Window treatments are difficult, also if your house has a lot of sun exposure the less radiant heat the better--we had to have a handyman, cut a piece of plywood to match the eyebrow-put exterior paint to match the exterior & interior paint to match the interior-he found some flexible paintable 1/4 round for trim & my wife installed a rather neat decal--it cut down the heat load significantly

The regular window have Hunter Douglas custom pleated shades--

Eyebrows are not half/round windows

My advice would be to get a MLS Realtor® and a Villages Sales Agent. That way they would be able to see ALL the homes available in The Villages. Neither one can show you ALL.

Rent

OK to move here:
1. LOCATION,,,,,do you want to be close to any features, stores, doctors or do you like to drive to everything. In the summer, your car is an oven in their lot. We do not do that, bicycles are the way to go for us.
2. Do you want a Villa with fencing, for privacy, we love it, or do you want a house with 3 or 2 car garage.
3. Do you know of the "sound items" to consider, the trains, the music (noise) on the squares
4. Do you want a new or used home, there are some bargains, but BE CAREFUL, ALL YOU SEE IS NOT A BARGAIN.
5. It is best to,,,,,,,,,,,, get with three or more realtors, the Village has a lifestyle program for getting the view of the Villages. Just outside of Villages, there is REMax, Executive Realty, Grizzard, all good people and it is an eye opener if you keep your eyes open when looking and do not get DIVERTED AWAY. There is also for sale by owner, some real deals there.
If you look in the Sun paper, they are all there. At Grizzard realty, Mr. Foster will really show you what you want and will tell you HONESTLY what is a good deal and a good price.
bbbbbb :pepper2:

Rent first, several times and in different areas.

I would suggest buying in an established neighborhood instead of new areas. You will have much lower bond, established mature landscaping, no surprises popping up like a kissing lanai next door or a memory center closeby. Get a double garage PLUS golf cart garage. A glassed in all season lanai is wonderful. Be sure to get one that faces East for morning light and is NOT in the Western exposure which will totally bake you in the afternoon.

Use BOTH MLS realtor and Villages realtor to see houses. In a pre-owned home, you can negotiate price with the seller. In a new home, no negotiation. Preowned also comes with a warranty if you ask for it.

Buy resale, not new.
While new can be more emotionally satisfying, resale is a better deal financially.
Plus you can get a view lot for way less money.
Just one humble opinion.

Just curious..why would a memory center be a negative? I could think of a lot worse things that could "pop up."

I always tell my friends who are looking for a house to buy one of those large Villages maps. Use a yellow highlighter and highlight all of the places they will go to often (inc grocery, golf courses, pharmacy, restaurants, square, etc.). Then circle the neighborhoods that are within 15 minutes of there by golf cart. Do a search on The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Retirement Hometown - New Home Sales, Home Resales, Build Your Dream Home, Brownwood Paddock Square pre-owned homes and search by price and neighborhood. To me the qualities in a home I would like are a 2 car garage (if in the budget a golf cart garage), 1500 sq feet plus, split floorplan, no pool or possibility of a pool behind you, offset home site, laminate floors, ample closet space, pantry in the kitchen, tile in the wet areas.

I think two car and a golf cart garage is a must. Your garage sort of becomes your basement for storage and projects.

As well as a large storage area above the garage with enough headroom to stand up. These houses can be found that have a gable above the garage.
Not only can you store stuff on the floor, you can also install shelving.

What I was getting at was a large building or complex might be built next to you if you had a home just at the end of the brand new residential area.

When I was looking 7 years ago, the sales agent would say, "look at the beautiful horse field right next to your property". Guess what is there now?

I bought a preowned home in Glenview on the perfect spot on the Fox Run golf course. Bond has $1500 on it, I was able to negotiate price, house had features in it I did not have to buy extra, and we are just very happy Villagers now.

Contrast that with friends who bought at same time - brand new in St. Charles. They were first house on the street and a year later the back neighbor built an extended pool area that comes very close to the property line (and never invites them for a swim). $20,000 bond. Landscaping was poor and had to be replaced. House extras had to be bought and installed. List price was not negotiable. Construction in the area for a year.

If someone I knew well was looking for a home here, what one thing would i say.

Friend I don't like giving recommendations for doctors, lawyers, mechanic investment companies ......and as to The Villages its a different kind of place and like scotch some have to acquire a taste for it. so my advice is that I am not going to give you advice but your welcome to pay me a short visit and experience it yourself, talk to residents, people employed here, etc.

When having pizza with your new friends. Avoid the urge to explain that pizza is not flatbread with pineapple and ham on soggy crust eaten with a knife and fork.

Close eyes and become nostalgic about totonnos in Coney Island. Smile. Pay your separate bill, leave, avoid asking spouse why you moved to an old horse pasture in Florida.

becareful dont gulp the koolaid! the morris ( mispelled on pourpose ) family wants to get in ur billfold EVERY chance they can! dont hang around the square with ur grandkids, old drunk women get in fights, and if they dont know about the birds and the bees, they can watch people having sex on the square! becareful for those who dont clean up after there: dogs, drunk adult children! watch ur grandchildren at the pool there have been fights with old men! watch for the emerging thievery that is going on at the squares! if ur are a non-smoker dont go to spanish springs at night ur clothes will reek of cig smoke when u get home. if you are a texas holdem player, in the rec news if it is listed as "organized cards" that is a holdem tournament, bring a $100 and ur in for a good time, gotta hide the gambling , although they play bunco for money!?!?!?,,,, NEVER EVERput ur keys on the table at ANY event that is a secret signal to swingers , believe me my wife and i found this out the hard way , we were invited to a persons house , talk about shock when we got there! so those are my hints to a new person