[Aces4]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Knowing of couples leaving is not a new phenomenon, twenty years ago when we bought our first home, there were people leaving. A blanket statement “they are leaving” doesn’t cut it….there are many reasons……

Doesn’t cut it? Funny! These are not old, crusty cronies, they have no health problems and money isn’t an issue. They no longer enjoy The Villages. They must not have gotten the indoctrination that one must love The Villages as it is now.

As stated earlier, The Villages will have its admirers and it shouldn’t bother anyone if others move on and choose an area that appeals to their aesthetics.

[TomPerry]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

That claim has been made in several previous posts, including the one that I replied to. If you take the time to read the entire thread you will see that for yourself.

Moving to a fully-developed community where there is no worry about future growth.... sounds like the Villages when the they made it to 44. And then it wasn't.

If you take the time to read and understand my post, you would see that I asked for DEVELOPER literature, NOT previous posts by people who love to complain about everything!!

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Another cheap shot……..

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Cheap shot.🤦

HH already ?

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by TomPerry

If you take the time to read and understand my post, you would see that I asked for DEVELOPER literature, NOT previous posts by people who love to complain about everything!!

If you bothered to read my post in association with the one I was replying to you would see that I was disputing the claim of the previous poster and NOT any statement by the DEVELOPER. What I don't understand is your accusation of complaining applied to those who claimed the amenities were being built before the homes - they were not complaining about anything. But you would know that if you had bothered to read those posts.

[JRcorvette]

I enjoy your fly over videos Don.
Thanks

[tvbound]

Originally Posted by Travelhunter123

Is there a “readers digest”version of this

"Is there a “readers digest”version of this"


I think that could be summed up by slightly changing a common phrase to: "You can't fight those who own City Hall/State Government."

[Altavia]

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[HoosierPa]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

There will come a point in time when the developers will say "we've decided we really don't want to expand further, we're kinda finished here." Some descendent of the Morse Family will say "Nah, I'm gonna be a doctor instead." And that'll be the end of development of The Villages. That will also be the day when all those construction jobs are cut off. It will happen, eventually. There is only so far the developer -can- develop. The state has edges, it's not infinite.

It's an upside down pyramid. The Developer is on the bottom, alone. Everyone else is spread out on top, in layer upon layer of responsibility and benefit. The moment the Developer says they're done, EVERYONE topples. The bigger the pile on top of them, the more disastrous the result.

As for your question - we moved into a pre-owned in the "Historic" section for precisely the reason that we wanted something that was lived-in and established. There wasn't enough money or perks in the world to convince us to move to the new sections. Even now that you've crossed Florida's Turnpike and 44, the furthest south I'd even consider would be the northern half of the O'Dell circle. And that'd be pretty iffy. It would definitely not be my first choice but I'd consider it, if we ever decided to move from our current location.

In addition, not everyone profited off their jobs and saved up to afford to live here. Many of us borrowed. Some of us are paying mortgages, and there are plenty of Villagers who still work for a living because they can't afford to retire yet, or aren't old enough for social security benefits yet, and never earned enough to invest like some of you have. Some of us were fortunate enough to have bought our northern homes at what was a reasonable price at the time - not as an investment, but as a home we lived in for 10+ years. And were equally fortunate to be able to sell that home for more than we paid for it - which wasn't a business decision, it's just how the market was at the time we ended up being forced to move when we lost our jobs due to company closures and a tight hiring environment in mostly-obsolete skilled trades. After paying off the balance of the mortgage, we had enough to pay a sizeable portion of our Florida home, but nowhere near the full amount.

I don't begrudge anyone for wanting something shiny and new to call their own in their retirement. But painting it all as the developer wanting to help the communities and keep people working - is disingenuous. The good news, is that SOME of those construction workers will still be needed to replace homes in the -northern- part of the Villages, as they start wearing down and need replacing. But if everyone working for the construction company (which has direct ties to the developer don't forget - so this is totally not a selfless act, the developer makes mega-bucks) is living in the southern-most areas, they're going to have the same kind of commute to get to work in the northern area, than they have now living 30+ miles from the current construction.

It isn't sustainable. At some point, the structure will crumble.

FYI,
I live South of 44 and wouldn’t consider living north of 466.

Originally Posted by Cybersprings

Good point. I think the villages should have kept the theater open and REQUIRED every resident to attend it regularly so that it would remain sustainable. Ask those grandkids when the last time they went to the movie theater back home was (vs streaming on their ipads or TVs).

Brownwood theater was doing just fine before covid and will do just fine if opened again. Where do you see kids out and about and not buried in those ipads? Laughing and having a great time riding in golf carts, playing pickle ball and swimming in the pools with the old folks in T V!! They also liked going to the Brownwood theater when the sun was scortching hot in the summer... well at least my grand kids did. I suppose some people prefer kids be baby sat by electronics while in TV... to each there own.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers

Brownwood theater was doing just fine before covid and will do just fine if opened again. Where do you see kids out and about and not buried in those ipads? Laughing and having a great time riding in golf carts, playing pickle ball and swimming in the pools with the old folks in T V!! They also liked going to the Brownwood theater when the sun was scortching hot in the summer... well at least my grand kids did. I suppose some people prefer kids be baby sat by electronics while in TV... to each there own.

They have not been able to book some movies because they do not have enough available screens.

[WoodshopMark]

Originally Posted by NoMo50

I don't buy that theory, and further, I'm glad I don't wake up every day with such a pessimistic attitude toward our community.

The Developer is just what the word implies...a developer of property. When a particular area's development has been completed, the communities are turned over to a CDD. The Developer never intended to be a mother hen, looking after her flock into perpetuity.

Ever hear of Del Webb? They are another successful developer of retirement communities, albeit with a totally different strategy. Del Webb communities tend to be smaller, and more isolated/individual as compared to The Villages. Once Del Webb completes a project/development, they vacate the area and turn the whole project over to an HOA. Yet, they continue to prosper and be popular even without their mother hen.

I, for one, am glad The Villages developer has opted to play the long game, and I hope they continue to make a profit. Their business model is what has provided the communities we all call home. Their continued success means that we will continue to enjoy the benefits that brought us here in the first place.

You missed the point. Even after the CDD assumes responsibility the developer still owns the:
Three squares
The bank
The Villages Health
Hotels
Many restaurants
Championship golf courses
Water company
Jacobs
Pool construction company
Shopping centers
Sawgrass Grove
Controls the schools
The dump
The list goes on....

[Laker14]

Wow! Great thread. Don Wiley, thank you for your great OP, and for all you do to keep us as informed of what's going on as you do.
tophcfa, thank you for post #59, (too long to quote here but well worth the read). And thanks again Don for your response to those points.

As for those who want a "Reader's Digest Version", if you consider all of the work that Don Wiley puts into participating in the local government, and making fly-over drone videos to educate us, and creating well thought out posts to inform us of what's going on, you can't take the time to read a few paragraphs....well....that strikes me as pretty pathetic.

If this place is a grand experiment, I feel very fortunate to get to be a part of it. It's not perfect, but it's pretty close to perfect for us.

[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Knowing of couples leaving is not a new phenomenon, twenty years ago when we bought our first home, there were people leaving. A blanket statement “they are leaving” doesn’t cut it….there are many reasons……

Right on!

They are merely being replaced, and usually quickly.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

This is incorrect, the bonds build the infrastructure needed to support the community but not the amenities.

The amenities are funded by the developer who then owns and operates them as a portion of their business portfolio. In that construction cost is also a proportionate share of the infrastructure cost. The amenities are not a part of the respective neighboring CDD. The CDD lines are drawn around these properties and exclude them.

If the bond funds were used to build the amenities, those amenities would then be a part of the CDD issuing the bonds. But they aren't, so they don't.

The bonds do, however, make the amenities possible.

The developer is able to recoup the development costs quickly by billing the costs to the CDD who then pays them from the funds raised by the sale of the bonds. The developer doesn't have their money tied up in water lines, retention ponds, roads, and sewer pipes for the duration of the sale cycle. This frees up cash to allow the building of the amenities.

Without this methodology, we would be no different than most other communities where the salesman showing a lot would make statements like "over there will be the green for the 7th hole that will be built next year", something that frequently fails to materialize due to cash flow issues.
..

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Thanks Don for the clarification.
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[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by rustyp

HH already ?

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