[kendi]

Originally Posted by 123marcel

I have rented for years. I am thinking I should drink the Kool Aid already! So...
I would love to be able to look out one side of my house and NOT see my friendly neighbor watching TV through the window. I would prefer nature or openness of some kind...

a) I think water would have the problem of bugs and or bigger creatures? (I'm a dog person. My dog is big but as I get older might opt for one easy to pick up. So NO CROCS PLEASE!)

b) I think golf course would be nice. I heard they mow the grass at sun up. I sleep until 9-10. I'm retired! You think I'm getting up early!?!

c) Nature preserve - Both bugs and crocs?

d) Fenced properties w/ pebbles instead of grass seems not great for a dog. Also dog clean up might be more unpleasant... I'm not thrilled about limiting my horizon to 20 ft either.

I would love to hear from any long term residents who have lived in these type of situations and can give me feedback. And/or suggest another way to have some nature around my home?

Thanks for your time!
Be safe!
M

Mowers on the golf courses are not very loud. Very easy to sleep through.

[OCsun]

We have lived in two houses here in The Villages. Both have been on golf courses with ponds and a slight street view. The thing we love about our house the most is sitting on the lanai and watching golfers enjoying their day as well as the wonderful view and wildlife. It's even fun to see the groups of bikers who go by on the nearby street. I know I would not be happy looking at another persons house. The extra money spent on the view lot was an investment in ourselves which we or our children will get back someday.

[KRM0614]

Don’t buy. Go somewhere that you own your house with no bond or a neighbor behind you and you can life in freedom

[jpvillager]

We have backed up to a horse pasture for 10 years and the lanai faces east. Horses better neighbors than golfers. Sometimes smells like a horse but no big deal. Prefer an north or east facing lanai to avoid the heat. Two drawbacks are it could be developed someday and an occasional critter.

[Dilligas]

Originally Posted by 123marcel

I have rented for years. I am thinking I should drink the Kool Aid already! So...
I would love to be able to look out one side of my house and NOT see my friendly neighbor watching TV through the window. I would prefer nature or openness of some kind...

a) I think water would have the problem of bugs and or bigger creatures? (I'm a dog person. My dog is big but as I get older might opt for one easy to pick up. So NO CROCS PLEASE!)

b) I think golf course would be nice. I heard they mow the grass at sun up. I sleep until 9-10. I'm retired! You think I'm getting up early!?!

c) Nature preserve - Both bugs and crocs?

d) Fenced properties w/ pebbles instead of grass seems not great for a dog. Also dog clean up might be more unpleasant... I'm not thrilled about limiting my horizon to 20 ft either.

I would love to hear from any long term residents who have lived in these type of situations and can give me feedback. And/or suggest another way to have some nature around my home?

Thanks for your time!
Be safe!
M

I live on a course that also has water in my view.....exactly what we wanted. We have lived on a course in the past also. To answer your questions.....The animals are present where ever you live....the bobcats and coyotes come out at night and roam. The alligators will stay in the water and away from you except during mating season, then they protect. If a small dog/cat is near the water edge, risk of being grabbed by the alligator is high. The bad snakes are in or near the water and generally run from any advances. The bugs come from aqua positions but the areas also get sprayed at night. Wooded areas near water will contain more bugs. As for golf course noise, cutting is done beginning before sunrise on the greens....starting on #1. The cutters are fairly quite but can be heard if you live on the green. After 7:30, the lawn cutting noise is far more abundant. We live on a tee box and seldom hear any loud out bursts (except occasional hole in one shot celebrations). If you live down a fairway, within 200 yds of the tee, you can expect errant golf balls in your yard. We have never had a window broken....but it does happen once in a while...and is the owner's responsibility. Noise from carts on the cart paths is not a problem, any more than a cart driving down the street in front. I find far more privacy on the golf course than I would if I backed up to another lanai within 30 yards. The only draw back to homes on the courses or water or both, would be the premium you will pay for the view.

[splashes]

Live on a preserve great water and grass view. 2 fences so no alligators or animals. Just birds. Great long view. Beautiful house on the market. 3 bed 2 bath boxwood if interested in seeing view and house please call me. 352 5523799

[airstreamingypsy]

The Villages has Gators, not Crocs.

[dadspet]

We have a lot below 466a with a nice size pond very close behind us with golf on the other side of the pond. We absolutely love it. When we started to look, this type of lot wasn't on our list but when we came across it the view clearly made our decision easy. The water lot wasn't cheap, by any stretch of the imagination, but every day we look at the view and wild life for breakfast and dinner on our Lania we know it was the right decesion. We did 3 years of looking and reasearch before we finally purchased this house. I'll share with you a few notes on what we like about the lot.

Its very enjoyable watching the wildlife. This includes a large variety of birds, ducks, pelicans, eagles, cranes, and yes every once in a while a gator. Yes there is a gator that comes into the pond but not often and they don't really bother us at all. Their arrival makes the day a little more interesting and gives us a little something to talk about. A few of our neighbors have small dogs and the rare gator hasn't been an issue (one actually moved across the street to have the water view)
Our pond is clear and the level is very steady >it doesn't vary much at all (Even durning the last hurricane) Bugs are not a issue. Since the golf course is on the other side of the pond the golfers try real hard to avoid the water and we haven't had a ball on our lot in 7 years. The golf path and T box are on the other side of the pond also and far enough away to not present even a small problem. We enjoy watching the golfers from afar (but close enough to wave to neighbors playing ) and often use the lack of golfers to tell us when we can run over to the starter shack and jump on for 9 holes after an early dinner. Golf course mowing is also not an issue; the grass cutting of our own lawn is more anoying when they decide to do it in the early morning. The golf course has 7 palm trees behind us we don't have to maintain and a cluster of large oak trees on the far side or the pond. Sunsets many evenings are unbelievable!

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by bluedivergirl

No crocs here, they need brackish or salt water. There are plenty of alligators.

We chose a lot with a pond connected to Evan's Prairie. We love it. We constantly see birds and bird arguments. A few turtles and snakes . Some kind of mammal comes and night and feeds on clams and other shells. We think it is a racoon. Alligators come and go regularly, but have never bothered us.

Since we are connected to the Prairie, I don't worry about losing water. We'd be in a heap o trouble if the Prairie went dry.

We were not attracted to a golf course lot, because we don't like early morning mowing, and the potential for people to constantly be near your house.

P.S. No bug problem at all.

I work in the yard a lot. I'm on my hands and knees a lot when I work in the yard. I'm not sure I could comfortably work in the yard, on my hands and knees, with my back to the water. But......that's just me.

Do you or would you work in the yard, as I do, with your back to the water? Just wondering.

[dadspet]

Originally Posted by coffeebean

I work in the yard a lot. I'm on my hands and knees a lot when I work in the yard. I'm not sure I could comfortably work in the yard, on my hands and knees, with my back to the water. But......that's just me.

Do you or would you work in the yard, as I do, with your back to the water? Just wondering.

Pond behind us and did it today for 2 hrs. Easier now that its a bit cooler.

[Dgodin]

Originally Posted by 123marcel

I have rented for years. I am thinking I should drink the Kool Aid already! So...
I would love to be able to look out one side of my house and NOT see my friendly neighbor watching TV through the window. I would prefer nature or openness of some kind...

a) I think water would have the problem of bugs and or bigger creatures? (I'm a dog person. My dog is big but as I get older might opt for one easy to pick up. So NO CROCS PLEASE!)

b) I think golf course would be nice. I heard they mow the grass at sun up. I sleep until 9-10. I'm retired! You think I'm getting up early!?!

c) Nature preserve - Both bugs and crocs?

d) Fenced properties w/ pebbles instead of grass seems not great for a dog. Also dog clean up might be more unpleasant... I'm not thrilled about limiting my horizon to 20 ft either.

I would love to hear from any long term residents who have lived in these type of situations and can give me feedback. And/or suggest another way to have some nature around my home?

Thanks for your time!
Be safe!
M

We bought on a golf course 2 years ago and are happy with our decision. We selected the location because, like you, we were looking for a place without a neighbor in the rear. We also considered houses at the edge of the villages (farm field behind), along a turtle preserve (not wetland), a wetland, lake frontage, and courtyard villas. We decided the golf course was the best bang for the buck. Our home is at the end of the fairway behind the green so there is some distance between our lot and the course. The golf cart path is not near us. We looked at a home on a course near a tee box but noticed, while touring the house, that we could hear golfers teeing off. We have also seen evidence that a few homes along the fairway are frequent targets for errant golf balls. We do not notice the grass cutting noise near our home although I see them out on the course in the morning when i walk the dog. We actually enjoy watching golfers putt while we sit on our lanai.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

I think the price differential will be a deciding factor these days. Yikes! some lots are 300K with a new $400K house 5 lots down. Bit of a head scratcher to us.

We personally have partial water view, and a softball field view to watch the games. But the lot price determined our choice, being an impulse buy trying to get in on a brand new development as well as being near the sports complex and the walking path, and the grocery store, so we are happy but not happy not being retired and joining all the adult camp activities.

[dave from deland]

We live on a cul de sac backed up to a state nature preserve (gopher tortoises). It will never be developed. The tortoises don't make any noise and there is wire fencing along the base of the Villages wooden fence to keep them out, although newly hatched ones get through from time to time. Just put them back. Have no problem with bugs and privacy to the rear.

[Hancie2]

If you would like privacy and a place for your dog...villa. When we moved here we got a corner villa, large enclosed lot and a 3 bedroom villa...loved it!

[Hancie2]

One other issue, just because it is on a nature preserve today, doesn’t mean it will be there tomorrow and the realtor or Villages can’t give you any guarantees.