[ditzyfitzy]

Where will you Pom do her business? I say that we all change in the pokers for stones......and let them go on the stones. THEN, the builders will have a nice stinky mess on their hands.
Lynn

[ditzyfitzy]

To LM01,

I don't want pre-owned....I want a NEW courtyard and I want some grass on it. I don't think we should let them dictate the way it is going to be---but, rather complain until they start making some of each. There are NO postives for me...
Lynn

[lm01]

ditzyfitzy You made me think of the good times growing up in Baltimore, there is nothing like looking out your door at dog poo #2. on the cement. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Besides Lynn I'm on your side here because I like grass.... but The Villages has there own way about how they do things and why they do them. You use to have choices but no longer in how the homes will be built. Yours and all other folks' options are now very limited.

Welcome to the Villages. Its still a great place to live. And I do mean that. It is a great place to live.

[punkpup]

I find this whole issue of building the new Courtyard Villas without grass very disturbing. I for one really enjoy greenery. I mean it's not like the plots were all that big to begin with. I'm with ditzyfitzy.... I would much prefer new to pre-owned.

[JohnN]

I prefer no grass, don't want to mow, don't want to water a lot, and will be traveling and snowbirding some,

to each his/her own, I'd say

[gfmucci]

ditzy...

Roughly half of the back yard area is not concrete - half is organic mulch.* While it's not grass, it is still organic.* Shelby's (the Pom) "business" will not be done on the concrete, it will be done in the mulch, just as she would have done on the grass.* She knows better.* Don't most dogs prefer to go on grass or mulch rather than concrete? :dontknow:

And even if the entire back yard were grass, in a relatively small back yard as the courtyard villas have, Shelby would make sure we pick up her "business" periodically.* I don't know how they do things at Baltimore rowhouses, but Shelby has better manners than to leave her stuff around very long.* Fortunately, her "business" is about the size of that of a moderately-sized rat. ;D

I don't understand the reference to "the builders having a stinky mess on their hands." What does that have to do with the back yards of courtyard villas?

[Muncle]

Originally Posted by ditzyfitzy

To LM01,

I don't want pre-owned....I want a NEW courtyard and I want some grass on it. I don't think we should let them dictate the way it is going to be---but, rather complain until they start making some of each. There are NO postives for me...
Lynn

If that's the way you want it, may I suggest you buy the NEW courtyard that you want, get a jackhammer and take out the concrete, and either plan grass or lay sod. Compared to the cost of the house, it won't be that much. :yikes:

[ohiogolf]

we are renting but ready to buy a CV in Hadley and are absolutely thrilled that it has no grass so that our maintenance and water use are limited. we will be snowbirds and this is perfect for us. To each his own but for us this is a big plus selling point for new versus pre-owned.

[joe kaelin]

At the risk of starting yet another controversy, I am a Courtyard Villa owner who can't wait to get down there next week to make arrangements to have concrete poured in my rear yard. I haven't heard anyone talk about the fact that no one in Florida can sit, lie, or otherwise lounge about on their rear lawn, front lawn, or any other lawn, without fearing the fire ants, snakes, or other critters that you WILL encounter. I know, I know, some will say, "well you have to get Massey's or some other service to minimize that problem." Massey, Shmassey, I don't care what service you have, these critters don't go away for long, and you all know it. We love our home, but we also love to sit in, and otherwise utilize out yard. :joke:

[JohnN]

another thread here has a discussion on artificial grass, wonder if that deters critters

[Halle]

Having lived in Florida for most of my life I feel qualified to address the concrete yards. The concrete will be incredibly hot in the summer so hot you will not be able to walk on in it in bare feet. It will also make the inside of your home much hotter. We had Kool decking around our pools and it was still hot. We were sure we wanted a Courtyard Villa until we saw all the concrete and lack of green. Also they were much too close to the neighbors for comfort and no parking. So we bought a Ranch and will deal with the fire ants and other critters. We were able to find a lot that backs up to a tract of undeveloped land that the Villages doesn't own and hopefully won't be developed since it is agricultural. A chance we were willing to take for the privacy and cooling effect of the large oaks. Of course right now the heat sounds good since we have had a foot of snow and it is still coming down.
Hope you find your Dream House there are plenty of options in The Villages.

[gfmucci]

I've also lived in Florida roughly 45 years - south Florida and north Florida. If your yard is reasonably maintained, there is no issue with snakes or fire ants, unless you live in the woods. If you have mature landscaping with lots of bushes and "too thick" St. Augustine, after a number of years, you may attract an occasional critter. It is definitely an overstatement to say you can't use your yard because of snakes and fire ants, lawn or no lawn.

Insofar as heat generation from concrete is concerned, it is more related to the lightness or darkness of the surface than to material. Take beach sand for example. Beach sand on the east coast of Florida is relatively dark, it absorbs the heat and you can't walk on it without burning your feet in a summer mid-day. On the other hand, the sand along the west coast, especially along the panhandle in the Destin area is bright sugar white. At noon in mid-summer you can walk on it comfortably. It reflects instead of absorbs the heat.

So, to be able to comfortably walk on concrete, it would follow that a lighter color would be cooler. But the catch is that it also reflects more heat, possibly making the environment immediately around the house a bit warmer. Creating some shade is the remedy. My plan is to identify some small/medium sized trees and to be liberal with the planting around the perimeter of the back yard area. A lot of Queen Palms are used here. They provide some nice broken shade as they mature to 15' or taller. There are many other species that will provide some good shade when they are 5 to 10 years old. My motto at my age: plant no small trees; like Village Kahuna says: Avoid green banannas. I expect my backyard landscape budget to be $1,000 or more. Also, there are retractable awning systems, the one by Sunsetter comes to mind. I presume they would be permitted in the Courtyard Villas back yards

[JohnN]

awnings and shade sound the way to go

[RCT]

Originally Posted by JohnN

another thread here has a discussion on artificial grass, wonder if that deters critters

Would just attract those bothersome artificial critters, I'd think. :

[The Great Fumar]

I had a courtyard villa when I first moved here four years ago....I took out the grass front & back and replaced it with stone (river rock) ....Planted three big palms and many hibisci bushes (for those of you south of 466 it means many hibiscus ).....placed a flagstone path and a water fountain and had our own little jungle......absolutely loved it . then fell in love with village lifestyle and decided to move here full time ...Well WE (notice I said we) decided we wanted a bigger house ...So we have a bigger house but I still miss the neat little jungle and privacy of our Courtyard Villa........

Missing my Villa Fumar