[Cmgregory]

For those of you who have been residents of TV for at least 2 to 5 years:

Is it as good as you thought it would be?

If you had it to do all over again, would you still buy in TV?

We would like to hear both the positives and negatives of living in TV.

We have visited TV several times and walked around the squares but have never stayed there. We have heard nothing but good comments but wonder if it as good as everyone says it is.

Thanks for your comments!

[Barboza]

We found the Villages about 26 yrs ago, couldn't believe all the smiley people, had to be a catch!
Spent 10 yrs coming & going looking for it then gave in & bought in Santiago in 1999 when that was "the end of the earth" Lived there for 11 yrs with wonderful friends & neighbours with whom I am still closely in touch .
Moved South to Tamarind 5 yrs ago to find yet another lovely community & friends.
When we first bought, there were generally only the restaurants around the squares + country clubs that were golf cart accessible, & at that time you could not use your golf cart at night so had bikes or used taxis. Also not much in the way of stores & nearest hardware stores were Ocala or Leesburg,
Yes, things have changed ( in 1999 I could go to square & know most peoples faces) however much change in the way of Cinemas, shopping, entertainment, & recreational opportunities but each Village (wherever you choose to live) has retained it's own community within the greater Villages with everything you could wish for for a wonderful retirement.
Of course you will always find the occasional dissatisfied person, but I notice that though they may complain they seldom leave.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! Just wish I could be an American!!!
We are Snowbirds from across the Pond who have been well accepted by everyone & grateful for it & the chance to spend 6 months in our home in the sun

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by Cmgregory

For those of you who have been residents of TV for at least 2 to 5 years:

Is it as good as you thought it would be?

If you had it to do all over again, would you still buy in TV?

We would like to hear both the positives and negatives of living in TV.

We have visited TV several times and walked around the squares but have never stayed there. We have heard nothing but good comments but wonder if it as good as everyone says it is.

Thanks for your comments!

We are snowbirds from UK. and have been regulars here for 16 years. Changed a lot, over the years, but we still keep coming back.
All being well, we will be back there in 5 weeks, 6days and 15 hrs. Not that we are counting of course!
Hope that answers your question.

[Fred R]

I've owned almost 2 yrs and am here 5 to 6 months a year. I'm an outgoing single guy but a little disappointed that I haven't been able to meet more folks. Guess I am the exception

[Bitsee]

We purchased our CYV there 10 yrs. ago for our retirement home, we are both in our 60's.
Well..we have been retired for 5 years now and we still can't decide if we want to live there full time ! Love spending the winters there because
it's like one never ending vacation. However the atmosphere definitely has changed there over the years, and not so much for the better in my opinion.
It cost money to entertain yourself on a daily basis, it's first come first served for a lot of activities, the restaurants can be a nightmare, and the
tempers flare in the town squares if people can't park close for the intertainment. The home prices are soaring, your green space is shrinking, the water is costly, and your home services have to be scrutinized for fear of getting ripped off.
I'm always happy to come back to Wisconsin after the winter to our lovely home with an acre of privacy, great neighbors, and many friends and family.
If you can afford to be a snowbird there it's the best of both worlds, as we will be in TV this Friday for the winter, absolutely love my life !!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Been here for 4-1/2 years and would not want to be anyplace else.

My only complaints are that I would like to be closer to a beach and I would like to be closer to a major highway.

It's two hours to Clearwater beach so we don't go as often as we'd like and having to drive a half hour down 441 to get to the Turnpike is a bit of a hassle.

Other than that, this is the greatest place on earth as far as I'm concerned.

[rjn5656]

Been here full time 6 years. Live in a great neighborhood that is always there to lend a hand. Have never looked back, it was a great move.

[Bay Kid]

I have owned a home for 3 1/2 years. I am here 5-6 months a year. Still loving the place!

[fl boomer]

I have been a full time resident of The Villages for just over 5 years, am originally from Ohio, and have lived in the Orlando area, Indialantic, FL, Dade City, FL, and now here.

Even though I still connect with friends in those other areas, none of them had the amenities, activities, or other opportunities to live the active lifestyle that I have here in The Villages. Yes, things are changing, but I am completely happy with my decision to live in The Villages.

[Blessed2BNTV]

Bought in 2012 while we were both working. Hubby retired in 2014, bought a little larger home. I'm still running a company in another state but spend most of my time in TV.

Love it here! When I leave, I count the days till I get to come to my forever home. We have made wonderful friends and I love to golf!

Is this place perfect? For me it is!

[mickey100]

Bitsee, our experience has been similar to yours. When we first moved here 10 years ago we were in an area of the villages that was more rural, similar to the area we had moved from up north. When the wind was blowing right we could hear the horses neighing from the farm down the street. Of course everything is all built up now and it is essentially a large city comprised of old people. During the winter if you want to attend the Popular classes at the rec centers you pretty much have to get there 30-45 minutes early and take a number. Not fun. The restaurants are a nightmare to get into. Roads that were built for a smaller population are now stretched to capacity during the high season. teetimes on the executive courses? you better make them well in advance because if you don't, good luck finding a teetime for two people unless it is at seven in the morning or 5 o'clock at night. But of course there are many really nice things about the villages which is why we moved her in the first place. We have made wonderful friends, there are lots of opportunities for socializing and staying active. With the exception of the golf courses, which tend to be in varying condition throughout the year, sometimes terrible condition, the facilities seem to be well kept up. The Sharon is a wonderful addition to the community and we've enjoyed some shows there. There are numerous medical facilities with in a golf cart ride which is very handy. So all in all it is a tossup.

[baustgen]

Been here 16 years as a snowbirds. Everywhere has plusses and minuses. Cannot imagine anywhere with more plusses than TV. Sure there are negatives. In my opinion they are minimal compared to the positives. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Positives-no snow, unlimited activities, New friends, variety of entertainment, low taxes, amount of different exercises to chose from, 2000 plus clubs to join, free golf.

Negatives- crowds Jan-March, hot summer, cool Jan-Feb,we learned to work around all.

[oot]

Bought 5 years ago and we LOVE IT!!! LOVE our neighbors as well. Such a great community. I loved St. Pete Beach - went on vacation there for over 30 years. I always thought that was where I wanted to be. But, after coming here we decided this was the perfect place for us. When we want to go to the beach, we just go down and visit. There are so many more things to do here.

[asianthree]

First time we visit it was 07. Other half was in love and wanted to buy I said no. We visited again three more times and then bought a small home in 2010. Vacation there, bought our second home in 2012 and moved into our third home in 2014. Other half lives there 8+ months a year and loves it. I am still working full-time and will not be there for another 30 months. He would not live anywhere else.

[Madelaine Amee]

We are nine year residents. When we came we were absolutely amazed at the lifestyle that TV offers, everything you would love to do and then more! However, as we settled in to actually living here we have seen some great changes and, in our opinion, some really good improvements. We think the hospital has improved, medical facilities have improved, quality of doctors etc. etc. The older we get, these are the improvements that keep us living here, not necessarily the availability of the entertainment or restaurants, although it is nice to have them right here under our noses without having to travel to another area. I am centrally located between SS and LSL so I can get to the hospital in 10 minutes, 441 in 15 minutes, 466 in 5 minutes ......... everything I need to live a comfortable life is within a short drive. Had we tried to live out our life in Massachusetts it would have been very different.

On the minus side of this is obviously the enormous number of people who want to move here and live the lifestyle that we love - and after all, if we can have it, why not others. It makes for congestion on the roads and in stores and in restaurants - plenty to complain about if you want to! But, when I return to my former home in Massachusetts the congestion there is tenfold what it is here and it will only continue to get worse and more expensive.

Things change everywhere, and for us The Villages is the easiest and most comfortable place to live as we age.