[valuemkt]

First: GO BLUE !
Start Clearing out your basement and attic.. there are neither in the Village homes - there;s some space above garage, but that gets well over 100 degrees in summer. If your current house is over 2000 sq ft, you'll need to shed furniture and knick knacks .. Next, look at the remaining furniture.. Will you be comfortable living in an open floor plan home with heavy oak or pine furniture ? HMM maybe not.. go to the popular vh4r dot com web site, not just to look for a place to rent, but to see how the homes are decorated. do the same thing at the villages web site and a realtor web site.. Now shed more furniture. Now look at your clothes. When I lived in Central NY snow country, I had five levels of ski jackets / parkas. When my wife bought a Villages wind breaker last year, the sales person said " What a lovely winter jacket !". Start shedding some clothes.. keep something for your trip back "home", or leave some winter stuff at the home of whomever you;ll be visiting up there. Don't underestimate how much time this is going to take !

Now you're ready ! Oops . you brought down too much .. Budget $100-200 / month for a conditioned storage space.. probably at least 10x10.. Now comes the weather inversion .. if you were cloistered in your home during the wicked winter months, it;s just the opposite.. June, July and August are HOT ! and WET ! Florida knows how to throw a good thunderstorm .. almost every day .. think heavy snow squall.. Can you go out ? Certainly ! you drove in a foot or two of snow, didnt you ? So don;t let 95 degree heat and humidity with 2 inches of rain slow you down ! Used to living inside at 68 degrees ?? You can do it, but your windows will be foggy in the morning and your electric bill will be high .. But you'll almost never turn the heat on during the winter.. so it balances out.. Be prepared to roast in your new neighbors house, because after living in Florida for several years, they keep their houses at 75 to 80, and are very comfortable. Will your blood ever thin to that level ?? Only time will tell ..

Welcome to The Villages ! oh, and leave that snowblower behind.. I gave my 7.5 HP John Deere to my brother and haven't stop smiling .. Merry Christmas

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Here are some threads that discuss some topics that may be of interest.
CAUTION: Like everywhere else we have the Debbie downers that find something negative to say. I would disregard their comments.

I'm New, I'm Blue, and I'm Confused Too [Marsh Bend vs Linden]

Your Personal Favorite Villages Home

Are some Villages locations better than others?

How lucky were you in finding your home?

Why is the bond the same for new area?

Who to help find existing homes?

And who says there's no Santa.

[gpkk_2000]

We each made a list of "must haves" in a house. Then we sat down together and combined them after debate and listed it from must haves to nice to have. If at all possible, a garage plus and golf cart garage are most desirable. Give the list to each of the agents. It took 25 homes before we found the "one". He got his top desire (garage, of course). I didn't get mine, but hubby has agreed to do just about everything I have asked for as far as cosmetic changes. It is difficult to change a home footprint, cosmetics are easy.

[villagetinker]

We got lucky, tried buying several houses during a lifestyle visit, all were under contract, left and continued to try by email, same results, finally found a lot and built. By ACCIDENT, we avoided the kissing lanai, ended up with a lot large enough to have a 800 square foot birdcage, no pool, but that was fine there are 3 pools within .25 miles of our house. I am sure if we had gotten one of the first houses, we would have ended up moving out.
As noted above, renting is a really good idea, then you get the lay of the land (over 70 square MILES now) and a feel for the various neighborhoods.
Good luck with your quest.

[OlifOlif]

Where is your home, and how can one get access to its listing?

[BarbaraLoveMoss]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

you might want to consider renting for 6 months to get aquatinted with everything that is here. We have new neighbors that did exactly that and found their dream home.

I agree with this piece of advice. We rented each time we came down here in a different style house to see how it "flowed", etc. When we sold our house up north so quickly, we rented a Villa style home while we house hunted down here. We already had narrowed down the style of house we wanted and knew what we wanted in it so that kept us from being taken to see homes we knew we were not interested in. We found the perfect house, closing only took a couple of weeks and, because we had rented the Villa, we could take our time moving into our home. There was absolutely no stress moving in. Also, we had time to look around the areas to find clubs we wanted to join and find out where the shopping centers were, etc.

[tophcfa]

Agree with the rent before you buy. Even if you rent for just three months. I am not a fan of moving several times before one finds their dream home. I would rather buy the right home the first time and never look back. Renting allows you to determine where in the Villages is the best fit for you (I am not talking actual Village, but rather north, middle, south, or the new Villages south of 44). Each area of the Villages has it's own pros and cons depending on your individual preferences and lifestyles. Make a list of what is most important to you and focus on the homes that fit that criteria. Some like privacy and others like to be near as much as possible. Some like quiet and other are not bothered by noise. Some like golfing and others prefer walking and bike riding trails. Some what to be near a town square and others want to be near shopping. Some like no yard maintenance and others want exotic landscaping and gardens. Some want a big home with fancy features to entertain and others want a small and modest home. To each his/her own.

Also, renting affords you the benefit of not being under time pressure during your home search and gives you the opportunity to look at lots of homes so you can be much more certain you buy the right home at a fair price. It also gives you flexibility to line up the closing dates for both the home you sell up north and your new Villages home. We were very happy we rented, explored the different areas of the Villages, and did an extensive home search before we eventually bought our home. After looking at a couple of hundred listings and actually touring about 50 homes we feel we made the best decision for us, both location and the actual home. We actually ended up buying the first home we went to see. We liked it when we first saw it, but were not ready to make such a big purchase so quickly without seeing what else was out there. After looking at many other homes, we finally realized that first home was the best option for us based on what was available in the Villages. Almost 5 years later, zero regrets.

Good luck : )

[PugMom]

check out online you-tube videos by skip smith. we learned everything from him before we moved down. i think he also answers some questions as well. ~WELCOME~!

[Toymeister]

In terms of YouTube videos, Skip is former UPS driver. His videos reflect a certain 'perspective' that one gets from working hard life. Much like autoworkers I have known or a retired Army NCO. Nothing wrong with that BTW and perhaps you would prefer that strong opinion style.

On the other end of the scale are 'The Villagers Newcomers'. They are both retired school teachers. Every video includes both of them. Their videos have the balance of a couples perspective. Also they keep you the viewer In mind.. A military analogy would be an Air Force officer who had some administration job. Their facts are that or they tell you this is our option.

[Earlride]

I highly recommend Jerry and Linda's videos on the Villages. They do an amazing job of talking about every aspect of the villages and they have over a 1000 followers. The differences are that Jerry and Linda are very engaging and are NEW to the villages last December so they view what they found from a new villages perspective. Frankly, Skip is a little boring and not that informative. I guess this is because of his history. I watched all of Jerry and Linda's videos on Youtube for six months while I was preparing to move. They were invaluable.

[KSSunshine]

Originally Posted by The Left Mitten

We are life-long Michigan residents who have traveled in our motorhome when vacationing and "snowbirding", and discovered TV this winter! Well.....needless to say, we came home at Christmas and listed our home in Michigan and will be moving to one of your neighborhoods as soon as our home sells! We have soooooooooooo much to learn! My husband and I have been frequenting many forums and TV sites, trying to learn about home humidity control, landscaping, bug control, etc. in Florida.....as it differs greatly from Michigan. We'd would also welcome any and all advice offered on any topic! We've found a wonderful Village Real Estate Agent, as well as a great MLS Agent that understands the area.
Thank you in advance!

You'll love living in The Villages! Two of our neighbors are from Michigan and love living here! (No more snowblowers or shovels!). Since you are just discovering TV, it's wise to rent until you learn the lay of the land and what makes you happy. Otherwise, you may be in the group of Villagers who move again for larger or smaller homes. Whichever neighborhood you choose will be wonderful, but the home size can make you love it or list it. Agents do understand the area quite well, but they won't know which one will make you happiest. And you may not know that yet either. When you do find that wonderful home, don't let them "gloss" over the Bond as it varies depending on location and lot size. They are there to sell you a home which is how they get paid.
VH4R is a great site for you to find a rental. (Our rental is on there as well, unfurnished 3 BR Courtyard Villa). The good news is that since you are motorhome experienced, the concept of "less" won't be foreign. The other good news is that you'll have neighbors who have figured out the other details for which you have concerns (e.g. pest control, where/how to buy a golf cart, activities...). We moved into a new area, but our neighbors moved "south" from LSL and have been the greatest in helping us locate services...
Finally, check out Jerry and Linda on YouTube. They've been here a year and share their experiences.
Best wishes for selling your home quickly and making a smooth transition into TV!

[2BNTV]

Under the "home" tab, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Nuts and Bolts".

Written by the great, late Zcavemean contains a lot of useful information. Some of it might need to be updated but still a wealth of information. I would suggest getting a printout for your perusal.

I agree with making a list of "Must Haves" and "would like to have". When you see a home that has almost all of your must haves, that's the one!!!!

It is a lot on info to digest and there are so many decisions to be made but you'll get there!

After 6 to 12 months visiting the squares, most people think it's more important to be close to shopping and doctor's.

Everything is personal preference.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by The Left Mitten

We are life-long Michigan residents who have traveled in our motorhome when vacationing and "snowbirding", and discovered TV this winter! Well.....needless to say, we came home at Christmas and listed our home in Michigan and will be moving to one of your neighborhoods as soon as our home sells! We have soooooooooooo much to learn! My husband and I have been frequenting many forums and TV sites, trying to learn about home humidity control, landscaping, bug control, etc. in Florida.....as it differs greatly from Michigan. We'd would also welcome any and all advice offered on any topic! We've found a wonderful Village Real Estate Agent, as well as a great MLS Agent that understands the area.
Thank you in advance!

Off topic: Cute screen name! I always thought of it as the right mitten, palm facing my face. Left hand making the UP!

[Bay Kid]

Golf. If this is important try to find an area that is in the middle for easy access.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by The Left Mitten

We are life-long Michigan residents who have traveled in our motorhome when vacationing and "snowbirding", and discovered TV this winter! Well.....needless to say, we came home at Christmas and listed our home in Michigan and will be moving to one of your neighborhoods as soon as our home sells! We have soooooooooooo much to learn! My husband and I have been frequenting many forums and TV sites, trying to learn about home humidity control, landscaping, bug control, etc. in Florida.....as it differs greatly from Michigan. We'd would also welcome any and all advice offered on any topic! We've found a wonderful Village Real Estate Agent, as well as a great MLS Agent that understands the area.
Thank you in advance!

Also, most people believe what they did was wise. Your economics plays an important factor in how to do your purchase.
Selling your home in Michigan. If, you need to or want to sell first, you are entering a risk of finding a place, the place you wish to buy in the villages. Selling a home. We've heard of people trying to sell of a year or longer. To my surprise, we sold our home in a week and we got full listed price and a cash deal.
I had it all planned. I figured six months to sell. Packing, heck I was still packing the last few things while they were loading the moving van.
We had been to the villages 3x on those visitor rental deals, I assume they still have them. My wife is indecisive. We bought before selling our previous home. Were it not for the fact that we bought it would have taken her years to finally decide.
Risk to do it my way is obvious. However my plan worked better than I had planned.
Far as what to pack. I am a pack rat. I sold quite a bit of stuff on ebay and had 3-4 garage sales. Money is far lighter to move than all the stuff I sold. Storage space is very limited. I still miss my basement. Aside: if my home hadn't sold so quickly, I tossed out and gave away enough stuff for several more garage sales