There are choices to be made and clearly people should, no MUST, examine a place carefully before they decide to buy and live there.

I think that I heard that the lawsuit that you speak of brought great personal profit to the villagers who brought it and correct me if I wrong.

I think that a lot of people do NOT know that this is a CDD form of government and that it is unlike any that any of us have been used to previously. The developers can run this place pretty much like a monarchy and the fact that their political leanings are Republican color many an aspect of the life here. Only Republican candidates and speakers are invited to speak. The paper has a Republican editorial slant. Fox news was broadcast from here. The Morse family are known to have contributed large sums to the Republican party. Maybe because of that a lot of people are drawn to move here because a lot of older people are Republicans. Now that is great unless you aren't and I think a lot of people come here and are really, REALLy disappointed about that aspect of The Villages.

The IRS issue, as it has been explained to me at least, does not mean that we villagers are liable if the IRS would rule against the Morses. Please correct me if I am wrong. The IRS issue has been discussed for the four years that I have read this forum. It is not that the Morses have withheld money from their taxes but how the bonds are interpreted...and they are NOT the bonds on the home for the infrastructure, for any new readers. If the IRS would rule against the Morses, it appears to me they have the dough to pay it, and had the opportunity to do that at the beginning but, if I remember it correctly, seemed to think that HOW a CDD was run was the issue, and please correct me if I am wrong.

It means a lot to me personally that people who would enjoy this place know the truth even if it is smarmy. I don't know the Morse family, maybe they are a bunch of losers. I see so much evidence around me of what is NOT greed. The green spaces left for us to enjoy looking at, maintained beautifully, they could have done far less and maintained them in an average way. I see the rec centers that are not blah but each individual one a feast for the eyes. I see that the pools are sparkling clean, always and that is hard to do... I see that they are good business people, BIG BUSINESS people, but I am not afraid of big business. Those kinds of success stories are as American as Apple pie.

I have had a lot of experiences in my life, but living here is the MOST pleasant place I have found and I am surprised and delighted that the last years of my life seem to be the best. I have to blame someone, so I will blame the Morses...who may not be as nice as I think.

And I am sure someone will disagree with me, but that is the reason we have this forum...so we can talk and listen and hopefully learn.

There is a method I use to avoid being taken advantage of, and that is mainly trying to not utilize companies or businesses that would do so. Obviously, in The Villages, with Morse's hand in so many pots, it is difficult to completely avoid, but we try. Do you think I bought my furniture at overpriced Southern Lifestyles? No way, I saved a ton, and bought outside the Villages. I saved money on my mortgage by NOT getting it at Citizens bank. I paid off the bond to avoid paying the excessive interest rates. I purchase some groceries at Sam's and Walmarts . I do my best to support the POA, because I think they have our best interests at heart. If the conditions at the Villages golf courses are crummy, I just don't play golf here, I go outside The villages. If the IRS business escalates to the point where it is going to cost Villagers serious money, I will probably leave. That will be the last straw for me. Everyone has their own set of values and things that are important to them. The Morse's and their excessive greed do not represent my values and I have little respect for them. Sorry if that displeases some of you, but that is the way I see it, and there have been numerous threads on this issue in the past, with many others feeling the same way. We can go back and forth, and we all have our own opinions, which will not change, so I guess I'm done discussing this issue.

Why wait. Home prices are at an all time low. Take advantage of it, you can save even more. You shouldn't stay if you feel there is only doom and gloom ahead.

I guess I see no conflict in disliking or distrusting the developer and loving the development. I don't know any morse but I have read plenty of things about them that make me beleive they are not my kind of folks on the whole. At the same time I am very anxious to move to The Villages. As far as I know I won't have to befriend any of the morses.

A lot of the complaints about the Morses is plain old ordinary envy.

How is Envy more noble than Greed? Both are self destructive!

And regarding this.....

........

....Does this mean that because Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have made lightyears beyond "reasonable" profits, that they should have or should now quit inventing and make the products we WANT to buy (as we WANT to buy The Villages) that make our lives better and easier?? I don't think so.

I think a lot of these claims of "Greed" ought to be turned toward the dumb-a** politicians whose uncompromising "greed" for power is ruining this once-great nation.

I agree with you, Gracie. However, there are those who will never be convinced. I wonder if the naysayers feel the same way about the multimillionaire sports and entertainment figures.

Thanks eweissenbach.
I think like you.
This thread was started to show how complex and the many many companies the family controls. If posters would just stay on topic about the Huge organization instead of telling posters to leave or other nasty comments directed at posters. The effect through the years is to drive posters off the board.

Talk to people here and almost all love the Villages but have issues with the developer. I've known this board has always been big cheerleaders but it is no reason to be nasty if you don't agree with someone.

we have lots of places here in sun city that are for sale at really low prices but we don't have all the perks that you guys in the villages have. and if they moved here, they'd probably go after Del Webb and all the money his family has.

Now that is funny. Good one SunCity.

Sun.
Huh, We have lots of places for sale too.?? We also have people who have left for the Del Ws around here.
The financial structure is very different in Del Ws than in here. We are a private family owned development with closed books. The Del near here has had no lawsuits or IRS investigations that I know of... Once built out is complete, the residents own and control their development with open books. As a mattter of fact, I think the Del nearest here is very well off with about a million in the bank.
But the point is almost everyone likes living here but separates living here from the behavior of the 3rd generation of the developer. So yes, this is an amazing place and this thread is about the huge organization of the Morse family.

we have what they call PORA here in sun city. look it up online.

the problem here is that everything was really good in the beginning. but now things have gone down. things are not kept up like in the villages. i'm not complaining. it's nice here. Del Webb has done a good job but the Morse family has done a spectacular job developing the villages and keeping it up-even improving the quality of life for you people as time goes on. here that is not the case.

our houses are for sale for really cheap because of the economy. from what i see online, your houses that are for sale in the villages have not decreased in value like ours have. people can't sell their houses here and are losing a lot of money.

i admire both the Del Webb family and the Morse family for what they have done. but i think you people in the villages are lucky to have such good developers.

Sun,
Thanks for the very respectful answer. I need to be going so this is just a short answer. Many many people have lost a great deal of money on homes in here. The people who are not happy in here get bashed to death on their first post on this board so you will never hear it on here.
But I agree this is a great place, but we are comparing apples and oranges. Many of the Dell Webbs are built out and getting old. We may someday too.
Plus we are 86,000.
I had a ton of respect for Harold, less for Gary, and even less for Mark. I know the family very well and have had business dealings with them. However, you are entitled to your opinion. All opinions should be respected whether you agree or not.
Now I really must get going. We are having a big Christmas party tonight at Savannah and I should be there.
Thanks again for your very polite post.

Isn't Savannah nice? I think those greedy Morse's built it.

I love it when people can agree to disagree respectfully. :)

You are correct. If you've been here anytime at all, you know the Morse's built it prior to 2000 for five million dollars and turned around in 2003 and sold it to the residents for 25 million dollars. There was no negotiating on the price. Quite an investment.