[TheMoyers]

Purely a personal choice. We overlook a golf course and can barely see our neighbor's lanai, but our home up north had a nasty neighbor, hence our choice here. Would not have needed it here. Perhaps you may want to meet your potential neighbors before choosing.

[Chatbrat]

A view and water view is not important to us-during the day we're out and about, and we lived on a motor-yacht for 6 years, did a lot of cruising 30K miles- had our full of water .

At night all you can see is sky & stars & thats the best view without paying for it.

Nothing comes close to cruising in the seas with the phosphorous glowing off your boats bow.

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by Greg Nelson

Yesterday I went pond fishing along Legacy close to the golf course. There are maybe 8 homes facing the pond and someone towards the middle had loud music going that I could hear easily. no bueno! Our rental on 4th hole of Lopez is really unique. No neighbors on three sides. The one neighbor has a pool and is a rental. They have a solar heated pool that never gets very warm and is rented to a family with noisy kids always in the pool. BUT, we cannot hear them from our unit. Again yesterday we took in several new units way south on open house. You can buy brand new for less than used! But way to close together for us..just saying..We'd buy the unique unit we reside in if the owner hadn't raised the price from last year by $50,000!!

Have you thought of looking in the Villages of Santiago and Santo Domingo? These two villages are off B.Vista towards SSprings. These homes were built before the lot sizes were drastically reduced and there are some really nice homes and big lots in this area. It is older, but good homes with loads of space.

I am on a golf course and when we purchased our home it was a "new" development so most of us have been here from the beginning. But being a resident of a retirement community means "change" in one way of the other and we have started to see people move out for various reasons. So if you started off with a very quiet neighbor you could suddenly find you have a party house next door and there is not much you can do about it, other than move on! Thankfully our neighbors, on both sides, are in the Witness Protection Program so we never know whether they are still alive or .......

[Ohiogirl]

We have a CYV and use our lanai A LOT - last January we enclosed it so we could use it even more, and we do. We are out here almost every morning, having coffee and reading the paper, using computer. Also love having a quiet place to read. Have visited lots of friends with kissing lanais and do NOT like those, although I think both options depend greatly on your neighbors.

We have gradually added landscaping/plants that encircle our entire back yard - it is lovely to look at and great for birdwatching as well. My preference would be a beautiful view of a pond, but the price difference would be huge.

No one around us has a TV on their lanai, nor do we. I think listening to TV noise when trying to enjoy your lanai would be awful.

And - checking out neighbors before you buy only helps to a limited extent. Neighbors can change a lot here over time and especially in the first couple of years after they are built, as people change their minds trying to get their retirement lifestyle right. Some move back north, some want something bigger or smaller, with or without a pool - you name it, it happens.

There are 4 lanais that could affect us, but none do - dogs next door are never allowed to be annoying, and 2 out of the 3 behind us have enclosed lanais or Florida rooms and never seem to open the windows. The other one added a birdcage extension a couple of years ago, and someone sat outside talking loudly on the phone sometimes (I think always in the afternoon), but they sold and moved a few months after they added the birdcage.

I do think that annoying neighbors are one of the main reasons why people do move here so often. If we ever get any, that is when I might consider moving, if we couldn't resolve the issue first.

[toeser]

Originally Posted by VApeople

We have been looking at new houses on the internet. We like the Iris model with the 2.5 car garage, and we have noticed the prices vary from $280K to $420K. The main difference in the houses seems to be the shape of the lot, the ones with 'kissing lanais' being lower priced. We get the impression that some people must really prefer houses with no neighbors closely behind them, and are willing to pay much more for a house on a better lot.

For those of you in a house where you and your neighbors have 'kissing lanais', has that ever caused you a problem?

For those of you who paid more to have a larger lot, was it worth it?

It really all depends on what's important to you. We came from a place with a "miles long" view and I just could not accept another house behind. We have a very small lot, but it's on a golf course so it doesn't feel small.

[OhioBuckeye]

Originally Posted by VApeople

We have been looking at new houses on the internet. We like the Iris model with the 2.5 car garage, and we have noticed the prices vary from $280K to $420K. The main difference in the houses seems to be the shape of the lot, the ones with 'kissing lanais' being lower priced. We get the impression that some people must really prefer houses with no neighbors closely behind them, and are willing to pay much more for a house on a better lot.

For those of you in a house where you and your neighbors have 'kissing lanais', has that ever caused you a problem?

For those of you who paid more to have a larger lot, was it worth it?

Actually we have what they call a "Kissing Lanai". We have great neighbors in The Village of Charolette & when we first moved there 4 yrs. ago we planted shrubs for privacy & they like it & so do we, it works out great for us & all or our neighbors, personally the small lot isn't an issue for us it's the lanai, it's to narrow & you can't really have nice furniture out there because of rain & to close it in would be beating the purpose of have the open air feeling. Hope this helps. Personally we would like to sell our "Lilac" & buy another "Courtyard Villa".

[jimmiemoser]

These "kissing lanais can be easily overcome with creative landscaping that cost less than other lots. The more expensive homes are usually on a "view" lot, backing up to a preserve, a water feature or one of our many golf courses. Can these "kissing lanais" be a problem, sure they can. I have a friend who's lanai kisses a neighbor who walks around his lanai nude. That can be embarrassing to my friend and/or guests. She has a beautiful lanai and spends lots of time out there, so her landscaping has been enhanced greatly and she also added custom roll down shades all cheaper than the "view lots".

[Madelaine Amee]

[QUOTE=

The other one added a birdcage extension a couple of years ago, and someone sat outside talking loudly on the phone sometimes (I think always in the afternoon)[/QUOTE]

We, too, have one of those. Built a gi-normous bird cage overlooking the golf course, has no furniture in it, but walks inside the bird cage talking on the phone! He is stone deaf, so we get to hear both his conversation along with the incoming conversation, and he is three doors down from us! Thankfully he is a "bird" and is not here for much of the time.

[Ohiogirl]

Originally Posted by OhioBuckeye

Actually we have what they call a "Kissing Lanai". We have great neighbors in The Village of Charolette & when we first moved there 4 yrs. ago we planted shrubs for privacy & they like it & so do we, it works out great for us & all or our neighbors, personally the small lot isn't an issue for us it's the lanai, it's to narrow & you can't really have nice furniture out there because of rain & to close it in would be beating the purpose of have the open air feeling. Hope this helps. Personally we would like to sell our "Lilac" & buy another "Courtyard Villa".

I also thought enclosing would defeat the purpose of having a lanai, but now have triple track glass windows which give you about 70% screen when open. We did it so we could not worry about scheduling guests only when the weather was nice. Can open slider to house and heat/cool pretty easily unless temperatures are really extreme, as our lanai is not large (but does provide another table for games/cards or dining when entertaining).

We are seasonal so not here for the really hot weather anyway.

[boynurse484]

We do have kissing lanai's but the current couple behind us are very quiet. Obviously that will change eventually when they "move on" so we enclosed ours in acrylic sliders which are tinted and they have 4 podocampus tall bushes lining the back so we're all set. Paid more more a side lot and love that decision.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Madelaine Amee

We, too, have one of those. Built a gi-normous bird cage overlooking the golf course, has no furniture in it, but walks inside the bird cage talking on the phone! He is stone deaf, so we get to hear both his conversation along with the incoming conversation, and he is three doors down from us! Thankfully he is a "bird" and is not here for much of the time.

Did anyone politely speak to him and let him know all this? You may find that he does not want his private conversations overheard as well

[Goodbye Snow]

It was worth the extra money to us to have our house with the large backyard and to be located on a cul de sac. No matter what the side and back yard neighbors decide to do in the future, we know no one can build anything right behind us. Landscaping for a greener view is in our plans. Our lot is about 1/3 acre.

Voices and noise travel no matter how close or far away the lanais are and we are having ours enclosed with full length sliding windows. Then we can have the best of both, an open and/or closed lanai and enjoy the extra space no matter what the weather. A small yard will mean less cost to maintain the yard and watering, etc. if that is a factor in your decision.

When you see the homes in person I think you will know which one is right for you :-)

[laiello123]

For me, coming from a very private piece of property in northern Massachusetts, the "kissing lanai" was an issue. Not so much for my husband, but he wanted a little yard space for grilling. Fortunately, we found a lovely Begonia that backs to a villa wall, with a sizeable lanai and birdcage combo, on a cul-de-sac to boot. We closed-in the lanai with all glass sliding doors which gives us the option to open it all up, or close it up tight! Our birdcage is open to face one neighbor whose elaborate landscaping provides an additional buffer. We are new to the village of Dunedin and are very pleased with our neighbors, thus far. LOL My main concern now is that my singing isn't too loud for the neighbors!!!!

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Did anyone politely speak to him and let him know all this? You may find that he does not want his private conversations overheard as well

Yes, it has been mentioned to him and he just laughs.

[genobambino]

The thing you have to remember with houses being close is your neighbors probably go to bed at 8 or 9, it's not like living in a regular neighborhood where people are up all hours of the night hoot and hollering