i agree

The right Village for you depends on your interests. Some neighborhoods have lots of social get togethers and some do not. Our friends live in an area where folks are friendly but they on don't have block parties or many village specific get togethers. Our neighborhood has some sort of party or gathering almost weekly and our Village has a social club that is very active with things going on every day. Just stop folks and ask...we've all been new here and we know what is like making these decisions. Besides most of us love to talk about our Village.:laugh:

Don't worry too much about how far the Village is from a square. When we go to a square, it is always for fun...music, craft show, a movie etc and we are not in a hurry. We almost always take our golf cart and although it only takes us 10 mins via the direct route, we often go the "long way" because we simply enjoy the ride.

We just bought recently (resale) and focused our search in Villages that were fairly central to the activites we wanted to do. Some are in the Spanish Springs area, some are more south, especially Lake Miona and Seabreeze Rec Centers. We bought in St. Charles, our house is just 3 years old but already has some of the upgrades we were considering. Love the house, the neighbors are great, and even though we are a bit of a haul to Spanish Springs, we don't find it inconvenient at all. Heck, we're retired! A little extra drive time in the golf cart is not a bad thing!

Jimbo: I think you have it right on the money on most of your observations. I might disagree to some extent on the "many new homes are less than resales". When you factor in the bond (which is not quoted as part of the selling price) then it can substantially increase the total overall cost of the new home thus making it a lot more expensive than advertised. There are some incredibly great values on resales in the Villages at this time, however, there are many who would prefer new and only new.

something that is important to all.... can you get the ICE CREAM home in the cart with out it melting. option 2 eating it while you drive home if you can't:icon_hungry:

Actually, Jimbo does bring up a good point on his post. The part about in a new community when basically everyone moves in at the same time, you are all in the same boat and all bond together. That can be both a good thing and a bad thing.

We have a group of friends who moved in about the same time as us. They are all in St. Charles and it was just being built 3 years ago. They are all within a 2 block radius of each other and they all know what is going on with everyone else in the area. If one person tells someone something, it is known to the entire "loop" within a day. For example, one of my St. Charles friends told his neighbor that his PSA number was 5.5. Within a day, he got phone calls from several neighbors telling him what a needle biopsy felt like. Very much like an extremely small town in how word spreads so fast among neighbors. Yes, it is friendly, but personally, I enjoy a little more privacy than that.

"Point" taken. Ouch!

Now that is a VERY important point. Never would have thought of that.
Thanks.

You Got My "Dog off the porch"
 

One thing that "struck a nerve" (which is why I'm getting my dog in this fight) was the statement that younger people tend to buy new (even though the "young at heart" was added), or below 466. We looked in new Sanibel and saw lots of "not so young" owners. We loved everything on or East of Canal Street. Gosh folks, this is a retirement community. Age is a number, pure and simple. I have friends 15 years my junior who act like they are 100. In fact, my 27-year is actually in bed right now, 6:30 CDT, and he is between jobs. Also, don't think for a minute that the best friends, neighbors, golf buddies and dancing partners are below a certain age.

So please, don't continue this "separation of ages" flavor that seems to be painted here.

We settled on a pre-owned because of the corner lot, a beautiful oak tree in the front yard, bond paid, small pool completely enclosed in a birdcage, two car garage, etc., etc.. We move in a month and only met two neighbors before closing last week, but were more than welcomed to the neighborhood. Plus they have three socials a year, which we like. Not enough "togetherness" that someone knows what my PSA number is! :evil6:

Finally, the one thing that makes TV special is we all came (or are coming) from somewhere else. Being welcomed, even as one week visitors, was one of the things that made us fall in love with TV. I don't buy "you won't be as accepted moving into an established neighborhood" that some shared on other threads. Opinions folks, that is all we are giving here is our personal preference and our opinion!

Not trying to ruffle feathers here, but want newbies to this forum to understand they need to pick out a village based on their needs, finances and priorities. Don't base those decisions on just a few posts on TOTV. We picked our home because it is five minutes to either square (1 need), my favorite golf courses are on or just off Morse Blvd (2nd need), and saved us $40K (always a need). . . OH YEAH. . . DW loved it! :laugh:

OK. . . my dog is "back on the porch". Time for a "five-o'clock" (bourbon and branch water) and put my boogie shoes on! :beer3::pepper2:

Good luck on whatever choice you make. You picked TV, so that is a wise choice! :beer3:

agree
 

Some very valid points. Agree that new homes base price is cheaper but bond is higher. Older home owner may want more for upgrades, bond may be totally or paritally paid. Also used home may have some room for negotiating the price...new home no negotiating the price. New home blank slate and can make choices based on your preferences.....all points to consider.

Yep! There is no best solution, just the one you can live with.

John (jgbama) - your boogie shoes have cleats on them! I know, I've seen them.

Don & Kaz

Thanks for the link - very useful info.

Good point. I think it is a misconception .... "you won't be as accepted moving into an established neighborhood". People are always buying and selling. Neighbourhoods are always changing. No Village is stagnant. There are newbies in every neighbourhood. We've owned two homes in TV, both in areas about six years old. We've been warmly welcomed in both areas, and invited to participate in neighbourhood activities. And now, we are welcoming newbies into the area.

Every Village in TV is wonderful,you just need to do the extensive research needed to find the one that is best suited for you.My final 2 choices,after a year of intensive inquiry, and meeting as many neighbors as possible, came down to Bridgeport at Lake Miona and Largo.I chose Largo and have never looked back,everytime i make the turn off Canal i just have the biggest smile on my face, knowing i made the best decision possible for me and my lady.

Thank you ALL for your input. Although I felt most of the responses would be as such - "whatever you are interested in." Was just curious if anyone had any strong feelings either way about any particular communities.
Thanks for the responses and keep em coming !