Originally Posted by npwalters (Post 1828207)

The loft apartments are located on the edge of Brownwood Town Square and not near any single family homes. You miss the point.

Originally Posted by EdFNJ (Post 1828211)

Something about a large building sticking up 40 or 50 feet or whatever height it is in the midst of a single family home development just doesn't seem to fit in with the look and feel of the community as a whole which was the main reason for having Deed Restrictions, to keep everything homogenic. Brownwood apartments are on the outskirts and Katie Belle if it happens is in an existing building. I don't care much because it's NIMBY but it just seems so out of place smack in the middle. Nothing against apartments but it's just where they stick 'em. I am sure if they tore down the Mallory CC and stuck apartments there, I too would be annoyed.

Originally Posted by John41 (Post 1828212)

maybe not for the better.. if I were buying I would be happy for his information.. apparently enough residents were unhappy the last election to unseat the developers puppet commissioners by a wide margin.

Originally Posted by vintageogauge (Post 1828217)

I didn't miss the point, they will look much nicer than what was there before and you will have use of their amenities just as you do at the lofts.

Originally Posted by tophcfa (Post 1828242)

I can not understand why the OP is getting grief for stating facts and attempting to help future Villagers make an informed decision? Is that not why most people read TOV, to learn useful information from fellow Villagers? Lighten up on the OP, I totally agree with him/her.

Originally Posted by npwalters (Post 1828216)

Most buy on CC's for the view not for the pool or restaurant. Have you ever been to a CC pool, usually empty.
Definitely not my experience

Which one, that people buy for the view or that the CC pools are empty

TDS has a pool and a golf course. From what I've read Hacienda will have a pool and golf course.
TDS does not have a pool. The pool is part of the Tierra Del Sol Recreation Center and is a “neighborhood “ pool.
So your point is what? TDS never had a pool?

This may come as a shock but your definition of a country club isn't close. The restaurants are privately owned and have no relationship to the golf operation. Since TDS has all the golf holes, and your opinion on HH is pure speculation.
Have you ever been to Palmer, Lopez, or any others? Read the description of the country clubs given in TV sales literature.
All the time, The restaurants are privately owned and have nothing to do with the golf operation. The literature makes no promise of continuation, only that it is there and can be enjoyed by everyone...which it can.

This may also come as a shock but the residents have no say in the Developers business, or in any business that they have not invested in. Just because a bunch of uninformed residents show up doesn't mean anyone should make decisions based on their input.
The residents were not uninformed. The residents are the lifeblood of the developers business.
They were, still are and will be. And many were and are still uninformed since none of the plans have been shown but there are a lot of experts that know it all, right?

There have been several posts on here on the amenity fees associated with the speculated apartments so I won't repeat the information that is out there. You might want to search so you get your facts correct.
I did not post any facts other than what was stated by the amenity authority at the public meeting. Did you attend?
I was....and as I remember there was no discussion on the origin and distribution of the fees.

Nothing is guaranteed to be here in 5 years.....and if folks want to live in a community that will remain the same then I agree with you, they shouldn't move here. If you can't handle change then don't come or don't stay.

Oh, and check your facts before your sky continues to fall.
My facts are checked.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1828254)

If you wait and see, you will then know that the apartments will be built and then will be absorbed flawlessly. They will not be inhabited by down at the heels people, but very quiet ones who seek a smaller place as they age. Many will have golf carts only.

Every time there is something, anything, that some people can find to leap on the developer they do, and year after year, nothing awful has happened. The flowers still get changed out, the miles of bushes get trimmed, there isn't any debris or junk in the roadways, the areas south of 466 controlled by the developer get painted and repaired and everything is fine.

Every couple of years some wanna be hot shot raises his/her voice and decides he/she wants to run things and get things all set up to be run like an Orlando or a Jacksonville or a Deland. They don't like CDD's. Too much like successful private enterprise for them. Too quiet, not much crime. Things get done. No big mouths at the helms of ANYTHING running their mouths and making promises.

And we get this kind of rhetoric and then things work out JUST FINE and they have to look for another fish to fry.

Originally Posted by npwalters (Post 1828186)

So you are planning to buy a house in The Villages. Great! There are literally 10s of thousands of people here living the dream. We hope to keep it that way.

Please note this word of caution from a current resident. The Villages sales force mantra is “you are not buying a house, you are buying a lifestyle”. The lifestyle is rapidly changing – for the worse in the opinion of many.

You will probably consider paying a premium to have your single family home on a golf course and/or near a “country club”. Learn from the developers recent actions and decide if that is worth the risk. Here are a few facts.

There are several country clubs in the northern third of The Villages. These were built in the 80s and 90s and belong to the developer. Many people paid a premium to locate near them fully expecting to have access to a CC pool, tennis courts, a nice restaurant, a 18 or 27 hole course – you know, the things one normally associates with a country club. Two country clubs are now either non-existent or just a CC in name only (TDS in my opinion); Tierra Del Sol and Hacienda Hills. IT GETS WORSE.

The developer demolished Hacienda Hills CC and now states they plan to put an apartment complex on the site. Yes, an apartment complex in the middle of single family homes. To do this they had to get approval to offer amenities to the future apartment residents. A meeting was held to hear the current residents and the OVERWHELMING OPINION was a loud and clear NO. The Amenity authority (after meeting one on one with the developer) voted to ignore the residents and give approximately 280 amenities to the developer. There is much more to that story but this is already long. Read any post on Hacienda Hills on this blog.

Look at Hacienda Hills Country Club on Google Earth to get an idea of the area. The developer owns all the country clubs. Ask your real estate agent if the CC near your home is guaranteed to be there in 5 years.

Bottom line –do your diligence. We all hope the developer shows some respect to the current residents and reverses course. It is the right thing to do.

Originally Posted by EdFNJ (Post 1828256)

I am sure it will be done tastefully, beautifully and 100% up to "Villages standards" and the people will be just mahhhvelous dahling ..... just wouldn't want a multi-story building planted in the middle of my single family neighborhood no matter how many pretty flowers are planted around it and I certainly wouldn't buy a home in it's immediate vicinity. "The Developers" are free to do as they please .... doesn't mean everyone has to admire them for it.

Originally Posted by npwalters (Post 1828207)

The loft apartments are located on the edge of Brownwood Town Square and not near any single family homes. You miss the point.

Originally Posted by npwalters (Post 1828186)

So you are planning to buy a house in The Villages. Great! There are literally 10s of thousands of people here living the dream. We hope to keep it that way.

Please note this word of caution from a current resident. The Villages sales force mantra is “you are not buying a house, you are buying a lifestyle”. The lifestyle is rapidly changing – for the worse in the opinion of many.

You will probably consider paying a premium to have your single family home on a golf course and/or near a “country club”. Learn from the developers recent actions and decide if that is worth the risk. Here are a few facts.

There are several country clubs in the northern third of The Villages. These were built in the 80s and 90s and belong to the developer. Many people paid a premium to locate near them fully expecting to have access to a CC pool, tennis courts, a nice restaurant, a 18 or 27 hole course – you know, the things one normally associates with a country club. Two country clubs are now either non-existent or just a CC in name only (TDS in my opinion); Tierra Del Sol and Hacienda Hills. IT GETS WORSE.

The developer demolished Hacienda Hills CC and now states they plan to put an apartment complex on the site. Yes, an apartment complex in the middle of single family homes. To do this they had to get approval to offer amenities to the future apartment residents. A meeting was held to hear the current residents and the OVERWHELMING OPINION was a loud and clear NO. The Amenity authority (after meeting one on one with the developer) voted to ignore the residents and give approximately 280 amenities to the developer. There is much more to that story but this is already long. Read any post on Hacienda Hills on this blog.

Look at Hacienda Hills Country Club on Google Earth to get an idea of the area. The developer owns all the country clubs. Ask your real estate agent if the CC near your home is guaranteed to be there in 5 years.

Bottom line –do your diligence. We all hope the developer shows some respect to the current residents and reverses course. It is the right thing to do.