[Uptown Girl]

Hi Maryland,
When you are getting closer to the time of your anticipated move, engage a Villages sales rep. and/ or realtor. (covers both new and pre-loved homes)

You can give them your criteria (large CYV yard, 2 car garage, whatever) and ask them to email pics when good candidates pop up. They do that all the time and will gladly explain the procedure and answer questions you may have.

You must be prepared to act swiftly if one you like presents itself, at least securing it with a payment to hold it. Your rep will give you all the info you need and explain the terms of what you need to do next. It's not scary, and there is some wiggle room if you change your mind.

We ended up buying our CYV that way and it was much more practical than searching everywhere on our own. Our rep was very good at picking and holding things for us to see and we now own a home that is the perfect fit for us!

Our rep did tell us that properties with unique features don't always appear in abundance, and there are a few hundred reps working The Villages, so when something juicy comes up, there is a scramble to hold it for someone.

In the meantime, enjoy perusing lots of properties online. If nothing else, it will help you decide what you want to investigate later on. Good luck! Hope you will be a Villager one day!

Originally Posted by bike42

Find a house with an oversize back yard, then build a birdcage to the setback lines. Lay out large landscape beds along the sides and the back, and when they pour the concrete floor, leave those areas open. Then plant some trees and shrubs, surrounded by lots of mulch. Your dogs will love their back yard.

We did something similar. While our yard is not oversized, we do have a golf cart garage. We had our birdcage added after the initial building process so we could customize it to extend as far as legally allowed to the property lines. We brought the birdcage all the way down to the back of the golf cart garage leaving a grassy area on that side of the home so he could do his business and it wouldn't be a focal point. Our dog loves his little area and so do we.

PM me if you want to come over and look at it.

[DonH57]

We recommend the invisible fence. We use one now and have been for years. The cost was worth it. When it's installed the only one that knows it's there except the dogs and you. The only thing we've had to explain to passers by is why our 80 lb lab won't leave the yard to go to them or their dogs. We have been very happy with this system. Please check into it.

[Tbugs]

I believe it has already been said that you do still have to watch your dog while it is in the yard - and not to leave them out all by themselves. There have been coyote sightings in The Villages and Fluffy might make a tasty treat for Wiley E. Coyote. The fences do not stop coyotes - they do not wear collars.

[oceangirl]

We have inherited our doxi from my grandson. I kept saying I didn't want a dog. Well you can see he is will be coming with us to our new home in Buttonwood. He is so spoiled and maybe getting around other doggies he will learn not to bark so much. But we love him and can't leave him behind. So see you all at the dog park. Plus he is going to be walking the streets in Buttonwood. Maybe this will tire him out.

[K9-Lovers]

He sounds joyful and full of life! He just has a lot to say. What is his name?

[Maryland Girl]

Originally Posted by Uptown Girl

Hi Maryland,
When you are getting closer to the time of your anticipated move, engage a Villages sales rep. and/ or realtor. (covers both new and pre-loved homes)

You can give them your criteria (large CYV yard, 2 car garage, whatever) and ask them to email pics when good candidates pop up. They do that all the time and will gladly explain the procedure and answer questions you may have.

You must be prepared to act swiftly if one you like presents itself, at least securing it with a payment to hold it. Your rep will give you all the info you need and explain the terms of what you need to do next. It's not scary, and there is some wiggle room if you change your mind.

We ended up buying our CYV that way and it was much more practical than searching everywhere on our own. Our rep was very good at picking and holding things for us to see and we now own a home that is the perfect fit for us!

Our rep did tell us that properties with unique features don't always appear in abundance, and there are a few hundred reps working The Villages, so when something juicy comes up, there is a scramble to hold it for someone.

In the meantime, enjoy perusing lots of properties online. If nothing else, it will help you decide what you want to investigate later on. Good luck! Hope you will be a Villager one day!

Uptown Girl,
Thanks for all of the information. We have, however, purchased an expanded CYV in the Edgewater Bungalows with a HUGE yard. You are right. When something 'juicy' comes up it is fallen on like hungry lions. Literally, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time and the person who had bought the house backed out of the deal. Our Buster and Becca will be most happy, so problem solved. We are waiting for our home here to sell and then it will be TV here we come! Thanks again.