Is connectivity to south of SR44 slipping again?

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  #61  
Old 12-04-2019, 11:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Goldwingnut View Post
A Championship golf courses are NOT an amenity, they are a private business. They receive $0 from the amenity budget, they have to survive on their customer base alone. If you look at the numbers, it takes about 6500-7200 homes to support a championship course here in The Villages. Less than 3000 homes have been sold south of SR44. A championship course cannot survive without an adequate customer base, which still doesn't exist.
I think you are parsing words. Many folks in TV buy or bought homes with the expectation (expressed in the sales pitch) of executive golf courses and a readily accessible championship course. It may not be technically an amenity but it is an expected feature included in the sales pitch.
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Old 12-04-2019, 12:04 PM
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I think you are parsing words. Many folks in TV buy or bought homes with the expectation (expressed in the sales pitch) of executive golf courses and a readily accessible championship course. It may not be technically an amenity but it is an expected feature included in the sales pitch.
And that is what everyone has. Even those south of 44. Short drive to the courses and free golf cart. What's not to like.
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Old 12-04-2019, 12:37 PM
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And that is what everyone has. Even those south of 44. Short drive to the courses and free golf cart. What's not to like.
Exactly!! We make that ‘short’ drive to a different CC course each week. 15-30 minutes to any course. Love having the selection. Also, I doubt that many from around Spanish Springs venture down to Belle Glade or Evans Prairie or visa versa in their golf carts either. Cars just make more since if you want to take advantage of it all.
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Old 12-04-2019, 02:11 PM
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Goldwing,
I've liked your fly overs (where are they?) and on the pickleball issue I think you have a very valid point.

That said I am comfortable saying you are not one to make loony comments but I have to question this one. First, the Publix in Trailwinds had a sign up "Coming Soon" for over a year before they started doing anything. Magnolia Plaza is fast tracked in comparison. Second, the Turnpike bridge is held up by FDOT foot dragging. The bridge is built and waiting to be placed - I know that from your videos - but they cannot get the permits to put it there. The word is that there will be no traffic stoppages until after snowbird season. Since the bridge is completed and sitting there what other explanation is there?

As to Gracie's comments, the tax issue and the developer are not related, I don't care what anyone says. The biggest driver behind the tax hike is road construction and that is solely the county's issue. 468 (aka Warm Springs) was over capacity and breaking up long before Fenney started, I was down there in 2010 during a LSP and remember that the road was in bad shape (I was a town manager in NY at the time and paid attention to those things). The county DPW manager and the budget director apparently never went out doors. And - before you blame TV for the road issue and being in bed with the county remember that TV did not start Fenney, another developer did
  #65  
Old 12-04-2019, 04:00 PM
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Originally Posted by npwalters View Post
I think you are parsing words. Many folks in TV buy or bought homes with the expectation (expressed in the sales pitch) of executive golf courses and a readily accessible championship course. It may not be technically an amenity but it is an expected feature included in the sales pitch.
Keeping in touch and having the amenities that are wanted by the population of The Villages is a very smart thing to do. I grow tired of this constant looking for things that are negative about The Villages. No one strong arms anyone to live here. The only advertising I know about are the videos which must be requested. The sales rep do not pressure. There are people lined up to buy here and that has been going on for years. If someone thinks they are getting short changed, than look for something better, because this place is selling well, new and used.

P.S. I am not a realtor or a sales rep and although I would like to have met them, I have never met a Morse family member except for the half brother who lives in our neighborhood and that was when he came to one of the early parties and didn't interact much with anybody, certainly not with me.

I think a lot of the negativity is from people who don't live here and can't live here now because of their age or the fact they must still be employed. I think there is a lot of jealousy of the success of The Morse family.

Plus, there is no lack of executive or championship courses right now.
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Old 12-04-2019, 04:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Imagine701 View Post
How about Championship Golf Courses? Are they going to build the same amount south of 44 that are north of 44? Don't hold your breath for that one, you'll be waiting weeks to get tee times and what's next? Charging for executive courses? Oh and the new rates should be coming out soon for Jan-April.
Are you smoking that funny rope?
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  #67  
Old 12-04-2019, 06:15 PM
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My biggest complaint is the work being done on Warm Springs Ave, aka 468. The changes are being done piece meal instead of doing it all at one time. It took a long time to get the intersection of 501 and Warms Springs completed. The work on widening the road to 4 lanes between 501 and 301 is still going on and it has been over a year. The new roundabout on the east side of the turnpike created another bottleneck and congestion, and now after months of that mess and it is completed, then they create another choke point by digging up the road for a golf cart tunnel. The slow pace of construction is uncalled for, they're digging in sand not blasing granite to build the roadway. I know it isn't all contractor's fault as the work is being done by the state, county, and whoever, but you would think some of these well paid decision makers would use a bit of common sense. As you can tell I'm getting pretty tired of detours and sand and debris on the roadway.
I drive Warm Spring almost every day. I am amazed at how well the road work went, keeping the road open while everything got done. If you don’t like how it’s done then you could be part of the solution, use 301 even if it’s out of the way.
  #68  
Old 12-04-2019, 06:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Marathon Man View Post
And that is what everyone has. Even those south of 44. Short drive to the courses and free golf cart. What's not to like.
Well I have 4 championship courses within a 15 minute golf cart ride from me. No need to get in my car. It will be similar south of 44 eventually.

The main point of my post was to a previous posters point that a championship course is not an amenity. It is obviously an expectation and that is why the "free golf cart" is a perk offered to those who must drive.
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Old 12-04-2019, 06:24 PM
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Originally Posted by npwalters View Post
I think you are parsing words. Many folks in TV buy or bought homes with the expectation (expressed in the sales pitch) of executive golf courses and a readily accessible championship course. It may not be technically an amenity but it is an expected feature included in the sales pitch.
That is not true, a champion ship course was never part of the sales promotion when we bought down here in 2017. Everything that they told us was going to happen has happened. We were never told anything about a championship course or another square, we were told about the multiple executive courses, putt & play, pitch & putt, etc., etc., all of which are up and running. Where did you come up with this stuff.
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Old 12-04-2019, 06:54 PM
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If the cart path were completed in January, think about the drive with no houses, or businesses. The only lights are the path itself. Not a drive I want to take.

We are still thinking of moving for the fourth time to the new area. Where you can walk, run, bike without cars.

Our 30yos grew up playing at the CC, now chose a more active lifestyle. Golf is low on their list.
Up north 6 courses that 10 years ago you were wait listed for membership have now been sold and homes or retail took their place. We first came to TV in 07, bought in 2010, we have priority golf, and have never had issues with tee times, unless it was for multiple foursomes. We play Championship 4 days a week, and executive the other days. But down the road I see that ratio changing, not due to rise in rates, but the ability to hit the ball a respectable distance.
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  #71  
Old 12-04-2019, 07:28 PM
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That is not true, a champion ship course was never part of the sales promotion when we bought down here in 2017. Everything that they told us was going to happen has happened. We were never told anything about a championship course or another square, we were told about the multiple executive courses, putt & play, pitch & putt, etc., etc., all of which are up and running. Where did you come up with this stuff.
I took the Fenny trolly tour about a 18 months ago just to look around. It was definitely mentioned then. That's where I "come up with this stuff". I never said anything about a square.
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Old 12-04-2019, 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted by npwalters View Post
I took the Fenny trolly tour about a 18 months ago just to look around. It was definitely mentioned then. That's where I "come up with this stuff". I never said anything about a square.
I was going back 2-1/2 years 18 months ago it may have been in the planning stage as they are in fact in the process of building the championship course. So you were not lied to.
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Old 12-04-2019, 09:28 PM
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Originally Posted by tophcfa View Post
I understand the courses are private businesses, but I consider the availability of Championship golf to be one of the most important draws of moving to the Villages. Harold built the golf first and then sold the homes around the golf course. The last course opened was Belle Glade, which was opened several years and several thousand new homes ago. The ratio of Championship golf courses to homes has been significantly diluted since then.
Vmail - Belle Glade Golf Course - YouTube

The announcement 5 Years ago that Belle Glade would be the FINAL Championship golf course in TV. The couldnt say FINAL enough times.
  #74  
Old 12-04-2019, 10:30 PM
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[QUOTE=graciegirl;1698821]I don't agree with that. The scale of building has increased enormously but building and selling houses is what the Morse family does. Let's not start denigrating people for profitable business. Our nations economic health is based on that, not someone spending government money. (that ultimately comes out of all of our pockets)

I don't think the Morse family is without fault but neither are they malicious scammers. They years ago passed the standard of great wealth and own anything they might aspire to. They don't need more money. I just hope they are still all working together. Last years State of The Villages presentation at the Sharon didn't seem like all three were still as involved as they once were. Granted, even the Morse family keeps getting older, just like we do, and people have a right to retire.

Back to the original topic of connectivity. Gracie has it right. The Morse family is in the business of selling houses. It is interesting to watch where they are building houses. It seems that most are being built in less desirable locations, along the turnpike, etc. I believe that they are building and selling the homes to gain connectivity and while discounting, use most of the less desirable property. Save the higher markup areas to build after the bridges are up and open. If they build faster, and inventory sits unsold, its bad business. Why would you build faster than they are selling? Who wants to buy a "new" home that has sat vacant for years?

I wish the progress was faster, but I'm enjoying watching the process play out.
  #75  
Old 12-04-2019, 10:55 PM
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Well, we also aren't overly concerned about when any connectivity happens or commercial locations are built. From our home here in McClure it's actually a shorter trip time wise to the Publix plaza at Lake Deaton than it was from where we used to live in St. James to the Colony plaza. As far as dining out is concerned we just simply drive to whichever restaurant that we want, usually no more than a 25 minute car ride. I don't really see us going for a ride on the golf cart up to LSL or SS. In decent weather perhaps occasionally up to Brownwood. We didn't believe our salesperson about any time line of the connectivity nor the supposed commercial locations. We first bought in St. James March of 2012, there was barely any business on 466A other than the Winn Dixie and Colony plaza areas, no Lowe's or ABC, or Wendy's, No Villages named Pinellas, no Hillsborough, no Collier & Pine Ridge, no Wal-Mart neighborhood store. On 44 there was just the Chevy dealer the old Speckled Butterbean and Sparrs. In under 8 years the expansion has been massive down south. So, just wait & enjoy your new homes and please learn how to properly navigate the roundabouts and please observe the speed limits here. Morse boulevard and Buena Vista boulevard are not the Autobahn!
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