Not all snowbirds, but many, treat the area like a temporary playground. They disobey traffic laws, are rude, dont take care of the property theyre at and just act like they are on vacation instead of melting into the community. Most of them would not act at their own home how they act here. And I said most, not all, so dont jump all over me. They give the fantastic snowbirds a bad name and thats where the problem lies

Love the snowbirds
 

We have been full time for a decade and we love the snowbirds for all the reasons you mentioned plus many are our friends.

I’m a Floridian and we hated the traffic and congestion but loved the tourists and snowbirds, because of them/you we have no state tax and our sales tax stayed at 4.5% most of my younger adult life.
I don’t know about your neighborhood but in mine we love our snowbirds. We do so much together that when their gone it’s a void. Ladies golf may have 6 during the summer but 16 in the winter. Driveway parties are much more fun and we miss the delicious food certain people bring, and the “dad humor” of some of the guys. We have a BBQ send off with tears and a welcome home
party with open arms. I still fuss about the traffic and tee times but I love my neighborhood snowbirds!!

Have you read all of the posts, some not so favorable, if not start at the beginning you will see why OP has their reasons

Let's get over it.
 

Kinda like the politics, huh Grumpy? We all need to get over it. TV is a great place for all, full or part time.

Plenty of wonderful people live here both full and part time,
Full time residents can be as stupid and rude as part time residents.
I try, with all my might, to ignore all the dummies and it works beautifully!

I must not get out enough because I truly had no idea that the snowbirds were hated and I've been here a number of years. Maybe there's a collective sigh of relief come May when the traffic eases up but hate...never have heard anyone say anything hateful. I will say this, I have snowbirds on either side and when the one side comes in it's just like usual but when the other side periodically comes in, it's non-stop commotion and noise for the month or so that they're here. This is their party/vacation home which is great for them but it gets old for us to hear them and all their friends and family that visit too. You don't mind your neighbors having get togethers that last a day or two but after a month it gets old and we do let out a sigh when they move on.

Smowbirds
 

I am a new full time resident of the Villages. I don’t understand the despise of a snowbird and honestly haven’t heard any negative comments about them. Traffic is traffic, of course I’m from Chicago so traffic is my norm. My neighbor is a snowbird. I say gob bless you for having the ability to be mobile and have two places.

Just the loud voices of an obnoxious few. Most of us appreciate the financial support of the snow birds.

First off, I think despise is the wrong word. It’s more a matter of dreading your arrival every year.

The reason why everything is overloaded is that infrastructure is not built for the peak. It’s built for the minimum. If snowbirds were here year round, more people would be willing to start businesses. If there were enough to handle peak loads, then many would not survive the summer. The government can’t afford to build roads for peak traffic. Just like major cities can’t afford to build roads to easily handle rush hour.

If you were here year round, you would be depositing more dollars in the tax coffers, so we could build more roads and parks. More businesses would spring up to handle the larger year-round load.

Where you live up north, do you have to eat at a restaurant at 4:30 on a Monday night because you would have to wait two hours to eat at dinner time? How often are you refused a tee time when you ask for one and despite being flexible enough to play any of 15 courses at any time within a four hour window?

And, as far as amenity fees go, I think many of us year rounders would rather pay double fees and enjoy the relaxed lifestyle year round instead of being overwhelmed for a few months each year. I think most of us would be happy if you stayed year round.

I have my name on mine so I can remember my own name.
:a040::MOJE_whot:

Snowbirds
 

Only fools despise snowbirds Most are neighbors that own homes.

"not part of us"? 😧
How arrogant is that?

I wonder what your stance is on the border wall.

I think it’s a couple of reason
Over crowded and seasonal renters don’t help the cause
They have a little bit of a different attitude (in my place of business anyway, they seem to use the snowbird card)
I really don’t care one way or the other personally …..just prefer to work with full timers

bandsdavis and Davonu have hit the nail on the head, only I think the percentages are conservative. You have 130,000+ residents at TV and my impression is you only have a few dozen consistent complainers here on TOTV (though probably many more not on TOTV). Social media always amplifies the most negative portion of it's membership. If TOTV didn't exist, you would still have negative people but their complaints would only reach a few people at a time instead of tens of thousands. I feel bad for them since they don't seem to be happy. Sure, I have my bad days and occasionally have to vent to a friend or two but something has happened in these people's lives to make them this unhappy all the time.

Not an expert!
Not a TV resident...yet
I will now get back to work while waiting for the inevitable replies...

1st I'd say, it's SOME people. All the reasons all boil down to one thing: SELFISHNESS.

Maybe it’s just me, but I differentiate — people (like me) who own property and pay taxes and pay all of our fees are “seasonal residents” (actually, many of us come and go multiple times throughout the year); “snowbirds” are those who rent and have no personal ownership stake in our communities (it is their vacation resort). The Villages is HOME — actually, I am a Florida resident and go back north to visit a home there. There are many like me.

The thing is, those of us who live here year around have a different mindset. Snowbirds are on vacation and they act it. To quote from on of our local publications we have four seasons, Summer, Hurricane, Love Bug and Snowbird season. :ho:

I have been here almost a year - never once noticed any animosity re: snowbirds, snowflakes - whatever……. Sounds like people just wanting to find yet another thing to be grouchy about …. Go out and enjoy the day! Find things to be happy about - life is short !

It appears on the surface that full-time residents have more pride of ownership and community spirit.
Under the surface, it’s hard to make good friendships when 1/2 the relationship leaves for extended times.
Then, of course, if you are a golfer, tee-times become much more difficult with the influx of people in the winter.
Add those who rent their places when they are gone to many clueless people who don’t follow rules and regulations nor are invested in the area.

You live among in folks who need a boogey man. They need to feel superior.

We have snowbirds on our
block and they are treated the same as everyone else on the block. With a greeting when they come back from wherever. Some of the people with just one home have time-shares and may be gone a lot too.

Any kind of generalizations about people are so unfortunate in my book. I love being a snowbird. Florida summers are simply not for me. I take great care of my homes, rented or owned, and anyone resentful of my status is just a sad brain to be ignored.

With certain groups yes. Many like to be around those different from us. It makes life more interesting.

I appreciate the snowbirds helping to keep my cost of living down.

Love the four season analogy.
:1rotfl::1rotfl:

Where I was it was snowbirds were Yankees the ones that stayed were damn Yankees. Lol

I don't despise them. Have some good friends that our snowbirds.

You could also resent the owners of the homes that make those renters possible. Although there are a few in our little neighborhood who rent the same house, year in and year out, and they've become our friends whose return we look forward to.

If you're responding to the OP, just read this forum. There is a plethora of examples of people trashing Snowbirds...

They do make traffic a headache and crowd restaurants but we could be in Philadelphia so to speak where that is normal. Or DC, NYC, LA, Chicago, etc.

I don’t despise snowbirds; I’m happy you come down here for a short time and support the economy. But I don’t like the small group of people who visit for a short period of time and treat my home, The Villages, with disrespect. Loud, rude, entitled, irresponsible - kind of like spring breakers. This seems to all change when they become full timers and “my home” becomes their home. That’s my feeling on the subject.

Well said! I moved here not too long ago and feel the hatred not only toward snowbirds but by anyone who thinks, looks or acts unlike the others. Who really cares what small minded people think? Just ignore them and enjoy your hard earned life here in The Villages no matter when or how often you are here!

Snowbirds
 

Webster's Dictionary defines Racism as "a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race". Haters hate....nuff said.

Last Winter was my first time in TV. I never had a problem getting a reservation or walking into a restaurant, unless it was between 5:30-6:30...

I'm used to eating dinner later (7:00-7:30) and most places are starting to empty out by then...

I also had no problem getting t-times, the day I wanted to play... It took 10 minutes and 2-3 calls...

Of course YMMV...

I think it’s a bad rap that snowbirds get as compared to the renters. Most snowbirds like most residents take care of our houses. As a permanent resident this is my home and TV is my town. I believe in treating our homes and town with respect. Renters, some not all, on the other hand treat TV as a resort in which somebody will clean up behind them and an I don’t give a $h1+ attitude. So the snowbirds get the blame for this….IMO

As opposed to the "full timers" who do the same?

….also clog up medical appointment times……

You could lay same response at the feet of the full timers as well.

Snowbirds
 

My biggest complaint about snowbirds is the lack of care of their yards. By me their grass may not get mowed and gets very high. Bushes not cut. Or yard waste, tree junk is laying everywhere after storm, no one there to clean up.