Don't buy a house that requires you to drive on Morse Road north of Route 466.

The areas south of Route 44 have some great walking/biking trails. The areas north of 44 do not have these kinds of trails.

Here is a list of all villages, print it, tack it on the wall……………throw a dart….you got it!

https://www.districtgov.org/images/v...ghborhoods.pdf

You really have to come and do a lifestyle visit. After doing my intensive online homework for almost five years, I finally came and saw The Villages for the first time this past summer. Even though I watched a ton of you tube videos, nothing compares to actually visiting in person. I then returned for a second lifestyle visit, and then rented a house for a few weeks on a third visit. During all my visits, I spent a lot of time at all three town squares, ate at virtually every non-chain restaurant, walked many trails, took the golf cart everywhere, getting lost until I finally knew my way around without a GPS. Played pickle ball, saw multiple concerts at both the Savannah Center and the Sharon, went to the movies, and most importantly talked with a ton of villagers by eating most meals at the outside open bars. By my third visit, I felt like I already lived in The Villages. I literally visited every single village, taking notes of pros and cons of each village (obviously from my biased view). I came to the conclusion that I could be happy in any of the villages, but finally decided to try for a new house in Richmond - which I finally got after 6 attempts (I close in two weeks) - I’m looking forward to living in the village of Richmond, and I am sure I will be a vocal cheerleader of my new village, but I would never tear down or talk negatively of any of the villages - they are all unique and have something special to offer in their own right. Luckily, via golf cart, I get to spend time enjoying the amenities and beauty of any of the villages.

I personally feel that the people you meet (neighbors) are the most important aspect of where you live. It is not always about location.

Could this be a reincarnated MartinSE/GrumpyOldMan? He claimed that he was a former Marine. Tun Tavern was the birthplace of the Marine Corps. Ops handle is sonoftuntavern. Hmmmmm

Perfect response.

We did not do a ton of research or do multiple lifestyle visits. We actually signed a purchase agreement on the first day we were here. Looked at four houses, picked one, were lucky enough to get it, and Bob’s your uncle.

We knew we wanted new with warranty, so we picked from what was being released the next morning. Luckily we got our first pick in the Village of Hawkins. We literally knew nothing but we are very happy with our choice and love living here. As many folks have often said, we were buying the lifestyle. There is literally no bad area here IMHO but different people have different sensitivities or desires and we have no idea what yours are.

Many people say “don’t buy down south, you’ll go crazy from the turnpike noise, the quarry blasting, or the noise from the federal prison. Not true on any three counts at least not where I am and I can see the turnpike traffic from my front lanai. Nary a peep from the other two.

If you love golf and want to play a different course every day you might be happier up north. If you are a walker or cyclist and love having trails to ride or walk, down south might be a better choice. If you like music and food, you can get to that from anywhere. Every area has recreation centers, pools, and tons of activities. If you are a paddler we have a new recreation center down south that has a launch ramp into Lake Okahumpka.

From my perspective you could pick your house by just figuring out what you need in the way of space and going for it because there are literally no bad areas in The Villages. But judging by the amount of judging and complaining that goes on here on TOTV it’s apparently not that easy for some. Different areas do have different personalities. My husband had a Navy career. I have moved a lot over the years and have learned how to make myself at home pretty much anywhere. I gather not everyone has that ability. What kind of person are you?

So, what is it you want exactly?

I apologize if some of you took this the wrong way, and thank those of you who tried to provide useful information (thanks for detailed responses Michael & Oldragbagger). I live in a neighborhood that I am perfectly happy with, but at the same time I am also perfectly willing to acknowledge that there are nicer neighborhoods nearby, which doesn’t bother me or make me feel defensive. I am only seeking opinions, which you definitely don’t have to provide if it hurts your feelings. Maybe I should have started a little broader and asked if there is a best county to live in, and then worked down from there. There is a 2022 article at strategistico that provides some rankings of villages based on various personal preferences, while still using some objective reasoning. Without having visited, my guess is that there about 10% of villages that distinguish themselves as being more desirable for some reason (but are consequently higher priced and may be more than you are willing to pay), 10% that might distinguish themselves as being generally less desirable under some parameters (but are worth it because they are lower priced if you don’t want to spend much on a second home), and that the other 80% are pretty much indistinguishable. I don’t think it is trolling to seek information about where you are considering buying a place, but again, if you take this as a personal affront to your human dignity, I apologize. I suppose a real estate agent in the area might be willing venture a harmless opinion, but if anyone else is willing to exercise this great display of backbone and act of moral courage, I would still appreciate it. Thanks!

I was planning to offer my own friendly advice and then THIS.
Never mind.

Rent here for a couple of months and find out what you like. Or whether you even like living here. Have a hobby or come here and develop one. It all depends on you yourself, not the
Village you select.

convenience..and..we can be out of the bubble in 30 seconds

Villages
 

QUOTE=Sonoftuntavern;2159932]I have never visited the Villages but have been looking at homes there. I am trying to find a method to identify the best house within my parameters, all of which havent been set yet. I imagine certain villages might be considered preferable to others, so a good starting point might be to rank various villages, and then search from there. I have only been able to find one article on the internet where villages are ranked. It would be greatly appreciated if those of you who live there could provide some opinions as to what the top 5 or 10 villages to live in are, and even more appreciated if you provide brief reasons why you rank them that way. Alternatively, if you have opinions about other better methods to identify a suitable home, please let me know.[/QUOTE]

I golf with people from 17-18 different villages. Everyone of them say they have the best location in the villages.

get ready to be 1/30 bidders on your dream houses
unless you buy a designer

No such thing as a best village. If you enjoy more noise ( turnpike ) and more power line views then you need to look south.

There are a couple books about The Villages that have some useful info on governance and all that. Before I moved here, I wished there was what you are describing. Now that I’ve been here a couple years, I’m less concerned. Some places are more or less attractive than others. Your budget is important. Is it $300,000 or $800,000? Do you want newer or older? Do you want pillars and bigger foyers and bigger kitchens and granite counters and fancier baths, or can you get by with less. I searched on Zillow, looking at hundreds of houses over a long time. Also Google maps of the same addresses, or Apple Maps. These, combined, will help you learn the geography of the place. Some places are closer to your favorite shopping, or restaurants, or golf courses, and some are less convenient. Some are closer to your favorite Rec centers. But you won’t know these until you are here for months.

Totally in the eye of the beholder depending upon individual preferences and tastes. It makes little sense to take someone else's ranking. It has to be something you determine for yourself.