We chose the lake (retention pond) view and have lived here 11 years. There is a championship golf course on the other side of the pond. One of the best decisions we've made other than the decision to move to The Villages. I put my office in the corner of the open living area so that I can enjoy the water view. We have an occasional alligator in the water but never have we seen one on the shore. There is a sand bar when the water is lower that is a treasure trove for wildlife - turtles, anhingas, a variety of ducks, egrets and blue herons. We love watching the waves which tell us the wind direction. And the reflection of the color of the sunsets in the water is stunning. Never have I seen a mosquito in our yard. The white pelicans are amazing to watch. We eat most of our meals outside on the lanai. We have not experienced any downside to living on water (other than initial cost!).

I've never seen a paddle boat or any kind of boat in the ponds and lakes down here, no fishermen either as that is not allowed in most of the ponds and lakes. Some of the lakes are very private, others are surrounded by homes.

We live on an extension of Evans' Prairie. We chose that because, in our opinion, it is much less likely to disappear during a drought. We have no trouble with bugs.

We do see snakes, alligators and turtles. That is why we live where we do. We want to see them. We don't see anyone in any type of watercraft.

As my name says, I have been a SCUBA diver for near 30 years. I don't bother critters and they don't bother me.

The only critters bothering me currently are the rabbits eating my new holly bushes.

Living on a pond with the golf course on the far side is the best decision we made in our Village house selection. The pond is very close and enables us to watch the wildlife which includes a multitude of birds, ducks, some turtles, white pelicans, and a lot of hackers (if you play golf you know what they look like - including me). In 5 yrs, there was only 1 resident alligator and to be honest he/she ( I didn't get too close and even if I did I'm sure I couldn't tell) was kind of fun to spot every once in a while. The gator didn't bother us but I don't think the ducks were as fortunate and it has since been removed. An occasional gator does pass through but I think they are just tourists visiting our adult Disney land. We have seen many more snakes on the streets and on an interior lot we previously had, then on the pond. We are amazed at how few musketoes there are, especially if you come from upstate NY. The location is: peaceful, interesting and just plain wonderful. The lots cost a few $s more but like they say you generally get what you pay for and I'm sure we did. Oh, and the great thing about the golf path on the far side of the pond is you really can't hear them much and they all try to avoid the water when they swing. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us) If you're into ball shagging you have to cross the pond and go into the shrubs on the other side of the fairway to find balls, but they aren't really that expensive at Wallmart. Two more things I almost forgot, the sunsets are numerous and spectacular, and make sure there is an ABC store close by since you will probably go thru more cocktails (Only kidding we use Publix).

Good Luck hunting there will be many opinions only but only yours counts (unless your married or course).

Hello Tonig -
Living in a house on the lake in The Villages is simply beautiful. There is nothing quite like watching the rays of the sun dancing on the water ... or watching flocks of pelicans swimming in unison... or watching an eagle swoop down to skim the water's edge. A house on the water is peaceful, calm, and private. We have never seen a snake near our home, nor have we ever been visited by alligators, nor have we ever been bitten up by mosquitoes. Choosing a water lot for our home is one of the best decisions we have ever made and we would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat.

Best wishes to you as you choose your new home!

If you are talking about a “lake “ in The Villages. Sometimes the smell is awful

Nearly two years living on our lake, no odors at all to date and we have gone through some long dry spells. Maybe the lake you're referring to has sewage getting into it somehow or your talking about a marsh rather than a lake/pond.

Hard to be bit inside birdcage

I doubt that the comment above was written by a person who has actually owned a Villages home adjacent to a lake or pond. There is no odor. A water view home is simply beautiful. Why else would people pay a high premium to own one?

We go outside of our lanai in the evenings and don't have a problem with bugs, as I stated above they spray the areas around the lakes to keep them under control. We are not mosquito free but no worse than a home on an interior lot that does not have a lake, maybe even a little better off with the spraying.

Here's an article about lakes/ponds in THE VILLAGES:
VILLAGES HAS THAT SINKING FEELING - Orlando Sentinel

March 5 2003. letter to Pete Wahl, administrator of the developer-controlled Village Center Community Development District government.

Wahl said the community's engineers are "looking for options" for a permanent fix. He would not discuss any of those options.

Water officials are concerned about a large retention pond The Villages calls Lago Bonito -- Spanish for "pretty lake."

Six homeowners there paid premium prices for waterfront homes. When a hole swallowed all the water last year, they picketed the developer to fix the problem.

We bought a house on a pond. Great view, wildlife, and privacy. Very few mosquitos. I've only seen one snake and it wasn't a on the pond and not a water snake. Alligators? Come on.

I would almost always prefer living on a lake, but would have concerns buying in The Villages. Will the lake always be a lake, or will it be drained like the lake, maybe pond, has been in Alhambra? I don't know what the story is, but it isn't pretty.

A lake would be alright as long as I didn't own a dog or had frequent guests who always brought their dog. That's the only negative being near fresh water in Florida. However, more people here have lost pets to coyotes, even when the dog is no more than 20 feet away, coyotes are very fast. A gator can move 40 mph but you need to be near the water, a coyote can come from anywhere.

Coyote snatches woman’s dog in The Villages | WFTV

We are in a villa on Cherry Lake with a fence. It is a perfect location, amazing gorgeous views and safe for the dogs. Going on seven years. Not one issue. And most of us on the lake side have dogs.