[GizmoWhiskers]

Assess your needs and wants. "Different stroke for different folks."

The Villages is planning to develop for I believe I heard for the next 15 years. If that's the case and they would even remotely entertain abandoning areas in "north" then that could mean eventually they could potentially abandon Brownwood and the 44 area as the new old north.

One can endlessly worry about each old "north." People are currently building slab houses in the historic section north of 441 without the developer actually building them. Drive around up there and you will see a couple in progress. T V is going to be working on the SS bridge I believe as well. All signs indicate they are not going to abandon that area.

I do not think T V would abandon the area that was created as the original "dream"... or would the 4th to future heirs let it go?...

Now that I think about that... who knows with kids now days and what will be of value to them in the future.

Examine the areas and pick the one that pulls on your heart strings. "Home is where the heart is."

[Villager1234]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I live in the Historic Section. Yes, it's beautiful, I personally feel it's the best. No, they won't be building out. Why? There's no place for them to expand up here. That's /why/ they expanded west and south. North and east are already spoken for and developed by other people.

The developer no longer buys up foreclosures to rebuild. It remains an option for them to do that, but they stopped doing it a few years ago.

The pool the OP is referring to is a priority pool. It's not an amenity, if you want to use it, you have to pay extra. It's part of the Country Club, which is privately owned by the Developer. But yes it is absolutely gorgeous. Our side has three other pools, that are available for all Villagers, and paid for our of our monthly amenity fee. Those are Hilltop adult pool, Paradise family pool, and Southside adult pool. Southside does have a hot tub.

As for age - please keep this in mind, and consider pragmatism and logic over emotion when you read this:

Many residents of the Historic area are REALLY OLD. That means homes here are going up for sale often, because people who get REALLY OLD die. They are replaced by younger people who are not really old. So many of the people moving in, are younger. In their 50's, and early 60's. Yes, your neighbor might be 80. And your 80-year-old neighbor is probably in better shape than you are because she's been living and participating in this incredibly active sports-based community for the past 20 years, while you've been stuck behind your desk 8 hours a day and only participate in sports on your annual vacation. Your 80-year-old neighbor has lots of stories about life, knows everyone in the neighborhood and can introduce you, can help you find a nearby club to suit your interests, and can probably get a kick out of taking you to the square for a night of dancing once in awhile.

And then, when your 80-year-old neighbor turns 95, she might end up having to sell her home and move into assisted living. And the new neighbor will be 55 - but by then you'll be the old lady.

Such is the ebb and flow of aging in the Historic section.

Please don’t tell anyone else about the hot tub in Southside. It’s supposed to be our secret 🤫😁

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker

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?

The Historical Villages are much nicer than I expected and have better landscaping than I expected. Still, double-wide “manufactured homes” don’t survive as long as regular houses, and the insides are of a lower quality. They also have carports rather than garages. Housing prices there are lower, and sometimes much lower. A number of the original houses have been replaced by fancier new homes, though I don’t see how that is cheaper than buying a place south of 441. If that continues, the neighborhoods will continue. If you are on a tight budget, it’s a good place to buy, as the Amenities Fee is MUCH lower than the fees at nearby trailer parks.

As far as I’m concerned, the major problem is younger people moving into the neighborhood. A number of these seem to be drug-addicts and petty criminals, making the Historical Villages less safe than most of The Villages. Less dangerous than many of the surrounding cities, but more dangerous than The Villages south of 466, where most of the residents are retired. I’d like to see that entire area restricted to retired people.

[Annie66]

My only concern with manufactured homes is their sturdiness in high winds.

[Nana2Teddy]

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker

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.

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

There’s an archery range in Fenney too, which is a gorgeous village full of beautiful, huge live oaks south of 44 (wish we’d bought there).

If you want to be able to socialize with your Hawkin’s friends you’ll be doing a lot of driving between the two locations. At least an hour and a half by cart one way, or 45 minutes to an hour by car. Keep these things in mind when making your decision.

Also, you won’t have a garage with a manufactured home. Just a carport. That was a huge NO for us when we moved here in 2022. The bigger the garage the better.

The advice you’re receiving to rent first for awhile to get a better feel for all locations is very wise. Best of luck!

[monroekathi@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker

The beauty of TV is like no other. We currently live in a very pretty gated community on the Treasure Coast. For the same HOA fees we can live in TV. We can't wait! We've visited many times over the past few years and didn't consider moving until last year.

We hear so many cons of being further north but we love the look and feel so much. People tell us we are too young to live north (55) but does friendship really have an age? My dearest friend recently passed, she was 94 and we were best of friends.

When I'm in the southern areas, it doesn't feel the same to me; however, we have friends in Hawkins who tout that the South is the only place to be. We are very torn.

Thank you for your insight and if you have anymore advice, I'm open to any and all.

There are lots of younger people in the northern areas. There might be a higher percentage in the southern area, but no one needs thousands of friends. We have found friends of all ages, our own and older (& younger) in a northern village. Find the area that speaks to you. There are plenty of friends to be made no matter where you hang your hat.

[Pat2015]

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker

Money is definitely on our minds as we are nearing retirement but we could get a regular home for not much more than a nice manufactured home, so it's about the same. My draw to the manufactured homes is that they all look very different and the windows are beautiful. I love the landscaping, trees and rolling hills. I think it's so beautiful up there.

Thank you for the suggested villages, it's very appreciated

Spend a few dollars more and buy a house vs a manufactured home as there are a lot of buyers out there that won’t buy a manufactured house which significantly limits your resale ability should you decide to sell at some point.

[Randall55]

Originally Posted by shaw8700@outlook.com

Everything you’ve written is what I’m going through right now! My husband likes the Spanish Springs area and I’m trying to get him to the Sumter Landing area but he LOVES the trees up north. I’ve been here for two weeks in a rental and we are looking. Send me an email if you want to commiserate over lunch.

Spanish Springs and Lake Sumter are only three miles apart. If you look at homes near 466, both of you will be happy. 1.5 miles to Spanish Springs, 1.5 miles to Lake Sumter. Bonus! Brownwood will only be 8 miles away. You can meet your friend from Hawkins there. Buy on the Morse Blvd side near 466 and Sawgrass Grove will be 11 miles away. The new paradise rec center in the historic side will only be 3 miles away.

This area has many golf courses, restaurants, stores, and medical offices The hospital will be 2 miles away.

[hosegooseman]

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker

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?

We bought a 1984 manufactured home in Silver Lake (historic side). We couldn’t be happier.

Not only with the things you mentioned but the incredible easy of access to Supermarkets, large chain stores, restaurants, two of the best town squares in my opinion:

Spanish Springs and Lake Sumter (5 and 18 minutes by golf cart respectively).

I can get to most places mentioned in 10 minutes or less by golf cart, with an average of 5 minutes among all.

Paradise Rec Center is about to be rebuilt with an estimated $20M investment.

Silver Lake Rec Center was “refreshed” including new pool tables about 1.5 yrs ago.

Hill Top golf course was reopened a few months after extensive renovations. Not to mentioned the view from hole #1 which is one of the most spectacular ones.

Tight on budget? Get a fixer upper manufactured home or open land and built your dream home. Many options available.

And btw, I don’t work for TV. This is our experience…😎

[sallyg]

We lived in the historic district for 5 years and liked all the things you mentioned. It is also a super-convenient location. You are minutes from shopping, banks, rec center, pools, golf, hospital etc. I would not be afraid to buy there. Best of luck.

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by Annie66

My only concern with manufactured homes is their sturdiness in high winds.

In spite of themselves those manf homes have endured here in TV for 40-50 years.

1973 - Florida begins requiring tie-downs, at four corners only.

June 15, 1976 - HUD takes control of mobile home standards, and additional tie down requirements added per manufacturer’s installation manuals.

July 13, 1994 - HUD upgrades structural requirements, including addition of Wind Zone 3 for high-wind prone hurricane areas of Florida.

October 1, 1996 - Florida begins requiring mobile home installers to be licensed.

March 29, 1999 - Florida makes major changes to strengthen the tie-down requirements above HUD standards, part of the state Administrative Code Rule 15C-1.

[Dgodin]

We built on an empty lot in the historic area 5 years ago. We've never regretted it. Golf cart access to shopping is excellent and nearby. Mature trees, less traffic (except 441).
I have no reason to believe the developer will abandon the area. In fact, we are getting a new multi million dollar rec center.

[ABGinVA]

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker

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?

I also love the "historic" section and bought a house there a few years ago after looking at all the different areas in TV. Everyone always says this area is full of old people, but I am finding that as the older population moves on to their next adventure, younger folks are moving in.

TV appears committed to maintaining and improving this area. For example, Paradise rec center is going to be completely replaced/updated, Hilltop and Silver Lake exec courses have both recently undergone extensive upgrades. And you already know about the fabulous Orange Blossom pool.

This area is special. Whenever I travel elsewhere in TV, I always breathe a sigh of relief and the stress in my body vanishes when I get back to the historic side. It is peaceful with less traffic, a little more slow-paced and relaxed. And you are right - all the properties are different. So fun to walk or cart around and see what others are doing with their homes. Love it!

[motherflippinpicker]

Originally Posted by RRGuyNJ

Just curious, does your development have a similar "Bond" set up like the Villages? I understand the concept, just don't agree with giving the developer a free ride to get started. Never heard of it in other states but then I have always tried to avoid HOA's like the plague until recently. Thanks and good luck with your move.

Hi. Surprisingly, the HOA we live in does have a bond/CDD. After research, we discovered there aren't many CDDs left in FL. I think Ava Maria, TV and a couple others are the only CDDs left. The bond is what deters us from new construction entirely and we don't look at preexisting homes with bonds either, unless very small.

[MSGirl]

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker

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?

This is still a very desirable area for the reasons you mentioned. There is a lot of new being built but without the ambience of the original Villages.