Those are all in place before homes come on the market, at least they have been since we came here in 2007.

Two of my neighbors are 20 years older than me. After we golf, I go nap, they cut the grass or go for a bike ride.

You fell for their BS Storytelling. The free Golf for life.(True if you can get a tee time ) When you’re on the lifestyle tour, you get priority into everything. Once you buy, you lose that. After that you’re on the hold and wait system. So if you are moving here for the golf, sit down and buckle up, it may be a while

Best thing we ever did
 

Your doing the right thing at the right time IMHO. Sorry this is a long read but it covers a lot of your concerns - plus some others, and may also be of interest to others in similar circumstances - especially if they aren’t US citizens.

I can’t believe that 5 years ago we were in exactly the same place as you. Marsh Bend was in early stages of construction while accross the road Linden, etc was just sand. As for Richmond, St Johns, DeLuna, Hammock etc Etc…. Pure guess what they were going to look like- certainly less developed than Eastport is now.
We came out on a lifestyle in Nov 19 and bought one of the last lots in Marsh Bend. We weren’t 100% convinced about the lot and it had a HUGE $250k premium but we relied on the speed of development by TV that we could swap out our lot for no additional charge.
Feb 20 we came back out and designed our home. I work in architecture/interior in UK so building our own home was a wonderful experience. BUT we really hated our lot, so much so we seriously considered pulling out.
Thank god we didn’t as mid week a lot became available in Chitty Chatty that ticked EVERY box, plus was $100k cheaper so we swapped out, finished with designers and flew home. Chitty Chatty had a few foundations. Bradford, St Catherines etc were on par with Moultrie Creek. Dabney that wasn’t even fully cleared.

Then came covid. Borders closed, and we weren’t able to return for close on 3 years!!! Our house got built and we used Goldwingnuts to record progress. I cannot recommend Don’s service enough. The regular updates kept our dream a reality during lockdown (my previous Floridian home never got built as the developer was a con man who stole/misappropriated 695 owners deposits without building a single home - 20 years on and the land is still undeveloped while he is in jail). The bad news for us came during closing…. Due to covid the FX crashed and although the dollar closing price was the same, the GBP equivalent resulted in us having to find an extra £70k (or a US person paying an extra $100k).

I had set up a facebook page for Chitty Chatty (suggestion for you) and through that got to virtually know my future neighbours. The one thing you’ll find is that community here is all. One of neighbours helped us close, checked the house for 2 1/2 years, mowed the lawns, and helped us find a tenant (better to rent than leave empty).

During our first year we got hit by lightening which took out half our electrics. We are with Progressive Insurance and they paid out without any hassle. Our tenants were great and arranged the various trades people who carried out the repair works.

Anyhow in Sept 22 we finally got to see our home. Delighted is an understatement. The quality of build is fantastic and we are so happy to be here.

This therefore leads to the final point you raised. Value. Our house has seen in excess of 100% rise in resale value over the 3 years we’ve owned it. Partly due to us being the 3rd people to close in our village, partly the increase in real estate values from covid and partly because Chitty Chatty was an island village on the outskirts of the main area. The opening of the CC bridge joined us to the main Villages. Also we (and you) are fast moving to being central and not an outlier.

So in summary - good luck and I hope you have more success than us, but even if you are on par its been one of our best decisions.

Great move
 

Sounds like a great move. You'll love The Villages no matter where you live

It is good that you want ADVICE. Newcomers to the Villages are often euphoric about the place, especially if they come from up north. I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but obviously there are no perfect locations. It would be best to rent for about 6 months IN THE SUMMER to be sure you want to live here year around. I could talk about 10 wonderful things about the Villages and I could list 10 NOT-so-wonderful items. I will just list 2. Because Florida is basically an island and has large hurricanes (that are increasing), Florida home insurance is about 3 times the US average. Florida costs the most in the US for home insurance. Florida has mold, mildew, and pollen problems that give people allergies who never had allergies before.
.........Many people have a home here and another up north for the summer, so they avoid the summer problems here

Consider
 

They used to let you make changes but you want a 2 car garage with a golf cart one, I would have a walkin shower. I would add 4 ft to the garage if they let you better yet in depth they are not very deep. SO inside storage is a premium on my sycamore 2017 I took some of the living room and made a 18 foot long closet. Cuz you can't store much in the attic heat

Every area is not the same. The Developer is now building homes in the Eastport area starting from the back. Those who buy in Moultrie Creek and Shady Brook will see construction and dirt FOR YEARS because building will take place in front of their Villages. Each time they drive toward the turnpike, (which will be daily) they will be confronted with construction, dirt, and alternate routing to avoid trucks and cranes.

The OP asked us what we knew about the area. It is not wrong to point out the prison with acres of federal owned land, the quarry blasting, the high school stadium with bright lights, noise, and traffic, and the 24/7 cement factory. These may not bother some buyers but others it will.

Fun Facts on Cement
 

Ash Grove Cement off of Central Parkway Moultrie is the second largest cement company in the entire state. It is the sixth largest in the entire country. It runs 24/7 365 days a year, lights noise and all. The 200 foot silos are never going away. So enjoy.

Fine Silica Dust- It might surprise you to know that concrete and cement dust contains silica. If you don't know much about silica, in dust form, it's deadly. Silica dust is one of the biggest killers of construction workers, second to asbestos.

Those risks could be abated by just wearing a mask while you enjoy your activities outside.

///

Just an opinion, i think you are too far south. You get more for you’d home and access to many nor amenities, lower bond, landscaping, access to towns etc. by looking s of 466A.

Welcome to The Villages!
 

We too are building in Moultrie Creek. Last year was our first year here and no complaints. The only area for improvement is space. Everyone I’ve spoken with has mentioned something similar. If your budget can afford it, I suggest golf cart extension, garage extension, lanai extension, and home extensions. Think of it as an investment. Your home value will only go up and if your house offers those key extensions will pay off in more space and value.
Good luck,
Pete

Thank you for your response. Do you find it hard to get to other areas in the villages by golf cart? I did not see a direct route south, down Marsh Bend trail. I want to rent a cart on Saturday, next to the Everglades rec center and head down there. Do you ever get any blow back from the sewage treatment center?

Wow! Fabulous story. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

Sorry probably have more knowledge about cement companies than you. Family started company making block in 1920s, eventually opening and today owns 4 sites operating soon to add 5th. So from the time I could walk have been spent summers at job sites, offices, lunch and after work with drivers, family gatherings ( family owned and operated), and at the plant. So I don’t have to read anything about cement I got to live it.

I don't understand the phrase "we are building". No, you are not building. The developer is building the home, just like they build all the homes in the Villages. I live south of 44. But am close to Publix, doctors, etc. Would not consider buying down near 470 because there are no stores or doctors or anything down there. Nor is there any indication when a Publix is going to open there. There was supposed to be a hospital built, but have not heard anything about that. Real estate values are based on location, this is not a desirable location IMHO.

There is a Publix 3 miles up the road in Magnolia plaza. Real-estate appreciation aligns well with the Wayne Gretsky axiom "skate to where the puck is going". The Eastport town-center will be a big thing in a few years. Huge sports complex. Middleton town-center and location to the school provides a nice age mix demographic. The question is how long it will take and the disruptive process during construction.

The cement factory will go away over time, the sewage treatment center is hardly noticeable and will the prison really have an impact? You can't see the prison and I have not read of any recent escapes. The entire Village community would be at risk if there was a mass escape.

A mob assassin walked away from Coleman a little less than 2 years ago (April 2022), I think he headed straight to Miami.

The phrase “we are building” is used often when someone contracts with a builder or developer to build a house. I’m sure you knew that. Why people on this forum make a negative out of simple verbiage is beyond me.

Anyhow apart from Magnolia there is a Publix and Winn Dixie very close down 470, about 4 miles in Leesburg. Lots of other retail there also. It is possible to leave the villages for stuff.

If you hop on the Turnpike, there is the Okahumpka Service Area close by where you can get Wendy's and KFC.

It only seems like 6 months.

:pepper2::pepper2:

Oakwood smokehouse next to Leesburg Publix. I haven’t tried it yet but hear good things. The bbq place in Magnolia was really good and I’m a bbq snob.

This is solid gold!

I concur!

Frisco Kid

Not “deadly” in the sense but might cause long term health effects (as opposed to deadly). At the average age of the village residents I would not be overly concerned about this unless you’re working directly at the plant in which then the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) regulations would apply. Below some information on silica hazards (including pottery).
Crystalline Silica in Air andamp; Water, and Health Effects - MN Dept. of Health

It is not the prison that is a big concern. The land is owned by the federal government. They can do what they please. Now that a city is being built, they may adjust their thinking and use the property for something else. I cannot tell you how many times owners bought by nonvillage land only to be surprised by what was built.

The cement factory will go away over time? ????? Believe as you wish.

Publix is coming to Coleman. Magnolia Publix is not that far. A non issue

Great quote, bought a view lot and built south of Warm Springs before the Turnpike bridge start and property value doubled in three years. Will soon be within 10 minutes off Eastport.

Anyone waiting for Eastport might want to take a look at pre-owned in the Villages just north of Wellpoint.

When is Publix being built ? What about doctors and hospitals ? Walmart ?

A non-issue? All you need is a Publix and nothing else? I wish that is all I needed! I'm not happy unless I am surrounded by restaurants, quaint shops, gas stations, hospitals, doctors, etc. At my age, I like things at my fingertips.

Property values north of 44 have doubled also, so not impressed.

I'd be impressed with property values doubling in 3 years both north and south.

No idea how old you are but maybe the age demographic is why there is so much disparity of liking the south or not. I'm young for a Villager,I guess (54), and admittedly only very part time for at least 2 years. But I'm fine with things not at my fingertips. I'm 20-30 minutes from restaurants and shopping here in MA and have no issue with it. I figure by the time I'm old enough to be bothered, the south will have been built up enough.

I am in my sixties. I began living here in my forties. At that time, Spanish Springs was the only town square. We had to drive to Ocala often to obtain items we needed for the household. So glad we now have tons of commercial around us. Gives us much more time to enjoy a leisurely lifestyle.

Dont hold your breath! In early January, the Developer slashed the prices of 250+ homes. I checked MLS this morning and 72 homes saw price reductions. The week before, 54 homes. Not likely the market is going to do a crazy turn around any time soon. For some time, we will most likely see prices leveling to undo the high prices of the after Covid craze.

At our age, seeing homes double in price is not a good thing. Insurance and taxes will be higher. The cost to maintain the home will be higher. How much do you think they will charge to place a new roof on a $750,000 home? Remember, if your home price goes up, so does every home. Inflation will go off the charts. It is much better when home prices stabilize.

I was out there last Saturday and did not hear the cement factory running. Also did not see any trucks passing on Central Parkway. Perhaps not 24/7? Are they routing trucks eastward down 470, or central parkway?

Use ToTV with care.

As any where..............there are people with sad lives and want to share their sadness.

As with anything on the web...............a grain of salt.

Enjoy

:gc:

Thanks. I really do like ALL the responses. These old school anonymous chat forums are great for collecting information. Heading out Saturday with a whole new perspective, and things to consider. It is so encouraging to see such an active community. I also find the villages news informative and entertaining. These digital outlets, where opinions are expressed freely, is huge asset to me.

The cart path down Marsh Bend Trail is only open to Reagan Rd. A path via McNeil drive is in work, probably opening in the during spring.

From Everglades you will need to backtrack towards Brownwood over the Turnpike and take the path South to Sawgrass and then over the southern turnpike bridge which will take you to Moultrie Creek. The Villages App can help you navigate.

I think the sewage plant you refer to is actualy a water treatment facility connected to a lower aquifer well (?)

Exactly! It is a maze to get to Moultrie Creek. It's going to be like this FOR YEARS since that village is the furthest back. Those who buy there should plan on confronting construction, dirt, and rerouting while the remaining villages are being built in front of them.

We bought our home in May 2022 when our Village was certainly less than 50% complete. By the time we were settling in Dec 2022, 100% of the homes were complete and there was zero dirt, noise or construction vehicles.