Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers (Post 2341060)

"Not for the FL lifestyle." -

Not sure what to make of a comment like that having lived in FL my entire adult life. The "Bubble" "lifestyle" is only so big. Eventually one has to leave T V.

For instance, going to the airport to go back to CA. Or even shopping for more than groceries. MAJOR MEDICAL episodes, one will find themselves in the midst of FL non-bubble as T V hospital can't handle ER open heart surgeries. What can one come up with that is "FL lifestyle"??

"Ya'll come back now" ??

Politics??

FL is a GREAT state, albeit a hot and humid cest pool at times. If one is fleeing CA to live cheaper, what happens in CA needs to STAY in CA. Florida doesn't need the CA lifestlye.

The Bubble IS FL and is for now free from lunacy.

2022? Was an especially great year in CA if I remember correctly. /s

Originally Posted by SoCalGal (Post 2340696)

How much is the monthly amenities fee?

Originally Posted by mraines (Post 2341299)

I lived in CA for 22 years but retired here in The Villages. I could not have afforded to stay in CA on my retirement and SS. I also had family nearby and have macular degeneration so I can get around by golf cart to any place I need to go. The drawback for me is the politics but if you are a Republican, it may not be a problem for you. Not sure if I can say that on here. There is also plenty to do here.

Originally Posted by Switter (Post 2341265)

I'm from Minnesota (a high tax state) and I feel property taxes here are a lot higher than I was expecting. I paid just over 300K for my house in The villages and my taxes will be about $5200 once I homestead. My place in Minnesota was worth about 450K and I paid about $5600. Gas is a lot cheaper but there are toll roads that you have to account for if you go to Orlando a lot.

Originally Posted by mraines (Post 2341299)

I lived in CA for 22 years but retired here in The Villages. I could not have afforded to stay in CA on my retirement and SS. I also had family nearby and have macular degeneration so I can get around by golf cart to any place I need to go. The drawback for me is the politics but if you are a Republican, it may not be a problem for you. Not sure if I can say that on here. There is also plenty to do here.

Originally Posted by mraines (Post 2341301)

Really? You musn't get out much. Plenty of lunacy around here.

Originally Posted by shaw8700@outlook.com (Post 2341368)

The HOA dues at my last home was about $5,300 a year, and they go up by 3% every year. That was with NOTHING to do unless you play golf. I’ll take $2,340, with everything to do thank you!

Originally Posted by Danenew20242 (Post 2340588)

Hello,
I am in California and just retired. I have found this unique place called "The Villages", so it sounds and looks very interesting, but I need your knowledge!

Is it really cheaper to live in The Villages or Fl in general? From the little I have been able to glean, there seems to be really no great monetary advantage, so why move there?

Thank you so very much for your time/efforts/comments and advice!!!!!

Originally Posted by MrFlorida (Post 2341865)

You may not like the heat and humidity here, it's quite a bit different than California.

Originally Posted by lorilorilori (Post 2341818)

I sold my Bixby Hills (Long Beach) and Toluca Lake homes years ago to move to FL. So very glad I did. By the way, is California still part of the United States ???:22yikes:

Originally Posted by Switter (Post 2341265)

I'm from Minnesota (a high tax state) and I feel property taxes here are a lot higher than I was expecting. I paid just over 300K for my house in The villages and my taxes will be about $5200 once I homestead. My place in Minnesota was worth about 450K and I paid about $5600. Gas is a lot cheaper but there are toll roads that you have to account for if you go to Orlando a lot.

The bond on the house I bought was already paid and it had a new roof put on, so that made a big difference. If you're buying a pre-existing house, make sure to check the age of the roof. Your insurance company could force you to replace the roof once it reaches 15 to 20 years old.

I think the amenity fees are very reasonable. Less than $200 a month and I get access to golf, swimming, and hundreds of miles multimodal paths for riding bike. The cost of owning and maintaining a private swimming pool is probably about $100 a month or more if you have someone service it. The pools here are great, especially the sports pools.

You'll want to read the deed restrictions in the area(s) that you're looking at. They are available at Village Community Development Districts. It might not hurt to look at the deed restrictions for all the districts to get a general idea of what they contain. You can even check the cost of utilities for a property on this web site. All you need is an address, no login or anything. You can look at anyone's utilities.

If you find a pre-existing home, make sure there's nothing on the property that is in violation of the deed restrictions. You'll be responsible for bringing it into compliance, regardless of who own the house before you.

There is a guy named Rusty who has a YouTube channel about the villages that talks about a lot of this stuff. He's very helpful.

Good luck in your decision.