We have a 2BR 2BA CYV, a Durham model. I have a sports car and a golf cart and I wouldn't be able to put any car wider in our garage. Our garage measures 22' x 12-8'. I have a neighbor who has a 3BR 2BA, Anaheim model and he has a Buick Enclave (big SUV) and a golf cart. His garage measure 22' x 15-5'. So you see there is big differences between models. There are six models, click on the link below and you can see the CYV floorplans with measurements.

The Villages - New Homes Gallery

BTW, our masonry CYV is extremely quiet, you can't hear anything outside. Our electric bill averages about $87 a month.

We have a Stoneybrook model. Love the CYV! We, too, have a dog and it is perfect. We have a doggie door built into the screening of our lanai, so we just open our slider and off he goes. Washer and dryer is in the garage. I don't like it there, but that is the only complaint I have. We are on a view lot, so we have the high side fencing but low back fencing. There is no feeling of claustrophobic or being boxed in. If you can swing it, check out view lots that give you the more open feel. We live "up North" so we have a big back yard and a two car garage.

Why don't you rent one for a month or two and see how you like it before you make the purchase?

We moved from a CYV to a home with an extended garage because Fireboy is a garage guy who likes his hobbies.
Other than that, we enjoyed our CYV which had a view lot, so no claustrophobia.

Questions about Courtyard Villas
 

Bare - do you call him Fireboy because he is a fireman?

Wish that were possible, but I work fulltime and will have to for the next 4 years. My job definitely doesn't give me enough vacation time to go to TV more than a week or two at a time.

I'm hoping to move to TV asap if I can find a job down there, but if I have to wait until I retire then I may rent a home for awhile while I look for something to buy.

I have a 2013 Odyssey and golf cart won't fit.

We have a CV Durham (2BR). We enjoy the simplicity of the floor plan and ease of maintenance. The living area is open and spacious; perfect for an active retired couple. We love the privacy of the wall. Our back yard is a safe haven for us, and very quiet. We have done enough yard work in our lives, so we appreciate its minimal size.

The laundry is in the garage; in seasons of prolonged heat, we are glad it is out there and not inside. We believe it keeps the house cooler. The garage is small, however our car and cart live there together, along with an extra fridge and storage shelves for yard implements, etc. It's a tight fit, but it works for us.

Good luck in finding your perfect home, and remember that when you retire to TV, having fun is priority. CYV's are perfect for that lifestyle.

Do TV rules allow CYV residents to keep cars in the driveway or on the street in front of the home?

You can park in your driveway, and many folks do, but not in the street. There are guest parking strips in every villa complex.

Yes, he's a retired firefighter, 32 years on the job.
Now he is obsessed with RC Flyers, 14 in our garage.
That's why we had to sell our CYV and move, so he has room for his toys and a work bench in our garage.

Thank him for his service for me please. I have the utmost respect for first responders and the military. Do you move the Flyers back and forth with you?

No place to park. Short driveways, no on street parking.

If I walkout my front door and immediately to my right I see 24 CYV's and to my left another 24 or so it ain't for me. Unless I had an ocean view...

I think the friendliness varies
 

just like designer neighborhoods - some very social, some not. In our CYV neighborhood, we have a core of about 6 -8 couples who play golf regularly and do some socializing. Think there used to be a group doing the same on the next street over, but several of that group have moved for various reasons.

Other CYV neighborhoods have regular social events in rec centers and regular driveway parties, just like designer neighborhoods, and some don't.

I also think that some people move to CYVs in order to not socialize - if you drive into your garage and close the door, you would hardly see anyone.

New construction neighborhoods are probably initially more friendly than older ones, where people already have their favorite activities and don't have as much time.

The larger CYVs offer plenty of room for entertaining, especially depending on what the owners have done with the courtyards themselves. Ours is a smaller 3 BR, but not a corner lot. We are comfortable entertaining about 8, but have had larger gatherings using the side patio, lanai and inside - but you need to depend on good weather to use the side patio. We recently enclosed the lanai so we can have 2 areas to play cards/games and do dinner. We have about the same s.f. as the smaller designers.

The garage is long - we have a Honda Fit and 2 golf carts in ours, plus 3 bikes, and a workbench (only accessible if you pull the golf carts out of the garage). I agree that if you are a garage putterer you would probably not like the 1.5 car garage. The majority of our neighbors park their cars in the driveway, esp. the ones with large SUVs or mini-vans.

They are cookie-cutter like, but that doesn't bother us - we are not trying to impress. We love, love, love the privacy and the backyard which we have landscaped to our preference - and it is totally visible and enjoyable from the lanai.

The new ones they are building have many 2 car garages, and different elevations (outside finishes/colors), but they are also about $100,000 higher in price.