[CindyNah1]

I moved here 3 months ago I looked at 15 homes and didn't like the "feel" of kissing lanai so i paid extra and LOVE my home. my suggestion, if there is even a "question" you won't like hearing your neighbors TV or voices. PAY the extra money. I lived in PA surrounded by 4 acres of trees and no neighbors for 33 yr. so I KNEW what I needed to enjoy my peace. as with any neighborhood, some neighbors are quiet, some only come for a few weeks a year, and some, well, are more noisy. Best to you. I am LOVING my decision to live here, don't "spoil" it by going "cheaper" if you want quiet

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by CindyNah1

I moved here 3 months ago I looked at 15 homes and didn't like the "feel" of kissing lanai so i paid extra and LOVE my home. my suggestion, if there is even a "question" you won't like hearing your neighbors TV or voices. PAY the extra money. I lived in PA surrounded by 4 acres of trees and no neighbors for 33 yr. so I KNEW what I needed to enjoy my peace. as with any neighborhood, some neighbors are quiet, some only come for a few weeks a year, and some, well, are more noisy. Best to you. I am LOVING my decision to live here, don't "spoil" it by going "cheaper" if you want quiet

Know the feeling, from PA surrounded by 18 acres in the woods....it was an adjustment here, even with an oversize lot, but love it.

[Sanbo]

I bought an iris designer home in 2013. My neighbor and I do have kissing lanais and it has not been a problem at all. I did have the landscaper plant shrubs and plants that would be a buffer to any noise. My neighbors all have been very respectful for each other's privacy.

[Happy Gardener]

Nine years ago we paid 80K extra for a designer home that backs onto a retention pond maintained by The Villages. Over the years we've enjoyed watching all the birds that swim and dive and catch fish from the pond, our retriever has the freedom to run after training dummies and bring them back, plus we appreciate the privacy of not having a neighbor in the back yard. Yes, for us, it's well worth the extra cost.

Originally Posted by VApeople

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 who paid more to have a larger lot, was it worth it?

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Happy Gardener

Nine years ago we paid 80K extra for a designer home that backs onto a retention pond maintained by The Villages. Over the years we've enjoyed watching all the birds that swim and dive and catch fish from the pond, plus we appreciate the privacy of not having a neighbor in the back yard. Yes, for us, it's well worth the extra cost.

We decided in 2007 that we'd rather have a modest home on a golf course lot, than a mansion with a kissing lanai.
We made the right decision for us, because we love nature, and we value our privacy.
Like Happy Gardener, we enjoy watching the birds that swim and dive and catch fish. Magical!

[THUNDERCHIEF]

Do not buy a house with a kissing lanai, you will be sorry, noise, dogs, people talking, not a good deal being close to your neighbor.

[Newbeginnings]

I moved here from Alaska, I had 5 acres and no neighbors, loved the solitude and privacy. When I decided to move to The Villages, after seeing some very nice homes with "kissing" lanai's decided it wasn't for me. My first home was a designer against a villa wall, my second home was on a golf course, and the latest is against a preserve. Loved all 3 in the aspects of what was affordable at the time when I purchased them. I never considered a "Kissing Lanai", it wasn't something no matter how much enclosing or landscaping I did , I would not consider. I paid extra in each home, but well worth the investment, my first home sold in 1 day after putting it up for sale, and the second on the golf course sold within 30 days. The view is one of the most important selling points if you ever decide to move, IMO.

[Greg Nelson]

according to Village Realtor's, that privacy can add up to and extra $150K!! If we wanted kissing lanais we'd get a mobile home. Not our cup of tea. Back home in Minnesota we're on a 4000 acre glacial lake and our closest neighbor is over 300' away....but the homes in our PUD in the third tier are about 12' apart. Those lots sold for 80-90K ours with woods on three sides were listed at 225K...second tier..go Vikings!

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Greg Nelson

according to Village Realtor's, that privacy can add up to and extra $150K!!

Greg, I assume you are talking about new homes.
It's been our experience that resale homes enable the Purchaser to buy a home in mid-Villages on a golf course for a fraction of that price.
With no cart path anywhere near and a pond view.

[Greg Nelson]

We've looked at more than a 100 places and had the help of more than one Village Realtor. We asked them to show us a comparable view and they have not found one as yet. Based on other sales this villa 2/2 we're in is 40-50 over due to the view. The drawback is the dinky garage. We've contacted Fortin Construction for building a cart barn. He's having the ruling people look it over. Now I see 2 villas close by needing new furnaces. it all adds up.......

[VApeople]

Originally Posted by Happy Gardener

Nine years ago we paid 80K extra for a designer home that backs onto a retention pond maintained by The Villages. Over the years we've enjoyed watching all the birds that swim and dive and catch fish from the pond, our retriever has the freedom to run after training dummies and bring them back, plus we appreciate the privacy of not having a neighbor in the back yard.

If you have a house that borders a retention pond, are your dogs allowed to run free?

[justjim]

Originally Posted by VApeople

If you have a house that borders a retention pond, are your dogs allowed to run free?

OP, short answer is no.

[RickeyD]

Originally Posted by VApeople

If you have a house that borders a retention pond, are your dogs allowed to run free?

Don't know, but the gators are...

[mickey100]

As others Have pointed out, you can easily spend $150,000-$170,000 extra for a view lot, and there is absolutely NO guarantee that you will have peace and quiet. I have played golf on courses in the villages where you could hear someone's television blaring 200 yards away, because the owner is hard of hearing and has a tv out in his birdcage. We played the other day and someone's dog was yapping the whole time we were on the hole. If you get a bad neighbor a few doors down or someone has a nuisance type dog, forget it. We talked it over and decided we did not want to risk $150,000 and end up in a bad situation as far as noise, so we bought a kissing lanai. It has turned out fine. Occasionally the neighbors behind us have a dinner party and are noisy, but it is few and far between. And all the lanais have been in closed except ours, which really cuts down on the sound transmission. We have beautiful landscaping in the back and don't see our neighbors so it's really not much of an issue. That $150,00 we saved is paying the way for some fabulous vacations.

[Bonsai Golfer]

It does depend on what you think you can live with and who your neighbors are, and their habits. Someone pointed out that neighbors can change. I'd go a step farther and say they DO change. Remember, it is not uncommon for villagers to change homes at least once during their life in TV and many change twice. We've lived in our current (second) home only 5 years but two neighbors across the street, one next door and one behind us have all changed in the last year!

I'm going to disagree with some respondents and say that you CANNOT avoid hearing your neighbors (and they you) when you have kissing lanais that are not enclosed regardless of how much landscaping you do. But, you almost have to landscape if you don't want to look in to your neighbor's home or have them looking in to yours. This may be as much of a problem as noise or even more. If you heavily landscape then you're looking at a wall of shrubs which may only be 5' from your lanai. Remember, lot set-backs are only about 10' in much of TV so you are only 20' from your neighbors, that's not a lot.

A couple of people mentioned the desirability of corner lots and ones that back up to other homes on irregular lots. That is a good suggestion. Our lot fits that description so our lanai is some distance from those behind. Keep in mind that even if you find such a home, you still may have a next door neighbor who has a lanai fairly close to you, but better to have one close than three kissing. I don't think you necessarily need to expect to pay a lot more for these kinds of lots. I know we didn't but it all depends on the market at the time you are looking.

One caution, corner lots are often moderately to much bigger than interior lots so they take a lot more irrigation, hence more cost. Water is expensive in TV. We love our lot but we didn't take than in to account when we bought. Expect to pay $200 - $400 more per year on your water bill.

In the end, it all does depend on what's important to you. Hope this helps and good luck with your search.