[Retiring]

Friday night I checked into the Waterfront Inn, went to Sonny�s for dinner. The next morning started with Toojays for breakfast, from there I went on the trolley tour given by the sales office. Lasted about an hour. Arlene, our guide, was very nice.

Later I looked at some models with a salesperson. We looked at a few Premier houses and neighborhoods in the Brownwood section. Still quite a few lots available. Lot premiums seem to be all over the place and EVERY lot has a premium. On a bright note, TVs definition of a retention pond is different than what I lived near in Daytona. TVs retention ponds are large. Not the tiny snake infested, mosquito-ridden rp you see in Daytona or Orlando. However, when TV sales calls them �waterfront� � that�s a stretch in anyone�s book. Most of the homes we looked at were on postage stamp lots. Houses are VERY close together. Sadly, that is a trend nationwide.

I looked at a few homes in different stages of construction. They�re built a bit different in FL than other parts of the country. Not saying that in a bad way, just different. And there is definitely a take it or leave attitude with these homes. You would think they would accommodate any customization your checkbook allows, I guess not.

Today (Saturday) there was a big gathering with the FL Lottery at L. Sumter, not sure what that was all about. Got a haircut at Cal�s. Went to mass at St. Timothy�s, it�s a beautiful church. Dinner at Bravo�s. Drove over to Spanish Springs, it�s a nice square.

Tomorrow (Sunday) will go see friends in Ocala and Daytona.

Haven�t decided if I�m leaving Monday or Tuesday. I think I would like to see more of Brownwood on Monday. If you have any suggestions, please share.

Everyone I�ve encountered on this trip has been very friendly. I realize the sales people are �required� to be friendly but I think it was genuine.

Lastly. I now understand why so many here (TOTV) have said rent first. TV is just too big to get a feel for the area in a short visit. At a minimum, I think a one-month rental is necessary. I�m still 10 mons away from 55 and I�m told that may be a problem. Still not sure how they enforce that rule. Anyway, sometimes it�s better to ask forgiveness than permission.

I plan to return in couple months to look at more areas. Possibly will look at a few resales. Next time I�ll do the lifestyle package with the golf cart. I�m still in the window-shopping stage, but if I end up here, it will probably be Brownwood.

BTW, are golf cart�s exempt from stopping at stop signs? Saw that a whole bunch today.

[HimandMe]

Nope to the stop signs...and almost all of us are really, really friendly here if given a chance minus a normal human grumpy day now and then. To me, The Villages is like going back to life like it used to be when I was growing up and having lots of fun and friends.

Salespeople like waitresses should be helpful and nice or they are really bad at their jobs and working against their best interests. Talk to people who live here.

[baustgen]

Go to the rec centers. Visit all three sizes. Get a copy of the rec news and check out the different clubs and activity. Go to one of the squares at 6pm. Dance.

[Mamaderby]

Check out both Eisenhower and Rohan Rec centers.

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by Retiring

Friday night I checked into the Waterfront Inn, went to Sonny�s for dinner. The next morning started with Toojays for breakfast, from there I went on the trolley tour given by the sales office. Lasted about an hour. Arlene, our guide, was very nice.

Later I looked at some models with a salesperson. We looked at a few Premier houses and neighborhoods in the Brownwood section. Still quite a few lots available. Lot premiums seem to be all over the place and EVERY lot has a premium. On a bright note, TVs definition of a retention pond is different than what I lived near in Daytona. TVs retention ponds are large. Not the tiny snake infested, mosquito-ridden rp you see in Daytona or Orlando. However, when TV sales calls them �waterfront� � that�s a stretch in anyone�s book. Most of the homes we looked at were on postage stamp lots. Houses are VERY close together. Sadly, that is a trend nationwide.

I looked at a few homes in different stages of construction. They�re built a bit different in FL than other parts of the country. Not saying that in a bad way, just different. And there is definitely a take it or leave attitude with these homes. You would think they would accommodate any customization your checkbook allows, I guess not.

Today (Saturday) there was a big gathering with the FL Lottery at L. Sumter, not sure what that was all about. Got a haircut at Cal�s. Went to mass at St. Timothy�s, it�s a beautiful church. Dinner at Bravo�s. Drove over to Spanish Springs, it�s a nice square.

Tomorrow (Sunday) will go see friends in Ocala and Daytona.

Haven�t decided if I�m leaving Monday or Tuesday. I think I would like to see more of Brownwood on Monday. If you have any suggestions, please share.

Everyone I�ve encountered on this trip has been very friendly. I realize the sales people are �required� to be friendly but I think it was genuine.

Lastly. I now understand why so many here (TOTV) have said rent first. TV is just too big to get a feel for the area in a short visit. At a minimum, I think a one-month rental is necessary. I�m still 10 mons away from 55 and I�m told that may be a problem. Still not sure how they enforce that rule. Anyway, sometimes it�s better to ask forgiveness than permission.

I plan to return in couple months to look at more areas. Possibly will look at a few resales. Next time I�ll do the lifestyle package with the golf cart. I�m still in the window-shopping stage, but if I end up here, it will probably be Brownwood.

BTW, are golf cart�s exempt from stopping at stop signs? Saw that a whole bunch today.

Yes, it is much bigger than most people imagined. A month gives you more of the big picture and time, to decide if one wants to live here. I'm sure you can buy something, even if your not 55, as the 20%, (under 55 rule), is in effect.

I personally think you are buying the lifestyle and not so much of a home in terms of available land, etc. There are some homes in the surrounding areas that some people prefer, (more home for the money), but I see a lot of people from those areas come to TV for the entertainment.

I always say, TV can be "imitated but never duplicated". The lifestyle has been compared to "Disneyland", for seniors.Of course, it's your decision.

Some people view stop signs as suggestions and not the law, unless they are caught going through one. I may be wrong as I never got one, but the cost of the ticket, is close to $200.00.

[Justus]

You're wise to take your time in choosing a Villages residence, especially if you intend to stay in it for any length of time. New or pre-owned is a personal choice; some enjoy the beauty of a blank slate onto which they can put their own signature. We shopped both and opted for a lovely pre-owned with a great number of upgrades we would have had to install ourselves. Check out bond balances on pre-owned homes, which can often have been paid off or are significantly lower than new. Good luck!

[Sable99]

I had to laugh when I saw your post. Mom and I were at our condo on St. Augustine Beach over the holidays in 2011 and decided to visit TV for three days. I contacted a realtor a friend had used and he showed us The Villages. On that visit, I put a deposit on a lot and went back to St. Augustine and put our condo on the market! I had a Design Team Meeting in February and they started building our home in March. Mom, my aunt and I had our Lifestyle Visit in April and we closed on our home in May! Talk about doing things backwards! I've never regretted that decsision. Unfortunately, I am still waiting to move to TV as Mom likes The Villages but prefers the four seasons in Michigan.

[John_W]

Originally Posted by Retiring

...We looked at a few Premier houses and neighborhoods in the Brownwood section. Still quite a few lots available...

It strikes me funny that you say there are still a few lots available. It was only August of 2011 that the first finished home went on the market south of CR 466A. I know that because I walked through them. It was on Braddy Court in the Village of Sanibel, they had a set up similar to a Parade of Homes with about five furnished homes on a cul-de-sac. In that short time of just over four years, that area (Brownwood area) went from vast barren land with a few paved streets to over 10,000 homes, three 27 hole championship golf courses and six executive courses, a town square with a movie theater, rec centers, MVP gym, two shopping centers, so on.

[Retiring]

Originally Posted by Sable99

I had to laugh when I saw your post. Mom and I were at our condo on St. Augustine Beach over the holidays in 2011 and decided to visit TV for three days. I contacted a realtor a friend had used and he showed us The Villages. On that visit, I put a deposit on a lot and went back to St. Augustine and put our condo on the market! I had a Design Team Meeting in February and they started building our home in March. Mom, my aunt and I had our Lifestyle Visit in April and we closed on our home in May! Talk about doing things backwards! I've never regretted that decsision. Unfortunately, I am still waiting to move to TV as Mom likes The Villages but prefers the four seasons in Michigan.

I don�t blame ya. I wish I were in a position to commit now, but I�m still working full time. A few years ago congress raised our mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65. Technically I can still work another 11 years, but I don�t want to. I�ve �sort of� decided to retire in 2016. Still looking at places in AZ but I will say The Villages is the most active of what I�ve seen so far.
I may stay one more day to drive around Brownwood. Curious how far it is to Spanish Springs. Also, I might look at a resale or two.

Today I visited the Eisenhower Rec Center, it�s beautiful � looks more like a museum.

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by Retiring

And there is definitely a take it or leave attitude with these homes.

This is not timeshare. No one is selling you an overpriced dream "vacation".
If you take advantage of the golf, rec centers and clubs it is a dream lifestyle until you move or pass away [AKA frogs].
Take it or leave it. Nobody cares. There's more where you came from.

[Bogie Shooter]

That's no nice...........

[lanabanana73]

I definitely recommend renting several times before you decide. We came for the month of October in 2012 and were struck by how ACTIVE everyone is. No one seems to be sitting around waiting to die. People are up and moving at the crack of dawn and there is something in The Villages for everyone. My husband loves to play basketball and that's something that is not offered at most other retirement communities. In The Villages, he can play six days a week!

We bought our home just a year ago and though we are a few years from retiring, we can rent it during the high season and earn enough to pay all of its expenses for the year. We chose to purchase a preowned home, as south of 466A was too far south for us. We prefer a more central location. The first time we rented, it was in Springdale, in the northwest corner of TV. The next time we came, we rented in Bonita and LOVED it! So much easier to get around and lots of stuff close by. We ended up buying in Tamarind Grove and have 13 executive courses within a ten minute cart ride. Golf Nirvana!

Good luck to you in your search. As suggested, talk to the people. I ask everyone for their "Villages Story" whenever I run into them. I love hearing it all.

[Retiring]

Originally Posted by tomwed

This is not timeshare. No one is selling you an overpriced dream "vacation".
If you take advantage of the golf, rec centers and clubs it is a dream lifestyle until you move or pass away [AKA frogs].
Take it or leave it. Nobody cares. There's more where you came from.

Thank you for being so kind and enlightening me that TV is not a timeshare.

[graciegirl]

My husband and I would welcome you into our home if you have the time. When I came here for the first time and had posted a while on this forum, I was disappointed that none of the frequent posters tried to meet with us.


We love it here and we are biased in THAT direction, only fair to warn you.

[Retiring]

Originally Posted by lanabanana73

I definitely recommend renting several times before you decide. We came for the month of October in 2012 and were struck by how ACTIVE everyone is. No one seems to be sitting around waiting to die. People are up and moving at the crack of dawn and there is something in The Villages for everyone. My husband loves to play basketball and that's something that is not offered at most other retirement communities. In The Villages, he can play six days a week!

We bought our home just a year ago and though we are a few years from retiring, we can rent it during the high season and earn enough to pay all of its expenses for the year. We chose to purchase a preowned home, as south of 466A was too far south for us. We prefer a more central location. The first time we rented, it was in Springdale, in the northwest corner of TV. The next time we came, we rented in Bonita and LOVED it! So much easier to get around and lots of stuff close by. We ended up buying in Tamarind Grove and have 13 executive courses within a ten minute cart ride. Golf Nirvana!

Good luck to you in your search. As suggested, talk to the people. I ask everyone for their "Villages Story" whenever I run into them. I love hearing it all.

The squares and clubs are what interest me most. I will be looking at many areas before I make a decision.

I don�t think golf will play a factor for location since I don�t play. And I don�t think I�ll take it up in retirement either. I have a second home in Scottsdale Country Club and I�ve never stepped foot on the golf course. As for TV, I don�t want to be 40 mins by cart to a square - so I still have some homework.

Yesterday I looked at one Designer and several Premiers. The one thing I�m �fairly� certain about is that I need a Premier for the square footage.