Originally Posted by dennis11003 (Post 324400)

I've been a member for several years but seldom post. I do log on several times a week to read posts that interest me. My wife and I are probably 5-7 years from retirement and live in Wisconsin (currently 10 degrees going down to -3 tonight).

This is the type of post that really interests me and I appreciate everyone's input. When we retire, I don't know if The Villages will be for us or not. I've driven through several of the communities and have walked around several areas. My sister lives close by so we have the opportunity to "look around" when we visit her. Eventually, we will pay for a vist to the Villages and hope to experience everything that is offered.

Until then, I will lurk and read and take in everything I can. I want to be certain that when we retire, we can afford the cost and not have to work. Until we can afford it, we won't retire! Someone said to track your expenses for 2-3 years prior to retirement and estimate accurately what they might be when and where you retire. I won't retire if I have to work 2 or 3 jobs - that's not retirement!

I enjoy this forum because there are a lot of smart people giving practical, valuable advice. Thanks for allowing me to read your forums and the opportunity to post.

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida (Post 324368)

How can we put a price on "Lifestyle"? When my husband and I decided to live in The Villages over 12 years ago we bought a "lifestyle" along with our home. We could have spent less and had a nice home in any nearby retirement community. Those places are a dime a dozen in Florida. Let's face it, we can't buy a "loaded" car for the price of a stripped-down model. We didn't pay an amenity fee when we lived up north. That is about the only extra cost we have, living here. Our energy costs don't come close to what we spent up there. We didn't have a $50,000 Homestead Exemption there, so our real estate taxes were 3 times what we pay here. Our state imposed income taxes so there was another few thousand dollars going out every year. When we moved here we did so with a mortgage and only 1 pension to live on. It would be several years before Social Security would kick in. Our savings were off limits so we stuck to a rigid budget and went without a lot of stuff that you pay extra for. My husband DID work for two years, part-time, for extra money for championsip golf. We took full advantage of all of the free activities here, including many rides in our golf cart, just thoroughly enjoying the beauty all around us. There wasn't much money for shows or fancy restaurants. There WERE many evenings spent enjoying the sunsets from our lanai and listening to the plaintiff cries of the sandhill cranes high overhead. Did we bite off more than we could chew? Heck, no, we didn't! We wouldn't trade any of our years in The Villages for anything. This lifestyle is unlike anything else in the world. And, 12 1/2 years ago there wasn't one quarter what there is here now. The funny thing is that, now that we have more money to spend, we still enjoy the simpler pleasures that are all around us. We have found that we don't have to spend a lot to be very happy here. It seems that being happy all boils down to what happiness means to us and perhaps how many sacrifices some of us have to make to live here.

Originally Posted by dennis11003 (Post 324400)

I've been a member for several years but seldom post. I do log on several times a week to read posts that interest me. My wife and I are probably 5-7 years from retirement and live in Wisconsin (currently 10 degrees going down to -3 tonight).

This is the type of post that really interests me and I appreciate everyone's input. When we retire, I don't know if The Villages will be for us or not. I've driven through several of the communities and have walked around several areas. My sister lives close by so we have the opportunity to "look around" when we visit her. Eventually, we will pay for a vist to the Villages and hope to experience everything that is offered.

Until then, I will lurk and read and take in everything I can. I want to be certain that when we retire, we can afford the cost and not have to work. Until we can afford it, we won't retire! Someone said to track your expenses for 2-3 years prior to retirement and estimate accurately what they might be when and where you retire. I won't retire if I have to work 2 or 3 jobs - that's not retirement!

I enjoy this forum because there are a lot of smart people giving practical, valuable advice. Thanks for allowing me to read your forums and the opportunity to post.

Originally Posted by LisaJ (Post 324547)

My husband and I watched and learned alot from this site as well. This forum is very informative and we finally were comfortable purchasing in TV. Thank you to everyone for their honest and educational feedback.

Originally Posted by Army Guy (Post 324514)

Welcome! And you are doing just what we did. We came to TV for the LSV, were very impressed but did not buy right away. I came back home found this site and then started to ask the hard questions on here where I knew I would not just get "the party line". After a couple months of that and another LSV, we bought. But we bought informed and knew just what we wehere getting into!

Army Guy

Originally Posted by decodiana (Post 324561)

As someone who is considering "the move" but will still need some form of employment income, I was just wondering how does one find good employment in this area? Seems to me that unless you're in the medical field, it may be difficult.

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida (Post 324368)

How can we put a price on "Lifestyle"? When my husband and I decided to live in The Villages over 12 years ago we bought a "lifestyle" along with our home. We could have spent less and had a nice home in any nearby retirement community. Those places are a dime a dozen in Florida. Let's face it, we can't buy a "loaded" car for the price of a stripped-down model. We didn't pay an amenity fee when we lived up north. That is about the only extra cost we have, living here. Our energy costs don't come close to what we spent up there. We didn't have a $50,000 Homestead Exemption there, so our real estate taxes were 3 times what we pay here. Our state imposed income taxes so there was another few thousand dollars going out every year. When we moved here we did so with a mortgage and only 1 pension to live on. It would be several years before Social Security would kick in. Our savings were off limits so we stuck to a rigid budget and went without a lot of stuff that you pay extra for. My husband DID work for two years, part-time, for extra money for championsip golf. We took full advantage of all of the free activities here, including many rides in our golf cart, just thoroughly enjoying the beauty all around us. There wasn't much money for shows or fancy restaurants. There WERE many evenings spent enjoying the sunsets from our lanai and listening to the plaintiff cries of the sandhill cranes high overhead. Did we bite off more than we could chew? Heck, no, we didn't! We wouldn't trade any of our years in The Villages for anything. This lifestyle is unlike anything else in the world. And, 12 1/2 years ago there wasn't one quarter what there is here now. The funny thing is that, now that we have more money to spend, we still enjoy the simpler pleasures that are all around us. We have found that we don't have to spend a lot to be very happy here. It seems that being happy all boils down to what happiness means to us and perhaps how many sacrifices some of us have to make to live here.

Originally Posted by dennis11003 (Post 324400)

I've been a member for several years but seldom post. I do log on several times a week to read posts that interest me. My wife and I are probably 5-7 years from retirement and live in Wisconsin (currently 10 degrees going down to -3 tonight).

This is the type of post that really interests me and I appreciate everyone's input. When we retire, I don't know if The Villages will be for us or not. I've driven through several of the communities and have walked around several areas. My sister lives close by so we have the opportunity to "look around" when we visit her. Eventually, we will pay for a vist to the Villages and hope to experience everything that is offered.

Until then, I will lurk and read and take in everything I can. I want to be certain that when we retire, we can afford the cost and not have to work. Until we can afford it, we won't retire! Someone said to track your expenses for 2-3 years prior to retirement and estimate accurately what they might be when and where you retire. I won't retire if I have to work 2 or 3 jobs - that's not retirement!

I enjoy this forum because there are a lot of smart people giving practical, valuable advice. Thanks for allowing me to read your forums and the opportunity to post.

Originally Posted by carol_piirto (Post 323999)

I love how most everyone has expressed their empathy and come up with suggestions. To me, that care is typical of The Villages. We all could use a few hints on pinching pennies. Be well.
This is my first post/just joined :)

Originally Posted by decodiana (Post 324561)

As someone who is considering "the move" but will still need some form of employment income, I was just wondering how does one find good employment in this area? Seems to me that unless you're in the medical field, it may be difficult.

Originally Posted by decodiana (Post 324561)

As someone who is considering "the move" but will still need some form of employment income, I was just wondering how does one find good employment in this area? Seems to me that unless you're in the medical field, it may be difficult.

Originally Posted by arabianhorse59 (Post 323935)

I have lived here now for close to 2 years. I am a full time resident and moved here because my husband is a golf addict!:undecided: I can honestly say that this is the most expensive place I have ever lived in my life and I came here from Illinois, the over tax em state. I realize alot of you sold property and moved down here with no mortgages on your backs but, we couldn't do that. We have a mortgage here but, I am talking about the over the top fees for everything. The monthly fee for golf is $150, trail fees, mandatory garbage fees at $55 a month (whether you have garbage picked up or not! If you own property, you pay it!), the internet for $96 a year, Progress Energy, which is the most $$ utility company I have ever had to deal with...on and on. I am young enough that I am able to work (I am 51) and I have to hold down 3 jobs to keep food on the table here.
Before people buy here, they need to research the fees. If I would have known that this place was so costly, I never would have moved here!:mad:

Originally Posted by dennis11003 (Post 324400)

I've been a member for several years but seldom post. I do log on several times a week to read posts that interest me. My wife and I are probably 5-7 years from retirement and live in Wisconsin (currently 10 degrees going down to -3 tonight).

This is the type of post that really interests me and I appreciate everyone's input. When we retire, I don't know if The Villages will be for us or not. I've driven through several of the communities and have walked around several areas. My sister lives close by so we have the opportunity to "look around" when we visit her. Eventually, we will pay for a vist to the Villages and hope to experience everything that is offered.

Until then, I will lurk and read and take in everything I can. I want to be certain that when we retire, we can afford the cost and not have to work. Until we can afford it, we won't retire! Someone said to track your expenses for 2-3 years prior to retirement and estimate accurately what they might be when and where you retire. I won't retire if I have to work 2 or 3 jobs - that's not retirement!

I enjoy this forum because there are a lot of smart people giving practical, valuable advice. Thanks for allowing me to read your forums and the opportunity to post.