Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322488)

As far as I can recall, shrubs can't be more than 4 feet high. The average person, standing up, is more than 5 feet tall.

That means anyone who is standing up on their lanai, will have a perfect view of their back door neighbor's hair curlers. If the person walking out to their lanai (and therefore, standing) is 6 feet tall, they'll probably have a good view of Mabel's droopy boobs as she reaches for the bathing suit she left out the night before to dry.

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston (Post 2322494)

So is the 4ft height the maximum? Is it monitored or enforced?

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322488)

As far as I can recall, shrubs can't be more than 4 feet high. The average person, standing up, is more than 5 feet tall.

That means anyone who is standing up on their lanai, will have a perfect view of their back door neighbor's hair curlers. If the person walking out to their lanai (and therefore, standing) is 6 feet tall, they'll probably have a good view of Mabel's droopy boobs as she reaches for the bathing suit she left out the night before to dry.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322488)

As far as I can recall, shrubs can't be more than 4 feet high. The average person, standing up, is more than 5 feet tall.

That means anyone who is standing up on their lanai, will have a perfect view of their back door neighbor's hair curlers. If the person walking out to their lanai (and therefore, standing) is 6 feet tall, they'll probably have a good view of Mabel's droopy boobs as she reaches for the bathing suit she left out the night before to dry.

Originally Posted by MightyDog (Post 2322150)

Was trying to decide where to post this question so, I'll pose it to you, Dusty.

As a sort-of adjunct question to the original one -- I'm interested in how the manufactured homes appreciate/depreciate over time. When looking at real estate listings, I've been a bit surprised at how much some homeowners have been willing to invest in remodeling an aged (40+ years), manufactured home.

There has to be a point, related to age or neglect, where maintaining or improving one of those begins to have diminishing returns. Would you say that is mostly accurate? If so, what is the general age where the building itself begins to depreciate and it's mostly only the land value that's relevant? Thanks...

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322398)

Most of the drug addicts and petty criminals in the north area don't live in The Villages at all. Crime is still very low, just as it is very low throughout The Villages. There are drug addicts and petty criminals in the Wildwood area of The Villages, and some guy who'd been living in one of the Lakeside Cottages at Sumter Landing was terrorizing the neighborhood for a good long time.

You had an entire homeless encampment under one of the southern area bridges for awhile, and squatters in a house south of Sumter somewhere just last year.

As for survivability of the homes - let's see. There was a tornado several years back that destroyed a couple of houses south of Spanish Springs. No homes were damaged in the old section that day. Hurricanes have blown through and flooded areas of The Villages, including the old section, but none of the homes in the old section had significant damage or need to be replaced. There've been lightning-strike fires in homes in the southern areas, that haven't happened in the old section. Sinkholes caused a couple of houses in the southern section to be condemned. That hasn't happened in the old section.

The southern areas seem to get boil water warnings every couple of months. The old area gets them a couple of times a year.

Most of the manufactured homes here, have been here since the mid-1980's. They're still standing, they're still in great shape, and the owners maintain and update them as needed. In fact, the windows in MY manufactured are probably better than the ones in yours. I have double-hung, double-paned, e-gas whatever Andersen windows. We also have a metal roof, which means our house is significantly less likely to be damaged by lightning than yours is.

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker (Post 2322547)

Thank you for chiming in on the drug addict comment. I was semi freaking out! I have never seen a drugged person at TV and hope I don't.

What is the area you called Wildwood? I would like to avoid that area. Thank you!

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker (Post 2322547)

Thank you for chiming in on the drug addict comment. I was semi freaking out! I have never seen a drugged person at TV and hope I don't.

What is the area you called Wildwood? I would like to avoid that area. Thank you!

Originally Posted by lawgolfer (Post 2322414)

I hate myself for joining in this thread. However, if you want advice, I'm glad to give it. I recommend that you not buy in the historic section. The manufactured homes are quite old and many are in need of repair and updating. Instead, I recommend that, based on what you say you like, that you buy in the Spanish Springs area, particularly along the Rio Grande corridor off of Morse Ave. Most of the homes are of the size you appear to want, the trees are all mature, there are two excellent executive courses and the Hacienda championship course.

You will be minutes away from the town square and shopping along Hwy 441. One of the biggest benefits is that you will not have to cross Hwy 441 either in your car or in your golf cart via the bridge.

In summary, you will have everything you appear to want and in a more convenient location.

Originally Posted by Susanmr (Post 2322532)

The historical side of TV is great for people who have trouble making new friends.
The older manufactured homes have lanais in the front or side which allows you to see your neighborhood while enjoying the fresh air. Wish your neighbors good morning as they walk past. Also there is the historical side social club which is great for newcomers. And all the clubs elsewhere are in the here as well. We love it here. Our neighborhood is a mixture of older retirees and younger with some like me not yet retired. And we have less intrusive rules than elsewhere. As well as extended pool hours that other villages don't enjoy, and a spa, that other villages don't enjoy.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322470)

Sumter Landing area is definitely beautiful. I personally like the Odell circle and Bonita area just south of the Square, around Mallory.

The prices are much higher, but if I were to move into any place south of Sumter, that's about as far south as I'd go. Zero interest in anything past Colony. Zero interest in Brownwood and points south.

Another possibility if you can afford it would be across from the Polo Grounds off Buena Vista Blvd. A major downside to that area, is that's when they started going nuts with the "kissing lanais." The lanais are mostly in the back of the houses, and just barely 10 feet away from the neighbor's. So you have ZERO privacy, and no fences or privacy shrubs allowed. Trying to enjoy your morning cuppa on the lanai is not much fun if you have to deal with Morty smoking his morning cigar 11 feet away from you in an upwind.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322634)

Wildwood is a town.

Remember The Villages spans across the corners of two counties, and occupies most of a third county. These counties all have more than one town or city in them, and The Villages has real estate in several. The Historic side of The Villages occupies the town of Lady Lake, in Lake County. There's a section of The Villages that occupies a big chunk of Fruitland Park, a different town. The Village of Collier, I believe, is fully within the city of Wildwood, in Sumter County.

And so on.

Originally Posted by mraines (Post 2322054)

I live in a site built house on the historical side and I love it here. There is more individuality in the homes and lots of trees. We have 4 pools on this side, golf, bocce, tennis, pickleball and horseshoes.
There is no place I need to go that I cannot get to by golf cart. This is why I live here. It is close to shopping, doctors and restaurants. Good luck in your choice.

Originally Posted by Fuzzyjourneyfan (Post 2322446)

I live up north in Chatham and love it. I'm only 58 and have lived here for over two years. It's very quiet up here, and the neighbors are great. Many are older, but people move in and out, so that will change with time. As for me, I enjoy living around older people. My friends are from the clubs that I joined, so my friends live all over the place in the Villages. Up north, the traffic is very light--another benefit. We have an incredible (and fairly new) rec center here called First Responders. I go there daily. It's my favorite rec center, and it's on a very large piece of property, so they have a lot to do there. My wife and I were also drawn to the northern villages. Everyone is different. Trust your gut and go with it.

P.S. There are a few homes for sale on my street. You should check them out. My neighbor's house is move-in ready and beautiful. Message me if you want more information.

Originally Posted by Topspinmo (Post 2322642)

And the best billiard tables in villages, Diamonds! Not cheap residential tables in rest of villages. Diamonds are commercial models and will hold up to all play villages tables get. The skinny rail residential tables pockets break down plus majority ball rolls to inside off both long rails, can’t fix that IMO. IMO people in charge don’t know difference between residential /recreational tables vs commercial grade.

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston (Post 2322650)

Not to get too far off thread but great memories as a kid watching ABC Wide World of Sports ?...on a Saturday featuring Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats rivalry. Good tv at the time

Originally Posted by JMintzer (Post 2322151)

Your friends are Hawkins is correct... Hawkins is the best place to live FOR THEM...

Everyone feels the same thing about where they live... For some, it the Historic area. For others, it's anywhere north of 466. For me? It'a "between 466A and 44"...

Look around. Like others have said, rent for a month (if possible). You'll soon find the place that fits you best...

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322398)

Most of the drug addicts and petty criminals in the north area don't live in The Villages at all. Crime is still very low, just as it is very low throughout The Villages. There are drug addicts and petty criminals in the Wildwood area of The Villages, and some guy who'd been living in one of the Lakeside Cottages at Sumter Landing was terrorizing the neighborhood for a good long time.

You had an entire homeless encampment under one of the southern area bridges for awhile, and squatters in a house south of Sumter somewhere just last year.

As for survivability of the homes - let's see. There was a tornado several years back that destroyed a couple of houses south of Spanish Springs. No homes were damaged in the old section that day. Hurricanes have blown through and flooded areas of The Villages, including the old section, but none of the homes in the old section had significant damage or need to be replaced. There've been lightning-strike fires in homes in the southern areas, that haven't happened in the old section. Sinkholes caused a couple of houses in the southern section to be condemned. That hasn't happened in the old section.

The southern areas seem to get boil water warnings every couple of months. The old area gets them a couple of times a year.

Most of the manufactured homes here, have been here since the mid-1980's. They're still standing, they're still in great shape, and the owners maintain and update them as needed. In fact, the windows in MY manufactured are probably better than the ones in yours. I have double-hung, double-paned, e-gas whatever Andersen windows. We also have a metal roof, which means our house is significantly less likely to be damaged by lightning than yours is.

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker (Post 2322640)

Hi. Thank you the information on kissing lanais. I really don't want to have that and you painted a very good picture for me. Very appreciated!

Originally Posted by John Mayes (Post 2322659)

Hmmmmm…..I live south of 44. Been here three years and have never received a “boil water” alert.

Originally Posted by JMintzer (Post 2322669)

There's a lot of misinformation being given out on this thread...

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker (Post 2322155)

I like the less busy aspect but I do want to be able to make friends. It's very hard for me to make friends, I'm kind of shy and perceived as standoffish or snooty but that's so far from the truth, I just don't know how to jump in. 😄

If there aren't many activities in the north, maybe we should consider moving further south but it sounds like there's enough of everything. My husband was very excited about the archery range in the north.

Check out the weekly Rec Guide (District.org) to see the activities that you can participate in daily. You'll also meet people hanging out at your neighborhood pool. I've made some very good 'pool' friends-both snowbirds and fulltimers.

There is a lot of positive feedback about the North, which makes me very happy.

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker (Post 2321978)

Hello,

Our home sold and we are finally moving to TV. To say we are excited is an understatement. We are house shopping this weekend.

My husband and I very much love the original area for its hills, large yards, mature landscaping and the beautiful pool and we love the style of the well maintained manufactured homes, as they are all different. My concern is that this area will eventually be phased out by TV.

Does anyone know if this has ever been a concern?

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 2322685)

Have you given any thought to renting for some period of time? You have so many questions that really should have been asked earlier than a couple days before you house buying weekend.
As you can tell you are getting mixed messages……not sure how that can all be sorted out.
Also as noted, not all info is factual.

Originally Posted by John Mayes (Post 2322659)

Hmmmmm…..I live south of 44. Been here three years and have never received a “boil water” alert.

Originally Posted by JMintzer (Post 2322668)

Her info on kissing lanais was incorrect...

The picture she painted is not real...

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322690)

Regarding the "kissing lanais" reference - feel free to run a search right here on the Talk of the Village forum for the phrase, and you'll get lots and lots of posts from people who have either bought in those neighborhoods, or considered them, or asked about them and were given lots of answers from long-time members, or seen them, or yes - heard about them from their hairdresser.

They're definitely a thing, they're not new, they are absolutely a downside in some areas where the developer made the decision to place the back wall of houses incredibly close to the back wall of other houses, with lanais in incredibly close proximity to each other.

My exaggeration and imaginative verbiage doesn't change the fact that they exist, and they can be problematic for people who enjoy peace and quiet on their lanais, in areas where lanais are placed incredibly close to each other.

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker (Post 2322037)

The beauty of TV is like no other. We currently live in a very pretty gated community on the Treasure Coast.

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker (Post 2322692)

Kind of leap frogging off the lanai comment, am I correct that we should avoid southern facing lanais, due to excessive heat?

Thank you for your insight. I've very much appreciated it.

Originally Posted by rustyp (Post 2322719)

Yes. Here in TV we share the same sun as Treasure Coast. Difference is we have no afternoon sea breeze. If you are moving here year round coming from the coast you should rent here in August to make a fair comparison.

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker (Post 2322725)

We've stayed there several times in the summer months and it's very hot! We still love it!

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 2322728)

When you stayed, which direction did the lanai face?

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322688)

So - this thread is about the Historic section.

Anything south of the Historic section - and its immediate surrounds - which would be the Spanish Springs area - is the "southern" area, in the context of this thread.

You probably knew that though.

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker (Post 2321978)

Hello,

Our home sold and we are finally moving to TV. To say we are excited is an understatement. We are house shopping this weekend.

My husband and I very much love the original area for its hills, large yards, mature landscaping and the beautiful pool and we love the style of the well maintained manufactured homes, as they are all different. My concern is that this area will eventually be phased out by TV. Does anyone know if this has ever been a concern?

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2322690)

Regarding the "kissing lanais" reference - feel free to run a search right here on the Talk of the Village forum for the phrase, and you'll get lots and lots of posts from people who have either bought in those neighborhoods, or considered them, or asked about them and were given lots of answers from long-time members, or seen them, or yes - heard about them from their hairdresser.

They're definitely a thing, they're not new, they are absolutely a downside in some areas where the developer made the decision to place the back wall of houses incredibly close to the back wall of other houses, with lanais in incredibly close proximity to each other.

My exaggeration and imaginative verbiage doesn't change the fact that they exist, and they can be problematic for people who enjoy peace and quiet on their lanais, in areas where lanais are placed incredibly close to each other.

Originally Posted by Pairadocs (Post 2322781)

Anything is always possible, after all the beautiful indoor pool at the wellness center was destroyed to expand the hospital and was never replaced. A beautiful and impressive country club with resort pool, spa, and pool tiki bar was sacrificed to make room for more revenue generating housing, the amazing wellness center that offered residents the opportunity of membership for a very affordable price to encourage "America's healthiest hometown" was the saying of the time, but that too was ended suddenly, so you can't move here thinking things will not be suddenly changed. It's not like a traditional city or town where the resident's have a great deal of control, elect a city council, a mayor, etc. However, I would not worry about a purchase on the original site across 441, it has, in my opinion, been constantly improved and renovated, and remains one of the nicest area for sure. A warning, should you happen across a certain on line site that claims to be a villages newspaper, there are people who make comments on that site about the "historic" part of the villages. It appears there a several who are the same ones who post really awful things about those villages, as if they are dangerous and almost full of drifters and criminals, be very careful about believing their posts... very suspicious. A LOT of brand new homes going up on that side, beautiful settings.

Originally Posted by MrChip72 (Post 2323183)

I've heard rumors since I moved here that the developer is long term planning to sell off the mobile home park section. I'm sure that a majority of people in the rest of TV wouldn't mind that happening. You don't see new parts of TV with dilapidated trailers and car ports and it would just make TV more consistent.