Originally Posted by Switter (Post 2255861)

This applies before you purchase a home but make sure you read the deed restrictions for your district. You can get them online from Village Community Development Districts. Select your district from the "your district" menu and then click on the "deed restrictions" link in the left-hand menu.

You can also view the history of utilities paid for the property. On the same web site above, select "utilities" from the departments's menu and then from the left-hand menu, select "utility bill inquiry". Pretty cool.

Also, before you purchase (existing property), ask if any modifications have been made to the property and if they had been approved by ARC. I just bought a place here and they painted the vinyl siding but didn't have approval from ARC. I made them get approval before I signed the purchase agreement. If you purchase a property that is out of compliance you'll be responsible for bringing it in compliance from what I understand. It might even be wise to check with ARC if anything was ever submitted for the property.

If you want to make any modifications to the outside of your house, talk to ARC first, even if you think it's small and insignificant. Better safe than sorry. That's what I've been told.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 641598)

Let's do a thread with some advice for newbies, things to do and NOT to do when you first move here...

"NOTHING has to be done at once."

Originally Posted by Mike&Silvia (Post 2211501)

Thank you Gracie Girl. I recently sought estimates for a simple plumbing job - running a water line across a 30' garage to a new outdoor hose bib. I got the following three estimates:

1. Mike Scott Plumbing $350 (no estimate fee)
2. Anthony Torri Plumbing $325 (no estimate fee)
3. Frank Gay Services $2158 ($38 estimate fee)

After two calls to Frank Gay Services, seeking to speak to a manager and being promised a callback, I finally got through to a customer service person who said that they would refund my $38 estimate fee if I signed an agreement to keep my dissatisfaction silent. The form required me to not "post or author any detrimental reviews, blogs, etc. regarding the Company, in any form, whether written or oral."

My silence cannot be purchased for $38. I am a new homeowner in The Villages. The majority of service companies that I have dealt with have been upstanding and a pleasure to do business with, however, when I find a company that exploits and takes advantage of unsuspecting homeowners, I want to share my experience and help others avoid making a bad decision.

Originally Posted by anarick (Post 641746)

I notice that some here are saying that they receive phone calls from pushy vendors. My question is how did they get your new phone number? Especially if you have a cell phone? or do you have a land line which is posted somewhere?
Please share.

Originally Posted by MrLonzo (Post 2255881)

Well, it's hard to make it a day without internet service. That needs to be done at once. Do they knock on doors?

Originally Posted by Normal (Post 2260281)

Research the neighborhood you move into. Designer home streets are less likely to be bought out by investors and future landlords. You don’t want to be located next to a revolving door AirBnB. Court yard villas are prime targets for the STR landlords out for the quick bucks.

Originally Posted by ldj1938 (Post 2307625)

I see more and more of my new neighbors, in Spanish Springs, with termite baits and I'm very familiar with Florida termites. I used to live in the Fort Lauderdale area. Let me tell you that the folks in that area and on the west coast know termites. When you see a tent going over a house termites live and die there. Next you will see the house next to it will be tented and so on. I had a saw horse outside my garage with two legs on the dirt and two on concrete. I picked it up one day to find the legs that were on the ground were hollow! I pushed to open an outside garage door and it fell out. The frame was hollowed out. Another time in my office, off garage, one time there was a parade of termites coming up out of the concrete floor through a hole they had made. My house was on a deep water canal and they had obviously been living in the wood pilings that support the house.
The geckos lined up to eat the termites, but couldn't keep up with them there were so many. I opened the outside door so they could get out. The exterminators arrived and drilled holes all over our floors and pumped nine million gallons (exaggerated) of poison down into the pilings to nourish them. If you want to watch for termites just put a board down on the dirt someplace around your house. If there are termites they will find it. I haven't seen a house tented in The Villages tented since I moved here in 2000. You will see their activity. Watch for sawdust. Leave a board on the ground near your house. Those options are FREE and very reliable.

Originally Posted by billethkid (Post 641625)

before you move take a long hard look at your furniture and decide whether you really want the same in your new home in TV. I can't tell you how many new residents wind up getting new furniture becuase it is time or it doesn't go in the new house as well or it is not a Florida-ie or just because.

We for one could have saved time and money by bringing our master bedroom and guest furniture only. Sell, pass on, give away and don't pay to move it.

When it comes to golf carts take your time to comparison shop.

CHeck with your neighbors for the various services they use. Many of us have had to trial and error find ones we are satisfied with.

As has been stated already beware/ignore the door knockers....especially the ones who want to trim your trees and bushes whether they need them or not.

btk

Originally Posted by Pietrovc1 (Post 2337962)

Dear TV friends,
First off, thank you to everyone here who has been so kind to my mother and I. Mom is renting and also looking to buy soon. She would like to go to the Hard Rock in Tampa and we're curious to know if there is transportation other than through Uber. Again, thanks for being so welcoming to my beautiful and active mother.

🤗

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2301792)

Reputable ones do not. Our home was internet-ready, since it wasn't a new build. I own my own modem/router so didn't need to wait for them to send me one or bring me one. We didn't need or want cable TV service or internet phone, just internet. There's an Xfinity store near here, so going there with proof of address was a piece of cake. It took - literally - a day. That evening we had service.

Originally Posted by frayedends (Post 2338010)

New builds are already setup with Centric Fiber. I called before closing, set up my account and had service on the day I arrived in my new house. The modem and router were already installed. That’s a good thing about the new areas.

Originally Posted by delima2000 (Post 641695)

Watch out for the welcome wagon phone call. They are not from welcome wagon. They are people that want to test your water and get you to purchase a system from them.

Originally Posted by Pietrovc1 (Post 2337962)

Dear TV friends,
First off, thank you to everyone here who has been so kind to my mother and I. Mom is renting and also looking to buy soon. She would like to go to the Hard Rock in Tampa and we're curious to know if there is transportation other than through Uber. Again, thanks for being so welcoming to my beautiful and active mother.

🤗

Originally Posted by Pairadocs (Post 2049787)

NOT saying this is poor advice, only want to bring out some other things to consider ! No matter where you go, you will simply not be able to buy (at any price, and the prices are high) furniture of comparable quality. Many of you may have made in the USA (in the Carolina's area), high quality furniture with "dove tailed" construction, solid, not cardboard backings, and very sturdy metal door glides, high quality hardware, and on and on and on. No matter how much you can afford to pay, you will not find anything ever a tad close to well made hardwood furniture. Now, that may not even matter to you, but something to consider. Also, keep in mind, if you worry about having the latest "style", almost any furniture (even dark heavy woods) can be made extremely stylish in your new setting. If you are not even a little bit talented in looking through magazines and library books for tips, you can get all kinds of help from professional decorators at various stores by simply purchasing a few accessory pieces to go with you "old" furniture. Also, there are a variety of businesses here that can take your high quality furniture and give them a whole new look with a professional quality finish you would be amazed to see ! Some are so beautiful and unique, "in style" (if that is important to you), that you would never believe it is a post manufacture finish!

You can pay 5K and up for a bedroom or dinning room ensemble from China or Vietnam, that does not even come close to what you may already have. Not arguing with others on here, just saying... give thought to ALL OPTIONS.

Originally Posted by dwoodley1975 (Post 2338022)

Do your research about The Villages. It's not all peaches and cream here.

Originally Posted by dwoodley1975 (Post 2338022)

Do your research about The Villages. It's not all peaches and cream here.

Originally Posted by frayedends (Post 2349915)

If one is researching on here and Facebook then they will think the Villages is a horrible place. It is nothing like what I see online. I've not yet met a bitter angry unfriendly person in the Villages.

Originally Posted by dwoodley1975 (Post 2338022)

Do your research about The Villages. It's not all peaches and cream here.

Originally Posted by JMintzer (Post 2350029)

My wife has met a few... But she's like a "Shell no-pest strip" for crazy people... She seems to attract them... :loco:

But the only bitter, angry or unfriendly people I've encountered is on this site...

Originally Posted by Lhast (Post 2349556)

I agree with you. I have casual taste in furniture but I have quality pieces. If I add up what it would cost to replace what I have with similar quality it would be a huge expense. I see that babettes has a whole home package for a 2br home for $17,000.....for me too much for lesser quality so I will be bringing a lot of my own furniture with me.

Originally Posted by CarlR33 (Post 2350346)

Have you estimated the cost to move it yet (assuming your up north)? You might change your mind?

Originally Posted by Normal (Post 2350369)

For sure you need to be comfortable with your choices for you. That said, Florida decor is a little different than what some are used to. Paying thousands to move a large pile of stuff may not always be ideal. Many find the old furniture doesn’t fit in with the new place. Next thing you know they are selling or giving away furniture for pennies on the dollar and paying for new “Florida” furniture. The insult is, they paid to move it all down here too!

Don’t be the person who has to have mattresses and junk piled at the end of their drives on trash pick up days for months on end.

Originally Posted by ChristineandErnie (Post 2353979)

With stores like Bargains & Treasures, you don't have to buy brand-new at sticker-shock prices.

Originally Posted by Bilyclub (Post 2354107)

Somehow I can't get over the yuck factor of buying something that was discarded for whatever reason. Almost Perfect is good for selling junk.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 642164)

You should be preparing now as many of us have done, by trying to familiarize your self with all of the series of homes and areas and try to zero in on two or three models you like best. Try to decide if you want a resale or new and the approximate age of the resale if you want a resale. I had a spread sheet and a book full of plans. We came down just to see what we would like when the time came to buy. We were certainly not going to buy on our life style visit. We have always been very carefully planned about any large purchase. We were ready to ignore any zealous sales people.

We didn't have any pushy sales people from The Villages.

We went home after buying a new house that was not on our list of favorite models.

We loved that house for four years and last year sold it and built another home here.

So...the answer is...who knows?

I wish you well. We have never been happier.