So, your statement was based on hearsay?
Added nothing.

Yes, I guess it is considered "heresay". I believe what people post on this forum so when someone says they can hear the trucks on the turnpike from their lanai and even in their home with the windows closed, I believe them. Do you think people lie about this stuff?

I haven't read but a few posts in this thread, but I've read this Topic in several others.

I live South of 44, about 1/2 mile from the Turnpike. It is rare that I cannot hear the Turnpike. Most times, it is a din of noise and on certain nights it is raging.

As others have likely stated, it depends on the winds, the rains, the humidity and the temperatures.

During the day, other noises compete and often win. At night, the road noise almost always wins.

More homes between you and the Turnpike is a bad gamble. The noise today is likely the noise a month from now, a year from now -- more homes, trees, etc. will only change the level, it will not deaden it.

I'm glad we are 1/2 mile away.

Would it have changed our decision had we known,... probably.

Would other things have changed our decision had we known, probably.

I'm playing with cards we were dealt, not the ones from the other deck or the other table.

I don't hate living here, near the noise. It is just something to tolerate at times.

I guess I have missed the waterfalls you speak of. Other than SS, and the eye catching brook at Glenview entrance.

Have seen many bubblers that keeps water moving within the pond, to keep the pond scum at bay. Waterfalls not so much.

I lived half a mile from an eight lane highway and didn’t hear the noise with the windows closed because it was a low hum but with the windows open you can hear it at night more than during the day. The neighborhood noise was much louder things like lawn equipment and tools, or loud music or diesel trucks. Here it's the train mostly

Noise!
 

If you plan to have a screened lanai and be outside a lot, be careful of the noise. There was a recent YouTube video where someone took a noise reading at Richmond and it was fine so long as it wasn’t near the turnpike. But those lots are already slowly being released and selling fast if you are building. Don’t forget preowned homes too - lots of newer homes all over for sale! You have many choices - spend lots of time looking.

Often……

Why the need to speak for others? Why not let those near the turnpike comment on the turnpike. They don't need help.

Thank you everyone for all your replies - a very diverse and varied los for comments, but all have been helpful - my next lifestyle in little over a two weeks will be heavily focused on turnpike noise. For clarification, I can deal with a distant hum. I will probably be on my Lanai no more than half hour each morning for coffee. Hearing noise outside my house is not so much a concern - what I don’t want is to be able to hear any noise inside my home with my windows closed. I like the more “ open” kitchen feel better of the new homes, which is drawing me to a newer home vs an older resale.

Golf carts are more frequent and louder unless you're really close to the highway

There are several major road corners adorned with fountains and a pretty gardens. Drive along Morse Blvd and Buena Vista Blvd north of 44 and you will see them. These beautiful corners were very inviting when I first came to The Villages. LOVED the look and beauty of this place.

Another area that really impressed me when we came for our lifestyle visit back in December of 2008, is that small stretch on Buena Vista Blvd that is totally encompassed with huge Live Oak Trees on both sides of the roadway, towering over the road. This stretch is located in the Lake Sumter Landing area. Driving that small section on Buena Vista Blvd. at night was so calming to me. I said to my husband right then and there, we HAVE to move here.

Gee, that's too bad. Passing on incorrect information purposefully is not something I would ever do. My parents taught me better than that.

I actually can sort of speak to the sound of constant traffic hum.............

I grew up on Long Island, about one mile away from Sunrise Highway. Our neighborhood was already built up with homes so there were several blocks of homes between our home and Sunrise Hwy. At that time, Sunrise Highway was two lanes each way with, I think, a speed limit of about 40 MPH.

We did not have central air conditioning in our house so we slept with the windows open in the warmer months. I would wake up to the constant "hum" of the traffic and it was very audible to me back then. Young ears, I guess so my hearing was very astute as a kid. Anyway, that memory of traffic hum will always be with me. I vowed never ever to live near a major roadway where I would hear a constant hum of traffic.

As an adult, I kept that promise to myself and have never had to listen to constant traffic hum where I lived.

OK. And you kept your promise. But why so many comments about the turnpike?

Constant noise becomes background sound and soon goes un-noticed. It's intermittent noise that I find more disturbing.

I lived in California over thirty years ago and the highway noise near our house was very loud. I didn’t realize it when I bought it but at night and in colder weather it sounded like a jet taking off. The house is worth today more than I could ever have imagined, $2.3 million! I guess most people don’t care. One note though, there are reputable studies showing a link between highway noise and hypertension so it may not just be innocuous background noise.