Re: Life in the Villages--is it as great as everyione seems to say it is?
 

We just got back on Sunday from a few days at TV and a few days at Disney with my granddaughter.

We took my daughter, son in law and granddaughter for a tour last Friday. They saw the video and thought they had a pretty good idea on what TV was all about.

After a tour of Sumter Landing and a few of the golf courses, my son in law turned and said "wow"; I can't believe this place! They said it was so much bigger and better than what the video showed

My granddaughter tapped my arm (she's 7) so I bent down and she whispered "grandma, can I move here with you".

I think that says it all. We will be passing papers at the end of May and renting for a few months while we look for a home. As sad as it is for me to leave my family and grandkids (I have two others, grandsons who are 6 and 2); I am excited and nervous, all at the same time!

Re: Life in the Villages--is it as great as everyione seems to say it is?
 

Nancy, that's funny. My 7 yo granddaughter says the same thing. She's ready to move right in with Grammy and Granddad!!! I asked if she would miss her parents. She said "Yes, but we can call them." She spent 3 weeks with us last summer and did not want to leave. We try to have her down here several times a year and we go back up to Pa to see her. As I said before, all the grands want to live here...skip the whole college/work scene and go straight to retirement!!!

Re: Life in the Villages--is it as great as everyione seems to say it is?
 

That makes me feel better - I am going to miss them so much. All three are such a big part of our lives. When I think about moving and that's coming up fast; I get weepy.

Re: Life in the Villages--is it as great as everyione seems to say it is?
 

My wife and I visited The Villages in November and were amazed at the place. We looked at a few other Over 55 Communities that were nice, but didn't have the overall attraction and type of lifestyle. I brought my married 37 yr. old son with me in March to show him. He was so taken with The Villages that HE WANTED TO MOVE THERE! Of course, he'll have to wait a few more years, but he's looking foward to visiting us if we make the move.
We are originally from NY, but have lived in Minneapolis for 10 years. Although we're getting to the point where we could do without the long winters, we'd have to trade it for the long hot summers. Like most of you, we also have a couple of grandkids, 5 and 7, who we'll miss, but as they get older they'll be into other activities and Grandma & Gramps won't quite have the same appeal. I agree with the others, that in the two short experiences we had there, everyone we met did seem very friendly. Are there any negatives, like hidden fees/costs? Hopefully, we will become residents within the year and will see you all in the Square for Rocky & The Rollers! :)

Re: Life in the Villages--is it as great as everyione seems to say it is?
 

I am a single female, have been living here for 5 years, and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I wouldn't trade this for anything. A friend of mine started a single women's club a couple of years ago for women who just want to have friends to do things with and not be looking for a relationship. It started with 45 women and now is about 200 members. We do all sorts of things. A group is going to Homosassa Springs today. We schedule dinners, movies, kayaking, bowling, miniature golf, shuffleboard, pickleball, shopping, day trips to the zoo, Tampa Bay baseball games - I can't even think of everything. Plus, there are all sorts of activities in TV a single woman can do - you just have to be assertive and do it. Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day for what I want to do. I was lonely as hell when I lived in CT - TV has opened up a whole new life for me!! My family has said this is the happiest they have ever seen me.

Re: Life in the Villages--is it as great as everyione seems to say it is?
 

Vikes -- glad you enjoyed your visit and welcome to TOTV. There is no doubt TV is quite a place and can be a bit overwhelming. I would strongly encourage you to go to through the various forums in here, especially the General Villages Discussion, and read up on a wide variety of topics. We've cussed and discussed just about everything in here and I'm sure you'll find some interesting points not discussed during a sales visit. Try the other forums as well, though I'd suggest you avoid the Political group -- some of those folks get nasty. But just thumb through the General forum and if a topic interests you, click on it. You can keep going back in time for over a years worth of discussions.

Re: Life in the Villages--is it as great as everyione seems to say it is?
 

Thanks for the advice, "muncle", will check into the other forums. So far, I have heard alot more positives than negatives. Everyone has there own opinion. You just have to add up the pros and cons and decide what's best for you. There's no utopia, we just want to gather as much information as we can to make an informed decision. Appreciate your help!