[beady]

Welcome,mailme.
Look forward to your posts. Sometimes we need all the help we can get when we are new to TV. I am forever grateful to the folks on this Blog, so please share with us.
Beady

[Mintjulep]

This is my first post, tho I have been lurking around for some time. Have had our house in NC on the market since July, but everyone knows how the market is (not) moving right now. So we bit the bullet and bought a patio villa (sight unseen) in Dec. figuring when our house does sell, we have a place to go. The villa had been empty a while and a bit of a fixer-upper (which we love to do), and the price was right. It has a lovely lush corner lot and location we really like and as a realtor myself I know those are things you can't change later. Our plan is to get it all fixed up, live in it awhile, then buy something bigger when the other house sells, as I have my heart set on a Gardenia. Then hopefully convince my Dad to sell his house and buy the villa. He golfs everyday- so this is the perfect place for him too...
We brought a truckload of furniture down a couple of weeks ago. My hubby stayed a week as he won't officially retire til the house sells, but I'm here for the month of Feb. (at least). He'll come down some weekends tho as that Allegiant Airline has one-way $19 nonstops to Sanford right now. (How can they Do that??)
We bought a golf cart which wasn't delivered til after my husband went back, and tho getting the car and cart in the garage is a tight fit, I'm getting more confident with the space,,, nope, no dings. And I love zipping around on that little cart. I'm getting involved in some things but have been spending alot of time revamping the new place.
Was so glad to have found TOTV. I have been interested in reading all the experiences of new and long term Villagers, and got lots of good info from the forums.

[Donna]

Mintjulep,

.... to TOTV...This is a great place for information of all kinds..

You will make lots of friends here and every one is willing to help..Stop in the chat room, there are lots of friendly people there and it can be lots of fun...

Best of luck to you...

Donna

[another Linda]

Mintjulep. welcome.

[Mintjulep]

Thanx!!! And yep,,, have found everyone I've encountered to be extremely friendly and helpful. And my neighbors seem so nice, when we 'upsize', will probably want to stay in this same neighborhood. I have caught myself driving around looking at Gardenias that are for sale. And checking online, which is how I found the villa... Yikes!!! Can't go there yet tho!!!
And we do like this villa so much,,, it'll be hard to let go of. But we need more space for visiting family later,,, and I NEED A BIGGER GARAGE!!!

[Boomer]

Good Morning, Mintjulep,

Your post caught my attention this morning. We are not yet in TV, but our plan also is to buy a patio villa and possibly move to something bigger at a later time -- or maybe just stay in the patio villa. We would not be living there year-round, at least at first.

I had to laugh when I read what you said about the garage squeeze you find yourself in. A couple of years ago, we downsized houses. It was one of the best decisions we ever made. The only thing we missed was our 3-car garage. I am a Midwesterner, and we do so love our garages and basements. But in exchange for sunshine almost every day, we can give up a lot of space.

I watch the patio villa market from afar for now. We don't mind fixer-uppers either. - a little fixing up anyway. We have done some major projects in homes we have owned. We don't want to do that anymore, but a little fixing up is fun.

It turned out to be for the best that we did not buy in TV at the time we visited, but maybe next trip.

Meanwhile, there are signs that the decision must be becoming a little more clear.

I have found that recently I have begun to acquire, here and there, a few pieces of wood furniture which I put in the basement. I have a dresser now and a couple of side tables and a dining table. The plan is to hit them with some white paint, rub them with something, beat them up a little, and Voila - shabby chic. (I don't quite understand the process yet but will figure it out.)

The next step in the plan is to throw the "new" white furniture into a POD or something and ship it to a patio villa in TV. For now, it is all still in the planning stages.

I hope that's what I'm doing - making Florida furniture.

If that's not what this is, maybe I am turning into one of those hoarders that I see on those television shows where someone like Oprah or whoever has to go in to save them from themselves.

Uh oh. I digress. It's what I do.

Anyway, Mintjulep, enjoy your wonderful new adventure. I hope you will share your progress.

We may be doing the same thing soon.

Boomer

[Mintjulep]

Boomer,
We do feel very fortunate having made such a good purchase sight unseen. We did have some friends who live here check it out and send us pictures and also had an inspection done.
And the fix up is mostly cosmetic stuff and a little yard work, (my hubby should be a landscaper in his next life, so no problem).
Nothing like the last big project of tiling our 600 sq. ft. porch ourselves,,, our poor knees...

I am looking for someone to switch the laundry room to the inside like alot of them have now.
And plan to move the fridge down and add cabinets on that back kitchen wall.
The rest we can do ourselves.

Our villa seems spacious inside, but we only brought about half of what we will bring when our house sells. And I know then I will miss all the storage that I've been used to.
But maybe that'll make me quit being such a ratpack. I really do want (and need) to simplify my life and getting rid of all the never used stuff is part of it.

I'm partly staying here so my husband can have a huge garage sale (this weekend), and I don't have to see stuff I think I NEED to keep be sold. He doesn't want me there for that. LOL!!
Says we won't get rid of anything if I'm there. Course,,I don't know where we'll ever put all of the Christmas stuff he doesn't want to part with.

But so far, the garage has been my hardest adjustment. It's very tight after the huge 3 car.
Aside from the laundry, it has an extra fridge and a washtub, and one of those curb things, plus all the yard and paint tools we brought. I can barely squeeze by to walk out.

One thing about it,,, it'll be easy to upsize later after this downsize...

And good luck to you on finding a great villa for all your 'new' Florida furniture...
MJ