after the lunch hour" due to the visiting grandbaby.
Other times we went prior to the lunch hour and got right in. However, the baby loved watching the boat on the lake when we were seated on the outdoor deck.

I've always thought that most of Florida would be busier during "snowbird" season. I've heard, over the years, many of our friends say that their parents were either driving down for the winter......or returning from the winter in Florida. With our children, we always went during Easter or school vacation or in the autumn.........and the coastal towns we went to never seemed crowded like it has been said about TV. Good "word of mouth" as everyone we know has "heard of it"......as everyone says, the place sells itself.

A QUESTION: How many of you have explored other places before settling in THE VILLAGES. How many have explored very small coastal towns????

The reason I ask is that we met a lot of folks at the airport who were from Michigan, etc., etc. and owned homes in The Plantation and vicinity, south of TV, but had their homes on the market as they "missed boating" and were either in the process of buying, under contract, or looking to buy condos or homes on the Gulf of Mexico.....small sleepy type towns.

When we were very young we lived for one year in Satellite Beach Florida a block from the beach, on a canal .........which went out to the intracoastal waterway. We had to cross A1A to get to the beach. We were very close to Patrick Air Force base; in fact our daughter began kindergarten at Patrick Air Force Base. Our son was 2 years old. They both loved the beach.
It was a small very quiet developement which I notice has escalated in price.
Anyway, we were there for ONE YEAR.......ALL THE SEASONS and there was no snow bird explosion of population at all......it was always a sleepy quiet little area..........a few strip malls. Indialantic had the shopping on the beach side..........and Melbourne (which we never went to) on the mainland.

Just curious if a sleepy little town might be better for those who don't like the overcrowding of the snowbirds in the winter time. Nothing was ever crowded there...........Cape Kennedy was a short ride away. We had a dock in our back yard on the canal............just reminiscing. The neighbors were all retired Air Force and very quiet folks. The family next to us did have a teenage son who was very nice but other than our two children, and one little girl down the street whom my daughter swam with......there were no children.............I still remember the church, the swimming lessons for our daughter, the movie theatre where we saw Sound of Music and the Publix, the library, etc. That's about it as it was a very long time ago. When I google it, it seems to have grown a tiny bit. Again, we were only there 1 year. We did return ONCE , many moons later, while staying in Vero Beach and my husband drove right past the gate and entrance......our children have also returned to see it (while staying at Disney) for nostalgia reasons.

THE BEACH WAS TOTALLY EMPTY...........A FEW CONDOS WITH ELDERLY PEOPLE IN IT. MY HUSBAND SAYS A FRIEND OF HIS HAS A CONDO ON SATELLITE BEACH THAT IS A TIMESHARE AND HE JUST LOVES THE PRIVACY AND QUIETNESS OF IT.

So, for those who don't like the high busy winter season.........maybe there are other places with less traffic, etc.

p.s. We were not an Air Force family but rented from a widow who had a beachfront condo; her husband had been a general in the air force, passed away and she didn't want to live in the house.....so moved to the beach condo. Our children remember fun "treasure hunts" and such on that totally empty stretch of beach........the seashells, etc. and the coral in the water. Again, Indialantic was not far away for commerce. The ride to it was leisurely on a back road.

I think you bring up a very good point.

It is a generalization to say that "all of Florida" has a population explosion during the winter months. I'm a native Floridian and have lived in Florida for most of my life (grew up in Miami). There are some areas that do experience a major influx of snowbirds--Miami Beach in the 60s used to, Naples/Ft. Myers, most of the beach towns in the panhandle (Seaside, Grayton Beach, Destin, etc.), the Keys (especially Marathon), the Orlando "resort" areas, etc.

There are other areas in the state that do not experience this influx. Miami/Ft.Lauderdale/West Palm are so large that it is very difficult to tell much of a difference between seasons.

Conversely, smaller towns (you mentioned this in your post), especially "smaller" seaside towns (Steinhatchee, Cedar Key, Hudson) don'thave the infrastructure to support a large population influx so they might see an uptick in "day" visitors but not an increase in those residing there for the winter.

Then there are the really small Florida towns (Archer, Williston, High Springs, Alachua, etc.) that are barely affected by seasonal increases.

[senior citizen]

...

[CaptainRickA]

Actually aren't there three categories? Snow birds rent. Frogs or full time own. And then there are those that also own here as well as someplace else and go back and forth. I think you might be able to find a breakdown for rental vs. owners.

[champion6]

Originally Posted by Army Guy

Lately it seems like besides our normal circle of friends that we socialize with, all the people we meet are snowbirds. Does anyone know the current breakout of what the percent for each is? I had read in the past somewhere it was 60% fulltime and 40% snowbird. The wife and I feel that this can't be correct.

I can give you the breakout for a small "sample" - 32 homes along a block in Tamarind Grove: 75% FT, 25% PT.

[Army Guy]

Originally Posted by champion6

I can give you the breakout for a small "sample" - 32 homes along a block in Tamarind Grove: 75% FT, 25% PT.

That is interesting, it shows the difference between villas and homes. As I said in my villa community out of 60 villas, only 10 are fulltimers.

Someone asked what personal attacks against us. The attacks have been against our property, by not showing respect for it. i.e. we cam home one day after being out that morning, we come driving up the street and our neighbors who are snow-birds were getting their yard landscaped, they told the Landscaper that it was fine to dump a whole dump truck of gravel in our driveway, so we could not get in to our house. As we have been told by them, "we are not the type neighbors they thought they would have, we were told by our TV Rep, that villas are bought by "older" couples who are snowbirds and not young fulltimers". So all actions such as above are aimed at trying to make us move. They also block our drive so we can't go out, etc. Or how about this, we have a group of friends we socialize with, and we meet at each other homes to have a drink before we go out to eat. I am only talking 2 other couples so 6 people, we sit in our birdcage from about 5:30 to maybe 6:30, the neighbors continually blink their yard lights at us! Speaking of the birdage, when we had it put up and spa installed, they went and tried to get it stopped, cause they didn't want us to have it in the back yard!
Most of the snowbirds around us have mounted these and other attacks against us to get us to move, but we are not!!!

Army Guy

[jimbo2012]

Really?

[Skybo]

Army Guy, I’m sorry you are going through such a rough time in your neighborhood. That is terrible that your neighbors would treat you that way. I guess that just goes to show that we cannot rely on generalizations, because in my CYV neighborhood we have the exact opposite situation. The majority of the villas are occupied by full-timers. Of the non-permanent residents, most are awaiting retirement and come down when they can and occasionally rent out. I think there are only a few homes that are owned by true snow-birds. Everyone in our neighborhood...full time, seasonal and renters...go out of their way to be considerate, friendly and helpful to their neighbors.

[cappyjon431]

Originally Posted by Army Guy

That is interesting, it shows the difference between villas and homes. As I said in my villa community out of 60 villas, only 10 are fulltimers.

Someone asked what personal attacks against us. The attacks have been against our property, by not showing respect for it. i.e. we cam home one day after being out that morning, we come driving up the street and our neighbors who are snow-birds were getting their yard landscaped, they told the Landscaper that it was fine to dump a whole dump truck of gravel in our driveway, so we could not get in to our house. As we have been told by them, "we are not the type neighbors they thought they would have, we were told by our TV Rep, that villas are bought by "older" couples who are snowbirds and not young fulltimers". So all actions such as above are aimed at trying to make us move. They also block our drive so we can't go out, etc. Or how about this, we have a group of friends we socialize with, and we meet at each other homes to have a drink before we go out to eat. I am only talking 2 other couples so 6 people, we sit in our birdcage from about 5:30 to maybe 6:30, the neighbors continually blink their yard lights at us! Speaking of the birdage, when we had it put up and spa installed, they went and tried to get it stopped, cause they didn't want us to have it in the back yard!
Most of the snowbirds around us have mounted these and other attacks against us to get us to move, but we are not!!!

Army Guy

That is really sad to hear. My wife and I are "younger" full timers and our neighbors (frogs, snowbirds, renters, etc.) have gone out of their way to welcome us into the neighborhood.

I'm glad to hear you are not willing to let them push you around or discourage you from living here.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Army Guy

we went to SS last night and in EVERY Store and where we ate dinner, all we spoke with and the workers all expressed joy that the snowbirds where gone, because of their attitudes. Once again not all, but enough that they are all tired of it. Not my words but theirs, as it seems some think I am making a one man stand against them with things that I have been told directly by snowbirds.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Someone asked what personal attacks against us. The attacks have been against our property, by not showing respect for it. i.e. we cam home one day after being out that morning, we come driving up the street and our neighbors who are snow-birds were getting their yard landscaped, they told the Landscaper that it was fine to dump a whole dump truck of gravel in our driveway, so we could not get in to our house. As we have been told by them, "we are not the type neighbors they thought they would have, we were told by our TV Rep, that villas are bought by "older" couples who are snowbirds and not young fulltimers". So all actions such as above are aimed at trying to make us move. They also block our drive so we can't go out, etc. Or how about this, we have a group of friends we socialize with, and we meet at each other homes to have a drink before we go out to eat. I am only talking 2 other couples so 6 people, we sit in our birdcage from about 5:30 to maybe 6:30, the neighbors continually blink their yard lights at us! Speaking of the birdage, when we had it put up and spa installed, they went and tried to get it stopped, cause they didn't want us to have it in the back yard!
Most of the snowbirds around us have mounted these and other attacks against us to get us to move, but we are not!!!

This must be uncomfortable for everyone involved. Very sad.