but remember "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"!

i'm down with that opinion! without the quirkiness of the historic side - our properties would look as cookie-cutter as most of the villages. ;)

It's not Florida retirement without a pink flamingo in the front yard!


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If a homeowner enjoys it, and it does not affect anyone else's property value...then why care? I get a kick out of some of them...every theme imaginable. The dwarfs, the elves, snow white, flamingos....on and on. I always wonder if the owner is really aware of what it looks like. It's funny and doesn't hurt anyone. For those purchasing a resale, if it's not their thing or bothers them...don't look in those areas.

It Doesn't Matter
 

We actually decided using Buena Vista or Morse as a factor, and not North or South of 466 or 466a. We ended up North of 466, but my only request to my wife was, "anywhere along the Morse Blvd. corridor", because my favorite championship courses are on or just off Morse. Talk about convenience, we will be moving to Rio Grande, just off Morse, and are five minutes to SS and LSL (nice). We also have a nice oak tree in the front and side yards (very nice). The bond was paid (extremely nice). It has a small pool and the whole patio is enclosed in a birdcage (very, extremely nice!).

You will find what your priorities are and decide based on those, because there are young and older people in every village and that includes South of 466a. Why people at this stage of life get hung up on age is beyond me. You are as young or as old as your heart. So, case closed on that issue.

There are executive courses, rec centers, neighborhood pools EVERYWHERE, and you are just minutes away from any of those.

Finally, enjoying life with DW, being with old friends who are already there, and making new friends is all that really matters. We hope to make friends from Orange Blossom to the closest village to Brownwood, and from Sanibel to Chatham. We'll be there permanently by September. . . SO, as they say in the Louisana bayou - " Laissez les bons temps rouler " or LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!! :MOJE_whot::beer3::pepper2::pepper2:

I would love to try out the historic section. Are rentals available there?

There are probably more rentals per capita in the historic section than any other section of The Villages. Take a drive over or look in the paper.

Clarification: Only a few of the dozens of villages North of Hwy 466 allow "things" displayed in yards.

Most people look at north of 466 as being old compared to south of 466.

And of course the oldest is the historic which is across from Spanish and
has mostly mobile homes.
If you want something newer go south of 466 if not go north. I like the
newer layouts they have south but that is just me.

ajdeck - mobile home? i live on the historic side and my house is built on a fondation and has a big crawl space underneath it...and with the updated tie downs i don't think it will be mobile in any way. my neighbors home are all very similar in construction. my insurance policy does not identify it as a mobile home. why do you call them mobile homes?

The historic side was developed by Harold Schwartz as a mobile home park back in the 1970's.You put a mobile home on a permanent foundation,it was still originally a mobile home.TV has lots of different homes and price ranges to pick from,there is a place in TV for everybody.

The historic side only has a small portion that still have mobile homes. That was the original site that Swartz and his partner started back in the early 70's as Orange Blossom Gardens. It was primarily mobile homes, but when Swartz bought out his partner and brought in his son Gary as a partner, they primaily built pre-fab or modular type buildings. That is what the majority of homes are currently.

that's what i think we own! it looks just like the modular our friends had constructed for them up in maine! thanx, ooper! villages realtor told us that most every "site built" home on our side is also a modular - just set on a concrete slab instead!

just curious, does anyone consider moving to a villiage where the residents are relatively close in age and or relatively new to the villages? IMO it does make a difference

njbchbum, the modulars/doublewides, whatever you want to call them, on the historic side were built by the developer's company the same as the site built homes are built now. Same company same, same everything except floor plans. When the developer went from selling single-wide trailers to building the homes, they offered about seven floor plans for the modulars. Then they starting taking the same floor plans and they put them on concrete slabs the same way they do the homes in the newer areas of TV.

Everything was prefab - the same way it is done now for the newer areas - just different floor plans, and were all constructed by the same company owned by the developer. It is ingenious. This historic side has homes that are not like any of the floor plans offered by the developer. These new homes being built in place of the single-wides and modulars that are bought and removed are unique and fantastic. I love it over here, even with the awn ornaments and pink flamingos. The people here are the best.

thanx for the expanded explanation! and i am with you - i love it there, too. the home styles and lawn ornaments various ages - we are all quite a collection! and i wouldn't have it any other way! :)

Typically, The Villages try to sell out small areas at at time, which facilitate the buyers being of the same age. They usually also make available at the same time, different villages with the same economic values. This way, you not only get a village that has a similar age demographic, but also a similar economic demographic. When these areas are nearly filled up, they move on to another area. In the historic side, you are apt to find more 70-80+ year olds. Around Spanish Springs, a little younger. Lopez, younger yet and so on. Age related villages, IMO, will get more diverse thru time as people pass or move on and the pre-owned homes are sold again to possibly younger customers.

North, South, East or West....all areas are fantastic and beautiful!

BUT...in my brand new village we have villagers from 52 to 83.

I am so glad.

the historic side, as someone on totv once suggested, should be considered as the villages legacy section since many of the homes are now owned by the children of the original purchsers. so i would guess that we, too, have our share of owners in their 50s and into their 90s like my neighbor - but i wouldn't call them old - yet! ;)

Exactly!