[jgbama]

Originally Posted by goodgrief

Oh yeah, seen what is offered here. Seen what is offered elsewhere. Do like the security in some of the ones we looked at versus the slow down gates here. Actual ID and plate recorded of non residents. major +++

Its really how deep a person is willing to dig in their pocket books and what they want. And the level of living you want. Whether you want to pay for amenities or put the money into where you live. Our neighbor made the comment one day he's just been leaving his wallet on the dresser. Nothing left in it. Not saying the villages aren't a great place, but they are the 1000lb gorilla in the room. Everyone is going to compare everyplace else to it.

Like I said to each their own. But folks should know there are other options out there. We didn't when we first moved here.

We gave it some time. Will be giving it a little more till the lease runs out. Could still buy a resale here but it would have to fit the bill, but leaning the other way at the moment. Love our current neighbors and they wish we weren't going to move (to another home here or there).

Welcome to TOTV and for voicing your opinions. But, don't think that most of us didn't consider other retirement communities before deciding on TV.

We are 7 years into our journey, and we are buying a resale, with the bond paid, a pool (fully enclosed by a birdcage) and mature oak trees in the front and side. There are some downsides to our choice, but it's what we want!

Those who have regrets may not have checked into everything before buying. Example: At first, we thought the individual villages were fully gated, but learned different after doing more homework and research. I don't think there will be any more surprises, thanks to all the information available on TOTV, talking to visitors and residents in person during our 9 visits. If there are, we will deal with it. Like most people who bought at TV. . .it's for us!

We have heard horrendous horror stories about other retirement communities. Example: A gentleman at our golf course here in Montgomery told me he bought a villa ($230,000) in a community around Orlando/Disneyworld thinking the kids and grandkids would be visiting often. After 3 years, it turned out they only visited once. With the fees, etc. he was paying, they decided to sell. Sold it for $75,000.

All retirement communities may not be as extreme as my example, but the point is most of us have checked into other communities. Considering everything, TV is it for us - case closed!

We have met people who live in a retirement community in Leesburg. It's great for them and they visit TV occasionally. But we also talked to a couple at the square in SS several years ago that bought just North of TV. But found they were coming to TV a lot more than they imagined and they regret their decision not to have bought in TV.

SO. . . "to each their own"! Each of us has our unique situations and decide on a retirement location that fits our budget, our interests and our needs.

This is "Talk of The Villages". There is more information here to help you decide if TV is for you. If it's not for you. . . then come visit us anytime! We'll welcome you with open arms.

Good luck on your journey! "You only go around once in life, and this is no dress rehearsal!"

[jimbo2012]

Originally Posted by goodgrief

Not saying the villages aren't a great place, but they are the 1000lb gorilla in the room. Everyone is going to compare everyplace else to it.

So you realize TV is the GOLD standard, but fail to say why U may leave.

Originally Posted by John_W

Places like Timber Pines offer nothing inside the gate. You have a golf cart, but where can you drive it, to the club house, to the course, that's it. Everything else is on Hwy 19 in Spring Hill. Go check it out, and I bet you'll be back here rightaway.

Been there done that, lasted an hour, you're spot on.

Originally Posted by gerryann

I can certainly understand folks wanting a different retirement community. I drove through many, but they seemed lonely...I don't know what else to call it.

We got the same feeling. In some places we felt like we were way to young to be hanging out there.

.I want people, conversation, lots of restaurants, bars, shopping, activities, and a safe place where I can walk my dog and meet other people.

1800 activities doesn't hurt, along with the strong financial backing of the founding family.

Originally Posted by graciegirl

the houses are easier to sell here than nearly any place in the country right now.

Boy howdy R U right there, I know if I want to sell in the future it can happen due to the demand here.

.

[asianthree]

took me all night to read this thread. Bought new and buying a resale so both worlds covered

[ricthemic]

Originally Posted by Joaniesmom

Someone in another thread wanted to know the bad things about The Villages. I guess this post just about covers it. I think I'm going to go eat worms. Golly how depressing!

Joaniesmon

Is reality depressing to you?

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by ricthemic

Is reality depressing to you?

Not reality.............just opinions.

[cynkr67]

Originally Posted by Trish Crocker

Are you serious??? I can't believe the way this thread is going. For pete's sake, it's a place that many people have decided to live...if you don't like it or the "developers" then you don't have to live there!!!! This isn't choosing a place to spend eternity, it's just a really neat place to live. Of course the people that designed it are making money...they're supposed to!! If you don't like new construction..don't buy it! If you don't want to pay maintainance fees...move somewhere else. If you prefer pre-owned...buy it! I really think this is one of the silliest threads I have read. I can't wait to get down there, buying pre-owned or new will be decided when we look at what is available and which will fulfill our wish list. There is NO reason to call somones' home a POS.Theposter that declared that all of the construction on new build is inferior is incorrect. I checked out a lot of the homes while I was down there and found it to be very nice. Not only were the models nice, the fact is IF you decide to build you can choose to upgrade. This is no different than any new construction that I have looked at anywhere. You have no idea how offended I am by people that CHOOSE to move into any particular area then criticize it.

Spot on, Trish!! Thank you!!

[CarGuys]

Originally Posted by cynkr67

Spot on, Trish!! Thank you!!

I agree also. Been here knee deep in boxes for a week. Happy as a can be and I haven't even begun to enjoy the place. Well Breakfast today at Bonafay was a nice start.

Looked over at the Wife she was smiling- Were Good!

[dkrhardy]

Originally Posted by CarGuys

I agree also. Been here knee deep in boxes for a week. Happy as a can be and I haven't even begun to enjoy the place. Well Breakfast today at Bonafay was a nice start.

Looked over at the Wife she was smiling- Were Good!

2 weeks from today we will be knee deep also! Breakfast at anyplace will be a treat on THAT day.
Don & Kaz

[CaptJohn]

Originally Posted by CarGuys

I agree also. Been here knee deep in boxes for a week. Happy as a can be and I haven't even begun to enjoy the place. Well Breakfast today at Bonafay was a nice start.

Looked over at the Wife she was smiling- Were Good!

Glad to hear ya'll made it OK.

[twinklesweep]

Originally Posted by asianthree

took me all night to read this thread. Bought new and buying a resale so both worlds covered

I don’t go on the TOTV website a lot and only now see this thread from a couple weeks back. It also took me a long long time to read through it. People can buy -- if they decide to buy -- whatever they want related to what they can afford to spend. That’s a given. Whether to buy new or preowned or buy elsewhere, that’s up to the buyer. But -- and this is a big but -- many people come here only having heard about The Villages and go to the sales center for info, right? They get taken on a trolley tour with a driver and a cheerleader to areas of new construction and are led to believe that this is what’s available. Sometimes you can see them rushing out of the trolley to check out a new street for a lot and put their stake in the ground, and from that point on it’s a done deal.

The original poster who started this thread with a long quote from his friend about the negatives of new construction and the positives about buying a resale is offering info--yes even as an opinion -- that too many people could not find anywhere else. Isn’t this why people come to TOTV -- to find info about most anything having to do with TV, whether it’s finding a plumber or a doctor, hearing the opinions of other people about this versus that restaurant, etc? Whether you agree or disagree with what the friend of the poster wrote, just keep in mind that there are potential buyers out there who will find this opinion, even as strongly put as it was, useful -- and who might never hear it anywhere else. No one is obligated to accept it as Gospel. It’s just an opinion!

[John_W]

Originally Posted by twinklesweep

...many people come here only having heard about The Villages and go to the sales center for info, right? They get taken on a trolley tour with a driver and a cheerleader to areas of new construction and are led to believe that this is what’s available. Sometimes you can see them rushing out of the trolley to check out a new street for a lot and put their stake in the ground, and from that point on it’s a done deal...

We came to TV the last week of April 2011 for our first and only LSV. We stayed 7 days at one of the cottages east of the sales office at LSL near the Morse Bridge. We never took a trolly ride. Our salesman Tony Trussler only took us to where we asked to go. I said I wanted to see new CYV's and Cottages. We went to Pennecamp and looked at every model Cottage and every model CYV that was available. After that we were on our own. Two days later I asked Tony if we could see new patio villas. He picked us up and he took us to Buttonwood and we looked at both versions of the patio villa and a couple of furnished models and he drove us around that neighborhood.

Tony is a laid back fellow with a british accent and was probably older than me, mid to late 60's I would guess. He wasn't any cheerleader and didn't try to steer us in any direction or another. We didn't ask to see any resales, those we looked up ourselves and visited them.

We sold our house just a couple of weeks later in May and had to be out by the end of June. Rather than make a second trip, since we decided on a new CYV and we knew the floorplans and communities available, we bought our new home off the internet. We called Tony and gave him a credit card and he put a hold on a new CYV, we closed and moved in July 5, 2011.

[Frenzi]

Originally Posted by John_W

We came to TV the last week of April 2011 for our first and only LSV. We stayed 7 days at one of the cottages east of the sales office at LSL near the Morse Bridge. We never took a trolly ride. Our salesman Tony Trussler only took us to where we asked to go.

We will be visiting the Villages through a LSV before the end of the year. Is a salesperson assigned, or do you know if one can be requested? It would be nice if we could request one with whom someone had a good experience.

[John_W]

Originally Posted by Frenzi

We will be visiting the Villages through a LSV before the end of the year. Is a salesperson assigned, or do you know if one can be requested? It would be nice if we could request one with whom someone had a good experience.

Tony was assigned to us when we made our LSV reservation. It was probably the only thing I didn't research. If you read enough good reviews of a salesperson, I don't see why you can't call the '800' number and just ask for them. Unless they are swamped with customers I don't see why they wouldn't take you on.

[batman911]

You can request a specific person as your sales agent. You can contact them directly and have them handle it for you. I was given this info by our sales agent.

[Arubagirl2000]

Tony and his wife are wonderful. No pressure, and really understood what we were looking for. We came down in 2010 and 2011, then sold our house in 2012 and bought in TV. We picked the neighborhood we wanted, and our forever home was there. Looked brand new inside even though about 5-6 yrs old. We thought that since most have been here since the houses were built here 5-6 yrs ago, it would be clanish. All the neighbors could not have been nicer. We have made so many new friends in 3 months, and we have not even been to the rec centers to join anything yet.

We found the things we thought we had to have - big yard (we left 2 1/2 acres), golf cart garage, birdcage - became unimportant once we settled in and met our "new families". Our choice was made, in part, on location. Wanted to be able to get to Sumter via golf cart in a short time.

I know TV is not for everyone, and my husband was the one in 2010 who said he would never move here, but the following year he started warming up to the idea, and once we got here he was a happy camper.

Oh, and we do not golf - yet. LOL