|
Holy cow! That is a LOT to pack in three days. I would drive thru the areas that interest you most. Go to the nearest sales office and ask for some maps. Take a trolley ride. Go to the town square for the area - Spanish Springs in the north, Lake Sumter Landing in the middle, Sawgrass Grove in the south. Go into a couple of the recreation centers to see what they are like. Check out the pools, golf courses, pickleball courts or whatever interests you. Go to a couple of open-houses to see what the houses are like. Lots of models to choose from. Wander around the shops, restaurants and start talking to people. Every resident will tell you their experience. Do not waste time visiting medical offices. In eight years we have not found one worth a hoot. The staff are uninterested and untrained and will not be of much help. Sorry, but the medical scene is a serious drawback. We went to U of F in Gainesville for our care. Bit of a drive but worth it.
If you like what you see, come back for a week's lifestyle stay, ask at the sales office. Or rent for a longer period of time. The Villages is too huge to try and see in one short trip. Best of luck. |
As the previous posters have indicated, your list is too long. You will need to come back.
But I would say to pls remember that this is NOT a gated community. If that is important to you, forget living here. The gates are for traffic control. Also the squares are open to the public. As more and more apartments are built around The Villages it will be increasingly difficult to take advantage of the entertainment & restaurants there, year round. But there is lots to do and taxes & insurance so far are reasonable as compared to other areas in Florida. Enjoy your visit |
Get the real feel
Take one day and rent a golf car from the Villages Golf Car and ride around all day in the golf car. This is the best way to experience each of the areas.
:gc: Quote:
|
I would recommend to make a list first. Of what is important to you. And weigh each item on how significant it is. It’s like going to the grocery store for bananas and you get lost in the cereal aisle with 200 types of cereals offered to you. Then you are in a position to first check what is important to you and then find out about all those goodies you may not have thought of next.
|
There is only one trolley tour now. It starts at Brownwood and goes south to the newest areas. All other trolley tours did not return after Covid.
There is only an emergency urgent care center on 44. It’s not a hospital. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
A very helpful APP
There is a very useful and user-friendly APP for all things important to Villagers and how to get to these places by Car or Golf Cart:
Rec Centers, Golf courses, Pools, Restaurants, Entertainment Centers, etc. It is VillagesGPS and it is free. |
Take a trolley ride at Brownwood. Rent a golf cart for a day and stop and talk with as many people as you can. Check out all of the Villages area including North of 466 which is well established and beautiful. Rent next time for a few months before you decide what you want. Remember that areas incorporated into local towns pay county and city property tax which can double what you owe. Also, many homes north if 466a and 466 have their bond already paid off saving you up to $45,000. There are excellent hospitals in Ocala which if you live north of 466 unless you are bleeding to death an ambulance will take you too, we have done it twice with 2 heart attacks.
The Villages Hospital is fine for elective surgeries and care, but their emergency care has a lot to be desired. I've lived here 22 years and totally love it. I'll bet you will too. Take your time checking it all out, there is no rush. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Why not just make a lot of phone calls from home to doctors offices? That will free up time to scope out the area and see what you like.
|
Just a little up to date info.
. Last Friday (02/09/24) I booked a 5 day Lifestyle visit. I was advised by the TV reservation person to stay over a Friday and Saturday to see the best of the entertainment. Sounds wonderful. So.. they are booking way out into early to Mid May for $99 per night. $495 for five nights for a 2 bedroom house, Golf Car, two bikes, and a free PickleBall game? Cant wait. |
There is no new hospital on 44.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
........The only way to answer ALL of those questions PROPERLY is to rent here for 6 months or a year - with some time here in the summer months, which are HOT and getting hotter. People have different tolerances for HEAT. |
Plus The Villages Hospital has a Helicopter that will fly you out.
|
The Villages has been talking about a new hospital for at least 10 years. We have been here 20 years and nothing has been done.
|
i disagree, we talk to people all the time at the squares who have been here for many years. I would also recommend visiting a few rec centers and looking at what is all offered.
|
Quote:
|
My lifestyle visit was a week, and I'm not sure I could have done all you want to do in 3 days. IMO, do a week lifestyle visit, and I think you get 2 rounds of golf with it too!!! RELAX, cruise around the neighborhoods, look at models, listen to road noise, pickleball court noise, etc. and try to form some opinions of what you do and don't want to be nearby. Pay attention to how close homes are in different areas and think about location, location, location. We have a preserve lot, so when we look outback, we see trees, a pond, Spanish moss, etc. and our 0.15-acre lot doesn't seem so small. If you've seen much from Gold Wingnut, you know we have excellent EMS support that has more capabilities than most and has fast response times. Another hospital will take years, IMO. I haven't selected physicians (still use those from up north), but it appears TV healthcare only takes Advantage Plans and not government Medicare or private, so if that's important to you, your healthcare search will take more time. High season is a zoo, but not that bad IMO, so what you see will probably be as "bad" as it gets. Get a feel for the place in your 3-days and don't try to do so much it detracts from QUALITY time.
|
Quote:
|
Probably half the residents living here bought on impulse the very first time they visited —and most were attracted to the lifestyle (golf, extensive number of clubs, the weather, etc.)Others like us rented every winter for 3 ,4,6 months. By then we knew which town square offered what we enjoyed, what model home we preferred. So when we purchased our home in 2010,we were happy with our choice. , In the beginning our health was good but after a few years we started needing better medical quality care so have established with doctors in Ocala, Orlando and Gainesville. That seems like an area of concern for you that would take some time to assess. Check the Airbnb listings once the high season ends in April and come immerse yourselves in the Villages culture. Most folks love it here, but it’s not for everyone. Good luck!
|
Quote:
|
test drive
You want to rent preferable above hwy 44 and drive around to the things up there you think you will want to go to. Then drive midway down below hwy 44 and do the same down there
|
Well, we're on our way ! Just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who added to the discussion.
One thing we both agree on is the sense of community we noticed both here on TOTV and in the videos we've seen. Very welcoming and helpful. Thank you !! |
Assisted living facilities are abundant. My husband and I toured 6 over a 3 day period. There are many more. Many price points. They are relatively new and beautiful. Ratings are very accurate online. Go to Brownwood Square and go to the sales office they have maps and other information.
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
They have just opened the brand new model home center in the Village of Moultrie Creek (way down south over the turnpike) but you will need to have a Village Sales Agent to get access to the homes (I believe there are over 40 new models you can see). There is a small sales office there so stop in and ask to see some model homes if you don't already have an agent assigned to you.
The Trolley Tour is also a good suggestion. I believe they still leave from Everglades Rec Center. Stop into the sales center there early in your trip to try to reserve one as they do fill up especially in this very busy season. You also want to see several recreation centers of different types (Regional and Village). Consider Rohan for the history and story of The Villages. Other impressive ones are Eisenhower, Everglades, Fenney and First Responders. Yes, spend some time in all 3 squares (plus Sawgrass and Ednas) and make sure you see the impressive Sharon Performing Arts Center (the door is usually open when the box offices are), but also just linger around a recreation center both indoors and out. Sit at a pool (Fenney is a popular choice) and talk to as many people as possible. Villagers are happy to answer your questions (and I'm happy to too - just PM me) |
Are you looking to buy a home?
Quote:
|
oh yeah. - no bond - I paid it off
Quote:
|
Hi there :wave: Highly encourage you to visit the squares, lots of places for information within. You have: Spanish Springs (northern most/oldest square), Lake Sumter (Beautiful lake, lots of good food and shopping here), Brownwood (close by to Wildwood/lots of good food also).
Lots of nightly entertainment as well. I highly suggest Lake Sumter or Brownood for the nightlife. :) |
Quote:
|
Quote:
Wait, what? |
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:07 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by
DragonByte SEO v2.0.32 (Pro) -
vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2025 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.