Go for your dream..that’s what I’m doing..I’ll be there soon!! I don’t care what it costs..(within my reason) I just retired..I deserve it and so do you!!

There are 3 lots up by CR 42 available that are priced at well over $500K that I believe are for premier homes. They have been available for quite some time.

New area near red fox golf course are rumored to be premier homes

You can build a Premier home on a 5 acre lot in Chatham acres

Do not get gas for the pool. It would cost you $1000 a month. We know. We have a pool and gas. We recently put on solar for the pool. Approximate cost was $4400 for 10,000 gallon pool. It was the best expenditure ever.
They mostly have cleaning services. Not "maid" service. I clean my own. You will have watee charges for irrigation and separate water charges for house water. Pool charges a month from a company. Lawn service. Pruning services. Pest control spraying. Monthly amenities charge from The Villages. If you buy a golf cart, you will have insurance on them and your car. Cable charges. Cell phone charges. Annual fee of you become a priority member golfer with trail fee. Electric charges.

It certainly makes sense to research the cost of living before making a commitment

however the cost of a utility bill and maid service is chump change compared to everything else that you should be budgeting for

BTW...don't forget to throw in a nice chunk of change on the line item 'contingency' regardless of whether you go new or pre-owned...you'll be glad you did

Annual expense
 

You will need about 22k/year
To cover the expenses and annual tax This would include the bond
If the bond is paid off then about 16k/year

Amazing post, why are u worried about a budget for a 3600 sq ft home. I clean my own home it’s fairly easy

Premier Home
 

I have a 3200 sq ft premier home. The lot is 0.44 acres and is a corner interior lot. We love it! Some sarcastic people say otherwise. The electric bill is about $235 in the summer. We have solar panels for pool, plus a gas heater for winter months. We do not have natural gas so we have 250 gal propane tank in the ground. Pool cleaning is $130/mo, house cleaning service is $120 every two weeks. As the others mentioned don't forget lawn mowing, fertilization, bush trimming, and the other usual costs of T.V. cable/satellite, internet, cell phone, water/irrigation, & amenity. Combination of water, irrigation, amenity, sewer, & sanitation on a dry month can run up to $400 to keep the grass somewhat green. Average bill is about $300 /month. Hope this helps.

I would suggest that you rent a home first with less sq footage. We thought for sure that we needed 3,600 ft house and a housekeeper at least once a week. Just like back home. Well, we are in a 2,000 sq ft home and a housekeeper once every two weeks and I am not sure we need anything more. I was totally surprised. Especially if you have a large pool area. They are not building Premier homes anymore but you can get Premier features on a new home. I.e. 10’ ceilings for your lanai. My fantastic housekeeper charges by footage. I only pay her $100 a visit. She would charge more than that for a larger home. Don’t forget the pool maintenance cost. Please be sure you understand your bond payments. It’s different here in The Villages. Many places have the contractors pay for the infrastructure ... not here. You are paying for that! Good luck. You will love it here! Welcome in advance!

We have a similar premier home and these costs are inline with what we are paying.

It’s not cheap! Depending on where you buy. Wildwood has city taxes as well as county 2000 sq ft all in taxes and Bond(25-38K) could run as high as $7k per year. Amenities $300, electric $250, gas $100, house insurance with sink hole protection $250, car insurance $200. Trail fee, priority golf $100 And finally ...
Happy Hour $600 per month! Live life large

Wow that must be a very happy happy hour!:icon_wink:

Yes, I agree. Why worry about electricity costs when you're spending $300,000 for a home??

maybe because there is no endless supply of $$$$.


:duck: