[motherflippinpicker]

Originally Posted by Susanmr

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.

Thank you highlighting the points. What is the historical social club? It sounds like something I need to join to try to get out of my shell a little.

I wasn't aware of the extended pool hours, something I would very much enjoy.

We aren't retired yet either but we are drastically reducing our work hours to participate in life more while we can still enjoy it.

[motherflippinpicker]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

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.

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!

[motherflippinpicker]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

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.

Thank you so much for the explanation. I thought there was a village that jokingly went by the name of Wildwood. 😄

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by mraines

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.

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.

[motherflippinpicker]

Originally Posted by Fuzzyjourneyfan

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.

Thank you for your insight. Could you describe how long it takes by Golf Car to get to the squares and what your nearest square is?

Our realtor made it sound unfavorable due to higher property taxes and distance to squares and shopping. There are several homes we wanted to look at but they were in Marion county. Do you have to pay city and county taxes?

Thank you for any additional insight you can provide.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

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.

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

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

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

Yes, they played on Brunswick Gold Crowns.

[John Mayes]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

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...

My opinion, this is the best advice you can get. There is no “best” area. It just comes down to what you like and where you’re comfortable.

Best of luck and I’m sure you’ll find the right area for you.

[John Mayes]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

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.

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

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by motherflippinpicker

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!

Her info on kissing lanais was incorrect...

The picture she painted is not real...

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by John Mayes

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

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

[kansasr]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

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

There's a lot of misinformation going out on a lot of threads these days....if you heard it from your hairdresser's cousin, please don't post it here.

[Ropnrose]

Check out the weekly Rec Guide (District.org) to see what daily activities are in the area that you're looking at. Hanging out at the neighborhood pool is a good way to meet people too! I have made many good friends through the pool.

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.

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.

[Bogie Shooter]

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?

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 your 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.

[motherflippinpicker]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

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.

We've been looking at and staying at TV for several years. We are definitely ready to buy. Originally, we were looking at the Southern areas but every time we are drawn to the North. Now we are looking more closely at the North and have questions. I don't know when we will make an offer, we are only just starting our search.