I did read, did you? The amenity fees are tied to, and raised (or lowered) by, the CPI the month of the original purchase date of the property. The developer sets the amenity fee at the time of purchase, not thereafter.

I always think of The Villages in that way. Most people use the rec centers, pools, tennis and pickle ball courts, softball fields and golf course in their area. People from the Spanish Springs area normally would think of going to Brownwood unless there is something extraordinary going on there. People south of 44 generally don't go to Spanish Springs Town Square. Everyone seems to stay in their Village or at least their area. It's exactly why although The Villages is approaching 150,000 residents it still feels like a small town.

Before anyone disagrees they should consider whether they've lived in a city of 150,000 people or even 100,000 people. Believe me, it's much different than what we have here.

So you mean the amenity fee I am paying was set by the developer then increases by the CPI? And the amenity fee you are paying was set by the developer and the increased by the CPI? And the amenity fee that will be paid by a new purchaser has been set by the developer and will then be increased by the CPI?

So it seems the amenity fee is “set by the developer” but not controlled by the developer.

EDIT: And then there is the decision to implement an amenity fee deferral rate by the VCCDD and SLCDD (as the RAD and SLAD upon recommendation by the AAC and PWAC). Some might consider that to be developer control of the amenity fee as well.

Good question and it has a twofold answer about the designer homes. As I have predicted in my video #122 there will be premier homes later this year in Dabney. As for why they stopped after the Conservation Trail area, hard to say but looking at some of the areas like DeLuna, Richmond, StC, StJ, and Hawkins, there were not a lot of good/desirable locations for the premier homes.

As for the designer homes, here goes.
Reason #1 - there were a handful of designer homes built in the last 18 months that have stressed the system with long design timelines and because of the level of customizations longer than average construction times. This has led to isolated homes still under construction in villages/areas that were otherwise complete. This led to difficulties of access and parking of construction vehicles and because of their isolated nature, inefficient manpower usage. To remedy this they've reduced the customizations allowed to get the crews all working in the same areas and not be spread across 4 or 5 villages.
Reason #2 - many of the designer homes that were heavily customized and riveled or exceeded some premier homes. I've personally taken pictures of no less than 5 homes over 3000sqft and one over 4000sqft in the last year. With the release of premier homes coming and their higher price tag, allowing extensive customization of the designer homes (at a lower overall price) would erode the number of potential buyers of this new offering. Lowering the limits for customization for designer homes now raises the demand for premier homes. A business decision was made.

[QUOTE=rustyp;2197719]What does this have to do with the developer? The CDD board of Supervisors would make that decision and the developer would have no say in the matter. With the exception of 2 supervisors on CDD13 all the supervisors in CDD1-13 are residents and not developer appointed (oops - Land Owner Elected).

The flowers are paid for through 4 basic avenues:
1. around the amenities - postal stations, gate houses, pools, rec centers - from the Amenity Funds (SLAD & RAD)
2. in common areas like the traffic circles on Morse & BV, and other major thoroughfares - this comes out of the PWF south of 466, north of 466 from the CDD1-4 individual budgets.
3. areas such as cul de sac, villa entries, and other minor areas in the individual CDD - directly from the CDD budget
4. town square areas - these are paid for by the maintenance assessments on the buildings (the occupying tenant businesses), these assessments are 10 to 12 times higher per square foot of floor space than is paid by the residents in the CDDs

Item 1 - you pay for from your monthly amenity fees.
Items 2 & 3 - you pay for from the residential maintenance assessments included in your annual property tax bill.
Item 4 - you pay for out of the costs for every dinner, drink, dress, and bobble you purchase when you do business in the town squares.

Once you purchase your home - new or resale - the amenity fee thereafter is adjusted by the CPI adjustment - this is both good and bad, good in that it helps keep up with inflation and rising costs, unfortunately the CPI is a political football in Washington and what is used to determine it and the methodology to calculate it is tweaked and a regular basis by politicians to meet their agenda and spin. It never keeps up with the true rising costs. The SLAD and RAD budgets must live within these CPI adjustments to their revenue, even as they fall short of the actual rising costs of running the amenities. There is no discretionary adjustments allowed under your deed restrictions, contrary to what many think. This continued shortfall was one of the reasons that the deferral rate was not renewed - yes it had to be renewed each year by the AAC/PWAC/SLAD/RAD, it was never a perpetual cap as many believe. Had it not been removed the two amenity districts would have been cumulatively over $20M in the hole this year (drawing down repair and replacement reserves).

The developer owns all the amenities south of 44, it is a business unit for them, and like any business has to maintain it books and budgets in a profitable (that's not a dirty word) condition. For them, the amenity fees have to cover utilities, maintenance, staffing, supplies, repairs, taxes, an amortized construction cost, and of course a profit. This a real-world cost determination not the fantasy that Washington's CPI adjustment magically determines. So each year the assess their costs and determine a prevailing rate that is necessary to meet the financial goals, this is the adjustment we see come out every January that applies to all homes sold following its effective date.

For the SLAD/RAD budgets, this developer adjustment to the prevailing rate is a huge plus as it acts as a reset that helps to overcome the shortfalls of the CPI adjustments as I discussed above, each time a home is resold.

I explain most of this in my videos https://youtu.be/RDjafwcRtQg and https://youtu.be/EsFulbLR32w


As a side note, when/if the developer decides to sell the amenities to the CDD, what was once profit and taxes in the budget becomes the money that pays off the bond used to purchase the amenities from the developer.

After the PWAC was given the responsibility of the amenity budget for 466-44 I did some pretty complex calculations and financial projections on cost to build and operate the amenities and recovery of costs to finally achieve profitability. Based on the information available at the time, current cost, and adjustment to previous costs for inflations, I calculated that it took between 12 and 15 years from delivery of the first amenity until the business unit actually turned an annual profit and nearly 20 years to achieve a net profit. This is because the costs are incurred before the revenue from the home sales in the new areas start to come in. An example of this is the approximate $4M it cost to build the Fenny Rec Center complex which was opened at about the same time the first homes were sold, the revenue the first few years because of the few homes fell way short of actual expenses and is only just now starting to achieve a net profit for this one property however the entire area south of 44 is still operating at a net loss (based on my previous calculations).

These amenities are of course an investment, one that pays off handsomely in the sales of homes and ultimately in the sale of the amenities to the CDD. When will they sell the amenities to the CDD, had to say but a best estimate would be about 3-5 years after the last home is built north of 470 the amenities between 44 and 470 would be sold to the Eastport commercial CDD. Yes, this is pure conjecture on my part, it's based on the timing of the two previous amenity sales to VCCDD and SLCDD.

Last thought, the desire to implement a deferral rate again by some members of the AAC was pure folly and little more than political pandering by some board members. The implementation would have cost the AAC millions, not just in the first year but in all successive years as each year there would be the recurring shortfall each year with no way to make up the deferred revenues - they didn't get a pay raise, but prices still went up, they don't get a double pay raise the following year, so the shortfall still exists. Fortunately, most of the PWAC saw through the folly of this idea and dismissed it. Had this been approved by AAC and PWAC (it would require both to approve, one cannot approve and the other disapprove due to stipulations in the governing establishing documents), both the VCCDD and the SLAD are staffed by intelligent businessmen (ignore gender inference if you must) and they most assuredly would have disapproved it as they are still ultimately responsible for the amenities and budgets.

There are other posts in this thread that I'll respond to in new threads as they are deserving of the distinction to be addressed separately. I'll tackle these after the Spring Thing happening on Saturday (3/18) at the Polo fields, when I have some free time to address them (stand by for the next chapter!).

/////

"it still feels like a SMALL TOWN" - Well, NOT to me, because a small town does NOT have mega-traffic problems and constant wrecks on the roundabouts. Yes, compared to NY and Philadelphia the traffic may be less, but it is still BAD. Traffic congestion here is BAD! There are NO 2 ways about it.
.........Many senior residents are FORCED to drive even though they have lost the eyesight and reflexes to drive PROPERLY. This IS a big PROBLEM - that has a solution. And that very solution has been talked about and screamed about many times on past FORUMS.
.........The solution is simply............GIVE US MASS TRANSPORTATION.......!!!!!!!!

Tell it like it is ! Great post !

Like fewer mature trees, close proximity to a Federal Prison, Turnpike noise, greater traffic, a bond to pay off, and lots of dust and noise from the busy construction crews. Yea, that sounds like a paradise made in heaven to me.

Statistically speaking, women tend to live 7 years longer than men - and be 5 inches shorter.

That IS an interesting warning. However, I am NOT SURE it is TRUE, because there was no explanation and PROOF that it was TRUE. Just a statement of opinion left out there floating in opinion space ????????

Yes.............and create more MASS TRANSIT.

:what:

Well, not the fashion models…lol…

Years ago, when I was reading the book "Leisureville" which was (sort of) about The Villages, I came to a realization about retirement life. The book was partly responsible for the epiphany, but I was more receptive to it because I was watching my dad in his later years of life. He'd been retired 20 years. My mother had already passed. I will share my epiphany with you.

Retirement isn't "one thing" or "one stage" of life. Depending upon how old and healthy we are when we retire, or when we die, it will be several stages. The first stage, if we are lucky, is one when we are still active. We can play pickleball, golf, swim, play water volleyball, drive ourselves around. But that stage, unless we die young and healthy, or with a quick decline, as my mother did, passes, to a second stage, where we can still be socially active, and still drive. We play cards, shuffleboard, billiards, sing in the choir. But we are forced away from some of the more physically demanding activities.

If we live long enough we can no longer drive ourselves around, and we need more and more "care", or levels of assistance, and if we live really long, eventually we need "24 hour care and assistance". Eventually we die.

How long we are in each stage varies of course, but here's the take-home point:The Villages isn't designed, built, nor marketed as a place appropriate for all stages. If you need public transportation, it's not for you. Rather than constantly be unhappy about the fact that it doesn't have that, you should find a place more suitable. Those places exist. It is not here.

When we bought in TV, we came here fully aware that if we live long enough, we will outlive TV's usefulness to us. We'll have to find some other place, designed and built for those last stages of life.

I've never been a fan of those who argued that if there was something about the culture of the USA I didn't like I should "move to Norway"...or some similarly stupid idea. For one thing, Norway doesn't want me. However, there is no such restriction on where you live in the USA, other than what your finances limit you to.

You want a gated community so you feel safer? Find one, move there. Don't make yourself miserable over the fact that TV isn't one.
You want a smaller community, with less traffic? Find one, move there.
You want more pickleball?, Less pickleball? No pickleball at all because it's too loud? Find the place and move there.

We may be able to change slightly, some small aspects of life in TV, but the big picture is the big picture, and for every person who wishes it were different, there are 10,000 who wouldn't change it in that direction, and wouldn't have come here if looked like your vision. So, rather than trying to move the mountain, relocate yourself to a place that looks more like your vision. You aren't going to change this place into what you say you think it should be.

But judging by Richmond is incorrect. Fenney, the first part of DeLuna, Linden, DeSoto, Marsh Bend, Hammock at Fenney, McClure, Monarch Grove, Bradford, Chitty Chatty, St. Catherine, Hawkins, Citrus Grove, Cason Hammock were all built before & some during most of the amenities you list.

NOMINATED for Post of the day.


:bigbow::bigbow::bigbow:

‘How long we are in each stage varies of course, but here's the take-home point:The Villages isn't designed, built, nor marketed as a place appropriate for all stages. If you need public transportation, it's not for you. Rather than constantly be unhappy about the fact that it doesn't have that, you should find a place more suitable. Those places exist. It is not here.’

People who buy homes in TV at least in the past did not buy a part-time home. They meant to be ‘frogs’ to live and die here as my uncle and aunt did. Are you saying that people who want to grow old here should not buy a house in TV? Or they should include another move in late stage of their lives when they can’t drive but are otherwise able and do not need assisted living? You realize how difficult that is for people to say in their 80’s to leave their friends who may now have become their “family” for a new city or place where they may know no one? Would it really be that impossible to consider their needs in future developments in TV?

Or, are you suggesting that TV really is nothing but a theme park, come and “rent” ie buy a house here, play while you can, then get the hell out? I can guarantee you that that was not the original vision of The Villages when it was established.

What I am saying is that people who buy here should be cognizant of the fact that this place isn't being built or marketed as a place that will provide what you need once you reach the age where life isn't about activities, but has transitioned into a life focused on assistance.

I didn't say anything about a "theme park". In fact I think viewing TV as "Disney for Adults" is a recipe for disillusionment. It's not a vacation. It is life. Real life with real life problems that must be attended to. It is not a vacation that never ends.

If you look at the website TheVillages.com they market the "active seniors lifestyle". There is one "heading" that says "Senior Living Facilities" and 5 "Bullets" that say "Independent Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, Memory Care and Rehabilitation"...there are no supporting links to those bullets, that I can find. If they are there, great. However, there are links and links and pages and pages touting "activities". There are pictures of swimmers, golfers, dancers, pickleball players, etc. etc.

That is what they are selling. An "active senior lifestyle". The fact that you may desire, or your aunt and uncle succeeded in living here until they croaked is fine, but it's not what the place is primarily focused on.
I suspect that over the next 10 years what was the baby-boom market for active lifestyle with become the baby boom market for assisted living. But this isn't it yet, not here, not now.

I am curious to know how you can "guarantee" what the original vision was, in this regard.

Do you want answers? Mine would be I was very happy where I was. I loved the state, the town, & my neighborhood. I also loved the people, & my house & property. But I became more uncomfortable with the cold, snow & ice. I also had a Colonial style house & I realized that all of the stairs would make it a difficult house to grow old in. I still love it, but also still feel it was wise to look for a one level house in a warmer climate. I hope to grow to love the state, Village, neighborhood, & people in my new house.

A wise observation… and in the past TV was a place to live and die and have fun while you were at it. Now it seems like fun! fun! fun! and that is it.

Oh about the guarantee, both my parents and uncle and aunt knew Mr Schwartz personally.

Good post. It is true that "nothing is perfect". But, the human spirit SEEKS perfection. There is nothing wrong with pointing out imperfections in The Villages and The Village's system and lifestyle. Furthermore, saying that at some point in their life, senior residents should just "pack up and leave" to some more appropriate location - seems to be a BIG contradiction to the "America's Friendliest Hometown" image.
.........So, IS the Friendly Hometown the TRUTH or is it just a real estate salesperson's gimmick to entice retirees here? If it IS the latter and all old people here are supposed to be clever enough to know when they MUST pack up and leave.........I have to find that deeply SAD.
.........And it does NOT square with a whole lifetime of being told how GREAT it is to buy into the AMERICAN DREAM.
...........Should all old people just volunteer to join some Army to be used as cannon fodder in their last days?
..........I would suggest that instead of residents telling OLDER residents to pack up and leave - maybe it would be better to take a good product like The Villages and make it BETTER by doing small adjustments for the older residents.............like maybe providing MASS TRANSIT !!!!!!!
........Personally, I would prefer the cost of establishing mass transit and other improvements as needed for the aging population to the WASTERFUL cost of planting and then unplanting all those pretty FLOWERS on every roundup and other locations.
..........Pretty FLOWERS are nice in someone's backyard as their hobby. But, pretty FLOWERS throughout The Villages are for LOOKS and aesthetics, while MASS TRANSIT is a functional necessity for OLDER residents that do NOT drive to be able to get to Doctor's appointments.
...........So, if BOTH can NOT be accomplished and the choices are between pretty FLOWERS and the reality of functional TRANSPORTATION, I know that I would VOTE for the FUNCTIONAL, PRACTICAL OPTION !!!!!!

vote for the flowers. Mass transit would be extremely expensive. Can't drive use Uber or move to assisted living.

How did those people "in the past" who bough in TV manage?

Why can't the people buy here now do the same?

Oh contrare. They do have a say in the taxes. Look at the whole impact fee debacle in Sumter County. Also they sold the water uitilties at an inflated price set by their favorite apprasiers and now the system all off a sudden needs 26 million in repairs 3 years after the sale. That 26 mill will result in substanial hikes in the water and sewer rates.

The area was smaller, everything more easily accessible. Much less traffic. Neighbors really helped each other, turnover was less. And Mr Shwartz actually considered the residents’ problems as well as their entertainment. I am not saying he wasn’t shrewd financially, just that he also cared for people - not just for their money. TV was a Village as the name implies, not a city as the population is now. Can we go back? No. We always have to proceed forwards that is the only direction time goes. But we seem to be proceeding unilaterally like the Silicon Valley Bank, hedging the main bets on younger (active) naive people - who will grow older and will be in the majority here - it’ll be a lot of people to have to throw out. And I’m wondering how they’ll like it.

Kind of like 99.99% of your posts. I can't believe YOU actually called someone out on that. :1rotfl: :1rotfl: :1rotfl:

So, it's the neighbor's fault? Our neighbor's are very helpful. They watch our home when we're away. My wife helped a lady she came across sitting on the curb. She simply "ran out of gas" and couldn't finish her walk home. My wife assisted her home and stayed with her until her husband came home.

She didn't have a clue who this lady was, either...

I've taken another neighbor (who broke her wrist and can't drive) to the dentist. My wife took her to PT...

I posted on Next Door and our local neighborhood message board about needing to borrow a set of golf clubs for my son in law who was visiting. I had a dozen offers...

You didn't answer my question. Being smaller doesn't mean you don't have to drive. Nor does less traffic. Once you can't live by yourself, Mr Schwartz had no plans to take care of anyone...

But he was sweet. He has a statue.

You are fortunate to have such neighbors. And I bet your wife and you are like that yourself.

Being smaller meant my aunt could walk from her house relatively safely to where she needed to go. Try that now.

If you notice, some people refer to their house not as my “home” but as an “investment”. At least they are being honest about it. Funny how people who plan to age out in their home, don’t usually refer to it as an investment.

Well, what they market is almost just fun! fun! fun!...lots of big smiles. Putts always fall in the hole. Dancing! Pool volleyball! Do you think they are going to show pictures of me sitting at my desk with my glasses on my forehead paying my bills? That's real life. They are selling an idealized version.
I think it's safe to assume that we're all old enough to know that what we see in commercials isn't reality. Even if I buy that Lincoln Continental, my wife will not look like the lady in the car, I will not be handsome, and my house won't look like that house that the car is parking in front of. If I drink a can of Pepsi, my mood will not be instantly transformed into euphoric bliss.

We are responsible for filtering the reality from the idealized fluff, and old enough and wise enough that we should be able to do that. Yet nowhere in the idealistic fuzz of The Villages marketing media do I see public transportation for shut-ins, or in-home assistance for the infirm.

However, if your parents,aunt and uncle knew Harold Schwartz personally, I'd take that as a guarantee that those things will all be taken care of by The Villages.

I think you are right, at least I hope so. (My uncle knew Harold Schwartz from a previously life, it was Mr. Shwartz who invited my uncle and aunt to live here. They never regretted it.) This place has an honorable history and may it continue.

You are a sterner man than I, Gunga Din. Let all the old people die like Lemmings in a charge against some cannons in some war somewhere.

Ok, I need to chime in as a younger retiree and new resident - I can’t wait for all this growth that’s coming - more recreation and entertainment options, and as my age demographic increases in size, there will be a higher demand for more ethnic restaurants, and not just the meat-and-potatoes chains. My individual village feels very small and intimate, as does the surrounding area. Great things as The Villages grows, that your neighborhood retains it’s “small town” vibe. The future and the growth that is coming is exciting - can’t wait!

This is hog wash! Myself and many of my neighbors walk anywhere SAFELY. WHY ARE YOU SPREADING THIS MISINFORMATION?

How could MASS TRANSPORTATION be TOO expensive when the users of the service WILL PAY for the service? NY subways and San Fransisco trolley cars are paid for by the fees collected. Plus the service would make a profit. Has anyone REALLY studied the issue? I am NOT saying that a bus line needs to run every 15 minutes. Twice a day might work for many people. They could take a sandwich and read a book while at the Doctor's waiting room. Businesses like Publix and Target might be willing to kick in some startup money because their sales might go up 10 %.
.........I doubt very much that a mass transit system has ever been researched and proposed here. It is easiest to just ASSUME that something like that won't work because so many retirees have Golf Carts. But a blind person or a special needs person can't drive a Golf Cart. And many older people go blind from macular degeneration. And many people would take a bus IF that WERE an option here. Car insurance is going up and gas prices are going up.