[Diane M]

The bond is mentioned on the flyer part of the VLS listing. Simply open the flyer tab and you’ll see it there. If you look on an internet site for properties not listed on the VLS, ( zillow, realtor.com for example) the bond amount is almost always absent. Good luck!

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by MNViking

I quietly came down with my wife at end of May/June, to experience the record heat that you were having at the time. Again, for a reminder... I was sold based on researching the area for quite a while, but it is my younger wife (43) that needed to be convinced that is someplace she would like to live. (I am more extroverted, she more introverted) so lots to work through. That being said, I wanted to share that The Villages was IMHO way more fabulous than I expected it to be, and much more beautiful and cared for than expected. Keep in mind I have seen the video's but so much better in person.

Stayed at Well Point, which was expected to be in the south. Loved Brownwood and the people I met, loved Sawgrass Tavern and the people there, and my breakfast sandwich at The Market back getting a coffee! Delicious start to that morning.

Now we are earnestly looking to find our place, and I refuse to get a place that has a Bond even though the prices are dropping, and I am looking to be centralized (a bit) from the Newer Areas to the older areas. We believe the best location for all of that action and getting to many areas is the location around the Liberty Park Eagle Preserve. Wish us luck, as I plan to be tight and frugal!

From Well Point we did take an evening to drive up by golf cart to Lake Sumter Landing, quite the drive and not sure I would go much further than that from there lol! That being said, it was hot, but tolerable, and the The Villages GPS was fabulous! Thanks to those people. Loved the Recreation Centers, most of them anyways, and numerous pools were frequented. My son came up from his place in Miami, for couple days and was almost booted from one of the Adult pools. Keep in mind he is a 6' 5" 270# former football player that looks older, but was not quite 23 yet, and a polite lady asked for his card or what have you. He did not have it, she mentioned if you're under 30 you would have to go to the family pool not the adult pool next time. I thought a tad interesting since he was just sitting in the chair enjoying the sun with my wife. It was funny, 23 owns a few businesses, and is well off... but he didn't quite understand the principle. I told him wait to your 50 then you will understand.

But, The Villages lived up to my lofty expectations, and exceeded the beauty that my wife was looking for. She did like the older section for some of the mature trees as mentioned on here, but then again liked a bit of the younger "vibe" in the south. Keep in mind, she talked to maybe 4 people, 2 of them being the VLS reps... but I had conversations on couches in rec centers, glass melting glass, BUNCO people setting up, Clay/Pottery Group, couple of work out sections, and was even told to get changed and jump in for some water volleyball at the Savannah Athletic pool. Even hit a Ruby Tuesday for the salad bar by/in Spanish Springs!

Now to just find a great deal, as I can wait! That being said, why is it so hard to find info on Bonds if it is on the VLS, not to many call it out or what is left on it when I think it should be just part of the listing? Also to get a call out on Laundry In House vs Garage. These things should be a little easier. But, that is me learning the listings and how it goes on down here!

Hope you are all doing well, great place you all enjoy! I loved it! That being said, it's almost football season so time is focused on the Vikings, and searching for a place! Also did the Farmers Market, absolutely loved that and all the people! I will be in Heaven on Earth, just help me pray for my wife as she believes she may lose me to the activities!

Welcome to The Villages. I’ve lived here almost five years. My first home was 1600 sq ft with a pool and on a golf course. The bond was paid off, but I still had a mortgage. Two years later I sold it and bought a very private courtyard villa, which I love. It’s five minutes north west of Buena Vista and 466A, built in 2011. It still had a $10,000 bond on it, but I paid that off. I had the original whitish carpet and linoleum replaced with high end luxury vinyl flooring and new molding. Roberto’s did a great job. $14,000. Needed a new HVAC system in a year. I got a super quiet Daikon, $11,000. A garage door spring broke, and the original garage door was extremely noisy, too (it could be heard several doors away), so I replaced it was a very good one with a belt drive. Expensive, but so quiet! I’ll probably need to replace the shingles in the next year or two, as they are 14 years old. But I love not having a mortgage. I wish you similar success here.

If your wife gets involved in some activities, she will be welcomed. I’m really shy, too, almost a recluse, but I play in eight music jams per week and love it.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by MNViking

I quietly came down with my wife at end of May/June, to experience the record heat that you were having at the time. Again, for a reminder... I was sold based on researching the area for quite a while, but it is my younger wife (43) that needed to be convinced that is someplace she would like to live. (I am more extroverted, she more introverted) so lots to work through. That being said, I wanted to share that The Villages was IMHO way more fabulous than I expected it to be, and much more beautiful and cared for than expected. Keep in mind I have seen the video's but so much better in person.

Stayed at Well Point, which was expected to be in the south. Loved Brownwood and the people I met, loved Sawgrass Tavern and the people there, and my breakfast sandwich at The Market back getting a coffee! Delicious start to that morning.

Now we are earnestly looking to find our place, and I refuse to get a place that has a Bond even though the prices are dropping, and I am looking to be centralized (a bit) from the Newer Areas to the older areas. We believe the best location for all of that action and getting to many areas is the location around the Liberty Park Eagle Preserve. Wish us luck, as I plan to be tight and frugal!

From Well Point we did take an evening to drive up by golf cart to Lake Sumter Landing, quite the drive and not sure I would go much further than that from there lol! That being said, it was hot, but tolerable, and the The Villages GPS was fabulous! Thanks to those people. Loved the Recreation Centers, most of them anyways, and numerous pools were frequented. My son came up from his place in Miami, for couple days and was almost booted from one of the Adult pools. Keep in mind he is a 6' 5" 270# former football player that looks older, but was not quite 23 yet, and a polite lady asked for his card or what have you. He did not have it, she mentioned if you're under 30 you would have to go to the family pool not the adult pool next time. I thought a tad interesting since he was just sitting in the chair enjoying the sun with my wife. It was funny, 23 owns a few businesses, and is well off... but he didn't quite understand the principle. I told him wait to your 50 then you will understand.

But, The Villages lived up to my lofty expectations, and exceeded the beauty that my wife was looking for. She did like the older section for some of the mature trees as mentioned on here, but then again liked a bit of the younger "vibe" in the south. Keep in mind, she talked to maybe 4 people, 2 of them being the VLS reps... but I had conversations on couches in rec centers, glass melting glass, BUNCO people setting up, Clay/Pottery Group, couple of work out sections, and was even told to get changed and jump in for some water volleyball at the Savannah Athletic pool. Even hit a Ruby Tuesday for the salad bar by/in Spanish Springs!

Now to just find a great deal, as I can wait! That being said, why is it so hard to find info on Bonds if it is on the VLS, not to many call it out or what is left on it when I think it should be just part of the listing? Also to get a call out on Laundry In House vs Garage. These things should be a little easier. But, that is me learning the listings and how it goes on down here!

Hope you are all doing well, great place you all enjoy! I loved it! That being said, it's almost football season so time is focused on the Vikings, and searching for a place! Also did the Farmers Market, absolutely loved that and all the people! I will be in Heaven on Earth, just help me pray for my wife as she believes she may lose me to the activities!

"Now to just find a great deal, as I can wait! That being said, why is it so hard to find info on Bonds if it is on the VLS, not to many call it out or what is left on it when I think it should be just part of the listing?"

If the house is listed you can bet that if the bond is paid, the listing will note that fact. "No bond" is a big selling point.

[JohnsonL]

Wishing you well in your search for the perfect Villages home and location. You will get a lot of differing opinions about the perfect location. If you’d like to visit again, I have a rental in Fenney, which I believe has the most beautiful entrance of all locations. Villagers Homes 4 Rent, property ID 9868. We will also most likely be selling it FSBO in the next few years. Bond is low.

[Sully2023]

Originally Posted by MNViking

I quietly came down with my wife at end of May/June, to experience the record heat that you were having at the time. Again, for a reminder... I was sold based on researching the area for quite a while, but it is my younger wife (43) that needed to be convinced that is someplace she would like to live. (I am more extroverted, she more introverted) so lots to work through. That being said, I wanted to share that The Villages was IMHO way more fabulous than I expected it to be, and much more beautiful and cared for than expected. Keep in mind I have seen the video's but so much better in person.

Stayed at Well Point, which was expected to be in the south. Loved Brownwood and the people I met, loved Sawgrass Tavern and the people there, and my breakfast sandwich at The Market back getting a coffee! Delicious start to that morning.

Now we are earnestly looking to find our place, and I refuse to get a place that has a Bond even though the prices are dropping, and I am looking to be centralized (a bit) from the Newer Areas to the older areas. We believe the best location for all of that action and getting to many areas is the location around the Liberty Park Eagle Preserve. Wish us luck, as I plan to be tight and frugal!

From Well Point we did take an evening to drive up by golf cart to Lake Sumter Landing, quite the drive and not sure I would go much further than that from there lol! That being said, it was hot, but tolerable, and the The Villages GPS was fabulous! Thanks to those people. Loved the Recreation Centers, most of them anyways, and numerous pools were frequented. My son came up from his place in Miami, for couple days and was almost booted from one of the Adult pools. Keep in mind he is a 6' 5" 270# former football player that looks older, but was not quite 23 yet, and a polite lady asked for his card or what have you. He did not have it, she mentioned if you're under 30 you would have to go to the family pool not the adult pool next time. I thought a tad interesting since he was just sitting in the chair enjoying the sun with my wife. It was funny, 23 owns a few businesses, and is well off... but he didn't quite understand the principle. I told him wait to your 50 then you will understand.

But, The Villages lived up to my lofty expectations, and exceeded the beauty that my wife was looking for. She did like the older section for some of the mature trees as mentioned on here, but then again liked a bit of the younger "vibe" in the south. Keep in mind, she talked to maybe 4 people, 2 of them being the VLS reps... but I had conversations on couches in rec centers, glass melting glass, BUNCO people setting up, Clay/Pottery Group, couple of work out sections, and was even told to get changed and jump in for some water volleyball at the Savannah Athletic pool. Even hit a Ruby Tuesday for the salad bar by/in Spanish Springs!

Now to just find a great deal, as I can wait! That being said, why is it so hard to find info on Bonds if it is on the VLS, not to many call it out or what is left on it when I think it should be just part of the listing? Also to get a call out on Laundry In House vs Garage. These things should be a little easier. But, that is me learning the listings and how it goes on down here!

Hope you are all doing well, great place you all enjoy! I loved it! That being said, it's almost football season so time is focused on the Vikings, and searching for a place! Also did the Farmers Market, absolutely loved that and all the people! I will be in Heaven on Earth, just help me pray for my wife as she believes she may lose me to the activities!

IMHO, look for a home you love, in a location you like. Stop worrying about a bond payment. If the bond is not on a home, its already included in the purchase price so the owners can recoup the costs. I rented in different parts of the villages before buying. I ended up purchasing a new home in Citrus Grove. If I was doing it over again, I would choose a home very close to Eastport. It's a great area and will only add to the value of your home and life.

[Kar-el]

Originally Posted by thevillages2013

Do you ever get the stink from the sewage treatment facility? Drove by there headed to Cane Garden for golf Sunday and the smell was overwhelming.

If the wind is blowing towards us we can get a whiff of the sewage. Nothing that offends us terribly. Maybe the prevailing wind direction changes in the summer but we are snowbirds so it’s not bad in the winter months.

BTW I’m Kurtho’s twin brother. So I can answer for him!

[Ptmcbriz]

Just remind your younger wife, statistically speaking the majority of 50 year olds live south of 44 in the new section. Every new section through out time has the average youngest age. If mature trees are more important than people closer to her age, then things will be good. You can have all those activities no matter where you live.

As far as bond, there are houses for sale south of 44 that the owners have paid the bond (good selling point). You could also make it a condition of the sale. Our house is 4 years old and I’m already tired of the bond monthly expense, so we are going to pay ours off this year.

[coconutmama]

Originally Posted by Sully2023

IMHO, look for a home you love, in a location you like. Stop worrying about a bond payment. If the bond is not on a home, its already included in the purchase price so the owners can recoup the costs. I rented in different parts of the villages before buying. I ended up purchasing a new home in Citrus Grove. If I was doing it over again, I would choose a home very close to Eastport. It's a great area and will only add to the value of your home and life.

Correction. Sorry, but if a bond has been paid off, it is Not included in the resale listing price “to recoup the costs”. That is illegal.

It is only a selling point A good one to be sure, since over time owners pay almost double the original bond amount with the administration fees & interest.

[Ken D.]

Originally Posted by Diane M

The bond is mentioned on the flyer part of the VLS listing. Simply open the flyer tab and you’ll see it there. If you look on an internet site for properties not listed on the VLS, ( zillow, realtor.com for example) the bond amount is almost always absent. Good luck!

All tax bills are public information and easily accessible online. Bond payments are part of the tax bill.

[Nell57]

If you like the Liberty Park area, widen your search to all of the Villages around LSL. I’ve seen some great deals in Duval. Sunset Pointe borders the N side of the Eagle Preserve.( It’s also a tortoise preserve)
Bonds in this area will be paid off or very low.

[virtue51]

When looking for a home, I would focus not just on whether the bond is paid or not. This can be handled through the sales price or have the seller pay the bond. You should make a list of what is important to you in a home -- first, location is critical because you cannot move the house. You need to determine what is a must have in a home and what items are nice to have but not critical to the purchase of the home. Go to open houses and explore the homes on the market.

Also, you need to have a Villages Realtor and a Multiple Listing Realtor such as REMax, etc.

Take your time and explore the areas and homes. Good luck.

[Bruceg0028]

We are in our 2nd home in TV. Our 1st home was near Spanish Spring's we are now near BW. Neither have gas. But frankly I dont see the issue. Our monthly electric bill here is less than what my gas and electric were together up north.

Both areas have a mixture on younger seniors and older.

The VLS listings online always show the bond amount. We bought our 2nd and the bond was paid off. So there are those opportunities out there in a 10-12 year old home.

Bonus is insurance is cheaper on a younger house, major repairs are not needed yet, landscaping is generally in good shape. Older homes tend to need a lot of landscape maintenance.

Overall don’t box yourself in to an area without looking at the whole picture.

Also don’t cheap out. If you do you may end up not liking the home and spending the money down the road anyway when you decide to move. Average Villager moves 2-3 times.

Good luck.

[Justforfun]

We moved to Liberty Park almost 2 years ago and love the area. We are close to Lake Sumter Landing and Brownwood plus many executive courses (if you play golf). Yes, the neighborhood is older, but we have found younger people too. We paid off the small bond amount when we got here and recently replaced the roof, stove, etc. but that cost was planned. It is still less expensive than the newer homes and the high costs on the southside. You will love the Villages!

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by bowlingal

May/June was nothing compared to the heat/humidity that is here now. Walking to the end of my driveway at 6:30AM to get the paper and I am sweating. By the way, bonds, taxes are way higher in the southern/new areas. Plus, if you look in the classified section of the Daily Sun, you will see MANY resales from south of 44 for sale already. WHY? You gotta ask yourself that question.

Many like us buy Investment Properties. Keep 1-3 years rent, then sell for profit to roll into next investment properties. Some homes in our Fifth village at one year had never been lived in. Waiting for that magic one year to end to make a great investment.
Our first investment inquiry was in 2007.
So there is your answer on WHY. Every new village in great locations have investment homes.
It’s ok not to understand the concept, and need to ask Why. Investors are very under the radar.

[dtennent]

Please don’t let the bond be a distraction. I would concentrate on location and home features. Also, since homes here don’t have basements, storage is at a premium. Any attic space above the garage is too hot to store anything of value.

Have fun in your search for your next home. If it doesn’t work out the way you hoped, you can try another house.