Helpful advice and warnings for brand new Villagers.

Reply
Thread Tools
  #166  
Old 07-27-2014, 01:34 AM
dotti105's Avatar
dotti105 dotti105 is offline
Gold member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: The Village of Gilchrist, fulltime
Posts: 1,089
Thanks: 98
Thanked 11 Times in 7 Posts
Default

I think the gates basically help to control the car traffic and golf cart traffic.
The lowering of the gates gives the golf carts a chance to cross. They also help to keep speeds down.
But, alas, they are not "security gates". Some gates are manned, most are not. I, personally, like having them, in spite of the fact that it is not a "gated community" in the traditional sense.
  #167  
Old 07-27-2014, 09:36 AM
Barefoot's Avatar
Barefoot Barefoot is offline
Sage
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Winters in TV, Summers in Canada.
Posts: 17,669
Thanks: 1,694
Thanked 243 Times in 184 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis and Rose View Post
Little confused ( nothing new for me ) I was under the impression that the residential areas were gated. How do these sales people and ripoff artists keep getting in?
Join the club ... many of us thought we were buying into a gated community.
However as Roz stated, The Villages is a community with gates, not a gated community. Big difference.

Almost all of the streets are publicly owned. Therefore access cannot be denied to joe public.
If the streets were owned by The Villages, our Amenities would be much higher, because residents would be responsible for maintaining the streets.

I do think there is a deterrent factor for "nuisance" sales people who don't know "the ropes".
The gatehouses and the access cards do give the appearance of a controlled, gated community.
__________________
Barefoot At Last
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.
  #168  
Old 07-31-2014, 02:24 PM
notebook28 notebook28 is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 2
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default

The Villages are a really nice place to live and there are many good businesses and many good people. However, there are also many Vultures, so buyer beware, especially in the Medical and Especially in the DENTAL businesses. Most are awful, so please get references first. As beautiful as Florida is, SADLY it is rated dead last in both medical and DENTAL CARE. It is rated worst than 90 % of Third World Nations. This is no secret, just the facts, look it up. After living here for almost five years, this is my worst complaint. You cannot trust most of them. If You need Medical or Dental Care, Please look at Medical tourism outside of the US. One fraction the cost and far superior in almost every other area. Just get references and referrals because as in the US, there are good and bad ones. Here, I have found out, esp, The lousy dentist in florida will take every dime from You and they are so secretive and deceptive. Good Luck.
  #169  
Old 08-01-2014, 12:18 PM
Challenger's Avatar
Challenger Challenger is offline
Soaring Eagle member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,264
Thanks: 56
Thanked 369 Times in 162 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by notebook28 View Post
The Villages are a really nice place to live and there are many good businesses and many good people. However, there are also many Vultures, so buyer beware, especially in the Medical and Especially in the DENTAL businesses. Most are awful, so please get references first. As beautiful as Florida is, SADLY it is rated dead last in both medical and DENTAL CARE. It is rated worst than 90 % of Third World Nations. This is no secret, just the facts, look it up. After living here for almost five years, this is my worst complaint. You cannot trust most of them. If You need Medical or Dental Care, Please look at Medical tourism outside of the US. One fraction the cost and far superior in almost every other area. Just get references and referrals because as in the US, there are good and bad ones. Here, I have found out, esp, The lousy dentist in florida will take every dime from You and they are so secretive and deceptive. Good Luck.
Hmmm!! We are from Baltimore where we were served by a Johns Hopkins HMO like practice. Our main concern upon moving here was whether we could access health care at a quality level that we were comfortable with.
Our experience(over three years ) has been outstanding. We use the following specialties and find them all to be as good as our previous caregivers.
Dermatology
Family Practice
Cardiology
Urology
Opthamology.
All have offices in TV

Our dentist is particularly outstanding. Both my wife and I have had extensive dental work over or lifetime, and find Dr Marie Luong (Serenity Dental Spa) and her associates to be top notch. Great care. modern equipment and methods, fair charges along with nice personalities. Dr Luong is a former US Navy dentist.

No one here needs to go to foreign countries to find competent health care.
With some research (TOTV being a good place to start) anyone can get competent care. All of our caregivers were from recomendations found on this site. We then did further research.

I agree that there are charletins out there, but they are everywhere, even at medical tourism venues.
__________________
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" Edmund Burke 1729-1797
  #170  
Old 08-01-2014, 03:16 PM
John_W John_W is offline
Sage
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 6,390
Thanks: 2,172
Thanked 2,954 Times in 1,160 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Challenger View Post
Hmmm!! We are from Baltimore where we were served by a Johns Hopkins...
Not to hijack the thread, we must of arrived just before you. We also came from Baltimore (Abingdon to be exact) and also moved into Tamarind Grove. Southern Star Villas and Montbrook Villas were being offered then, and we took one of the last units in Southern Star due to some great deals.

We also have received good medical care in the TV. We love Baylee Dental up on 27/441 just north of Stonecrest on the left in Baylee Plaza. The first dentist my wife went to, wanted to perform $18,000 in work. I won't say her name, but it's on CR101 in the Streetrods shopping center. At Baylee she only needed one crown replaced and a new denture made, all total under $2,000 over a two year period. The one thing that was unusual was my wife wanted an acrylic denture like she had before, and Baylee only uses metal dentures.

Medical she uses Premier which is at LSL on Old Camp Road and she has been pleased with their care. If you have a problem on the weekend or at night, Premier has their own walk-in clinic near TV Hospital on Santa Barbara. I use the VA and we have a large clinic that was just built in 2010, and a major hospital just over an hour away in Gainesville. So far I've had good care with the VA.
  #171  
Old 08-01-2014, 04:36 PM
cromlich cromlich is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Bonnybrook
Posts: 151
Thanks: 48
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Default

Also, please have seatbelts put in your golf carts. It is so very important. As a golf cart accident victim I can testify that this is the first thing you should upgrade your cart with. Also, acquire a PCP immediately. A doctor in The Villages is as important as anything you can do. Check with neighbors and fellow Villages as to who they use. There are bad providers in any community.
  #172  
Old 08-02-2014, 08:57 PM
donna lee's Avatar
donna lee donna lee is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 5
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Red face Handyman

I'm looking for a very good handyman who is reasonable. Any one have someone to refer me to?
  #173  
Old 08-11-2014, 09:39 AM
Lonnyward Lonnyward is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 7
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default

how 'bout almost newbies?.....we are selling house in New Hampshire and moving there ASAP.....what is the work market for a 64 yr old male there?....are there bartending jobs available?.....hope to see and meet you all soon.....LON
  #174  
Old 08-11-2014, 09:42 AM
graciegirl's Avatar
graciegirl graciegirl is offline
Sage
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 40,004
Thanks: 4,850
Thanked 5,493 Times in 1,903 Posts
Send a message via AIM to graciegirl
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonnyward View Post
how 'bout almost newbies?.....we are selling house in New Hampshire and moving there ASAP.....what is the work market for a 64 yr old male there?....are there bartending jobs available?.....hope to see and meet you all soon.....LON
I would find work before coming here if you need to have the income. Wages are lower than where you are coming from, but I am told the property taxes are lower too.
__________________
It is better to laugh than to cry.
  #175  
Old 08-14-2014, 02:06 PM
Dominic Paravano Dominic Paravano is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 2
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default

Do not go to the new Vet in Colony. I took my beloved dog of 14 years there and they said they had to take him in the back to get him ready when they brought him out his leg was shaved and they had an IV port in him, they said this is how it was supposed to be done. Then they began the process which was supposed to make her just sleepy and then they put the meds in for her to go to heaven and couldn't get it in right, making her SUFFER. I HAVE NEVER had such a barbaric experience and I will never get over it.
  #176  
Old 08-21-2014, 04:44 AM
Nurse Linda Nurse Linda is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by graciegirl View Post
Let's do a thread with some advice for newbies, things to do and NOT to do when you first move here.

First I will say not to buy from the door pounders who come to you in the weeks right after you move in. Not because they are all unworthy contractors, but some of them are, and nothing, NOTHING has to be done at once. Take your time and wait for changes to water supply, adding pest treatments, painting driveways or even if you will add downspouts to the back of your home. Wait to see who your neighbors use for lawn maintainance.

Please jump in here and add your comments here everyone.
Do you have a contact number for seniors against crimes ...a group here in TV? Thanks
  #177  
Old 08-22-2014, 05:59 PM
need2no need2no is offline
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 28
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker View Post
Beware the clever and sneaky water system salespeople! They will phone and mail solicitations under all sorts of fake identities, but when you question and press, they'll finally fess up to being water system sales. And they are relentless in their persistence. My father recently bought a house and he has been bombarded for two months now, despite repeatedly telling the phone soliciters 'No thanks', and throwing away the mail disguised as all sorts of government and official looking important papers. Geez, what an irritating group they are!
also beware of the lack of info;
am sure this will cause some debates but have had some "strange" experiences (being polite) dealing with several different realtors representing several firms.. have put together the below tidbits of "some" of the events. draw your own conclusions from questions I have asked.




while viewing a property I observed a crew working on the adjacent pond that went dry (later learned it was one of several) causing me to ask the realtor -

Q - are there any sinkholes in the villages?

A- "not in this neighborhood"







Q2- why do a lot of properties have the washer/dryer in the garage?

A- yes, this gives you more living space in the house. (duh, but now I have less space in the garage)




Q3- noticed a musty odor from the garage appliances.

A- you wont even notice at after a while ( I must be a idiot for having these visions of mold and mildew all over me)




Q-4- are the water rates high here?

A- oh, there pretty uniform everywhere. (hey dingbat, answer the question I asked)




Q-5 what home models give me the most storage space? (ready for this?)

A1 - what do you mean by "model?"

A2 - "that's hard to say, a lot of realtors don't list the model names" (guess it's a secret)

A3 - "not a problem, just get/install some closet storage modules from home depot" (great now I have someplace to put my 12volt air compressor)




Q-6 gee, aren't those trees kinda close to the house?

A - your going to love the lower electric bill because of the shade.

(yup, also going to love the lack of grass, the full gutters, dirty roof shingles, the constant costly pruning or the cancelled home insurance policy)




again, these are only some of my experiences from those whom have my best interest at heart, one of which bestowed the fact of being the top sales person in the office (via gross proceeds) their secret, - they approached sellers, advising them they could list their property for "10,000" more if listing with them. this from a wizard who was driving me around showing their listings ! sometimes the discloser is worst than the non-discloser-ouch!




not looking for someone with the integrity of the pope, just a non-cult realtor who plays fair.




fyi. when viewing mls photos, ask yourself why there are few listings depicting the rear view from the inside out.
  #178  
Old 08-29-2014, 07:38 AM
Sophie11 Sophie11 is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 217
Thanks: 4
Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts
Default

Stay away from Home Depot! We bought a water heater there yesterday with them installing it and they charged for the install $760!!!!
  #179  
Old 09-02-2014, 02:01 PM
Curinga Curinga is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

When picking furniture Measure your doorways. We just moved and a sleeper sofa we thought would go in the den (there is room inside the Den for it) in our Gardenia will not fit through the doors to get in the room. Now have two couches in LR, LR chairs in Den and are looking to sell sleeper and get a smaller length sleeper for den.
  #180  
Old 09-02-2014, 05:08 PM
SheilaO SheilaO is offline
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 39
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cantwaittoarrive View Post
I'm surprised so many people have land lines. I wouldn't know what to do with a land line. I kept the same cell number I've had for 20+ years and don't give it out to anyone but family
I have been told by a couple cable companies that it is cheaper if you get a land line and bundle it with TV and internet….I, too, have not had a land line for many years, but if it's cheaper… What cable and internet do you have? Thanks!
Reply

Thread Tools

You are viewing a new design of the TOTV site. Click here to revert to the old version.

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:24 AM.