[jmvalcq]

I would agree that most people sell for the same reasons that they sell anywhere else. We bought a patio villa in March, but did not get to use it until November. After out first month in TV, we found that it's as expensive tp live in TV as you want it to be. There is a price range for just about everything that you want to do, from what type of house you buy, eating out, golf, decorating the house, etc. If your going to be snowbirds, as we are, there's an entry price in TV that will fit most people's budget.

[zonerboy]

Dear Mack,
In your original post you make some very unflattering assessments of residents of The Villages. These, you say, are based on your observations and characterizations of the nature of posts on TOTV over a period of time. You claim validity for your conclusions because you are only doing exactly what TV and radio stations do, ie. making observations of a small group and projectiing the results onto the larger group as a whole.
IMHO, professional pollsters go to great lengths to insure their sample group matches the overall group in every significant way (age, ethnicity, income levels, etc., etc., etc.). That way the sample group can be called a "representative sample" and their predictions or conclusions can be considered to have a degree of reliability.
Since YOU are the one making the unpleasant characterizations here, the burden of proof is on YOU to show that those posting on this site are representative of Villagers as a whole. Otherwise your conclusions have no more validity than personal bias.
As for me, I have many friends and acquaintances here in the Villages and the great majority have never even heard of TOTV, let alone post their opinions here. Guess they're just too busy having fun.

[gerryann]

Originally Posted by zonerboy

Dear Mack,
In your original post you make some very unflattering assessments of residents of The Villages. These, you say, are based on your observations and characterizations of the nature of posts on TOTV over a period of time. You claim validity for your conclusions because you are only doing exactly what TV and radio stations do, ie. making observations of a small group and projectiing the results onto the larger group as a whole.
IMHO, professional pollsters go to great lengths to insure their sample group matches the overall group in every significant way (age, ethnicity, income levels, etc., etc., etc.). That way the sample group can be called a "representative sample" and their predictions or conclusions can be considered to have a degree of reliability.
Since YOU are the one making the unpleasant characterizations here, the burden of proof is on YOU to show that those posting on this site are representative of Villagers as a whole. Otherwise your conclusions have no more validity than personal bias.

As for me, I have many friends and acquaintances here in the Villages and the great majority have never even heard of TOTV, let alone post their opinions here. Guess they're just too busy having fun.

This is very similar to what I was going to post. I have yet to meet anyone who posts here. I have asked. Therefore if your comments are based solely on comments on TOTV, then you are way off.

Unfortunately you are simply needing to ruffle some feathers..don't know why. Only you know why. You apparently enjoy displaying nasty opinions. Only people who are not happy with their situation would post all of this negativity. I do hope that happiness comes your way. I believe that everyone here hopes the same for you.

[ugotme]

Have to say Mack - in your recent post (#180) I basically agree with you!

We are coming up to look. As in ANY neighborhood one should view the surrounding areas to see what is there. This may mean going to that neighborhood at night to see if the music is too loud etc.
If you don't - OH WELL! (No offense OP). Maybe you can deal with certain things that you uncover - MAYBE YOU CAN'T. These are the coices one must make in life.

Coming up there we don't expect everything to be perfect. We will, however, try to ascertain what goes on where, what is near our potential new home/neighborhood etc. Can we make a mistake? Of course! but hopefully we will have done our due diligence and we will be happy.

I have gotten some good information from this forum. A lot of questions have been answered and some answers have led to some confusion on my part. I do feel that some people do come on here to vent their frustrations. Maybe they just need to get it off their chest. Who knows.

NO PLACE IS PERFECT! However, IF and I repeat IF my wife and I love what we see when we come up there then we will start to "speak in FROG!"

[Golfingnut]

I do feel that some people do come on here to vent their frustrations. Maybe they just need to get it off their chest. Who knows.

[/QUOTE]

You are so right. There seems to be the very few that only post negative things and never a positive note. Very sad, but that is what some old folks gravitate to. I try to close my eyes to those and read posts by Miss Gracie when I need a little sunshine.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Mack184

You know what Gracie?? I'll take that bet. One year from now I will post again on this subject, and IF I have found you to be right, I will PUBLICLY apologize to you right here on TOTV.

Does anyone really care??

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Mack184

Many of the people who do not agree with my original post keep coming back to the idea that "I" am unhappy. And given enough time "I" will be a happier soul if I just let TV & TV area work it's magic on my cold soul.

For the record, "I" am NOT unhappy. I have my own world & my own career, I have my wife and we are blessed to be warm, dry & fed. "I" am happy.

However, what I have discovered by spending time on TOTV, it seems that despite your loud protestations many of YOU are NOT happy. For a place that in theory wants to rival Disney as "The Happiest Place On Earth" many, many threads here on TOTV are nothing but complaints and whines about this, that, the other thing, and your neighbors.

Let's take two active threads for context. The first one "Bonifay Is A Bad Neighbor". In this thread the OP is upset because the club is just that..A club where people gather, eat, drink, dance & listen to music. The OP is upset because his home is within earshot of the club and the noise is upsetting him. Now let's assume that the OP has decent eyesight, decent hearing and is competent to sign a legal contract. If those assumptions are correct, then WHY would you purchase a home next to a club/saloon if what you desire is quiet? It ain't gonna happen there. My wife's aunt & uncle live in a village where there are nothing but other homes around them. It would seem to me that if what your desire was to have a quiet atmosphere, a purchase in a village where you are NOT next to a club would be a prudent move. That was not the OP's choice, so NOW the OP wants to blame the club and make them change THEIR mode of business to suit HIS needs. I'm glad the club manager told him off. He deserved it. So the OP comes here to gin up sympathy because he's incompetent to make a good purchase.

The other thread I'll use is one called "Cigarrette Trash". Here the OP is all upset about various cig-butt droppings and related garbage. I feel her pain. I have no love for smokers. It's disgusting. However...She's a Frog, and one of her instant conclusions is that the problem is likely to be "Snowbirds" because of course we all know that in TV pecking order Snowbirds.. especially if they are renters are lower than whale dung and anything that disrupts nirvana from November-April has GOT to be the fault of the Snowbirds, because the Frogs certainly wouldn't ever do that!

Sheesh!!!

Then you have the people who narc on their neighbors because somebody like Tom Hannon's wife puts out a decorative pot that is against the rules and by placing that pot in an illegal spot has somehow turned the neighborhood into some sort of inner-city ghetto. In William Shirer's book "Berlin Diary" he relates the story of a german woman who was grief-stricken because she had been informed by the German Navy that her son was lost at sea when his submarine was sunk. A few days later several of the woman's neighbors quietly came to her to let her know that her son was not dead..he was alive! He had been taken prisoner by the Brittish navy and was safe in England. The neighbors knew that because they had illegally listened to the BBC's german service. The woman thanked them and then denounced them all as traitors for listening to illegal broadcasts. It takes a VERY cold soul to do that. The same sort of cold soul it takes to narc on your neighbors over some little garden pot merely to feel superior.

If TV is attempting to topple Disney as "The Happiest Place On Earth" why do so many of you complain so loudly on these pages about such utterly trivial things?

People like Gracie tell me just how wonderful her life is here and how wonderful the people are. My in-laws would tell you the same thing, but I cannot see it. You complain about restaurants, you complain about golf carts, you complain about pets, you complain about parades, you complain about your neighbors, you complain about what WVLG plays or does not play, you complain about the Morse family (who are absolute geniuses IMHO) you complain about almost everything under the sun.

If TV is such a wonderland, then WHY are the people who are mad at me for stating my feelings that do not agree with theirs, not happier in the first place? Why is there not thread after thread full of praise and good feelings? Why are there so many complaints about a place that you think is heaven on earth? To be certain, there ARE threads about good things here, but why are THEY not the majority?

Ya got me!!

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by ugotme

....... However, IF and I repeat IF my wife and I love what we see when we come up there then we will start to "speak in FROG!" ..........

And don't forget to bring your checkbook - you just might find a home you'll fall in love with!!!



Bill

[perrjojo]

Originally Posted by Mack184

Actually it's much truer that either of you think, or want to think.

Why do you ask? OK..you didn't ask but I'll tell you anyway. I've spent decades in the radio business and over the years I have become very skilled at reading monthly & quarterly radio ratings reports. Radio & TV ratings and other polling services use the same method to obtain their results. They sample a small cross-section of a particular universe and then project the responses against the whole of that particular universe. (city, state, nation)For example in our recent election..Most polling companies said that the race would be very close. (It was.) They also said that Pres. Obama would get a 2nd term. (He did.) There were a couple polls that were way out in either direction but they were ultimately discounted and found to be incorrect. Like most things, the answer is found somewhere in the middle.

I came to TOTV quite by accident. I was doing a Google search about something I wanted to know about TV and up popped TOTV. While it did not answer my question, I thought that it would be an interesting place to learn about things & people here. I have mentioned before, but in the interest of full disclosure I will mention it again. We did not come here to retire, (we are still working) but so that my wife could assist her parents as they got older.

While I thought it might be interesting to live in TV my wife hates it. So we would be looking at other communities as well. I came to TOTV as somebody who was somewhat disposed to living here, and was hoping to maybe find some items that might sway my wife's thinking about things. I was NOT a Kool-Aid drinker, so in many ways I needed to be convinced.

Since I have discovered TOTV I had read every single comment on every single thread. There are some who I'm sure think I comment too much, but in truth, I comment very little. After reading all of these threads for a number of months I have used the same method as radio ratings and polling companies do to reach my results.

While it is true that the majority of the 90,000 Villages residents do not actively comment on TOTV, there is indeed a workable cross-section of residents participating here. After doing the reading here is what I have learned from this...

Residing in TV are a majority of smug, self-important people who think that their sewage is scentless because THEY live in TV and YOU do not. There is a very definate pecking order in TV..Those whom you call "Frogs" who live here year-round and the only time they are ever leaving is when the big black station wagon hauls you to the junkyard. Their attitude is that they are FAR superior to everyone else who lives in TV. Then come the "Snowbirds". People who own homes here, but only come during the winter or for vacation periods. As judged by the first group they are OK, but they are definately NOT one of "them". And finally comes those who dare to show up in the winter and pay rent. You despise them. Anything that happens between December & April that disturbs your nirvana can be blamed on them.

Overall the majority of TV residents are a collection of whining, grumbling, kvetching old people who despite having 1800 clubs & activities and 36 or more golf courses, their biggest activity is to complain about virtually everything. You whine about your neighbors who who walk their dogs to the post office boxes because the poor pooch might inconveniently relieve himself along the way. You whine about your neighbors who put some sort of decorative pot or trinket on THEIR garden or front steps. You whine about the possibility of the various unwashed hordes who just might invade your nirvana in Brownwood or other places. Never mind that these are open public places & private businesses. You carefully veil your racism in language which any person with a brain can figure out in seconds. I could write on and on about what I have learned. I have also learned that you have been building lots of churches. Either you're just interested in building buildings or you become deaf once you enter the building.

While TOTV is a place for residents to communicate, it is also a place where people come to LEARN about TV. If you are not already convinced that TV is nirvana or God's Little Green Acre then taking the time to really read this forum will very much likely convince you that it is not.

I came here looking for information and to be convinced. I have come away with the impression that the majority of people (but not all) here are snide, two-faced and whiny.

I have a great deal of admiration for the Morse family. I don't know them, but admire their vision and their hard work to put such a place together. I don't know if they got tired of playing with their Department-56 village under the Christmas tree and decided to build a real one for themselves or what, but they are geniuses. I know that they are very, very careful in their marketing. With that in mind, I'm surprised that they allow TOTV. It does a wonderful job of talking people OUT of coming to TV.

Again..this is what TOTV has taught ME. And speaking only for ME..What I have learned is that TV is a city. Just like any other city. It is not nirvana. While it's a nice place, many cities are nice places and many people like where they live. Heck..even Toldeo was loved by Max Klinger. But the hype of TV being "Florida's Friendliest Hometown" is a lie. When you look at it from a distance it seems unbelieveable, almost fantastic, but up close, the reality is a lot more gritty & not all that pretty.

So you have visited here once? You do not live here. You seem to know all about TV. Wow! I am amazed. We have been seasonal renters in TV for 10 years and were ALWAYS welcomed in whatever village we rented in. We have become full time owners one year ago. We have welcomed renters and love our Snowbird neighbors. I'm sorry, but you just don't know what you are talking about! If you think so poorly of TV, why would you waste your time on TOTV? Just curious

[ugotme]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

And don't forget to bring your checkbook - you just might find a home you'll fall in love with!!!



Bill

COUNTING ON IT B-n-B !!

From MOST of what I have read on these posts we think we will like it. Where we live now there is not much to do at all.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by ugotme

COUNTING ON IT B-n-B !!

From MOST of what I have read on these posts we think we will like it. Where we live now there is not much to do at all.

Be prepared to get overwhelmed initially. TV is such a unique environment.......and so huge! Take your time, look around - all kinds of things to see, do, and experience. Can't do it all in one trip - make plans to come back if you like what you see!

Bill

[ugotme]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

Be prepared to get overwhelmed initially. TV is such a unique environment.......and so huge! Take your time, look around - all kinds of things to see, do, and experience. Can't do it all in one trip - make plans to come back if you like what you see!

Bill

Thanks.
Coming up for a 7 day trip. Must say we are both excited about it. Definitely bringing the checkbook. I would say that if TV impresses us the way we think it will, we will be writing out checks real soon. We shall see.

Question - does the trolley ride go "through all" of TV? If not we will drive our way around - car or cart.

Thanks for the info.

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by ugotme

Thanks.
Coming up for a 7 day trip. Must say we are both excited about it. Definitely bringing the checkbook. I would say that if TV impresses us the way we think it will, we will be writing out checks real soon. We shall see.

Question - does the trolley ride go "through all" of TV? If not we will drive our way around - car or cart.

Thanks for the info.

I think the trolley will go thru the new sections but I'm sure the tour is worth taking. It will give you an isea of how big Tv really is. Do yourself a favor and buy a $5 map from the sales center. I found it necessary to get where you want, maximizing your time. If you do get lost, someone will help you if you are travelling by cart. If you are on a LSV, the cart they give is extremely slow.

Be prepared to be blown away by the beauty of TV.

Joe

[Ken in Fernandina]

We just moved to the Villages on November 5th. We have met three people that have moved on our street from other villages for various reasons.
I haven't spoken to one person that didn't love it here.
Ken

[Didiwinbob]

Don't be afraid of getting lost! That is part of the "get to know" the lay of the land. We visited for 5 yrs. I was sold the second time, not sure when hubby decided but when he did we both knew exactly where we wanted to buy! Enjoy and also travel outside the "bubble" (Leesburg, Ocala, etc). We can only stay for short periods of time but soon I can transfer my nursing and driver's license to FL!!!


Chris