[CFrance]

Originally Posted by rubicon

If the focus is on house for the buck Harbor Hills would attract some. I loved the homes there as they put so much more in the home. I hadn't discovered Harbor Hills until after I bought in The Villages and was amazed that I could have bought substantially more square footage, better appointment indoors n and a pool for the same price as my home in TV. I would have moved but wife felt isolated while I felt relax with more space. But we do compromise and have so for our entire lives so again we compromised and did it her way.
By the way great golf course there really quality

I always thought you are a wise man, rubicon. Now I know it. :-)

[looneycat]

Originally Posted by linko38

Hello
I have been a resident of Stonecrest for 6 years. We love it! Three outdoor pools. One indoor pool. Hot tub. Many activities. Bingo on Fridays. Bunco once a month. A very friendly beautiful community! Stop by the model homes and check them out!

I never wanted to live in Florida but a visit to TV changed my mind...not to live in Florida but to live in TV. If I had visited stonecrest or any of the others I'd still be freezing in Nj!

[gerryann]

I viewed the models yesterday. Yes, way more house for the money. For those that are extremely active and need all the clubs, games, activities.....then TV is deffinetly for you. For those looking for a quieter life, stonecrest might be for you. According to a realtor selling in stonecrest 80% of the sales are folks moving from TV. This really surprised me. Yes, I will agree....its comparing apples to oranges. Very different lifestyles. They do have ongoing activities, just maybe 5% of what TV has......but that might be all that some folks want.

[Miles42]

Just tell the Gate Keeper you are going to the restraunt. No problem. We look there as well and in the end decided there was way more to do here in TV.

[RickeyD]

Originally Posted by gerryann

I viewed the models yesterday. Yes, way more house for the money. For those that are extremely active and need all the clubs, games, activities.....then TV is deffinetly for you. For those looking for a quieter life, stonecrest might be for you. According to a realtor selling in stonecrest 80% of the sales are folks moving from TV. This really surprised me. Yes, I will agree....its comparing apples to oranges. Very different lifestyles. They do have ongoing activities, just maybe 5% of what TV has......but that might be all that some folks want.

I would suspect that 80% as a marketing figure, not reality.

[Cajulian]

Here is another observation. Stonecrest and other close communities clearly provide very nice houses for less money than TV's.

Golfers at Stonecrest, golf everyday or as often as they like, just like in TV's. They also have traveling leagues. They also have many clubs to join and activities.

How many activities do you actually use? How many Rec Centers do you use? Based on the population in Stonecrest, they have ample facilities to service all residents, without congestion and hassle.

Stonecrest has legal access to all the Shopping, Restaurants (minus Katie Belles), Squares entertainment, special festivities, Churches, etc.

They actually have gated security that works reasonably well. I have only heard of a couple of burglaries over several years. Usually by contractors. The Villages had 11 break-ins February alone this year.

As to Lifestyle, what lifestyle does TV's have, that Stonecrest doesn't have. Mult-modal paths (who needs the congestion and dangerous situations). And some still get to TV's with their Legal Street carts anyways.

Having said all this, The Villages is a very pristine and beautiful place with lots of stuff to do, much of which can be had by visitors and Stonecresters. I had been coming down to TV's for 15 years and have seen many changes.

It all comes down to several factors. How much money do you want to spend, how much congestion can you deal with, the proximity to the things you like, etc.

Of all the communities in the area, Stonecrest, with its close proximity abutting Orange Blossum and less than 3 miles from Spanish Springs, it almost seems like they are part of the Villages. If you want true peace and quiet, Del Webb and other communities are further removed from the area.

Make your own call with what is right for you. Stonecrest and Del Webb are great communities also. For those that tout "The Lifestyle" surely must realize that many others enjoy most of that same Lifestyle.

[Carla B]

Never looked at any houses outside of TV. But, like Rubicon, I love the ambiance of Harbor Hills. Just couldn't stand to be so far from the grocery store.

[Miles42]

To each his own.

[liere]

Friends of mine rented in The Villages earlier this year....while they thought the Villages was nice, they are not golfers and they did not enjoy riding around in a golf cart. They were interested in a house around 1900 sq ft and in the Villages the prices were very high. They found a new model in Stonecrest and bought there. They said they liked the idea of an indoor pool, fitness center included in amenity fee and closeness to the Villages. They can use the squares, movies and restaurants if they choose. I went with them to see the models and thought they were very nice....the rep did say some Villagers were moving to Stonecrest because they preferred a quieter environment....but I did not get the impression it was a large number.

[gerryann]

Interesting observations. As one stated, maybe the 80% of villagers moving to stonecrest was a marketing statement.....who knows?

[perrjojo]

I have a close friend who lived in Stonecrest. When her husband passed she felt lonely in Stoncrest. It took her another six years to sell her home there. She is very happy here in TV with younger people and more things to do. No, she does not hang out at City Fire and most of her fiends are married. She just likes it better here. Does that make TV better? No, it just means it is better for her. Each person has different needs

[TVMayor]

Originally Posted by perrjojo

I have a close friend who lived in Stonecrest. When her husband passed she felt lonely in Stoncrest. It took her another six years to sell her home there. She is very happy here in TV with younger people and more things to do. No, she does not hang out at City Fire and most of her fiends are married. She just likes it better here. Does that make TV better? No, it just means it is better for her. Each person has different needs

Question, did it take six years for her to decide to sell her house or was the house on the market six years?

[graciegirl]

There are homes for everyone.

Out of all the places I have lived, this is the most perfect for me as I grow older and younger at the same time.

Sweetie never thought I could be persuaded to move to Florida.

I will be always grateful to the Morse family for the concept, and for the building of this place and for it's awesome roadside beauty and the upkeep and maintenance of all common buildings that are very hard to keep spiffy in this Florida sun.

I don't work for the developer. I am a sincere fan.

[Ed Krik]

I hope this post will continue to talk about Stonecrest and why some prefer living

there. I personally am thrilled to live in the Villages and would not change a thing,

talking about Stonecrest does not change a thing for me nor does it threaten me. The

Villages is not for everyone and Stonecrest is not for everyone, but it meets a need for

some. If it was not for Mr. Morse and family's vision and risk taking none of this would

exist including Stonecrest. I look around and I am amazed at it all. The many small

business that support the Villages and Stonecrest, allowing people to earn a living raise

and educate there children. I just feel blessed to live here and be a part off

it all. The only thing I would ask of the people from Stonecrest, don't rope

off or put cushions on seats in the town square to save them.

[Steve9930]

OK. I've read it all and heard it all before so here is all about Stonecrest. I don't comment to the nonsense any more life is too short. I have lived here for now going over 10 years. Stonecrest is a typical Florida Retirement Community. Everything inside the fence is owned and maintained by the residents, including the roads. So when we get a sink hole in one of our streets we open our check book, not call the county. It is different then the Villages in the fact that it is not a Community Development District. There were no bonds to pay for the infrastructure. The day to day running of the community is done by a management company. The Developer is pretty much done with his portion and now the lots belong to Armstrong Homes. Armstrong is the only builder here in Stonecrest. They have just opened the last section for construction and already there are about 3 homes starting to be built. The community is now run by a Board of Directors elected by the residents. Cash flow is good and amenity fees are $106 per month. For that fee we have 3 outdoor pools and 1 indoor pool, Tennis Courts, the only lighted Pickle Ball Courts in the area, Bocce Ball, Shuffle Board, Softball field, 2 community centers, hot tub, Gym, Library, and a number of clubs just not as many as the villages. When the building is done I believe there will be 2280 homes in the community. Its a quiet place with some traffic but not excessive. The golf course and Country Club are privately owned and the new owner is doing a great job with the restaurant. By the way the Restaurant and Golf Club are open to the public an all are welcome. Just tell the guard at the gate that is where you are headed and they will issue you a pass. We have two gates that allow you to go directly to Walmart via cart, very convenient, sometimes too convenient. From there you can take the dirt path and go to a number of restaurants on the East side of 441/27 and Lowes and all the way down to I believe its the Infamous Paradise Gate. If you care to invest in a street legal golf cart you can cross 441/27 and get to Spanish Springs and all the commercial restaurants there also. I don't see the economics there to purchase one of these over priced vehicles but some have. If I were to invest that much money I'd buy a small auto. I can use it more. But to each his own. I moved here because I wanted to be in a home with a view. The only place I could do that and stay with in my budget is where I live now. I also was turned off by the marketing tactics that were being used to get me to buy in the Villages. Anyway old history. The Villages are very nice communities. If it were not for the Morse Family, and especially the late Gary Morse none of this style of commercial amenities would exist in the area. That's about it. I'd be more then happy to entertain any additional questions, ya all have a nice day.