Preserve snakes are not held back by fences.

Lived for fifteen years backing up on a 12-acre pine forest which was behind a small farmhouse. The neighboring property was not owned by The Villages, but we did the research and concluded there was virtually no chance it would be developed. Beautiful and we couldn’t be happier. The only occasional problem was after occasional and infrequent heavy rains, rats would be forced from their normal, preferred habitat in the woods, closer to our house. But a few days of dry weather and some traps set and maintained but Massey fixed that problem quite satisfactorily.

Golf course lots aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Other than stray golf balls, the noise of golf carts, and golfers hitting from too close to your house, the biggest problem might be the stench of the pond water used for irrigation. It’s the same water used to water your lawn, but maybe the amount heavily sprayed on the golf courses exacerbates the malodorous stink when they water the courses.

Maybe there’s no “perfect” lot, but ours has been pretty doggone nice for the entire time we’ve lived here. And the pine trees have grown bigger, thicker, and more attractive over the years!

Do your research!

Pond Location
 

Perhaps, we should chat as we live on a beautiful large pond w/n the "Golden Triangle". We spent much time on chosing the right location on a pond---quite peaceful with great views. Franky, the pond setting is the best option to great living in The Villages. Family needs are causing us to sell. How should we connect?

PRM

given that "they" have allowed me on a golf course, and I have driven ball directly into houses on courses. . . I would avoid golf courses. . . However, I did stay at a Holiday Inn on Saturday night and shot mid 80's on Sunday

But if you like to collect and reuse badly behaved golf balls, a course might be a good idea.

Sportsguy

so many good replies posted. we chose the wildlife area, no ponds, close to golf course. if you love animals, there's no better place to be. 1st week here we had a family of sandhill cranes strolling thru the yard observing US, lol

I have, and never gave it a second thought. Maybe it comes from being a SCUBA diver ~ most critters see humans as predators, not prey. Most ~ not all!

That sounds wonderful. Best I ever got was (before first light in the morning) some kind of a dog "like" animal (it was NOT a dog) racing through my property in between my house and the neighbor's house heading to the back yard. Within 5 seconds, I heard a blood curdling cry from what sounded like a small dog. Poor dog. I've never forgotten that!

We moved for that very reason. We've lived here abt 10 yrs. We now live on a champ course with both a golf and water view. No cart path or tee box close to the house. We watch the egrets, sandhill cranes, ducks, and blue heron fly in and feed around the water and they also come up and walk around our house. Beautiful sunrises that bathe the sky and the water with wide open views never gets old. Most homes have a screened in lanai to escape the mosquitos. Yes, they do mow early, but that doesn't bother us. Face it, they have to mow before the golfers take the course...right? Good luck on your house hunting and ultimate decision. The Villages offers a lot of choices and yes, the ultimate home we choose is reflected in the price.

You will be pleased to learn that there are no crocs in the Villages.

Your place sounds just like ours, on a wildlife preserve, no pond, but close to a golf course. We love the animals and frequently get woken up just after sunrise by the sand hill cranes announcing themselves as they land in our yard.

As a fellow scuba diver I totally agree, we tend to see most critters differently. However, I have been scared pretty good two times diving, both times while diving for lobsters. Up north, off of Cape Cod, I came eye to eye with a great white. In the Caribbean, while reaching into a coral head to grab a spiny rock lobster, out popped a big green moray eel. The eel took a bite at my hand but luckily I was wearing kevlar gloves and only got a bad pinch. After the great white, no more lobster diving for me up north (it's too cold and the visibility sucks anyways). I will still dive for lobsters in the Caribbean, but I will be very careful before sticking my hand into a coral head.

This is the view from our Lanai every morning, very peaceful and lots of birds and wildlife.

I've seen Crocs in Brownwood.... at ShoeBiz.

Attachment 86665

Water View below 44. Always birds to watch. constant breeze minimizes bugs, which seem to only be out at night. Love Bugs are everywhere twice a year - you will have a difficult time escaping them. Any fresh water pond below North Carolina has the potential for gators. Florida native can pick out their eyes a mile away. Talk to the folks at Invisible fence to tech your dog its boundaries and to protect them from chasing birds into the water. There are two nice parks below 44 as well.