Duplicate post sorry

I had a real welcome wagon lady and she was very nice. Left lots of stuff.

mosquito problems
 

Do you know anything about a mosquito problem in any of The Villages?

New Mattress
 

For those looking for new bedding.

Make sure everything is in writting when dealing with Mattress Barn.

What they tell you and what they do are two different things

Scammed Newbie,

New Fernandina Villager. Got a paver contractor name and number from The Village classified. Took our money and never heard from him. He went under Premiere Pavers name Tim Connell - so beware!

Hope others will be more careful who they choose, I know we will from now on.

thanks for the post,

Once in awhile we will see a mosquito or two. And there are seasons where there are houseflies. But not tons of them. One is too many.

I think that they spray for them at night.

I heard that this is the Friendliest Hometown- but not my street. After a year here, I still haven't met my neighbors. Most have been here for a few years and already have their friends and "groups." So- don't wait for your neighbors to knock on your door, give yourself a moving party and invite your neighbors, form your own groups, try different clubs. Go to your pool. It is hard moving into an established neighborhood- good luck.

Does anyone know how hard the water is? Moderate, hard or very hard? Does most everyone get their water softened? Has anyone had hot water only softened? Thanks for all the hints to newcomers!

Helpful advise
 

Wish I had known about Talk of The Villages before I bought a water system. Not saying I am not happy with it, but every comment I read happen to me. Need to slow down & enjoy my neighbors & new lifestyle.

At the closing on our house (just after we had signed all the papers and payments had changed hands), we asked the previous owners who they used for lawn maintenance, pest control, landscaping, etc and received some really good information. It was really helpful, especially since we were going to rent it for a couple years before we could finally move in for good. If you are meeting the sellers face-to-face at the closing, it's a good time to get some good info.

Call 911 and get a police report. They love to go after these scammers.

Yes, check with Seniors vs Crime for most everything. I really got burned on a dentist. There had been numerous complaints about Colony Modern Dentistry but I didn't take the time to research. Unfortunately, I suffered the consequences.

Good to know!!

We purchased in May and spent a week in July at our future retirement home. I walked up and down the block, knocked on doors and invited people to our home the next day for snacks and drinks mid afternoon. The neighbors were happy to point out who was around so I did not knock at empty doors. All but one person came. It was a great way to meet lots of people right away. When we needed a plumber later in the week, we had lots of resources. Neighbors lent us their golf carts. They were very nice to my teenage sons. They were very welcoming! My home watch person now knows my neighbors names. When our property is not rented (and we hope it will be rented part of the time) we will be there during school vacations.

thanks all sound helpful. we are new owners and will begin the process of furnishing in sept. we plan on being snownbirds for at least a few years. We are from Buffalo andwould like to change domicile to FLA. and helpful hints?

Make sure you don't loose your "release of lien" letter to your paid-off car. Staple it to the car's title. It will save having to go back to the lender (which, in our case, existed no longer) and possibly pony up some dollars to get a copy of it from another entity so you can get your car registered in FL.

My retired husband and I enjoy commuting back and forth to our pre-owned home in The Villages. One suggestion that gave us additional peace of mind came from our Fla. neighbor. He suggested that we have all the locks on the house changed as the previous owners had given out the keys to house cleaners, dog sitters and renters. We called "A-1" lock smiths who came the same day and also recommended a "Charlie Bar" for the patio doors to secure the back when we are away for months. We have found our Villages neighbors to be so kind and helpful, e-mailing if there was a storm and power glitch or who to call for maintence etc. They are like a second family and greet us with hugs and welcome cards when we return. We are still in transition as many others have written about leaving family and dealing with feelings of being selfish. Skype and calls are not the same, but we are learning to find a church home and community wherever we are. Thanks for the great advice and wisdom from others who have pioneered before us.

I even had a phone call at 7:50am from one of the water sales people that I was bombarded from.

newbies and furniture and documentation
 

I did not want my Missouri house in Florida so I agree on the furniture comments - take only the precious pieces and leave the rest behind or sell it all.


The other thing to remember is to bring as much personal documentation as possible - I was married twice and needed to have every marriage certificate including divorce decree for Florida licenses thanks to the Patriot Act - beware and be prepared.

READ your how to drive in the circles and golf course handbooks!

Door to door salespersons are not allowed in The Villages please report them.

Don't think you are allowed to drive drunk even if it is a golf cart.

Read your deed restrictions!!!

Sign up for the Good Golf School

Good advice
 

:bowdown::BigApplause:

Sometimes you get lucky
 

Contrary to some advice, we came down to TV just to "look" and found the perfect home with all the extras we were looking for, including a pool!. We had an offer accepted before we flew back north on Sunday. I'm sure this is not the typical senerio, but are thrilled and close the 1st week of Sept and will be moving just after the holidays. Can't wait!

Just want to let the villagers in the south that just because a gas golf cart is "recommended" we have an electric Star golf cart & it goes at least 30 or 40 miles on a charge. We regularly go from Gilchrist to Spanish Springs or Walmart with no problem. Their customer service is fabulous...we lost keys and they deliver them to us no problem. So if you want electric, don't be afraid. Go Star!

We are renting in January and are looking for the home of our future. Any advice as to the "best" Village?

Oh...oh...now you've done it.

Beware of Pickle Ball
 

Your chances of having a pickle ball injury is huge. Don't take a break from unpacking to play what appears to be an easy game. You may end up visiting the ER and not being able to enjoy the TV's Lifestyle as soon as you had planned. I can't stress this enough!

Actually, it's quite common to come to TV "just to look", and end up buying a home. I think it has something to do with the chip they implant in your neck as you enter TV.

Yours is in your neck, Bare? Mine's somewhere else. They must have snuck up on me.

I keep sitting on it and reactivating it.

Any specific advice? Or, just enjoy until they put pressure on you?

I recommend getting the grout in the tile sealed before furniture is moved in, though I've heard and I knew it might void the warranty on the tile. Almost no one would wait out the year for the warranty to expire, then expend the energy to move all their furniture and get the grout sealed. The more likely scenario is you'd worry about voiding the warranty and never seal the grout. The result is eventual filthy grout and blueberry, coffee, etc stains you can't easily remove. You can search TOTV for good grout contractors.

I also recommend tying to decide before you move furniture in whether you want to change out the builder's carpet, or replace with wood, laminate, or the new up-scale vinyl flooring. Once furniture is in, the disruption to your lives to change flooring, can be miserable. Before I moved in I thought a lot about the flooring and decided I still wanted carpet in the bedrooms, but i wanted better carpeting. So, I had Mohawk Silkstrand carpet installed with a moisture-proof underpad. I thank myself every morning when my feet hit the floor that I made that decision.

I have heard a rumor from a Villager that you will not be able to go to a Villages Doctor's office unless you live in the "zone" that that Doctor is in. Any truth to this rumor?

Thanks for all of your posts. We're moving into a new build in 3 weeks and need all the advice we can get. Hired a landscaper for 3 months to look after place till we get there hoping that will give us time to talk to other residents before we make a permanent decision. So glad to hear your comments re: furniture. We are only bringing bedroom set and tv. :) not using moving co but renting a truck, towing one car, driving the other. Tell me it gets better...so much to do!!

We're moving in 3 weeks from Angola, NY. Perhaps we can meet up? Craig & Paula

thanks for the advice we are moving to the village of marion sept 26 my wife me and the two dogs thanks atlantagracker

I guess you are talking about the centers that the villages are building to provide health care. I understood that once all are finished, you can go to any of them.

You can go to anyone of them as soon as it opens. That may apply only to United Health Care and Prefered Care Partners.

We just moved to our home the first week of August. The door pounders were unrelenting. Especially the water system folks. We did select a pest prevention company and used TOTV to help us make that call. We, however, did jump right in on the furniture purchase and believe we could have done more shopping to control costs more but when you come with nothing you don't have the luxury to wait too long.
We are evaluating still the golf packages and companies for solar panels and landscaping. Not everything can be done in a couple of months.

We've been in the Villages for 4 weeks and are constantly harassed by the water system salespeople. Nice to know that it's not necessary. Thanks for the info.

I will move into my home in Poinciana in ten days! Can't wait!!! Although I am not there yet, I can give a bit of advice on Homeowners Insurance. SHOP AROUND! I got lots of quotes. I know a lot of people go through TV insurance, but I certainly did not get the best quote from them. But, again... shop around and ask lots of questions! In my humble opinion, it is very important to make sure you are insured with an "A" rated AMBEST company. If you need more information on AMBEST ratings, private message me. An AMBEST "A" rated company will have the financial backing to cover a large catastrophe (such as a hurricane).

Second suggestion... keep notes about all of the great references you find here on TOTV! I have an entire computer file of landscapers, repairmen, warranties, tv installation, golf cart info, etc. Your recommendations have been a HUGE resource to this newbie!

THANK YOU ALL... especially Gracie for starting this thread!