1. I agree with native ground cover, minimal need for pesticides that are toxic to birds, mammals, and fish, or artificial chemical fertilizers. Or decorative rock beds. I also don't understand why so many landscapers insist on using the more toxic solutions when less - or even non-toxic solutions (such as diatomaceous earth) are available and affordable.

2. Gas golf carts pollute less than gas motor vehicles, and the equipment needed to supply charging stations for electric vehicles also are high polluters.

3. I agree 100% with solar, however there ARE homes in the Villages that have solar panels. It's absolutely allowed and any homeowner whose home can carry the weight of the panels can apply for them and get approved. The double-wides and single-wides in the Historic Section might have difficulty because their roofs aren't designed to accommodate things put on top of them. You could certainly enquire though.

4. In most of the Villages, the water used to water lawns comes from the retaining ponds and their own water filtration system for grey water re-use. That's part of what the retaining ponds are for. Rain run-off is pooled, and then the pooled water is churned back into the area to serve as external non-potable use. This is actually a pretty significant ecological breakthrough. Not many developments of this size use this kind of technology and eco-scaping. So in that, the developer has done a pretty awesome job.

I sold real estate in Mi my whole career and up there I was responsible ( as was the seller) to find out everything on the property and surrounding areas. I watched a case go to arbitration because a Realtor did not disclose a hwy would be going past their back yard within a year and the buyer won. A professional Realtor if not here, should do due diligence when listing a property or as a buyers agent. In this case ( beside having horrible neighbors ) the broker would be held libel , the seller secondary. I was shocked at how little Realtors and sales people actually due in real estate transactions here. And the title company Tri County title I closed at was the worst, most unprofessional company that had they screwed up a deal as bad as they screwed up mine.. they would not be in business.( I know for a fact they are just as bad with others as they were to me. The numbers were incorrect and she actually refused to change them screaming she was the professional and in Florida they do things different.I wanted to walk out then but the sellers were so sweet and desperate to close on that day, they paid me out of pocket via check for the difference ) They were wrong about my tax telling me it was homestead when in fact, it was not so I had to pay 900. more and when I called them they told me they ‘aint’ paying Nothing and for me to get a lawyer if I wanted a penny ..on and on.
I did ask owner if all the rocks were in compliance and he said yes but now after reading this, I think the house has been sold a few times with all the rocks . I was also told they were grandfathered in . So I am very curious how this situation is resolved . I can’t afford to re- landscape ( thank God I have fabulous neighbors)
The title company refused to let me read the title prior to close( again, told it was not allowed in Florida) and the restrictions I was given have nothing about easements or landscaping in them outside having to get permission to remove trees.

They certainly do!
 

Yes, they certainly do come on your property and move /remove items they believe are not in compliance. Both me and my next door neighbor had a small ornament and they moved it onto our porch. We then put it under the awning which is allowed. This was approximately one foot difference.

The Powers That Be Don't Care!
 

When I originally moved here years ago, I wanted to have turf as opposed to having grass for all the reasons you mention (except dogs don't hate it).

Backing up for a moment, there is a public park with a child's playground in West Palm Beach that has the most incredible turf I had ever seen. You could NOT tell it from real grass! I called the city and got the information regarding the manufacturer and the installer -- a company in Orlando.

When I told them I lived in The Villages they told me not only could I not have turf in a Designer Home but that unless their company would give TV a royalty (a piece of the action!) on every job they sold (because the walled-in villas could have turf), they could NOT do ANY business in The Villages!
I was flabbergasted.

It's all about the money, folks -- the almighty dollar.
Yes . . . in a community this size you would think they would want to do the right thing -- the ecologically sound and intelligent right thing. But no.
In so many ways having blinders on prevails as does simply turning the other cheek.

A few points to consider -
1) Title insurance is purchased to protect you title, it has NO part in being sure your homes landscaping is in compliance.
2) MOST importantly lets be careful of what we ask for - if we suggest equal compliance we may get it and then we will ALL BE SORRY.
We will all be paying for a new enforcement team that will be checking on compliance. I do not need to pay any additional fees for enforcement - ALSO this new team would be MUCH stricker in enforcement. I am100% sure we do not want this changed.

Realtor only need to look at the property. If they are selling here they know the "rules". No grass is a clue to look further into documentation!

Irrigation $$, IMHO, is a big money maker, get water for free and sell it--thats why, no turf

Has anyone said anything about the court yard villas in Creekside at Lake Sumter-all stone landscaping and owned by The Villages??!! Hummm.

The point is I doubt a realtor is going to start checking setbacks from property lines for landscaping and their opinion doesn't really matter if a complaint is filed later. And I doubt many actually know the rules.

The infrastructure to deliver the "free" water is not free. That is what you are really paying for. Given our ample rainfall, the irrigation needs, once a lawn and scrubs are established, isn't all that large.

In this case the owner must file a landscape request with the ARC(architectural review committee) The form is online and there is no cost to file. If the present landscape conforms to the deed restrictions for that village it will be approved and nothing need be done. If it is not in compliance the owner will have to submit a new plan with corrections and they will be responsible for the costs to bring it into compliance and they will have 6 months to get it done.
There may be recourse against the previous owner or broker but that is a legal matter

Courtyard villas are allowed to have all stone on the property. It's a non-issue for them.

I owe some people an apology. While I did receive a copy of the Declariations of Restrictions on the lot I reserved in District 12. I could not find the landscaping detail in that document as discussed here.

Declarations of Restrictions:
Village Community Development Districts

Searching the Districgov web site, I found quite a complex web of documents not recieved that contain the detail:

Deed Compliance:
VCDD Deed Compliance - Lake County

External Deed Restrictions Stamdards:
https://www.districtgov.org/departme...ct10_Rules.pdf

Deed restrictions up to Districts up to 10 are on the web site. Subsiquent districts are missing. May be in the public record.

Architectural Review manuals, this appears to be a key working guideline:
VCDD Community Standards

How do I know what the guidelines are for modifications to the home and/or lot?
The individual District Board of Supervisors approved an Architectural Review Manual utilized as a guideline, in concert with the District’s adopted Rule, to assist the ARC in making a determination on modification requests. To view, click on the ‘Architectural Review Manual’ Quick Link and choose the District in which you reside.

Artificial grass would be my dream as well. Along with shrubs and palm trees. :icon_wink:

The house next door was sold with many violations however nothing was ever fixed. Instead of additions being 5' away from our fence, it's about 3', at most. Other problems with dead trees, etc, nothing has been done after advising and requesting for the dead plants to be removed due to fire hazard.

To whom?

We got ALL of ours 15 years ago!!!!

I'm building later this this year so have a bad case of I don't know what I don't know. :shocked:

Is there a list of ALL the documents that apply?

District 12 is not yet available but seems unlikely they will be substantially different from the others.

Interesting
 

I would be interested in whether the Title insurance covers landscaping on a HOA agreement. Since it is a local rule, not a legal regulation it probably won’t be covered. My understanding is that title insurance covers the legal title to the property, like liens, contractors liens
(for work done and not paid) and such filed against the property in the courthouse in the city, county or stats.

If you sign a document giving an entity the right to impose fines on you as a homeowner for something involving your property, and then to impose a lien on the property if you don't pay the fine, then that SEEMS like it would fall into that Title Insurance coverage.

good advice!

Found this informative:

Title Services - Compass Land and Title LLC :ho:

:agree:

Title insurance offers protection to you and/or your lender from previous claims or prior rights that another party may have to the property, including any unsettled debt of previous property owners. Moreover, title insurance is centered around a public records search, which is estimated to establish the status of the title at the time the property was purchased. On the occasion that your title is challenged by another party, your title insurance underwriter will defend your title and pay any and all related costs and losses in property value that occurs, up to your title insurance policy limit.

I would think that they may have some recourse against The Villages realty sine they should have known that it was not in compliance. They are, after all, an agency of The Villages who writes the regulations.

Did the sales agreement indicate that all things were in compliance? I think some say “as is” for certain things. At least it was so in mine.

My landscape does need help as the owners have been gone, and incapable, but none of my neighbors have complained and I’m working on keeping everyone happy. When my neighbors are happy then I am happy too.

Title Insurance
 

Good to check but I don't think title insurance will cover it. I believe title insurance would only cover if there was a lien or legal complaint against the property before sale. I don't think title searches go back and look at(examine) all permits for work done on the property. If no permit was applied for how would they know any work was done through a title search? Only open permits may show up but I don't think permits at all are part if a title search.