Do absolutely have to have a new home? Plenty of pre- owned choices up north in established neighborhoods.

Relocating? I hope that you are aware that the summers here get very HOT. But, if you insist, I would locate within walking distance of a Recreation Dept that has a swimming pool to keep cool in.

Keep in mind that in many of the areas south of 466 you will be paying County and City property tax which will add an additional few thousand dollars to your property taxes. You will also have fewer amenities, pay more for city water, sewer and garbage adding an additional few hundred dollars per month to your cost of living and of course have a $25,000 plus additional bond to pay off. Most every home north of 466 has the bond already paid off, has mature landscaping, pays lower taxes and monthly costs and has plenty of new younger owners buying in, also they have many less homes being rented out weekly, so you have more stable neighbors, lots less noise and no construction traffic. Not saying one area is better than the other, just giving you monetary and other things to consider. Do come down several times to check out all the areas before you buy. Been here 21+ years and love it here.

Unless the fence is concrete and above your head, it will not stop noise. Trees and shrubs will not stop noise either. They are great for privacy, but I was told by a noise expert long ago that if water can pass through any barrier, so will noise.

With the thousands of homes in The Villages, why would you select a home near a highway or busy road? When it comes to real estate -- Location.... Location.... Location.

Asianthree's advice not to listen to those with no experience is incorrect. I lived in that area and sold because of the road noise. You must know that weather changes the sound levels all throughout the day and drastically so.

We're backed by 4 lane traffic on Buena Vista Blvd.
 

But very close to all that is going to be at Eastlake, no need to go to Lake Sumter.

This is a complex question to answer. There are numerous and varied factors to consider as noted by the numerous & varied responses. Bottom line – it’s a very subjective issue, as noted by the numerous & varied responses.
We were in the same position as you a few years ago. We drove to the empty lot we had selected for our future retirement home. It was about 8 pm, rolled down the windows & listened for the turnpike. Immediately, it was too loud for us so we transferred the downpayment to a spec house about 1 mile away. We’ve been here now for 5 years. We still hear the turnpike albeit not 100% of the time but in the mornings (Mondays especially) & frequently at night, around 9:30 pm when we retire. Even with all windows closed, locked & the AC on, we can hear it. On Monday mornings, I sometimes awake to the sound of tires rolling at 5 am. We’re not pleased but we’re not moving again. Some of the factors we didn’t know or consider: 1) the open land between us & turnpike, 2) the pond outside our bedroom/lanai/kitchen windows, 3) the lack of trees & large bushes between us & turnpike, 4) how easily sound travels in colder (40 degree) weather. So it all depends on what you can live with and what you choose not to live with. Fences are worthless for sound absorbancy. Also, be aware of the quarry off 470, not just the occasional blasting but the rock grinding at night. Good luck

Yes, our life north of 44 (Osceola Hills, Soaring Eagle) is boring and stagnant... Nothing to do, no one leaves their house...

Wait, what? I'm in 2 golf groups, we have a monthly Village event, driveway and block parties. My wife is in two Mah Jong groups, two golf groups, two different women's social groups.

We play pickleball once or twice a week, she goes to exercise classes most mornings when we're not play golf/pickleball...

Somebody please save us from our life of boredom!

What many don't realize is that "all of those old people" up north are leaving and are being replaced by the same "young vibrant people" who you claim are only moving to the south of 44...

That said, I did play golf with a wonderful gentleman, a few weeks ago. He's a 40 year resident of TV. Still in his original home. He told me stories about dealing with Harold Schwartz personally when he bought his house...

Pretty sure he shot his age...

Last I checked, Morse and Meggison also travel south of 44...

And traffic on the Turnpike is indeed "constant". Much more so that the traffic on Morse or Meggison...

If you use a 35 square mile sample size in anywhere USA...you could not possibly comment on quality of life issues unless you actually lived in each of those ‘communities’ at some point. It’s ridiculous and/or impossible. It amazes me how some people equate TV to a dead end street or cul de sac. Smh

Sadly, Dabney is only close to Middleton by car. By golf cart, it's a hike...

Someday you'll stop ragging on the South of 44 Villages. Those of you north of 44 are quite happy as are those of us south of 44 so why continue the bashing and bragging it is not very. becoming of you.

And they complain it's the people from "north of 44" who trash the southern villages...

Pot, meet kettle...

There are plenty of homes for sale north of 44 that are under 10 years old... I know... I bought one 3 years ago, built in 2017...

Hey Kimberly

There's a lot of great advice on the thread so far. It took us about a year to go through the process your on now. We looked north and south and everything you've heard so far is true to some extent. The North has very nice landscaping, is busier, the people tend to be a little older in general but there is a mix of ages. We decided we would live in the South, we looked right along 470 in Dabney first but decided we didn't like the road. We bought near the back of Lake Denham, the noise situation is muc better but you still hear the turnpike some when conditions are right. We have a neighbor with a big voice and I hear her 10 times more than I do the road.... In the end we just spent a lot of time sitting in various places at various times and that helped us decide. If you end up here the stores are close enough, Brownwood is 12 minutes by car via the turnpike, Sawgrass is 7 minutes by golf cart. The neighbors are great and like minded to new villagers (I'm sure the bar majority of neighbors in the North are great too). When they build Eastport and all that comes with it I think we will be about 6 minutes by cart or 15 by car once all the paths are open. If they build a hospital and major commercial at the south side of 470 and the turnpike as planned that will be a 3 or 4 minute car ride (if they build a cart path with 470 expansion it would be about the same on a cart).

I think in the end it came down to the houses available in both areas, we felt like the South fit us better. New house, new people, tons of paths, lots of rec centers (not nearly as many golf courses but we don't golf {yet}. After you rent a few times in each end and spend some time knocking around it will come to you.

That is an unfortunate reality...

They had to put in a temporary gas station for the carts (that were land locked) west of the the turnpike. It took more than a few years for that Publix on Warm Springs to open and even longer to finally get a gas station...

We looked in Chitty Chatty, Bradford and St Catherine when we were shopping for a home. Fenney was just too isolated "for us" at the time.

Unfortunately, the plethora of power lines was a non-starter for SWMBO...

Don't know why you quoted me with that response, but I agree with what you said...

Show me where I've made posts "ragging" on the south of 44... Oh, wait... I haven't...

If you actually read the post I responded to, you would see I was simply commenting on a poster, who lives in the south who was ragging on those living in the north... He said "And if you want an exciting active life, look south."

The reality is, I've consistently posted that the north/south argument is ridiculous and one should be happy wherever they decide to live...

Go complain to someone else... Someone who is actually guilty of what you're complaining about...

Sorry was just expanding on your point....

Live at Linden and on some days also here Turnpike tire noise. Since Wildwood has stepped up traffic tickets on Warm Springs the car and trucks have slowed down.

:coolsmiley:

You continually bash south of 44 and again, it's not becoming. Enjoy the north and allow those below 44 to enjoy the south. This guilt is yours.

Don't be scared by statements like this "an additional few thousand dollars to your property taxes" if you have city property tax. ON a $300,000 assed value, in Lady Lake, their millage rate of 3.3962 would equal $1018.86. Fruitland Park is 3.9134 or $1174.02. Leesburg is 3.4752 or $1042.56 and Wildwood is 2.8287 or $848.61.

Hardly a "few thousand dollars"

Those are all things that matter to YOU, but they may not matter to the OP.

After living near LSL for over 10 years watching speeding Lawn companies, UPS and FedEx never worried about a traffic ticket.

Bonus of living south of 44 is Wildwood department actually stops speeders and writes tickets.

I stop every time at their booth during events to thank them for their excellent work.

As the crow flies, we're 500 yds from 470 and a mile from the TP. Don't hear either. I like being close to 470 for ease of access to shopping along 27, I can jump right on the TP (about a mile), etc. and it's only about 4.5 miles to Eastport, which makes it a very fast drive (not the 20-30 mph drive like most in TV). Golf situation in Dabney is less than poor, but it is quiet, less likely to be the rental nightmare around the Town Square areas and the busy streets and noise near new school and young people neighborhoods. We've met most of our neighbors and none are rentals so far.

If you don’t want noise you better look for a pre-pwned inside TV, where there’s other homes.

Show me one post. Here's a tip... You can't because I don't do it...

The mistake is yours...

Not even once?:a20:

I think Dr JM lives as close to 44, without being south of 44. Not sure why he would bash the north or south area, he gets the enjoy both.

I am in the same boat. I spend as much time at Sawgrass as I do at LSL.

Correct... But maybe a bit more time at LSL, definitely more time @ Brownwood... But that's for the restaurants...

I AM a frequent flier @ Fenney Grill...

I currently live on a busy street south of Boston. 40MPH speed limit, 25 feet from my front door and I'm ok with it. I think I'll be ok ***giggle***

Thank you! Awesome. This is the information I was looking for. We currently live up north 1KM from interstate 95, 1/2 mile from the amtrak, 500 yards from a major road way and there's a 40MPH highly traveled road 25 feet outside my front door. Oh, I almost forgot a small airport. Sounds like Dabney will be silent compared to what I hear LOL

You go girl. 617 Represent ;)

If it were me… I’d choose Dabney. A quick hop onto the turnpike and to Orlando in 45 minutes or less depending… plus Moultrie creek is so close to the High School. I feel like that would be noisier. Also, noise isn’t really a factor with the windows closed which they will be 90-100% of the time so if you’re outside you might hear cars driving. Definitely go for the fence.

That is a very good point. With the High School being nearby and all of the new stores being built, it is very hard to predict how life would be living in Moultrie Creek.

The problem with Dabney is that it is very hard to turn left on 470. I bet 470 will be widened and there will be a stop light at the Meggison-470 intersection, but who knows when?

I always find these "discussions " interesting. Everyone is correct..its all what you want. Visit explore and decide on what is important to you. We came from a small town in NC and it took 30 minutes to go to the grocery store an hour to the doctor. We had a winding country road in front of our house with constant motorcycle and loud pickup trucks. We moved here to Citrus Grove and driving 20 minutes to Publix in our gold cart is a dream! Its so pretty! Sawgrass is extremely close as well as many rec centers. Have found the people here very friendly and laid back. We bought a home that was 2 years old barely lived in and got a great price. We liked up north but found the homes we could afford outdated and needed work. Again I have to emphasize what we could afford. We haven't been here very long and are still adjusting but oh my gosh we love it!
So really just explore go by what you want spend time looking at each area and go with your heart
Enjoy!