[Golfpro852]

I decided to retire early so my wife and I will be relocating to The Villages in early August. My wife will continue her job with the University of Wyoming. We are relocating from Colorado and have been planning this move for the last two years. We will be renting a villa in McClure for two months and then hope to find a home to purchase. We are also considering building. We would like to hear any advice on what we should do and take care of the first couple weeks of our relocation! We are both looking forward to what The Villages offer. We did spend 2 1/2 years in Crystal River with my job and we absolutely loved The Villages. Thanks! Rob & Dianne

[mtdjed]

Congratulations on your decision and move.

You will now have the chance to live in Florida where there is no income tax. Perhaps this suggestion is too late but try to defer any possible income from states with income tax until you are a Florida Resident officially. This would include any large distributions from your employer as an incentive to retire. Certainly do not allow states to deduct tax before distribution as that would limit your opportunity to minimize state taxes.

If this is a potential issue, see someone who knows the law.

I did not and it then got state taxed by my previous state. Even though not received until after I settled in Florida.

[champion6]

Congratulations ... the best is yet to come!

[LI SNOWBIRD]

Welcome home.

[gomsiepop]

If you can dream it you can have it

[Dond1959]

Welcome to the Villages. An exciting time. First you need to decide location. Hopefully you have visited and have an idea where you want to be. If you want to build then you have to be south of 44. That would put you in Marsh Bend, Linden, or Monarchy Grove. If you build you probably will not be able to get in before the end of the year. Talk to the tax assessment office about getting the $50k homestead exemption. If you want a spec house there are lots to choose from down south. If you go preowned route then you need to contact a Villages RE agent AND a Realtor. The MLS homes are not on the Villages website. So you will need two agents plus look for For Sale By Owner. Both the realtor and the Villages agent can give you a lot of information. Finally, talk to a lot of people. People are more than willing to give you their opinion. So at the squares, at activities, at pools, golf courses, neighbors, etc talk to people and get their opinion. Good luck!

[chrisinva]

Congrats & welcome! We just moved here in March 2019 & have been enjoying the active lifestyle. There are TONS of activities to participate in & stay active, physically & mentally.

To do:
1. Continue using & reading this site as there will be lots of valuable tips here.

2 Join the Next Door app. We belong to the DeSoto neighborhood (part of Fenney area) & there's lots of relevant info on the site; also great participation & info sharing. I think Next Door somehow restricts communication based on which neighborhood you live in, so it might not be possible to join till you live in TV.

3. One of our biggest, time-consuming issues after moving here was finding another health plan, then finding the dentists & docs that accept the new plan. We were with Kaiser Permanente HMO in VA so we had to start from scratch. Wished we had started that earlier so it would not have interfered with our enjoyment of the new location, home. You can start that search now, before moving.

4. The Villages sales team were all terrific; even assisted with the moving van selection & helped get our house in VA sold. Ann Duke was our agent here, absolutely TERRIFIC in all aspects of searching for the right home (spec home v build it home v pre-owned) & seeing us through till we settled in and afterward.

Best wishes!!

[Silver Streak]

Hello, from a soon-to-be new neighbor! We'll be moving into our new home in McClure the week of August 19th and are pretty excited about it! When we were in TV in May to check the place out (and sign a purchase agreement), then again in June for closing, then AGAIN for a super quick visit mid-July, we made a point of going to the neighborhood pool (Willow Tree) and met quite a few neighbors. We're very much looking forward to getting "plugged in" to the community and the lifestyle.

We've now sold our longtime (20+ years) home in Indianapolis and the movers will be here in less than 2 weeks, so things have been a bit crazy. I finally remembered today that I signed up for these boards and thought I'd poke around a bit. This is my very first post, LOL! Appreciate the suggestion by Chrisinva about NextDoor. I'm on there in Indy and I think I have to "resign" from that one before I can join another. I've found it very useful here and I'm sure I will in TV as well. Thanks!

--Brenda

[rjm1cc]

Good plan to rent. I would put stuff in pods and store where you live now for deliver when you buy a home. Or deliver now if you will need some of the stuff and store rest locally.
I would think of renting longer than 2 months.
Also look around the area so you make a good comparism.
Remember the Villages are in three different counties and utilities vary so pay attention to this when you select your home.

[eweissenbach]

A good source of information for newcomers can be had by watching videos from The Villages Newcomers on YouTube. Jerry and Linda moved to TV in November and have put out about a video a week about moving to and getting acclimated in, The Villages. Also you can watch some of Skip Smith's videos, also on YouTube. One thing I can tell you is that Villages homes have comparatively little storage - no basements and attics which get too hot to store many things. Also, most people that move their old furniture seem to quickly get rid of much of it in favor of more "Florida style" furniture. So, you may want to save some moving cost by getting rid of much of your "stuff" before coming down. Good luck and hope to see you around in the future! Ed

[Taltarzac725]

Welcome Back

This is a great source of information about the Villages if you have not seen it yet.

As for the Wyoming tax question and moving to Florida I would ask Turbo Tax about it. I moved to Florida in May from Ohio. I have to pay state income tax for Ohio income, however it is counting my Florida income for my total Ohio taxable income. Why?

Personal Finance & Tax Discussion Forums | TurboTax(R) Support

[Tom C]

Congrats on making that big decision.

What we found we needed right away was a good WiFi system so that we could get well connected to the information that we were finding we needed. Our cell service, while acceptable at our prior location, was TERRIBLE in The Villages. Once we set up the WiFi in our new place, we have been able to make WiFi calls. This will do until we switch over to a new carrier (we are still looking into those options).

[rjm1cc]

Establish your Fl residence as soon as you get hear. Car registration, drivers license, insurance and voter registration. Be sure to tell your wife's employer as the income she earns while in Fl should not be taxable.
Since you are renting I think I would get a post office box for mail until you get a permanate home. Change your address with all your vendors and the state and federal tax authorizes.

[valuemkt]

Welcome ! First couple of weeks ? Don;t cook more than one meal at home a week. Visit the country clubs and the restaurants on the square. Have a cocktail or meal at the bar, so you can hear and participate in the conversation. Ask questions, as people here are not only friendly but opinionated. Make sure you are okay with the area south of 44, where you say you will be staying. The only place to eat (other than upcoming food trucks) is fenney bar and grill. Its nice, but so arent a hundred other places that are a further drive away. In ten years it might be the center of the Villages, but it isnt today. As someone else has mentioned, after driving yourself around, find a real estate person connected to both MLS and The Villages offerings. Plenty of previous blogs discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both. and MAKE SURE you explore areas north of 466, between 466 and 466A, and south of 466A before you commit to buying furhter south. There are advantages to each area, and different for each couple. Get involved in an activity or two, and spend as little time in your home as possible, Enjoy

[Northwoods]

Agree with the poster above. I was still working when I moved down here and the first thing I did was declare FL residency. I came from a high tax state and it was a significant savings for me.
Second thing I would recommend (I know not everyone will agree with me)... I would buy in a new area vs. buying in an established village. I equate moving to The Villages like going to college. Everyone is new and looking to make friends. Overall it's much easier to meet people and make friends when everyone is new vs. moving into an established neighborhood where many people have formed friendships. Again... this isn't always true... but I think it's easier to make friends in a new village.