Keep looking, what you’re looking for is out there.

I was in the same predicament when I was looking for a home in TV. I eventually found a 2000 sq ft home with a golf cart garage and a lanai that is on its way to be my man cave. My budget was the same as yours and I had enough to enclose the lanai to stay within my budget. The prices have dropped a little since I bought my home last year so I believe it’s out there. Patience is the key, it took us about six months looking online almost everyday to find our house and lot that fit our wants.

Good luck in your search

I consider an adjacent golf cart garage essential, not because I have a golf cart, but because space is needed to park two full-size cars and have room to get out of the car. I love the lanai because it has the feel of the outdoors without the bugs of the outdoors. I have never used the patio because if I want some sunshine, I will take a walk.

One of our criteria for our forever home in The Villages was a golf cart garage. It was a MUST!!! Well, needless to say, we purchased a home without a golf cart garage.

The garage has a nice "bump out" on one side. We use the bump out area to have tall built in cabinets for storage. Invaluable!!!

With two cars, we also have a long enough drive way to park one car and be able to maneuver the golf cart in and out of the garage with ease.

These are the two reasons we settled for a home without the golf cart garage. It is possible and doable.

And most of the 2 car garages in TV are smaller than most other garages.

My wife and I each had our separate cars up North. Moving here we knew that we would not need a third means of transportation. So we sold one car before moving here. Came here and picked up our golf cart. Now we have one car and one golf cart. If we need another means of transportation we will buy another golf cart, We know our situation and definitely do not need or want another car, but many times consider another cart. We only have a two car garage and that is plenty for us. If we get another cart still no problem, 2nd cart would fit nicely in our garage. That said, yes, it would still be nice to have a golf cart garage. But how much stuff do we really need, our two car is plenty. If we get crowded, we will get rid some some more useless stuff.

We just moved in back in September. I'd say our thinking was very much along the lines of yours. I won't presume to tell you what you should do, but here is where we landed. We downsized from our home in PA fairly significantly. Not by necissity, but by choice. My wife didn't want too big of a house to maintain (I'm still working, she's not). However, what I concluded, after looking at many houses and many models, is that sme of that extra square footage in other houses was wasted space. For us it was about the size and practicality of the living spaces moreso than the bedroom (master specifically). The model we landed on as we focused our search was Wisteria/Jasmine.The living are (TV area) is fantastic. It easily accommodated the 85" TV I brought down from a viewing distance perspective and we are not cramped in that area at all. It has a perfectly spaced dining area and a good sized kitchen that has a breakfast area. We are remodeling the kitchen to but 40" cabinets to maximize storage space. Yes the master bedroom is smaller than other models, but since we only sleep in there, we don't have any second thoughts about it. The master closet is a good size and will be even better when we put a closet system in there. We are also re configuring master bath to maximize that space. Second bedroom is a surprisingly good size. Third bedroom is a bit smaller, but that is being used as my office and is fine for my needs.

So having identified a model, the thought process moved on to other items on your question list. To wit: outdoor space and garage. We found one with a larger than usual lanai (already enclosed but it's acrylic, so we are having it re-done in glass) and it already had a large-ish patio with birdcage. This was on a corner lot and that birdcage faces the corner, with space to build a[out even more patio/outdoor space in the future. For garage, my preference would be to have one with a golf cart garage. It would definitely make things easier. However, a deal breaker for me would be a standard sized 2 car garage (typically that is 440 sf although I've seen designer houses as low as 400 and some models you might find 480 sf as "standard". The house we bought does not have a golf cart garage, but it is stretched a lot on one side. The square footage of the garage is 572 sf and there is room on the side to expand it just a bit and add a golf cart garage; which may be something we look at in a year or two. There were some built ins that ate up space and had limited utility, so I ripped them out. I have gobs of space in there now, and storage solutions I am choosing are predicated on versatility and, in some case, mobility.

And almost just as importantly, this house was in an area (village really) that we were targeting and we were able to get it at a great price which allows us the flexibility to make the upgrades mentioned above. We couldn't be happier with our decision and do not regret the downsizing to a "smaller" house at all.

To summarize, we:
Priortized outdoor space/area over internal square footage.
This was predicated on finding a model that had SF in all the 'right' places
Look for a golf cart garage for most storage and convienience; however, don't dismiss a stretched garage as a viable alternative. For me that bar was set at 550 sf,

Best of luck in your search. I hope you find the one that makes you happy.

To OP there are homes you describe that are close to what you desire , the problem is the budget you are wanting to buy in . Most of the large homes you describe are much higher price range. Another poster described best , deside what you can be happy with and explore every listing as they hit the market.

Climate Control
 

First of all, consider the fact prices are still trending downward in the Villages. Take your time on your “forever home” purchase. Many sellers should be more than willing to bargain on a good price for you. Personally, I would rent till I saw a clearer picture on the bottom of this whole thing. Then you are in a better place to jump in under more ideal circumstances. You may eventually get all you want within your budget.

Next, I think of outdoor space as not climate controlled. This makes that optional use space as desirable only a couple of months out of the year so I would consider climate controlled space as my premium priority.

Lastly, garages are a definite consideration for most. They usually aren’t climate controlled and fairly warm much of the year. It is all about parking and parking logistics at this point. If you like the garage space for more than parking, go for as large as possible. Remember, a snug fit in the area stays that way day in and day out if you decide to maintain your current vehicle usage.

Wow, I really appreciate the detailed response we have rented both a wisteria and a jasmine. I have looked at many of them and almost bought one recently, but I really want a golf cart garage if at all possible and we are not on a time crunch. Glad to see you landed well. Thanks again.

We bought a re-sale with a 2 car garage and a golf cart garage with a 4' front-back stretch. This allowed pleny of room behind the cart for my work bench.

Out lanai also has a 2' stretch, which allowed us to easily fit a round table for 4 and a wicker sofa & 2 chairs set, plus 2 more chairs with ottomans...

For us, BOTH were important...

I know there is at least one Wisteria and one jasmine currently on the market with golf cart garages. They are out there, just not all that common. Best of luck.

We have two cars but no golf cart. We are very happy that we have a golf cart garage.